Gemma Wilde is arguably at the lowest point in her life. Her long term boyfriend just broke up with her, she is unhappy with her job, and her best friend has started acting weird. Gemma has plans with her best friend Dax McGuire to wallow in self pity for awhile when her cooky Aunt Livi calls. The plans get shifted around and somehow Gemma is stuck doing a 'love cleanse' with Livi, her sister Kiersten, and Dax after way too many margaritas. This love cleanse has to be sealed with a kiss, like all other love-related spells. When Dax puts Gemma to bed, she asks him to seal the spell just in case. I mean, what's the worst that can happen from a silly little spell? Well, Gemma gets thrusted into an alternate reality, one where she never met her ex. There's just one catch. Gemma met Dax on the same night she met Stuart. And now, Dax has absolutely no idea who Gemma is. She can't get back to her reality without doing an 'undo' spell, and she has exactly one month to convince alternate-reality Dax to kiss her and send her back.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I think it's written well, and a really light read. However, it's really plot heavy. I'm glad that the plot is pretty easy to follow because otherwise I would've been a bit bored. A lot of the book is focused on Gemma trying to win over alternate-reality Dax. This is fine, but I wish there was more character development. I loved Dax, but I had trouble believing the real Dax is the same as the alternate universe Dax. Also, Gemma was really selfish for most of the book. She is not understanding of anyone's issues but her own, and she is totally focused on herself. Yes, she's from a different universe, but that doesn't mean you forget other people still exist! She was really frustrating, and I was hoping to see a lot more growth of her character.

My favorite parts of the book are when Dax calls her 'Gemma McGuire' and then says it's a slip of the tongue. I find it so endearing and cute. My least favorite parts of the book are that we don't get enough of Dax (not alternate reality Dax). I think I would've been more eager to see Gemma get back to her reality if I knew what she was missing. I mean take Marvel for instance. Sometimes, the same character has a completely different personality in the alternate reality. Additionally, I wish there was more of the real universe at the end of the book. I wanted Dax to have more kickback when Gemma talked to him after coming back. That being said, I wasn't super satisfied with the ending, but I did enjoy it enough. Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Robb, and Random House Publishing for this ARC.

Gemma has just ended a 4-year relationship that she is struggling to get over. When her eccentric aunt suggests a spell to get over her ex, she figures, “what’s the worst that could happen?” She joins forces with her handsome best-friend Dax, her eccentric aunt, and loving sister. Together they execute a drunken haze of a spell that sends Gemma into a different time. She’s forced to face the old adage of “is the grass greener on the other side” head on.

This book is reminiscent of “In Five Years” without all the heavy sadness. It’s a happy read with a friends to lovers trope. This book had me grinning ear to ear while I fell in love rooting for Dax and Gemma. Perfect debut read by Kate Robb. It takes a special skill to pull off time travel without unraveling and leaving loose ends and questions. She executed it flawlessly. I also loved the author’s notes when she gives the origin of Dax’s unit description 😜, Katie Robb is my kind of woman.

If you love stories like Sliding Doors, you’re going to love this book. In one timeline, Gemma and Dax are best friends and have been for 4 years. In another timeline, Gemma and Dax haven’t even met yet. When a Love Spell goes wrong and Gemma finds herself in the other timeline where she and Dax don’t even know each other, she has 4 weeks to find Dax and get him to kiss her. But things in her new timeline don’t go quite as planned. A fun, sexy friends to lovers with a little bit of multiverse! Enjoy!

Oh boy did I love this book! Legit read it in one sitting. Has everything you could want in a rom com. The main characters were all so perfect and fun and the plot of the book was amazing. 10/10 would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick fun read

If your entire history with your best friend gets magically erased for everyone but you, and you "meet them" for "the first time" today, would you still end up as best friends? Now what if your best friend is really hot and you're newly single? That's basically the premise of this book and I *LOVED IT*. This book has so much going for it:
- A plot that addresses the "what if I made different life choices years ago" question that everyone has at times, but in a surprisingly thoughtful way
- Strong secondary characters (lately this seems so rare in contemporary romances unless the author is purposely setting up the other characters to star in their own books as part of a series)
- Steamy romance (need I say more?)
- Donuts (seriously, this book really made me want to go eat some donuts)

I received this book as an ARC from netgalley, but this didn't impact my review (no seriously, this is the first ARC I have given 4 stars too and it definitely deserves it)

One minor thing that bothered me:
If a guy has an old beater car and old stuff in his apartment, how are you not picking up that maybe he's not as financially well off as you first assumed? Come on now, this isn't rocket science.

