Cute, quick and easy to follow witchy read.

I taught that Love spells trouble was an adorable romcom YA book, that I can see being a hit amongst young adults/teens with it's new generation language and references. The fact that the world was easy to follow made it the perfect quick read in between genres and made it interesting and intriguing.

I enjoyed Nia davenport's other book also and can't wait to read more from this author.

I read Love Spells Trouble by Nia Davenport, a YA romance featuring Black witches, covens, and a whole lot of heart—set right in Houston, Texas. The story follows Cayden, a teen witch who’s just looking for a summer fling while juggling her volunteer duties at her mom’s dog shelter and helping out at her dad’s bakery.

Enter Khy—a cute boy who adopts a puppy from her mom’s shelter. Cayden’s all in for a summer hookup, but things get complicated fast when she finds out Khy is actually Witch royalty. Naturally, Cayden decides to fake-date him to boost the bakery’s popularity, but of course, she doesn’t plan to actually catch feelings… until she totally does.

This was my first book by Nia Davenport, and it definitely won’t be my last. The romance was so cute and genuinely heartwarming. I love reading stories where Black kids get to fall in love, and this one hit just right—especially with the added magic of Black witches and coven life.

Cayden was such a standout character: loyal to her family and community, spunky, and just the right amount of flirtatious. Khy was the perfect counterpart—patient, adoring, and full-on lover boy energy. They had undeniable chemistry, and I genuinely believe they’re one of those couples who’d make it past high school.

My only gripe? I wish there had been more magic. The idea of people’s Connections was so intriguing, and I wanted more of it! Still, even though the magic took a bit of a backseat, the story didn’t shy away from real issues like gentrification and class-based judgment. I appreciated how these conflicts—especially the one involving Cayden’s neighborhood, Khy’s friend group, and her grandparents—were resolved, even if the resolution with her grandparents felt a little too quick for a 20-year-old beef rooted in prejudice.

Overall, this was a super cute, cozy summer romance. It proves we need way more romantasies with Black casts and magical communities. I gave it 4 stars—it’s an easy, feel-good read I’d totally recommend if you’re into fake dating tropes, diverse casts, and witchy vibes.

This was such a charming YA contemporary with a magical twist. While it features witches and covens, the paranormal elements are more of a fun backdrop than the heart of the story. At its core, it’s a sweet fake dating romance with all the lighthearted charm you’d expect from a feel-good teen romcom.

The setup is simple and engaging, and I absolutely adored the concept of the main character’s family running a dog rescue and bakery. It was cute and creative. The stakes stay pretty low, making it an easy and enjoyable read with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and quirky, lovable characters.

It really captures the spirit of being a teenager in the best way. I think younger YA readers will connect with the humor, the romance, and the touch of magic. This one feels like a cozy hug in book form.

+ This book is set in Houston, Texas but witches are part of the community. Cayden is half witch on her mother’s side. I really enjoyed the world-building because it felt normal that witches was part of this contemporary world. Cayden’s dad, a non-witch, runs a bakery and her mom runs an animal rescue which already gave me good vibes. How wholesome is a family that runs a bakery and an animal rescue? It definitely appealed to me!

+ Cayden meets a handsome young man, Khy (Mekhi), and they hit it off well. I love the sparks between them but when she finds out he is basically rich, witch royalty she tries to push him away but they’ve been caught in photos so now the press thinks Khy and her are dating. They aren’t but then they come up with a plan to help her dad’s bakery business by agreeing to fake date and have that attention help with that. I love Khy! I thought their love story was sweet, I was definitely rooting for them!

+ I love the theme of family in this book. Cayden is close to hers but her grandparents on her mom’s side had shunned her parents when they got married just because her dad was not a witch. Cayden has a nice extended family with cousins, grandparents (dad’s side) and uncles and aunts and I related to that a lot!

+ This was a quick read, which I also enjoyed! It flowed nicely.

~ There wasn’t a big emphasis on the powers of the witches. There were some demonstrations here and there on their abilities but it wasn’t a main focus and I think that was fine.


Final Thoughts:

For a young adult romance I thought it was super cute and I loved that this community of witches mixed in with non-witches felt so normal. The romance was sweet and the family themes were nice. It’s a quick, wholesome and heartwarming story perfect for ya and teen readers.

I'm getting a physical arc of this one, which is my preference, so I'll be reviewing it elsewhere when I finish reading!

Witches are out in the open and normal part of society in this paranormal/contemporary YA romance.

Cayden’s family bakery is in trouble and we she goes on a date with the hot witch IT boy, Khy a new influx of customers hoping to get a look at Khy’s new girlfriend.

Cayden is uninterested in dating an uppity society boy - but she is interested in the increase in her families business. So they agree to fake date.

This was an adorable ya romcom with sweet family dynamics and an easy to follow world.

I loved that her parents have a bakery and a dog rescue, the pup cameos made it all the more special.

Great read for young adults and teens.

A cute YA romance with magic and themes of gentrification, class, family, and belonging.

I loved how class, wealth, magic, and steteotypes were interwoven to create this unique story.

I also enjoyed Caydens growth and Khys kindness and patience with her. He is a big cinnamon roll!!

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was a delightful YA contemporary romance. It has paranormal elements (witches/covens) but I wouldn’t say it’s a paranormal romance. The premise and set up is easy to follow and has one of my favorite tropes, which is fake dating! The concept of her family owning a dog rescue/bakery is adorable. The stakes are low, the characters are funny and it’s a nice and easy story to follow!

This was so delightful! I was giddily grinning all through the last few chapters. I loved Cayden, her narration was hilarious, and she & Khy were soooo adorable! I also really enjoyed Cayden’s family dynamics, and the storyline with her grandparents was especially heartwarming. Plus, the girl friend group of Cayden, Naomi, and Becca was a surprising highlight! I just loved so much of this: the evolving attitudes about the covens, the family storylines, the messages about gentrification, and the swoon-worthy romance. I’ve really enjoyed all of Nia Davenport’s books so far so she’s definitely an author I’ll continue to return to!