Practical Magic meets Sliding Doors.

Magical realism in romance can be hard to write effectively sometimes, especially when the "magical" twist is a well-worn trope like getting a glimpse at the path not taken. Done badly, it comes across either simplistic or overly complicated; the characters either unbelievably oblivious or too genre-savvy. "This Spells Love" by Kate Robb handles this balance excellently and builds an inviting world that I loved immersing myself in.

Robb's characters come across fully formed from the moment you're introduced to them, each with their own clear voice, traits, flaws, and endearing quirks. Gemma catches on to what's going on at the exact right moment -- far enough in to notice the differences, but believably credulous of what's happening. Gemma's dilemma feels real, acute, and genuinely emotional. I wanted to spend so much more time in this world and with these characters -- the highest compliment I can give to a book.

"This Spells Love" is definitely on my top 10 list for the year and Kate Robb has entered my list of authors I'll keep and eye on and immediately add to my TBR in the future.

I don’t usually read books with magical realisms so I didn’t know if I was going to like this one

But.. I was captivated from the first line! It was just so relatable. So funny. I was laughing the whole time. It was such an easy read, it felt as easy as watching a movie. I love easy reads like that; passes time without even realizing. I literally finished this book in approximately one sitting!

The chemistry was on fire. The sparks flying everywhere were everything I needed in this book. The way they were longing for each other drove me insane. I loved every word on those pages. It felt so easy to root for them from the very start when it wasn’t even “solid” at first

The whole vibe was so friendly and sarcastic and loving and caring which made it more and more relatable for me. All the characters were different and they each had something different to like about. Aunt Lily is my personal favorite!

The plot wasn’t like anything I’ve read before. As I said earlier it was captivating from the very start. I couldn’t put it down. The ending was like the last piece of the puzzle. Everything fell into place perfectly. I obviously cried at the end 😊

The author has her own way of writing. So unique and whimsical. Such an attention grabber. This is a very highly recommended book! I hope I get to read more of Kate Robb's books!

Thank you Netgalley for approving this Arc, this review is my honest thoughts.

A stunning debut about the what if scenario, and waking up in a time where you had everything you wanted, learning to be selfless,and finding the courage to leap even if you fall.

Gemma starts off as a very endearing but at the same frustrating character. She constantly needs help with her own problems and runs to everyone. She doesn’t always think of other peoples needs, but by the end of the story she finally has that cold truth dumped on her, and decides to be better.

I loved seeing her journey in this story, and her connection to Dax.

Friends to lovers isn’t always my personal cup of tea, but the way these characters were written was done so well. I believed it from the moment.

The tension between these on the pages was magnetic, it was electrifying!

I absolutely loved this book, it had me smiling and crying in the best ways.

I really liked Gemma's growth through her experience, and the idea behind the plot is really fun. The open door scenes were a bit too...open, which kind of cheapened the moment for me. I also wish there had been a bit more explanation surrounding what was happening in the world where Gemma 1.0 existed during those first four weeks. Had the Gemmas switched places? I would have at least liked Gemma to question and ponder this. I did love the friendship between Gemma and Dax, so that was really fun and helped during those parts I didn't enjoy. 😂

GENERAL INFO

This Spells Love

Year Pub/Re Pub: 12/5/23

Format: Kindle

Source: Thanks to NetGalley and The Dial Press for this ARC 💚! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Page Count: 343

Setting: Canada

Genre: Magical Realism, Romantic Comedy

Tropes: time travel, bffs to lovers, spellcasting,

Standalone/Cliffhanger/Part of a Series: standalone

HEA/HFN ending: HEA

Epilogue Included: no but last chapter is 6 mos. later

Character(s)POV Spoken: h Gemma

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Synopsis/Plot Summary: Gemma is struggling to get over her ex-Stuart. They were together for 4 years and he ended things. Her BFF Dax is her handsome ride or die and she's never thought of him romantically. To help her get over Stuart her aunt Livi casts a "cleansing" spell to erase him from her memories. Gemma wakes up the next day in an alternate universe without Stuart, but Dax doesn't know her.

M/F-M/M-M/M/F-etc: M/F

Representation: LGBTQ+

Contains Cheating: no

Contains Children: no

Flashbacks: Gemma talks about meeting both Stuart and Dax the same night.

Jealy/Possy/OTT H/h : yes, Gemma gets jealous of Dax's friend Sunny. Dax held his jealousy while Gemma and Stuart were together.

Amount of Sex In The Book: enough, laughed at the basement sex

Overall Smex Rating: 3

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION

Hero: Daxon/Dax McGuire

Hero Description: owns shoe store- Kicks.

