I tend to like books that are 99% completely realistic contemporary romances with a 1% totally outlandish fantasy element, and that's what we have here. This was kind of a Big/13 Going on 30 type of plot, but with somewhat of a twist - no time travel. After a few too many margaritas, Gemma's sister and aunt convince her to try a "love cleanse" spell from a random book that showed up in the aunt's bookstore. She wishes she had never met Stuart, her very recent ex-boyfriend, and seals the spell with a kiss with Dax, her best friend (who she met on the very same night that she met Stuart). The next day, Gemma wakes up hungover and in a totally different bed with a random stranger that she apparently hooked up with. After trying to go to her condo building, she realizes that she's woken up at the right time, but in a different timeline. She immediately goes to her touchstones - her aunt, her sister, Dax. The problem is that the Dax in this timeline never met her and her family members think she might be just a bit out of touch with reality. Gemma explores her alternate life, which is really different from the one she built in her original timeline - yes, she lives in a gross basement apartment instead of a beautiful condo, but she also fulfilled her dream of opening her own clean beauty store instead of being in a job she hates as a beauty buyer for a drugstore. To get back to her own timeline, she realizes that she'll need to kiss Dax again to reverse the cleanse - but that means convincing him to kiss her, a total stranger, in less than a month. I thought this was pretty inventive and wasn't quite like anything else I've read. Quirky, steamy, and very Canadian.

Loved this magically sweet novel. Thank you Kate Robb. This Spells Love was such a cute take on the make a *wish* and wake up in that reality - a la 13 Going on 30. Here, Gems preforms a fun witchy ritual over margarita to make it so she never met her ex. But the next morning, Gems wakes up in another reality where this wish came true! She never met her ex at a party 4 years ago....but she never met her best friend, Daxon, too then. What a fun plot!

Wait I loved this. It was lighter on the witchy vibes than I expected, and was more akin to 13 Going On 30, which was also lovely!

When Gemma gets dumped by her long term boyfriend, she has a little too much tequila and performs a spell wishing she had never met him 4 years ago. She wakes up the next morning to discover that the spell worked but because of it, her life looks vastly different. Most notably, she and her best friend Dax never met.

As Gemma starts to adjust to her new life and grows to really love it, she has to choose between her happiness and her dreams and those of the people she cares about.

This book was reminiscent of early 2000s romcoms and was a blast to read!

This Spells Love
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️From Random House Publishing: What if one little wish changed everything?

When Gemma gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend, she reacts the way any reasonable twenty-eight-year-old would: by getting drunk with her sister, kooky aunt, and best friend, Dax. After one too many margaritas, they decide to perform a love- cleansing spell, which promises to erase Gemma’s ex from her memory. They follow all the instructions, including a platonic kiss from Dax to seal the deal.

When Gemma wakes up, she realizes that this silly spell has worked. Not only does it seem that she never dated her ex, but the rest of her life is completely unrecognizable. The worst part: Dax has no idea who she is.

To reverse the spell and get back to her old life, Gemma must convince her once-best-friend-now-near-stranger to kiss her. But as she carries out her plans, she finds herself falling for him—hard. Soon, Gemma begins to wonder whether she even wants to go back to the way things once were. What if Dax was The One all along?
***************************
My review: “Time warp/glitch/loop/travel/alternate reality” and witchy spells are two of my favorite tropes! A very clever premise. Gemma is heartbroken and agrees to a love cleanse spell to remove her ex from her thoughts. Trouble is she removed more than that! I like that some of her life remained and she had her aunt and sister in her new reality. The three women figured out what to do to get things set back right…but Gemma had a month to kill until they could re-spell her life. Enough time to get her best friend who doesn’t know her to fall for her?

What if you chose B instead of A? How would that affect the trajectory of your life? Fascinating premise and it plays out well here. I smiled and laughed and got teary. Gemma was funny and fun and appropriately aghast at everything that happened to her. There was also a fab amount of spiciness and romping.

I also loved that Gemma loved her Peloton and missed it dearly in her new reality. Recent books I've read have mentioned Covid and the pandemic and that also played into this rom-com. Dax and Gemma had my attention and I felt her confusion and pull between her two timelines.

Great book, fun, sexy, and I rooted for Gemma the whole time. Amazing debut novel. I will read Robb's next one for sure.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

A mix of best friends to lovers and strangers to lovers - in two different storylines.

Gemma is a few margaritas deep - deep enough that performing a "spell" to wish she had never met her new ex boyfriend, to wish she hadn't wasted years of her life with him. But what she didn't realize was that wishing for that to come true would erase her friendship with her best friend, Dax.

Following Gemma connect the dots between the two different timelines/lives was a fun experience. It was a beautifully written story and I was so glad to be able to read it early!

This is really cute, and I love the premise. I wish the story had more urgency, however. The fallout from Gemma’s choices felt too casual - I needed higher stakes. Her sister and aunt accept her crazy story quickly and just go with it, and it felt like a wimpy response. I’ll definitely still check out more from the author in the future.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Let me just start this review with saying, add this one to your TBR right now!

