I love a good mystery and this one has the great added twist of a witchy vibe. Making this read perfect for the fall season. I the only reason this is a 3 star and not a 4 star, is that I’m not a fan of constant flashbacks throughout the entirety of a book. If you don’t mind flashbacks, then this is the perfect fall book for you!!

***I don’t like to be negative about books I’ve read, so I won’t be posting a review on instagram or TikTok

Under Her Spell is a paranormal streaked mystery. The book sucked me and held me captive for the first 2/3 and then kind of sizzled out with the last 1/3. Liv gets a letter from her friend, Sam who she hasn’t spoken to since high school and now Sam is missing. Liv goes back to her hometown to search for her friend. The story is told in alternating past and present timelines where Liv uncovers black magic and a horrifying turn of events. I think I expected too much for the ending I just found the spookiness/scary elements underwhelming and was disappointed with the ending. This one was just okay for me. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

I was super intrigued by the premise of this one, specifically the magical elements, but ultimately this one fell a little short for me. There was a lot going on that I struggled to keep up with at times and found the characters to lack development through the story. Just a little slow in points, but I did like the plot twist.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, Bantam Books for the opportunity to read an ARC of Under Her Spell by K. L. Cerra; my review reflects my honest opinion. I struggled with this book as I am not a fan of the fantasy genre. The more I read, the more I struggled. While not my cup of tea, I do believe the book was well written, and would be very satisfying to fans of fantasy and suspense. 3 stars.

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately, I must say that this one missed the mark for me. I felt that the story was all over the place and provided too many details that ended up being unnecessary and irrelevant. I love a background in books, but the high school history told in this book is really just extra pages. There was simply no need for all of it.

It took me over a month to finish this book and I am usually a book a day kind of person. I just couldn’t get into the story because it seemed so fantastical and strange.

Despite my thoughts on this book in particular, I do feel that the author has an excellent creative mind and I am interested in reading more by her!

This book has a little bit of everything - mystery, fantasy, friendship. The book was well written and I enjoyed the story.

3.5/5

cw: blood, death, insects, grotesque scenes, corpses, torture, manipulation

What a story. Wow. Liv’s journey to discover the truth about Sam is engaging, grotesque, eerie, and mysterious. It has a slow, but massively intriguing build up. I just kept asking myself what is happening? I found myself drawn to just keep reading to unravel this mystery. Once the story does start to unravel it was non-stop crazy till the end. I could not believe what I was reading.

I really liked the Epilogue for this one. It showed how much Liv is still dealing with the ramifications of that time of her life.

This dark mystery is told in dual timelines from the point of view of the main character Liv. The plot intricately weaves the past and the present to show why certain things are happening. The author does a great job of describing the settings and how it plays a part in the story. The characters are interesting and entertaining. The dialogue is witty and easy to understand. An overall good read.

Under Her Spell
by K. L. Cerra
Pub Date: Sep 10 2024

Under Her Spell is a well paced addicting mystery about a woman who returns to her home town to investigate her childhood friend's disappearance and soon finds herself in a web of half truths, cover-ups and dark magic.

I liked the writing style, the characters were very likable. It was a dark story with very spooky vibes! If you're a fan of gothic suspense, witches and dark magic, I highly recommend this book!

Many thanks to #UnderHerSpell #NetGalley and #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine #Bantam for providing me with an E-ARC of this great Book!

I really enjoyed this book! I must admit, I did not read the entire preview of what the book was about. I requested it thinking it was a mystery. (And it was, but with a twist!) I was a little surprised when the witchcraft aspect came into it, but I think it was really brilliantly done. There was one point where my mouth was actually gaping open at the turn of events that unfolded. It was so good! I loved the characters and the writing style. The only thing I did not really like was the last page, mainly the very last line of the book. I turned the page on my Kindle and was like oh? That's it? However, I am glad there may be a sequel one day (I hope!). It definitely left the door open for another, if that is what the author wishes.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions.

I uploaded my review to Goodreads. I will upload it to Amazon on publication day.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and K. L. Cerra for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Under Her Spell coming out September 10, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I received it directly from NetGalley. I was intrigued by the plot. I really love dark secrets and mysteries. I loved the first half of the book with Liv’s mysterious past in high school and what happened to Sam. I wasn’t feeling the second half of the book or the ending as much. There were some witchy vibes, but it wasn’t enough for me. I liked it, but I wasn’t obsessed. I would check out other books by this author!

I only made it to the 50% mark and then gave up on this, so I am only rating off what I read. Albeit, I didn’t get to any of the twists, I’m not sure they would have paid off. Reading this was like being in a fever dream, which many might enjoy. There was too much going on. I liked the witches aspect, but every character was unlikeable and it felt like there was more focus on Liv’s relationship than trying to figure out what happened to Sam. If you enjoy The Craft or The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, maybe give this one a try, but it’s a miss for me.

I love a book with witchy vibes!
When Liv receives a letter from her estranged childhood friend asking for help she feels she MUST go. But the more she learns, the stranger it is. Why was Sam living with THOSE girls. ( You know the ones!) And where was she now? Then— Liv begins to be part of their lives too. But to what end? And where is Sam?
Mysterious and a little eerie! But a good read!

Thank you to Netgalley for an early read!

