Cayden’s family has been pushed out of the Witch Coven system because her mom married a non-witch, but that doesn’t stop them from building a great life. I loved the mix of magic and real-world stuff like gentrification, family businesses, and community. The Black excellence throughout the story made it feel even more powerful.

Then there’s Khy, lowkey famous, and totally adoptable (like the grumpy dog he chooses). The chemistry between him and Cayden is instant and hilarious. Their fake dating scheme is full of magical mishaps and real feelings, and I was rooting for them the whole time.

LOVE SPELLS TROUBLE is such a sweet and heartfelt read that teens will love. set in a world where witches and humans don’t exactly coexist peacefully, the story follows cayden who’s stuck in the middle of that tension thanks to her mom’s side of the family turning their backs when she chose to marry a human. now, cayden’s trying to help keep her dad’s bakery afloat in a neighborhood that’s slowly being swallowed up by witch-led gentrification.

things get messy when cayden accidentally goes on a date with coven royalty, khy carter, the it-boy of the witch world. at first, she thinks she’s hit rock bottom, but when customers start flooding the bakery just to catch a glimpse of khy’s new "mystery girl," she comes up with a plan. fake dating him might be exactly what her family business needs. except… even if she’s doing this for her family, it also feels a little like she’s betraying them. cue the drama.

khy is the perfect YA book boyfriend. he’s thoughtful, slow to anger, and honest. he’s nothing like she expects, and watching their relationship grow into something soft and genuine was so rewarding. our boy was down bad and he wasn't afraid to admit it!! i especially loved how they actually communicate, even after cayden jumps to conclusions. like, hello, emotional maturity in YA? we love to see it, and we love to see it blended in authentically.

cayden’s passion for her family and the bakery is front and center throughout the book, and i was rooting for her the whole time. her drive, her big heart, and her conflicted feelings all felt so real. also, the magic system was super cool. each witch has a unique "connection." for example, cayden can manipulate energy while khy can manipulate water. it was a creative system, but i do wish we got to explore it a bit more.

overall, this is a warm and magical fake-dating romance with real stakes and tons of heart. perfect for readers who love fake dating, family-centered stakes, and just a touch of magic.

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.5 ⭐

𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 was a lighthearted, fun, cute and refreshing YA romance.

I really liked the FMC Cayden. Though young, she still made for a strong FMC. I loved her fearlessness, her intelligence, and just how much she was willing to advocate for her community and help those around her, especially her parents.

Khy was the sweetest MMC. Though he comes from a rich family and is the prince in the witch community, he is kind, understanding, and always willing to help. When he sees injustices or unfairness, he endeavors to do his best to make things right and fight for change. I loved that about him.

Cayden and Khy’s friendship and their ultimate realization that they loved each other was so sweet to watch. Their dates were just lovely. They had great chemistry and made for the perfect couple.

Though this book is set in a magical world with witches and covens and the like, I loved that it touched on real-world issues such as gentrification, how rejection from one’s family can impact not only those that are initially rejected, but the next generation. It also touches on what it is like to come from a different social class and the intricacies of that and trying to date someone that may not be a part of that class. I also liked the diversity, and the cultural and historical representation in the book.

The ending was a heartwarming one. This is a book about healing, and I loved seeing that at the end. I also really liked tthe author’s message to the youth: no matter how young you are, you can be a voice for change, and you can make a difference in and for your community. I think this is the perfect read for those 14 and older.

I did get the opportunity to listen to the audiobook and the narrator, Nerrisa Bradley, did a great job bringing all the characters to life and making for a great reading experience.

Thank you, Nia Davenport, Bloomsbury USA, and Colored Pages Book Tours, for the free ARC of 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞. I really enjoyed this read and would recommend it.

🆆🅷🅰🆃 🆃🅾 🅴🆇🅿🅴🅲🆃
🔮Young Adult Romance
🪄Magical Elements
🔮She’s A Witch
🪄He’s the Prince of the Coven
🔮Fake Dating
🪄Meet Cute
🔮Making New Friends
🪄Diversity
🔮Fearless FMC
🪄Swoon-Worthy MMC

3.5 stars, specifically.

I love Nia Davenport’s writing. I love that she digs deep into the characters so that we, as the readers, can feel fully immersed and understand without question how these characters feel and react to the world around them.

