A fun, beautiful, humorous, and insightful story that gripped me from the very beginning. I absolutely loved the way that Robb expressed the concept of the butterfly effect and alternate universes. Not only was it well done, but it was also incredibly unique and added a level of complexity to Dax and Gemma’s story. The romance was adorable, it was addictive, the writing was fast paced and engaging. It reminded me heavily of the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”!

I received this book for free for an honest unbiased review from Netgalley.

I wish more books were this well written. Characters were witty and the setting fantastic.

this was an amazing romcom filled with fluffy & cute moments! the premise of this book was intensely interesting and compelled me immediately! I loved these characters so much! I am so surprised that this is a debut, because I enjoyed it so thoroughly! I highly recommend this book!

When Gemma gets dumped the only logical next step is to get drunk and cast a spell to forget her ex but the spell does so much more than that! Things get extra complicated when she finds out what it takes to reverse the spell. This was a cute one!
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Huge thank you @randomhouse and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

This spells love is the perfect friends to lovers with the perfect amount of spice and tension without taking away from the plot, and had some magic sprinkled in. Dax is a picture perfect book best friend/boyfriend.

The character growth was perfectly executed and was something that most women can relate to when determining the balance between personal life, love, and career.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and will not be the last. I’m a sucker for a well written rom com and this fit the bill

This is a debut novel?! I loved this book. Adored. It’s almost along the same lines of The Good Part by Sophie Cousens, which I also DEVOURED. Alternate reality storylines are seeming to grow on me, especially if they’re done as well as this.

I love a friends to lovers trope and this was no exception, I love Gemma and Dax and the way their relationship transforms and blossoms, although it was a bit stressful at times! Dax is the perfect swoon worthy cinnamon roll golden retriever MMC. Gemma is such a gem (lol) and really shines throughout the whole book in her growth and perseverance.

Aunt Livi and Kiersten were the perfect side characters and I loved how Gemma’s relationship with them, especially Kiersten, were just as important throughout the story as hers with Dax. I’ve never wished for a sister, but I might now!

There was entertaining and LOL inducing banter, which is always a plus for me. The spice wasn’t plentiful, but it was good. Overall, this was a very feel good enjoyable read. My only want coming away from it is more of the “after”!

This was a great debut novel and I can’t wait to see what Kate Robb does next!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Random House, and the author for this ARC.
Publication date 12/5/23

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Best friends to lovers is like catnip to my romantic heart when done right. This book not only did it right, but it was clever, emotional, and oh so magical!

Gemma and Dax in both parallel universes totally captured my heart. In the "real" timeline Gemma and Dax are best friends. Dax has always been there for Gemma (and in love with her,) including her years with another man. After Gemma is dumped her aunt devises a plan of a "love cleanse spell" to erase the meeting of the ex... which also happens to be the night she meets her bestie!

The spell works (kind of) but Gemma is now in a parallel world where Dax doesn't know her! This new Gemma is a different version to the one she was before with her ex in the picture.

There was so much about this book that twisted my heart and also made my heart soar! The way the relationships progressed, not just the romantic one, was so well done. Watching the best friends rediscover each other in the new world and opening up to being in love and not just loving each other as friends was perfection. And the dilemma at the end...Gemma's decision was true love worthy to pick Dax's success and happiness over her own. Btw, Dax is book boyfriend material no matter what world...sweet, swoony sigh.

5 stars

This was a really cute story - Gemma has just gone thru a break up and ends up casting a spell on herself on what would have been if she had never met the ex. Sort of a butterfly effect type story. I'm not a fan of spice in romance books so I could have done without that aspect but I really liked the story and the Characters were likable. 4 stars

It’s the end of 2023 and it’s been a mother effing year and this cynical byatch has no business reading twee friends to lovers books where it’s 200% obvi that the guy is hot for the girl and she’s a daft idiot who emphasizes that he’s her “best friend” 381x in the first few chapters. I think this dingleberry doth protest too much.

Gemma and her horrible boyfriend break up and she’s wallowing in grief and her aunt who is clearly a witch but nobody notices casts a spell when everyone is drunk and oopsies- Gem wakes up in an alternate universe where she never met her ex but also everything else changes in her life and her hottie male best friend, Dax doesn’t know her. She goes thru all the trouble trying to re-friend Dax for reasons unknown to me bc I was too annoyed to stick around and find out. Suddenly when Gemma is a complete stranger to Dax she notices how hot he is and gets jealous of other girls. Bitch- you were friend zoning this poor man to death in the other universe, you lost your chance at his D. Anyway, I read like 30% of this bullshit and gave up bc I’m a bitter old hag who is best served reading about women who fall in love with dinosaurs. Onward and upward. Xmas Dino smut coming at you next…

Smut- 0 stars, never got there.
Romance- 1 star bc Gemma loves herself
Story- 0.6 stars
Friends to lovers “BUT HE’S MY BEST FRIEND”- neg 4 stars. I need to stop reading them

A truly magical debut!

This Spells Love has humor, heart and a unique plot that kept me hooked till the very end.

What if one little wish changed everything?

