What I Liked
- It’s true that I am a sucker for magical realism in YA contemporary books, as even though I know it’s not *technically* possible/scientifically accurate, it still allows a girl like me to dream 😍 I really liked how the author developed the “love potions” concept. While love potions may (sadly) not exist in real life, for what it’s worth, I could definitely see this happening in an alternate universe! (P.S. if anyone happens to have directions to this alternate universe, please let me know!)
- I also really liked the way that Rowan’s quirky personality leaped off the page. She was cynical in the best and funniest possible way, relatable on a personal level, and tons of fun!
- Speaking of characters, I couldn’t get enough of Rowan’s lipstick-wearing and culinary genius BFF, Ethan! Ethan was such an awesome addition to the storyline, and while I didn’t always agree with a couple of the actions he took (like running off to NYC with his new boyfriend instead of keeping his childhood promise to Rowan to visit the city with her), I still really liked how natural and real his friendship with Rowan felt.

What I…Didn’t
- Honestly, while I really loved Luca’s (AKA Rowan’s love interest) characterization, I sadly just could not get past the extreme insta-lovey-ness of their relationship. It literally only takes them a few days to start dating after seeing each other outside of school for the first time. And okay, *maybe* this is just my demi-ness showing, but even still, it just felt waaaaayyy too rushed and entirely unrealistic, which was definitely a little disappointing.

OVERALL:
If you’re looking for a cute YA contemporary to get into the Valentine’s day spirit, I definitely think Love Spells and Other Disasters is a great selection. Filled with witty banter, awesome friendships, swoony moments, and *just* the right amount of magic, this book is sure to warm your heart on a cold winter's night.

I love this book more than words could explain!! I love Rowan and her Quirkiness. The fact that Rowan does not believe in magic, even with her Mother being who she is, gives an opening to just how crazy things will begin to appear. Many relationships evolve as the “spell writing” continues for it’s class projected course. The author has done an amazing job with connecting this story to YA readers. The writing style was absolutely spot on! I personally really enjoyed this book and all of the extra elements that are mixed in.

** I would like to say a very special “Thank YOU” to NetGalley as well as Entangled Publishing LLC for the { #GIFTED } copy of this book to read and review!!

If you like magic and are into stories about modern-day witches, this book might be the one for you. I like that the author just went with the magic premise, and dove right in. The love story isn't quite believable, and everything seems a bit too easy, but this is a fun little book.

So, this is such a lovely and entertaining book! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book about love spells working? But it was so cool!
So, the story follows Rowan, who is a junior at high school (I think? I don’t really remember the school system in the US) who is considered "weird" because her mom is kinda a celebrity in the paranormal world; so, Rowan has only one friend, Ethan, who is an excellent chef and someday will be a famous makeup artist. One day, a teacher asks the students to partner up and come up with an idea in order to raise money for a charity event and Rowan ends up with one of the most popular girls in school named Abby, who proposes the idea of selling love spells. Rowan is reluctant at first but then caves in because she feels like she owes Abby. Then, unexpectedly, they realise that the love spells actually work *gasp*
The book was full of enjoyable moments, but my favourite one was with Rowan's mom.

I will start by saying, I am not a fantasy person. I have read a few fantasy novels but never run to them. My brain struggles to buy into the magic.
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The funny thing about that is that is Rowan. Rowan struggles to buy into magic that she is creating herself and I think that is why I enjoyed this fantasy novel.
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This story is a wild ride full of magic, ghosts, and clichy high schoolers. This story demonstrates ways to accept individuals as they are. This story supports the LGBTQIA+ community. This story shows support for individuals with disability.
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This story has a heavy focus on ethics and choosing to do what is right even when others are telling you otherwise.
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The ending to the romance portion of this story was abrupt and didn’t really work for me, but I still enjoyed this story.

This is a really cute story. The characters were well written and I thought the author did a great job of presenting their past history together so you got a sense of where the friendships and rivalries stood right off the bat. I also thought the characters were really fun and compelling to read. I also appreciated the way the author presented the magic angle. The book showed the importance of giving magic the proper respect while tying the message into giving people the proper respect. Overall it’s a really fun read perfect for February or anytime you want a pick me up.

Thank you NetGalley and Entagled Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

First of all, STUNNING cover. I absolutely love it.

I thought this was a cute, fun YA romance. I enjoyed the magical aspect of the story. I was really hoping it wouldn't be too cliché because I saw the "shy girl" and the "football hottie". It was a relief when I read it and realized that it is so much more than that.

That being said, it was still a bit cheesey and I could often predict what was going to happen.

Overall, it was still a good book and I enjoyed reading it!

