This is a slow burn. As in slooooooooooow. I kept waiting for something to happen but the pacing was just off. The writing was dark and atmospheric, but it was a bit disjointed. I was invested in the story from the beginning but quickly lost interest, it just didn’t move fast enough to keep me engaged. I found myself skimming quite a bit, waiting for something to happen.

Under Her Spell by K.L. Cerra was a perfectly fine murder mystery. At times, it felt a little cliche and the writing a little clunky. But, in the end, the tension and atmosphere were well-done and I don't regret having read it.

This was my first book by this author and now I'm very excited to go back and read her other book, this was so good. I devoured it in less than 24 hours due to how gripped I was by the story. I loved all the body and insect horror, the witchy aspects, it was fantastic. This almost read more like a horror novel than a mystery/thriller to me but I'm not complaining by any means.

Thanks so much to Random House Publishing - Ballantine | Bantam for the gifted copy for my review!

I really liked Liv. The story was interesting. There wasn't as much supernatural to the plot as I expected. I think this will appeal to fans of the movie The Craft.

The premise of the book was great- and the writing was good where my attention was caught and I couldn't wait to finish reading to see how it ended. Unfortunately the ending was disappointing as it left so many unanswered questions so it was such a let down.

Man, I wanted to love this. Beautiful cover, really cool premise, witchy concepts, etc. but it just felt so bland. I was annoyed with the main character for waking up not remembering what happened to her and being like, “WELP, oh well!” I guess I just wanted to understand her internal thoughts more?! It just fell flat for me.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The synopsis sounds a lot more benign tan. This story truly is! It has a lot of paranormal parts which I didn’t expect. But I embraced it and was determined to see how the story ended. Can women have a family AND a fulfilling career? I’d like to say yes as I feel I myself do. But being ff a wife and mom definitely takes away a lot of your individuality, understandably. Liv returns to the town where she graduated and lost her best friend, Sam, after receiving a note that Sam is in trouble and needs her help. She returns to find two high school classmates entrancing her and convincing her of different things. It’s a wild story but enjoyable!

3 stars

I have really mixed feelings about this book. It is an adult fantasy thriller following the perspective of Liv in both past and present setting. On one hand I loved the writing, everything was well paced. I liked some of the twists and turns and the main focus was really on circumstances happening around Liv and relationships from the past coming back into her life.
On the other side the magic was really vague, how it worked, and some was just snuck into the end of history with no back story. Some things were very predictable, while the story was fine, it got a little slow because I just saw a number of things coming. I think that there were a number of great things about this and some that needed some work so I am rating this 3 stars. I still had a fun and entertaining time reading this.
Trigger warnings: domestic abuse, child endangerment
I received an advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

K.L Cerra’s Under Her Spell begins with a promising idea: what if you could help a bride see the fate of her marriage and, thus, life (in the shown cases, always bad) before she marries and could prevent the bad from happening? This is a great concept that unfortunately falls flat.

Episodic with flat characters (the main character Liv begins the novel as a teenager and shows no sign of maturity by age 26), this novel may appeal for the seasonal quick read of witches and spells and gratuitous gruesomeness. The author is very good at creating atmosphere, scary woods, weird houses. I do wish that the characters had developed more; that Liv who sees that both her mother and sister are struggling would actually interact with them beyond one scene and displace her self-involvement; that Liv’s supposed darkness had been explored further to enhance the opening scene.

Lastly, I felt that Under Her Spell was trying to make a statement about women and their role but it came out garbled, especially in light of the final pages. But if you’re looking for seasonal sensations, maybe that’s not important.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy.

Under Her Spell follows Liv as she tries to find her missing former best friend while also trying to hide her dark magical secret.

This book has everything I love about- magical realism, witchiness, friendship. I did enjoy the story but it fell a little flat in many areas. I just didn’t connect with the characters like I wanted to. I also wasn’t a fan of the ending but I did enjoy the ride of getting there.

I’ll plan to read any future books by KL Cerra because I enjoyed her writing and the world she built.

Under Her Spell by K. L. Cerra is a captivating blend of romance and fantasy that draws readers into a world of magic and desire. The story follows a young woman who discovers her latent powers and navigates the complexities of love and self-acceptance while dealing with unexpected challenges. Cerra’s lyrical writing and well-developed characters bring depth to the narrative, making it an engaging exploration of relationships and personal growth. With its enchanting plot and romantic tension, this novel is a delightful escape for fans of magical love stories.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Under Her Spell starts when Liv gets a letter from her friends and goes back to her hometown where she discovers that her friend is missing. Honestly, I love when books start that way. There is something about someone going back to their hometown after a long time and walking into a mystery that I just enjoy.

This had a hint of paranormal and magical realism that added quite a bit to the enjoyment I had while reading this book.

I definitely need to check out this author and their future work!

Thank you to K.L. Cerra, Bantam, and NetGalley for an eARC of Under Her Spell!

Spoilers ahead!

This book was not what I expected but still an pretty interesting read. I feel like the story was too unresolved at the end and there were too many questions left unanswered - especially if there isn't going to be a sequel - but I did enjoy the book up until this point!

