I loved this immensely! I usually stay away from time-travel/alternative universe type books but the friends to lovers in this immediately made me want to read it. I loved both Gemma and Dax. Their bond in both timelines were so fun and fated. I liked that we got to see them in fall in love. And their chemistry? Off the charts! The side characters were also all written well and entertaining! There was character growth for both the main and side characters that felt meaningful. This book had great pacing with a nice balance between heartfelt moments and humor. I liked that we didn't get too deep into the explanation for the magic. I literally couldn't put it down once I got into it!

Review: This spells love
Author: Kate Robb

Rating: ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ 3/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️


This book was fun! I always love the friends to lover and the magical aspect was fun and different.
It definitely added a different spin onto the usual romantic comedy tropes.

I do wish that there was a little better chemistry between the MCs 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I even begin to begin!? I absolutely loved this book. The main character, Gemma, had complete & total me energy. There were so many nuanced little references that I’m not even sure the author planned to make. But. She’s a Swiftie (or at least I’m assuming so), so I’m not leaving anything up to coincidence or chance.

I got vibes of 13 Going on 30, Catch & Release, & Gilmore Girls. & I adored every single second of it. My only regret was that I read it so quickly.

I loved that the story had its own trajectory & unique twist on parallel universes/alternate timelines. & I always love when there’s a tough love scenario that forces the main character to grow up a little. & not only did Gemma learn more about herself, she gained extraordinary insight into the life of her sister, her aunt, her Dax, & fleshed out several other characters in her alternate timeline that she bridges by the end.

Seriously, phenomenal read.

**My only point of contention was that in my digital copy, Chapter 13 ended on an unfinished sentence.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing this ARC.

Holy cow, we’re only in June, but this might be one of my favorite reads of 2023 so far. This was funny, charming, sweet, and heartwarming all at once.

Gemma and her sister have such a special relationship in both timelines, and I loved how Gemma was able to realize that she could help her sister achieve her dreams, and achieve her own at the same time.

Her friendship and romantic relationship with Dax felt so natural, like they were pieces of a puzzle that were meant to fit.

I didn’t love the mentioning of the pandemic - when I consume fictional media, I generally prefer to escape into this world that exists outside of my own - almost like my own alternate reality. But, other than that, no notes.

This Spells Love is perfectly charming. While this book takes a pretty standard view of the multiverse, the chemistry between all of the characters makes up for it. I was truly aggravated with Gemma at several points, but her decisions were those that a real girl would make. That’s actually probably why I was aggravated.

I also loved the sense of place this book has. Hamilton came alive for me on each page.

My only critique is the pacing. I rarely say this, but I think it could be longer to get to know these characters a bit better.

Thank you to netgalley, dial press, and penguin random house for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in return for an honest review.

After enduring a chaotic childhood, Gemma makes decisions with her head, not her heart. She has a stable, if unexciting relationship with Stuart, her boyfriend of 4 years, a comfortable condominium, and a job that is not that interesting, but has great benefits. Everything in her life is cultivated to create safety and security. Until…her boyfriend breaks up with her and in a drunken state, Gemma participates in a ritual to erase Stuart from her past. The next morning, she wakes up in a parallel reality/alternative timeline that in some ways is familiar and in other ways strikingly different. The Gemma in the new timeline was a risk-taker and followed her dreams. Her biggest dilemma: in this reality her best friend, Daxon, does not know her and to reverse the spell and return to her original timeline, he must kiss her. As she pursues the relationship, she begins to fall in love with him and must decide if becoming lovers is worth the possibility of losing her best friend.

I enjoy romance novels with a touch of magical realism. In that sense, I liked the premise of the book and watching Gemma evolve from an immature, self-centered twenty-something into someone who loves deeply enough to put her beloved’s needs above her own. At this point I would have given the novel 3 stars.

