This book starts with Gemma in the throes of grief over losing a long time boyfriend that never really deserved her. When her sister, aunt, and best friend Dax cast a spell to forget that loser, she wakes up in a different life. One where her best friend doesn't know who she is, and his life has turned to crap, and she's building her biggest dreams.

In a classic friends to lovers trope, in her efforts to get Dax to be her best friend again, Gemma realizes there may be more there than just friendship.

But when it's time to go back to her reality, can she go?

I'll be honest, I am not a friends to loves trope kind of gal. I enjoyed this twist because Dax didn't know who she was, so they were building the friendship from scratch in the alternate reality. It was only when Gemma was going back and forth constantly over the pros and cons of getting together that I remembered how annoying this trope is to me.

Thankfully, this books makes up for it by being very funny, sweet, and decently spicy plus it has a deeper meaning overall. Gemma is pretty self centered in her main reality, and it's only after coming to this one that she realizes she hasn't been there for the people in her life that are there for HER.

The biggest thing I wanted more of is the witchy aunt. Throughout the book we get hints that she knows everything that is going on here but Gemma never confronts her about it and the magic is never explored further.

Overall I thought it was cute and if you're a fan of friends to loves books you'll enjoy it too! Solid 3.5 stars.

Thanks for the ARC from #netgalley as it was my first from them and fun to participate! This book publication date is December 5, 2023.
#thisspellslove

Rating 3.5/ Spice 2.5

What a great plot. I seriously got giddy when I saw what this was about and realized it was an alternate reality-type situation. I’m a huge fan of Sliding Glass Doors and 13 Going on 30 so it was right up my alley. And it started out so strong…

Gemma is a play it safe, by the rules kind of girl who just got out of a 4 year relationship with a man that was all wrong for her. In her post break up funk, her sister, eccentric aunt, and hot best friend Dax go along with a spell to make her forget her ex and change the night that she met him. Which is perfect for Gemma until she realizes that she met her ex the same night she met Dax. The next morning she wakes up in a world where her life is completely different and Dax, her best friend has no clue who she is.

I love friends to lovers and it’s completely clear from the onset that Dax wants to be more lovers than friends with Gemma, so in the new reality where there isn’t four years of friendship to hide behind, it’s clear that Dax and Gemma would make a good couple.

I like Gemma, I understand being the one to play it safe and take the more steady route. But Gemma just doesn’t seem to know her own mind and is so indecisive in her feelings and her decisions. And Dax, he’s the quintessential good guy. Hot and sweet and perfectly made for our heroine. I just wish he had a little more depth. His path in both timelines seems to hinge on Gemma’s decisions and life whether she realizes it or not. And it takes away just a bit from him being a strong lead.

There were parts I truly enjoyed and I did really want them to get together and find their happily ever after. It’s started out stronger than it finished, but the Hallmark-type suspension of reality made it a fun and easy read. I loved the plot. Gemma’s quirky aunt Liv felt like a real life Luna Lovegood (which is the highest praise I can give) and the premise, as unrealistic as it was, did work and did really make the book enjoyable. I think I just loved this trope so much, I had high expectations going in, that I wanted it all. I did love the ending though. And loved the way that real Gemma and alternate reality Gemma meshed and grew from the experience.

Overall, if you love alternate universes, a sweet HEA and free up loving hallmark rom-coms (but with a little more spice) then this book is a great read for you. It also had the added bonus of featuring Curling of all things as a sport, and it was just a delightfully weird addition to the book. Also there might have been a pet spider.

This book had just enough heart and offbeat appeal that I did still enjoy reading it and would recommend.

Note: this was an ARC provided by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Content: language and sexual situations

I had a really hard time with this book. Firstly, the split time line made it difficult for me to commit to the characters. That makes a story pretty dull. Secondly, it was a lot too spicey for this girl. I started with skipping the sex scenes and ended up just skipping to the end to see if she ended up back where she belonged.
The author did a fine job, but this story just is not for me.

I can’t remember the last time I smiled this much when reading a book. I was reading and waiting for a coffee earlier today and was completely oblivious to the massive grin on my face that this book caused.

I haven’t been super into friends-to-lovers since I was younger, but this book now has me questioning if I’ve been missing out these last few years!