This was a fun, lighthearted paranormal romance between two teen witches. The FMC has grown up not liking coven witches after they shunned her parents (a witch and her chosen non-magical partner) when they first got married, but she finds herself falling for the coven witch MMC after he adopts a difficult dog from her moms animal shelter. I loved the very real discussions of class, gentrification, and prejudices. The story felt so genuine and flowed very naturally.

If I was a teenager, this would be a 5 star read. However, as an adult, I can’t help but not be a huge fan of the frequent use of teen slang both in the dialogue and in the FMC’s thoughts. It simply felt too YA for my personal taste. I also just could not get into the romance aspect of it. Maybe it’s just my perspective as a 30-something year old woman, but I just had a hard time buying into their relationship.

Overall this was a fun story to read and I still absolutely love Nia’s writing. I cannot wait for teens to read this book!

This was a cute YA contemporary romance set in a small town where witches freely live. This book follows two witches who fake date in order to help save the FMC’s family business.

This was a fast and easy read. I enjoyed the dynamic the FMC had with her family and her drive to want to help them save their business.

YA is not normally my genre and the characters were a bit too young for me which I believe is mainly the reason why I didn’t love this book. Nonetheless, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy YA.

Special thanks to @coloredpagesbt @bloomsburybooksus for my gifted copy & @librofm for my gifted ALC‼️

What if you went on a date with a celebrity and had no idea they were famous. Would you be upset seeing your face plastered all across social media and news outlets? Or would you embrace the exposure and twist it to work in your favor?

Cayden Jackson works part-time at her dad’s bakery and the animal rescue Lucky Paws with her mom. When she learns about the gentrification happening in the neighborhood and how it could negatively impact her parent’s businesses Cayden jumps in to help any way she can. But when she meets Coven it-boy Khy Carter and they have a fun-filled day in the sun an idea later sparks that could turn her life and her parent’s businesses around. Let’s just say a full blown fake dating scheme with a royal witch might be the magic trick she didn’t know she needed.

In the beginning it seemed like a good idea to fake date since both Cayden and Khy could benefit from the situation. She’d help the family business and he would prove to his ex that he’d moved on. But when real feelings get involved, friendships are tested, secrets are revealed, and she comes face-to-face with his ex Cayden isn’t sure this is what she wants anymore.

This was a fun read it does start off a little slow but I loved seeing the connection grow between Cayden and Khy. He was the perfect guy without even trying and Cayden practically fell in love at first sight. I love how the side characters added depth to the story. We also get some miscommunication when Khy’s ex Gigi is thrown into the mix. What I would have loved more was to see the characters use more of their magic. You can’t give us witches and not have them do what they do best in their magical element.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this YA coming-of-age romance. It’s well-written, authentic, heartfelt, and of course drama filled. If you’re a fan of You Should See Me in a Crown or movies like Forever you’ll enjoy this book‼️

This had to be one of the cutest books I’ve ever read! I am completely falling in love with YA genre & this one is adding to that feeling. Although Cayden’s personality added fun, was lighthearted and brought a lot of comic relief, the story also dove into more serious topics such as gentrification & its affects on those involved, the power of forgiveness & healthy family dynamics.

I really enjoyed seeing Cayden & Khy’s AKA Starry night boy relationship evolve while they fought through the complexities of their families complicated histories. Cayden’s parents were simply perfect! Just when I thought I couldn’t love them any more, they do something else to steal my heart. And Mercedes… That girl was ride or di3 for Cayden & the best cousin ever! These imperfect perfect characters were a treat & I need a book 2 with Cayden & Khy in their mid twenties…. I would have liked to see a little more magic & a deeper dive into the coven world, but I still loved the story.

Thank you Colored Pages Book Tours, Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book!! Cayden and Khy were the CUTEST and I loved the social awareness weaved into the story. Def would recommend me and would likely get it for my shelf

Cayden is a witch whose family isn’t part of the coven because her mom’s parents didn’t like that her mom fell for a human. She is stuck on Khy the moment he walks through the door to pick up the dog that his family adopted. They hit it off and exchange numbers. Then they go out on a date. That is when she finds out that he is sort of famous in the witch world. She immediately pushes any thoughts of him being her summer fling out of her mind.

Then they go viral. Business picks up at her dad’s bakery and that is something that is desperately needed. Khy comes to apologize and they end up agreeing to fake date. She needs more publicity for her dad’s bakery. He needs the world to know he isn’t hung up on his ex.