However, I was dismayed by the multiple, graphic descriptions of Gemma and Dax having passionate sex. I prefer sensual encounters that leave more to the reader’s imagination. What sealed the 2-star rating was the author’s Acknowledgments section. The references to the “SmutFest 2.0 community” and to her husband’s anatomy as the inspiration for the sex scenes (complete with a joke about her children reading that statement) were TMI.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

I absolutely loved this book! Kate Robb creates characters you can't help but love and want to get to know better. When Gemma breaks up with her boyfriend of 4 years, she accidentally wants to forget he ever existed. Her best friend Dax is always there for her, but what if he forgot about her the process? This friends to lovers romance has a quirky twist with a love cleanse spell and alternate realities. You won't regret reading this one. I couldn't put it down!

Spicy and fun, a crazy story of a spell gone wrong. Gemma just wants to erase ever meeting her ex. She spent four years of her life with him and boom, he just ends it. Her Aunt Liv suggests a spell she found in a magic book just to do this. It all goes wrong and Gemma has an entirely new past and vastly different life. The bad thing is that her best friend Dax does not remember her. Enjoy the pages as Gemma chases Dax to make him remember and all the decisions she has to make.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Big thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of This Spells Love by Kate Robb. All of the following opinions are formulated on my own.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This was such a cute and funny book to read! When it comes to romance books I usually don't enjoy friends to lovers trope as much. However, this book takes on the trope with a different perspective and was a surprisingly delightful book to read. All of the characters are very likable and relatable from beginning to end. I definitely recommend to those who are looking for more of a fun and lighter read!

If you enjoy reading any of the following you'll probably enjoy this:
- Friends to lovers
- Magical twist on romance
- A few spicy scenes

This was a super cute quick romance that hit all the right notes. Gemma and Dax have been best friends for four years. She loves their relationship and the comfort it holds for her.
The story begins with Gemma dealing with her grief over the loss of her so-so romantic relationship that was at least comfortable and stable, She is working in a well-paying stable job that isn't her dream, but it's adjacent and pays well. So her life is just okay.
When she, her eccentric granny, her busy-stay-at-home-mom Sister, and best friend Dax engage in a spell found in a dusty magic book, Gemma’s real troubles begin.
She wakes up in a completely different version of her life. Dax doesn’t know her, she lives in a dark basement apartment and is the owner of her dream natural skin-care shop. Gemma struggles to find her balance and reclaim the best part of the life she had before the spell. Along the way, she finds out so much about herself and the people that she cares about. It was sweet and a quick read. I would love to read more about Gemma, her family, and friends.

Many thanks to author Lucy Holden, Fehu Press, and NetGalley for the free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book for an honest review!

Gemma has broken up with a long-term boyfriend and is in a bit of a funk. She has a job she's not super stoked on and isn't sure how her life should be. What she does have is a pretty amazing best friend named Dax.

After a night of drinking with her sister and eccentric aunt, the three end up casting a love cleansing spell so she can rid her life of the ex and start over. She wakes up in a different timeline, where she wasn't with the ex, but she also doesn't know Dax.

Gemma goes on a journey of self-discovery, deciding what she wants and also becoming more aware of how she treats others and ends up right where she needs to be.

I am going to be honest here: I've been struggling with contemporary friends-to-lovers romances lately. This book completely changed my mind! Dax is a babe. Also, can someone make booze/doughnut shops a reality, please? I struggled a bit in the middle when she was missing cues, but that was part of the point. She figured it out in the end!

I loved this book and couple, and I will read more from this author in the future!

Review posted to goodreads on 6/8.

Thanks to Kate Robb and Random House for letting me review this ARC!

This Spells Love reminds me of the 1990/2000 Rom-Coms that I adore and wish were produced more often. It is super sweet watching Gemma go through a parallel universe, and exploring her relationship with her best friend Dax. I read the entire book in less than six hours, and genuinely cannot wait for the release.

My favorite quote, and one that stood out the most, was "Eventually, you need to stop watering dead plants". We all could stand from letting our dead plants go.

This Spells Love by Kate Robb was fun, light hearted, magical and full of amazing characters.
Robb does a wonderful job of developing the relationship of the MC’s in the story, and it was really lovely to read.
I was completely enchanted my this story and honestly the writing.
This book sucked me in from the beginning and I loved every second of it. This is the romance that I've been needing.
The perfect rom-com debut. With the perfect amount a spice, humor, heart and fun.
A charming, magical friends-to-lovers debut. I can’t wait to see what she creates next!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley, Random House & Dial Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

What a stellar debut! I didn’t want to put it down! This was such a cute, fun read. The spice compliments the plot which I always appreciate. I wish I could run out and get more of her books!

