OKAY KATE ROBB. I SEE YOU.

I... loved this book. So, so much. This year I've really realized that romance with a shade of magical realism or the paranormal is my absolute jam, and this struck such a beautiful balance of this.

Kate Robb's writing style is hilarious, charming, heartwarming and potent. She has such a distinct voice for both herself and het characters from the very first page. I genuinely laughed, teared up, swooned and squirmed all while reading this story. I loved out main characters so much, beginning with our MC Gemma. She is funny & thoughtful, and somehow both irresponsible & rigid at the same time. She is also realistically flawed: in the third act I really found myself getting frustrated with her tendency toward self-centeredness, but it quickly shapes up to be very obviously intentional and a contributor to the story and journal she goes through.

And out LI, Dax... what a GUY. He's absolutely adorable and sweet, but also sexy as hell. I am an absolute SUCKER for a good friends-to-lovers story, and this one was damn near perfect (enough so that I actually can't think of... a single qualm I have with it.) These two have the funniest and most organic relationship, but despite how natural they feel together, the romance doesn't ever feel tried or lacking intension. Their chemistry is off the charts as both friends AND lovers, and the premise of the story gives us such a full look at both of these sides of their relationship. Not to mention, this chemistry translates oh so well to the spicy scenes!

The side characters and the setting were cherries on top of this beautiful story. I loved wandering around Hamilton, Canada with Gemma and her sister Kiersten, ordering coffee from Brewski's and donuts from Nana's, and engaging in all manner of questionable antics with Aunt Livi and her steamy book club.It made me want to pack up and move to a little city outside of Toronto, and probably drink way, way too much caffeine.

If you're a fan of romances with a little bit of a magical spin, friends to lovers, quirky & distinct side characters, major life questions as well as lessons, and absolutely heart warming and swoony romance, you will adore this. Especially if you're a fan of Ashley Poston's The Seven Year Slip (a book that completely and utterly stole my heart earlier this year), you will DEFINITELY love this. Thank you so, so much to Random House, NetGalley & the author for this eArc. I can't wait to see what Robb does next!

Wow for not really knowing what to expect of this book, I really enjoyed it! I love a contemporary romance with a magical twist and the premise of this book had me immediately intrigued.

I gobbled this book up in two days and it was so cute and cozy and silly and even a little angsty! I wish it would've been more angsty and slowburn on the romance side of the plot bc our fmc Gemma got dropped into a parallel universe where the last four years of her life are different and her best friend never met her. Like that's crazy!!! And I just wish it would have been a little harder for her to get her best friend to trust her, but I get the choices the author made and I respect them.

The love was cute and sweet and believable and the chemistry between Gemma and Dax (ok hot guy name!) was FIRE! Overall I really enjoyed this book and I am def going to pick up more of this author's future books.

Thank you the Dial Press and NetGalley for this eARC. It comes out 12/5!

Gemma Wilde wasted four years of her life in a relationship and knows she isn't going to get over it any time soon. But when Gem's wacky aunt suggests a spell to forget about her ex, somehow it works. Only downside is that now her best friend Dax doesn't remember her, and he's the key to returning to her old life.
I love some enemies to lovers, so friends to strangers to lovers is *chefs kiss*. I thought the spell was going to take things in a different direction, but I liked the way it went. Dax is super hot, and Gemma is the perfect mix between awkwardly relatable and cool girl. There is spice... ish. It's not super detailed, but it's there! I love a good alternate reality book, it was very cute.

*projected release date: December 5th 2023*
Thank you NetGalley and Random House The Dial Press for the Advanced Reading Copy.

This was such a cute rom com! I love anything with a slight paranormal twist and this was no exception. I was hooked from the first chapter and read it in just a few sittings. The main character is relatable and has some character growth during the story and the male love interest is swoon worthy. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading this author’s backlist!

