<b>Thank you to Kate Robb, Dial Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC for me to review.</b>

This Spells Love is a cute thought exercise in how your life would be different if you could change one thing in your past. After her multi-year relationship ends Gemma playfully casts what she thinks is a fake magical spell to undo her meeting her ex. However, by doing so she also erases the moment she meets her best friend Dax. Desperate to get back to her real life Gemma tries to navigate this parallel universe that is so similar to her own but then not entirely. While trying to befriend Dax to help her reverse the spell, Gemma discovers that maybe he should have been much more than her best friend all along.

Overall I enjoyed the book. I had a few qualms - ie how easily Gemma's sister and aunt accepted that they were part of an alternate universe. The end of the love story was also a little too easy - as it was a "the lady doth protest too much" type of situation that quickly was accepted as a romantic interest to a man who was already in love with her. I wish that through this experience Gemma would have had a stronger emotional development throughout.

But, I did give it 4/5 stars and thus clearly enjoyed it as a fun, quick read and a different take on a 2nd chance love story.

This was such a cute, fun, and cozy read. I'm a big fan of the friends-to-lovers trope and this book did not disappoint! I also really liked that there were bits of insta-love and fated mate vibes mixed in all within an alternate universe.

While there is a slight magical component of this book as the main character wishes for a different life, there isn't much of a magical vibe to the book outside of the initial spell casting in the beginning. I feel like the story retains a realistic and down to earth feel with just a hint of magic thrown in. Overall, if you are a fan of cute romcoms, I think you will really enjoy this book.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever wondered what if? What if you went after that job you really wanted? What if you made a different choice? What if you told your best friend how you felt?

Gemma just got dumped by her boyfriend of four years and she is nursing that broken heart with donuts and alcohol with the help of her sister, her eccentric aunt, and her best friend Dax. After lots of margaritas, a decision is made to perform a love cleansing spell to forget all about Stuart and how he broke her heart. While no one expects the spell to work, Gemma and Dax seal it with a kiss and some late night confessions. The next morning, Gemma wakes up in an alternate reality where she never met Stuart, has a completely different job, and lives in a different place. The only issue? The night she met Stuart was the same night she met Dax. So when she shows up to his work to vent about her crazy day, he has no idea who she is.

As Gemma takes advantage of her second chance with her career and Dax, it is clear that some things are different in this world, things that may have been caused by her being in this alternate reality. But would going back change things even more? And would she have to give up Dax the boyfriend and return to Dax the best friend?

This best friends to lovers story is funny, delightful, and steamy. There is so much love and tension between Gemma and Dax, and they are so attuned to one another. I loved all the sweet moments between them, as well as the real and sad moments, and how they were always there for each other. Their communication was everything (with the exception of some pining), and there was no third act breakup. The side characters were lovable and charming just as much as the main character.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley, for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was okay. I wish there was more magic or Romance it just seemed to slide between the sweet spot of the two. It was obvious that the MC was in love with her best friend from the first chapter but it took most of the book for her to figure it out. It just seemed like the whole journey was unnecessary. I feel like if we had a chapter at the beginning of more friend zoning or something to solidify that romance was far from her mind then it would have worked better for me

Super cute story if a girl who is heartbroken and does a love cleanse to help forget her breakup only to realize she’s altered not only life but the life of her best friend who is now a stranger. I loved meeting Dax and Gemma and see the chemistry that still lingers in this alternate universe.

THIS BOOK. I don't like friends-to-lovers or instalove romance books usually, but Kate Robb found a way to incorporate both and did it so well. It was sweet and steamy and had me grinning and kicking my feet like a teenage girl. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I love anything with a what if you had taken the other path/alternate reality and This Spells Love by Kate Robb was perfectly fitting!
A sweet and cute romantic comedy with a bit of magic. It’s a story with characters you really like, hoping they can find that happily ever after.

I thought the cover was eye catching and figured it would be a cute read. The characters came off as juvenile and the MC didn’t really stand out much. I didn’t see all that much chemistry between her and her best friend and I thought they were both pretty bland. This is the kind of story where two characters we are supposed to be are in love are right in front of each other but for no reason at all they can’t see it. There were a bunch of things that didn’t add up and made the story seem unbelievable. Not a bad story, just not for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the arc.