This was such a fun, unique romcom! Friends to lovers is a trope that I don't necessarily hate, but I find it's hard to get right for me, but the timeline element added a perfect spin on the trope. I find often the issue with friends to lovers is that building up chemistry and tension from said chemistry doesn't translate well, and the transition from friends to lovers feels clunky and sudden. But having the characters redo their first meeting, albeit in a different timeline with slight variations, was the perfect way to build that chemistry and tension. When they finally got together I felt like fist-pumping, and their romantic moments thereafter had the perfect balance of chemistry and sweetness.

This book was also just incredibly funny. Gemma as a character had some great analogies for things, with callbacks to little things like her shower spider across the whole book. Her interactions with Kiersten were a close second to her banter with Dax. Their sisterly dynamic was perfect, and Kiersten's one-liners had me absolutely cackling. I think my only small critique is that I would have liked a bit more depth from the characters, especially Dax and Gemma. There was a little bit, but I think it would have been cool if they had more deep conversations. Honestly, though, I get why there aren't as many, this book's overall vibe is light-hearted and fun, so that's just me nitpicking.

Something else I really appreciated was this book being based in Canada, with little Canadian staples sprinkled throughout in a way that wasn't overbearing or necessary to the plot. They were like little surprises for Canadian readers. I never thought I'd read a romcom with curling being a pinnacle part to certain events, but I absolutely loved it. I would definitely love to read more Canada-based romcoms, it added another layer of immersion for me.

Review also on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5549136920

Well, darn! What am I going to do now? “This Spells Love” was captivating from beginning to end! I enjoyed the humor, the family bonds, and the adorable love between Gemma and Daxon. Every time I thought “I’ve seen this before” the story turned a refreshing corner. If you’re looking to read about a modern, entertaining, and whimsical journey to happily ever after—this is a good one! I’d love a book two! More Gems and Dax, please!

Charming, quirky, romance catnip!! I loved this friends to "everyone but you guys knew you should be more than friends" storyline. The characters were fun to hang with and I loved the easy friendship between Gemma and Dax and Gemma and her sister and aunt. This here is exactly why I adore a great contemporary romance, even when you throw in a parallel universe!

This Spells Love is an absolute delight. I had a great time reading it and was charmed the whole way through. Also, this book will make you want donuts very badly, so be prepared.

After breaking up with her boyfriend, Stuart, Gemma wishes she never met him. Her aunt helps her perform a “love cleanse” spell from an old book, and Gemma wakes up in another timeline where her wish came true — she never met her ex. That’s not the only thing that’s different in her new reality, though. (I don’t want to spoil anything!) Gemma’s been pining for her best friend, Dax, and in this new timeline, she gets to meet him for the first time and they start dating. They fall in love, and Gemma has a month to make a big decision: stay in her current timeline, or go back to the one she came from.

This book has such an inventive premise, and Kate Robb’s voice is so fresh and funny. I really enjoyed this book and am excited to see what see what she writes next!

I normally don't read books featuring friends-to-lovers, but this premise was cute enough for me to give it a shot! When our main character struggles to get over a breakup, her aunt accidentally casts a spell to help her get over her heartbreak but ends up changing the timeline in which she and her best friend have never met.

The story and pacing moved quickly, as did the development of their relationship, but the story is relatively short and took place in under a month. There wasn't much character development either, as the focus was mainly on the plot, but this wasn't much of an issue as it was such a light read.

This book was funny and sexy and easy to read in a matter of hours if something cozy is what you're looking for.

I couldn’t get through the first chapter. It’s not for me. The names were odd. It just felt odd and off.

This Spells Love pulls off the romcom with a speculative twist perfectly. After a bad break up, Gemma agrees to a “love cleanse" spell with her slightly witchy Aunt, who, though there is no magic present, definitely has a Practical Magic-esque, cute house with many margaritas vibe. Gemma, her sister, her aunt, and her inconveniently hot best friend, Dax (fine, it’s convenient and he’s FINE) muddle through it as a joke, but when she seals the spell with a kiss, she wakes up afterward in an alternate timeline where she hasn’t met her ex, which unfortunately also means she hasn’t met Dax.

