What if you got the chance to go back in time to find out if the best friend of your life is actually the perfect guy for you all along. Gemma has always played it safe, so safe she stuck around in a boring relationship for four years just despite not really being in love with her boyfriend... and said boyfriend then dumps her. The only dependable person to Gemma is her best friend Dax, the guy who will cancel a date to hang out with her, who will drop everything to be with her, and the one person she has kept strictly as a friend in fear of losing her friendship with him.... yet on the night of her breakup she kisses Dax and goes through with her aunt's spells for fun... not realizing that when she woke up it actually happened and now she's in a parallel universe/time in which she never became friends with Dax and she never dated her boring boyfriend. This is the perfect chance for her to see if Dax and her were always meant to be. The more she falls for him the more she begins to question whether she wants to go back to the way things were before and if she is ready to finally take a risk on the one guy she has never allowed herself to. This one unfortunately was a bit of a miss for me, I adore second chances/best friends to lovers storylines but I just couldn't stand Gemma at all. She really just got on all my nerves and I was so tired of her. I really wish I could like her and Dax together but I just didn't really see their romance. Dax was a great love interest and he was so sweet to Gemma, but honestly I felt meh about their overall relationship. If you enjoy magical realism/best friends to lovers storylines, definitely give this a go!

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a delicious blend of whimsical and magical. Immediately it gave me 13 going on 30 vibes and then I was hooked. Witchy Rom-Coms are my bread and butter and this one did not disappoint. Our story follows Gemma Wilde who after a rowdy night with her strange aunt and sister wakes up in an alternate timeline where she never met her ex. Of course as any of us book besties know- changing one detail of your life changes everything! We see Gemma navigate her new situation and reassess her friendship only rule with her bestie Dax (who doesn't remember her at all!)

The characters felt very relatable, maybe too relatable at some points (I didn't need the flip cup horror flashbacks!) lol.

Friends to lovers is always a great time in a book for me and the chemistry between the MMC and FMC was fiery!

Overall it was a great time and I would highly recommend giving it a try :)

4.5⭐️2.5🌶️

thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group for this free arc copy in exchange for an honest review !

where do I start?!? I didn’t think I’d love a friends to lovers trope as much as I did this one!! I thought I was an enemies to lovers girly but there is just something about a man who’s been secretly in love with you for 4 years that just does it for me

• although I ended up loving this book, it was not what I was expecting! Although no where in the summary does it mention witches… I was expecting a contemporary witchy romcom (‘spells’ in the title and all). Which was not the case. Gemma is a normal girl who finds a spell in one of her quirky aunts books and ends up in a parallel universe. But in no way shape or form does it involve ✨witchy magic✨

ASIDE FROM MY INITIAL CONFUSION, I absolutely adored Gemma and Dax’s friends to lovers timeline. Her turmoil of wanting to stay or leave the parallel universe had me hooked!! I do wish we had some more insight on aunt livi because …. She was definitely aware in the parallel universe about what was going on.

my absolute favorite part that made me squeal and kick my feet:

“Goodnight Daxon McGuire”
“Goodnight Gemma McGuire”
“Slip of the tongue?”
“Something like that”

And the ending line also made kick my feet… iykyk 🤭

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Dial Press Trade Paperback for providing me with a digital review copy. This book comes out on 12/5!

Overall thoughts: Predictable ending, but it was still a cute rom-com read with friends-to-lovers trope. It was easy to root for the main couple and they had a lot of chemistry with each other. There is only one spell in the book - it's not really a supernatural/magic vibe, just alternate reality. Spice was a 3/5.

It was interesting to see the changes in Gemma's life in the alternate reality. I wanted to see more of her relationship with her aunt and sister. At times, they felt like plot devices to move the storyline along and they only appeared when Gemma needed support and help with her problems. It was weird to see how they just accepted the concept of Gemma being from a parallel universe without many questions. There were times that Gemma was being very self-centered and was ignoring things/red flags that were right in front of her in regards to what Dax and her sister were going through in their own lives, and I wanted to yell at her to open her eyes. It was great to see her growth at the end of the book when she finally realizes what she hasn't been seeing and the consequences of her actions.

