This was a fun twist on best friends to lovers where Gemma gets to live an alternate reality of her life and see how things could be different. It’s fun to get to see them fall in love when he doesn’t have all the best friend memories she does so we get to see his real feelings for her. I mean it’s obvious the whole time that Dax is in love with her in the original world and when she returns all she has to do is talk to him. There were definite moments I wanted to shake Gemma for how she was acting or for not realizing things but sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees or whatever. It was a cute story and definitely an improvement on the friends to lovers trope since that isn’t a favorite of mine. This definitely allowed for more spice to be in the book. I just got frustrated by Gemma and how thick she was sometimes. I love her Aunt Livi and sister though. Her Aunt’s clairvoyance was very fun.

This story reminded me of a Canadian 13 Going on 30 in all of the best ways. I adored Gemma and Dax, until about 2/3 through, at which time Gemma’s forgetfulness and selfishness honestly became a bit tiresome. But overall, this was SO cute and I can definitely see this appealing to a lot of romance readers. I mean, some of those spicy scenes had me clutching my pearls.

This is a fun romcom and a quick read. Gemma was a little hard for me to like as she tended to come across as selfish, but she grew on me as the book advanced. Dax is the ultimate hot best friend. Aunt Livi is fantastic and Kiersten is a good sister/confidante. The idea of messing with the time continuum has been explored but this seemed like a fresh take.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

This Spells Love by Kate Robb
Narrator: Khaya Fraites
Rating: 4.5 stars
Steam: 2 chilis
Pub date: 12/5

Am I here to review another time travel/alternate dimension romance? Why yes, I am! It’s starting to look like these books are my kryptonite because, once again, I loved this one!

Gemma is heartbroken after getting dumped by her long-term boyfriend, Stuart. After weeks of moping, she goes out with her sister, aunt, and best friend, Dax, to get drunk and trash-talk her ex. Her eccentric aunt suggests they try a love-cleansing spell, and Gemma wishes she never met Stuart. When she wakes up the next day, she realizes that the spell worked! And while she’s living in an alternate reality where she never dated Stuart, that’s not the only thing that’s different, and not in a good way.

This book was so cute! I instantly loved these characters and could feel the tension building between Gemma and Dax from the start. The chemistry is palpable, and watching them go from strangers to friends to lovers was truly a delight. The steam was extra steamy and just the right amount to move the story along. Gemma is highly relatable, and her personal growth was a joy to witness. Friends to lovers, where the guy falls first, are two of my favorite tropes, and Dax plays the part perfectly.

The pacing is perfect, with the story moving steadily while allowing for some slower moments of introspection. Gemma’s career and family members' struggles are different in this reality, and Gemma needs time to decide which timeline she wants to stay in.

Overall, this was a delightful read that combines humor and heart with a dash of magic. I listened to this on audio while reading along, and the narrator did an amazing job bringing all the characters to life.

This feel-good read is full of witty banter and loveable characters, and I’m so excited for everyone to get their copies on 12/5.

Read if you like:
*magical realism
*strangers to friends to lovers
*single POV
*open door spice
*tight-knit family

This book is pure magic, no pun intended. I was enchanted from the start. First, Kate Robb is a great writer. Second, the story is fun and engaging—making even the cliched plot points feel fresh. This bewitching tale centers around Gemma, who gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend and—after a night of drinking and weeks of moping—decides to perform a love- cleansing spell, which promises to erase her ex from her memory. When Gemma wakes up, she realizes that the spell has worked, but her life is largely unrecognizable. As she endeavors to win back her best friend, she realizes her feelings for him go beyond just that. And this journey will grip you til the end.

A perfect mix of witchy and swoon-worthy. I was rooting for Gemma and Dax from the very first page to the last.

Favorite quote:
“I realize two things. This very moment, here, might be the happiest of my entire life. And in my other one, it never would have happened.”


📚Thank you NetGalley and Kate Robb for the ARC of This Spells Love.

Cute idea but a little too unbelievable and saccharin for my taste. The main character was just too overwrought and clueless to me.

Such a sweet and fluffy low-stakes romcom!

If you’re looking for a cute and cozy story that gives major 90s romcom vibes with a touch of magic then look no further. This Spells Love is a friends-to-lovers story where Gemma, the FMC, in an attempt to get over her ex, performs a spell and accidentally jumps into an alternate reality where she never meets him in the first place. Which, of course, has unintended consequences.

My favorite part of this book was definitely her older sister, Kiersten. Almost everything I highlighted are quotes of their conversations. They’re absolutely hilarious and as an older sister their relationship was so relatable!

There was some parts in the middle that dragged a bit for me but overall a very fun and easy read.

This was my first book to read by this author but it won't be my last! This was a beautifully written novel that evokes so many emotions. Don't miss out on this one!

I loved this sweet, slightly steamy alternate reality rom com! Gemma and Dax were a great couple, and I was rooting for Gemma to find love, professional fulfillment, and a more confident approach to risk.

This Spells Love infused fresh life and unusual tension into the friends-to-lovers trope. By creating a convincing backstory for Gemma and Dax's only-a-friendship, and by moving quickly into an alternate timeline where they're strangers, I never felt like the two of them "might as well" just be together.

And I loved everything about the alternate timeline - it was so much fun to discover the different decisions Gemma had made and their consequences, both positive and negative. The author did such a great job of teasing out unintended side effects, and the pacing and balance of the plot was really superb.

This was an adorable romance. When a drunken spell after a time of heartbreak is sealed with a kiss, Gemma finds herself facing a new reality where her best friend no longer knows her and her world is turned upside down. This was a super cute read and I really enjoyed it! Nice debut!