Gemma finds herself exploring the answer to that question after she wakes up stuck in an alternate reality. She quickly discovers that her relationships with her eccentric Aunt, sister and best friend, Dax, are all different or non-existent. The only way to go back to old Gemma’s life is by re-creating the love spell on the next waning moon.

Having to spend an entire month in her new reality has its challenges, the most difficult being re-creating her friendship with Dax. Gemma and Dax go from strangers to friends to lovers in one month; Gemma’s new reality gives her a chance to see Dax in a new way. Friends to lovers doesn't always work for me, but the single POV built the tension perfectly along with the alternate reality.

I absolutely adored the strong female bonds in This Spells Love. Despite her irresponsible parents, Gemma has the best relationship with her aunt and sister. The resolution with her sister made me so happy. As an older sister, and a mom, I found her relatable and was very happy with her happy ending too!

This Spells Love is about taking chances, reinventing yourself (it is never too late) and finding what makes you happy. I can’t wait to read whatever comes next for Kate Robb.

Overall Rating: 4.5 stars- I would have loved to see another chapter at the end. There is a very quick resolution and I would have loved just a little bit more. Other than that, PERFECTION.

Thank you so much to Dial Press Trade Paperback for the e-ARC; all thoughts are my own.

✨ Review ✨ This Spells Love by Kate Robb; Narrated by: Khaya Fraites

Gemma's frustrated getting over her ex, when her aunt and sister and best friend help her do a love cleanse spell. She wakes up in a different timeline where she never dated that guy but also never met her best friend Dax (who she's in love with). She gets a chance to try it out in this other timeline and decide what to do.

The book's funny and cute, but ultimately just felt a little boring. While the characters are 28, they felt more like they were in their early 20s and so it felt a little new-adult-y. It was fine - I enjoyed while I was listening but it probably won't be a memorable one for me. (It also was pretty light on the magic -- though their stumbling through the spell was one of the highlights of the book).

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: f/m contemporary romance, coming of age
Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
Setting: Toronto outskirts
Pub Date: 05 Dec 2023

Thanks to Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback, PRH Audio, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

I really loved what this book set out to do. I love the usage of an "alternate universe" where the question "what if?" is presented so well. I felt really connected to both Dax and Gemma and could feel their connection- it was palpable. The supporting characters were also vibrant and felt very genuine. The romance and spice are perfect and perfectly paced. I do wish the story was a bit witchier! The magical realism was a super fun element and I wish it had been expanded on. Overall, a great read!

This was a fun read with a novel twist on some of the romance tropes. I enjoyed seeing where Gemma's wish took her and what happened in the alternate realities. Also, I want to know more about her aunt and her store!

REVIEW: This Spells Love ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Have you ever wanted to forget someone or change an event in your life? Gemma wants to forget her heartbreak by wishing she never met him. When she hears of a spell that might work from her aunt, she figures what’s the worst that could happen? It is only one small change right…..

This was such a fun novel! A great romance with friends to lovers with a dash of magic. I especially like the chemistry between Dax and Gemma. They have such a caring and playful relationship that continues to make your heart warm and laugh throughout the story.

I have read other books before where characters wake up to a change in their life, but This Spells Love gave the story so much heart. Gemma has to decide if she should be selfish or selfless when it comes to happiness, and she really learns a lot throughout the book. The story shows how even little changes can really make a big impact in your life. For a romance story, there were some parts that were deeper and made reflect on my own life.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. I did notice a plot hole in the story, but it wasn’t enough to affect my overall experience. There were some twists and turns and so much love. It really puts in perspective how important people in your life are. This book is great for anyone looking for a fun friends to lovers story that will make you laugh out loud.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Kate Robb for a free advanced copy for my honest review!

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With a heavy ARC reading load for the past few months, I wholeheartedly fell into this easy-breezy rom-com with a touch of magical realism. I've seen plenty of reviews of this book where the reviewer has complained that there's not enough witchy-ness for their liking. So if you're looking for that, you'll be disappointed. The "magic" takes place in two scenes, otherwise this is a basic friends-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water romance.

I myself like to play "what if", not necessarily in my personal life, but definitely with literary characters. I always did adore those Choose Your Own Adventure books. :-) Gemma wonders what life would have been like had she never gone out with her loser boyfriend of the past four years, and through the wonders of a magic spell, is transported to an alternate reality where she never met him. However, her sister and aunt remain relatively untouched, and in this reality, her best friend is not that because they originally met through the loser ex-boyfriend.

Shout out to debut author Kate Robb for making a small part of Canada seem extra-magical yet realistic at the same time. I'm always a tad bit jealous when the characters of a book can walk from home to work and to friends' homes and shopping. Where I live in suburban land, it's wholly not possible. And I thought she really nailed the best friend secretly pining away, although we didn't get to see much of it.

Gemma realizes she needs to get her best friend, Dax, to kiss her in this reality under a certain moon in order to return to her old life. Which means she needs to establish some sort of relationship with him and do it in a month or she's stranded. It was an interesting dynamic seeing how she knew so much about Dax and how she couldn't let him know she knew so much about him. In this alternate reality, Dax is really into her and since she doesn't have a boyfriend, it quickly becomes apparent that they will hook up.

