Overall, I loved this book. The intersection of love and magic is where my heart lies, so I was very excited to find this in the first place. The writing is good. However, there were a couple of things that bugged me.

First, Gemma says that she and Dax started curling together when she needed an activity for work. It doesn't say that she joined his existing team. Which means, he shouldn't have been curling at all when she went to meet him that first day.
Second, I was really with Dax on "Gemma's a stalker" and had a hard time buying how fast he changed his mind. I guess I shouldn't underestimate the things a guy will overlook to get laid, but still.
Third, the end. I know Gemma wished that she would "remember" everything in her alternate universe when she went back. That's fine. But there is absolutely nothing that explains how original-world Gemma was making changes during the month she wasn't really there. Those changes were based on things alt-world Gemma *didn't know yet and couldn't have acted on.*

I also don't buy that the exact same basement apartment just happened to be available 4 years later, because there is no reason to ever think that. If Gemma had woken up in her old life and started making immediate changes instead of this bizarre ending, the book would have been a 5 star read.

*Review based on ARC*

Gemma Wilde has a good life, on the whole, but had a rough breakup with her boyfriend. Her support crew, comprised of her aunt, sister, and best friend, tried to be there for her and to refill her bottomless margarita glass one night. Her aunt was a bit of a mystic, and with a book’s spell, Gemma got a glimpse at what could have been. Gemma then had to decide what She really wanted out of this crazy thing that we call life.

This Spells Love by Kate Robb was such a fun, steamy, realistic, and witty romance. It was also really great at creating opportunities for moments of personal introspection, when considering Gemma needing to choose her desired path and what that could mean in our own lives.

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Random House for this ARC!!

Ahhh this book was the hard reset I needed to get back in the flow of reading. Even though it's not a new premise, This Spells Love delivers a charming story with great characters. The two leads could have been developed more (Gemma's oblivious neediness got a little old and Dax was written basically without a flaw), but otherwise I loved this book.

Release Date: December 5, 2023

📖📖📖📖📖

When Gemma Wilde 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. Naturally they decided to preform a love spell. 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?

This is one of the cutest, most clever novels I've read and I absolutely adored it! The alternate universe angle was so fun! And the steam…wow! It was the perfect start to summer read! This book doesn’t release till December so mark your calendars and get ready to cozy up to a fire with this hot number!! Highly recommend!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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I was excited when I realized that this book was set in and around Hamilton. I have been there a few times and so the landmarks and the whole vibe was very familiar to me, as a Canadian and someone who has been in the area. Because so many books are NOT set in Canada, I did have to do a bit of a double take and ask myself "wait, did she really say Hamilton there" but it was clear when she mentioned Toronto .... For the book itself, I have always found anything to do with time travel a challenge. This time, though, it was more parallel realities which I can handle. I did find Gemma a bit annoying sometimes especially with her inability to see that she was so needy with her sister. Those types of leads bother me even though I have no siblings from which to frame the experience. Just seems very unkind to always go to your sibling for help, expect them to drop their lives to support you, and then not really even ask them how they are doing despite noting that they may not be doing great. It's also how I think she neglected to really see Dax in both timelines.

Dax and Gemma are fun characters despite everything, and I enjoyed so many of the elements of this book, including all of the extra folks around them, that it was hard to really hold Gemma being selfish against it. Maybe we could have skipped some of the "he's my friend so I don't want to mess this up" which took up a lot of bandwidth but other than that, an enjoyable romance with a Sliding Doors vibe, although only just a bit because you only really see one Gemma story.

Oh. And I am still totally wondering what happened to Other Gemma. Was this a true trading spaces in which case is there a sequel like Lost in Austen where you see the alternate reality unfurl?!

if you could erase one mistake, would you???

"I've always loved him, but I'm also falling for him at the exact same time."

I giving this book 0.5 extra stars because the main character's name is Gemma and she literally reminds me of my daughter whose name is also Gemma.

Gemma get dumped by her boyfriend (the one she thought she would marry) and takes the pity train to "my life is over". After too many margaritas and a very quirky (magical?) auntie, Gemma performs a love spell and erases every meeting her ex. But she accidently erases her boy bestie and in order to reverse the spell she must convince him to help.

- magical/alternate reality
- the hot mess + perfect best friend (friends to lovers)
- spicy banter + open door romance
- frank the spider

This Spells Love had so much more depth than the synopsis entails. For a debut novel, this was quite entertaining. It has the makings of all my favorite feel good romance novels - fun, sweet, & spicy.

If you're looking for a little escapism romance read pick up this book IMMEDIATELY. You won't regret it.

CW: sexual content, alcohol

Gemma breaks up with her long time boyfriend Stuart and then ends up in a time warp and a different life because If spell her family and friend Dax put on her . She has to decide if she wants to stay in the new life she has or go back to her old life . She discovers love a long the way and what she is willing to sacrifice. The writing is good and it’s a sweet story with a decent plot . I like the friend Dax a lot .

