Thank you for the e-arc for Under Your Spell. One of my favourite music star trope books is You'd Be Mine by Erin Hahn and this book is now in that category too. The characters were so realistic and their growth throughout the book was moving to read.

This was such a fantastic read! It hooked me right away and I found myself saying "just one more chapter" over and over again. It's a slowburn friends to lover romance, but the heart of the book is Clementine's growth and her relationship with her wonderfully eclectic family. Because of this, I would classify Under Your Spell more in the women's fiction genre rather than romance.

Things to look forward to:
- Witty and heartfelt writing and some of the best banter I've encountered
- Ride or die sisters, who are intensely loyal and give as good as they get. I loved the relationship between Clemmie, Serena, and Lil. The Weird Sisters forever! They had me laughing so hard with their antics and they balanced each other so well. Truly a highlight of the book!
- tropes like: forced proximity, one night stand, rockstar/celebrity, found family, caretaker/sick bed, cinnamon roll hero, etc
- Main characters in their 30's who talk and try and solve their problems (even if some of it may be in a roundabout way)
- Theo. *swoon* He was such a sweetheart and I loved how thoughtful and careful he was. I normally dislike rockstar MC's, but he was basically the anti-rockstar since he got that all out of his system early on in his career. He was actually an adorkable nerd to start and those roots run deep! ;)
- Clemmie. Her character arc was quite satisfying and I loved that she didn't get it right all the time. Her past has made her extremely guarded and it was beautiful to see her make her way through.
- A tender and quiet romantic progression. After a quick start and stumble, I really appreciated how things unfolded organically. It made the big and small moments so much more romantic and meaningful. The caretaker/sick bed scenes were soooooo good. There are also some absolutely swoony moments that had me smiling at my kindle. The steam isn't overly descriptive and fades to black, but it still felt very sensual and sexy.

Even though I didn't love the drama towards the end, I felt that it was necessary to bring Clemmie full circle. I don't think the HEA would have been possible (or sustainable) without confronting those feelings and fears first. Their decisions were understandable given their histories. The ending made my heart so happy and I can't wait to read more from this author. Under Your Spell is a feel good romance that celebrates friendship, family, and finding your joy. Don't miss this one!

CW: cheating and manipulative ex (past), aggressive paparazzi, slander & libel, job instability and financial concerns, grief, death of loved one (past), parental abandonment and neglect, parental infidelity

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

Oh wow I feel like I read a completely different book than everyone else 😅😅😅 I just. Did not enjoy this book. I thought I was getting a rock star romance with witchy vibes and as a witchy type, I found the witchy stuff honestly just insulting and as for the rock star ... we don't see him TOUCH an instrument until 200 pages in and I didn't get the ✨️rock star vibes✨️ until like 290 pages in 😭 I found the characters read like caricatures, not fleshed out people (who has an egg and spoon race at like ... 30??) and while the relationship was cute, going from closed door to suddenly not with a ... ah, very *quick* finale was really really cringe. And speaking of cringe. Early on having "dad" and "penis" associated so early on was ... A CHOICE. Penis and dick have very different connotations and ngl I was a liiiitle uncomfortable 😅😅😅

Anyway. I'm glad this book has it's crowd, I really really am. It was not for me though 😭

I loved Under Your Spell and found myself full out laughing for a large majority of it! There were a lot of characters, but the author did a wonderful job developing them all, so it was never confusing or hard to follow. The romance between the main characters was incredibly sweet (& spicy), and I loved that they became best friends first and foremost. I also loved the relationship between the sisters & moms. This was my first book by Laura Wood, but I will definitely be checking out her others.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

In accordance with FTC guidelines, please note in reviews that your ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Under Your Spell by Laura Wood quickly became an auto buy for me. Clemmie, whose estranged father is a famous musician, has a one night stand only to find out she’ll be living with said one night stand, famous musician Theo, for six weeks. This book became an immediate favorite the second I picked it up. The tiniest touch of magical realism, strong sister bonds, dad issues, relatable FMCs, and a delightful MMC. The love pouring through this book, both romantic and platonic, is so special and well written. It’s the perfect balance of love, finding your purpose, comedy, and family. The premise was so smart, the idea of two people forced to live together after a one night stand. Their meet-cute was adorable, and Theo is just such a dynamic character that I couldn’t get enough of. Clemmie had some laugh out loud moments I devoured as well. They both had their flaws but Wood navigated it incredibly well. The four separate acts work so well together, focusing on different parts of a relationship and the ups and downs of falling in love. I think these characters were personable, entertaining, and swoonworthy. I couldn’t recommend this book enough.

I am arguably one of Laura Wood's biggest fans and I was over the moon to discover I was approved for an ARC for her first adult romance.
Under Your Spell is about Clemmie, the daughter of a rock star, and her two sisters Serena and Lil. Clemmie finds herself dumped by her long time boyfriend, loses her dream job, and needs a place to live.
She begrudgingly accepts a 6 week job that requires her to live in isolation with a huge rock star Theo Elliot.
This book is pure gold. I absolutely loved it. All of the characters were so developed that I felt like I knew them all personally. I felt so connected to them all.
This was a love story on so many levels, but the most surprising was the love story and unbreakable bond between the 3 sisters. My heart.
I loved that the characters were in my age bracket, that Clemmie was not your typical model type character, and that therapy was so openly talked about.
I have loved Laura Wood's YA work, and her adult fiction did not disappoint. I can't wait for the release, to buy my own copy, and make everyone I know buy one too.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Absolutely delightful. Funny, tense, sweet, and just perfect.

