Swoon—this one deserves ALL the stars!
I will always be ALL IN for a story that explores a love so powerful it transcends time and space—and this one completely stole my heart.

I absolutely loved Sam. I completely loved Jude. And I adored who Fenny was with both of them. Watching the way her character shifted and grew across each relationship made me feel every beat of this story even deeper.

This marks my third romcom from Lauren Kate—after devouring By Any Other Name and What’s in a Kiss?—and she’s officially 3 for 3 with FIVE STAR reads from me. I’ll read anything she writes in the adult romcom world from here on out!

Released July 1st, 2025, this romantic jewel is available now—so go grab a copy and fall in love like I did!

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Lauren Kate, and Penguin Group Putnam for the chance to read this absolute romcom masterpiece in exchange for a review. 💕

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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this was such a quick read for me! i finished the entire thing in one sitting & honestly i'm glad for that. the magical realism element demands to be finished!

this was a really cute book and i enjoyed the little twist here with sam & jude. such different men, yet somehow so similiar. they were like the perfect mix for fenny which was so cute. her character was so funny and delightful that i had so much fun with her dialogue.

this book doesn't have a ton of spice in it so if you're looking for more of a smutty contemp romance this is not going to be it. however, if you're in the mood for something with a good plot, witty banter, and a sex scene, then i'd recommend giving this a try!

I'm not going to lie, I didn't think I would enjoy this book while in the first few chapters. While it wasn't my favorite and had some tropes I strongly dislike, this was cute. There was a lot of (necessary) growing our characters experienced. This is evident in the end when people finally use their voices and communicate! (I do not like miscommunication tropes, I am so sorry).

I agree with other readers that this is a good book to go into blind, but I also found it to be predictable. I had the big reveal (which happens about 10 pages from the end) about 20% in. That said, if you let the book just take you on the journey, you'll find it was a pleasant ride. The idea of this was unique.

I had an arc of this, so I really hope some things were changed. Namely-- THE NAMES. Something about the name Finny made it hard for me to take the emotional scenes seriously. Not to mention the baby named Jarvis and the toddler named Frank? And the child named BUSTER. I did have an early copy, however, so I don't know what, if anything, was changed!

4.25⭐
Even though the blurb contains a major spoiler, I was still memerized by the flow of the story staying up until 3am to finish the story. It's Fenny's directorial debut on the show she holds dear after starting as a PA and working her way up through the writer's room. A life-changing weekend after being rescued by Sam abruptly ends when she learns she has been replaced as director by the new Hollywood wunderkind, Jude. Already devestated, she turns to meet Jude and sees older doppelganger of Sam. Great characters and an almost palpable sense of connection between them.

3 stars. The description of the book did give away something that was confirmed at the end of the book. It was a good story, but because there was really no explanation of why or how it happened, or even a clear understanding of how they are the same person (and the older version doesn't remember anything the younger version experienced) was a bit frustrating and confusing,

I requested this book purely based on loving By any other name. Did not realize it had a magical realism theme, similar to what's in a kiss (which i did not enjoy) and is my least favorite trope But ended up giving it a shot anyways!

Ultimately this book was not for me. The plot was unrealistic and lacking in depth making it hard to root for either love interest.

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my review!

The Spirit of Love

This was such a fun and cute story! About believing in the power of love, trusting yourself and living life to the fullest.

I don’t want to say too much and give anything away, but this was adorable, funny and delightful.

Check this one out if you’re looking for:
🩵 a sweet, fade to black romance
🩵 Incredible chemistry
🩵 Hilarious cast of supporting characters
🩵 Set on a Hollywood TV set

Thank you to Putnam for this ARC! My opinions are my own.

I didn't really know what to expect going into this book and I loved that it was light on the magical realism. It is almost like a sliding doors type of situation (not quite) with two romances. Both romances I thought were well paced and had good natural chemistry. The last part of the book I couldn't put down because I wanted to see how it would all work out.

i felt like i couldn't really get into this book. it dragged on really bad and the characters didn't feel like real people. the premise is so interesting i feel like i got distracted by all that but overall i could not get into this book for the life of me.

The beginning really drew me in. When the story reverted back to present day it went in a different direction than I expected. At one point I started to lose interest. The last 15% got good again and I liked how it ended.

From the very first sentence of this story, I knew that this was going to be a five star read for me.

Here is another one I really don’t want to give too much away about. I think if you are a fan of romance, women’s fictions, and magical realism, I highly, HIGHLY recommend this one.

Lauren Kate knows how to write characters that are vulnerable and hilarious and honest. I found myself loving Fenny from page one. The way this story unfolds really had me turning the pages and I found the premise to be one that really, really resonated with me and will stick with me for some time.

Just go into this one blind. You really won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for a digital ARC of The Spirit of Love.

First off, like other reviewers said, GO IN BLIND. The back cover gives everything away, even though it's pretty easy to pick up on.

I ate this up! The writing was so well done, it was easy to get lost in the story. I love a good magical realism and this one didn't disappoint! I binged this in two days and was crying in the end. Loved it!

The Spirit of Love is a romance draped in magic and mystery. It is hard to really explain without giving much away.

Fenny has been a writer for years and has now been promised the chance to direct. She then finds she has been replaced by a man named Jude who looks almost exactly like Sam, a man she had a romantic tangle with. Jude looks older and greyer but it must be him. He doesn't recognize her at all.

