What do you think?
Rate this book
Zaklęcia miłosne i inne katastrofy
Pisząc pierwsze zaklęcia miłosne, nie wiedziałam, że faktycznie coś się wydarzy. I że sprawią, że ludzie będą się w sobie zakochiwać...
Miłość i magia nie lubią, kiedy ktoś się nimi bawi.
Rowan jest nieśmiałą dziewczyną, na którą nikt nie zwraca uwagi. Wszystko się zmienia, kiedy szkolny projekt sprawia, że musi współpracować ze swoją rywalką. Muszą połączyć siły i zebrać jak najwięcej pieniędzy na cele charytatywne. Dziewczyny decydują się na... sprzedawanie zaklęć miłosnych. To, co miało być zabawą, niespodziewanie staje się rzeczywistością, gdy okazuje się, że zaklęcia miłosne działają wtedy, gdy napisze je Rowan.
Nagle wszystkie oczy są skierowane w jej stronę, a chłopak, który od dawna jej się podobał, wydaje się nią zainteresowany...
Dziewczyny szybko odkrywają, że magia nie tylko ma swoją cenę, ale też nie lubi, gdy ktoś się nią bawi.
Miłość i magia nie lubią, kiedy ktoś się nimi bawi.
Rowan jest nieśmiałą dziewczyną, na którą nikt nie zwraca uwagi. Wszystko się zmienia, kiedy szkolny projekt sprawia, że musi współpracować ze swoją rywalką. Muszą połączyć siły i zebrać jak najwięcej pieniędzy na cele charytatywne. Dziewczyny decydują się na... sprzedawanie zaklęć miłosnych. To, co miało być zabawą, niespodziewanie staje się rzeczywistością, gdy okazuje się, że zaklęcia miłosne działają wtedy, gdy napisze je Rowan.
Nagle wszystkie oczy są skierowane w jej stronę, a chłopak, który od dawna jej się podobał, wydaje się nią zainteresowany...
Dziewczyny szybko odkrywają, że magia nie tylko ma swoją cenę, ale też nie lubi, gdy ktoś się nią bawi.
352 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2021
36 people are currently reading
889 people want to read
About the author
Angie Barrett
3 books15 followersAuthor Angie Barrett lives in a small town in Ontario, Canada in an old century home that is also known as the “cat house” because, well, Angie likes cats. A lot. She also likes shopping for books, or for anything really, and spending time RVing in the summer with her family. She has worked for sixteen years as a high school English teacher and Librarian and is currently a Curriculum Consultant for new teachers. Angie has always dreamed of being a published author and strives to create worlds where there are strong, relatable characters who maybe are not always perfect but who understand the meaning of friendship and loyalty and who will use their collective strengths to overcome adversity.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
February 5, 2021
Love Spells and Other Disasters is a very entertaining YA romance. Everyone treats Rowan like she is weird, so she only has one friend, Ethan. Rowan and Ethan know eachother very well and have always been there for eachother. It is interesting to see how their friendship changes when they are involved in romantic relationships. The story is interesting. I liked how spells and other paranormal elements. Rowan’s mom’s livelihood revolves around paranormal and talking to her late husband, but Rowan doesn’t believe in any of it. Rowan is working on a school project with her enemy, Abby. Rowan and Abby are very different, and Rowan feels like she owes Abby. They start selling love spells that Rowan writes. Love Spells and Other Disasters is unique with the perfect blend of romance, paranormal, friendship and family.
Thank you Entangled Teen and NetGalley for Love Spells and Other Disasters.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
Thank you Entangled Teen and NetGalley for Love Spells and Other Disasters.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
November 8, 2022
3.75 przesłodka, lekka z ważnym morałem, kocham takie młodzieżówki
November 11, 2022
4/5⭐️
moja relacja z tą książką to czyste enemies to lovers
miałam do niej mnóstwo podejść ale cały czas to nie było to na co miałam ochotę
w końcu wczoraj się za nią zabrałam and i fell in love. autentycznie
udało mi się ją dziś skończyć no i bawiłam się fantastycznie.
świetny pomysł na fabule a przez książkę plynelam
lekko żałuje ze tak późno się za nią zabrałam
moja relacja z tą książką to czyste enemies to lovers
miałam do niej mnóstwo podejść ale cały czas to nie było to na co miałam ochotę
w końcu wczoraj się za nią zabrałam and i fell in love. autentycznie
udało mi się ją dziś skończyć no i bawiłam się fantastycznie.
świetny pomysł na fabule a przez książkę plynelam
lekko żałuje ze tak późno się za nią zabrałam
October 7, 2022
nie wiem czemu, ta książka strasznie przypominała mi te stare filmy jakie leciały na Disney chanel 😅❤️ {ale
to tak na plus}
była lekka i przyjemna, ale nie było to coś dla czego stracę głowę
to tak na plus}
była lekka i przyjemna, ale nie było to coś dla czego stracę głowę
February 2, 2021
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book given to me by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Love Spells and Other Disasters is Angie Barrett's first published book and the writing style was great! The book is told from Rowan Marshall's point of view. Rowan is a junior and it becomes apparent very soon that the story is going with one of those "I'm not like the other girls" stereotypes. She also has a very stereotypical gay best friend who she's known her whole life. Not my favorite tropes, but I was willing to look past this due to the synopsis!
