Well, another eerie but strangely alluring fantasy thriller with spooky witchy and feminist vibes left me with complex feelings! The best thing about this book is the dual mysteries: one about the past, involving the failing friendship between two girls, and the other in the present, where Sam vanishes under suspicious circumstances. I was captivated by the creepy, sensational witchy Sisterhood vibes and the balanced pace that kept me guessing about where the story was heading. One of the twists, which I didn't see coming, was truly heartbreaking.

The only thing that held me back from giving this book a full five stars was the somewhat vague message at the end, and I didn't fully enjoy the conclusion. Additionally, I didn't really like each of the characters. Even Sam, who seemed like the victim of the story, was bossy, unpredictable, and manipulative instead of being a supportive friend. The main character, Liv, was also a bit clueless about people's motives and was too easily charmed by Eden and Cora’s eccentric ways. And Liv’s fiancé, Noah, insisting on having nearly half a dozen children made my eyes roll. Is this guy for real? He felt like a character from another century.

Anyway, I’m still rounding my 3.5 stars up to 4 surprising, magical, but also spookily horrific stars for this book. Here's a quick recap of the plot:

Meet Liv Edwards, 26 years old, recently laid off from a paralegal job she hated, engaged to her boyfriend of eight years, Noah, and sharing a beautiful apartment in Boston. She receives a suspicious message from her estranged high school friend Sam, folded into the shape of a heart just like the notes they used to share. It seems like Sam is in trouble and needs Liv’s help. These close friends had a big fallout in the past related to something unforgivable that Liv had done. With guilt churning inside her, Liv decides to return to her hometown, leaving behind her unhappy family life where her parents always fought and she dealt with it alone after her sister left for college.

As soon as she arrives, she finds herself in the middle of an investigation into Sam's disappearance. It seems like her friend has completely changed, living and working with Eden and Cora in a fancy bridal boutique, even though she rejected Eden’s dark, cultish group in high school. While tracing the footsteps of her missing friend, Liv finds herself tasting Cora’s exquisite cakes, trying on couture gowns, and getting drawn into the mysterious and strange web of these two women and their eccentric attributes, which makes her question her own relationship with her fiancé.

What if Sam didn't go to Europe as presumed and put her life in danger by getting involved with these two women? How far is Liv willing to go to pay her debts and find her friend, even if it means endangering her own life?

Overall, it’s a well-paced, mysterious fantasy that allures you from the first page, keeping you rattled and excited till the end. I mostly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more works by the author in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Bantam for sharing this intriguing book’s digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Between the magic and the mystery of the missing friend, Under Her Spell has such a captivating premise. And even though it's well-written, the pacing just did not hold my attention. I can't figure out exactly why — maybe because Liv is propelling herself to solve this mystery, but there's no real tension around it or her involvement? Likewise, the reappearance of Eden felt more lackluster than it should be.

As much as I wanted to enjoy this book, I could not compel myself to keep reading. Obviously, it wasn't a fit for me, but I hope other readers will enjoy it more.

Thank you to the publisher for my arc!


This was an interesting read. the story was fast paced and kept me intrigued however the ending was super lackluster to me. I wanted more of a reveal instead of we kind of got one and then it was kind of just swept under the rug.

Wonderful and enchanting. I really enjoyed this book and the characters. I am absolutely going to go back and read the author's first book.