I loved this book, and found myself not wanting to put it down! At first it was cute and light hearted but took a turn to be pretty insightful. Both MCs were fun and entertaining with witty banter between them. I especially enjoyed the sister relationship. I would recommend this for those who love a sweet friends to lovers story. 💜

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This Spells Love by Kate Robb was a cute, cozy, romance with an element of Magic. We open with doughnuts, a breakup, and sisterly love and jump to a best friend, a spell, and a parallel universe. Gemma Wilde likes predictability. With one peculiar spell led by her quirky Aunt Livi, she is transported out of her timeline into one with all the people she knows and loves but all predictability is lost.

I really enjoyed this book. There were times when Gemma was so self-involved that I was grumbling out loud. I loved her Best Friend Dax and I was his biggest fan throughout this read. The spice level was a 2/5 even though the chemistry was fire.

Tropes: Friends to lovers, Love at First Sight, Last to Know, Parallel universe.
If you are looking for a feel-good read, this is for you!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC. Receiving this did not influence my review.

If you’re looking for a book that isn’t going to sit heavy, this might be a book for you to pick up.

It was a fun, light read that did have some profanity and sex, so that’s a warning if you’re not into that.

I did think the sex scenes were a little forced. I would have actually enjoyed the book a lot more without them. The fact that Gemma mentioned the Gemma/Dax telepathy about 100 times throughout got a little old. I got it after the first few times, you’re on the same wavelength. Your best friends.

Gemma the MC was a little hard for me to like. She really seemed to take advantage of the people around her and seemed a little immature and needy. Towards the end of the book, she seemed to realize this, which is good. And I think that was the whole point so the ending showed growth.

I did really like her sister. She was very witty and sarcastic.

It was a good friends to lovers, time-travel/parallel universe romance, this isn’t bad.

This was such a fun book!

Gemma Wilde is a mess after the end of her four year long relationship. All she wants is to forget it ever happened. Luckily, her Aunt Livi has just the trick - a spell to make the night Gemma Met Stuart never happen. The only problem? Once the spell is done and successful, her best friend Dax has never met her either. How could she forget they met the same night as her and Stuart? She sets about winning her best friend back.

I was really worried this one would be too cheesy. I have a hard time with spells and magic in rom coms, so I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this one. Gemma’s dip into an alternate reality was fun and forced her to recognize the problems with not just her love life, but her relationships with her family and work. The writing was funny and kept a good pace without feeling too rushed.

Kate Robb’s debut definitely has what it takes to be a success. Can’t wait to see what she does next! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What if one little wish changed everything?

A young woman tries to heal her heartbreak by casting a spell to erase her ex from her past, but she wakes up in an alternate reality where she’s lost more than she wished for in this witty, whimsical friends-to-lovers debut.


This is one of the cutest, most clever novels I've read and I absolutely adored it! Is it a spell for forgetting or 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦? A cute concept with magical realism.

I just reviewed This Spells Love by Kate Robb. #ThisSpellsLove #NetGalley

I cannot wait to get my hands on this book when it comes out on 5 December 2023! It’s been said before, but this book perfectly combines the essence of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "50 First Dates" and I really loved it. A physical copy will be given as gifts for the holidays and into my home library.

Meet Gemma Wilde. Her four-year relationship has just come to an end and she just wants to forget her ex completely (been there, sis). With the help of her Aunt and Sister, they produce a spell to erase all memories of him from her mind. Meet Dax. After performing the forget-my-ex spell, he no longer remembers that he’s best friends with Gemma. Will Gemma be able to navigate this new reality and help Dax to remember their friendship, perhaps even becoming something more?

This was my first fantasy-romance read and oh-my-goodness I love this new genre. This story was intelligent, thought-provoking, and delightfully steamy! I found the characters to be perfectly crafted and adored the alternate universe theme. The plot itself holds you until the end and I found this book incredibly hard to put down, so I didn’t. I found this story to be so cleaver in the way it was crafted (no pun intended) and highly recommend reading this over the holidays. Add it to your TBR now (go ahead, I’ll wait)!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Dial Press Trade Paperback for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun read! The concept was different than anything I've read. In this book Gemma is reeling from a breakup with her long time boyfriend. Too much tequila leads to too much fun sometimes, including doing a spell and ignoring the warning. When Gemma wakes up to a new life without her long time boyfriend she realizes she lost her best friend too. In her quest to get Dax to be her friend again, she realizes there has been a missed opportunity for love. Gemma goes through a lot of personal growth, at times she can be very self involved. When the tough decision came to help the others she loved in her life or choose the life she always wanted she made a tough decision....you'll have to read the book to find out how it ends.