Hero Likability Rating: 5

Heroine: Gemma Wilde

Heroine Description: 28, a buyer of body and hair products from Canadian drugstore.

Heroine Likability Rating: 4

Secondary characters: Kiersten-Gemma's sister, married w/ 3 kids; Aunt Olivia/Livi-Gemma's aunt, a little kooky; Dougie-Dax's cousin; Sunny-Dax's friend, into curling.

H /h RELATIONSHIP INFO

OW/OM/Exes: Stuart-Gemma's ex. No recent gf mentioned for Dax

Cheating Before/During/Outside H/h Relationship: no


CONTENT WARNINGS/TRIGGERS
a fire, Gemma's parents are absent from her life

AUTHOR OVERVIEW
Kate Robb
New or read before & any favorites: a new, debut author

PERSONAL OVERVIEW
Overall Rating: 4-4.5/5

Do You Recommend This Book: yes

Will You Re-read This Book: maybe

Would You Read More Books by this Author: yes

COMMENTS/NOTES
I liked this book, but I've recently read many others with this premise. I like the time travel/alternating timeline trope and this one hit the right note for me. For one thing, their lives were very different in the alternate timeline. Gemma really struggled with deciding if she should stay or go back to her old life. In both universes, her relationship with Kiersten and Livi was very supportive. Kiersten was her confidante and sounding board on the big things in Gemma's life. In the old timeline, Dax and Gemma seem to have a sister/brother closeness. There aren't any clues that Dax was interested in her when they first met. Her sacrifice at the end was sweet because she made sure her biggest supporters (Kiersten and Dax) were happy.

Oh my goodness. The most wonderful “what if”/alternate reality type book I’ve read in a long while. I was hooked from the very start and stayed absolutely hooked to the end. The plot was unique and so beautifully written.

I loved all of the characters in this book. I feel like that’s been a struggle with some books I’ve read lately. But the main characters, Gemma (with a G) and Dax are amazing. The secondary characters are gold! The banter and relationship between all of them is so beautifully written. Honestly, I need Kate Robb to make a series for these characters I loved them so much.

The growth that Gemma experiences while in her parallel universe is so fun to read. The ending is so beautifully written and true to the characters. I really am just blown away at how Kate Robb crafted this book.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Publishing, and Kate Robb for this digital review copy. I absolutely loved it.

This was so stinking cute!
This cozy, rom-com story was unique, magical and romantic with just the right amount of spice. I loved Dax and Gemma’s friendship, banter and humor throughout. I also enjoyed quirky Aunt Livi and how supportive and encouraging Gemma’s sister, Kiersten was- easily making them one my favorite fictional sister bonds! Kate Robb’s storytelling was perfection. She drew me in and kept me laughing, swooning over Dax (new favorite book boyfriend) and flying through the pages. What an amazing debut novel- I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next!

The concept of this novel was really cute. Having lived in Hamilton, Ontario Canada which is the setting for this novel, it was fun to be able to recognize the downtown center which made up the majority of the background of the book. I enjoyed a lot of the Canadian references that felt nostalgic having grown up here which helped connect me as a reader more so to the story. I really loved Dax's character and Gemma's aunt. I wish I could have connected better with the Gemma and her sister. I do feel as though most of the characters had a slightly one dimensional aspect to them and it kind of felt like the sister and the aunt were only important/brought back into the story for the purpose of what they could do for the main character. They almost felt disposable in a way.

This definitely gave me Sliding Doors vibes, which is a movie I have always loved. And it is always such an intriguing notion to see what an alternate timeline story has in store for the main characters exploring the what ifs of if you could just go back and change one thing, how it would change the rest of your life.

All in all this is a quirky easy read that is enjoyable for those who like second chance romances with a fantastical alternate timeline twist.

I was really lucky to be able to snag an ARC of THIS SPELLS LOVE by Kate Robb (thanks NetGalley and Dial Press!) and boy am I glad I was so fortunate! (But good news - it's out today!! So go get it!) It's a friends to lovers (well sort of ... I mean for her ... you'll see what I mean).

When Gemma gets dumped by her perfectly safe, boring boyfriend, she drinks too many margaritas with sister, aunt and best friend Dax and decides to do a love cleansing spell so she never dates her old boyfriend. To complete the spell, she has a platonic kiss with Dax

When she wakes up the next morning, she's in a bed she doesn't know. she realized that her old life is completely gone - including her ex. She no longer lives in her nice apartment or owns a car or works at her job. Instead she lives in a a not so great basement apartment and owns her dream clean beauty store. The worst part is Dax doesn't know who she is.

She has a month to convince her once best friend now stranger to kiss her to reverse the spell. But as she gets closer to him in this new reality, she finds herself falling for him and not wanting to go back to her old life.

