Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!  

Initially I was really drawn to this book. It’s not very long, it has a beautiful cover and the summary was quite engaging. Now that I’ve read it, I can confirm it was a good read, which touched different aspects of reality and fantasy.

Under her spell begins with Liv, an uncertain person about most of things in her life: her upcoming marriage, her undecided career, the people around her. It’s all paused by a cryptic letter from her high school best friend, Sam. With a few words, Sam appears to be anxious, scared, in need of help. The story follows Liv, guilty from the past and terrified from the future, trying to find out what happened to her best friend, meeting old acquaintances as well as fitting in the puzzle of “The sisterhood”. While everything seems normal in her hometown, weird things are happening: doomed brides, blue eyed bugs. And most importantly reality shifts as well as dream like cakes.

I love mystery books and if done right the story can really be elevated by paranormal elements. In theory, this book does that. While it really picked up its pace in the last pages, the first half expanded really slowly. I was fan of the “now” and “then” approach since it gave the reader an insight of the characters and their motivations. The book executes flawed characters, from the perspective of one person, which I quite liked. I would’ve loved the story to focus more on the mystery of Sam because quite often I forgot about her plot line. Despite that most of the plot was well written and well detailed.

All in all, Under her spell is a good book to read if you’re looking for another approach to unresolved mystery books. With suppressed emotions and unsettled feelings, it conveys everything through a lens. I would definitely recommend this book!

This is a YA novel trying to be grownup. It fails. Nancy Drew could have done a better job of solving this murder. Not believable and inane at times, the author tries to include every dysfunctional symptom a family can have in her attempt to write this novel. . Oops, forgot,, murder is never solved. That adds the coup de grace to this poorly written book which mixes, witches, teenage angst, villainy, feminist yearnings, and
Black magic in a soupy, sappy mess.

This was a fantastic read! It had such a neat plot with great characters! Don’t miss out on this great book!

This book was utterly unputdownable! I read this at such a furious pace that the rest of my life was neglected. The story basically demanded it! It was such an enthralling tale of friendship, creativity, relationships, and fear. Liv was the heroine we all need, flying in the face of danger to prove that amazing can happen. It was woven so well with flashbacks that set the scene and made the story. This story had me immediately putting her other book in my shopping cart because I can’t get enough of her writing! I definitely can’t wait for more from her, this was completely phenomenal.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Under Her Spell by K.L. Cerra due to be published September 10, 2024.
Newly engaged Liv Edwards is in her small New England town after receiving a mysterious cryptic note from her best friend from high school, Sam. When she returns to Guilford she discovers Sam is living and working with Eden and Cora, two other high school girls, in their bridal boutique. Something strange is going on with Eden, Cora, and Guilford. Will Liv find out what it is?
Under Her Spell was a little out of my genre of reading – it had a lot of paranormal and “witchy” vibes to it – which is usually not my type of book. I tend to go for psychological thrillers. The Sisterhood that Eden and Cora were part of was pretty weird and a little farfetched to me. Even though it was not my normal kind of read, those who like paranormal books would love it!
#NetGalley #KLCerra #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine #UnderHerSpell

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was SO SO GOOD. Like insanely so. I think I liked this one even better than Such Pretty Flowers. The characters were enticing, I loved the pacing (I stayed hooked the entire time) and I really didn't see most of the twists happening, which in my mind makes the perfect novel. Instant auto-buy author for me, I can't wait to add this one to my physical shelf! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Under Her Spell.

I was intrigued by the premise and pleased my request was approved. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was delighted it revolved around dark magic and witchcraft. How deliciously witchy!

Liv Edwards has returned to her hometown, responding to an urgent call for help from her former BFF, Sam, who she hasn't seen since a near tragedy derailed their friendship in their last year of high school.

As Liv probes her friend's disappearance, she realizes it relates to two enigmatic women from high school, whose charm and allure has enthralled Liv since she was a teen,

What powers do these women possess? But more importantly, where is Sam?

First, I appreciated the not so subtle themes the author was trying to convey; the hardships all women face, not just modern women, of trying to have it all.

The saying is a crock because women can't have a career, a life, and friends and motherhood. Sacrifices will always be made and it's almost always the women who makes them.

Our patriarchal society expect all women to want to get married, have children, and forget about having a career, no matter how hard they've worked hard for their educations and their accomplishments. Because that's all women are good for, right?

Second, I get the irony that Liv sacrifices her friendship with Sam, putting off attending their dream art school to gallivant in Europe with Everett. choosing dicks before chicks.

I didn't like Liv, but I didn't hate her.

There was a passivity and fearfulness about Liz that was cloying, but maybe that came out of surviving an abusive parent and witnessing domestic abuse.

I wished there had been more witchcraft and the author had leaned heavily on the macabre and darkness of what happens when you use magic for evil deeds.

I learned there's no such thing as black magic; it's just magic. The kind of magic is determined by the person wielding it; for good or for evil.

I wanted to know more about Eden; where and when had she become a witch? Is it innate? Was it borne out of her traumatic birth?