Clementine and her sisters had such a nice relationship with each other, and started out the book cursing an ex-boyfriend. Their father is a famous musician, they all have different mothers, and were born just months apart in the same year. The way they love and support each other is clearly soaked into the pages.

Clementine and Theo had me giggling. He was so sweet and thoughtful. Dating a famous musician as the daughter of a famous musician scared her, and he tried so hard to shelter her from the downsides of fame. Clemmie developed a lot as a character, and it truly didn’t feel like she was giving anything up to be with Theo by the end. She was just embracing herself and her feelings for him over all the noise.

The plot was developed, Tuna wasn’t forgotten, the dialogue was genuine, and it didn’t feel like anything was missing. I read maybe 15-20% before I was totally hooked, but finished the rest in one sitting. This is a great execution of a trope that I haven’t particularly enjoyed in the past.

This was such a great book, I couldn't put it down! I really liked seeing how their relationship progressed and the banter between the characters, plus the magic was a fun addition.

I loved this book, the magic in both the story topic and especially the author’s writing. I had a hard time putting this book down, and loved the transformation of the characters. I will definitely be reading more by this author, highly recommend!

This book is 1000 times better than the description made it sound. It isn’t exactly magic, but then again maybe it is? The story has a lot of heart and great supporting characters. The rock star is not douchey, at all. Although the rock star dad absolutely is. And the ex-boyfriend drummer is terrible. The three sisters are so ride or die for each other and clearly want the best for each other, which is refreshing to not have any female villains in the story. You just want everyone to get what they deserve and you also want an invitation to next year’s Lil Fest!

When I first started this book, I was a little unsure if I was going to like it. I'm so glad I pushed through the first 10%. Under Your Spell was a fantastic read! Slow burns are one of my favorite romance tropes and this book did not disappoint. Laura Woods did a phenomenal job of creating tension between Theo and Clemmie. The "taking care of each other when sick" scenes really elevated the story. I enjoyed seeing Theo and Clemmie's relationship and character arc develop throughout the story. Theo and Clemmie had all the great qualities readers want to see in a book character. The side characters added a fun and comedic layer to the story. Readers who enjoy slow burns and sweet endings will enjoy this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

This rom com was absolutely adorable. I am a fan of Laura Wood’s historical romances (my favorite was A Sky Painted Gold but I’ve read them all) so I was super excited to see she was writing something contemporary.

And y’all, the vibes do not disappoint: it’s giving Emily Henry, it’s giving Abby Jimenez. There’s a sleepy little town straight out of Miss Marple. It’s got sisterhood! It’s got arrogant aging rock stars! It’s got cozy witchcraft! Bad boyfriends! Good boyfriends! Zany hijinks! Romantic gestures! PINING!!! It was witty, cute, and full of snacks. (In fact, it should come with official snack pairings. Like a wine list of suggested ice cream flavors.)

Thank you so much to the publisher for letting me read this delightful romp of a book!

ONS
He fell first
Forced proximity
Mixed up identity
Famous father
Famous ex
Famous family
Single POV
Setting: London/Oxford/Northumberland, England

Laugh out loud romantic comedy. If you loved Crazy, Stupid, Love and the David Lindhagen backyard scene… immediately add to your TBR and get ready to laugh, cry, and fall in love. This was such a quick read that had me hooked from the beginning.

Meet “The Weird Sisters” - all half sisters, born within a period of 4 months in 1990, tied together by a rockstar father and 3 different mothers.
FMC: Clemmie - professor of medieval history, who’s contract ran out at Oxford
Lil - indie singer
Serena - music producer

Of the 3, 2 go into the music industry while Clemmie avoids any connection to her father and music. But their sisterhood connection from birth to adulthood is tied to being raised by 3 strong women and Granny Mac who humored their belief in casting spells/manifesting what they want most out of life and love.

“At my last car inspection the mechanic told me that if it was a horse he’d have shot it[.]”

When the only actual father figure of theirs passes away, their moms play host to the funeral and wake. In the aftermath of her boyfriend of 4 years breaking up with her and confessing to cheating on her, finding out that her contract with Oxford isn’t being renewed, and is on the verge of losing her flat, Clemmie has no choice but to head home. With her sisters by her side, she thinks she can tolerate their “pick me” father and whatever show he puts on for all the attendees, but not running into the boy who broke her heart over a decade ago.
At the funeral, a pallbearer catches Clemmie’s eyes - despite embarrassing herself with her GPS (another laugh out loud moment). Unfortunately, she runs into Sam - who broke her 17 year old heart and left hear swearing off all musicians and anyone who would put her in the spotlight - and needing to escape the gathering of strangers in her house. Seeking comfort in her childhood room armed with a bottle of Serena’s tequila, she closes the door only to find a stranger in her bedroom. The most attractive, dark haired, tattooed stranger who isn’t exactly honest about his true identity, Clemmie decides to have her first and only one night stand with world famous musician, Theo.

