Imagine after a major breakup being able to flip into an alternate reality,saving yourself from heartbreak and instead meeting the love of your life!
28 year old Gemma is going through a breakup after a 4 year relationship with Stewart. She get together with her Aunt and sister one evening and after many many Margaritas they cast a spell so Gemma can forget Stewart. It so happens that on the very same night, she also met her very best friend Dax, and we learn early in that their meet was interrupted by Stewart who came along and swept Gemma off her feet. Dax has remained in Gemmas life for the same past 4 years just supporting Gemma and although always remained totally in love with her, they continue on as best friends. The Morning after the Spell, Gemma wakes up in an alternate reality. She finds herself not only to have forgotten about her heartache but she realizes Dax has no memory of her or the night they met.
From here Gemma starts to realize how much Dax really love her as she tries to win him over but they end up taking things to a whole other level of relationship.

A sweet and light quick read. No major High impact moments in this plot but its the perfect escape from a heavier read. A friends to lovers, follow your heart story with plenty of Romance, spice and personal growth milestones.
Thank You Netgalley and Random House for my Arc copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Dial Press and Netgalley for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

There were parts of this book that were creative and fun, but ultimately the central conflict did not feel like an actual problem. I couldn’t understand why Gemma was questioning going back to her world in the multiverse when literally all she needed to do in her world was say “Dax I have feelings for you and I can tell you have feelings for me too”. That’s literally the entire conflict in this book. Dax is just friend zoned. Both of them are single in her world. They haven’t had a falling out. They just needed to have a two sentence conversation.

I found Gemma to be selfish and annoying. She expected her sister, aunt, and best friend/ boyfriend to only care about her problems and needs 24/7. A 28 year old woman should not be this oblivious and selfish. She could not read the room at all. Ever.

The multiverse concept was well done and fun. I liked the sci-fi/ fantasy aspect of this book so much. I just wish that the story was better.

Cute idea. The middle was a little slow for me but I liked this version of the "what if" trope. The chemistry between the FMC and MMC was also pretty good

I thought this story was really cute. I loved the main characters, Gemma & Dax. Aunt Livi might be my favorite side character of all time. I don't read many alternate reality plot line but after this I would like to read more!

What a charming, delightful read! This Spells Love was witty and a beautifully written rom com. The characters had so much depth and great development. I was laughing, crying, swooning—it was such an entertaining read. Plus, I adored the premise, it was unique and it kept me engaged the whole time. The side characters were wonderful and Dax and Gemma were so freakin cute!

Honestly, besides the sweet rom com aspects of this book, it was also incredibly thought-provoking. It forces you to ask yourself; if you had the chance to start over, would you make the same choices? Follow the same path? Or would you avoid repeating old mistakes and choose an entirely different life—even if it means losing one of the most important relationships in your life?

Yep. All that from a steamy, magical romance book. It was amazing, I loved it.

Things I Loved:
- Magic spells
- Friends to Lovers
- Cinnamon roll mmc
- "What if...?" plot
- Spicyyy!
- No third act break up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Robb for the ARC! Congrats on the release.

This was a super enjoyable read! Such a great debut, with a fun, zaney premise. I don’t read a lot of contemporary romance with magical realism and I had a lot of fun! ( I usually read either straight contemporary or straight fantasy/paranormal). The characters were relatable and engaging, I especially liked the cooky aunt! And the romance had such great chemistry as well as being super cute. I would definitely check out Kate Robb’s next book!

This was so cute, but oh my god it gave me so much anxiety while Gemma was in the alternate universe. I wish we could have seen more of Gemma & Dax’s relationship before the “incident,” however I think the author did a great job of conveying how much Dax was down bad for Gemma. Overall, I wish it was a bit more “witchy,” but as is the story and relationship flowed very well.

This is more spoilerish, but I’m gonna pretend that the alternate universe ceased to exist once she went home because of what Dax was going through

I don't usually love magical realism in novels, but this one might've changed my mind! The sweet romance dives into the "what if" narrative. Specifically, what if one decision I made was different? What repercussions would occur? What other things would be different as a result?

I was a little worried this one would be too cheesy and, as noted, I'm a magical realism skeptic. But this one has great character development, solid side characters, and is well-paced. My only qualm is that Dax and Gemma's backstory could've been more developed. I understand they're best friends, and that somewhere along the way an unspoken agreement to stay only friends was reached, but I would've liked a bit more insight into the whys of it all.

I enjoyed this one! A steamy read that I flew through and highly recommend for my fellow romance readers.

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.