This is an unusual story of school years, romance and magic but somehow it blends together into an entertaining and heartwarming novel. Firstly can I comment that the cover is one of the cutest I’ve seen in a while (totally judging a book by its cover I knew I’d love this read before picking it up).

This book sat precariously on the edge of real life and an alternate life where magic exists. We’re talking actual spells. This is the kind of novel that doesn’t usually sit right with me because it doesn’t know what world it wants to live in. But somehow Angie Barrett managed to smash it. Maybe she’s got a little magic up her own sleeve? This is a perfect YA read that steps just a little outside the normal realms and into something brilliant.

Love Spells and Other Disasters by Angie Barett is a quick, fun read that is perfect for February. A girl that is skeptical of anything paranormal despite the fact that her mother is an expert on ghosts finds herself writing love spells that actually work for a school project. Of course, as they always do when tampering with magic and love, things go terribly wrong.

The story was mostly light-hearted but highlighted some issues that a lot of teens face, like peer pressure and the desire to fit in. Rowan, the main character, makes a lot of mistakes in the story as she navigates writing love spells and becoming part of the popular crowd by dating the former football star, Luca. As the story progresses, she finds a way to fix things and grows along the way.

I personally really loved how Rowan had to find a solution to her love spells gone wrong on her own. I think doing it on her own really highlighted her character growth. She truly had to work at it, accept things about herself, and face the consequences of her actions. It wasn’t as easy as writing a counterspell. I adored how she went about fixing things with her peers, and it’s honestly a solution that would apply in a lot of situations when trying to make up for mistakes.

I did, however, find the stereotypical cliques a tad cringy. In particular, there was a scene during a party at the popular, rich kid’s house that did not sit well with me. Although I understood how the cliques worked for the story and Rowan’s character, it felt a bit over the top. Rowan was already an outsider because of her mother’s unusual profession and her past history with the popular girl. The football clique and their girlfriends seemed a bit unnecessary.

Overall, if you’re looking for a fun, quick read with some light magic and romance, I do recommend Love Spells and Other Disasters by Angie Barrett, releasing on February 1, 2021.

Trust me when I say, there is nothing in the world more socially crippling than having a mother who rehabilitates ghosts for a living"

Thank you for accepting my request for this book in net galley in exchange for an honest review.

Quirky and unexpected, this book is unlike any other book that I have ever read. Perfect for fans of beach read and contemporary books!

This book was not what I have expected. The start was a bit cliché, yes but, as the story goes this book turns out to be more mature than I expected. Topics like acceptance and understanding yourself and the people around are a big topic in this book and I learned a lot about it from this book.

The book started out pretty slowly and it was quite difficult for me to get used to the writing style of this book but, after that, it was all smooth sailing. With that said I still think that the book can be more compact and it feels like there are too many details in this book and there are times when the story feels stagnant.

The characters of this book are very relatable. I like how this book highlights the relationship of each of the characters and how their relationship develops over time.

The ending of this book was superb. I have been having problems with unsatisfying endings these days but, this book gave me one of the most fulfilling endings.

With that being said I really enjoyed reading this book and it is definitely one of those books that you just have to read!

"Love spells and other disasters" was a fun, light read with an interesting plot. The book was not very long and it was very fast paced. The narration was in first person. The writing style was articulate and elegant. I loved all the supernatural elements in it.

The story is about Rowan, a normal girl in high school. She gets paired up with her enemy, Abby for a school project. Abby decides that she wants booth for Crush spells or love spells. This is really important to her because she wants a reference from the teacher for her college application. Rowan owes one to her and so she reluctantly agrees to it.

Rowan's is a Parapsychologist and she is quite famous. Her mom believes in all things supernatural. Rowan's best friend is Ethan, who is a sweet kind boy. She also gets into a relationship with Luca, who is super fab ex- jock. So, as Rowan starts writing the love spells as a joke, she soon realises that they are all working. All the couples actually hook up. Is her spells actually working? Is she a witch? Will her meddling have huge consequences? Read to find out.

Overall, it was a fun light read. Perfect for a cozy evening at home.

This was a delightful and magical read about friendship, family, and making hard choices.

It was fun to get to know Rowan and her mom. They both have fun personalities and lives that I wish I saw more of in YA books. Rowan's mom is a paranormal psychologist, or as most people call her, a ghost hunter. She has all the knowledge and abilities to help people connect to their dead relatives, and is famous for her extensive paranormal work.

As it relates to Rowan, I loved seeing her growth and acceptance when it came to her mom and her mom's profession. I feel like that was where I saw the biggest development in Rowan's character, but certainly not the only place. Rowan also matures a great deal in this book. I think that was something I loved the most about this book was that Rowan wasn't perfect and acted very much like a teenager. She didn't always know the right thing to do or the best way to handle situations. She acted rashly sometimes and jumped into new relationships without much thought. It was refreshing to see a perfectly flawed character with a lot to learn.

