This Spells Love by Kate Robb is a sweet, magical rom com.
After Gemma is broken up with by her long-term boyfriend she goes to see her aunt who introduces her to a book of spells. After a few margaritas, Gemma decides to cast a spell to cut her ex out of her life. However, when she wakes up in an unknown house and her best friend doesn't recognize her, she realizes something has gone terribly wrong.
This was so fun. It gave me 13 going on 30 vibes with the relationships between the main characters.

In this magical debut novel, you'll find a girl who most of us can relate to. Remember when you went through a nasty breakup and wished more than anything that you never met your ex? Imagine what could happen if that wish came true. 🔮

If you've ever wondered, This Spells Love will give you a glimpse into what that world could have looked like.✨

For my fellow mood readers, this is definitely a book you want to have lined up to kick off October. It gives you all of the romantic spooky vibes. Think 13 Going on 30 meets Practical Magic.🌙

I personally had a difficult time connecting with the characters outside of the initial premise of the plot, which is the main reason I gave it 3 stars. Overall, this was a beautiful debut novel and could easily be a 5-star read for someone else. 💕 I’m also a big mood reader, so I feel like if I would have read this in September/October I may have felt differently.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

Favorite Quote:

🌙 “It means that no matter where I am, my sister will always be there for me.”

The premise of this romance was intriguing: A spell thrusts a heartbroken Gemma into a new timeline where she has never met her ex. Unfortunately, though, in this new timeline, her best friend Dax doesn't know who she is either. And that seems to bother her more than the ex situation.

I really hoped this one would live up the fun premise, but it just didn't work for me. Gemma was funny and endearing enough and the banter with her sister was enjoyable.. But I didn't get much of a spark from her and Dax. Maybe it's because we didn't get his POV, but their connection wasn't strong enoug before the spell for me to stay invested in their relationship growing in the new timeline. I was also a bit confused about the kooky aunt. She seemed to be the "witch" casting the spells but didn't seem too knowledgeable about what happened to her niece.

All in all, I didn't connect strongly with Gemma and wasn't invested in the relationship with her and Dax. I love the friends to lovers trop, but this one just didn't work for me.

Plot:
Gemma has a terrible break up, so she decides to get drunk one night with her sister, her kooky, mystical aunt, and her guy bestie Dax. Gemma gets talked in to doing a spell that will erase her ex from her memory. The next day she wakes up in an alternate reality. However, in this new timeline, Dax doesn't even know her! Can Gemma break the spell so that she and Dax can go back to being best buds? Oh, and to top it off, in this alternate universe, Gemma starts to realize she is falling in love with Dax.

Review:
This Spells Love had all the cozy, charming, magical vibes I was wanting, but didn't get from The Ex Hex! Finally, a witchy romance I can get behind! I am a sucker for a cinnamon roll hero and Dax is exactly that. This book definitely has some spice to it too! Don't be fooled by the cute cover! I have to admit that at times Gemma said/did some things that were a little on the cringe side for me and the tow truck scene was also a bit cringey. Also, Gemma, girl, we did not need you to go to a whole other dimension just to figure out you loved Dax. It was obvious from chapter 1. Classic case of friends to lovers, but they've always been in love. So, it's not a perfect 5 star read for me. However, overall, I did have a fun time and loved the pairs banter, chemistry, and tension.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute, fun, cozy, witchy romcom. I look forward to Kate Robb's next book!

Thank you Netgalley, Kate Robb, and Random House for the eARC.

This Spells Love is out now.

This was a super cute and quick read! It was a wonderful take on the friends to lover trope. I loved Gemma's journey in realizing her feelings for Dax and her discovering what she wanted out of her life.

The magical aspect of the story was fun and done very well. The spice level was perfect. Overall, This Spells Love was a truly delightful romcom! I can't wait for more from Kate Robb.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was predictable, but an enjoyable journey regardless! I thoroughly enjoyed the MCs aunt, as well as the side characters overall. The alternate universe was well done and I liked how she tied everything together.

I read this book in one evening. It has everything you need for a good warm fuzzy feeling. The humor is amazing, the characters grow and become more self aware, the sex is hot, the magic is cozy and Aunt Livi is the amazing crazy aunt everyone needs it their life. If you are in the fence about this one, don’t be, it’s a delight.