A case of mistaken identity, a temporary job opportunity, and guaranteed housing puts Clemmie in a position where she can’t say no. While under one roof with Theo for 6 weeks, she is forced to reconsider her career, make peace with family guilt she’s carried for years, and hold herself accountable to being on her best behavior.

Random musings:
Clemmie the wise hitting readers with her biggest takeaway from her failed relationships: “Being in a relationship doesn’t mean losing a single piece of you. Not if it’s with the right partner.”

We love folks who prioritize therapy!!

The concept of making peanut butter sandwiches to give to the “mermaids” because you can’t grow peanuts under water is the most childlike thinking. And the afterthought of mermaids inventing sushi? I loved it.

Theo introducing her as Dr. Clementine at his sister’s wedding to the hotel manager, the way he goes out of his way to protect her from the media, and fighting his feelings for Clemmie had me melting into the couch.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria/Simon & Schuster for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️ .5

What a delightful story of sisterhood, love and growth. Clemmie steers clear of musicians. She knows they are trouble from experience with her dad the rock icon and her first boyfriend, a drummer. A one night stand with a man she met at a funeral opens her heart and mind to love . If only he wasn't famous.

I like this book quite a bit. It perfectly captures how loving, stupid, frustrating, beautiful, and essential sisters are in one's life. Clementine, the Ph.D.-holding daughter of a rockstar, has kept life at an arm's distance as she desperately avoids the press at all costs, especially her happiness. I love that Clementine's sisters and mums are all so involved with each other and push each other to want the best.

So far the romcom reads of 2024 have been on fiiiire 🔥 UNDER YOUR SPELL was no exception and it had me adding yet another book boyfriend to my never ending list 🙌🏻

What I loved:
-THEO!! 🥰 cinnamon roll hero
-great banter
-celebrity romance
-forced proximity
-relationship bw MC Clementine and her two sisters
-little bit of witchy vibes, but in a non serious & funny way

UNDER YOUR SPELL had me laughing out loud (the scenes where Clementine is sick 🤣) but also majorly swooning (like the songs Theo wrote for Clementine 🤩.) This will certainly be one of my favorite romcoms this year!

Thank you @atria for the arc ☺️ Pub date is 6/25/24 and you’ll def want to grab a copy!

Under Your Spell is a well written, fun, and feel-good rom com. It's the story of Clementine "Clemmie", the daughter of a super-famous rockstar who has decided to live her life out of the spotlight, FAR away from music (and especially musicians) … until she lands a job "babysitting" rockstar Theo Elliot.

For a romantic comedy, I found this quite addicting and read it in just a few days. Rom coms can be a little bit predictable, but I appreciated how this one had some unique aspects. The character development was excellent, particularly for Clemmie, and I could totally relate to some of her struggles. Also, I always love books that include body positivity! Theo, the love interest, was charming and sweet- we love a man who can communicate.

In my opinion, the best part of the book is the relationship between Clemmie and her two sisters, Lil and Serena. They have such a fun and believable bond, and I absolutely loved reading the banter between them. Laura Wood is such a skilled writer and created amazingly well-rounded characters that made me SO invested in their journey.

If you're looking for a heartwarming, feel-good read with a little bit of (literal) magic sprinkled in, then this is the book for you! I would now like to petition for follow up books with both Lil and Serena's stories!

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books!
5 likes

I loved the premise of this book- a little magic spell and some rockstar romance! The characters were great and I really loved the 3 sisters relationship. The meet cute lived up to its name and overall it was a very cute story! I think I'd definitely recommend it for an easy poolside or beach read.

I've heard absolutely nothing about this one that's coming out this June so I went in with no expectations which was nice. And I was pleasantly surprised because I really enjoyed it! From the beginning, I was really digging the writing and the fun characters.

I'm usually not a fan of the whole one night stand meeting trope but this one did such a great job! There is a SICK SCENE which is like my FAVORITE! I am weak for the guy taking care of a delirious sick girl especially when he's a hot rockstar. 😂But it was SO adorable and I loved their friends to lovers vibes! Plus the forced proximity!

This was such a pleasant surprise that I just really enjoyed!!! I found myself smiling and so excited to read more! I will say the whole spell thing was okay and not super necessary or a big part of the story but it was cute. The sister relationship was so fun!!! Definitely worth adding to your list! It's one I'm sure I'll enjoy rereading!

5 stars
I really loved this book. It was funny, heartwarming, sweet, and the perfect romance for me. I really related to the main character Clemmie, and the mental health journey she was on, plus her narration throughout was hilarious. Also, Theo was the best, checking all the boxes for a perfect love interest in a book.

This book wasn’t the most ground breaking, unique book out there, but if you are in the mood for a feel good, well-done romantic comedy I definitely recommend Under Your Spell.