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.

After recently being broken up with, Gemma casts a spell that she hopes will erase her past relationship and the heartbreak that came with it. What she doesn’t expect is all the other changes that come with her spell, including her very best friend, Daxon, now having no idea who she is. Gemma must learn how to navigate this alternate reality she has found herself in and figure out how to get back to her own reality… and if she even wants to go back.

I really liked this one! It hooked me from the very beginning and the pacing on it was great. The book definitely had some flaws - Gemma was imperfect as we all are but her self absorption got to me at times. Why didn’t anyone say anything?! I also struggled with the insta-love on Daxon’s part in the second go around since Daxon barely knew Gemma - I understood her immediately falling for him but the other way around felt off.

I still loved the book overall and Gemma’s growth was a definitely plus. I also really liked how everything wrapped up at the end. This is an extremely bingeable and light hearted romcom with just the right amount of magic - guaranteed to get you out of any reading slumps!

What a cute book! Loved the combo of saccharine writing and perfectly timed comedic moments. I want a love like Dax and Gemma! It’s definitely a great debut novel and fun romcom for anyone looking for a lighthearted love story … but the resolution felt rushed and I had so many questions that left me dissatisfied with the ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

While this was a cute story, it didn't completely deliver for me. I did read it basically in a day, which says a lot about the story. It kept my attention and I thought it was hilarious. I absolutely loved all of the characters, especially the relationship between Gemma, her sister, and her aunt. Where things went downhill for me was the constant mental back and forth with Gemma. At a certain point it really began to drive me crazy. I understand it was for the plot and due to her upbringing (which is only mentioned but not really delved in to), but it got to the point where I wanted to shake her and tell her to get it together.

I definitely recommend this one for fans of the slow burn, second chance, and friends to lovers tropes. Overall, it was a solid, middle of the road read for me.

This book honestly had so much potential, and I’m not saying it didn’t meet it, but it could be so much more. In a more generous opinion, this was a witty, cute, and fun love story that is the epiphany of the best friends-to-love trope. You really can’t help but love Dax and Gemma. Their friendship is so precious you just want them to make it work, and it was actually really enjoyable to watch all the pieces come together as Gemma tries to befriend Dax again (and how they can finally give a relationship a chance bc they’re clearly attracted to each other). That said, I felt like there were so many plotholes in this story. The magic aside, it really made little to no sense to me how Dax didn’t think Gemma was crazy after ‘breaking into his store’ – like her break up story doesn’t answer how she knew everything about him. And there were just so many things that didn’t add up to me… BUT

I was able to look past that, and if you can too, then you can definitely enjoy this read!! The relationship that Gemma has with her aunt and sister is great, and honestly, all the secondary characters of this book are likable. Def worth checking out!

▫️what I liked:
-Gemma’s aunt and sister
-Dax’s cousins
-best friend to lover trope like I just love love

▫️what I didn’t like:
-plot holes

**Thank you NetGalley and Random House for giving me a copy to review**

I loved this book, I was engrossed from the first chapter. Emma just went through a break up and questions what if I never met him in the first place. One margarita filled night caused Emma, her sister and quirky aunt to try a spell to erase their meeting. Little did they know it worked! Emma's second timeline is her life where she didn't meet Stuart but this unfortunately also erased her meeting with her best friend. This story is not only a story of Emma and her best friend (turned love interest) Dax, but a story of her relationship with her sister Kiersten too. The book had Sliding Door vibes which has the reader rooting for Emma and the choices she makes

This book was amazing and just plan perfection! It was a 4.5 start book for me, round up to 5 stars for reviewing.

This Spells Love is about a young woman trying to heal her heartbreak. After her boyfriend dumps her she begins to wish that she never met him. Her mystical aunt, her sister and her best friend Dax help Gemma cast a spell or "love cleanse" so that she can forget her ex boyfriend. The problem is that she wakes up the next morning, not only never having met Stuart her ex boyfriend but also her best friend Dax. In her journey to reverse the spell she starts to realize that she is in love with Dax. She must decide if she wants to stay in this alternate reality and be in a romantic relationship with Dax or go back to her previous reality as best friends.