In this amazing book, after a crazy, margarita-fueled night, Gemma wishes that she never met her now ex-boyfriend. Somehow, she wakes up in a life where not only had she never met her ex, but her best friend, Dax, no longer knows her, and her entire life is different!

I absolutely loved Gemma and Dax. Gemma herself was such a relatable character and I loved how she always said everything that was on her mind. She had a quirky personality that I felt so connected to and I just loved it.

Now Dax, in either timeline, I love the man. He is just so adorable and such a gentleman but with the perfect dirty side.

I also loved that the book not only focused on Gemma’s relationships and hardships in life, but her connection with her sister. I thought the story was very insightful for the lighthearted nature of it.

This may be one of my new go to comfort reads because I already miss the story and the characters. This book just made my heart happy in a way I was totally not expecting. The author really crafted something here that is uniquely wonderful and I will definitely be looking forward to more of their work ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for my ARC of this book. This in no way impacted my review.

I liked this a lot! It was cozy and creative and cute and the spicy scenes were very spicy lol. I wish we had spent a little more time with OG Dax and Gemma to get a better feel for their banter and closeness. I was a bit frustrated by how in the second timeline, Gemma feels this closeness with Dax and doesn’t seem to realize that he can’t possibly feel that way about her because he barely knows her! Also the state in which she met him and the fact that he just brushed that off and immediately wanted to date? WUT? No. Not believable. And the way she explained it away could’ve been much better. But overall, I thought it tied things up nicely and it was a sweet story with a number of characters I enjoyed!

3.5 rounded up to 4/5.

What if one little wish changed everything?

This Spells Love is the perfect example of how everything happens for a reason. And goodness, do things align perfectly—Or imperfectly at times.

Introducing our cheery and very caffeine-addicted main character, Gemma, who leads the story by attempting to get over her dull and all too-safe ex. Evidently, this has Gemma and her immediate family come to the conclusion that the only way to fix a broken heart is through magic.
And let me just say--We all need a friend/lover like Dax, a sibling like Kristen, and Aunt Livi in our lives.

Anyway, with any type of magic, it backfires, resulting in an unforgettable adventure into a world that Gemma is not at all familiar with. Having pushed for a life where she never met her ex, also means she lost the timeline of meeting Dax.
Her best friend.
Her ride or die.

While this world is drastically different than the one she previously knew, she can't help but feel things are nearly perfect. And I say nearly, due to the fact that not meeting Dax before has resulted in a few life-altering complications. Starting with the fact that he hasn’t a clue who she is. When everything becomes topsy-turvey, Gemma comes to the realization that the one for her has been standing right in front of her, waiting, this entire time. A troupe that is as gut-wrenching as it is infuriating at times, but it carries through until the end.

After tragedy strikes on Dax's behalf again and again, Gemma makes the heart-wrenching decision that nearly costs her everything. But even if it means losing the love Dex and her share in this world, she would rather him happy, than allow him to lose the fire in his eyes.

I highly recommend this book! It was such a fun and light read, had the right amount of spice & magic—And at times, it would make me shake my Kindle in anger. And while I love Gemma, she is a lot stronger at the end of the book than when we first meet her, and for that I (almost) forgive her for nearly missing out on Dex. It’s a beautiful tale of reconnecting, and the amount of playful tension between them since the beginning makes me wonder how things would have been if Gemma didn’t meet her ex at all and instead only focused on Dex.

KateRobb created a magical tale of self-discovery, overcoming obstacles, and evaluating one’s life may not be what one expected, resulting in a painful conclusion that not everyone might be ready for. This journey truly incases the idea of the domino effect, and how one moment can be the pinnacle of helping or hindering another person's life.

good romance in which she does a cleansing spell and realizes that she loves her best friend. In this other universe things work out for her and finds way to family and love. she even tries new things.

I am utterly smitten with this book.

Kate Robb has an extraordinary talent for the two things that are most important to a novel- characters you love and a plot that forces you to keep turning the page. And what a fun and unique premise!

This book has everything-- Romance galore, family that you wish was yours, developed secondary characters that you can't help but love, donuts, AND IT'S SO PERFECTLY SPICY!!!