Alternative universes and timelines are tricky, but Kate Robb does this with finesse, and there was not a single moment of this that didn’t work for me. There is beer. There is CURLING. There’s a costume party and too tight pants in a fitting room. I also loved Gemma’s character grappling with over reliance on safety in her own timeline versus a more risk-taking version of herself after the spell. And in all timelines, Dax is amazing, though the concept of a butterfly effect rippling through time and also having some sad consequences for him is amazing as an obstacle in this.

TSL was steamy, warm, and funny, and I found myself wanting to reread it right away. I’ll definitely be picking up a copy of this when it comes out.

Thank you so much Penguin Random House and Dial Press for the eARC!

Gemma desperately wants to forget her ex-boyfriend. Surely the pain of wasting four years of her life is worth the risk of using a spell her kooky aunt found, right??

Full of margaritas and sorrow, Gemma, her sister, aunt, and best friend Dax attempt to banish Gemma's ex...but when she wakes up the next morning, she realizes she may have made a huge mistake.

Her posh condo is replaced by a possible murder basement apartment. Her cushy job is replaced by a cute beauty salon she GASP owns, and her best friend has no idea who she is as evidenced by their hilarious encounter in his shop.

The ripple effect of never meeting her ex four years ago has affected every aspect of her life, and now Gemma has to decide which version of reality she wants to keep.

This Spells Love is an endearing, funny, smart romance about unrequited love and sacrificing for those you care about. Gemma and Dax have the kind of banter that makes you hide a smile behind your hand while you bounce on the couch in glee.

The author lets you see how all these tiny decisions Gemma made in the past could have changed the lives of her and her friends...for better or worse.

I love that you could sense something bad was about to happen, and you were powerless to stop reading. You HAD to know when the other shoe was going to fall and how far Gemma was willing to go to correct her mistakes.

And Dax...sweet, sexy Dax...his habit of calling her by the wrong name was the epitome of swoon-worthy, and I wish Gemma had given him a chance earlier! You could tell she agreed when she asked him where he'd been hiding...THAT (use your imagination) the first time they were together. I was dying laughing!


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is for all of us wanting to live out those what if moments!!

This is fun, easy read, where everything can be solved with either margaritas or donuts!! The whole 13 going on 30 vibe was fantastic.

Gemma is going through a breakup from her longtime relationship with Stuart. She decides after a night of drinking to perform a spell to reverse ever knowing her ex. However, it doesn’t quite go as planned, the next day Gemma wakes up in a parallel universe, where things seem better for her until she realizes her best friend Dax has no idea who she is. In order to reverse the spell, she must befriend Dax within the moon cycle, since the last step of the spell involves his kiss to send her back home.

Gemma likes life to be predictable but in the parallel universe she becomes brave, we see her taking chances and going after what she wants. Dax is an amazing friend and so in love with Gemma, their friendship blossoms so well in either universe.

Have you ever started a book and just had that feeling that it was going to stick with you for a long time? I knew right from the beginning of this book that it was going to be amazing and it just got better and better.

In Kate Robb's stunning debut novel, we meet Gemma, who has been recently heartbroken and is floundering a little in life. Armed with lots of tequila, her best friend Dax, her supportive older sister and her eccentric aunt, they cast a spell hoping to erase Gemma's ex-boyfriend from her life. Instead, she ends up in a parallel universe where her life has taken a slightly different path, including Dax not knowing who she is. I absolutely loved this unique plot line for a rom-com, it speaks to the age old saying "everything happens for a reason" as Gemma learns that if she never met her ex-boyfriend, she would never have met Dax either. As Gemma continues on in this alternate universe, she struggles to choose between all the good fortune she has found for herself, versus the unfortunate circumstances that her loved ones find themselves in.

In this parallel universe, Gemma also finds herself falling in love with Dax, in a whole new way, forcing her to reflect on her fear of losing him altogether, instead of taking that risk for love. Kate Robb does an incredible job at giving the readers just a touch of magic while keeping this book still very contemporary. Every single person has had those "what if" thoughts, thinking about how their choices may have altered their lives one way or another. All of Kate Robb's characters are well developed and relatable and you will cheer for the love story the whole way through! I could feel Gemma and Dax's chemistry right off the page from the very first meeting. Friends to lovers is just an enjoyable trope and the fun spin that Kate Robb introduces is such a refreshing read.

Kate Robb delivers such clever, witty dialogue that was so incredibly enjoyable to read. As a fellow Canadian, and also fellow Ontarian, the little references were so exciting for me to read. From the character's love of beer league curling, to the No Frills yellow grocery bags and the Go Train. Warning, this book will also make you crave donuts multiple times throughout!

