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.

What a great dark witchy story...mean girls, do they ever grow up? Or just become darker? I loved that this wasn't a cozy witch book! Gruesome at times. Perfect for the spooky season!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

"A woman who returns to her hometown to investigate her childhood friend's disappearance soon finds herself embroiled in a deadly web of half truths, cover-ups, and dark magic.

On the surface, Liv Edwards has a near-perfect life - a handsome new fiancé, an apartment in Boston, and plans to launch a career in law. No one would suspect how hard she's worked to conceal the strange darkness that often bubbles up inside her. But Liv's polished façade threatens to crack with the arrival of a letter from her childhood best friend, Sam. The chilling message is folded into the shape of a heart like the notes they passed in high school: I need help.

Liv is still haunted by what she did to destroy her friendship with Sam. High school was hard enough without having to start over in a new town, but with Sam, Liv grew into herself like never before. Now Liv resolves to do right by Sam - except when she returns to her small New England hometown, she is too late.

Sam has disappeared and clues suggest foul play. To add to the mystery, Sam has transformed over the years, living with the odd girls from high school, Eden and Cora, and working at their esteemed bridal boutique. Liv reconnects with them in search of answers. With couture gowns, exquisite cakes, and a glittering display room, these women make fairy tales come to life, and Liv, too, can be a part of it all. But as Eden and Cora teach her to harness the qualities that have always made her feel different, Liv discovers that a much darker reality may be lurking beneath the satin and pearls - and within herself."

Do NOT trust the Bridal Stepford Wives!

DNF at 66%. The premise is great, but I found myself growing bored at some point around the 40-50% mark. And the two timelines just don’t feel all that well balanced in terms of intrigue.

3.5 ⭐️ I mean the book wasn’t the worst but it wasn’t the best either. It left loose ends in the ending. The sisterhood disappeared and then Livs married to her new husband and has a kid ……. It was kind of predictable the entire story.
But the cover of the book was really pretty 😬

Liv’s best friend from high school has written her a note asking for help. So Liv goes back to visit her after not talking for years to find out that she’s missing. Will Liv be able to find Sam before it’s too late?

Wow! This book was worth all ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. First of all I loved the author’s voice. Her writing style was easy to read and kept my interest the whole way through. This was an interesting take on relationships and the selflessness of motherhood that I felt in my soul! I loved the author’s take on how magic worked in this book and fitting it in seamlessly with modern times.

I don’t have anything bad to say about this book. It was a great read and I would recommend it to anyone! Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the ARC.

While I enjoyed Cerra’s debut novel more, this was still a really interesting mystery with some really great elements of the power of womanhood.

Our protagonist, Liv gets a cryptic message from her childhood best friend, and must head back to her old hometown to help her. Upon learning that Sam has been reported missing, Liv infiltrates an intoxicating group of women, wielding a strange magic because she knows they hold the answers to Sam’s whereabouts.

This is eerie and disturbing at times, with interesting characters, especially the bad ones. Cerra has a real knack for writing female characters that are tantalized by dangerously powerful women, and I am here for it!

Arc Review
My Rating- 3.85 stars
Publishing Date -9/10/2024

"A woman who returns to her hometown to investigate her childhood friend’s disappearance soon finds herself embroiled in a deadly web of half truths, cover-ups, and dark magic"

What To Expect/Content Warnings
🔮Witchy Vibes
🔮Dual Timelines
🔮Unhinged Friends
🔮Revenge
🔮DV References
🔮Kidnapping
🔮Murder

My Thoughts-
This was an addicting mystery. At first I thought this was going to be a light witchy book with magic in the background. But I found myself in much darker water. Edging more on horror lol. Obsessed with the spooky vibes though.

I was so immersed in the dual mysteries that I ended up binge reading this book. The writing was done so well I was on the edge of my seat wanting more.

I liked all the characters in this book, which is surprising for me. Each of them added a certain layer to this dark and twisted story.

The only thing I didn’t like was the ending. I just wasn’t satisfied. 😫 again I was left wanting more.

I certainly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys dark gothic vibes. This is a great story to kick off spooky season

✨Thanks to NetGalley, The Author, & Random House Publishing- Ballantine for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review✨

Started and realized pretty quickly this book isn't for me!
The writing seemed like it was fine but the witchy themes weren't for me.

Thanks for the advanced copy.