The story starts to get interesting when Rowan is paired up with her nemesis, Abby, for a school project. For this project, they have to come up with a business plan and all the proceeds go to charity. Abby comes up with the idea of writing "crush spells" and selling them to people at the school. They soon realize that the spells Rowan writes for others begins to work, and they ONLY work when Rowan is the author. Rowan is a little weary, but feels she owes Abby for an incident from their past. Things are starting to look up for Rowan, especially when the hot football star, Luca, takes an interest in her. Their romance is most definitely the opposite of a slow burn. Meanwhile, Abby and Rowan's business is booming! Everyone is dying for a "crush spell", but of course things begin to go awry.
The plot was very unique and it definitely grabbed my attention. I love fantasy and romance, so this seemed like a great combination of the two. I even read this book in a day, which I hadn't done in a while! The reason this book didn't completely deliver for me was that it began to get predictable and a little over the top towards the middle. Things just got way too out of proportion. I kept thinking "This has to be a dream," or "This is all a joke, right?" The ending was SUPER cute though and Luca was definitely a dream come true. If you're looking for a quick read with a cheesy romance, this book is for you!
Overall, this was a good first book and I am willing to read more by Angie Barrett. The writing style was great, kept me intrigued, and gave the right amount of detail.
Love Spells and Other Disasters is Angie Barrett's first published book and the writing style was great! The book is told from Rowan Marshall's point of view. Rowan is a junior and it becomes apparent very soon that the story is going with one of those "I'm not like the other girls" stereotypes. She also has a very stereotypical gay best friend who she's known her whole life. Not my favorite tropes, but I was willing to look past this due to the synopsis!
The story starts to get interesting when Rowan is paired up with her nemesis, Abby, for a school project. For this project, they have to come up with a business plan and all the proceeds go to charity. Abby comes up with the idea of writing "crush spells" and selling them to people at the school. They soon realize that the spells Rowan writes for others begins to work, and they ONLY work when Rowan is the author. Rowan is a little weary, but feels she owes Abby for an incident from their past. Things are starting to look up for Rowan, especially when the hot football star, Luca, takes an interest in her. Their romance is most definitely the opposite of a slow burn. Meanwhile, Abby and Rowan's business is booming! Everyone is dying for a "crush spell", but of course things begin to go awry.
The plot was very unique and it definitely grabbed my attention. I love fantasy and romance, so this seemed like a great combination of the two. I even read this book in a day, which I hadn't done in a while! The reason this book didn't completely deliver for me was that it began to get predictable and a little over the top towards the middle. Things just got way too out of proportion. I kept thinking "This has to be a dream," or "This is all a joke, right?" The ending was SUPER cute though and Luca was definitely a dream come true. If you're looking for a quick read with a cheesy romance, this book is for you!
Overall, this was a good first book and I am willing to read more by Angie Barrett. The writing style was great, kept me intrigued, and gave the right amount of detail.
September 20, 2021
Thank you to Entangled Teen and Netgalley for providing me with an early e-copy of this book
Love Spells and Other Disasters is a cute, fun YA contemporary - with a pretty big magical element mixed in. In this book we follow Rowan Marshall, who has never believed in magic, despite her mother apparently being pretty much surrounded by it. So when she is paired up with her 'worst enemy' for a project, and they decided to sell crush spells, Rowan thinks no more of it.
However, the crush spells work, and their project is going swimmingly. Rowan even starts gaining the attention of what has to be the dream guy. Everything seems to be going so well.. until it doesn't, and Rowan starts realizing that dabbling in magic might not have been the best decision.
This book was fun. That is the strongest point of it. I had a lot of fun while reading it. The plot is definitely unique and it succeeded in grabbing my attention very quickly. It's written in a way that keeps the reader engaged, and while the plot is very predictable at times, I was still excited to find out where things would go as I kept reading.
As for the characters... pretty much none of them stood out to me, except Ethan. We stan Ethan. Rowan was a little bit of a stereotypical YA protagonist (which I'll get back to in like 2 seconds). The love interest Luca, was pretty much the dream guy. He was great, but at no point did I manage to feel a connection to him, nowhere in the book did I find myself really invested when it came to him.. which wasn't great. Rowans mom really annoyed me. Towards the end things are explained more and things from the start of the book does start making sense.. But I'm tired of seeing parents who are basically there but not really there, you know? As for the rest of the side-characters... stereotypical, pretty much. A lot of the book centers around Rowan suddenly being part of the popular group of kids, and these characters are all pretty much standard popular-kid characters. There's nothing more to say honestly.
