Kiss and Spell by Celestine Marin is a magically wonderful follow up to the first book [book:Witchful Thinking|60383029].

We met Ursula Caraway in the first book, and I am so excited she got her own story.

I love Ursula's love interest, Xavier, a fae prince.

Ursula became a better person in this book. Trying to make up for the way she treated people in the past.

A fantastic friend to lovers' romance.

I love books with magical elements and I really liked all the different paranormal in the book.

A fun paranormal romance that I really enjoyed.

3.75 stars~

I enjoyed reading this! I received this ARC, and didn’t realize that it was the second in a series. I would definitely recommend reading the first one before this as I think it definitely impacted my reading experience a bit- though I think you are given enough to read and enjoy this book without it. This review may contain spoilers for the first book so keep that in mind!

This book follows Ursula about 7 months or so after she got left at the altar. We see her wanting to improve her life and kinda recover after going through all of that drama. She then meets Xavier who is a fairy prince that was cursed/enchanted to not be able to return to the fairy realm until he has the perfect kiss.

Ursula was such a great character, in my opinion. I really liked her love of plants, crystals, and books. I also liked Xavier as a love interest. For me the side characters were absolutely amazing, and were one of my favorite parts. Besides not having the full picture of what happened in the first book, one of the issues I had was that this book very much felt to me kinda instant-attraction, which isn’t something I absolutely love in books. I also wish that we got to see more of some of the side characters because I absolutely loved them, and I wish we saw more of the festival that’s taking place. Overall I did really enjoy this book, and while the book takes place over the summer, I really enjoyed the witchy vibes with it being fall!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for providing me with an ARC of this book!

I really wanted to like this more than I did. It's three stars from me. Honestly, probably 2.5.

I did not read the first book in the series, and apparently Ursula (the FMC in this book) was not the nicest person in that one. But here we see her trying to put her life together after being left at the altar. And who does she encounter but Xavier, a fae prince who has to come to the mortal world to break an enchantment by finding his perfect kiss. It's a really cute idea, and Ursula has a big supportive family who are great.

For me there were issues with pacing and consistency. There's a lot of talk about kissing and magical side effects from kissing, but it seemed like it should be more important. The big conflict happened at about 90%, which is really late, so it all gets wrapped up quite quickly.

I'm happy for everyone who loves this book, but it just didn't hit that sweet spot for me.

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

I didn't realize this was the second book in a series, which is unfortunate since I like to read them in order.
However this was one of my favorite witchy reads, and I want everyone to read it.

Thank you @readforeverpub for a copy of this witchy romance. This magical beach town with all the magical creatures resides Ursula who recently experienced a disastrous event and is done with love. She meets Xavier on a random encounter and learns he is a prince looking for family magical kiss to break a spell. I love seeing their friendship develops as Ursula becomes his wing woman. This is a slow burn story with great tension built up. The side characters added a lot of depth to the story too

Kiss and Spell is Celestine Martin's second book set in the Elemental Love series.

It tells the love story between a fae prince, Xavier Alder, and a witch, Ursula Caraway, who's getting over heartbreak. Xavier has been banished to Freya Grove until he can obtain the perfect kiss. The perfect kiss also doesn't have to include love, which I really liked. When Xavier and Ursula have run-in meet-cute at the seaside where Ursula helps lead him to a restaurant for a date, they strike up an instant friendship from their connection. As with all fairy tale romances, friends become lovers until something stands in their way and then they find their way back to each other again.

I enjoyed this romance although since I haven't read the first book in the series it did take me awhile to get my footing. Once I did I hit the ground running and didn't look back. I really enjoyed the setting that Martin made with Freya Grove. It's a nice mix of ordinary people and ones with different powers, plus some mystical creatures too. The chemistry between Xavier and Ursula was simply divine. I didn't question their compatibility for a second when they were friends or as their relationship started to develop further. I also really enjoyed the secondary characters in the novel too. All around it's a really enjoyable magical romance.

I'll be going back to Martin's debut novel, Witchful Thinking, which is the first book in this series. I can't wait to see if Martin will take us back to Freya Grove in the future, but a girl can dream.

Thank you to Forever Pub and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

These books are so COZY!!! All the fall witchy vibes complete with state fairs, Halloween shenanigans, food, friends, community, magic tea, fae, mermen, and WITCHES ✨

While Witchful Thinking was a love story between a witch and a merman, Kiss and Spell focuses on Ursula and her Fae Prince. I love the seaside small town vibes of both these stories and felt connected Ursula in the first book and was super excited that the second book was based on her!

I’d recommend Kiss and Spell for folks who love magical women, are seeking more BIPOC rep in paranormal romance, and love the coziness of small town romance.

Kiss and Spell is a contemporary, witchy, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance with a bit of steam. Hat tip for being body-positive and featuring fierce and gorgeous Black women.

I loved revisiting Freya Grove, a charming small town full of magic and supernatural creatures, during the Smitten Festival. And oh my, those delicious food descriptions!