✨THIS•SPELLS•LOVE✨
.
This Spells Love is Kate Robb’s debut book and it’s a good one! It’s magical, romantic, funny, and features the sweetest cinnamon roll character, Dax.
.
✨friends to lovers
✨ time slip
✨a bit steamy
.
Any type of time travel book is always a hard sell for me, but this book worked! Gemma and Dax have only ever been friends, best friends. But after a 4 year relationship and break up with her last boyfriend, Gemma does a love cleanse spell. When she wakes up, she’s in the version of her life that didn’t date Stuart and Dax is no longer her best friend.
.
Great secondary characters. Gemma’s sister and aunt both added so much to the story. I’d love for Gemma’s sister to get her own book!
.
This book is all about “what if I made a different choice?”
It’s worth the read!
.
Thank you netgalley and Dial Press from the opportunity to read and review this book!

This book gave me subtle witchy “13 Going on 30” meets “Seven Year Slip” vibes! I absolutely loved it. The characters were wonderful, especially the peculiar aunt. The plot was well-developed in a way that made it easy to connect with the characters and the struggles they endure. Who hasn’t gone through difficult life choices that could give two drastically different life paths? The spicy scenes were so good, too! There wasn’t any clunky or cringey aspects which is a huge plus. Only thing I wish there was more of is the magic aspect. It was cute how their aunt made it seems like she was just eccentric, but I think it would have felt more complete if magic played a bigger part. All-in-all, I highly recommend this book. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC opportunity!

This book was an interesting book. I didn't fully understand the time travel/multi-verse thing but it was still a cute albeit confusing friends to lovers romance.

This Spells Love was a cute read that did not match my expectation. I thought it would be more witchy, but instead it was more of a friends to lovers including the multiverse. I really enjoyed and related to Gemma in a lot of ways. Both Gemma’s made me feel things. I was so happy with the ending and the character growth.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

This was cute enough but didn’t really hold my interest. Part of me ended up wishing that it wasn’t an alternate reality thing and that Gemma and Dax would just talk after their first kiss at the beginning. It also felt like she was in the other reality just a little too long that I was like “ok let’s move on already” and it’s only like the last couple chapters that she’s back.

Overall I think the book was fine and I’m sure many people will really enjoy reading it. I think I’ve just been reading better books lately and this just wasn’t as good as those.

Thank you Random House Publishing ans NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.

This Spells Love was a cute romance with a fun premise. Gemma is fresh from a breakup and curses herself for spending four years with the loser. She decides to do a love cleanse spell with her sister and kooky Aunt, and if it works she will never have met her ex. Of course, the spell isn't complete without a kiss so she winds up kissing her platonic best friend, Dax. So when she wakes up the next day, it's present day but the spell worked. She had never met her ex and she owns her dream store. However, she met Dax the same day she met her ex, so they aren't friends in this timeline. She seeks him out, determined to win his friendship and then she realizes, oh, Dax is hot.

I would have given this four stars if I had a better sense of the characters, and the love part was more swoony. I'm also over romances where people's personality traits are basically loving coffee and doughnuts.

4.5 stars!

I have had such a hard time reading an actual book lately, I aleays listen to audio books. But This Spells Love, was SO good I just couldn’t stop reading!

This really is such a cute story about Gemma & Dax. Both are so likable and I really enjoyed the evolution of their relationship. And the magical touch the author added to the book was just perfect. I honestly can’t say a bad thing about this book.

***thank you Netgalley and Random House for the ARC copy in return for an honest review***

This book definitely has the potential to be super fun and cute. I can see why a lot of my bookish friends have really enjoyed it. I just can’t seem to really get into it for some reason. DNF at 25%.

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

5/5 stars
2/5 spice

"A spell for you to forget your ex, but what else might you lose?"

On a post-breakup drinking party with her sister, mystical aunt, and best friend Dax, Gemma tries a spell from her aunt's book wishing she never met her ex. Then she finds herself waking up in an alternate reality where things are in some aspects bad, then really great for her. But at what cost? The grass is not always greener on the other side. This is magical realism, it's whimsical friends-to-lovers, it's sisterly love, and it's a journey of self-growth, taking risks and being brave.

