Ursula Caraway wants nothing more than to have her happily-ever-after in her small hometown of Freya Grove. But when her fairytale romance falls apart, she’s left alone to pick up the pieces. Fae Prince Xavier Alder is on a mission to find The One, a task that is proven quite difficult due to his lack of social skills - and a curse placed upon him by the Faerie Queen. When Ursula meets Xavier, she’s desperate to believe in love and magic again, agreeing to help him find his perfect kiss and break his curse. It’ll be a piece of cake - as long as they can keep their mutual attraction in check.
I’ll be honest, I was apprehensive going into this book. After Ursula’s behavior in WITCHFUL THINKING, I wasn’t really sure I wanted a whole book with her as the main character. But I trusted the process, trusted Celestine, and came out the other side with a smile on my face and a contented sigh.
After the events of the first book, I definitely had some expectations going into this one and I was pleasantly surprised at the different path that Celestine chose to take. Xavier’s introduction into the world of Freya Grove allowed me to fall in love with it all over again, in much the same way that he learns to fall in love with it. And despite the fact that this book takes place in the spring, Celestine somehow still managed to capture the cozy autumn vibes and inject it straight into my veins.
While I think this series is best read in order, Celestine does a great job of writing this story to allow for new readers to come in without any context. Each character that is introduced has a backstory and, even if we don’t see the full extent of it, we are still able to get a good grasp of who they are. This also applies to the relationships - other than Ursula and Xavier, the relationships are all well established before the events of this book, but it never feels like you are playing catch up. With each turn of the page, it feels like you are peeling back another of layer, unveiling things you didn't even realize you were missing.
A beautiful story filled with magic and love, KISS AND SPELL is the reminder that we need that wishes can come true, but maybe just not in the way that we expect. Both books in Celestine Martin’s Elemental Love series, WITCHFUL THINKING and KISS AND SPELL, are available now and you’re gonna want to pick them up if you love cozy vibes, small towns, magic, and swoony romance.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review. If you purchase a copy using my Bookshop affiliate link above, not only will I receive a small commission (which will fuel my coffee and tea addiction and help to keep me up all night reading more books to recommend to you), but you will be supporting indie bookstores as well! If you prefer Amazon, visit my Amazon storefront and click on the list titled "2023 Book Recommendations."