I’m not sure what I think about this book. I thought it was going to be more about the disappearance of Liv’s friend. That kinda took a back seat to girl power. This book has some magical witchy type feel to it. It also kinda felt like a Ya book but that could just me.

A light read, full of suspense. I always had that little doubt about the sisterhood but I liked the plot twist. It was a bit slow at the beginning but you are left with the intrigue of knowing what happened, so you keep reading. The story catches you at the moment, it reveals the truth of the disappearance but then I think the ending fell short of what was happening.

(I always like when the author adds the title to the story.)


Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to review the ARC.

Under Her Spell by K. L. Cerra is a captivating tale of a woman who revisits her hometown to unravel the mystery of her childhood friend's disappearance. As she delves deeper into the investigation, she becomes entangled in a dangerous web of deceit, secrets, and sinister sorcery. The stunning yet eerie setting of the story had me completely enthralled from the very beginning to the final page. This gripping narrative was impossible to set aside, keeping me awake into the early hours of the morning and leaving me with a lingering sense of longing for more.

"Under Her Spell" sounded like my cup of tea. Dark, witchy, a murder... The premise was enticing and I loved the description. However, once I sank my teeth into it, the characters lacked ANY development whatsoever. That is one of my biggest pet peeves when I am investing my time reading a book. I also had a lot of plot issues. Why are we in the past so much? This is probably the reason our current characters failed to develop. Not a bad premise, or a bad book, but could certainly use a bit of re-working.

This book is a captivating feminist, witchy mystery that delves into the complexities of women's lives after marriage and the nuances of female friendships. It invites readers to ponder the roles and expectations placed on women, weaving these themes into a suspenseful narrative.

At the heart of the story is the enigmatic disappearance of Sam, intertwined with the peculiar dynamics of the sisterhood involving Eden and Cora. Their presence adds an undercurrent of danger that keeps readers on edge. Liv, our perceptive protagonist, is acutely aware of the strange behavior people exhibit around these women. She's baffled that Sam, who once disliked them in high school, has become their roommate. Driven by curiosity and concern, Liv embarks on a quest for answers, uncovering secrets that shed light on Eden and Cora's mysterious past activities.

The suspense in this novel is expertly crafted, keeping me on the edge of my seat, fervently hoping for Liv's escape. Her journey is not just about solving a mystery but also about self-discovery and challenging societal norms.

What makes this book particularly thought-provoking is its exploration of motherhood and marriage. While I found myself agreeing with some points and questioning others, the narrative pushes readers to reflect on these themes deeply. The contrast between the Sisterhood's radical views on marriage and Liv's future in the epilogue adds a rich, compelling layer to the story.

Overall, this book is a must-read for those who enjoy a blend of mystery, feminism, and a touch of the supernatural, all wrapped in a story that challenges and entertains in equal measure.

Thank you, Ballantine and NetGalley, for the free E-book for review.

A friend’s surprising disappearance brings a woman to her hometown to investigate only to find herself entwined within a mystery stranger and more tangled than ever anticipated in K.L. Cerra’s Under Her Spell.
Presenting the appearance of having a seemingly perfect life with the home, fiancé, and career lined up, Liv has worked hard to suppress a darkness that often lurks within her; when she receives a strange note asking for help from a best friend from high school, Sam, who has disappeared Liv returns to her hometown to do what she can to investigate and help feeling guilt over how their friendship fractured. What Liv learns of the woman Sam’s become in the years since they’ve parted ways adds to the mystery, with Sam working and living with Eden and Cora, girls who comprised what was known as the Sisterhood, a group Sam had warned Liv to steer clear from as teens. Reconnecting with Eden and Cora in search of answers, Liv learns more about their unique bridal boutique, which offers far more than just their gowns, jewelry, and cakes; in learning the truth behind it all, and what happened to Sam, Liv has a choice to make whether she’s willing to fully embrace the dark reality of what it takes to help the women who walk through the boutique’s doors.
Alternating between timelines now as an adult and then as a teenager in high school to develop the narrative, the story’s intrigue builds and the friendship between Liv and Sam is established and evolved, providing some context behind the Sisterhood to help explain why Liv is drawn so deeply into the mystery of Sam’s disappearance, the fraught nature of their fractured relationship that kept them separated for years, and the ominous note asking for help; however, the pacing between the two timelines is inconsistent and there’s a massive ramp up in speed and action in the last small portion that makes the ending feel as if it’s too quick and oddly resolved. A suitably eerie atmosphere is established through the strange events taking place that seem to have an inexplicable nature and the setting for them in a richly historied, small New England town is befitting of a spooky, autumnal spirit. Centering the story around women and the bonds between them, both positive and negative, a fairly singular exploration of the concept of “having it all” that is frequently discussed and debated shines through in a haunting way even if it’s a bit of a tired refrain.
Overall, I’d give it a 3 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This paranormal sort of thriller moves back and forth in time to tell the story of the relationship between Liv and Sam in the past and what happens when Sam disappears in the present. Know that everyone is in their mid-20s so there isn't that much of a time shift. What's with Cora and Eden who have a bridal boutique and want Liv to focus on her upcoming wedding rather than looking for Sam? I wanted to like this more than I did and I'm sure others will- the writing is good but there was a spark missing. No spoilers from me on the paranormal part. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.