This was such a good read! I really really loved Gemma and Dax. And I loved how different Gemma's life was with one change (really makes you wonder, doesn't it?) The sisterly relationship was great and the quirky aunt ... I have so many questions about Aunt Livi and I would like an entire book about her lol.

So make sure you pick up a copy since it is out TODAY!!

This Spells love is such a cute and feel-good story! I haven’t read many romance books with the time travel/parallel universe trope, so I enjoyed that aspect. Dax is so swoony! I thought Gemma’s relationship with him was sweet and their banter was fun. I was invested in seeing how Gemma would navigate going from being best friends with Dax in one reality to strangers in another. I love a good side character and Gemma’s sister and aunt were the best! If you’re looking for a for a sweet, fluffy, “what if” type romance I recommend giving This Spells Love a try!

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group for providing this eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book drew me in from the very beginning. The tension between Gemma and Dax was SO obvious it had my heart pounding like crazy. And when she realized that Dax doesn't know who she is? I felt that ache in my SOUL.

I think I connected with Gemma in a way because I'm very indecisive when it comes to my own life, and seeing her question whether something is worth trying and failing or just staying safe resonated with me. Watching her learn to depend on her own strength was almost inspiring.

I also liked how different yet similar Dax was in the other universe. It made sense that he'd be afraid to show how much he was struggling, especially to the woman he was falling for. I definitely understand why he hid it from her and was embarrassed when it came to finances. Poor Dax was STRUGGLING.

This book had me smiling a lot and got a couple good laughs out of me too. Some parts gave me 13 Going on 30 vibes (which was awesome cause I love that movie). It also had some spice sprinkled throughout.

CONSENT IS SEXY!

I'd recommend this book to anyone that loves the friends to lovers trope, a supportive family, and of course plenty of romantic moments!

Wow this book blew me away!! I went in without knowing much and I just loved it so much.

This book is like if Practical Magic & Fringe (one of my fav shows of all time) had a baby 🙃

Dax is just the sweetest totally-in-love-with-his-best-friend guy, waiting on the sidelines for Gemma to leave her incompatible boyfriend. But what if she never met that boyfriend?

Told from Gemma’s POV, we see an alternate timeline and how that impacts everything else in her life.

I think I have a thing for the name Dax because this is the second book I’ve read with this name for the mmc & it makes me swoon harder for some reason 😅
I also loved the relationship Gemma had with her (hilarious) sister Kiersten.

Can’t believe this is a debut novel, definitely staying tuned for anything else Kate has in store in the future!

Tropes & topics:
🌙 Alternate timeline/what if?
🌙 Magic/spells
🌙 Best friends to strangers to friends to lovers
🌙 He falls first
🌙 Canadian author + setting
🌙 Debut novel
🌙 Single POV/first person

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own!

5 stars!

I loved every single thing about "This Spells Love," Kate Robb's debut novel! From the very first chapter, I was obsessed with the main characters, Gemma and Dax! Robb builds a solid parallel universe where Gemma and Dax are no longer best friends. Instead, they could possibly be more than that. She wants to return to her real life, but in the process, she learns that she is in love with Dax and has been for quite some time (though she's the last person to know). Gemma must figure out if she wants to go back to a world where she and Dax might only be friends, or if she wants to stay in this timeline where she gets everything she's ever wanted with potentially devastating consequences. This cute and charming story will make you swoon, tear up, and question your own life. Gemma and Dax are one of the greatest couples I have read in quite some time. Their friendship and chemistry are palpable, believable, organic, and realistic. They effortlessly flow with one another. Their banter is off the charts good! I laughed so many times while reading this book. I think the spice level is perfect for a story like this. Each of these scenes made me fawn over their connection. I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did. Novels with parallel timelines or time alterations can typically come across as a little cheesy, overdone, or familiar, but "This Spells Love" felt fresh, compelling, and immersive. It's the perfect length. It has the perfect ending. I found no flaws with this book and found it to be unputdownable! I cannot wait to see what Kate Robb will write next!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Robb, Random House Publishing Group - Random House, and Dial Press Trade Paperback for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Following her break up, Gemma did a "love cleanse" where she wished the relationship had never happened. The following morning, she found that her wish had propelled her to an alternate reality where her apartment was not so great, but many other parts of her life were. However, Gemma discovered that changing her own path affected other people's trajectories. Now, she must decide if she should stay or return to her original timeline.

I loved every second of this book! We have all read books like this before where a character ends up in an alternate timeline, but I have to commend Robb on how well she utilized this plot device. Seeing her alternate life had Gemma reexamining the life choices she made in the past and how she allowed her ex to have so much influence on her life. Not only did she see many of her decisions with a fresh pair of eyes, but she also reflected on her relationship with her ex, how her need for stability limited her, and her friendship with Dax.

