Amazing, wonderful, interesting and unique. There are so many other adjectives I could give this book but it was definitely addictive. It had a sliding door vibes. With the main character casting a spell to gain some closure in her life only to create a new life that has her reevaluating her current life. It was a wonderful read. I enjoyed it from beginning to end and couldn't wait to keep reading what was going to happen.

We meet Gemma who has just broken up with her boyfriend Stuart, with her sister and Aunt they cast a spell for her to receive some closure. Dax, her best friend was the final ingredient. It takes her into an alternate time line. I love these multiverse story lines where there are the same people but they have obviously been doing different things, experiencing different things. It was a joy to read through. I loved it.

The relationship that Gemma has with Dax grows into something more, something that wasn't seen in the other multiverse, or maybe she was just blind to the obvious. I just couldn't get enough of the two of them. I hope there are more books like this because it was addicting.

I want to thank Net galley and Random House Publishing Group/Dial Press trade paperback for providing me with a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

🌟 4
🌶 1
Where to begin! This Spells Love is Kate Robb's debut book and I loved it!
When heartbreak and a bit of tequila send you into an alternate world where your second chance at love might be your best friend!? What do you do?!

I love that this book embodies something everyone has felt before. That heart break and inner turmoil over a failed relationship. The what if's and never ending scenarios of how things could have been different. Also the hope in new beginnings, the drive to see something through and continue to put one foot in front of the other. I was constantly rooting for Gemma throughout it all.
We all need a crazy family member willing to magic your troubles away, a sister who will bring the donuts and, a best friend willing to complete the spell with a kiss.
This is not by any means intense emotionally. It's a light with a sprinkle of angst kind of read that I can pick up and enjoy any day. A palette cleanser sort of book. I cant wait for its release to have the physical!

I had low expectations going into this one as romances are always hit or miss for me, but this one is definitely a hit! It's funny, endearing, wholesome, spicy, literally everything you could want in a contemporary romance. Highly recommend if you find the synopsis interesting! I honestly can't imagine anyone disliking it, so pretty sure you'll have a good time with it!

The writing was good, but I wasn’t a big fan of the frat party vibes, and all of the alcohol constantly being consumed. The story was fun, and I liked the friends-to-lovers relationship between Dax and Gemma. The spice level was way too much for me to feel comfortable recommending this to my friends though.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

What a cute book! Gemma is going through a break up, and through happenstance soles across a book that provides a spell to erase the person she spent the last four years ago from her life. Is her life better or worse without her ex?

The characters are likable and believable. The FMC has a tremendous amount of character growth. And the secondary characters are charming as well. I kind of wanted to know more about where her dream for her business came from and why she wanted that kind of business, but it wasn’t a deal breaker to not know. I would definitely read another of this author’s books!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I devoured Kate Robb’s THIS SPELLS LOVE in less than a day, folks. It is unputdownable. Robb swiftly charms you in a story that that you will both savor and race to finish, eager to discover how things play out.

Gemma and Dax are spicy soulmates and we are HERE for that kind of will-they-won’t-they slow-burn energy. Full disclosure: I am decidedly NOT a fan of friends-to-lovers storylines (I tend to prefer enemies-to-lovers) but this one managed to win me over from the jump.

All in all, I adored THIS SPELLS LOVE. It’s a book that will romance every reader.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.*

This book gives an answer to the question: if you lived a different life, what would change?

& I had a lot of fun with it.

I liked the original Dax more than alternate reality Dax. I wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. I feel like her fascination with his package was a little over the top, but something that I could ignore.

I liked the growth of Gemma because she realized that she needed to make decisions based on the other people around her and not just herself & she really thought about the happiness of others.

The author really made me enjoy this friends to lovers romance, which is not normally my trope of choice. It’s a definite recommend for me!

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing for the ARC of this book for an honest review!

A cute story that was a fast and fun read. I loved the concept and all the details the author added were flawless.

I received an ARC of This Spells Love by Kate Robb from NetGalley!
While the story is fast moving and does keep you intrigued, the characters don't feel fully real. Our protagonist Gemma has some great moments sprinkled in but for the most part she feels like someone ran every single Hallmark movie character into a blender and this is the result. Dax also felt like so wooden he too fell victim to feeling like a a lifetime movie love interest so bland you don't really care to root for him. While the premise of this book will appeal to all sorts of readers ( those spicy scenes are what earned this book a star) the book sinks itself early on due to poor characterization choices.

