A review by bribreez
Under Your Spell: A Novel by Laura Wood, Laura Wood

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

*Thank you to Atria for sending me an ARC of this book, much appreciated! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.75⭐️/ 1🌶️

What’s a girl to do when her life has seemingly gone downhill? Well in Clementine’s case, she and her sisters decided to enact their old, “Breakup Spell”. This story followed, Clemmie as she navigated through the ups and downs of her life, but eventually found her way back and better. With three wishes for Clemmie to have a better life, each sister hoped something such as, a steamy under the sheets session, a soulmate level of love, and a job Clemmie loved. This story was sweet, endearing, and featured the themes of family, sisterhood, and the multitude of things adults still face when trying to get their life together. 

When I read that this story featured something along the lines of a, “rockstar” dad, I imagined this story very differently. I imagined that maybe Clemmie also went into the music business like her famous rockstar Dad, but that was the furthest thing Clemmie wanted. In terms of Clemmie’s career, she went the academic route of becoming a professor of sorts, and lived a fairly normal life compared to her Dad and sisters. Clemmie at the start of the story was going through it, and honestly I don’t blame her. First impression, Clemmie was a bit of an introvert, and stayed within the confines of her comfort zone. 

Clemmie’s life started to seem moving forward especially when she met an incredibly handsome man and had her first one night stand. A memorable passionate night that honestly Clemmie can’t stop thinking about, but alas she had bigger things to worry about such as, finding a new job and a new place to live. When Clemmie found herself face to face with the man she had an incredible night with I thought, “omg! Clemmie was met to be reunited with that guy!”, although when Clemmie found out who he was, it was LITERALLY the last thing or type of guy she saw herself with. I thought the way Clemmie and Theo seemingly found themselves having to be around each other was ironic considering they had a one night stand, but also the fact that Theo was a big time rockstar made Clemmie conflicted with her feelings towards him. So far just from the beginning there was, rockstar romance, one night stand, forced proximity, and a bit of boss/ employee dynamics since Clemmie was essentially working as Theo’s assistant. 

Clemmie and Theo (the man Clemmie had a one night stand with) were literally living together while Theo had to finish his album for his label, and with all that time together, it only heightened the feelings that were already there. I think the way Clemmie and Theo were together was sweet and equally funny how they just got along, but also couldn’t forget about how they felt about each other. I also really loved the part when Theo took care of Clemmie when she got sick, and then subsequently Theo got sick which in turn Clemmie cared for him. If you love the “taking care of you when you’re sick” trope, then you’ll love it. 

In terms of romance, it was a lot of Clemmie trying to overcome her fears and Theo trying to show Clemmie that he genuinely cared for her. Don’t get me wrong, there was some sweet moments between Clemmie and Theo, but at the root of things, Clemmie was also dealing with the fear that Theo was like other rockstars such as, her father and ex boyfriend. I liked seeing how Theo always put Clemmie’s needs first, and reassured he whenever she felt doubtful. Theo was a kind man, and despite his rockstar fame, he was a pretty laidback man. Plus, later once the romance picked up between Clemmie and Theo, there was some great moments in which Theo organized a sweet birthday surprise, and the occasional attempt of Theo cooking for Clemmie, but bless that beautiful man, he wasn’t the best at cooking. 

Overall, this was a sweet romance. I liked Clemmie, her sisters, and Theo. The rockstar trope in this book was good, I got to see a little bit of how Clemmie dealt with having a famous Dad as well as how she handled things when it came to Theo’s fame. The sense of sisterhood in this book was really endearing, and you could tell that no matter what, Clemmie and her sisters were always there for one another. Looking back at the book, I liked certain aspects of it, but I wasn’t completely obsessed with it. I do think the story had an interesting plot line, likable characters, and I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a story with a rockstar storyline, with a fairly low spice level, endearing, unique characters, and some sweet romantic moments.