“You were the best thing to happen to me that night, Daxon B.,” I tell him. “Too bad it took me four years to see it.”
I meant it as a joke. Or a slight at stuart. But Dax doesn’t laugh or smile.
“Well, I don’t have a time machine,” Aunt Livi muses, “But I did get a rather interesting book in the donation bin this week. Maybe it could help?”
The Spells Love is a sassy and smart read for everyone who wonders, what would life be like if I had just made that decision.
When Gemma gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend, she reacts the way any reasonable twenty-eight-year-old would: by getting drunk with her sister, kooky aunt, and best friend, Dax. After one too many margaritas, they decide to perform a love- cleansing spell, which promises to erase Gemma’s ex from her memory. They follow all the instructions, including a platonic kiss from Dax to seal the deal.
When Gemma wakes up, she realizes that this silly spell has worked. Not only does it seem that she never dated her ex, but the rest of her life is completely unrecognizable. The worst part: Dax has no idea who she is.
To reverse the spell and get back to her old life, Gemma must convince her once-best-friend-now-near-stranger to kiss her. But as she carries out her plans, she finds herself falling for him—hard. Soon, Gemma begins to wonder whether she even wants to go back to the way things once were. What if Dax was The One all along?
I loved the movie Sliding Doors when I was younger. I always loved thinking, if I missed that green light, if I’d picked a different major, or class or timetable, would my life still be happening. Is there another Kayleigh out there living another version of my life? What life would that be? This Spells Love throws me into that world and I am so here for it!
Gemma and Dax are sweet, funny and relatable. I loved watching their relationship in both dimensions. Gemma is used to being in control and likes things in order. She knows what she wants and has a plan. Maybe things haven’t worked out quite how she wanted, but there’s still time. And she has her best friend, Dax. who is so perfect, and sweet and a cinnamon roll of a handsome, buff, mcdreamy man. Why isn’t she dating Dax? Oh right, because she doesn’t want to ruin their friendship. Fast forward to a breakup, a messy night drinking margaritas with her sister, Dax and her quirky Aunt who convinces her to try a love spell, and suddenly she wakes up in another world, where she’s followed her career dreams, but hasn’t met her best friend yet. Suddenly the option to explore her feelings is on the table. And she needs to connect with Dax to get back to her original life. Gemma and Dax feel like friends I know and would love to hang out with and maybe have a drink too many with. They are so relatable and I adored watching them together and with their friends. The secondary cast of characters is so darn strong and funny in This Spells Love.
Kate Robb is a Canadian writer and This Spells Love is set in Hamilton, Ontario. I think this is the first book I’ve ever read set in the hammer, and I really enjoyed the small town vibes from a city just up the road from me.
This Spells Love has a light touch of magic that just glimmers over the pages of the story. It isn’t a paranormal romance, or even a witchy romcom. I think a reader who likes magic, and even ones who just love contemporary romances, will equally enjoy the story.
This Spells Love is an enchanting debut that will have you asking, what if?
Thank you Dial Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