That being said, the relationship between her and Luca was good, but not my favorite. They moved very quickly which was super off-putting at first, but attested to the fact that she was a teenager and just wanted to be loved by a handsome guy. As the book moved on, I began to understand why their relationship had to unfold the way it did. I didn't like seeing things move so quickly, but for the sake of the plot, I understand why it happened. I do think things were properly wrapped up in the end with them so that really saved their relationship for me.

Also, I initially thought Rowan's best friend was going to be a great addition to the story, however, I was kinda disappointed by him. I think he was a bad friend and was never really called out for it. Maybe that's just me, but he ended up being my least favorite character.

Overall, I enjoyed this sparkling romantic and magical book. Rowan was a great main character and I loved seeing her grow and learn so much about the world she lived in and how she wanted to contribute to it. I recommend this book for those who don't mind a little insta-love and enjoy seeing wonderful growth in a character.

I’m not a huge contemporary reader. It’s just not something that I’ve ever gotten into but this book makes me want to get into them! It was the perfect blend of modern contemporary romance and magical goodness! It is about a girl named Rowan who doesn’t really fit in until she partners up with the most popular girl in school for a project! They decide to write love spells for people and it isn’t meant to be serious until people actually start falling in love. Although the spells seem to be working great, things don’t exactly go as planned! The last 60 pages or so definitely had me hooked and I just had to keep reading to see if everything ended up working out in the end! This was such a light and fun read that I definitely suggest you check out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled: Teen for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review

If you love magic, mayhem, and romance this IS the book for you. (ALSO have you SEEN this cover?!)

*Please check the bottom of this review for a small list of trigger warnings for this book

* Publication Day post on Instagram will be coming soon

When I first picked up this arc I was kind of expecting a cliché, "I'm not like other girls' book but when I tell you that this book went beyond the scope it really did. This book had a very unique premise which is what initially piqued my interest but once I started reading I could NOT put it down.

There were definitely a few clichés in this book but I loved the way this author incorporated them into the book! Rowan is our MC and she starts out as the typical 'weird girl' with one friend but once she get paired up with stereotypical Abby to do a project where she starts making love spells everything changes. This is when the story gets interesting in fast because next thing you know the love spells are working! This of course sets off the rest of the book (which I will not be spoiling) and I have to say that I really liked this book.

Besides the main premise of this book, I thought the romance was going to be very cliched too but was again pleasantly surprised by what the author was able to do in this book. I was very happy to see that this was a sex positive book and that even if there were some 'loner girl makeover' moments it did not suddenly change the MC or the course of the book.

Though this book comes off as a very fluffy and easy going book, it is not. There are some very real topics covered (not necessarily explained/discussed) that may trigger someone <spoiler>domestic abuse, possible sexual abuse, vague/fades to darkness sex scene</spoiler>. I will say that some of the heavier feelings in this book were unexpected but I think they played out well and I definitely recommend this book. I will say that I am holding out for a paperback edition to become available because I NEED to own a copy of this book!

Title: Love Spells and Other Disasters
Author: Angie Barrett
Pub. Date: February 1, 2021
Rating: 3.5

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled: Teen for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved the premise of this book, but unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected to.

I was so excited when I saw this on NetGalley and after reading the synopsis, I knew I wanted to read it. So, I was really happy and surprised when I was approved. This is a pretty quick and enjoyable read – I knocked it out in handful of hours. But there was something about it that just kept pulling me from the story.

I don’t know if it was secondhand embarrassment, too much cringe and cheese, or what, but I kept having to stop reading. The writing felt a little stilted and unnatural, but not enough to really draw a complaint. I still was sucked in and emotionally with the characters. But, I do think the pacing was off, stuff happened so quickly and that created a barrier against getting to know the characters. And because the pace was so fast, I think the relationships between characters were sacrificed.
I get that the whole magic element in the book ultimately changes the relationships, but the more I read, the less I believed in them.

Then there’s the whole magic element itself. While I loved the premise of this girl accidentally finding out she can cast love spells and they actually work, I didn’t understand the existence of magic in this contemporary world. Maybe I don’t necessarily believe that Ghost Hunting and magic go hand in hand, or maybe it just wasn’t explained properly, but it just felt weird.

I expected Rowan’s ability to cast love spells to be an utter fluke, just this little quirk she has, but in reality, it goes a hell of a lot deeper. I also didn’t understand how people were just “yep, magic, just another Tuesday” about it.
On one hand, it’s like the world knew about magic, but you only know if you know. Does that make sense? Like, no one was concerned, no one really questioned it. So, does magic overtly exist in this world, or are people just chill with whatever?