Now I want a donut. This book plays around with the common "what if" story line while introducing some great secondary characters that will likely have their own books down the line. I liked reading about Gemma and Dax since they were relatable and highly believable as people who were best friends in one universe. It was a fun, quick read that I enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book took me by surprise a bit. I requested it because I hod gotten an email saying I would like, so of course I had to read it. I really appreciated how this book showed genuine problems while still being a fun romance. Both Gemma and Dax have realistic problems with owning small businesses and generally just being an adult. I also think it was so sweet that Gemma and Dax were in love in multiple universes. All in all, a cute magical romance.

This Spells Love is a charming and witty romance novel that follows the lives of two spellcasters who work at a magical bookstore. Cassie is a shy and sweet witch who loves books and baking. Jake is a confident and charismatic warlock who loves adventure and flirting. When they are assigned to work together on a special project, sparks fly, and magic happens.

I enjoyed reading this book because it was fun and engaging. The characters were likable and relatable, and the chemistry between Cassie and Jake was sizzling. The author did a wonderful job of creating a cozy and whimsical setting for the story, with a lot of details about the bookstore and the spells. The plot was fast-paced and full of twists and turns, keeping me hooked until the end.

However, I also had some issues with this book that prevented me from giving it a higher rating. First of all, I felt that the conflict between Cassie and Jake was too contrived and resolved too easily. They had some misunderstandings and arguments that seemed to come out of nowhere and were quickly forgotten. I would have liked to see more depth and development in their relationship. Secondly, I felt that the ending was too rushed and convenient. Everything wrapped up neatly in a few pages, without much explanation or consequence. I would have liked to see more epilogue or sequel potential for the characters.

Overall, This Spells Love is a light-hearted and enjoyable read for fans of romantic comedy and fantasy. It has a lot of humor, romance, and magic that will make you smile and swoon. It is not a perfect book, but it is a good one.

This romance starts off with Gemma Wilde having a night of solace after the breakup of a years-long relationship with Stuart. Gemma has a lovely condo overlooking the lake, a great job as beauty-products buyer for a popular chain store, and the people she is spending the evening with, her intriguing aunt Lily, her older sister Kiersten, and her best friend Dax. Her aunt suggests using a love cleanse spell in a book she's just acquired, and Gemma is definitely onboard. But the spells requires a kiss, and so Dax gives her a chaste kiss at the end of the evening before tucking Gemma into her bed in her margarita haze.
When Gemma awakes the next morning, she is surprised to find that the spell may have worked, and she never went out with Stuart, but she finds herself in a dismal basement apartment with different possessions. When she goes out in search of answers, there is no one at her aunt's shop, and she finds herself at Dax's sneaker store, sneaking in the unlocked backdoor to look for reassurance. Dax is there, but he has no idea who she is and Gemma is aghast to find that her ex-boyfriend may not be the only thing thar she no longer has. As she discovers the alternate version of her life that she finds herself in, she discovers both good and bad things are true.
It seems that this Gemma made one of her long-time secret dreams come true, but that things didn't go as well for others. As she remakes old friendships and discovers new ones, she also must decide whether to stay in this reality, or attempt to undo the spell and return to her previous reality, if she can.
Set in Hamilton, Ontario, this novel gives the feel for an authentic place, and some Canadian quirks. It also a lot of imagination in the details of Gemma's predicament.
Her friendship with Dax is a strong one, and I can see how losing that would be hard. He's also a hot guy and maybe there are feeling between them beyond friendship. As their relationship develops in one world, it's possible that it might be a stronger one in the other world as well.
I like the unflappable quality of Lily, and the strong relationship between her and Kiersten, who always makes time for her despite being married with three kids. And I liked Dax, who has dreams of his own, and who has been an amazing friend to Gemma.
A great read.

This was a super sweet rom com about with alternative versions of reality — in real time, Gemma Wilde is recently split from her long-time boyfriend, in a corporate job she doesn’t love but gives her financial security, and has an incredible best friend named Dax.

After too many margaritas and a weird ritual from an old spell book, Gemma wakes up to an entirely different version of reality. In this timeline, she has her own beauty store, she’s flitting from hook up to hook up — and Dax has no idea who she is. Once Gemma comes to terms with stranger Dax she begins to win him over — as a friend and then as something more. But other core elements of this new timeline aren’t great, and Gemma needs to make a decision about which parallel reality is the right path to continue on.

I loved all of the characters in this book, especially Gemma’s kooky and psychic aunt. Every decision we make has a ripple effect — you can’t erase one without changing the entire map of the rest of your life. It was super enjoyable to watch Gemma realize this and proactively make the decisions for her future that would give her the best of all worlds.

I really enjoyed this book. I absolutely loved that it takes place in Ontario Canada!! The love of donuts rang home and true to me too.

