I really appreciated the author's note in this one; I liked that Tori Anne Martin put so much care into this novel, especially when it comes to harmful tropes. Unfortunately, I just wasn't vibing with the writing style of this one, so I was not invested in the story.

This one was a bit rough for me. The relationship didn’t work for me. The story itself didn’t live up to what I imagined. i just don’t think the story was for me.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This was a cool read but I found myself struggling through it at times. It’s a short book though! I definitely will be hand selling this to customers who enjoy lgbtqia+ books and witchy reads.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Berkley Publishing for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Witchy reads, LGBTQ representation, faking dating

Ugh. Why. There were quite a few tropes and parts I didn't love. I can't stand when the MC spends the majority of the book trying to push away the person they like. The book itself was too long and dragged.

I enjoyed this book, there were just things that I thought that could have been done better.

I would have really enjoyed a dual perspective since there is a consent plotline.

Other than that, the book was a cut paranormal romance that was light for the season.

If there is a sapphic witchy romance out there.. I’m going to read it! This book had some cute moments but unfortunately it’s not going to be a new favorite.

I really didn’t like the characters (ESPECIALLY Morgan) and their relationship with one another. I don’t usually mind a little miscommunication but the WHOLE book was miscommunication and it was extremely frustrating. I did like the witchy community and side characters we met!

Overall this sapphic, fake dating story fell flat for me but it definitely has elements in it other people might enjoy.

I love a good witchy-book and this one was very well done.



Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

This was a lot of fun! The characters of Morgan and Rory were both great, as was their chemistry together. I also really liked the magic system and how it fit into the mundane world.

A fun fake dating romance full of magic, humor, and heart.

Unfortunately, I couldn't finish this book. It was much too long and drawn out. Not really what I'm looking for in my romances.

I really enjoyed this book. It started off a little slow, but it picked up. I loved the characters, especially Morgan.

This Spells Disaster by Tori Anne Martin is a paranormal queer romantic comedy full of pining, lack of communication/miscommunication, and good old fashioned fake dating. Morgan has been crushing on Rory for like a year, but gets too tongue tied to ever do anything about it. Until one night, with tequila wing-womanning, Morgan offers to pretend to be Rory’s girlfriend to help get Rory’s family off her back at the upcoming Witch festival. While spending more time together, Morgan is falling even more into Rory and it seems like Rory is all in too… until Morgan becomes convinced she accidentally gave Rory a love potion! Not only is Morgan falling in love with someone who doesn’t care for her back, but she violated some big witch laws by overriding someone’s freewill. Morgan is in agony. Can she fix her mistake before havoc hits?

Another fun fall read! Morgan and Rory have a great dynamic. They bring out the best in each other and isn’t that what we all want? The witch festival was a cool setting and I enjoyed reading about the potions, spells, and charms. The miscommunication trope hit hard and there were moments I wanted to shake Morgan and say “Just talk to her!” Miscommunication is not my favorite, however Martin does keep it believable and relatable and it didn’t turn me off.

Romantasy is not a genre I typically read but I may have to change that because this was delightfully magical! If you read the synopsis, you’ll see that this uses the fake-dating trope to bring two witches together.

I love the world the author has built and would love to read more novels in this setting. She has created a modern idea of magic in the real world including witches that perform professionally, witches of all disciplines and how some of them provide products for witches and non-magic people alike, and a set of rules that witches must abide by. This was particularly interesting when it came to the notion that magic must not take away someone’s consent.

I don’t want to give anything away about the relationship but there are many cute, tender moments. There is very little spice depending on what you’re into. My one issue was the lack of communication particularly in the end and the second half of the novel dragged on when the beginning was already a slow burn.

"This Spells Disaster" offered the delightful promise of a sapphic love story, which I found refreshing and important. However, it unfortunately fell short of my expectations. The chemistry between the characters felt lacking, making it difficult to fully invest in their relationship. The plot had a somewhat predictable quality to it, and the insta love element, did tend to grate on my nerves. This just wasn't for me.

A sapphic witchy romance perfect for spooky season! I had a lot of fun with this one, but I would recommend steering clear if you’re not a fan of the miscommunication trope.

The love potion plot is what originally drew me to this book, but while I enjoyed parts of it, I think it could have been handled a little bit differently. I was expecting something more along the lines of "That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf", but this book ended up going in a different direction. I was also originally surprised with just how long it took for the love potion to be introduced considering it’s advertised in the blurb.

I did really enjoy both Morgan and Rory and they had some really cute moments. I loved Morgan’s more intuitive and 'messy' personality combined with Rory’s organized and slightly shy one. I found both of their characters very relatable and I enjoyed their individual growth as well as their romance.

The use of magic throughout was really fun and I enjoyed how it was incorporated into the world as well as how big of a role it played in the overall pot. The magic system was explained pretty well and I enjoyed the slightly different interpretation.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Happy birthday to this cozy sapphic paranormal romance!
This Spells Disaster is set in a touristy coastal town in Maine that is definitely not Portsmouth, NH and it’s centered around two tropes: fake dating and an accidental love spell. What makes this one different is how Tori Anne Martin chose to craft and navigate the witch society’s rules. Consent is huge, which means witches acknowledge that they have been historically persecuted but ALSO that they hold an advantage over people without magic and that they have a responsibility to use it wisely. Unfortunately, one of the MCs accidentally gives the other a love potion and the ensuing romance is full of “she doesn’t truly like me” feels. It all works out, but I don’t want to spoil it.
Also yay for bisexuals! And for no huge magic doom hanging over the whole thing.
I was expecting, based on one of the author blurbs, that this would be steamier, but for good reason it isn’t. If you think someone isn’t consenting to a relationship, you should definitely not be engaging in the physical stuff. There’s one scene near the very end, it’s not particularly long or graphic.
All in all a cozy read with New England references that made me smile (or shake my head).
Thanks to @berkleyromance for this gifted copy!

I did not have a good time with this one. Here’s why:

It started promising because it’s sapphic and fake dating and I actually really enjoyed the magical world. Things turned sour for me because I just did not like Morgan. Her inner dialogue was too negative and repetitive for me. Then *slight spoiler* when she thinks that Rory only likes her because of a love potion she tries to purposely be mean to her to try and break the potion. Honestly I don’t know why Rory still did like her at that point.

The only redeeming qualities were the cat, Rory (wish we could’ve been in her mind), and the narrator cause it was someone I’ve previously really enjoyed.

This Spells Disaster follows the fake dating journey of a potion maker and ex-spellcasting champion. From their small town to a large witches festival, problems are brewing for the two.

This Spells Disaster didn't work for me mainly due to Morgan's character. She makes absolutely awful choices and refuses to admit when she may have made a mistake. The book's blurb does state that she's "messy" but this is on a whole new level. Instead of confessing to a possible mistake (like an adult), she attempts to make the woman she's been obsessing over hate her. Wild. The mistake also didn't happen until about 50% through so the book was a bit of a frustrating slog.

The book's redeeming quality was Rory, the champion spellcaster. She is vibrant, kind and quiet, while also being a delightful human being. The way she opened up even after Morgan was horrible to her shows the type of person she is. Rory can stay, Morgan can go.

Definitely a missed opportunity to have a cat familiar who basically did nothing on page. There's also some ex-girlfriend drama that I would've rather had over Morgan's immature antics.

CW: classism, addiction, social anxiety