Love Spells and Other Disasters | ARC Review

Synopsis

I didn’t know when I wrote the first love spell that it would actually make things happen. Like, actually make people fall in love with each other…

How could I have known something like that? I mean, magic isn’t real, right?

But here’s the thing—the spell does work and so does the next one and the next one…and suddenly I’m getting a whole lot of attention from everyone at my high school. Me, Blend-into-the-Walls, Please-Let-Me-Introvert-in-Peace Rowan Marshall. And not only that, but I’ve also caught the attention of Luca Russo, a godlike, football-playing hottie who claims he likes me just the way I am. Ummm…

But as I’m about to learn, playing around with things you don’t understand means when things go wrong—like really, very awfully wrong—you don’t know how to fix them.

Review

This was a delightful and magical read about friendship, family, and making hard choices.

It was fun to get to know Rowan and her mom. They both have fun personalities and lives that I wish I saw more of in YA books. Rowan’s mom is a paranormal psychologist, or as most people call her, a ghost hunter. She has all the knowledge and abilities to help people connect to their dead relatives, and is famous for her extensive paranormal work.

As it relates to Rowan, I loved seeing her growth and acceptance when it came to her mom and her mom’s profession. I feel like that was where I saw the biggest development in Rowan’s character, but certainly not the only place. Rowan also matures a great deal in this book. I think that was something I loved the most about this book was that Rowan wasn’t perfect and acted very much like a teenager. She didn’t always know the right thing to do or the best way to handle situations. She acted rashly sometimes and jumped into new relationships without much thought. It was refreshing to see a perfectly flawed character with a lot to learn.

That being said, the relationship between her and Luca was good, but not my favorite. They moved very quickly which was super off-putting at first, but attested to the fact that she was a teenager and just wanted to be loved by a handsome guy. As the book moved on, I began to understand why their relationship had to unfold the way it did. I didn’t like seeing things move so quickly, but for the sake of the plot, I understand why it happened. I do think things were properly wrapped up in the end with them so that really saved their relationship for me.

Also, I initially thought Rowan’s best friend was going to be a great addition to the story, however, I was kinda disappointed by him. I think he was a bad friend and was never really called out for it. Maybe that’s just me, but he ended up being my least favorite character.

Overall, I enjoyed this sparkling romantic and magical book. Rowan was a great main character and I loved seeing her grow and learn so much about the world she lived in and how she wanted to contribute to it. I recommend this book for those who don’t mind a little insta-love and enjoy seeing wonderful growth in a character.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating

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