Love Spells Trouble

by Nia Davenport

Overview

You Should See Me in a Crown meets Black girl magic—literally—in this enchanting rom-com about a reluctant witch caught up in a faking dating scheme.

Witches and humans have always had issues.

Cayden is well aware of that: her witch mom was shunned by her high-society parents when she fell in love with Cayden's human dad. Now, the family business is in trouble due to wealthy witches gentrifying her historic Texas neighborhood. So Cayden is appalled when she realizes she unknowingly went on a date with Coven it-boy Khy Carter. But when her father's bakery has an influx of new customers, she realizes Khy might just be a solution to her family's problems: Cayden absolutely cannot be with a Coven boy, but that doesn't mean she can't pretend to be.

Suddenly, Cayden is thrown into the Coven system she grew up despising, but it turns out embracing the witchy side of herself is actually…fun. As she spends more time with Khy, their fake dating starts to feel like real feelings. And even though she's doing this for her family, Cayden knows she's also betraying them. Her parents may have put love before everything else, but is Cayden willing to do the same?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547612963
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	07/08/2025
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Nia Davenport attended the University of Southern California and studied Biological Sciences and Theatre. She has an M.A. in Secondary Education, and she teaches English and Biology. She is also the author of Out of Body and the adult sci-fi novel The Blood Trials and The Blood Gift. When she isn't writing, she enjoys vacationing with her family, skiing, and being a huge foodie. She lives in Texas with her husband and kids. You can find her online at www.nedavenport.com, on Twitter @nia_davenport, or on Instagram @nia.davenport, where she talks about binge-worthy TV and great books.

Editorial Reviews

This contemporary romantasy is Black girl magic from the first line to the last.” —Booklist

“[A] well-paced, largely satisfying romance that explores social class.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The magnetic Black characters' affectionate dynamics lighten thought-provoking examinations of class differences and intracommunal conflict in this upbeat romance.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2025-04-19
Cayden Maya Jackson is a young witch in Houston, Texas, who’s caught between worlds.

Seventeen-year-old Cayden, who dreams of attending Howard University, helps out at Cayden’s Confections, her father’s bakery, and Lucky Paws, the animal rescue attached to her mother’s veterinary clinic. In a world where witches have lived in the open since 1919, Cayden’s mixed family—she has a witch mom and nonmagical dad—lives outside the exclusionary Coven House system her mother grew up in. Her maternal grandparents, members of the Dallas Coven, still believe in the “separate-from-and-better-than-you model.” After Cayden learns that gentrification has led to rent increases at her parents’ businesses, causing them serious money troubles, she decides to work more hours to help them save on staffing costs. She meets wealthy Khy Carter, a cute boy who’s adopting a dog from Lucky Paws, and after they spend a fun day together, Khy’s status as Coven royalty puts Cayden in the spotlight. Fake dating—because on principle she won’t really date someone as bougie as him—will bring much-needed customers to Cayden’s Confections and help Khy’s reputation following a very public breakup. But real feelings grow, and their different worlds start closing in on them. This well-paced, largely satisfying romance that explores social class features likeable Black characters, but the worldbuilding feels forced and clunky, undermining the attempt to create a whimsical, magical atmosphere.

A sweet if somewhat uneven summer romance.(Romance. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews