I truly adored this story. Kate Robb's telling of a woman just trying to repair a broken heart and in turn upending her entire life was a lovely journey.

Much of the premise reminds me of Run, Lola, Run and Sliding Doors in the idea that one moment or decision can completely change the direction of your life, but also brings about the ideas that What's Meant to Be Will Always Find a Way.

I loved seeing the FMC wake up to find that her world had been shifted to one that focused on her and her life/business goals instead of her relationship and then using the information she had to try to build relationships with the people in her life from the floor up with new experiences to learn and grow from.

I hope to read much more from Kate Robb in the future.

This book was okay, but it didn’t really do anything for me. I was so let down by the magical realism and while I usually love friends to lovers it didn’t do anything for me this time.

Thank you Kate Robb, NetGalley, and Dial Press Trade Paperback for the e-arc of This Spells Love. This was such a fun and well written first book by Kate Robb and I'll definitely read more of her books.

Gemma, the FMC, is heartbroken when her longterm boyfriend breaks up with her. Trying to erase him from her memory, Gemma completes a "love cleanse" spell with her aunt, sister, and best friend Dax. At first it seems like nothing happened, but when she wakes up the next morning she is in an unfamiliar bed next to an unfamiliar man. Then she returns to an unfamiliar home and job. And the worst part of it all is that her best friend is no longer her best friend -- in fact he has no idea who she is.

The longer Gemma spends in this new reality, the more she realizes that maybe Dax is The One for her, not her ex. But this new reality is also vastly different than her old one -- her life is not the same at all, Dax's business of custom shoes isn't thriving like before, and Gemma's sister isn't the same happy stay at home mom she saw her as. As Gemma falls hard for Dax (and he falls for her just as hard) she has to decide whether or not to stay in this alternate reality, or reverse the spell, return to her original reality, and take a chance that Dax might be in love with her in both realities.

Funnily enough, this was my second alternate timeline/parallel universe book I read in a week (the other one being The Good Part by Sophie Cousens) and I really enjoyed it. Gemma, and Dax, were both lovable MCs that had me rooting for them the entire time. I loved reading Gemma's train of thought as she decided if she was going to stay or leave -- it gets me thinking of what I would do if I was in her place.

This Spells Love is perfect for anyone who loves a little bit of magic mixed in with their romance!

4/5 stars
2.5/5 spice

This book pulls on the heart strings in the best way. Dax and Gemma make me wanna kick me feet and giggle and hug my kindle to my chest. I loved the subtle magic (aside from the spell) to the book and the idea that Aunt Livi always knew what was going on. The sisters relationship also was a layer of goodness I didn’t expect. The personal growth of Gemma was very much needed in this book and when it happened it felt like genuine growth instead of half thought out growth for the sake of the plot. A definite must read for witchy rom com lovers even if the magic is very small.

The first time I started reading this book, I wasn't really in the mood and I wasn't sure if it was a book I wanted to read afterall. I held on to it though, and gave it a go about a month later. I'm soooo glad I gave it another chance because I ended up loving it!

The plot was such a cute concept and I really enjoyed how the author played it out. I definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy contemporary romcom books with a bit of magic!

I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one day! Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Robb, and Random House Publishing Group-Dial Press, for an advanced reader copy of “This Spells Love”.

Gemma and Dax are best friends and have been so for four years, since the night she met both him and her recently ex-boyfriend, Stuart. In her misery, and over some margaritas, her aunt, sister and she cast a spell to forget the night she met Stuart. But oops, she wakes up the next morning in an alternate timeline where Dax has never met her and she misses him deeply.

I loved this so much!!! So cute, and I loved Gemma and Dax! I love the friends to lovers trope, and I loved the little magical twist in this! It put such a fun spin on the story, and made it have such a fun mix with a Groundhog Day style. Gemma is so relatable with not wanting to make risky decisions for herself, and I loved how much she grew from the safety and security of what is known, into taking more chances and risks. Dax is the best! In both timelines he is such a cinnamon roll of a guy! I wish there was a little more about the magic and how/why it worked with Gemma’s aunt, but not knowing more didn’t detract from the story at all. I definitely recommend this for a heartwarming read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This Spells Love by Kate Robb is a book that in reading I felt the emotions of the main characters deeply. I was so into the story and truly enjoyed every second, it was fun, sweet, cute, and charming. This book could make the cutest rom-com movie, I would love to see Gemma and Dax 'come to life'. It is the story of Gemma, dumped by her boyfriend, and Dax, her best friend. To help Gemma get over her ex, her aunt, sister, and Dax assist her with a spell that goes awry. Gemma wakes up to find she is living in an alternate reality where her best friend doesn't even know she exists so she works to create a friendship with him. But, to go back to her old life, she has to convince him to kiss her during the next ideal moon phase. The problem is, she gets pretty comfy in this new life and isn't so sure she wants to go back because going back also means a new relationship she's cultivated won't exist. This book was hard to put down, I would highly recommend it if you love stories that enchant.

" This Love Spells" was a solid debut effort by Kate Robb. The premise was interesting and I was excited to jump into this magical story. The romance was slow burn and okay. I think my biggest downside with this book was the characters--I didn't feel invested in them. And because of that , the story is forgettable.