I found that I relate to Gemma's character on a spiritual level, as in I think in some other parallel universe we are the same person. We both like to order the same kind of food each time at a restaurant, because we know it's dependable and safe, we both think coffee can fix everything, even during a life crisis, and we both prefer peloton workouts over running. We also both think we cannot "go with the flow" but once forced into it by life, we find that we ride the wave pretty damn well.

Whenever I had to put this book down I was counting down the minutes until I could pick it back up again, I already know this book will continue to be a long time favourite of mine!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC!

Gemma and Dax have such a cute story. Gemma is recently broken up with her ex boyfriend and her Aunt casts a spell on Gemma, attempting to make her forget about her ex. Only this spell puts Gemma in an alternate timeline where her best friend, Dax, doesn't even know who she is. Gemma is determined to sneak a kiss from Dax before returning to her normal life, when the spell is reversed. Little does Gemma know, Dax loves her in either timeline.
This story is so cute and lighthearted, yet bittersweet at times. I loved reading this and would recommend this for anyone looking for some light reading with a cute story line and characters that you'll love!

This was a really fun and light romp through space and time! I love the premise of this book, but have mixed feelings on the execution. Still giving it a 5/5 because I had enjoyed the read and think the author is talented. Can't wait to read more from her!

“We are the same here. The universe could make us live a thousand different lifetimes, and we’ll always find a way to be there for each other.”

In Kate Robb’s charming debut, This Spells Love, Gemma Wilde attempts to soothe her broken heart over margaritas and by casting a love cleanse spell. Alongside her witchy aunt, her older sister, and her best friend, Dax, Gemma performs the spell, hoping that she can go back to the time before she met her ex and start all over again. Little does Gemma know that when she wakes up the next morning, she will have entered a parallel universe. One in which Dax has no idea who she is.

In order to reverse the spell, Gemma must forgo the years of friendship between her and Dax and start from the beginning. But as Gemma begins to see Dax in a new light, she wonders if she is meant to be in her old timeline or if she should stay in this new universe.

Robb did a phenomenal job at utilizing magical realism while still staying grounded in reality. I believe that everyone has thought at least once about how their actions have changed the trajectory of their lives for the better or worse. Robb gives us insight into how even the most minute details can change the course of not only our own lives, but the lives of the people we love. The characters are well-developed, flawed, but lovable, and extremely charming. From the very first chapter, you are rooting for them!

My critiques are few and far between, with the primary one being that this debut could benefit from editing with a fine tooth comb. The sheer amount of times the author mentions Hamilton/Hamiltonians was too many for a book that does not revolve around the setting at all. This book could be placed in any other Canadian or American town and it would not change the central plot. In addition, I think Harry Potter references, such as “he who shall not be named”, are an outdated, millennial-era reference that should be avoided in the wake of J.K. Rowling’s blatant transphobia.



Spice level: 2.5/5
Rating: 4.5/5
Tropes: sliding doors; friends to lovers; magical realism

This book was such a cute read! I was already intrigued just from reading the synopsis, and boy I as not disappointed. If you love a good friends to lovers troupe, where the guy is clearly in love, this is the book for you! I loved how Gemma and Dax's relationship grew deeper as they came to their own realizations of their feelings. My only gripe was how short the third arc felt before the epilogue.

Highly recommend adding this to your read list if you love a little magic, lots of love and chemistry! ;) I cannot wait to read more books from Kate Robb.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing, and Kate Robb for the ARC!

This book was a delight! I loved the characters, I loved that it took place in Canada, I loved the use of the magic alternate timeline trope!

The way I squealed when I realized that this book took place in Hamilton was just silly, it’s not often I come across cute spicy romcoms that take place in places I know and have been to and as a Canadian I was so happy.

I loved the relationships and the development of the characters in through this story - not just the relationship between Gemma and Dax, but also with her sister and other side characters like Sonny. The characters were flawed but grew from their mistakes which I loved to watch. Gemma herself grew so much over the course of this book and it was so fun to follow her path.

Friends to lovers is easily one of my favourite tropes in a romcom, but watching Dax and Gemma start fresh from Dax’s side was such a nice twist. Their chemistry was beautiful.

Overall I highly recommend This Spells Love, it’s fun, cute and has just the perfect about of magic to make it a fantastic read! It doesn’t come out until December 5th, but definitely put it on your TBR!

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House / Dial Press and the author Kate Robb for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.