If you like:
Friends to Lovers
Second Chance Romance
Time Travel
No Third Act Break-Up

Once I got going, I couldn't put it down. Do Gemma and Dax hook-up? Does Gemma seem somewhat crazy the entire time? What's going on with her sister? Which reality does Gemma choose? Can she even choose?! I just had to know more!

And I absolutely loved Robb's writing style. I honestly felt like I was inside Gemma's brain as she worked out what she was doing, how she felt, and the choices she was making. I felt like I got to know her, and I really liked her! Plus her sister and Aunt were a hoot! If you know me, you know I'm always down for a quirky family and meddlesome elders.

And Dax? Let's just say: sa-woon! He's a book boyfriend for the ages.

I can't wait to see what Robb comes up with next!

Thank you Dial/Random House for this arc! All my thoughts are my own.

I would say this is hovering around the 3.75-4 range for me so I ranked it 4/5 stars.

Fresh off a harsh breakup, Gemma uses desperate measures and performs a love cleanse spell to help her aching heart. However, things go awry and Gemma wakes up in a timeline where her best male friend Dax has no idea who she is. Gemma ends up falling in love with Dax in this new timeline and questions whether she should stay instead of fixing her mistake. However, the grass is not always greener on the other side and not everything is as rosy as Gemma would believe.

I liked this enough but it felt rather surface level and I didn't connect to it as much as I would have liked. I also think this book is suffering from a miscasting of its identity; I think a lot of people will go in thinking this is a witchy book based on the cover but I would class it as magical realism.

I think I struggled at times to truly root for Gemma and Dax in this new timeline; it was so clear to me that Dax in this timeline was hardcore struggling and it felt like it wasn't entirely fair to him that Gemma was pursuing him. She knew all these things about him, it was almost too easy for her to make him fall in love with her. I would have liked a bit more struggle with that, especially with how they met each other in the new timeline.

The lessons Gemma learned though were the best part and I did love the side characters such as Aunt Livi and her sister Kiersten. I think this is a light read: the stakes aren't too high and it's a quick read. Not a 5 star, but not awful either.

If you are looking for a lighter rom-com with a touch of magic realism, This Spells Love is a perfect read!

When Gemma tries a spell to forget her ex, she wakes up in another timeline, one where her best friend Dax does not know her despite sharing a drunken kiss the night before. How will she navigate this new life? Can her and Dax go back to just being friends or will she take a chance on being something more?

Best friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and Kate Robb’s twist with the “what if” storyline worked so well. I love how Gemma had to go through the process of befriending Dax again to recognize her feelings and gain the courage to act on them. Their chemistry and banter will melt your heart!

Read if you like:
-Friends to lovers
-Lighter reads
-“What if” stories
-Sliding doors
-Magic realism
-Close sister relationships
-Curling

Thank you Random House for the ARC! Pub: 12/5/23

Such a cute fun read! This is a short romance book that’s very easy to read. The characters are likable and the story moves quickly! The characters had good progress and development. I almost wish it was a longer book! There was quite a bit more sex than I was expecting, but it was good spice!

This Spells Love by Kate Robb is an utterly enchanting and deeply romantic novel that captivated me right from its opening page.

Kate Robb's debut rom-com, "This Spells Love," is a whimsical escape into the world of enchantment and humor. Gemma Wilde, recovering from heartbreak, takes an unconventional journey into a spell book and alternate realities, setting the stage for a charming and engaging narrative. Robb's witty writing style effortlessly immerses readers in Gemma's adventure.

The story is more magical realism than witchy, adding depth to the plot and leaving you intrigued. As the tale unfolds, the return of magical elements towards the end is a delightful surprise. It is also very Canadian, sprinkling fun tidbits such as curling and references to Toronto.

However, Gemma's swift transition from friendship to romance mode with Dax felt rushed, although it's understandable given the story's timeline of one month. Despite this minor hiccup, "This Spells Love" offers a fresh twist on the friends-to-lovers trope and concludes neatly, leaving you with a satisfying feeling.

If you're in search of an enchanting and humorous read, consider adding this book to your list. It's a delightful rom-com that delivers both wit and whimsy, along with the best eight-legged roommate you’ll ever come across!

Title: This Spells Love
Author: Kate Robb
Pub Date: December 5, 2023

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book!!! I just loved it and can’t stop thinking about it! This Spells Love, the debut novel by Kate Robb, was just so magical and was pure perfection!

Gemma can’t seem to get over her ex-boyfriend. She has tried everything, and as a last resort, along with her sister, aunt, and best friend, Dax, decide to perform a love cleansing spell to forget all about her ex. They followed the instructions in a spell book, which included kissing Dax, and then Gemma went to sleep, thinking nothing of it. In the morning, she wakes to realize the spell worked, and she never dated her ex. On top of that, her life is completely different, and Dax has no idea who she is. In order to reverse the spell and get her old life back, Gemma has to wait until the next full moon. With a month until the next full moon, Gemma has to find a way to convince Dax to become her friend and kiss her to try to reverse the spell. As it gets closer to the next full moon, Gemma finds herself wondering if she really wants to go back to the way things were before.