The book intertwines two storylines with Fenny falling in love in both. I really liked the concept but it moved a little slow for me.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys the sort of time travel twisty plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the e-ARC. This review is my own opinion.

The Spirit of Love by Lauren Kate was the story of Fenny, who finally earns her dream and is going to direct the TV show she has been a screenwriter on for ten years! Or is she? When she meets Jude and finds out he has replaced her, she is floored. But even more so, he looks just like Sam, a man she met the prior weekend. There are subtle difference, but they could be the same person! Are they? I really enjoyed this book and the way the author wrote this plotline. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Lauren Kate’s *The Spirit of Love* is a dreamy, magical realism romance. The writing lyrical and it’s perfect for readers who love their love stories wrapped in a bit of mystery and magic!

However, while the writing itself was beautiful, the plot often felt slower so I found it hard to stay fully immersed in the story. The love story is tender and soft, but the pacing was off - no what I expected from a love story spanning different timelines.

honestly the story was sweet but way the story ended left me with more questions than the closure I was looking for!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC and chance to read and review. All opinions are my own**

The Spirit of Love follows Fenny, a top writer of the hit show Zombie Hospital who is about to see her dreams to be a director come true. She's worked hard for this, climbing the studio ladder and working closely with the cast to finally secure her spot as the next season's director. But when her a**hole boss brings in hot-shot Hollywood A24-esque movie director Jude, Fenny is flabbergasted for several reasons: What happened to her directing career and plans? What changed? Why is this the first time Fenny is hearing about this? Why does this hot-shot new director look a whole lot like Fenny's summer fling, Sam, that she just spent the weekend with??? Jude has no idea who Fenny is, and he is confounded by the cold shoulder Fenny gives him. As Fenny and Jude grow closer, Fenny can't help but think about her fling with Sam.

Overall, I really liked this story. I liked that it didn't feel like a magical realism book, but instead had magical elements that were seamlessly woven into the story. I also really liked reading about Fenny's "love" stories with both Sam and Jude. Even though they are the same person, I felt like I was in a love triangle alongside Fenny, and I understood why she was feeling conflicted. It was so fun reading about Fenny's career as a writer and aspiring director for a hit TV show. Even though I've never experienced it myself, it felt real and I found myself rooting for Fenny. I loved the cast of side characters too, from Edie to Aurora to Olivia and Masha. I thought these characters were pretty well developed and their presence added to the overall story vs. detracted from it.

My gripe with this novel was the ending. We finally received an answer to why Sam and Jude seem like the same person, but then the story ends. We don't get real closure on the aftermath of this discovery, not to mention what happens with Fenny's directorial debut. We spend so much of the story following Fenny through her ups and downs of trying to prove herself as a director, but we barely see that come to fruition. And what about her A-hole boss? Does Fenny become a successful director? I thought we could have spent more time diving into Jude's past and how he got to where he is today. Tania seems like a plot device thrown in to create fake conflict, and her "real" identity was confusing and didn't add anything to the story. I wish more time was spent on explaining how Sam/Jude "split," why Sam continued to exist, how Sam was a ghost but a real person and also Jude, and why Jude had to "resolve unfinished business" after his near-death experience while Fenny didn’t. Again, a lot of the book revolves around Fenny having a near-death experience as a child and how it's impacted her life and her relationships since, but the ending of the book doesn't tie anything back to that.

Despite my critiques with how the ending of the story unfolded, I would still recommend if you're looking for a whimsical, summer read!

This was such a great romance novel! I adored the time-slip plot (it kind of reminded me of The Seven Year Slip, which is one of my favourite romances), and I thought this was a fun, emotional, and entertaining read. Fenny and Jude were both very realistic characters, and I was really drawn to both of them. They had great chemistry, and I was really rooting for them! I also really enjoyed the plot, which was very fast-paced. I read this book in one sitting, I couldn't put it down! I had such a great time with this book. Overall, I would recommend this book and will definitely be looking into Lauren Kate's other romances :)

I loved this!! It was so fast-paced that I flew through it in one sitting. The characters were delightful, the writing was sharp, and the I laughed out loud multiple times. If that doesn't make for a perfect book, I don't know what does.
The relationship between Fenny and Sam was fascinating to read about.

The synopsis and the start of the story do not do this beautiful book justice. It is not all about the physical aspect like it seems to hint at. Hang on until chapter two and you’ll never put it down. And I thought I was swooning after Fenny’s camping trip at the start of the book but that was nothing compared to how I felt later on

“It’s like a well I want to drink from forever and never run out.”

Ugh. My heart. I’m swooning!! What in the world did I just read? A love letter for my soul? The most beautiful story. I am sad to leave, but my heart is spilling over with goodness right now!

I can’t say more or I’ll ruin it for you. Thank you Lauren Kate for this wonderful book.

Thank you Putnam Books for the ARC via NetGalley, all opinions are my own!

This was weirdly surprising! The summary really hooked my interest and once I started reading, I NEEDED to know how the magical realism was going to tie all together. Lauren Kate does a great job in reeling us in and keeping us interested because the answer to everything is literally at the very end. I enjoyed the seriousness and how it tugged at my heart strings but I loved that I giggled at the banter too. For my first book by this author, I’m very pleased. I can’t wait to dive in to her romantasy books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Putnam for the arc in exchanged for my honest review.