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

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review! 

★ 4.0 stars

Before I get into why this book felt like a mug of tea on a summer evening looking out over a little beachy paradise, let me share with you the revelation I had about 30% of the way through:

I think this may be inspired by One Direction/ Harry Styles fanfiction.

Now hear me out! Theo Elliot is a popular solo artist after leaving the equally popular band “The Daze,” and he’s beloved by an audience of mostly girls in their teens to twenties. Pair that with a force proximity trope that starts out as mildly “enemies to lovers” (more like begrudged FMC to enchanted FMC), and this is the perfect recipe for a Harry Styles fanfic (like the ones Elliot says he has written about him).

I don’t mean that in a negative way; I mean that in a “this is evoking strange feelings of 2014-17 nostalgia” kind of way and to me it just made this book so much more fun. 

I found the characters to be charming, especially the wholesome sisterly bond between Clementine, Lil, and Serena. Their relationship was strong and realistic, and their witchy traditions were so fun. I thought at first this would be a LEGIT witch book, but I think I’m happy it’s not. 

I loved Clementine from the start– unlike some other FMCs in romance novels, she was quirky without being annoyingly so, and watching her overcome her past troubles and traumas to accept love and the chance at happiness was just as rewarding as watching the romance come to a HEA conclusion. 

However, I do think the pacing of this book is off. Everything after the six-week cabin arc felt random and messy, like a third-act breakup without a real breakup. Plus, the “climax” at Lil’s birthday festival felt too cliche, like something out of a cheesy romance film, which was unfortunate since leading up to it every romantic aspect has been sweet but not overly so. 

Overall, this was a delightful romcom. I sort of hope we get books now from Lil and Serena’s POVs regarding their own romances, since I just loved reading about their interactions. Definitely recommend this one!