I loved how well this book flowed. I thought the pacing was spot on and everything worked so well! On top of that, I found myself laughing out loud throughout the book, and overall, found it to be just so adorable! This will be one I highly recommend and will likely read again!

Read If You Like:
🪄Friends to Lovers
🪄Single POV
🪄Magical Realism
🪄Adorable Rom-Coms

Thank you, Random House, for providing me with a #gifted copy of This Spells Love!

This fun debut romance was full of laughs, heart, and just a touch of magic.

Gemma is heartbroken when her BF dumps her after four years together, so she and her sister and aunt get drunk and do a spell to forget all about him. Of course pulling that one thread makes many other changes in Gemma’s life, and she must decide whether to stay in her new timeline or to try to go back to the original,

There were so many things I enjoyed here. I loved the sisterhood between Gemma and her older sister Kiersten, with the way they make snarky comments to each other yet clearly love each other dearly. Kiersten’s comments made me laugh out loud multiple times, and she was definitely my favorite secondary character. The magic spell and the events surrounding it felt like hot mess express magic and were so funny!

Gemma is a little bit of a mess herself. When her male best friend doesn’t recognize her, it throws her into a tailspin. The new relationship between she and Dax starts off so awkwardly, but quickly develops. I loved Dax aka the new best book boyfriend. His job is cool, he is charming, and he is deeply kind.

I loved the reasoning behind Gemma’s final decision, and this was just such a delightful read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House- Dial for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a cute what if read with a slightly magical twist. I really liked Gemma and her relationship with her aunt Livi and her sister Kiersten and how supportive they were even in the slightly strange circumstances. Thought Gemma and Dax had really good and hot chemistry and enjoyed how things developed in their alternate timeline. Dax was lovely in some trying circumstances and I could see why Gemma wanted to get that friendship back so desperately. I liked how the alternative timeline made Gemma confront a lot of things she was not facing in her “prime” timeline and the lessons she learnt living alt Gemma’s life. The ending was very fitting and satisfying. A very enjoyable read (3.5 ⭐️)

RATING: 3/5 STARS

I thought the premise for this one was so cute but I lost interest along the way unfortunately... The witchy elements were really appealing and I love a good friends to lovers story but this one wasn't for me.

I loved this book! By the first page it had me hooked and craving to continue, feeling as if I was in the book itself and watching the characters interact. I loved the hint of magic that it provided no knowing what the ending may bring,.

I simply adored this book. What a great debut novel! I’ll be patiently waiting to see what’s next for Kate Robb! Meanwhile, let’s talk about this gem of a book!

Gemma doesn’t see it coming, that moment where her boyfriend Stuart breaks up with her after 4 years together. She truly wishes she’d never met him. One drunken pizza and margarita night with her aunt Livi, sister Kiersten and best friend Dax might not solve her heartbreak but it will definitely make her feel a little bit better. That’s until her aunt announces that she might have a way to erase Stuart from her life. Candles, chicken and rope are gathered and a love cleanse spell is performed and sealed by a kiss between her and Dax.
When Gemma wakes up the next morning, everything is different, she’s never met her ex and quickly realizes that Dax has no clue who she is. Hoping to reverse the spell ASAP, her plans quickly come to a halt when she realizes she can’t perform a reversal of the cleanse until the next full moon, which is a month away. Stuck in this alternate reality, she tries to befriend Dax and adapt to this new life reality.

𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾：
- 𝖥𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗉𝖾
- 𝖲𝗅𝗂𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖣𝗈𝗈𝗋𝗌 𝗍𝗐𝗂𝗌𝗍
- 𝖲𝗉𝗂𝖼𝖾
- 𝖥𝗎𝗇𝗇𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖾𝗇𝖽𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗌𝗎𝗉𝗉𝗈𝗋𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌
- 𝖥𝗎𝗇／ 𝗎𝗇𝗂𝗊𝗎𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒𝗅𝗂𝗇𝖾.

Would you go back and change life choices if you could?

✵𝖬𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖭𝖾𝗍𝗀𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖱𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗈𝗆 𝖧𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝖯𝗎𝖻𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖦𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗉 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗀𝗂𝖿𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖠𝖽𝗏𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋’𝗌 𝖢𝗈𝗉𝗒 𝗂𝗇 𝖾𝗑𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝗒 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐✵

This was a really fun and light read! I enjoyed the fun spell, parallel timeline, and just a perfect amount of spice! Gemma is getting over a tough breakup when she is thrust into a parallel timeline where her life is very different than before. Her best friend, Dax, doesn't know who she is and she begins to build that relationship from the ground up. When things get a little complicated, Gemma has a tough decision to make- return to the life she knew or to stay in the timeline she has newly discovered. It's a well-written heart warming story about making decisions that are best for yourself and for those around you. Highly recommend!

Oh this was such a fun read!

I have to give thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an early copy of this. I had a great time.

This books was all warm feelings and reminded me of rom coms I grew up watching. There was not a single character I didn't like and I could read stories with them over multiple books!

This is a comy cozy read that I could come back to year after year. The book didn't have any of the tropes I hate- like a miscommunication trope. I honestly can't wait for the community to get their hands on this book.