Right from the start it becomes very apparent that our main character Rowan is one of the token 'not-like-other-girls' main characters. She's not one of the popular girls, she's sort of an outcast because everyone thinks her mom has lost it.. And of course, her not being like other girls, gives her the right to look down on other girls for liking other things than she does. Luca, her love interest, even says so. TWICE. He outright says 'you're not like other girls'. Just please don't. Stop it. Thank you. I'm just very tired of that narrative. Not my favourite.
This book was also very insta-lovey. There is a sort of explanation for the instalove, which I can't go into because it would be a major spoiler. That definitely made me a little less mad at it, but I still did not love it. I just, get where it came from, I guess. That brings me to the fact that I did not feel any chemistry or connection, or any sort of feeling, between Rowan and Luca. Zero. The romance made no sense to me, even with the way everything unfolded towards the end. Still made zero sense to me. So while the romance was cute.. I didn't find myself enjoying it as much as I probably could've, had it been developed better.
Besides that though.. it's very, VERY, cliché. So many clichés. Not gonna lie, some of the more cliché moments were very cute and I did not mind. But.. there were one too many. Maybe more than one. Probably like 6, at least.
I would have loved for the magic element to be further explained. I think Angie Barrett set up the magic use in an interesting way, and definitely used it in a great way, but it was never explained. It just was. And then at the very end of the book, we get some sort of explanation as to why this magic is present. But it's still just.. there. There is no logical explanation. No reasoning. At the core, this is a contemporary. It deals more with the consequences of the magic use and also focuses more on other things than the magic. But I still would've liked for it to be explained better. Because the magic was very interesting.. it just didn't make any sense.
I did like how things weren't fixed all quickly and nicely. There were costs for the main character, and she actually had to work for it. That being said, I would've loved it to be shown even more, not just told to us - mostly related to the magic again. Rowan had to fix the mess she made and there were consequences for her actions, but at the end of the day, it was fixed, and that was told to us.. not really shown.
Overall, I didn't hate this book. But I didn't love it either. It was fun, but not something I am every going to go back to. Entertaining but not something that left any lasting impression on me.
Love Spells and Other Disasters is a cute, fun YA contemporary - with a pretty big magical element mixed in. In this book we follow Rowan Marshall, who has never believed in magic, despite her mother apparently being pretty much surrounded by it. So when she is paired up with her 'worst enemy' for a project, and they decided to sell crush spells, Rowan thinks no more of it.
However, the crush spells work, and their project is going swimmingly. Rowan even starts gaining the attention of what has to be the dream guy. Everything seems to be going so well.. until it doesn't, and Rowan starts realizing that dabbling in magic might not have been the best decision.
This book was fun. That is the strongest point of it. I had a lot of fun while reading it. The plot is definitely unique and it succeeded in grabbing my attention very quickly. It's written in a way that keeps the reader engaged, and while the plot is very predictable at times, I was still excited to find out where things would go as I kept reading.
As for the characters... pretty much none of them stood out to me, except Ethan. We stan Ethan. Rowan was a little bit of a stereotypical YA protagonist (which I'll get back to in like 2 seconds). The love interest Luca, was pretty much the dream guy. He was great, but at no point did I manage to feel a connection to him, nowhere in the book did I find myself really invested when it came to him.. which wasn't great. Rowans mom really annoyed me. Towards the end things are explained more and things from the start of the book does start making sense.. But I'm tired of seeing parents who are basically there but not really there, you know? As for the rest of the side-characters... stereotypical, pretty much. A lot of the book centers around Rowan suddenly being part of the popular group of kids, and these characters are all pretty much standard popular-kid characters. There's nothing more to say honestly.
Right from the start it becomes very apparent that our main character Rowan is one of the token 'not-like-other-girls' main characters. She's not one of the popular girls, she's sort of an outcast because everyone thinks her mom has lost it.. And of course, her not being like other girls, gives her the right to look down on other girls for liking other things than she does. Luca, her love interest, even says so. TWICE. He outright says 'you're not like other girls'. Just please don't. Stop it. Thank you. I'm just very tired of that narrative. Not my favourite.
This book was also very insta-lovey. There is a sort of explanation for the instalove, which I can't go into because it would be a major spoiler. That definitely made me a little less mad at it, but I still did not love it. I just, get where it came from, I guess. That brings me to the fact that I did not feel any chemistry or connection, or any sort of feeling, between Rowan and Luca. Zero. The romance made no sense to me, even with the way everything unfolded towards the end. Still made zero sense to me. So while the romance was cute.. I didn't find myself enjoying it as much as I probably could've, had it been developed better.
Besides that though.. it's very, VERY, cliché. So many clichés. Not gonna lie, some of the more cliché moments were very cute and I did not mind. But.. there were one too many. Maybe more than one. Probably like 6, at least.
I would have loved for the magic element to be further explained. I think Angie Barrett set up the magic use in an interesting way, and definitely used it in a great way, but it was never explained. It just was. And then at the very end of the book, we get some sort of explanation as to why this magic is present. But it's still just.. there. There is no logical explanation. No reasoning. At the core, this is a contemporary. It deals more with the consequences of the magic use and also focuses more on other things than the magic. But I still would've liked for it to be explained better. Because the magic was very interesting.. it just didn't make any sense.