I will quite literally read anything Kate ever writes, I adore her!

This was such a wholesome story and had the perfect amount of spice for a romantic comedy .
All of the characters and their relationships were pure gold.

If you could go back and change a major choice in your life, would you?

This is the question that faces protagonist Gemma Wilde, recently dumped, stuck in a job she hates, and feeling like her life is going nowhere. In come big sister Kiersten and kooky Aunt Livi, the latter of whom offers her a spell, to see what her life would be like if she had never been with her ex.

She does, and what ensues is a story about trusting yourself and taking risks to go after your dreams disguised as a romcom. Maybe disguise isn’t the right word, but this is a romantic comedy with some heart, and with something to say. There’s also some smut, if that sweetens the pot for you.

All in all a fun breezy read that made me think. 4,5 stars

After her long-term boyfriend Stuart breaks up with her, Gemma Wilde drowns her sorrows in the company of her sister Kiersten, her best (guy) friend Dax, and her free-spirited Aunt Livi. While drunk, she expresses her wish that she could go back to the night she met Stuart and tell him off, never letting him into her life. Her Aunt Livi offers to cast a "love cleanse" spell that she found in a book, and Gemma agrees. When she wakes up the next morning, though, Gemma finds herself in an alternate universe where she lives in a dumpy apartment but doesn't have her history with Stuart hanging over her. Unfortunately, she also doesn't have her deep friendship with Dax any more -- he doesn't even recognize her.

This fun friends-to-lovers/alternate universe romance asks the question: if you could redo something in your past, are you really prepared for all the consequences? Gemma quickly learns that some of those consequences are immediately obvious, but as her life changes with a different relationship to a different Dax, she discovers some of the deeper changes in their lives and must reckon with the possibility of staying in this new universe or returning to her original life and the potential losses there. Her situation is entirely relatable -- who wouldn't want to remove some painful memories if they could? -- and readers will find themselves cheering her on. Dax is honestly an amazing guy, and it's no wonder his loss hits Gemma hard when she settles into her new world.

Enjoyable and thought-provoking. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you, The Dial Press and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read a romance book that I enjoyed this much since I discovered Ali Hazelwood… and I think I enjoyed Kate Robb's work even more. Gasp, I couldn't believe it.

Dax is the one for me-- read the book, you'll know why. As I say every time, I am very predictable.

My book boyfriend tendencies aside… <b> read the book! </b> It was so cleverly written and original feeling (which is almost impossible to find in this genre) and Gemma was the embodiment of so many of us women who put our dreams aside to make stable, responsible lives for ourselves. (NOT EVERYONE so don't come at me for generalizing).

I give 5 stars for this clever story, relatable AND likeable MC, and… for Dax

A cute, fun read on an ~alternate reality~ romance!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this ARC!

This was a very endearing and unique take on a friends to lovers story and I enjoyed it so much. I found gemma to be so relatable. she's lonely, a bit in her own head and messy and needed to understand the real beauty in the things in front of her. I also loved dax so much. this story was very funny and overall just so heartwarming. I do think the ending needed a bit more weight to it but overall I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group.

I do love a good friends to lovers trope! Also I enjoyed the time warp/alternate reality type aspect of the book. This was very witty and fun and I definitely enjoyed it!

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I loved this book, it delivered the kind of warm romantic feeling you get from Practical Magic, and I enjoyed every last second of it. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

Thank you to Random House Publishing for this ARC copy of This Spells Love by Kate Robb in exchange for my honest opinion.

After Gemma's boyfriend breaks up with her, she calls in her best friend Dax, sister Kierstin and Aunt Livi to help her through her heartbreak. But when Aunt Livi breaks out a spellbook to cast a spell to help Gemma forget that she ever met Stuart, things go awry. Gemma wakes up the night after the spell, and her kiss with Dax, to find herself not only in a stranger's bed but in an alternate universe where life for Gemma is very different. She has the storefront she's dreamed of, even if she lives in a dingy basement apartment and not her lakefront condo. She also is not friends with Dax at all and that's the part that really gets to her. But the spell worked, and because she did not go to that party where she met both Dax and Stuart, life is also very, very different for Dax as well, and not necessarily for the best. But once Gemma wins Dax over and she starts to enjoy her new life, taking risks and listening to her gut, can she ever return to her old one, where she works 9-5 for a drugstore, has a broken heart, and never takes risks?