Watching the relationship develop between Ursula and Xavier was sweet with definite zingy attraction vibes between the socially awkward prince and the self-doubting enchantress looking to regain her Badass Boss Witch status. I loved that while there was such a strong attraction, they put each other’s needs first with lots of “but if they just had real talk” moments between them.

What a cozy, witchy read with a dash of fairy tale fun! Adorable supporting characters include a glittery faery godmother complete with wings and a half-sister who makes to-die-for coffee creations and baked goods. Actually, I love Ursula’s entire Caraway clan and I’m glad we got scenes with them.

Kiss and Spell is cute. Low heat and a sweet couple makes this one a fun witchy read. The pacing in some parts dragged the story and made this possibly longer than needed be But the character growth make both Ursula and Xavier relatable, likable.

All and all, not bad and m looking forward to checking out the authors future works.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read/review.

A witch without a spell: All Ursula Caraway wished for was to live happily ever after in her hometown of Freya Grove. The self-proclaimed Jersey Shore Witch Princess was set to begin her perfect life—until a twist of fate changed everything. Now, she's telling fortunes to the lovelorn, selling crystals at the local psychic shop, and reclaiming her missing magic. Ursula desperately wishes to shake up her life—so much so, that she’ll do just about anything. Including befriending a very cute, very enchanted prince. A prince in search of a kiss: Prince Xavier Alder needs to find The One, but his lack of social skills has made that a challenge—and being cursed by the Faerie Queen isn’t helping either. So when Ursula, eager to believe in magic again, agrees to help Xavier find a perfect, curse-breaking kiss before Midsummer, it’s the ideal opportunity for them to get what they want. So long as they don’t let their mutual (and inconvenient) attraction get in the way.

This was a fun and easy read. I liked Ursula's redemption story from what she did in book one. This was def giving friends to lovers vibes which I am a fan of! I love that we don't just get witches but a variety of magical creatures. For example, Xavier is a Fae prince. It was heavy on the fairytale folklore which isn't my favorite so I thought it was a tinsie corny but I still enjoyed it overall.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 9/26

After reading book one I was curious to see what Ursula's book was gonna be like and I'm a fan.

I was so into this book I can not even explain it. This is by far one of my favorite witchy books. I can't even find the worst to explain it because I want everyone to read it.

More or else, Ursula's life went down hill after she made a wish with her cousins. Her fiancé left he at the alter and after a year she is trying to figure out how to get back to her old self. Insert a fea prince who has been cursed. They can't seem to stay away from each other.

So many cute moments. Ugh. Loved every second of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

3.75 stars

Kiss and Spell is the 2nd book in a series (which i was unaware of until I started writing this review).

Kiss and Spell follows Ursula, a witch who was just left at the altar by her ex and Xavier, a prince from the fae realm who was cursed to find his perfect kiss.

I enjoyed this book but I wasn't aware the MMC was a prince and royal romances aren't my favorite. I would definitely recommend this book if you like contemporary paranormal spicy romance books with royal characters.

4.25 stars. Kiss and Spell is a sweet novel about finding the bravery to believe in love and give that love freely again, no matter what led to your distrust of it. Ursula Caraway decides to reclaim her magic that she had pushed aside and get her life on the right track. I think this book would be comforting to those who feel like they are starting all over or are “behind” in life.

I really enjoyed this friends-to-lovers story and loved how much both Ursula and Xavier grew and developed! Although set in springtime, this would definitely fit that cozy Halloween romance novel category. Afterall, what more could you ask for than leprechauns, gnomes, mermaids, fae, and witches all living in New Jersey among the humans?

Honestly, I realized after reading this entire story that it was a sequel. The first book is on my tbr and I don’t know how I didn’t make that connection. That being said, this can easily be read as a standalone. There is enough detail to clue the reader into what happened before, but not too much that it would be suffocating for someone who already knew those details.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Kiss and Spell is a lovely follow-up to Witchful Thinking and is the story of Ursula Caraway. in the first book, Ursula became a bit of a villain, so I was curious to read her story and understand more about her. And, of course, read how she gets her HEA.
In the first book, Ursula and her cousins (all witches), cast a wish spell and while her cousin Lucy got her HEA, Ursula, who was engaged at the time, saw her life unravel with her fiancé leaving her at the alter and also getting into a big fight with her cousins.
Now, Ursula wants to make amends with her family, but only after she rediscovers/explores her magic, learn to make wishes again, all while giving up on the fairy tale ending she had dreamed for herself.
Enter Xavier, a fae prince sent to Ursula's town after being enchanted by the Fairy Queen. In order to return to his home, Xavier must have the Perfect Kiss. The problem is that he doesn't believe in love.

I really enjoyed how Ursula redeemed herself in this book, acknowledging how poorly she treated people in her efforts to be "perfect" and recognizing she needed to take time to rediscover herself. Xavier was also on a journey of figuring out what he wants now that he's not under the rule of thumb of his father.