I did like how things weren't fixed all quickly and nicely. There were costs for the main character, and she actually had to work for it. That being said, I would've loved it to be shown even more, not just told to us - mostly related to the magic again. Rowan had to fix the mess she made and there were consequences for her actions, but at the end of the day, it was fixed, and that was told to us.. not really shown.
Overall, I didn't hate this book. But I didn't love it either. It was fun, but not something I am every going to go back to. Entertaining but not something that left any lasting impression on me.
February 6, 2021
Where do I start?
This was a really cool book and a solid five stars.
The characters were NOT flat nor static.
the character change and development was there
and i was there for it and the characters.
I loved all of their personalities
oh my gosh, i loved Ethan
towards the end, he made me a bit mad but yeah
and luca turned weird?
This whole concept was just super cool and it seems like a but similar to instant karma?
OKAY I AM POSITIVE THAT MY INTEREST IN BOOKS IS STALKING ME.
FIRST THE VOCAB FROM ENGLISH IN WE HUNT THE FLAME AND NOW THIS.
THE WHOLE PLOT IS LIKE WHAT WE WERE DOING FOR OP-EDS IN ENGLISH
FOOTBALL AND CONCUSSIONS
OH MY GOSH
AHHHHH
AHAHHAHA
okay i actually DO NOT know how to write reviews so this was a good interesting really cool book.
it ended a bit weird sooo i think a sequel would be cool
i really like Angie Barrett's writing and I'll be looking out for her books in the future, as this is her debut.
solid book :)
This was a really cool book and a solid five stars.
The characters were NOT flat nor static.
the character change and development was there
and i was there for it and the characters.
I loved all of their personalities
oh my gosh, i loved Ethan
towards the end, he made me a bit mad but yeah
and luca turned weird?
This whole concept was just super cool and it seems like a but similar to instant karma?
OKAY I AM POSITIVE THAT MY INTEREST IN BOOKS IS STALKING ME.
FIRST THE VOCAB FROM ENGLISH IN WE HUNT THE FLAME AND NOW THIS.
THE WHOLE PLOT IS LIKE WHAT WE WERE DOING FOR OP-EDS IN ENGLISH
FOOTBALL AND CONCUSSIONS
OH MY GOSH
AHHHHH
AHAHHAHA
okay i actually DO NOT know how to write reviews so this was a good interesting really cool book.
it ended a bit weird sooo i think a sequel would be cool
i really like Angie Barrett's writing and I'll be looking out for her books in the future, as this is her debut.
solid book :)
Read
February 3, 2021I gave this book to chapter 11 before I DNF'd this might be a case of I'm too old to relate but I think it was just way too highschool cliche that it made me cringe. The lead Rowan has the token over the top gay Best friend . A hot jock likes her despite her oddness because he's so much more than football and not like the other guys. There's also the hot mean girl and her crew who give Rowan a makeup and she gets caught up in it all and acts crappy toward her best friend. By chapter 11 I honestly didn't care how it all turned out.
January 3, 2021
This was the perfect read for winter, it was cute, fluffy, and romantic. If you look past the unlikeliness of it, it was a super enjoyable read!
Blurb
As a project for their business class, Abby and Rowan decide to write “crush spells” for their classmates. Only problem is, Rowan soon discovers that her spells actually work, and soon enough, everyone wants one. Used to being a wallflower, being desired by popular boy Luca and cast into the spotlight soon comes with serious repercussions.
I think my favorite thing about this was the way that it was written! I loved how when things all started going badly, everything wasn’t just fixed with the flick of a finger. Rowan actually had to work to fix things, and I really liked her character development. The ending was satisfactory, I loved how cute it was.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I’m not a fan of insta-love. Sadly, Rowan and Luca came off as slightly insta-lovey. It didn’t irritate me too much because it was explained, and they were cute together, but I really wish a bit more time had been spent developing their connection.
If you’re in the mood for a simple yet entertaining book, this is perfect for you! The characters were adorable, and the conflict was cute. I really enjoyed this!
Thanks to Netgalley and Angie Barret for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Blurb
As a project for their business class, Abby and Rowan decide to write “crush spells” for their classmates. Only problem is, Rowan soon discovers that her spells actually work, and soon enough, everyone wants one. Used to being a wallflower, being desired by popular boy Luca and cast into the spotlight soon comes with serious repercussions.
I think my favorite thing about this was the way that it was written! I loved how when things all started going badly, everything wasn’t just fixed with the flick of a finger. Rowan actually had to work to fix things, and I really liked her character development. The ending was satisfactory, I loved how cute it was.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I’m not a fan of insta-love. Sadly, Rowan and Luca came off as slightly insta-lovey. It didn’t irritate me too much because it was explained, and they were cute together, but I really wish a bit more time had been spent developing their connection.
If you’re in the mood for a simple yet entertaining book, this is perfect for you! The characters were adorable, and the conflict was cute. I really enjoyed this!
