Meet Morgan, a self-proclaimed “messy witch” who is pretty sure she was hexed at birth. Always tongue-tied around her crush, the amazing national spellcasting champion Rory Sandler, doesn’t help at all. That is, until one night when Morgan imbibes a bit too much and somehow finds herself talking Rory into using her as a fake date to escape Rory’s family’s incessant demand to find a suitable sorcerer that matches her own power. When Rory hesitantly accepts, Morgan can’t believe her luck. However, when Morgan realises that she might have accidentally given Rory a love potion instead of a relaxation potion, everything comes crumbling down. Can she figure out how to clean up the mess she created before losing the love of her life?
If you’re looking for a fun, light novel with Practical Magic vibes in terms of worldbuilding and setting, This Spells Disaster will definitely appeal to you. Tori Anne Martin creates a lush world that you can’t help but immerse yourself in and thus provides an easily palatable romance that makes for an enjoyable afternoon.
Now, as is fairly known by now, I’m not a fan of the miscommunication trope. It just never works for me and often leaves me more frustrated than enchanted with characters, even after the issues that kept causing the miscommunication are cleared up. My personal enjoyment aside, I think that lovers of the miscommunication trope will really vibe with Morgan and Rory’s romance. The trope fit quite well with their dynamics (Morgan’s impulsive personality and Rory’s more reflective and kind attitude) and made for some at turns angsty and funny situations, especially since you as the reader know that one conversation could clear it all up. There’s also the aspect of fake dating that took a bit of a backseat, but in the end, you still get a good amount out of that trope as well.
The thing I was missing a bit in this novel was growth. Due to the miscommunication, the romance aspect dominated a lot and I wanted more on Rory’s side when it came to her thoughts that mostly circled around her feeling like she has no redeeming qualities. There were some great opportunities to talk about Morgan’s self-esteem and her intense focus on herself but the few bits and pieces we get toward the end felt a bit rushed.
The highlight for me here was the nuanced approach Martin takes to issues like consent and the ability to do so when you are under the influence (of a love potion) and don’t have all the information you should have. I also really liked that the author gave trigger warnings and discussed consent in connection with love spells. While this might not seem like a big deal to everyone, I thought it was refreshing to have the explanation included. All in all, a nicely done debut novel!
Sweet and magical, lovers of the miscommunication trope won’t need a love spell to fall head over heels for This Spells Disaster.
This Spells Disaster is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 12th.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Fake dating gets a magical twist in this enchanting queer romantic comedy where a witch worries that the real feelings brewing between her and her crush were sparked by an accidental love potion, and the only way out of the disastrous spell is a healthy dose of the truth–drink up, witches.
Potion maker and self-proclaimed “messy witch” Morgan Greenwood is sure she was hexed at birth. Not only did she drunkenly offer to fake date the woman of her dreams during the biennial New England Witches’ festival, but Rory Sandler, spellcasting champion and brilliant elemental witch–for reasons known only to the Goddess–accepted. It’s like every good luck spell Morgan ever cast came through at once, and it doesn’t take a crystal ball to predict this charade will end with a broken heart.
Or is the magic between them real? As Morgan and Rory prepare to fool everyone at the festival, their relationship starts to feel a whole lot less fake–right until Morgan realizes she might have screwed up the common relaxation potion she made for Rory and given her a love potion instead, breaking one of the most sacred Witch Council Laws.
To fulfill her promise to Rory, Morgan must somehow keep playing pretend while under the watchful eyes of Rory’s family and legion of fans. But to break the love potion, she’ll also have to prove how incompatible she and Rory really are. For a screwup like her, ruining their relationship should be easy–except every day, Morgan is becoming more bewitched by Rory herself.