I still enjoyed seeing how Dax and Gemma's relationship developed and how her wish/spell to erase her ex affected their lives in more ways than one. I never really got over how weird Gemma was to Dax when they first meet in the alternate reality. It was acknowledged that she was being creepy, but it was definitely brushed over and never addressed again after a few pages on it. But their love for one another felt very authentic and I love how they supported each other's goals and dreams.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm a sucker for a contemporary romance with a fantasy twist. "This Spells Love" was a really interesting take on that genre and I really enjoyed it.

While I adored the romance, what I loved even more was the themes around the major impacts seemingly minor decisions can have on the paths of our lives, both good and bad. At the same time, the book did a wonderful job of conveying a message about the importance of personal agency and taking risks when you may not know the outcome.

I loved Dax and Gemma together, their chemistry was off the charts. However, since Gemma never discloses her whole interdimensional journey to Dax, I felt like there was almost a bit of an odd power dynamic between them. Gemma knew Dax personally in a way that he never realized she did, since she had years of close friendship with him back in her timeline.

Despite this, I loved the ending of the book and the development it showed in Gemma. I think the story came full circle in a way that was really lovely. This was a really successful debut, and I can't wait to see what else Kate Robb writes!

3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Dial Press Trade for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I love a relatable rom-com, and This Spells Love by Kate Robb is just that and more. Of course, it’s not directly relatable because I’m sure none of us have magically entered an alternate timeline. Still, the reasons why choices were made and the results of those choices, along with the lessons learned, had me reminiscing about my own life and choices.

Gemma and Dax are both lovely characters. They are the type of characters that are easily recognizable as your own friends and neighbors. Gemma has settled in many facets of her life, but when her boyfriend of four years breaks up with her, it leads her on a magical journey that brings her back in touch with her dreams and what she truly wants.

I loved the relationship between Gemma and Dax the most, though. Their relationship in all its forms felt so authentic. You can just feel the love through the pages. It brought to mind the famous debate from When Harry Met Sally about whether men and women can be friends, which is always enlightening.

This Spells Love held me under its spell from beginning to end, and I loved all the memories it brought to mind that made me feel the freshness of love first realized.

This Spells Love is a single POV friends-strangers-lovers romance about the consequences of mixing margaritas, forgetting spells, and kissing your best friend!

In order to undo a spell gone wrong, Gemma needs the help of her best friend Dax to reenact it. Unfortunately, Dax in this timeline has no idea who she is, and she’s coming across more as a creepy stalker than an awesome best friend! 😹

I love the development of their relationship in this book and the bond she has with her sister. I loved Gemma’s selflessness, too. Choosing this as my @bookofthemonth was the right call- it’s sweet, funny, emotional, and fun.


Read dates: 11/27/2023- 11/29/2023
Goodreads review: 11/29/2023
Instagram review: 11/29/2023
Blog review: 12/05/2023

2.5

This book was super predictable. I didn't really enjoy this one. This plot was not original at all. This was just not for me.

I’m a total sucker for parallel universe-type books that explore the path not taken. It’s fascinating to think how one minor decision can have ripple effects that alter the entire course of your life. This is one of my favorite plot lines because, personally, I’d love the chance to see all the various ways my life could have turned out if I’d made a few different decisions.

Our main character, Gemma, gets to do just that when a love cleanse spell after a bad breakup transports her to an alternate reality where she never meets her ex and instead has a chance to explore her feelings for her ride-or-die best friend, Dax. Except in this new reality, lots of things are different — for better and for worse — and she and Dax don’t even know each other yet.

This was a fun take on the friends-to-lovers trope with a spoonful of magical realism and some lovable side characters mixed in. Fast, fun, a bit spicy, This Spells Love was a solid read!

𝗣𝗦𝗔 𝟭: Will make you crave donuts and coffee.