Things go so well that they decide that maybe they shouldn’t be pretending anymore. Then the shit hits the fan. Cayden has to decide if her heart can take being involved in a relationship.

This was such a cute book. The paranormal part of it was well done. I enjoyed this book a lot.

“Love is scary, and so is a potential broken heart. But if you’re already sad, what do you have to lose?”

Cayden has a human dad and a witch mom, who were both shunned by the witches of her mom’s coven for falling in love. She’s always understood that coven witches think they are better than her, a non-coven witch, and humans. Now, her family’s bakery is in trouble as a result of gentrification by wealthy witches. In the midst of organizing a community cookout to save local businesses like her family’s, Cayden realizes that she unknowingly went on a date with American witch prince Khy Carter. She feels like she betrayed her family and her community, but now her dad’s bakery is getting more business from fans hoping to see her or Khy. In a scheme to save her dad’s business, Cayden and Khy pretend to date, but her feelings are quickly becoming all too real. Is Cayden willing to put her feelings above her family’s thoughts about the covens?

To put it simply, Love Spells Trouble was average. I really wanted to love it, but I struggled to get emotionally invested in the characters’ relationship. Cayden was determined to save her community and had great respect for her parents and their feelings towards covens, which I liked. However, I was not a fan of the way she jumped to conclusions or the way she viewed Khy. Khy’s character also fell flat to me. He was a great guy and the two had chemistry, but I didn’t have strong feelings towards him. They had some fun banter and cute dates, and I liked how he supported Cayden’s ideas even when they challenged traditional witch values. I also loved Cayden’s passion for her community and local HBCUs. Their relationship just didn’t feel epic. I didn’t get goosebumps at the end or even smile at the moment they finally made up. The story didn’t feel special in the way that so many others I’ve read have. The magic system was also rarely described besides brief mentions of a witch’s specific Connection (like water or mind reading), but it was of little importance to the story. I didn’t completely dislike the book, I just felt like I was trying to finish it so I could move onto something better.

Thank you to Bloomsbury USA Children's Books and Nia Davenport for the ARC. This story was so cute I loved the whimsical vibes f this story! I loved the romance of the story telling! It was magical!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this beautiful ARC. I’m so grateful to have spent time with this story — it’ll stay with me for a while.

This swoony, YA romcom follows young witch Cayden decides to engage in a fake dating scheme with Mekhi Carter, Coven witch royalty. What was only supposed to be a simple summer fling starts to feel a lot more real. In addition to this cute buddy romance, this story thoughtfully explores the very real issue of gentrification as Cayden and her family fight to protect their family business.

Read this if you like
✨faking dating with real sparks
✨witches vs human drama
✨Magic meets modern-day social issues

This book was super cute, engaging, heartwarming mixed with humor, activism and enchantment.

Thank you NetGalley, Nia Davenport, and Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books for this opportunity in exchange for my honest review.

This young adult book was cute, funny, cozy, coming of age, family, community, sneakers, with a touch of magic and some fake dating. Cayden, Khy and we can’t forget about Hades are sure to warm your heart. Cayden is a strong young lady and not easily manipulated. Khy is laid back with a good heart. We get to see two different sides of the witches social classes and how they think/feel about the other. With Cayden and Khy their chemistry was right away. However, with the “different sides of the track” this is where the fake dating comes into play. With this it helps Cayden’s family bakery.

The topic of gentrification is also touched on in a world of witches. Now i do wish we got more magic. The friends on both sides were an added bonus and the family drama we got. I love the talk about hbcu. Made me think about my experience picking an hbcu to attend. Overall, an enjoyable read for anyone that love young adult and fantasy.

“Khy is more than impressive. He’s rare. Damn near surreal - on the level of spotting a striped, purple lion.”

So cute and witchy 🔮

What I liked:

I am obsessed with Cayden. We love a strong girl who knows what she does and doesn’t want.

Cayden’s relationship with her cousin/ best friend was probably my favorite part of this book. They would do anything for each other, and I love that Mercedes was ready to bury a body for Cayden.

Khy is sweet. He and Cayden had great banter, and I really enjoyed the progression of their relationship

Hades - who doesn’t love a pup with attitude?

The politics of coven witches, witches outside of the coven, and non-magical folks was very interesting.

What didn’t work for me:

Nothing major.

🅣🅗🅞🅤🅖🅗🅣🅢: Heartfelt. They’re young and adorable. It’s cozy. It’s cutesy. Coming-of-age. YA fake dating with a magical twist. Touch of paranormal. Grounded in real-world class tensions.

This started off very strong with an interesting set up following a young witch who lives in Houston. This book was marketed as a fantasy romance but it's more of a contemporary romcom with witches. The witches in this world have powers but they're magic system is not really explained. They just exist amongst the humans and the focus is more on sending a message about classism and gentrification. It is a cute story but the love interest could've used more depth. He's a sweet guy but there wasn't much to him.

Short and Sweet Review

Cayden is witch but she’s on the outskirts of witch society because when her mom fell in love with a human they shunned the family. Cayden’s parents both own businesses, her mom has a pet adoption center/vet practice, while her dad owns a bakery. Unfortunately, the bakery is going through some money troubles and as much as her parents tell her not to worry Cayden can’t help it. When a cute boy happens to adopt a dog, Cayden decides to make a move but she doesn’t realize that Khy belongs to the coven and he’s actually pretty well known because of who his parents are. When people catch the two of them together Cayden’s popularity sky rockets and so does the amount of customers at the bakery. Cayden decides she can keep up this fake dating with Khy as long as it helps the business but she soon realizes that her feelings for Khy aren’t fake but very real.

Love Spells Trouble was a really cute book that had the fake dating trope. Cayden cares deeply for those around her especially her parents, so when she learns about the money woes she wants to help she just doesn’t know how. When she meets Khy she wasn’t looking to use him she didn’t even know who he was but a really cute boy. Their first date didn’t go well especially when his friends crashed it and told both of them that this romance would not be a good idea. Khy just recently got out of a relationship and Cayden isn’t a part of a coven so they’re basically from different worlds. Cayden and Khy decide to go for it anyway and they try to keep their parents from finding out but that wasn’t a well thought out idea when the paparazzi are snapping pics. The dating ends up bringing more customers to the bakery which is a plus. Throughout the book we see that the more Cayden and Khy hang out the more the lines begin to blur for her. Cayden is protective of Khy and also a bit jealous when his ex starts to come around. I did like Khy he seemed so sweet and always willing to make things right. I liked Cayden too but sometimes she had the tendency to overreact to things without getting the full story. I enjoyed the friend group that Khy had and also Cayden’s cousin Mercedes they were all great side characters. I think the best thing about this book besides the romance was seeing the two worlds collide and we even get a bit of a family reunion that wouldn’t have happened if Cayden and Khy didn’t meet. I will say I thought there would be more magic involved but there wasn’t a lot there was a lot of talk about it though.

Overall, this was really cute and such an easy read. We learn about the covens and why Cayden feels slighted by them but we also see her enter their world because of her new connection with Khy. I thought the romance between these two was great and the chemistry was undeniable. I would recommend this book, its a fun read for the summer!

Mrs Davenport does it again! This was so cute to me! First a meet cute, then the family drama/secrets but of course they still fall! Who wouldn’t love that?!

🪄✨Witchy chaos? Check. Fake dating? Check. Summer swoons while I’m out here sailing? Oh, absolutely ….

I had so much fun with this ARC of Love Spells Trouble by @nia.davenport. It officially drops TOMORROW (7/8/25) so consider this your sign to pre-order or run to your fave indie. 📚

Cayden is that girl—balancing family drama, generational tension, and a magical identity crisis… all while fake dating the Coven golden boy she has no business catching feelings for 👀💫… I don’t blame her … I loved me some Khy 😌.

This YA rom-com served up:
💖 Fake dating with delicious chemistry
🪄 Witchy worldbuilding and Coven tea
🌞 Summer vibes with coming-of-age realness

Light, fun, and full of heart—this one’s a must-add to your TBR if you like your magic with a side of romance and rebellion. Cayden and Khy? Yeah, they might just cast a lil spell on you too. Thank the Ancestors.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
#LoveSpellsTrouble #ARCReview #YARomCom #NiaDavenport #BookstaBaddie #MelaninOnThePage #BlackGirlMagic #WitchyReads #FakeDatingTrope #YoungAdultMagic #SummerReads #BookstagramApproved

Thank you NetGalley!