This Spells Love

Pub Date: 5 Dec 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Gemma Wilde gets dumped by her boyfriend of four years, she’s devastated. In an attempt to get over him, her eccentric Aunt gets her drunk off margaritas and convinces her to do a spell erasing the whole relationship—a spell sealed with a kiss by her best friend Dax. The problem … a lot can change in four years and Dax doesn’t know her in this reality. While navigating her new life, Gemma must convince Dax to give her a kiss to reverse the spell.

This Spells Love by Kate Robb is a debut novel of another level. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it became a new favorite book for many people. It’s full of romance, dreams, second chances, and a pinch of magic to bring it all together. Oh, and a dash of spice!

Gemma and Dax have amazing chemistry. Gemma is extremely relatable and was such a dynamic character. And Gemma’s sister Kiersten definitely deserves a shout out for pushing Gemma the whole book and being a great big sister.

It’s not perfect and some more realist minds may not enjoy the story and decisions made, but I loved it and would highly recommend. #oneforthebookshelf

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the e-ARC!

PERFECT romcom! I burned through this romance. The chemistry and banter is top-tier. I LOVE the humor and the sweet moments. The atmosphere, the setting-all of it! THIS SPELLS LOVE was a wild(e) ride and I badly want to go back and read it again!
NOTE FOR PUBLISHER: At the end of chapter 13 (last page) there was an incomplete sentence error.

Solid 3.5 stars ✨

I binged this ARC really fast because it was compelling and I wanted to know how the parallel universe was going to work out. For an author’s debut book, the writing was strong and it was interesting as an American reader to read a book set in Canada. Of course we all wonder what our lives would be like in a parallel universe if we didn’t make certain choices - and I think the author really nailed that with the differences in Gemma’s life!

The few nitpicky things I didn’t like: well, my copy was an ARC and chapter 13 ended mid sentence 🥲 which is more of an editor’s note. The second was they randomly mentioned the pandemic as a reason something changed and I’m like, “They did not just randomly drop the pandemic where millions of people died as a random excuse as to why something happened.” I hope the final copy of the book has a bit more edits because it felt like this ARC was a final draft that needed another go over. Was also not obsessed with how Gemma referred to a certain part of Dax’s body, IYKYK.

The last chapter and epilogue have a choppy transition, I would preferred a bit more in the last chapter to tie up all the loose ends in the story. I hate being left wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication: December 5, 2023

Rating: 5 stars!

What an amazing debut! I fell right into this book and didn't come back until it was over! Robb has her own distinct voice but her style reminds me of Christina Lauren.

I loved that this book wasn't too heavy on topics but also wasn't all fluff. It was the perfect mix and reminded me of the older romcom movies I used to watch. This book focused on the age old question of "what if?" and I loved every second of it! Make sure you preorder because this is going to be the perfect book to curl up with during the cold winter months.

Perfect for fans:
- 1st person POV
- Single POV
- Slight touch of magic
- Second chance romance (somewhat)
- Friends to lovers
- Christina Lauren fans
- 13 Going on 30 vibes

“This Spells Love” is a romcom about a girl named Gemma who is in recent despair about her ex boyfriend. Through trying to relieve her stress about the situation, she visits with her best friend Dax, her sister, and her Aunt in which she finds a spell that will make her forget about her breakup. After completing this strange spell, Gemma wakes up in a new world where she not only didn’t meet her ex boyfriend but she also didn’t meet her friend Dax. In this world, Gemma took many new paths whether for the better or for the worst and now she must re-meet Dax, fall in love, and get a special kiss to reverse the spell and get home. I’m going to be brutally honest here and say I sadly DNF-ed this book. I got to the 53% mark before putting the book down. I think the concept of the book is really interesting however fell short with the characters and humor. I felt as if I was rooting for Gemma not because I felt attached to her character but because I’m “supposed” to root for her. The book only being 259 pages is definitely not a negative (I firmly believe that Romcoms should definitely not be over 300 or so pages) however It felt like nothing much happened Romantically in the first 100 pages so the author took a sharp turn and tried to rush Dax’s positive thoughts of Gemma. With a concept like this, the book feels very predictable. I don’t think that books with predictable plots are horrible but my drive to finish them are to keep reading lovable characters which I didn’t see in this. Comedy in books should feel very natural however I felt like every joke I read was very “This is a joke you’re supposed to laugh” or “This is a reference get it?”. Gemma’s character was very full of pop culture references and being relatable. During at least of what I read, Gemma would constantly make jokes about things she does and it was clear that these things were suppose to be “her being real” or “so relatable!” But it felt so forced. A lot of the characters felt like they were playing a specific role and I would’ve really liked these characters to have been expanded on earlier in the book. I mostly dnfed this book because it felt like I wasn’t losing anything from not finding the end. There was no true risk, I didn’t connect with the characters, and the end I felt was very predictable and not worth really trying to get through to see. Now that I’m done with my personal reasons of DNFing this book, I overall think that OTHER people would probably mostly enjoy this book. I think the humor could be appreciated way more in YA than the audience it’s marketed or. The writing is simple and easy to read which is a major plus and it’s a relatively short. I think that people who really like Friends to Lovers could read this lighthearted and quick. Despite my personal problems with this book and why I couldn’t finish it, I don’t believe that it is a “bad book” and I definitely think others could get much more out of it than I did.