Why is Cora such a minion? Is there's always a follower and the rest are just leaders?

The ending is abrupt, and Liv's 'happily ever after' is unsatisfying and corny.

In my opinion, the ending could have gone two ways or a combo of both:

The first possibility would have Liz ending up like her sister, Penny, fat, unhappy, and pregnant, and her seeking out Eden, finally giving into the dark impulses within her.

I would have respected Liz for that.

The second possibility is for Liz to tap into her own magical abilities, her dark intentions, to break the spell Eden has placed her under, return to the house and find Sam and give her a proper burial and swear revenge in her honor.

By the end, we see Liz hasn't changed; she's still a doormat, a scaredy cat and hasn't done anything to resolve Sam's disappearance or avenge her death.

The main character, Liv, gets a note from her high school best friend, Sam (female) that she needs help. No return address, no phone, email, etc. So Liv goes back to her hometown only to find that Sam has vanished. The narrative flips back and forth from Liv's senior year in high school to the present. In high school there are a few girls that have form the "Sisterhood". You know them yourselves - the "better than everybody" crowd in high school. But then we all grow up, mature, and get on with a good life.
Except the Sisterhood only grows more sinister. This is part magic? witchcraft? other worldly?. And Liv gets caught up in their web.
I read this in a day - because I needed to know what was happening next. Cerra's use of other worldly actions make this impossible to predict what happens when you turn the page.
The characters in the novel still haunt me today.

I thought K. L. Cerra’s debut was incredible until it failed to stick the landing.

Unfortunately every single aspect of that book that I enjoyed was missing from this one.

All of the characters just seemed so ridiculous. Because of that, the tone just moved rapidly from serious to not and the ending and ‘reveal’ just seemed so rushed. It did make me want to start making jewelry though.

An easy book to read, but a weird story that I just couldn’t really get into. I don’t know why but the plot did not work for me. Done before? Not exactly but still seemed familiar.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This will be out this November!

I accidentally asked for this book. I do not like fantasy and horror. I didn’t realize that’s what this book was when reading the blurb.

I really wanted to like this book a lot more. I love an unreliable and unlikeable narrator but Liv didn’t feel sketched out enough to make me ever believe her. It was all angst with no relief, nothing to make us ever on her side, except feeling badly for her past trauma.

So I guess it’s fitting that the ending also felt so unsatisfying? Not everything needs to be a neat happy ending, obviously, but this felt… empty. The literary equivalent of eating a dessert that wasn’t even that good so it was a waste of calories *and* you still need something else to fulfill that craving. It just felt like there was a lot of potential wasted and I wanted more. Maybe if I had read it on a dark and stormy night?

I enjoyed this novel immensely as it has all the elements I love in a book: friendships, revenge, and a little darkness--with a few elements of fantasy thrown in! Liv is leaving fiance, Noah behiind for a bit as she's going to visit best friend from high school and college...until she discovers Sam is missing after seeing a social media post. Vacillating in time between "now" and "then," the novel shows us the two girls meeting, becoming close and also their fascination with the three girls of The Sisterhood: Eden, Cora, and Avery.. Liv has always been a jeweler, fashioning unique pieces and Sam learns from her, creating her own distinct pieces. But now as Liv looks into her sudden disappearance, she has more questions than answers and when those answers are revealed, it's like nothing you'd expect!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Not my typical read but the cover pulled me in and the story was intriguing I did like it was a nice read to change it up a bit !

I appreciate NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing this book for my honest review.

"Under Her Spell" turned out to be darker and more horror-themed than I expected, with elements of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. The story delves into a dark and cult-like portrayal of witches that gave me chills.

Liv returns to her hometown to seek closure with a high school friend she wronged, Sam. As the past unravels through flashbacks, revealing the mysterious classmates rumored to be witches, Liv becomes entangled in a sinister mystery involving a coven.

While the book was gripping and eerie, some parts were quite graphic, leaving a dark impression. I recommend this to those who enjoy fantasy mysteries but be prepared for its darker themes.

It took me a bit to get into this but after I was in I couldn't put it down! What a wild ride!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Under Her Spell was edging more on the horror genre than I thought it would with some healthy doses of Sci Fi & Fantasy. I didn’t realize I was reading a book about witches (more cult like and dark than the merry kind - and something I should have picked up on with the title of the book), but this was like cold water running down your back it was so very creepy.

Liv is back in her hometown looking for her old high school friend, Sam, who she so wronged in the past that she still feels she doesn’t have closure and owes her to find her. Interspersed with some flashbacks to explain Liv’s life, what came between her and Sam, and the slightly ominous classmates who were rumored to be witches in high school, Liv quickly gets caught up in a big mystery and a coven.

This was always entertaining though a bit gory and had me feeling dark. I would recommend this with the disclaimer that you should enjoy fantasy mysteries as this is firmly in those camps.

This wad a decent read. I loved the witch vibes and the intriguing mystery. However, it was a bit slow and the ending was quite disappointing. I also felt this could have been whittled down to the one main POV and had more impact.