This is a wonderfully written "sliding doors" novel that is fun and exciting to read. Daxon and Gemma have great chemistry and it radiates off the pages. The dynamic between Gemma and her sister Kierstin and Aunt Livi rounds out Gemma's character to make her such a relatable and likable character to read about. Daxon is fabulously unpretentious and, as the book states, a true gentleman. I had so much fun reading this novel, I cannot wait to see what Kate Robb writes next! She is for sure going on my list of authors to keep track of.

Gemma Wilde is arguably at the lowest point in her life. Her long term boyfriend just broke up with her, she is unhappy with her job, and her best friend has started acting weird. Gemma has plans with her best friend Dax McGuire to wallow in self pity for awhile when her cooky Aunt Livi calls. The plans get shifted around and somehow Gemma is stuck doing a 'love cleanse' with Livi, her sister Kiersten, and Dax after way too many margaritas. This love cleanse has to be sealed with a kiss, like all other love-related spells. When Dax puts Gemma to bed, she asks him to seal the spell just in case. I mean, what's the worst that can happen from a silly little spell? Well, Gemma gets thrusted into an alternate reality, one where she never met her ex. There's just one catch. Gemma met Dax on the same night she met Stuart. And now, Dax has absolutely no idea who Gemma is. She can't get back to her reality without doing an 'undo' spell, and she has exactly one month to convince alternate-reality Dax to kiss her and send her back.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I think it's written well, and a really light read. However, it's really plot heavy. I'm glad that the plot is pretty easy to follow because otherwise I would've been a bit bored. A lot of the book is focused on Gemma trying to win over alternate-reality Dax. This is fine, but I wish there was more character development. I loved Dax, but I had trouble believing the real Dax is the same as the alternate universe Dax. Also, Gemma was really selfish for most of the book. She is not understanding of anyone's issues but her own, and she is totally focused on herself. Yes, she's from a different universe, but that doesn't mean you forget other people still exist! She was really frustrating, and I was hoping to see a lot more growth of her character.

My favorite parts of the book are when Dax calls her 'Gemma McGuire' and then says it's a slip of the tongue. I find it so endearing and cute. My least favorite parts of the book are that we don't get enough of Dax (not alternate reality Dax). I think I would've been more eager to see Gemma get back to her reality if I knew what she was missing. I mean take Marvel for instance. Sometimes, the same character has a completely different personality in the alternate reality. Additionally, I wish there was more of the real universe at the end of the book. I wanted Dax to have more kickback when Gemma talked to him after coming back. That being said, I wasn't super satisfied with the ending, but I did enjoy it enough. Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Robb, and Random House Publishing for this ARC.

Gemma has just ended a 4-year relationship that she is struggling to get over. When her eccentric aunt suggests a spell to get over her ex, she figures, “what’s the worst that could happen?” She joins forces with her handsome best-friend Dax, her eccentric aunt, and loving sister. Together they execute a drunken haze of a spell that sends Gemma into a different time. She’s forced to face the old adage of “is the grass greener on the other side” head on.

This book is reminiscent of “In Five Years” without all the heavy sadness. It’s a happy read with a friends to lovers trope. This book had me grinning ear to ear while I fell in love rooting for Dax and Gemma. Perfect debut read by Kate Robb. It takes a special skill to pull off time travel without unraveling and leaving loose ends and questions. She executed it flawlessly. I also loved the author’s notes when she gives the origin of Dax’s unit description 😜, Katie Robb is my kind of woman.

If you love stories like Sliding Doors, you’re going to love this book. In one timeline, Gemma and Dax are best friends and have been for 4 years. In another timeline, Gemma and Dax haven’t even met yet. When a Love Spell goes wrong and Gemma finds herself in the other timeline where she and Dax don’t even know each other, she has 4 weeks to find Dax and get him to kiss her. But things in her new timeline don’t go quite as planned. A fun, sexy friends to lovers with a little bit of multiverse! Enjoy!