This book was so cute, I followed Gemma on her journey of figuring out which life she wants, whether it's the one where her best friend doesn't know who she is or the one where she has to live through a rough breakup. I enjoyed the book for a multitude of reasons, the main being that we get to see the equivalent of 2 outcomes and the one that she decides to stick with. The secondary reason is how well the book flowed, Kate did an amazing job writing this book and bringing the characters to life.

This isn’t necessarily the book’s fault… but I read this back in October and the ONLY reason I chose it was because it was spooky month and there was the word “spells” in the title so I assumed it’d be witchy. And ooooof, I was so wrong.

This book follows Gemma, who tries to heal her broken heart during a drunken night and completes a “spell” with her aunt, sister, and best friend. Only, it happens to send her to another dimension and changes her whole life. When she finds out her best friend isn’t her best friend in this life, she does what she can to get close to him - but then realizes maybe there was always more to them.

It’s a different kind of friends to lovers, because in this case, she’s a stranger to him and she has to “get to know him” so she doesn’t look creepy for knowing most of the stuff she does about him.

It was a curious book but still kept me questioning a lot and I kind of hoped for more from this.

Absolutely loved Gemma and Dax! This was a delight to read, and such a heartwarming romance. Highly recommend for fans of The Seven Year Slip, Emily Henry, and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. Cozy and romantic vibes all around.

2.5 stars, rounded up - unfortunately, by the halfway point, I was ready for this book to be wrapped up. I didn’t find Gemma to be a likable main character, although I absolutely adored her sister - I enjoyed the dynamic between them (maybe it’s because I’m the oldest of 3 sisters myself). The relationship between Dax and Gemma in the other universe seemed to come together so quickly - I mean, he had literally no friendship with her at all to start, but in 3-4 weeks, he was head over heels in love with her. I wish there would’ve been more give and take between them, emotionally, before getting to the end result.

I really enjoyed this book. I definitely thought I was going to be able to determine the outcome and was happily surprised when I did not. The main character Gemma was relatable. I remember being in my midtwenties and at a crossroads in life, depending on family and friends to make life decisions. Gemma has a strong family surrounding her which enables her to make mistakes and also move forward. Her relationship with Dax is also relatable. I am sure many people find them in this situation and are not sure what to do. Especially when he has been created as such a good guy and man's man! Love the ending and how everything came together.

This was a new author for me. I will be looking for future books from her.

This was a cute and fun read! This offers a different view of love because of the parallel universe. I was expecting more witchy vibes, it that’s what I get for going in blind. Still super cute and quick read!

I love these magical romances—there is nothing better in the holiday season, particularly if you live in a cold/cozy climate. I think Kate Robb has a unique voice—she is funny, smart and irreverent. Her characters are actually memorable. I look forward to more from her!

Cute! Mystical realism and what could have been are some of my favorite themes and this book with a cast of complicated and comical characters was fun.

This Spells Love
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author:

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Random House Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: What if one little wish changed everything?

When Gemma gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend, she reacts the way any reasonable twenty-eight-year-old would: by getting drunk with her sister, kooky aunt, and best friend, Dax. After one too many margaritas, they decide to perform a love- cleansing spell, which promises to erase Gemma’s ex from her memory. They follow all the instructions, including a platonic kiss from Dax to seal the deal.

When Gemma wakes up, she realizes that this silly spell has worked. Not only does it seem that she never dated her ex, but the rest of her life is completely unrecognizable. The worst part: Dax has no idea who she is.

To reverse the spell and get back to her old life, Gemma must convince her once-best-friend-now-near-stranger to kiss her. But as she carries out her plans, she finds herself falling for him—hard. Soon, Gemma begins to wonder whether she even wants to go back to the way things once were. What if Dax was The One all along?