Thanks to Netgalley and Angie Barret for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
February 11, 2023
3.75/5⭐️
Jeżeli szukacie lekiiej młodzieżówki do przeczytania w 2-3 dni to dobrze wybraliście. Książka jest pełna humoru i miłości. Jednak czasem bohaterowie strasznie mnie irytowali a pomysł z zakleciami ma bardzo ważny morał. Mimo wszystko polecam.🖤✉️
Jeżeli szukacie lekiiej młodzieżówki do przeczytania w 2-3 dni to dobrze wybraliście. Książka jest pełna humoru i miłości. Jednak czasem bohaterowie strasznie mnie irytowali a pomysł z zakleciami ma bardzo ważny morał. Mimo wszystko polecam.🖤✉️
February 2, 2021
Incredibly unique storyline. This was a little slow to start but once it pulled me in I couldn’t put it down.
For a school project, Rowan winds up working with a popular girl named Abby. She kind of owes Abby one after accidentally ruining her chance at winning a STEM competition a few years ago. Abby is probably playing on Rowan’s family legend a bit when she comes up with the idea though.
Abby talks Rowan into the idea of them selling love spells. She says it’ll be something cute for a holiday like Valentine’s Day and they’ll raise some money for their teacher’s favorite charity by selling the spells.
Rowan’s mom is involved with the paranormal, she is famous for books about reconnecting with those that have passed away. Rowan doesn’t believe in the things her mom believes in, she dislikes it even and it makes her worry about her mom. Her mom has never gotten over the loss of Rowan’s dad and she keeps trying to communicate with him.
Rowan agrees to write the spells but she isn’t expecting them to work.
It seems like a coincidence when the first couple work.
But then Rowan and Abby can’t really argue that it’s beyond reason that some of their love spells work.
Rowan knows she should stop but she feels like she can’t.
Rowan starts dating a new guy named Luca who seems perfect. She starts spending less time with her best friend and he wants a love spell too because he feels alone.
As the spells and relationships start taking on a life of their own, Rowan has to figure out how she can fix everything.
I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thank you! I really enjoyed it.
For a school project, Rowan winds up working with a popular girl named Abby. She kind of owes Abby one after accidentally ruining her chance at winning a STEM competition a few years ago. Abby is probably playing on Rowan’s family legend a bit when she comes up with the idea though.
Abby talks Rowan into the idea of them selling love spells. She says it’ll be something cute for a holiday like Valentine’s Day and they’ll raise some money for their teacher’s favorite charity by selling the spells.
Rowan’s mom is involved with the paranormal, she is famous for books about reconnecting with those that have passed away. Rowan doesn’t believe in the things her mom believes in, she dislikes it even and it makes her worry about her mom. Her mom has never gotten over the loss of Rowan’s dad and she keeps trying to communicate with him.
Rowan agrees to write the spells but she isn’t expecting them to work.
It seems like a coincidence when the first couple work.
But then Rowan and Abby can’t really argue that it’s beyond reason that some of their love spells work.
Rowan knows she should stop but she feels like she can’t.
Rowan starts dating a new guy named Luca who seems perfect. She starts spending less time with her best friend and he wants a love spell too because he feels alone.
As the spells and relationships start taking on a life of their own, Rowan has to figure out how she can fix everything.
I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thank you! I really enjoyed it.
June 2, 2024
3.5
Nie spodziewałam się po tej książce tego, co miała w sobie, zdecydowanie. Dużo mądrych, inspirujących myśli i cytatów, świetne to było. W pewnym momencie chciałam już rzucić tą książkę bo mnie denerwowało, że nic tam nie idzie po mojej myśli, ale koniec końców myślę, że wyszło naprawdę dobrze.
Chyba mogę powiedzieć, że zażegnałam swój kryzys czytelniczy??
Nie spodziewałam się po tej książce tego, co miała w sobie, zdecydowanie. Dużo mądrych, inspirujących myśli i cytatów, świetne to było. W pewnym momencie chciałam już rzucić tą książkę bo mnie denerwowało, że nic tam nie idzie po mojej myśli, ale koniec końców myślę, że wyszło naprawdę dobrze.
Chyba mogę powiedzieć, że zażegnałam swój kryzys czytelniczy??
February 21, 2023
that was so freakin amazing
February 5, 2023
Przyznam, że pomysł na fabułę jest ciekawy. Książka pokazuje, aby nie ingerować w życie innych ludzi, jeśli oni sami tego nie chcą. Przyjemna do czytania. Polecam:)
October 13, 2022
Książka Angie Barrett jest wartościową powieścią o tym jak łatwo i nieświadomie można skrzywdzić inne osoby nawet mając na uwadze ich dobro, a to wszystko zostało okraszone magią, która nie zawsze jest tak dobra jak nam się wydaje.
Lektura pokazująca, że dobre uczynki mogą pomóc innym osobom, ale i także jak potrafią naprawić wyrządzoną krzywdę.
Wróćmy do początku od którego wszystko się zaczęło.