I would have perhaps liked there to be more of the "after" alternate reality part but it seemed like the point of the story was to be a journey of growth for FMC in acknowledging her true feelings and taking the leap of faith to not be held back by her fear in her relationship and career and becoming more independent. So the book did just that.

This charming debut novel absolutely hit it out of the park! It's easily one of my favorites this year!! Highly recommend for anyone who is into friends-to-lovers, and magical realism (but note it's not a story about magic, just makes a brief appearance by way of the premise for the story).

You can also check out this review (and many others) on my IG (@pyaarandpsych) and TikTok (@pyaar,and.psych) on Publication Day Dec 5, 2023!

I adored this book! I am always unsure of the best friends-to-lovers trope, but Kate Robb made it work so well. The fact that Gemma met Dax on the same night as Stuart, and actually met him FIRST, makes this whole story of “turning back time and choosing him” make sense.

Let me start by stating the obvious here. DAX MCGUIRE can do no wrong. He is a book boyfriend for the ages! Dax calling her “Gemma McGuire” over and over as if it were a mistake.. cue happy tears. He was my favorite character by a mile, and that comes with high praise because I truly enjoyed each secondary character as well. In particular, Gemma’s sister Kiersten is the character who, in my opinion, put most of the comedy in this rom-com. Her dialogue was phenomenal.

I found this to be such an easy, enjoyable read. It was the right amount of quirky and steamy, but if it lacked one thing, I believe it would be the magic in all of it. Yes, there was the spell that altered her life/timeline of events and there were a few subtle moments where Aunt Livi raised suspicion, but I felt like I wanted a little bit more! While I was satisfied with the happy ending between Dax and Gemma, I can’t help but question where the magic came from. Was the chemistry between them touching and the feeling she got in this alternate universe magic? Is there more to Aunt Livi? Is she a witch? I must know! Did I miss something?!

This Spells Love is a delightful friends-to-romance novel that effortlessly weaves together fun and cuteness. The story is so charming that it easily lends itself to a one-sitting read, making it a perfect escape for a cozy afternoon. The author's debut is impressive, showcasing a talent for crafting a heartwarming narrative that captures the essence of friendship evolving into something more. With its endearing characters and playful plot, This Spells Love is a must-read for anyone seeking a feel-good and engaging romantic story.

This book was so cute! After a devastating breakup, Gemma indulges her hippy aunt in a "love cleanse" spell so that she never dated her now ex.... unfortunately, that means she never became BFFs with Dax, whom she met the same night. It's so charming seeing Gemma rebuild her life in this "what if" scenario—from her trying to befriend Dax to exploring the dreams she never allowed herself to pursue otherwise. I loved the strong bond between Gemma and the people in her life—in both words—and it really kept this sweet multiversal story grounded.

This Spells Love is a cute and endearing romantic comedy. I was looking for a quick romance and this book definitely fit.

Gemma is miserable after her recent breakup. Stuart was a comfortable choice - safe and reliable - until he broke up with her. She leans on her best friend Dax in her grief - and plenty of margaritas. She starts to wish she never met Stuart in the first place. But when her New Age, quirky aunt suggests trying out a "love cleanse" spell from a recent donation to her used bookstore, Gemma find herself in a bizarre situation. She wakes up in an alternate reality where she never met Stuart - ok, that's good. The problem - she met Dax the same night she met Stuart, and in this reality Dax has no clue who she is. To reverse the spell and return to her normal life, she needs to recreate the conditions from the first time, including her drunken (yet sweet!) kiss with Dax. But after spending time with him in this reality, she starts to see Dax as more than just a friend. Does she try to keep what she's started here, or try to go back to where they really are just friends? Can she really stay just friends with Dax after this?