Thank you to NetGalley and K. L. Cerra for an ARC of this title!

I have to say, I feel like the cover and the description for "Under Her Spell" do not do the story justice - this was MUCH darker than I thought it was going to be based on surface vibes (in a good way)! I felt this was definitely a read that leaned heavy into vibes with its writing style, which I really enjoyed. I think if you like the atmosphere of American Horror Story (specifically the witchier seasons like Coven, and maybe a dash of the OG), the dark edges every 90s teen witch show, the Netflix Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Netflix Wednesday, and then throw it on a mid-2000s Fall Vibes Pinterest board, you get a sense for how this book will feel. But wait, there's more! You also have to throw in feminist rage, mommy AND daddy issues, betrayal, the call of the woods, and a healthy dose of body horror. Oh, and if you don't like bugs, this may not be the book for you. What you end up with is something that looks like it jumped off the features shelf in the Young Adults section in the library on the outside, but is more akin to Midsommar in a lot of ways by the end. I think this will be a great atmospheric read when it comes out in September, just in time for spooky szn.








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I'm going to admit, it took me a minute to get into the story as I did not find the premise absolutely compelling, and I felt like the story was going to be much more Stepford Wives than it turned out to me. Like some other reviews have mentioned, I think some of the characters that could have been more interesting to peer into were left in rough-draft form, or were unfinished or one-dimensional, and I would have liked to see some more resolution in their story lines (e.g. Liv's father, Everett, Sam's stepmother, the various people Liv texted in the beginning). I especially would have liked to find out what happened to Avery, although I think we were just intended to surmise based on Sam that she met a similar fate. She seemed way more important in the "Then" section, so I was surprised she never really came up in the "Now" section beyond a few off-handed comments. I think that could have been a really interesting angle to incorporate, plus exploration into others Eden and Cora had "auditioned" for the third spot, if any, and why it was so important to always have three. Same with the lore behind their Sisterhood powers and Oliver and Harriet's origins. However, by the time the last quarter of the book came around, I figured we had enough "plot" to get a tolerable conclusion despite my misgiving above and I was able to let it go since I was more curious about what was happening with current events. Despite this, I think a little more development in the periphery could have pushed this into a 4.5 star, or stronger overall 4-star read (truthfully I would put this around a 3.75 if allowed but 4 felt perfectly fine based on entertainment). I definitely love good world-building and plot, but I also admit I am probably more of a vibes/enjoyment reader than a really academic or detailed one, and if I had a good time with the book, I can be pretty forgiving with things that probably could have been explained better.

What really grabbed me by the hand and dragged me along was when the story turned to Liv's internal panic as she saw the collar around her sister's neck being buckled around her own re: marriage and childbirth. As a childfree woman currently living in the age of the 4B movement, I think this part of the story really resonated with me, and I was really drawn to the idea of Liv having this special Charmed-like relationship with Eden and Cora. My friends and I constantly talk about having a giant house once we are a little more settled as an alternative to constantly putting ourselves out there year after year, having to extricate for suffocating relationships with men much like the ones in this book - not bad by any means, but with their own dreams and agendas that never seem to factor in that women are also people who don't want to be reduced to the titles of self-sacrificing parenthood. As the story continued to tip in a much more sinister direction, it became clear that the life Live was spellbound by was, like the life she walked in with, the "wrong" choice, and I honestly felt bad for being disappointed by that. I know this is a horror story but I almost feel like having Eden and Cora turn out to be these completely unhinged witches who were manipulating Liv into compliance takes away from the idea that single, childfree women living and working together could be a good thing. But on the other hand the book does the same thing with people who want to get married and have kids in a "traditional" sense, so I guess it would be hypocritical to be mad about it. And I really like that in the end, Liv's problems aren't magically solved by getting married and having a kid. She proves in some senses that she can "have it all" as she says, and that power and freedom are not the black-and-white choices she was being strong-armed into accepting. There is power in compromise, and in recognizing the importance of equal partnership (Blake sounds lie a gem). I think showing that she is still haunted by the women she left behind - and possibly even wistful for that call of the void - is much more realistic however, and it kept me from being underwhelmed by the conclusion. I think this book will sit with me for a while, and I hope it finds its way into the hands of people on the precipice like Liv, and even like the brides chosen by Beloved.

3.5 Star

"A woman who returns to her hometown to investigate her childhood friend’s disappearance soon finds herself embroiled in a deadly web of half truths, cover-ups, and dark magic"

I have mixed reviews on this book. I enjoyed the spooky witchy vibe of the book. I thought the dual mysteries, with one being in the past that helps reveal what happened to the relationship between Liv and Sam, and the current mystery, was the best part of this book.

I do feel like the pacing issues of the book diminished my enjoyment and then I felt like the ending of the book was lackluster.

Overall I thought it was an enjoyable read and the mystery fantasy aspect drew me in from page one.

I am interested to read more from this author.

Received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.