By removing one thing from her past it completely altered Gemma’s new present. A cute story where Gemma rediscovers her best friend and parts of herself too. Deciding what is most important to her. There were a few laugh out loud moments and some swoon worthy flirting. Dax is a catch and charmer.

A big thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley for the ARC for mt review.

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I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun, quick read. I really liked the approach to Gemma’s second reality. I loved that it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows and that she got to grow as a character and see how her actions affect others. I just wish in the end she could’ve gone back to when she started and made the changes on her own instead of jumping to the next reality. Great book!

I absolutely adored this book from start to finish- from the best friend turned lovers relationship to the family members to the alternate universe and spell gone awry- it was everything I look for in a rom-com. I usually hate the miscommunication trope with a passion but the pay off with it in this book is so worth my frustrations in the moment. This is absolutely going to be my new comfort read.

The start of this was touch and go, but overall very cute and quirky. I thought that it would be more based on magic, but alas that wasn't the case.

Robb uses the phrase "Bow Chika Wow wow" un-ironically twice in one paragraph, and the main love interest seemed a little too perfect. However, I loved the relationship between the two sisters. This was a quick read and I would recommend this book to people who like romances.

Spoiler Warning for the beginning of the book.
I dnf’d this book at 15%. I just did not vibe with the main character and I found it annoying to be in her head. We start off finding out that its been three weeks since her break up and she’s out getting doughnuts with her sister. We kinda get an idea about her ex and why they broke up, and then we see the main female Gemma deciding to have margaritas with her sister and aunt. From there we see Gemma getting drunk discussing her breakup, her best friend Dax shows up, and then her aunt randomly suggest doing a spell to make Gemma forget about meeting her ex. The whole scene surrounding the spell was really cheesy, and I personal feel like not much research was done in how spells are constructed and performed with this scene. The group doesn’t have quite bit of the ingredients and they swap things in. There’s also a moment where the aunt sends Dax to look for chicken feet which felt weird and didn’t make since as to why that was needed for the spell. Then Gemma backs out of the spell and Dax takes her home and puts her to bed, but Gemma doesn’t want him to leave. Dax decides to go before anything happens and makes it down to the door, where Gemma stops him and asks him to kiss her. Dax agrees and gives her kiss and then leaves. Gemma then goes to bed and wakes up in a strangers place while remembering the night before. She then gets up, gets dressed, and rushes out the door after a chat with the man living in the place. Now here is were my issue with the main character comes in. Her first thought is to contact her ex, then remembers they’re broken up and she can’t do that, then decides to head to her apartment to figure it out. At no point does she stop and check her purse to make sure nothing was stolen or lost. This bothered me a lot because if only Gemma had looked in her purse and wallet she would have seen that something had changed. She gets to her apartment and low and behold the guard up front says she doesn’t live there after she sees she has a different set of keys. She argues with him thrusting her license at him. At which point hey says hey doesn’t want to call cops that early in the morning and its at this point she looks and her license and sees her address isn’t the apartment, but is a street address. Then she decides to head over Dax’s place which makes no sense to me. She has a different set of keys, a sweater she swears went missing three months prior to the night before, and she’s living at a different address. Why is she going to Dax, who most likely isn’t going to know her, instead of calling her sister or aunt? Or better yet why isn’t she trying to figure out what day it is? It’s these dumb decisions that really took me out of the story and made me decide to DNF.

After getting dumped, Gemma drunkenly performs a spell that puts her in an alternate timeline where she never met her ex. There she learns how her life was positively affected by never dating her ex, but she also learns the negative affects of the alternate timeline. The biggest negative: her best friend, Dax, not knowing her.

I loved this book! The "what if" scenario took some time for me to buy into, but it ended up working and I was surprised by the book's humor and heart. It handled the alternate timeline well and I loved Gemma and her relationships with her sister, aunt, and Dax.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gemma is heartbroken that her boyfriend broke up with her, and decides to wash away her woes with alcohol and a love cleansing spell. She wakes up the following morning realizing the spell actually worked, and in her new reality she never has dated her ex and her life is completely different than her previous one. Especially concerning is that her best friend, Dax, has no idea who she is. She has an opportunity to reverse the spell, which involves getting a kiss from Dax – but then she wonders if she wants to return to her previous life, because perhaps Dax is a better romantic fit? This was a fun friends-to-lovers storyline with fun and relatable characters. I enjoyed the spin of the book involving magic and other realities – and this is a great book if you like the steamy side of romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – I received this arc free in exchange for an honest review.