Such a cute rom com! Literally so much fluff to it made me giggle at some moments in the story. The characters were great and I’m so glad to been able to read their story!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced copy to read!

This book was so fun! The story was a little sweet, a little spicy and a little magical. It was different from any other romcom I've read! The story is based in the city I grew up in/live in so I understood all of the references and it made me laugh! Having that connection actually made the book that much more enjoyable because I could picture where they were while I was reading. Gemma erases one event from her life with a love cleanse from an old book her aunt found but realizes quickly what she lost because of it. I loved that Gemma could remember her original timeline while in the new one, it made the story more interesting! I also loved that Gemma and Dax characters developed into a different type of relationship in the new timeline, it added a little spice to the story! I ended up loving both versions of them and the events surrounding them from each timeline that I would have been happy either way it could have ended! The book will be released December 5, 2023 and is a definite must read!

Such a lovely novel! It was such a fun read. If you love lighthearted witchy books, pick this one up.

Add to your TBR list ASAP! This is such a cute rom com with a little sense of magic. It reminded me of the movie 13 Going on 30 but better. The sister banter and character development felt so relatable. And Dax is very swoon-worthy, making me wonder how Gemma ever thought they could be just friends.

Things I loved:
• A mention of a corgi (see pictures of my Stella)
• Margaritas as a necessary post-break-up item
• A little bit of spicy romance
• Friends to lovers trope
• A witty narrator
• An obsession with donuts

Thank you Netgalley for an advance e-copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

Ahh, this was such a wholesome romance! I loved it so much.

First, it was giving me strong Again, but Better vibes. I love the idea that somewhere out there, someone is living a slightly different life than me, and I love books that tackle the "what if I did x instead" idea about life. In this case, the main character wondered about if she dated the wrong guy for the last four years, then got to live out that what if life.

It was not all good things though! Of course she had to tackle living in a parallel universe where the main character obviously made different choices, but throughout the book you see that those choices affected the characters around her too. If she never met her first boyfriend, it caused a snowball of changes for parallel Dax, and that led Gemma to really reflect on her past and the experiences that led to the start of the story.

I liked the implications of "what if" she never dated Steven, but I also liked seeing how dating him led to some good changes in her life, despite the relationship ending in the original universe. It goes to show that even if you regret a decision in the moment, there had to be something good that came out of it. All experiences matter!

Then there is Gemma and Dax, oh how I loved them together. Their chemistry and banter is top notch, and I loved seeing them grow together in the parallel universe. And since slightly different choices were made, Gemma really got to learn new things about this guy she thought she knew over the last four years. Plus, there is some spicy scenes in the book too, but they did not take away from the overall story.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this and the ending is quite heartwarming. The characters were messy and had some good character development, the banter is top notch, and there is a happy ending to boot. I am glad I came across this one, it was well worth the read!
Content warnings: alcohol, cursing, sexual content

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This Spells Love is a magical romance that follows the story of a heartbroken Gemma who wonders how her life would’ve been if she had never wasted four years of her life with her ex. Following her aunt’s antics, she performs a love-cleansing spell with her sister, her aunt, and her best friend Dax. What she doesn’t know at the time is that the universe has a funny trick for her as she finds that her wish gets granted in the worst way she can imagine: her best friend Dax has no idea who she is.