That last one, the friendship with Dax was one of my favorite things. I loved them both so much, and I wanted Gemma to take a chance on Dax, take that friendship to the next level, and experience a rich romantic life. Friends-to-lovers is a top trope for me, and I especially adore when the two people involved have a deep friendship, amazing chemistry, and just simply belong to each other.

I had recently read another book where the main character had a similar experience and was faced with the same decision - should they stay or should they go back. The pros and cons list was a complicated one here, but I held onto hope because Gemma had learned so much from this journey. If she went back, she would carry those lessons with her, and I was confident she would be able to find her happy despite her choice.

I don't want to say too much about how it all worked out, but I was delighted with the outcome. You can't see it, but I have a big, sappy grin on my face because I was so happy for everyone involved.

Overall: This Spells Love was a wonderful and heartwarming rom-com. It was a reminder that taking chances can result in great things, and that we can learn from our mistakes. The fantastic friends-to-lovers romance was the cherry on top of a story that had me captivated from beginning to end.

This Spells Love was the absolutely adorable story of Gemma, a woman fresh off of a break up who used a magic spell book to give herself a “love cleanse” and have a life where she never met him. This book was just perfect. I love these kind of parallel universe books like Sliding Doors - what if you did something different, what would your life look like. It was whimsical and sweet and the romance melted me. I loved Gemma getting a second chance to undo previous mistakes. Gemma and Dax (best friend, now love interest) were both so relatable and likable. This was a heart warming, feel good, emotional read and I loved it.

Whimsical and charming!! I really enjoyed this book!
You know I love me a good cinnamon roll hero and that was definitely Dax! Dax and Gemma were just so cute together.
I was laughing and swooning soo much! I definitely recommend this debut novel!

Amazing. You know those books that just make you happy? Like you finish reading it, and you keep smiling because it puts you in a warm and fuzzy mood? This book did that for me! I enjoyed it so much. I laughed, I cried (happy tears), I couldn't put it down.
I recieved this book as an ARC and I am so happy I had the opportunity to read it! I have already added the paperback to my Christmas list!

Gemma is practical. She chose a safe career. A safe boyfriend and a safe life. Until he broke up with her and upended her safe little world. In an attempt to make her feel better,her aunt decides they should try a spell she found that is meant to help her forget about the man who broke her heart. Her sister and her aunt join her for the spell not truly expecting anything.
However, the next day when Gemma wakes up, the spell has worked and her life is completely different. She never took the safe route and therefore didn’t date the safe guy who broke her heart and instead she was a girl boss with her own skin care shop. Gemma gets a second chance to fall in love with her best friend Dax but at the same time she has to worry about what living in this other timeline has changed in the other. Over the course of the month until the moon turns new again, Gemma lives in this parallel world and has to help Dax fall in love with her because he doesn’t recognize her in this timeline.
There were a few things I would change but overall it was a fun read and if you’re looking for a low key friends to lovers, sliding doors story, this will be for you!
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group, Dial Press Trade paperback and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review bc

This Spells Love by Kate Robb is such an adorable debut novel. I absolutely love a friends to lovers trope, but I had never thought that a friends to strangers to friends to lovers trope could exist in such a beautiful way. Gemma and Dax have a unique chemistry together…but I must say, I wholeheartedly related to Gemma’s awkwardness so many times in this book. If you’re looking for something a little more lighthearted this season that is also a quick, fun read, give this one a try!
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Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced copy!

I had so much fun with this. I am on record at being very 'anti-gimmick' in my romance preferences but I think for me, sometimes the "gimmick" takes center stage versus taking a back seat to enhancing the romance and growth of the characters. This Spells Love is definitely in the latter group and I found myself (for the first time!) actually enjoying a somewhat paranormal romance.

We meet Gemma Wilde when she has just been broken up with, by the very man she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with. A drunken night full of spell books and a surprise kiss from her best friend has her waking up in another life where she never met and dated that man who broke her heart. Instead, her life is completely different - and she has never met her best friend.

Gemma goes on a journey of discovery in this book that was so fun to witness. Not only does she try to find the best friend she misses who might become something more, but she realizes a lot of things about herself and her sister and just generally grows so much in this book. This was such an interesting way to show growth and connection and I had so much fun. The voice of this book was irreverent and clever without being too much and the romance was soooo delightful. This was like, second chance romance wrapped up with friends to more and I just couldn't get enough.

This is probably one of my favorite romances of the year and I am excited to see what Robb writes next!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.