*SLIGHT SPOILER ALERTS UP AHEAD* This was an incredibly entertaining book. It was different from the old, regular romance, and had strong paranormal glances but it was mostly real world. I loved Dax and Gemma and the two of them growing closer and happier together. Gemma was slightly unlikeable, but with all her flaws, I love her now. I'm still slightly traumatized by the way Gemma described other world Dax, with no more fire in his eyes. It hit really hard for some reason. I would love to read more books by Kate Robb.

"This Spells Love" by Kate Robb was a quick, easy read. I really enjoyed the book and can't wait to read another by her.

Five absolutely shining stars for This Spells Love by Kate Robb!

This book was such a fun time, and I highly recommend it if you love the vibes of Thirteen Going on 30 or 50 First Dates. It had me giggling, kicking my feet, crying! I can’t believe this is a debut novel - it is so well written, I was so impressed!

Gemma was such a relatable character for me - I mean who hasn’t broken up with someone and wished you never met them? Well lucky for Gemma, her witchy Aunt Livi knows just the spell to rid her of this loser ex. Gemma falls into a time slip/parallel universe where everything is eerily similar but very different.

The friends to lovers trope will always be superior in my eyes, so I was super excited for this one. Dax in either timeline was such a sweetie, I swear to god every time he was in the scene I was giddy and blushing

“Goodnight, Daxon McGuire”
“Goodnight, Gemma McGuire”
“It’s Gemma Wilde, you drunk.”
He shrugs, smiling. “Slip of the tongue.”

I CAN’T EVEN!

I feel like this is such a chaotic review, but I’m still not over this book. Everyone please do yourself a favour and boost your serotonin by grabbing a margarita, a box of donuts, and reading this book when it comes out! You better believe I will be refreshing the authors page for new book release updates.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

When Gemma Wilde wishes away her relationship with her recent ex-boyfriend, she accidentally wakes up in an alternate reality where she ends up in a romance with her best friend.

I think this falls into the "it's not you, but me" category. The synopsis, premise, and word of mouth all pulled me into requesting this ARC despite it being a story about parallel universes. Alternate timelines and parallel universes rarely appeal to me as the mental gymnastics it takes for me to process the various timelines exhausts me with "what ifs". If original Gemma is in another space/time, does that mean second Gemma is inhabiting her body? If no other timeline exists, does it mean we spent an entire book in Gemma's dream or hallucination? What sort of agency does it give to other characters - hell, do we even really get to know the other characters in such a situation? Like I said, alternative realities mess with my mind and I end up completely overanalyzing what should most likely be a cute romcom.

This Spells Love immediately pulled me into the story with a fun premise and lovable characters. While Gemma's tendency to be on the selfish side could be grating, this part of her character is addressed in the overarching story. It's hard to truly gage Dax as a male lead considering most of his screen time is in her alternate reality. I felt like I really didn't know him all that well considering the two different versions of him. The relationship between Gemma and her sister was by far the most complex and emotional, which makes sense considering how much time is devoted to their interactions in both realities. While this book may not have been my cup of tea, I intend to try another book by this author in the future.

This was such a fun read! It was a fresh concept of alternative universe but also friends to lovers. It was clever and fun and I really enjoyed it. Also, that cover?! gorgeous!

Thank you Random House Publishing House for the ARC! I adored this book! It was like a mixture of Practical Magic and 13 Going on 30, which couldn't have appealed to me more.

I loved the main characters Gemma and Dax, and I loved how they interacted in different timelines. Robb really had me rooting for both of them even as they faced different challenges. The secondary characters had me laughing too - Dougie was a personal favorite of mine.

This book is perfect for romance readers who like a medium amount of spice, a lot of laughter, and a sweet beach read. I look forward to reading more from Kate Robb in the future!