Fantasy meet sci-fi in this adorable heart-wretching romantic comedy. I love love love this book! The FMC is easy to love and goes through some major character changes throughout her adventure. It's a must read for sure if you love growth, friends to lovers, and slightly witchy vibes

This was my first to review on Netgalley & it did not disappoint! Gemma & Dax are adorable, Gemma wakes up in this crazy alt reality and ends up falling for this "stranger" Dax. Overall a very cute romantic novel with some bittersweet moments.
9/10 for me🫶🏻

Is this a predictable rom-com? Yes. Are there plot conveniences galore? Also yes. But it's laugh out loud funny, genuinely heartfelt, and has the perfect amount of magic and spice. And, let's be honest. Who hasn't looked at their life and thought "if I had or hadn't done this, things would be so much better" at least once or twice?

This Spells Love is a fun, light read about the choices we make and how those choices not only determine our future, but the lives of those around us. The characters are relatable and the plot is charming with only a little angst.

Side note: the cover is absolute perfection.

I will admit that friends to lovers isn't my favorite trope. But. BUT. This one had such a fun twist that it might now become my favorite trope!

A true delight to read, from beginning to end. Loveable characters with a very relatable sister-sibling relationship. Just enough angst to keep you hooked, but not so much to raise your heartrate to an unhealthy level. The spice added to the story, and gave those foot-kicking giddy vibes.

I will be recommending this book to every single romance reader I know, and to any who are looking to dabble in the genre.

Also, those Canada references? LOVE THEM. Love having a romance set here. EATONS?! IYKYK.

Okay wow. I love this book so much. I was not expecting a lot from a debut author but wow this hit all the marks. I was happily surprised that the book was written by a Canadian author whose Canadian references were on point and relatable. The writing reminds me of Carley Fortune but not in a copycat way— more of a, you can get excited about this book if you love her books way. I loved the characters, the plot, the writing— I was smiling like an idiot the whole time I was reading it. I cannot wait to see what Kate Robb does next!

If I were writing a one-word review, I’d go with a simple “delightful.” Since more than one word is required, here are my three favorite things about This Spells Love:

1. The premise is fun: Four years ago, Gemma friend-zoned her now-BFF Dax. After a night of too many margaritas and a little bit of magic, she wakes up to find herself on an alternate timeline, one in which she and Dax have yet to meet. With a fresh slate for getting to know him, she begins to see him in a different—and decidedly more sexually charged—light. In this new reality, Gemma is happier than she’s ever been, but the same may not be true for Dax. As the time approaches for Gemma to return to her old life, she has to decide what she’s truly willing to risk for love.

2. The secondary characters are refreshingly well-drawn. I especially loved Gemma’s sister Kiersten, who clearly has a full and complicated story of her own. I appreciated how she both supported Gemma and doled out some heaping servings of tough love. The balance was very much that of a loving but exasperated older sibling.

3. The chemistry between Gemma and Dax is believable and well-paced, and the steamy scenes are (ahem) quite satisfying. I appreciated how the author crafted the friends-to-lovers storyline within an alternate timeline—it came across as both clever and thoughtful.

This title is definitely going on my Recommended Reads list.

I binged this book in 1 day. When I read the premise for it, I knew I had to read it. I love what ifs and alternate realities. I’ve seen these kinds of storylines play out on screen but I’ve never came across them in a book until this one.

The concept is so creative and unique. The story is filled with heart and humor. The friends to lovers trope is so well-done in this. I love the fantasy aspect and how it meshed so well with the romance.

Gemma is one of the most headstrong and passionate FMCs I've read about and I love that Kate Robb gave her layers. I love when an author intertwines a coming-of-age story within a romance. As the story progresses, we see Gemma learn more about what she wants and getting more confident in who she is.

Dax is one of the sweetest and most thoughtful MMCs I’ve read about. He would drop everything for Gemma to make sure that she’s okay.

I was so invested in the relationship between Gemma and Dax. The love they have for each other is the kind of love I want from my future partner and the love I want to give them in return. I was rooting for them to end up together which tells you how invested I was in their relationship.

I wasn’t expecting the steam but I ate it all up. It’s written so well and there are moments where I had to gasp for air.

I cannot believe that this is Kate Robb’s debut. It feels like she’s been writing books for years. I love her writing in this. It’s fast-paced and leaves you wanting more.

I giggled, kicked my feet, screamed, and cried. It’s such a fun and entertaining read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and The Dial Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The title and summary made me excited for this read and I’m so happy the actual story didn’t disappoint. I loved the characters from the very beginning and was glad that it didn’t take forever to get into the main plot.