𝗣𝗦𝗔 𝟮: I saw several reviews in which readers expressed disappointment that the book wasn’t as witchy or magical as they were expecting. I think the title, while cute, is a little misleading. There’s one spell and it’s done in jest; this isn’t an atmospheric witchy read, it’s a romcom with a twist. I found it to be really reminiscent of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel Maybe in Another Life.

This is an interesting twist on the typical Freaky Friday situation. I really enjoyed Gemma as a character - I felt I could relate to her; generation-wise and in humor at least. When you are going through a breakup, it's easy to wish you'd do anything to forget...but at what cost? Gemma answers all those questions and more! This was a cute/quick read and while I enjoyed the characters, I do think it lacked a bit in plot. Additionally, I wish it had been a bit more succinct towards the end. Thank you again for the opportunity to review this!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Guys... this was SO CUTE.

It`s a rom-com meets space-time continuum : aka a magic potion gone wrong... or right?

Gemma was just dumped by her boyfriend and decides that the only way to deal with it - is to wish away that relationship. Wish that she never met Stuart. Only at the part of the "potion" when she is supposed to kiss him, she ends up kissing her BFF Dax - the guy she met the same night she met Stuart (this is important information).

She wakes up in a parallel place - her sister and aunt are still there. And Dax is there. Only he isn't her BFF. He doesn't even know her. Gemma realizes that while she wishes she had never dated Stuart, not having Dax in her life is soul-destroying.

And so begins the adventures of Gemma befriending Dax. Only in this place he doesn't want to be friend-zoned. Gemma also realizes that the longer she stays in this parallel timeline, the more havoc she causes to the lives of those around her.

While this is an adorable romance; it's also about Gemma coming to terms with herself. Her hopes, her dreams, her relationships. She has to grow up and make some difficult decisions. And it's really great to see her change and become a better version of herself.

For any Canadians out there - this one takes place in Hamilton and have loads of curling references. It's great fun. Dax is an absolute dream - not matter what timeline you meet him and Gemma's sister and aunt are lovely supporting characters. You'll also probably crave caffeine, donuts and tequila.

Recommended read.

This Spells Love is an incredibly unique romance, and an exceptional debut.

Gemma is devastated by her break-up, and wishes she could eradicate any memory of her ex from her mind. Her wish is granted with one consequence her best friend, Dax doesn't recognize her. In this parallel world, she seems to have her life together, a successful business and a healthy social life.

Only her new heartbreak is missing Dax. Over the course of the month before the spell can be broken, she slowly begins to see all the things she missed pining over a man who didn't truly love her. Gemma realizes her true love has been at her side the whole time, but is it too late?

Gemma and Dax are adorable in the parallel world, especially their meet/cute in his shop - HILARIOUS! This was such a fun debut novel, and I look forward to future books by this author.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback for the complimentary copy.

This premise of this book is so cute- Gemma is heartbroken from her relationship that has ended and her aunt helps her perform a witchy ritual to erase the day she met her ex- the spell sealed with the kiss of her guy best friend Dax. Gemma wakes up the next morning and everything has changed. She has no phone, no idea where she is, and when she finds Dax he doesn't know her from any other stranger on the street. She realizes that the spell worked and the day she met her ex has been undone- however she realizes that erasing that day erases a lot of the other things she loved about her life- including meeting Dax and his business being really successful. Gemma has 1 month until the next full moon where she can either redo the spell or continue life the way it is. She loves her new life but at what cost.

Parts of this book just fell flat for me. I loved Dax's character (alternate reality and current reality version) but the other characters didn't do it as much for me. Besides the spell there wasn't any other magic in the story so it felt really random. Really cute story idea, but just didn't do it for me.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review- release date 12/5/2023!

Loved this time-slip, sliding doors debut romance. Clever and deliberate, the prose is comforting and the pace feels perfect. The characters were charming yet authentic and really added to the story. I look forward to more from Robb!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an eARC in exchange for an honest review 🩵

Gemma has just gotten out of a 4 year relationship and is going through post breakup heartache. One night she decided to have a few too many margaritas with her sister, eccentric aunt, and her best friend Dax. The margaritas make the idea of doing a spell to make Gemma forget about her ex make perfect sense. They do the spell, nothing seems to happen, Dax lovingly deposits a very drunk Gemma in her bed, and then Gemma wakes up in a reality that is like her own but different. And despite no longer having a connection to her ex, her best friend, that she just so happened to also meet the night she met her ex, also doesn’t remember her.