This was a lovely friends-to-lovers story, with Ursula and Xavier taking time to get to know each other before acting on their more romantic feelings for one another. While magic is part of the story, it definitely wasn't the driving force of the plot. I would have liked some more world-building of the magical world in which they live, with humans living alongside fae, centaurs, vampires, and more. It wasn't clear to me what the rules of magic were, where the Fae Realm existed in relation to the human world, etc.

Despite that, I really enjoyed it and will definitely be reading the next books in the series!

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the eARC of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Cute rom-com perfect for Halloween time, was a little confused though until I realized it's a part of a series, was hard to get into at some points but overall a good time!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the copy to review.

Kiss and Spell is a fun and flirtatious RomCom, with slow burn romance plot line, and a MMC that helps the FMC realize her confidence and badass boss “witch” self (instead of bitch hahahaha.)

I really enjoyed Celestine Martins storyline in this book, as it makes the case for life being more complex than a fairytale. It also supports the ideal that you should be true to yourself when in a relationship, instead of trying to build yourself into the perfect partner. I am also very pleased with the fact that this is a cozy magical rom com, focused on black witches.

Full disclosure I didn’t super love Witchful Thinking.
It felt too slow and cozy and closed door for me but I don’t know if it was going into this next one knowing the vibe better that it worked better for me but this definitely did. Kiss and Spell was cute. Ursula sucked in book one but in this one you get to see behind the mean comments and messy behavior.

Ursula is still reeling from her broken engagement but determined to lean into her witchiness. Xavier is a cursed Fae Prince needing his “perfect kiss” to break the curse. They run into each other and she starts helping him find his perfect kiss.

My favorite part was Whitney the faerie godmother. She was amazing and I pictured Whitney Houston in Cinderella. Loved.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an eARC.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Kiss and Spell is the second in Celestine Martin’s Elemental Love series. It can be read as a standalone, but if you like one, you’re sure to enjoy the other. This continues in the same vein, and I continue to love the almost fairytale-esque approach to the world building of Freya Grove, with not just witches and magic in general, but all sorts of magical creatures living together.
I loved the subtle meta-ness with the setup of this one, with the characters either being jaded by or in search of their Happily Ever After. Ursula is the jaded one, having been left at the altar, and she now works as the town fortune teller, while Xavier is an exiled prince from the fae realm looking for True Love’s Kiss to free him of a curse placed on him by the Faery Queen. It was fun to see these two play off each other and help each other overcome their respective personal issues, with her finding herself again after the demise of that relationship and him navigating balancing who he is with the responsibilities of being a royal.
The story is generally pretty low-stakes, with the focus more on the characters’ personal growth with the twist that they’re characters with magic. So if you’re looking for something more weighty in the fantasy side of things, you might be disappointed. But if you’re looking for a more lighthearted, whimsical magical romance, and especially if you’re looking for a central romance with Black leads, I’d recommend checking this out!

A sweet small town romance between ....a witch and a fairy, Ursula was left at the altar, lost some of her powers, and is working on standing up for herself in romance, Xavier has been banished and to regain his place must have the perfect kiss. They meet cute and then, well, their relationship begins. They're good characters but I admit to struggling a bit to understand the scenario because there was limited worldbuilding, which I understand took place in the first book which I have not read. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Paranormal is all the rage this year and this is a pleasant example that showcases diversity in many forms,.

️*Title: Kiss and Spell Book#2 Elemental Love

*Release date: 9/26/23 read: 9/8/23

*Author: Celestine Martin, new to me author

*Book cover: great AA representation

*Format: e-ARC

*Page Count: 384

*POV: both H&h Xavier and Ursula

*Setting: Freya Grove, NJ

*Genre: PNR, rom-com, fantasy romance

*Tropes:

✅slow burn
✅ friends to lovers
✅ witches/fae
✅ fairytale retelling
✅ small town

*Synopsis: A spurned witch helps a socially awkward prince break free from the Faerie Queen's enchantment while fighting their mutual attraction.

Main Characters

Ursula Caraway-left at the altar last year, she's reinventing herself to be a "boss witch." A fortune teller who sells crystals at her mother's psychic shop Light as a Feather. Looking to connect with estranged family and reclaim her magic.


Prince Xavier Alder-the second son of King Roman Alder. An earthbound fae without wings. Was enchanted by the Faery Queen because he doesn't believe in love. Banished to the human world to find true love's kiss by Midsummer.

Secondary Characters:
Niesha Caraway-Ursula's mother, ex soap opera star; Whitney Blackthorne-Xavier's faery godmother who has been granting human's wishes for 400 years; Gwen-Ursula's half-sister; Lincoln Walker-the mayor's son and Ursula's ex who broke up w/ her via text right before their wedding; Lucy-Ursula's cousin, heroine from book#1.


*Review: This is a light, cozy town paranormal romance. Not much spice except pumpkin, and little conflict. I didn't read book 1 but will be going back to it. A cute, small-town romance.

*Rating: 3.5 /5


Thanks to NetGalley and Forever the publisher for this ARC💜! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions are my own.