Rowan, mieszka z mamą w starym i bardzo klimatycznym domie. Jej rodzicielka jest znana z paranormalnych artykułów czy wywiadów, nad czym ubolewa sama Rowan bo nie tego chciała dla swojej mamy, tylko normalności.
Pewien szkolny projekt pozwala Rowan odkryć jaka jest naprawdę i jaką posiada naturę. Niestety nie wszystko idzie tak jak było to zaplanowane i dziewczyna będzie musiała zmierzyć się z konsekwencjami swoich uczynków nawet jeśli na uwadze miała dobro ludzi.
Historia pełna magii, zaklęć i miłości. Bohaterka uczy się poznawać siebie i jak może zrobić użytek ze swojej wiedzy tym samym pomagając innym. Lektura pokazuje, że pomoc może być bezinteresowna i jak ważne jest ponoszenie konsekwencji swoich działań.
„Zaklęcia miłosne i inne katastrofy” ma w siebie piękny morał i można wyciągnąć wnioski z czytanej lektury. Polecam każdemu kto ma ochotę poczuć trochę magii.
Lektura pokazująca, że dobre uczynki mogą pomóc innym osobom, ale i także jak potrafią naprawić wyrządzoną krzywdę.
Wróćmy do początku od którego wszystko się zaczęło.
Rowan, mieszka z mamą w starym i bardzo klimatycznym domie. Jej rodzicielka jest znana z paranormalnych artykułów czy wywiadów, nad czym ubolewa sama Rowan bo nie tego chciała dla swojej mamy, tylko normalności.
Pewien szkolny projekt pozwala Rowan odkryć jaka jest naprawdę i jaką posiada naturę. Niestety nie wszystko idzie tak jak było to zaplanowane i dziewczyna będzie musiała zmierzyć się z konsekwencjami swoich uczynków nawet jeśli na uwadze miała dobro ludzi.
Historia pełna magii, zaklęć i miłości. Bohaterka uczy się poznawać siebie i jak może zrobić użytek ze swojej wiedzy tym samym pomagając innym. Lektura pokazuje, że pomoc może być bezinteresowna i jak ważne jest ponoszenie konsekwencji swoich działań.
„Zaklęcia miłosne i inne katastrofy” ma w siebie piękny morał i można wyciągnąć wnioski z czytanej lektury. Polecam każdemu kto ma ochotę poczuć trochę magii.
May 25, 2021
This was a fun ya romance with magical elements aplenty. I loved Rowan and how she thought she was helping everyone at first. I love the lesson that was being taught through out the story and in the end she really does try to help everyone the right way. Terrific story.
January 29, 2023
2.75, miałam wobec niej zbyt duże oczekiwania ale również uważam, że pomysł był super, ale zrealizowany w trochę dziwny sposób
January 25, 2021
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.
Blog • Instagram • Twitter
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.
Blog • Instagram • Twitter
January 15, 2021
I voluntary read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
SYNOPSIS
When Rowan Marshall is forced to work with Abby for a school project, she doesn't realise just how much it will cost her. When Abby suggests they sell "crush spells" to students, Rowan is hesitant but then she remembers that she owes Abby. For some reason these crush spells begin to work, and they keep people coming back for more.
THOUGHTS
This sounded like a really cool concept, and I thought it would be lighthearted and funny and I'm sad to say that I was disappointed. The dialogue felt unnatural, not like things people would actually say, and I really disliked all the characters. I adored Rowan and Ethan's friendship in the beginning, but towards the middle it didn't even seem like they were best friends for years. The romance between Rowan and Luca felt unnatural as well and didn't give me that excitement that comes with reading about two characters falling in love. It took me quite some time to get through this book. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
SYNOPSIS
When Rowan Marshall is forced to work with Abby for a school project, she doesn't realise just how much it will cost her. When Abby suggests they sell "crush spells" to students, Rowan is hesitant but then she remembers that she owes Abby. For some reason these crush spells begin to work, and they keep people coming back for more.
THOUGHTS
This sounded like a really cool concept, and I thought it would be lighthearted and funny and I'm sad to say that I was disappointed. The dialogue felt unnatural, not like things people would actually say, and I really disliked all the characters. I adored Rowan and Ethan's friendship in the beginning, but towards the middle it didn't even seem like they were best friends for years. The romance between Rowan and Luca felt unnatural as well and didn't give me that excitement that comes with reading about two characters falling in love. It took me quite some time to get through this book. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
October 3, 2022
4,25/5⭐️ Urocza, przyjemna młodzieżówka. Wyciągnęła mnie z zastoju czytelniczego wiec jestem jej za to wdzięczna. Bohaterowie nie byli jakoś super wykreowali, ale jako osoby były przyjemne do czytania i słuchania o nich. Końcówka była dla mnie bardzo fajna i intrygująca dzięki plot twistą.