There were definitely some fall spooky vibes with this book which made it a great September read. From the beginning the author has the reader interested in the sisterhood, trying to figure out what exactly they are capable of and why they are both shunned and revered. I thought the concept of their wedding planning business was actually an interesting twist and I did want to see more examples of how Liv could "help" their brides.

I felt like I needed more from both sides of the story - past and present. Liv was navigating multiple relationships - Sam and Sam's brother in high school, then Eden and Cora and Liv's fiance in the present. With so many close friendships developing I never felt as though I got to know anyone enough to understand their true intentions.

I am a bit salty about the way Liv treated Sam's brother - the dude actually really seemed to like her and after the accident she just ditched him. I mean, I get it - but knowing he was a bit of a play boy in high school but he was asking her to take a gap year and travel with him. And there was no mention of him being with other girls at the time. I'm sure Sam would have rubbed it in Liv's face if she knew! I truly felt bad for the guy when his twin went missing.

I would definitely like to hear more from this story. Who is Liv's husband? How did they meet? Did the detectives just drop the case after the one letter from 'Sam"? Does the sisterhood bond affect Liv's daughter or husband at all since the bond said Liv could essentially not have a love life? Does Liv's gaping wound bother her for the rest of her life? Is there any way to sever it?

My need for answers to these questions and not having a true resolution has me rating the book 3/5 stars.

This was dark and eerie and about a girl who goes back to her hometown when her high school best friend reaches out with a letter and then goes missing. It’s told from two different time periods of the main characters life—back in HS and current day.

I wasn’t sure what to expect and it took a dark turn that I didn’t see coming. It was intriguing but I found the main character hard to like and some of the plot points a little… meh (like her fiance wanting so many kids all of a sudden and that being such a deal breaker when they’d been together for 8 years. The topic of children really hadn’t come up deep enough to know their feelings?

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Under Her Spell wasn’t for me. Sam and Liv stopped being friends a long time ago. Their friendship had issues to begin with then they stopped talking. Sam sends Liv a random note that is concerning and the reason for Liv to get so caught up in the investigation doesn’t work for me.

Next thing is the whole Sisterhood thing. Not my cup of tea. Initially I didn’t mind the eerieness of it but once it was made to be real I lost all interest.

I do think Under Her Spell can appeal to a certain audience, it just wasn’t for me.

I absolutely love this cover & book💙 Night Worms introduced me to this author by including Such Pretty Flowers in a subscription box last year, so when I saw that K. L. Cerra had a new book, I knew I had to read it!

Under Her Spell is full of magic and witchy vibes. It’s told from the main character, Liv’s POV. Liv receives a letter from her estranged high school best friend and returns to her hometown when she realizes that her friend, Sam, is missing. Liv starts talking to former classmates to try to figure out what happened to Sam.

The magical realism in the story makes it a perfect read for this time of year.

Thank you Bantam Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review. This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website.

Liv has what appears to be the perfect life - great job, she's engaged, cool town of Boston. But she gets a note from her ex-best friend Sam asking for help. Liv goes home to try to help find her friend. Returning home is weird in a lot of ways and she still feels the dislike of the people she knew growing up because of what had happened between her and her friend Sam. Liv discovers when she is home that Sam had changed and now hangs out with girls who were known for witchcraft in high school. Liv has a interesting journey as she searches for Sam.

Liv returns to her hometown to investigate her high school friends disappearance, after she receives a mysterious note from her. She soon finds herself embroiled in a deadly web of half truths, coverups and dark magic.

The book is described as a suspense/thriller but its definitely more a mystery wrapped up in witch craft. I'm not a fan of overt mysticism, so this wasn't really for me. I enjoyed the past and present narratives, and that's mainly what kept me reading. The ending was extremely underwhelming and felt very rushed after the slow burn of the rest of the novel.

Thank You NetGalley for the free e-galley.
*Pub Date: Sept 10, 2024

If you are looking for a fall/Halloween read, Under Her Spell provides the right magic. Set in New England, Liv appears to have it all in her mid-twenties: a kind and successful, plans to attend law school and her upcoming wedding. She has worked hard to put the past behind her, including dark thoughts that can sometimes lead to trouble. When she receives a note from Sam, her high school best friend, stating she needs help, Liv feels that her perfectly crafted world is about be cracked wide open. Liv and Sam stopped speaking after high school and Liv has never recovered from their friendship ending. Feeling she owes it to Sam, she returns home only to find out that Sam may be in danger. When Liv starts investigating, she discovers she doesn't recognize Sam or her life anymore. Her good friends, Eden and Cora, didn't associate with many in high school, as they had their own unique circle, reported her missing and soon seem to adopt Liv. As she uncovers the dark truth, Liv may have to face her own powers within to save herself.

Told in alternating timelines, both high school and the present, K. L. Cerra illustrates a story of close friendship, first loves and betrayal that sparks with magic-both good and evil. I really liked my first novel by Cerra and found myself flying through the story as there are a few twists and unexpected surprises along the way. I love spooky, magical reads this time of year and look forward to her next books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I liked that there was a lot happening in this book but I could not stand any of the characters and I found it very difficult to get through because I just didn’t like any of them. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.