Under her spell is a mystery with some elements of magic blended in. We meet Liv, who receives a note with a plea for help from her high school best friend, Sam. While they have not spoken in years, Liv rushes to help out her friend, who is now missing. Liv runs into people from her past as she seeks answers, including members of "The Sisterhood", a mysterious click in high school. Liv is surprised to learn that the Sisterhood now own a prestigious wedding boutique, and that Sam was a key partner in this boutique.

I liked the pace of this book, and it moves between the past and the present. We learn about Liv and Sam's relationship and its evolution, and we start to learn more about why they grew apart. As Liv learns more about the bridal boutique and their true intentions, she puts herself in possible danger to get to the truth. Liv also learns about herself and has some revelations about what she is truly looking for in life. I also liked that the ending does not necessarily wrap up all the loose ends.

My only critique is there were a lot of feminist undertones throughout the book. Some of the thoughts were needed because of ties to the story lines, but not sure all the repetition of the theme was necessary.

Liv hasn’t talked to Sam in years - not since the accident at the end of high school. So when Sam reached out asking for help, Liv knew it must be serious. Liv goes back to her hometown, but is shocked to find out that Sam is missing.

Liv is intent on finding out where Sam went and what happened. She learns that Sam had been living with Eden and Cora, two mysterious girls from high school that Sam and Liv had never really been friends with. The deeper Liv digs, the deeper she gets into the mysterious, dangerous pull of Eden and Cora.

A great mix of mystery/thriller and mystical/magical.

Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Complicated is the best word to describe this story. This book was a bit all over the place for me and as much as the ending was good, it just didn’t do it for me for the story overall. I don’t really have much to say about it, the book was basically mid.

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FYI: on a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars ~ Nothing at all. Chefs kiss. No notes.
*4 Stars ~ It could us some slight adjustments here and there but pretty solid overall.
*3 Stars ~ Adjustments need to be made and rewriting needs to be done. Good but could be a lot better. I read it once and don’t need to do it again.
*2 Stars ~ This book needs a lot of work. Whether it be rewriting the plot, characters, style or ending. Something or everything needs to be changed.
*1 Star ~ Dumpster fire.

First of all, this book was WILD. Nothing like what I expected at all. I could go into a detailed synopsis of the book. But I think it is best to go in blind. Everything thst happend was not what I thought would happen. Just know this book is absolutely perfect for a good spooky and mysterious read!

What I enjoyed:
- this was so fast paced and I couldn't put it down. This kept me on my toes the whole time.
-the plot was unique and I love seeing that in thriller/mystery esque books
-the horror vibes! I love a good spooky and horror ish book.
- the twists were so wild and I never saw them coming.


This book was such a fun and wild read. I feel like this book is perfect for anyone looking for a thriller book with some horror and spooky elements thrown in. This book will be perfect for Halloween season. I cannot wait to read more from the author in the future. 4 stars out of 5. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest!

Fall, Halloween, witches...the perfect book to start off spooky season. I truly wasn't thinking about fall until I was about halfway through this book and the main character described pumpkins and Halloween decor. Then I was invested. That's kind of how I felt about the whole book. Why was the main character having such scary thoughts? Where was this going? How could there be so much history between people who only knew each other for a year? But the gaps are filled in and I found my jaw dropping as the end neared. I didn't see things going the way they did and I was both grossed out and horrified. I loved it. I wasn't a fan of the epilogue though, it felt unnecessary and forced. I understood the point the main character was making, but after pages of feeling strongly one way, it just didn't click for me. However, I enjoyed K.L. Cerra's writing and loved that no details were spared in the horror side of things.

Liv returns to her hometown to find out what happened to her former best friend, Sam, who has disappeared after sending Liv a note that she needed help. A creepy, suspenseful thriller with a touch of woo-woo and a whole lot of sick evil. A disappointing ending, but I am sure others will find this book fascinating. Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam.
This review is my personal opinion. 3.5Stars

A woman who returns to her hometown to investigate her childhood friend’s disappearance soon finds herself embroiled in a deadly web of half truths, cover-ups, and dark magic.

I had never read anything by this author so I had high hopes. But this book was written in a way that was very challenging to read. I wanted to like it and be captivated but I jut wasn't.

Under Her Spell by K.L. Cerra struggles with a predictable plot and underdeveloped characters, which hampers its overall impact. Despite its magical premise, the story fails to fully engage or captivate.