This book had all the ingredients of something that should have been my cup of tea exactly, which is why I’m a little sad it didn’t live up to all my expectations.

The concept of the time travel/alternate realities ended up stressing me out some I think 😅. There is also a heavy dose of secondhand embarrassment at the beginning as you know what has happened to Gemma (I mean I’m sure I’d be weird too if I randomly woke up in an alternate reality of my life).

I also found the love story slightly odd and out of balance, as in her new reality Gemma finds herself falling for her best friend. However, she has known this man for 4 years in her mind, yet for him it’s been a few weeks. It felt off to me, and not very believable, and all the while I felt like there were actually two different people she was falling for, the new reality Dax and the old one, which felt… odd. Almost dishonest? There was also a lot of stress on if she should return to her reality or not, and just kinda guessing about the implications of alternate realities that were never fully fleshed out. I guess that makes sense for a romance, but it still left me with questions.


However, since I think that the concept of this book is what I wrestled with, I will still be reading other books this author puts out. The writing was engaging, the characters had personalities that were distinct, and I thought it was very funny and laughed several times throughout the book. Maybe if her next book stays in one reality I’ll be able to vibe with it more!

If you normally like romcoms I do think this one is worth checking out! I’m sure I will be in the minority of struggling with the concept. It comes out next week on Tuesday 12/5!

Overall, 3.5 stars for me!

This Spells Love by Kate Robb is an absolute delight! Perfect for fans of Emily Henry's fiction, this friends-to-lovers tale strikes just the right balance between swoon-worthy seduction scenes and the complications of an alternate timeline. The plot is cleverly constructed, the characters realistically rendered, and the suspenseful romance deliciously paced. The relationship between the two sisters, as well as the quirky aunt, lend to the credibility of the heroine's backstory. I stayed up all night reading this one! Highly recommend!

Such a cute and fun read! Gemma has an awful breakup and one night of drunken silliness and spell casting, she finds herself devoid of the old ex but also in an alternate reality. The worst part, her best friend doesn't remember her. This may be the most devastating thing ever, but as they get to know each other, she quickly realizes that he was more than just a friend and now wants things to be different.

There is a lot of spice and some really funny moments. Sometimes the main character will get on your nerves, but you find yourself cheering for her to find her happily ever after. For a debut romcom, this hit the spot. I look forward to reading more by Kate Robb!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book and didn't want to put it down. It makes you look at life and wonder what would all be different if one little thing (even if it doesn't seem like one little thing) would be different. And even if you could change that and life was better for you after, would that mean life was better for everyone else you knew? Ugh......So glad that she ended up seeing Dax for who he was and could have been even though he was put into the friend zone when they 1st got together. It is also crazy how you can look back and see how life changes because you changed yourself for the guy you were seeing.
This book gave me all the feels and was sooooo good! Can't wait to see what else Kate puts out!

I’m a sucker for romances with alternate realities like this so of course I loved it! It was fun, cute, and a little emotional. I liked what we saw of Gemma and Dax’s relationship before the spell and could easily see then that they would fall in love. But I loved seeing their relationship start again from strangers to friends to lovers in this alternate reality. Their chemistry was present in both realities and their first meeting was definitely memorable. These two are made for each other no matter what reality. I also love Gemma as our mc. She was funny and I enjoyed seeing her adapt to this new world. She also cares so much about the people she loves and is willing to do anything for them.

Overall, I loved this magical romance and I highly recommend!

Read if you like…
•friends to lovers
•alternate reality
•🌶️

This was so cute! I loved the main characters so much and thought their relationship was adorable from the start. I am a sucker for time travel and I love the way this played out. Some spice, but not too much. A great, fun, easy feel-good read! Thank you Net Galley & Penguin Random House for the advanced copy.