My Thoughts: This was such a cute magical story. Warning, this story will illicit heartwarming, funny, and even sad spontaneous emotions, experiencing the whole rollercoaster of emotions event. Gemma gets dumped by her long-time boyfriend, so she gets drinks with her sister, her eccentric aunt, and her best friend, Dax. Her aunt owns a bookstore and has just the book for her. They perform a cleansing erase the boyfriend ritual. When she seals the ritual with a kiss with her best friend, she wakes up in an unrecognizable life, in a parallel world. She is not best friends with Dax and she has not dated her ex. As she tries to figure out how to get back, she ends up falling for her best friend. Will she be able to get back and stand in her true feelings? Or is she stuck in this parallel world where everything is different? This follows the tropes of friends to lovers.

The story is primarily narrated by Gemma, in her POV. I adored the relationship between Gemma and Dax, it was truly heartfelt. Gemma is carefree, extroverted, loves loyally, and is fiercely independent. Dax has a tough exterior, but once you get to know him, he is soft on the inside, charming, sexy, and is just the perfect swoon-perfection book boyfriend. The characters were well developed, with depth, angst, tension, witty banter, chemistry, and were intriguing. Both of our MCs really had tremendous character growth througout the story. The biggest growth was Gemma, who would play things safe, and by the end would take the risks necessary in life. The supporting characters, Gemma’s sister, Kiersten, and the eccentric aunt, Lily, really elevated the story is another level. All of the characters were likable (well mostly) and relatable. The author’s writing style was complex, swoony, thought-provoking, heartwarming, brilliant, inviting, and kept me invested from the first word to the last word. The author just has a way with words that captivates you and keeps you invested for the entirety of the literary journey. The characters were built up slowly, the plot was delivered flawlessly, the pacing and flow were perfection, and the ending wrapped things up so beautifully.

This story was whimsical, magical, heartfelt, funny, emotional, clever, and has a real special meaning. The perfect romance story. For a debut book, this was absolutely phenomenal. This book ranks as one of my favorites for 2023. I read a lot of books, some stay with me and others I forget as soon as I close the book. This one will stay with me and I put it along the lines of Lessons in Chemistry with the impact it has made. The author puts a different spin on friends to lovers and does it in a way that produces a meaningful message of always standing in your truth. This book also addresses a very common question, if you had made a different choice in life, would that alter your life path? This book made me smile, cry, laugh, smile, and then cry again, a true rollercoaster of emotions. I will definitely read further books by this author, she really captivated me with her writing style. I would highly recommend this book to other readers!

This spells love is a magical, fun and enchanting read!!
The characters felt relatable and lovable, Dax is the most wholesome man ever and Gemma is so lucky to have him in her life! I loved the authors interpretation of parallel universes and how much this book felt like "50 First Dates"
I loved this cute little read and would recommend it to others!

4.25 stars
In the spirit of wishes and what ifs, exists this cute little story of friends with a twist. When Gemma’s boyfriend of many years breaks up with her, she makes bad decisions fueled by alcohol and wishes that she never met him, and winds up in a world where she never met her best friend, Dax.
Gemma is a character after my own heart, stuck working for someone else and living someone else’s dream, but I love how she deals with the wish that she made and narrows in on what is happening with her best friend, and what she chooses to do once she’s faced with the option of staying put or going back.
If you like friends to strangers to lovers, a dash of magic, and important lessons about friendships and family relationships, then I recommend this book. Super cute with steam and spicy moments.

Thank you to Random House Dial Press for the free eARC, all opinions are my own.

Fantastic read! Easy and quick paced, fun storyline and loveable characters. This was the perfect sweet rom-com. I also absolutely loved being able to picture the setting and knowing the area the book was written in. Also secretly hoping Nana’s is Grandad’s because DELICIOUS!

3.75!

This story was a really fun exploration of how our decisions impact our lives, and it served as a reminder to just go after what we want in life because we only live it once.

It was also cool to see so many familiar locations as an Ontarian in Canada. I really enjoyed Kate's writing in this, it's humorous and entertaining and just the right amount of silly. She writes good characters with strong found family vibes and definitely knows how to write a very swoon worthy MMC, I loved that man. The only issue I had was that the ending seemed to drag on for me. For about the last 25-30% of the book I was hoping things would wrap up quicker than they did.

I would gladly read another book from this author! I loved the writing style and I can't wait to see what she publishes next.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! I'm grateful for the opportunity.