January 19, 2023
3.75 ⭐
January 25, 2023
fajny pomysl i ogolnie książka nie była zła, ale nie podoba mi się to, że w większości treść skupiała się na związku głównej bohaterki, a na same zaklęcia autorka poświęciła mniej uwagi:///
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2025
3,75/5⭐️
Zaskoczyłam się pozytywnie. Niektóre momenty były dla mnie nużące, ale mimo wszystko podobało mi się🫶🏻
Zaskoczyłam się pozytywnie. Niektóre momenty były dla mnie nużące, ale mimo wszystko podobało mi się🫶🏻
December 25, 2022
po 260 stronach niestety robię dnf;((
książka nie ma najmniejszego sensu a niektóre sytuacje są wręcz masakrycznie napisane.
nie polecam
książka nie ma najmniejszego sensu a niektóre sytuacje są wręcz masakrycznie napisane.
nie polecam
August 31, 2024
DNF. Chyba jestem już za stara na ten typ historii
February 1, 2021
This is an unusual story of school years, romance and magic but somehow it blends together into an entertaining and heartwarming novel. Firstly can I comment that the cover is one of the cutest I’ve seen in a while (totally judging a book by its cover I knew I’d love this read before picking it up).
This book sat precariously on the edge of real life and an alternate life where magic exists. We’re talking actual spells. This is the kind of novel that doesn’t usually sit right with me because it doesn’t know what world it wants to live in. But somehow Angie Barrett managed to smash it. Maybe she’s got a little magic up her own sleeve? This is a perfect YA read that steps just a little outside the normal realms and into something brilliant.
This book sat precariously on the edge of real life and an alternate life where magic exists. We’re talking actual spells. This is the kind of novel that doesn’t usually sit right with me because it doesn’t know what world it wants to live in. But somehow Angie Barrett managed to smash it. Maybe she’s got a little magic up her own sleeve? This is a perfect YA read that steps just a little outside the normal realms and into something brilliant.
November 2, 2023
To była taka przyjemna książka. Przez tą historie się dosłownie płynęło i czułeś się bardzo komfortowo czytając tą pozycje. Wszystko mi się podobało, jedynie irytowało mnie powtarzanie słów, ale obstawiam, że to mogła być wina tłumaczenia. Bardzo polecam tą pozycje, bo realizm magiczny jest napisany świetnie. 4⭐️/5 (Ostrzegam jednak, że niektóre zachowania bohaterów mogą być niespodziewane i bez sensu, ale nie martwcie się, później wszystkie takie sytuacje mają logiczne rozwiązanie)
March 5, 2021
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
A girl tries writing love spells for her school's marketing project...
What could possibly go wrong?
A lot, that's for sure.
And I definitely wanted to read about it as soon as I finished reading the blurb.
I enjoyed from the start. As soon as I started reading I knew that I would love the story and the plot. It was a nice change from the heavy and emotional reads I've been getting into recently. The story follows Rowan, a schoolgirl with a mother who communicates with ghosts and other spirits. Rowan has always shied away from her mum's celebrity status within the town, simply wanting to blend into the walls and introvert in peace, but as soon as her and her worst enemy, Abby, start working together on a marketing project in class, her status skyrockets as people start approaching her for some spell work to get their crush to like them. But as Rowan soon finds out, magic has a way to twist and turn and not everything goes the way you might've planned it.
This book was the good kind of chaos. Even from the blurb itself, you knew it would go down a topsy-turvy path. Although being a light hearted read as I mentioned earlier, it did go into deep topics and issues such as abuse, sexual assault and getting over grief and loss. I loved how that was explored through Rowan's perspective as we got to see how something that starts off as harmless and fun can end up changing the lives of the people around you for the worst. Her character developed over the course of the novel, making her a wiser decision maker and a better friend in general. I think I liked the ending the most, although it wasn't necessarily the ending I expected. I liked how the overall message of the book was kindness and to always put people over profit, a message that was seemingly lost with Abby's character. Although she, at first, acted like a stereotypical Disney villain, I loved how her character was developed on to show something more than what she let on. Abby had reasons to do the things that she did which brought along a depth to this book that was a nice element to have.
My one issue was the infatuation between Luca and Rowan. I was going to rate this much lower than my current rating for how that relationship panned out. That being said, I did like how it ended up and how reasons for said infatuation were justified. Don't get me wrong, I did like their relationship overall but more so towards the end than when Rowan first laid eyes on Luca. I hated the fact that she changed her whole appearance to have a certain sex appeal to a boy she only just had a conversation with even though he said he liked her just the way she was. That infuriated me but I did like how Luca went about it and thought him very mature for wanting to take things slow.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was a light-hearted book that touched on many issues and themes that I think would resonate with all sorts of readers. Although being marketed as YA, I think this book is more towards the middle-older end of the genre (maybe 15+) since it does contain a few sexual references and mentions (at times) abuse.
ACTUAL RATING: 3.9 STARS
A girl tries writing love spells for her school's marketing project...
What could possibly go wrong?
A lot, that's for sure.
And I definitely wanted to read about it as soon as I finished reading the blurb.