This book was fun and a little ridiculous - as any good rom-com should be. There were some really heartwarming moments, and few funny scenes as well. It was a quick read - I read it in one evening. While some parts were a little predictable, that is sometimes what I look for in a romance book, and it fit my mood perfectly when I read it and was exactly what I needed. The characters were loveable, Dax is wonderfully warm and sexy, and was a perfect fit for the slightly anxious and careful Gemma. The side characters including Gemma's sister Kiersten and her Aunt Livi really added a lot of heart to the story. The book explores some tough concepts like what we might sacrifice for love, and the consequences of being careful for what you wish for. I enjoyed reading this and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a cute, quick-read, romantic comedy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback for an electronic Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read and review This Spells Love by Kate Robb!

Cute, cozy, and so very quippy. If you are in the mood for all of those lovely words, with a hint of magic and a large dose of a love interest who is just head over heels for our girl, then This Spells Love will be such a fun treat!

After being dumped by her long-term boyfriend, Gemma does what any of us do, get drunk with those we love....and perhaps experiment with a little witchcraft from a mysterious book. Not living in a world of witches and magic, no one thinks that this silly little drunken activity will amount to anything, that is until Gemma wakes up and discovers her world is not at all like it was when she went to sleep. No longer having spent 4 years in the safety of a dreadfully boring relationship, Gemma now gets the experience we all wish for from time to time, to experience that "what if." What if she had gone for the dream job instead of the safe one? What if she had never said yes to a date with the guy because of a suit and a 10-year plan? What if she had kissed her best friend from the very start? What happens when you get to experience if the other side's grass is really so green? Do you go, or do you stay?

I really enjoyed this read! I think one of the things Kate Robb excelled at so significantly is that this book fits fully into the romcom territory, in that it's not only romantic and sweet and cute, but legitimately funny, hell even her afterword is funny. Then on top of it, the romance is really sweet. I am not always a big fan of long-term friends to lovers, something about the years of dancing around attraction and feelings makes me feel a little stressed and antsy with a hint of sad (I say this, but I also never turn one away), but this felt like a great balance where it wasn't too drawn out, and the duo was endearing, even when there were times I wanted to roll my eyes so hard at Gemma I would lose a contact.

I also think I swooned, like literally swooned (something I was previously convinced couldn't happen outside of a ballroom, and reserved only for guests in the tightest of corsets), at one of the lines in the book. It was short, simple, not particularly explosive, but something about the scene and the line (not to mention the ending call back) gave me a huge swarm of the warm and fuzzies.
I'm going to quote it now though, so....I don't know...look away if you don't like a single drop of spoilers...
3
2
1
"Goodnight, Dax McGuire," I call to him.
"Goodnight, Gemma McGuire," he calls back.
"Slip of the tongue?"
He shrugs and smiles, "Something like that."


sigh....here I am swooning all over again!

This debut shows that some souls will always find one another, even in an alternate dimension. (And even if one of them walks into the other’s personal space and makes the weirdest impression before realizing they’ve left their own timeline.)

Dax and Gemma are best friends, but a spell gone wrong to help Gemma forget about her ex sends her into an alternate timeline where there is no Dax and Gemma. If you like magic gone wrong, but are okay with the magic not being fully explained, this may be the book for you.

This Spells Love focuses more on the character development of Gemma, a woman who has played it safe for years now. From staying with a man she could stand to lose, and a job that wasn’t her passion. Alternate Gemma’s accomplishments show what life can be if she goes after what she really wants.

Watching Gemma grow into her own dreams was a treat. Her sister and aunt are hilarious. I’d read a book about either one of them in a second. (Aunt Livi’s book club is definitely a witch coven and I stand by that.)

I read this over two days. If you enjoy romances that are:

- light, quick reads
- friends to lovers
- the “it’s-always-been-you” vibe
- no third-act breakup (they're in love in both timelines)

Then this is probably the book for you.

I hope the other Dax and Gemma found their way to one another.

Thank you so much to Random House for the eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Friends to lovers is not always my favorite but this was a delightful and fun romance. Although I did expect a bit more magic and whimsy given the title and marketing, and I did get a bit frustrated with the characters.