This Spells Love was not a fit for me at this time. I DNFed around the 20% mark. Maybe this was just a case of bad timing but my patience for silly characters with messed up lives was not strong enough to allow me to continue reading.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Too horny!?
Like. He’s been your best friend forever in your timeline and you NEVER wanted to bang him? And then when she’s finally friends with him. Which happens too fucking quickly. Like weirdo girl in your store then a few days later. Literally it’s like 3??? You’re super close friends and a few days after that you’re dating??? No????

Okay so, never wanted to bang her best friend but he’s her everything in this world?
Okay. Weird

Then she just LIVES this life for a while as that timeline Gemma? Not trying to get back? Just hooking up with Dax. Running a business. No worries?

Then? His timeline is fucked and the solution is go back to her timeline to solve this Dax’s issues? How would that happen??? This doesn’t track babe.

It’s been less than a month and he loves her?? Stop it.

Also why does she call him Daxton B?! All the time! Stop it.

Why does she think her dax wouldn’t love her in her timeline? Is she dumb?

And the sex is so fucking prominent? And I get it. I love sex too. But the timing of the scenes were off? Like. Instead of getting to know each other (this Dax doesn’t even know her like she has for the last 4 years) he’s fingering her in his car.

His store burns down and he moves into his cousins basement. She has to go back to her timeline soon and has this plan of going back? But it makes no sense. So instead she’s worried about him making her cum? Fucking in the basement. It wasn’t sexy? It was confusing. And they’re planning a costume party!?? What is the fucking point????

I was completely charmed by this book, and pleasantly surprised by its complexity even as it hit all those Romance genre tropes.

Gemm and Dax are best friends. She's just gotten out of a relationship with a guy named Stuart who she stayed with because she was playing it safe. She plays it safe with everything in her life: she has a job she doesn't love because it's stable and pays well, and she won't let herself fall for her best friend because she worries what will happen if they don't last. While grieving the end of her relationship with Stuart, Gemma gets drunk, and along with her sister and aunt, perform a spell to cleanse her. Then the magic happens!

Gemma wakes up in an alternate life where she gets to play out everything she had been afraid of. She and Dax fall in love with each other. She has a gorgeous clean beauty products store. She is the happiest she's ever been. There are, however, consequences for her being in a time and place she doesn't belong. The main plot point of the novel is Gemma deciding if she can give up her newfound happiness in order to go back to her old life and fix things (there's more, but I am not going to spoil it).

What makes this novel special is that each character is complex. Gemma's sister Kierstan is smart and supportive, and also doesn't let her sister get away with being babied all the time. Aunt Livi is wise and hilarious. Dax and Gemma's relationship is so tender and fun and sexy. You just want the best for everyone, and that, to me, is the mark of a great book.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

Witchy romance at its best! This Spells Love is a hilarious and spicy story with the most perfect witchy vibes 👌

* e-arc received from Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts

This Spells Love by Kate Robb mixes the genre of romantic comedy with a little bit of magic to tell the story of a young women who after a night of mistaken magic wakes up to find her life is pretty different. Gemma is reeling over a break up and makes a wish which depending on how you look at it either goes terribly wrong or terribly right. She wakes up to a similar world where she lives in the same town but her house, her job, and her best friend are completely different than what she is used to. In some ways this alternate world is better, but in other ways it is not, leaving Gemma the dilemma of not only how does she get back to her real life, but also the question of if she should.
This book is a fun mix of a little bit of supernatural with a classic girl falls for best friend romantic comedy. I recommend it for someone looking for readers who enjoy stories about young women finding themselves in this world, romantic comedies, and a little bit of magic.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Robb, and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a super cute, whimsical, friends to lovers, debut romance! Basically the heroine breaks up with her boyfriend and wishes she never met him, so she gets together with her sister and aunt and they get some drinks in them and do a “spell” to make that happen. She wakes up the next morning and realizes it not only worked, but that her life is completely different too. Including the fact that she is no longer best friends with her best friend, because she met him the same night as her ex-boyfriend who she chose to have never met.

This was such a solid debut! Romance, humour and a little bit of magic...what's not to love!?

I really liked that this book was set in Hamilton, Ontario. This isn't far from me and it was cool to read about a place that I have some familiarity with.

The characters were great and I loved their relationship. The magical realism was cool and not overdone. The romance was sweet, there was a little bit of spice, and overall it was a joy to read! Can't wait to read more from Kate Robb in the future!

This was a delicious novel about what ifs and destiny. I adored all the characters especially Aunt Livia, she deserves her own novel. Overall, a fantastic read that left me all warm and fuzzy.

The writing is solid, creating a vivid atmosphere, but the plot is a mix of captivating moments and predictability. Characters are well-developed, though some lack depth. Pacing fluctuates, making it a decent but not outstanding read.

I love a good withcy romcom so when I saw this I knew I just had to read it. This would be best read in the fall preferably in the spooky season of october. A lovely little friends to lovers debut.

This book for me was almost painfully middle of the road. Truly, I spent the entire time reading waiting for anything (ANYTHING, PLEASE!) to not go exactly how I was expecting.

There were no unexpected plot twists or character developments. There was also fairly decent writing.

I want to give this a better rating, because truly it wasn’t bad and I have little by way of constructive critique. But, frankly, I was bored pretty much the whole way through this.