Overall, I didn’t hate this book. I didn’t love it as much as I expected, but that’s okay. The relationship between Rowan and Luca was cute and her friendship with Ethan was so much fun. Ultimately, I wish that the magic system (or lack thereof) had been explained a little better. With how it stands, it’s legit driving me crazy. If you’re looking for a quick, cute and enjoyable read, I do recommend this. You’ll bust it out in one sitting and the premise is really fun.

Love Spells and Other Disasters was a sweet and charming YA rom-com with a hint of magic. When Rowan gets paired with her nemesis, Abby, in a school business project, she gets pressured into selling love spells to her peers, knowing that they are just for entertainment… until they’re not. The spells she writes start working, forcing Rowan to face the consequences and her own abilities. I enjoyed the plot of this a lot. Magic chaos is always a favorite story element of mine, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it happen in an everyday context. Rowan’s life has always revolved around the paranormal with her mother’s career, and I thought the understanding of the unexplained was a good tie in with the reality of the magical elements and Rowan’s blossoming abilities. While I enjoyed the story, everything from the plot to the characters felt a little too surface level to me. I was intrigued by the ideas, but would have liked to get in deeper on every level- It felt like a bit of telling vs. showing. I connected with Rowan and loved her relationship with her mom, but her relationship with her love interest, Luca, was insta-lovey. He was almost too perfect and their romance escalated way too fast for me, even though it was sweet. I did appreciate the maturity and non-toxicness of their relationship though. I had trouble really connecting to any of the other characters, especially Rowan’s best friend, Ethan. He was not a very good friend to her, even when he wasn’t under a spell, and I wish I could have witnessed the strength of their connection instead of just being told that they were best friends. The events of the plot were great, but I wanted more depth to help suck me in and be able to experience the story. That being said, this was a quick and fun read that I enjoyed and I finished it with a smile on my face.

Love Spells and Other Disasters will appeal to anyone looking for a cute teen romance to get them in the mood for Valentine’s Day, or anyone wanting a story they don’t have to be entirely present for after a long day.

The magic elements are fun, and the author certainly knows how to describe an appealing love interest. I hardly know Luca but at least I know he’s got some serious arm muscles — arguably the best trait a YA boyfriend can have. The love spells are so obviously a bad idea but they lead to some rather entertaining high school shenanigans and several couple tropes I always like to see play out, regardless of how messy they can be. The paranormal elements aren’t nearly as present as I would have expected and the magical elements are a bit more subtle, but the swoon-worthy romance shows up and that’s key in Rowan’s story succeeding.

This is very much a surface-level YA story with blatantly stereotypical characters that use over the top dialogue and constant protagonist-blaming to remind the reader they have few realistic qualities to connect with. Even with love spells to blame for some of the out-of-the-ordinary behaviour, these interactions hardly ever feel authentic. Ultimately, the characters aren’t fully fleshed out, the dialogue does a lot of the story building, and most of the conflict is solved rather quickly and without fuss.

It’s the kind of book you can breeze through because the plot isn’t particularly dense. I think for younger readers, the love spells and Rowan’s crush on popular jock Luca will resonate a little more. But as an older reader myself, her story just didn’t appeal to me because there was nothing particularly authentic to latch on to. Even the fantastical elements of spellcasting felt like they were being too glossed over to fully appreciate.

Rowan’s story is nothing if not light-hearted and while this book is far from satisfying, love spells do make for the best kinds of disasters.

Love Spells and Other Disasters was a real treat to read. I think this book definitely speaks to the younger generation and has so much substance written between the pages. You instantly fall in love with the characters who seemed to be going through those awkward teenage years where their life depends on their social status in high school. What I really enjoy about this novel the most, is that it has so many themes from gender identity, love, loss, grief, emotional and physical abuse that’s presented in a fantasy and supernatural way. I think most young adults would enjoy this fresh new read because it is definitely an opener for many who are facing many of these themes that’s presented in the novel. When I began reading this novel it came off in a quirky way and didn’t feel as though it was something that was going to fall heavy on you, but just like a potion it does. You get pulled in so many directions and it makes you feel as though you’re a key ingredient caught up in a spell as well. I give this book three stars because it focuses on a lot of important issues, but doesn’t really elaborate enough on why things shouldn’t be.

I was hooked from the beginning with this sweet, magical, YA romance story. If you are looking for a quick read then I recommend this book, I read it in one sitting! Keep in mind it is a paranormal YA romance so embrace the insta love and hard to believe situations. It’s super cute and I think a lot of people will like it! Who doesn’t enjoy a little magic and love?!

This was such a cute read! This is the perfect easy read to help after reading a couple of heavy books! I love a good book about magic/witches, catch me loving the heck out of Rowan and Luca!!!!