I absolutely loved this book and these characters. The personal growth of Gemma and her relationship with her sister were amazing! This book was magical, charming, adorable and very humorous. I cannot believe this is a debut novel. I would love to see this turned into a series or have other books based on these characters. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Random house for granting me access to this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book comes out December 5th and everyone should pre-order it!

Kate Robb's "This Spells Love" is a wonderful blend of swift banter, solid dialogue, silly fun, sweet and hot romance, and magic. I find it hard to believe this is her first book.

Gemma still misses her ex-boyfriend, although she knows she's better off without him. Her aunt, who owns a store full of magic regalia, hosts a festive night overfilled with margaritas for Gemma, her sister, and her best friend Dax. As the evening progresses, Gemma and company cast a love-cleansing spell designed to eliminate her past relationship woes. Gemma awakens the next morning to discover she's in a new timeline in which she never dated her ex and is now living a different life, but that change creates much broader ripples in the lives of those around her. One of the biggest - Dax doesn't know who she is, and his thriving business is now faltering. Gemma has to choose, does she stay in her current timeline, or does she find a way to reverse the spell.

I love seeing how Gemma and her family care for each other, and have a fundamental trust that goes beyond typic representations. Even though Aunt Livi and sister Kiersten have no recollection of pre-spell times, they rally around Gemma to try to find a solution while urging her to consider how much of this new life is just what Gemma has dreamed of. Gemma herself grows over the course of the novel, and her efforts to regain Dax's friendship are both comic and sweet.

I really loved this book, and highly recommend it if you're looking for a clever, engaging and romantic read.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group & Dial Press for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I am actually flabbergasted that this was so good. I really enjoyed the plot. I feel like it was done really well. Also the dialogue and banter?? Amazing! At one point I was actually cackling with laughter.

If you're looking for a fun romantic comedy, this is it.

Your story follows Gemma who's suffering from a breakup of her long term relationship. Her best friend Dax and her sister Kiersten do what they can to help her but ultimately a night of drinking at Aunt Livi's apartment is what is needed. While there Aunt Livi tells them about a book that was donated to her bookshop downstairs and that she thinks it will help. Surprise, it's a spell book and they're going to do a love cleanse... but what they don't realize is that instead of erasing Gemma's ex from her life, it erases Dax as well. Now Gemma is on a mission to set things right and get Dax back as her best friend.

“This Spells Love” by Kate Robb is a perfect friends-to-lovers romance novel with just enough humor, great steamy scenes, and some good competitive curling.
I don’t love modern romance novels normally, as they often don’t have a great plot, and all the twists, turns, and stilted dialogue seem silly. It is not the case with this book.
It is funny and engaging, with a touch of magic without it taking over too much of the plot, and the characters are well written. I love that the side characters get some air time and back story as well, making for a well rounded story.
There is a happy ending, of course, and it is not entirely unpredictable, but we don’t read these books to be shocked to our core. The path the main heroine takes to get to that happy ending wasn’t entirely obvious so there are some mild surprises and twists. It is an enjoyable read overall. Gemma, the heroine, also becomes a better person in the process, and that’s always lovely to see.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advance copy!

I enjoyed this more than anticipated. Although it's outside my normal genre, something about the premise intrigued me and I'm really glad I gave it a try. Perfect read for this time of year as well!

i dnf this at 50 percent i just could not get into it really sad about it :(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Robb for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

I was excited about the premise from the moment I read it, and it did not disappoint! I loved every minute of this book, and I’m so glad I got to read it early! It felt refreshingly original, and it was the perfect twist on friends to lovers to draw me in. I can’t wait to see what Kate Robb does next!