Thanks netgalley

I found this book charming and delightful! Would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a rom-com with a twist!

this was super cute. perfectly fluffy and not too deep. it kept me interested although it was a little slow in the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cute. Sexy. MAGICAL. “This Spells Love" has it all! I couldn’t put down this book which made for a super quick read, but I enjoyed this book as much as Gems enjoys caffeine!

I’d say this is not your average take on “what would my life be like if I’d taken a different path”. In ways, it’s actually quite bonkers. Somehow it all works though and instead of being a mess it makes for a delightfully quirky story that’s as fun as the characters. Bonus to the author for making the sport of curling sexy AF.

I enjoyed this spell of a tale and would definitely give Kate Robb another read!

This was a really fun and unexpected twist on what normally is found in the "witchy" subset of romance novels. I loved how it intertwined alternate reality with a bit of woo! Gemma and Dax were really fun to get to know in both the timelines and it was neat to see what changed and didn't and just how much small things changed big things.

This was a delightful and enjoyable read and I hope to read more by this author soon!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my review.

Gemma has just gone through a terrible breakup, and makes a wish that she never met her ex. She awakens to find herself in an alternate reality where everything is different- even her best friend Dax doesn’t know her. Gemma needs to decide which reality she belongs in.

This was such an unexpectedly adorable rom com! I loved the characters and the concept of the alternate reality, as well as how our small choices can change everything. I really loved the friends to lovers trope here, and Dax is the perfect best friend turned boyfriend. I loved how he would accidentally on purpose call Gemma by his last name- so cute! This book is a bit spicy but still sweet and fun at the same time. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to Kate Robb and Random House for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a little different but overall well written. Cute plot with well developed characters. I'd like to see a sequel.

This was cute!

I had a good sense of the characters, and the AU/Sliding Doors storyline was interesting and fairly well done. Some details (like she worked as a buyer but could somehow easily run a small retail business without effort?) were a bit underdeveloped and there was some suspension of disbelief beyond the obvious magical realism. Way too easily adjusting to a brand new reality. But the characters themselves had some depth although I would have liked to see a bit more depth in the sister and the aunt - very much supporting characters revolving around the main. The main character was pretty self absorbed but redeems herself - there is some growth there.

The romance had some great slow burn and some steam to it that was a well written and enjoyable. I was rooting for them!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

After the slow beginning (with not really believable heartache) this story is delightful! I loved the twists and turns of the timelines and quietly characters. This had all of the fun, laughter, and steam that I look for in an HEA.

I loved this book! It was so interesting and the voice was SO funny. I loved the chemistry between Gemma and Dax, and I can't wait to read more from Kate Robb!

I love the premise of this book. The idea of multiple realities and a Sliding Door comparison sold me at first, but in reality, it fell a little flat. I loved the side characters of This Spells Love - Aunt Livi and Kristien have my heart and if Kate Robb ever decides to write a small town novel that focuses on quirky characters, I will be the first in line. However, the main characters didn’t steal the show like they were meant to. Gemma was far too oblivious and Dax had no personality other than being the nice guy love interest. I would love to give Kate Robb another shot in the future.

This book is absolutely hilarious and appears to be a fun read. It tells about Gemma’s life after being dumped by her long-term boyfriend and along with her sister, aunt, and friend to perform a spell. It erases Gemma's memory of her ex. Later on she wanted to reverse the spell. There is also a “what if” moment in the book.

Thanks to the publishers of Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in order to do a review.

Kate Robb’s “This Spells Love,” had me ALL in my feels. This magical debut (pun intended) has me grasping to read whatever Kate Robb writes next. (seriously, send me your grocery list) A modern rom-com with just the right amount of smut (open door romance for sure) had me laughing, crying and swooning. It was a book that reminded me of all the things I love about being in love. I love, love.

Gemma with a G, our protagonist, gets to find out the what if part of if her life had gone a different way. In one life, Dax (as hot as his name infers) is her very best friend, in another they fall in love. In one life she’s financially settled working for a big company, and in the other she has her own new business. As with any butterfly effect choice things are different in both lives leaving her to wonder which one she belongs in, prefers and how to make things right for the universe as a whole.

It’s funny to think about the people in our lives and the roles they play, our interactions and relationships. Have you ever imagined another life?

The premise of “This Spells Love” is quite unhinged in a likeable Sliding Doors meets 13-Going-On-30 kind of a way. Overall, this was a quick and easy read that I had fun with precisely because the premise is kind of bananas. I have lots of questions about the ethics and specifics of the ‘jumping dimensions’ mechanism, but this was a silly and sweet book. Definitely the only book I’ve ever read with a sexy curling scene.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for sending me this e-ARC!