This was the perfect+cute romcom full of only the most warm and cozy moments. From the very beginning of the story I was sucked into the unique plot and found myself not being able to put this down. I devoured it within a day! A stunning debut from Kate Robb that for anyone who wants a romance with a touch of magical realism, absolutely needs to pick this up!!

I absolutely love the alternate timelines type of plots where characters need to sort out, is the grass really greener and then make that decision do they want their old life they wanted to run from, or the new life they have been plopped into.

I absolutely loved Gemma’s storyline of coming to a new reality and finding her best friend doesn’t know her, but they still have a shot at something special, just in this universe it gets spicy a lot quicker than the 4 year freindzone they had been sitting in.

I love how Gemma had to learn about herself and what she wants and make that choice, does she want to wake up with some of her goals but life being different, or does she want to go back to the life she wanted away from and try to build happiness there?

Thank you so so so so much to the publisher for my ARC of this one!

Read if you like:
✨ Magical Realism
⏳Alternate Timelines
🥵 Spice & Tension
💋 Friends to Lovers
🇨🇦 Books set in Canada
💄 Beauty Products
❤️ Finding your happy

I feel like I will absolutely eat up any romance x magical realism book… and this one was no exception to that!

I absolutely love the alternate timelines type of plots where characters need to sort out, is the grass really greener and then make that decision do they want their old life they wanted to run from, or the new life they have been plopped into.

I absolutely loved Gemma’s storyline of coming to a new reality and finding her best friend doesn’t know her, but they still have a shot at something special, just in this universe it gets spicy a lot quicker than the 4 year freindzone they had been sitting in.

I love how Gemma had to learn about herself and what she wants and make that choice, does she want to wake up with some of her goals but life being different, or does she want to go back to the life she wanted away from and try to build happiness there?

Thank you so so so so much to the publisher for my ARC of this one! I truly hope everyone else loves this one as much as I did!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this opportunity!

This was soo fun! I loved her aunt, she needed her own story honestly. This friends to lovers was so much fun, it was a feel good romance that felt warm and fuzzy.
4/5

This was an adorable romance. When a drunken spell after a time of heartbreak is sealed with a kiss, Gemma finds herself facing a new reality where her best friend no longer knows her and her world is turned upside down. This was a super cute read and I really enjoyed it! Nice debut! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was difficult to get into. The main character seemed out of touch and kind of clueless, which I had a hard time relating to. I wasn’t crazy about the timeline situation either. Idk how to feel.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "This Spells Love" by Kate Robb in exchange for an honest review.

After a rough breakup with her long-term boyfriend and stuck in a miserable job, Emma Wilde casts a spell to eliminate her ex from her life. The spell works: she wakes up in an alternate reality where she never met her ex and she's a successful small business owner. Unfortunately, she quickly discovers that in this universe, she's never met her best friend Dax, whose friendship means everything to her.

Thus begins Gemma's quest to undo the spell and get back to her own reality. She needs Dax to do that, so she must reestablish their friendship. This Dax, however, is not exactly the same as her Dax and it forces her to reconsider aspects of their relationship. However, they have fabulous chemistry in any universe and it isn't long before they connect again. This time, without the distraction of Gemma's ex, their relationship grows develops along more romantic lines.

Unfortunately, Gemma's default is self-absorption. She's not a terrible person, but her main priority, in both universes, is how Gemma feels. She misses big things: Original Universe Dax is clearly crazy about her. Alternate Universe Dax's business is on the bring of failure. Alternate Universe Kiersten's not in a good emotional place.

Gemma is so caught up in herself that she kinda hurts the people love her. But characters need to start low in order to grow up, right? Gemma eventually realizes how blind she's been. It then comes down to a choice: give up the reality where she's doing great but her loved ones are not? Or go back to her own reality and figure out how to make that one awesome too?

As frustrating as Gemma can be at times, it IS a sweet book. Recommended for readers who enjoy friends-to-lovers, witchy vibes, and sweet, easy stories.

When you go through the worst break up of your life so you enlist the help of your family and your hot as heck cinnamon roll besties to cast a spell to forget your ex, but things don’t exactly go to plan…

This was the perfect+cute romcom full of only the most warm and cozy moments. From the very beginning of the story I was sucked into the unique plot and found myself not being able to put this down. I devoured it within a day! A stunning debut from Kate Robb that for anyone who wants a romance with a touch of magical realism, absolutely needs to pick this up!! Thank you so much NetGalley for the Arc of This Spells Love!

3.5/5

I'm typically not a big fan of time traveling/alternate realties in romance, but this book really grew on me. It was sweet and charming and had a lot of quick, funny lines (especially with Gemma's sister). But it was very predictable and I was a little thrown off about how quick Dax and Gemma's friendship grew in the alternate reality. In the few weeks, they went from strangers to more very quickly and I wanted to see more of the build of their relationship.

This was such a sweet and fun book! It took me less than a day to read. My only complaint is that I wish there had been more of a witchy feel to the magic system in this book. Dax Mcguire had me giggling and kicking my feet! Make sure you pick up this book on December 5th if you're in the mood for a lovely, cozy, romantic comedy! I definitely recommend it.

I am incredibly grateful to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for sending me a digital advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

After a bad break up and too many margaritas at her old witchy aunt, Gemma casts a spell to “cleanse” herself from love. She woke up in a parallel universe where she has not met her ex-boyfriend, Stuart, nor her current best friend Daxton. In this parallel universe Gemma had the guts to start her own business, learn how to sail, and overall is much happier… she soon realizes that her happiness could have impacted the storyline of her loved one. Should she stay in this universe where she is leaving her dreams or go back home and make this universe a reality?
I can say more without spoiling the story. It is just a very well executed best friend turns to lover romance. Dax and Gemma’s relationship is sweet and you can deeply connect to her fear of loosing her person. The story is cosy and warm, and the characters are so gilmore girls-esque which I always love.