And boy, do they! What started off as a sweet and chaste unrequited love rom-com turns into a steamy, spicy, sex-filled romp between Dax and Gemma. Generally speaking, I just skim over those parts because that's not my jam but don't downgrade a book because of it. So if spicy romance is your thing, you'll probably love this book, because there's lots of it once they hook up.

The conflict Gemma has whether to go back to her reality or not was written well; I could definitely feel her angst as she tries to decide what to do. Leave a good thing with Dax in this timeline, but one which has Dax struggling in his professional life, or go back to the original timeline, where his business is thriving yet only thinks of Gemma as a friend. The ending was predictable and a little rushed, yet that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. A solid four stars!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

For more reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com

This is one of my favorite "What Ifs" ... what if we had never wasted our time on that guy? And Kate Robb nails it. Both the good bits and the bad and the after. I devoured this book: figuring out with our main character, Gemma, what had changed and why as she wakes up in an alternate universe without her lame ex. The ripples of how things unfold in this alternate reality -- decisions made without discouragement, connections missed, and things that were always meant to be in one way or another.

Overall, this is a lovely escape while also inspiring us to have hope in all the "regrets" we might have from our past. 10/10 recommend.

And P.S., if you're worried she wished the ex into nonexistence (I mean, that was my first thought -- is he dead in this universe?!) ... he's still alive just safely tucked away from our main squeeze.

Second Chance / "Glimpse" Type Tale Done Right. This is one of those second chance/ "glimpse" type tales ala the late 90s/ early 2000s movie The Family Man with Nic Cage and Tea Leoni done *right*, complete with wildly alternate lives for the male and female leads in this particular tale. And done by a debut author, and set in a suburb of Toronto to boot. So hey, a lot going on here to make it its own - yes, including brief discussions of a multiverse scenario. So if you like your romances with a tinge of magical realism/ scifi-ish ideas... this one is for you. That noted, if you're among the "clean"/ "sweet" romance crowd... eh, this probably has a lot more thinking and acting on sex than you'd like, including some rather graphic terms... at least according to those types of sensibilities. Again, the actual spice level here is probably more akin to a chipotle - not actually all *that* spicy, but far more spicy than some stomachs can handle and perhaps far more spicy than some minds *want* to handle. Still, as long as you're aware of that up front (thanks to reading this review), you can make up your own mind. Ultimately, I thought this was a particularly strong effort from a debut author, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Ms. Robb is capable of in her sophomore effort. Very much recommended.

This book was an absolute DELIGHT. It was everything I wanted it to be, and felt like drinking a warm cup of cocoa on a cold night or snuggling into that just-right cozy sweater. I can't even remember the last time I read a book in under 24 hours, but this one I flew through in far less than a day. It's a sweet, light-yet-impactful, funny, fast-paced read that actually had me laughing out loud in parts. Which I never do. Not to mention the characters were larger than life and oh so easy to root for. An absolute gem of a debut and I will definitely be buying everything from this author.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advance copy.

After breaking up with her boyfriend, Gemma gets drunk with her sister, aunt, and best friend Dax. As the margaritas keep coming, they decide it would be a great idea to perform a love-cleansing spell to erase Gemma’s ex from her memory. The next morning she wakes up to a life she doesn’t recognize. As she navigates her new life, and tries to figure out how to reverse the spell, she finds that she loves many of the decisions she made in this universe and starts to love her new life (and fall for Dax in the process).

These time loop/fresh start romances are everywhere this winter and I am loving them! This was an incredible debut that I flew through! Gemma was so relatable with her fear of the unknown and taking risks (hi, it's me!) and Dax and her family were the perfect support system as she navigated this parallel universe. I loved how she was able to see the happiness she found in the universe where she did take the risks and how it inspired her to be brave and really go for what she wanted. The side characters in this story really made it special, Gemma’s bond with her aunt and sister were incredible and added so much magic to the story. But most importantly, I LOVED Gemma and Dax together. Their unique bond, their chemistry, the way they showed up for each other - they are truly relationship goals. This book is straight up magic and it is hard to believe this is Kate Robb’s debut. I can’t wait to read more from her!

DNF @ chapter 7 (23%)

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of Kate Robb’s debut novel THIS SPELLS LOVE.

This book is probably going to be a perfect rom com for a lot of readers, but I had to give up!! The characters were bland, the magic was cheesy, and the magical realism was basically non-existent.. The MFC (Gemma) was a cringey horny adult who acted like a sex crazed teenager and the MMC (Dax) was a pathetic blob who lived his life because of Gemma’s existence. Even Gemma’s sister (who is supposed to be 10 years older!) was an immature smut-talk addict.

The story has such potential, but the follow-through was unrealistic and fell flat. Gemma just goes along with everything without a second thought and relies on everyone else to make her feel better.

The best part of this book is that it was set in Hamilton, ON where I went to university and I had fun reliving my school days through the setting.

[If you want a cute magical realism break up rom-com, try Melissa Wiesner’s The Second Chance Year (also read as an eARC provided by NetGalley)]