Gemma and Dax! They pretty much screamed “I’ll love you in every universe “ (literally). Friends to lovers sometimes is super boring to me but there was nothing boring about these two. They’re the perfect rom-com couple. Gemma is a great protagonist and I found myself relating to her a lot. And Dax! I can see the TikToks now about him being a perfect book boyfriend. These two couldn’t stay away from each other no matter the circumstances or timeline. Going back to the friends to lovers, sometimes I just want couples in this trope to date already. Here, I found myself happy with just watching Gemma and Dax’s friendship rebuild because I loved their dynamic so much. Something unique to this book was watching them rediscover stuff about each other (particularly Gemma with Dax) that they might not have noticed before because of their comfortable friendship. It was a nice consequence of the premise.

Pairing these characters with the angsty, cheesy (in a good way), cute story made this book. The overall idea of this is something new to me and I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the magical elements in a very modern world, along with the alternate universe idea. I really didn’t have anything to worry about, I loved it all! The author took something a bit different from other popular rom-coms and made is so easy to understand and accept. The situations it put the characters in were super entertaining. I particularly enjoyed that this story not only highlighted the characters as a duo, but also Gemma as an individual. The progression of her own growth was a great addition.

Overall, this is an AMAZING book. I’m pretty sure this is a debut from the author and if it is, I couldn’t be more impressed. It has everything I want in a rom-com (likable main and side characters, the cliches, the confessions). I already want to read more from this author and will definitely be following for more updates. For anyone who loves books by Lynn Painter and Fearless (Taylor Swift) coded couples, this is for you.

MINI PLAYLIST 🕐☕️🪄
Fearless (Taylor’s Version) - Taylor Swift
Walking in the Wind - One Direction
You Are In Love - Taylor Swift
arms - Christina Perri
Daylight - Taylor Swift

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! :)

This is one of those stories that has the themes of alternate timelines, how once choice an individual makes can affect so many, and a somewhat cautionary tale of careful-what-you-wish-for with a romantic twist.
After reeling from a breakup, a tequila infused Gemma goes along with a spell that would undo the day she first met Stuart, who is said boyfriend she is reeling from. She apparently met Dax that very same day, and they miss the opportunity to get together, thanks to Stuart making his move on first. Nevertheless, Gemma and Dax wind up with a wonderful friendship that began the same time as Gemma and Stuart's. There's always some feelings there between the two of them, but neither of them act on it in fear of violating said friendship. Nevertheless, Dax would do anything for Gemma--including kissing her to help complete a spell to undo the day Gemma had met Stuart. She ends up waking up in an alternate universe....one where she never met Stuart...but unfortunately for her, had never met Dax either. She doesn't know this until she wanders into Dax's store and starts talking to him.
Here's the problem. In order to undo the curse and go back home to the way things were, she would have to get him to kiss her in order to complete spell.
At first she's on board. It's her gut-punch feeling to want to go back home to her own timeline, right? However, as she hangs around this new timeline, she sees Dax in a whole new light that she wouldn't had they been friends. Her initial plan to woo him into friendship morphs into a plan to get him to kiss her, only to end up really feeling something for him and seeing what they could've been had they pursued a relationship. But that's not all. She does end up starting her own company, a dream she has had for many years, but never bothered to pursue after she met Stuart because he had some sway into her decisions. Her and Dax start to really fall in love. Why would she want to leave???
Of course, complications arise, seeing how each action she does not do from the previous timeline, has a reaction in the new one, and not all good. I appreciate how the main focus of this story is not simply about Dax and Gemma (even though there is A LOT of sex, romantic tension, and kissing) but also about the choices she has made in life and how she affects other around her. I'm pretty sure we've all had moments we wish we can undo, people we can have never have met, but it illustrates a point on how the Universe intends to be what they are. Gemma, of course, uses this opportunity to have more insight into her own behaviors and internal conflicts holding her back and tries to make a decision that would help others around her instead of simply give her what she wants.
Thank you, Net Galley for the ARC. I truly enjoyed this read and may consider buying a copy when it officially comes out.

A fun, cute contemporary friends-to-lovers romance in which a spell sends Gemma, our heroine, to a parallel universe (or alternate reality? I wasn't clear on which), where she realizes her best friend is better as a boyfriend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

A stunning debut that is magical, tender, and sexy all at once. Robb creates a set of worlds that are as believable as they are magical, and Gemma's journey back to her old life encourages the readers not only to ask ourselves our own "what ifs" but to hold dear to the parts of our lives inextricable from the rest. I can't wait to see what else Robb has up her sleeve. Plus, who know curling could be so sexy?!?