I was hooked on this book when I read the synopsis and saw the stunning cover. This book was close to sci-fi with its concept of parallel universes and it was so entertaining to get into that world and discover how one thing can change the continuum of space & time. I love when romance is used with other genres and This Spells Love did an amazing job of combining the two genres. Another thing I really liked was how the “message” presented itself as a result of every choice Gemma made instead of someone telling her what she was supposed to do. She had her loved ones guiding her, but in the end, it was her re-discovering herself and accepting that every choice we make (good or bad) leads to a result for a reason because life is more complicated than good or bad choices. It’s about what you do after said choices and where they lead you.

Kiersten and Livi were both very complex characters. I loved how even though Gemma was the main character, we got to see Kiersten’s growth alongside Gemma. The book portrays Kiersten’s journey as a mom of 3 and a sister who always puts Gemma’s needs first until one day she remembers the woman she wanted to be. She goes after what she wants to do with her life while Gemma finds a balance between giving Kiersten the space she needs and preserving their sisterly dynamic. I loved how supportive Gemma and Kiersten were of each other, they and their morning walks with their donuts were so cute. I loved how Wilde Beuaty turned into Wilde Sisters Beauty, combining both of their dreams. Aunt Livi was a very mysterious character in both universes. I’m pretty sure she had a feeling about everything that happened to Gemma with all her riddles and spells. Dax’s side of the family was also very fun to read. Dougie and Brandon were so cute and I loved how Dougie was rooting for Gemma and Dax. Dougie's parties were also very fun to read. Sunny was such a lovely nice character. It was refreshing to read a genuinely nice sunshine but badass character.

Gemma and Dax. I absolutely adore best friends to lovers. I loved every single thing about their dynamic. How their bond literally went beyond time and space. Gemma’s introduction to alternative universe Dax was hilarious. Dax still falling for Gemma even after that introduction was even more amazing. It’s like they were literally made for each other. I loved how they were both afraid of losing each other if things don’t work out romantically but the prospect of living without each other was so much worse. Gemma got to see how taking that once step matters and can change things for the better. I also loved how vulnerable they were with each other. Dax was such a perfect man (you can't blame Gemma for falling in love, I would too). I loved how after seeing Wilde Beauty, Gemma knew she needed to have that project in her universe. I loved how supportive Dax was in both universes and likewise Gemma was willing to risk her own happiness just to see Dax live his dreams. It was so amazing to read Gemma's growth as she learned to take risks and follow things through.

If you’re looking for a heart-warming, cozy interdimensional romance with a dash of magical realism, This Spells Love is the right book for you.

"This Spells Love" by Kate Robb is a delightful and enchanting romantic comedy that casts a spell on readers from the very beginning. Gemma's journey of heartbreak, friendship, and self-discovery is infused with humor and charm, making it a truly enjoyable read.

The novel kicks off with a relatable and engaging premise - a love-cleansing spell performed in a drunken moment of desperation. Kate Robb skillfully crafts a story that effortlessly blends the magical and the mundane, resulting in a refreshing and unique take on the romantic comedy genre.

As Gemma wakes up to find her life completely transformed, the narrative takes an unexpected turn. The development of the plot, with Gemma's ex erased from her memory and her once-best-friend, Dax, now a near-stranger, creates a fascinating dynamic that keeps readers hooked.

Gemma's attempts to reverse the spell and regain some normalcy in her life lead to humorous and heartwarming situations, making her journey of rediscovery both entertaining and emotionally resonant. The growing chemistry and connection between Gemma and Dax are beautifully depicted, drawing readers deeper into their blossoming romance.

Kate Robb's writing style is witty, engaging, and filled with clever banter, enhancing the overall appeal of the book. The well-developed characters, including Gemma's sister, kooky aunt, and best friend, Dax, add depth and authenticity to the story, enriching the relationships and interactions between them.

As Gemma contemplates the possibility of Dax being "The One", the novel explores themes of self-discovery and the unpredictability of love, leaving readers pondering the true nature of destiny and the importance of seizing the present moment.

"This Spells Love" is a stellar romantic comedy that will leave readers with a smile on their faces and their hearts warmed by its enchanting tale. Kate Robb's skillful storytelling, endearing characters, and heartfelt moments make this novel a must-read for fans of the genre and anyone seeking a heartwarming and magical love story.

What a fun, swoony, heart-flittering book. This is the perfect friends to lovers story. I couldn’t put this one down! Highly recommend.