I enjoyed from the start. As soon as I started reading I knew that I would love the story and the plot. It was a nice change from the heavy and emotional reads I've been getting into recently. The story follows Rowan, a schoolgirl with a mother who communicates with ghosts and other spirits. Rowan has always shied away from her mum's celebrity status within the town, simply wanting to blend into the walls and introvert in peace, but as soon as her and her worst enemy, Abby, start working together on a marketing project in class, her status skyrockets as people start approaching her for some spell work to get their crush to like them. But as Rowan soon finds out, magic has a way to twist and turn and not everything goes the way you might've planned it.
This book was the good kind of chaos. Even from the blurb itself, you knew it would go down a topsy-turvy path. Although being a light hearted read as I mentioned earlier, it did go into deep topics and issues such as abuse, sexual assault and getting over grief and loss. I loved how that was explored through Rowan's perspective as we got to see how something that starts off as harmless and fun can end up changing the lives of the people around you for the worst. Her character developed over the course of the novel, making her a wiser decision maker and a better friend in general. I think I liked the ending the most, although it wasn't necessarily the ending I expected. I liked how the overall message of the book was kindness and to always put people over profit, a message that was seemingly lost with Abby's character. Although she, at first, acted like a stereotypical Disney villain, I loved how her character was developed on to show something more than what she let on. Abby had reasons to do the things that she did which brought along a depth to this book that was a nice element to have.
My one issue was the infatuation between Luca and Rowan. I was going to rate this much lower than my current rating for how that relationship panned out. That being said, I did like how it ended up and how reasons for said infatuation were justified. Don't get me wrong, I did like their relationship overall but more so towards the end than when Rowan first laid eyes on Luca. I hated the fact that she changed her whole appearance to have a certain sex appeal to a boy she only just had a conversation with even though he said he liked her just the way she was. That infuriated me but I did like how Luca went about it and thought him very mature for wanting to take things slow.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was a light-hearted book that touched on many issues and themes that I think would resonate with all sorts of readers. Although being marketed as YA, I think this book is more towards the middle-older end of the genre (maybe 15+) since it does contain a few sexual references and mentions (at times) abuse.
ACTUAL RATING: 3.9 STARS
January 12, 2021
I can definitely see why this book would appeal to people. The writing was solid, and the character building was absolutely there. The story progressed very well, and the pacing was decent.
But this one was not for me.
We start out with a teenage introvert Rowan Marshall. She has one friend, the very best in fact, Ethan. He is out and proud and beautifully flamboyant. He balances her simple subtlety perfectly. Rowan’s mother is a psychologist with a love for everything magical and ghostly and she has made quite a living from it. But the woman is still struggling to see past the death of Rowan’s father fifteen years ago when Rowan was just a little baby.
Already, the story was starting off okay. Nothing I had not seen before, but it was fine. It is not until we meet Abby, a popular girl whom Rowan secretly wronged in the past do things start to heat up. For a school project, Abby has the bright idea to incorporate Rowan’s family legacy and the upcoming Valentine’s Day where they will supply love spells to fellow students in a business proposal. And everything seems to be going okay until the spells prove to be working. Soon, people are paying left and right for these spells and Rowan is thrust into the popular realm. Meanwhile, the boy she has always had a crush on, Luca, is suddenly interested in her.
So, you may ask why I did not like this book very much… The absolute lack of consent some of these students are given when love spells are made it so ridiculously off putting to me. While the topic is addressed and it becomes a main concern in the book later on, I was grossed out from the minute the first love spell was cast on students who were unaware. I simply could not see past that and it soured my enjoyment of the book.
As I said before, I can absolutely see why others would enjoy this book. It was not a bad story. But I did not like the non-consent and I didn’t like how it all ended too perfectly after all the chaos that was caused.
But this one was not for me.
We start out with a teenage introvert Rowan Marshall. She has one friend, the very best in fact, Ethan. He is out and proud and beautifully flamboyant. He balances her simple subtlety perfectly. Rowan’s mother is a psychologist with a love for everything magical and ghostly and she has made quite a living from it. But the woman is still struggling to see past the death of Rowan’s father fifteen years ago when Rowan was just a little baby.
Already, the story was starting off okay. Nothing I had not seen before, but it was fine. It is not until we meet Abby, a popular girl whom Rowan secretly wronged in the past do things start to heat up. For a school project, Abby has the bright idea to incorporate Rowan’s family legacy and the upcoming Valentine’s Day where they will supply love spells to fellow students in a business proposal. And everything seems to be going okay until the spells prove to be working. Soon, people are paying left and right for these spells and Rowan is thrust into the popular realm. Meanwhile, the boy she has always had a crush on, Luca, is suddenly interested in her.
So, you may ask why I did not like this book very much… The absolute lack of consent some of these students are given when love spells are made it so ridiculously off putting to me. While the topic is addressed and it becomes a main concern in the book later on, I was grossed out from the minute the first love spell was cast on students who were unaware. I simply could not see past that and it soured my enjoyment of the book.
As I said before, I can absolutely see why others would enjoy this book. It was not a bad story. But I did not like the non-consent and I didn’t like how it all ended too perfectly after all the chaos that was caused.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews