Spellcaster is a perfect cozy read perfect for readers who enjoy witches, dark academia, and enemies to lovers!

When Paisley turns 22, she gets accepted to a prestigious college, known as Weatherstone. But what she doesn’t know is her father’s enemy’s son just transferred to Weatherstone. Can she stay far away from Logan Kingston or will Weatherstone draw them closer? Find out September 23, 2025!

Tropes
• Dark academia
• Slow burn romance
• Elemental magic 🪄
• Enemies to lovers
• Who hurt you?


⭐️⭐️

This is perfect for readers who love a cozy witchy read! The writing is a bit slow paced and I had difficulties at times since I do get distracted quickly. I wish there was more action but it definitely was a very cute read with the enemies to lovers dynamic between Paisley and Logan! Their chemistry was unmatched!
The ending definitely surprised me!

<b>Thank you to Jaymin Eve, NetGalley, and the publishers for the chance to read and review this e-arc in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions remain my own.</b>

I am FERAL for this book, literally gnawing on the bars of my enclosure. I wish that I had amnesia so that I could experience this for the first time again. Like If I could have this entire book tattooed across my forehead, best believe I would. Spellcaster was my #1 read this month, nothing is topping this.. The book was so good that I will be buying this in every format possible. The plot. The Magic. The worldbuidling. The characters. The spice. The entire thing was perfection from beginning to end.


Spellcaster's #1 fan :)

I welcome everyone to meet their future book (and book boyfriend) obsession. This is BY FAR my top read of the year. I mean that, I cannot stress it enough because oh my gosh.. I already know we’re going to be scrambling to get our hands on a copy of it come September. And I’ll tell you what.. I got three chapters in and immediately RAN to preorder the physical book because it sucked me in that hard and that fast.
This book boasts everything we obsess over in our dark academia/romantasies.. We are talking childhood friends to enemies to lovers. Rivals. The dark and eerie setting. “F*ck it moments.” A friend group I only wish I could be a part of. They share books on an enchanted ereader because human devices don’t work at the magical academy.. like hellloooooo besties 😩🤍 I lost count of how many time I laughed out loud because of their banter. Steaaaaamy heat and slooow burn. (But Mr. Will give you his hoodies and completely annihilates monsters for you is sooooooooo worth the slow burn.)
I went through every emotion reading this book *insert meme of me giggling and kicking my feet any time Logan opened his mouth* *insert second meme of me looking for the hidden cameras like The Office because did I really just read that* It’s hard not to eat Spellcaster up in a day.. with a gripping fast paced plot (sure to keep you up until the morning hours.. ask me how I know?), action, complex elemental magic systems, and creatures from the depths of the darkness.
I really don’t want to compare it to Harry Potter, but I feel like many people are going to draw up some similarities. Where the similarities lay are within the magic (witch/warlock) system and the academy setting.. other than that.. this is, what I would say, a much needed fresh and unique take on witches and dark academia.
I don’t want to say a lot because I don’t want to spoil this FANTASTIC story but it’s one to be sure you have on your September TBR. I will be waiting the long wait for book two but that’s okay. I’m perfectly content rereading this many times!

3.25⭐️ I have such mixed opinions on this book. I think I want to like it but have gotten hung up on so many challenging facets. I love the concept of the book. The world, the dark academia setting and magic system are great! But the execution is the problem.

Now, this could be as a result of being an early draft which still needs considerable editing helps, particularly developmental editing. So if the audiobook becomes available closer to release, I will probably apply for it as that would be a final draft and I would want to see if things get fixed and therefore will adjust my rating.

I wouldn’t classify this as a romantasy as, well, the romance is barely present and what is there is just bizarre and to be honest, toxic. The plot is a bit strange as it’s clear this wasn’t written by an American which of course is fine, but, it takes place in America but it failed to use the US school system structure and language as the comparison needed. I didn’t want to give spoilers so I’ll leave it at that.

Then we have the diversity or lack there of. It’s 2025, describing a black man, the only one at that, the way the author did is just not cool. Also these are grown adults at the youngest being 22 years old but it reads like they are in High school. Now it’s a different world within the real world but it never gives a basis for why at 22 years old (and they say they are indeed adults) that their parents dictate what they can do. It just doesn’t make sense.

The last thing I’ll mention is that the prose just doesn’t flow. It has so much potential but instead is full of plot holes and repetitiveness. It reads like an extended outline rather than a polished novel. It’s one thing to be fast paced but it’s another to not have any sort of character or plot development.

All that being said, it is a good concept that with some work, which may absolutely be accomplished by publishing time, could be a winner in the fantasy genre.

It comes out September 23, 2025

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary eARC from Harlequin Trade Publishing through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Paisley is the youngest of her 5 magical siblings to be accepted into Weatherstone after she comes into her powers at 22. Paisley is unsure what her affinity is and is excited to learn, but an unexpected transfer student may derail her plans.

A connection from the past with an almost Romeo/Juliet type push pull, Logan is the bad boy with all the power. Paisley is warned away from him but can't stay away and vice versa. There is some alluding to locked memories along with her locked power, which all comes to the front as the twist is revealed at the end of this book.

I have more questions than answers to things I thought I had unraveled, but then it was all twisted a different way.

The world building was creative and the reader gained society knowledge as the main characters did without it feeling forced. While there is some spicy scenes, they weren't many or over the top. More of Logan needs to be explained in the next book.

Guilty of being drawn in by the stunning cover, but man, did I stay for the plot. It's hard not to love an academia/romantasy story, and this one was done so well. This is my first book by Jaymin Eve, but it definitely made me excited to read her other books. I read that this book is like Harry Potter & The Zodiac Academy's love child, and it kind of hits the nail on the head. However, I do feel it stands up on its own very well. Every chapter made sense and was necessary; the book never felt slow, nor did it feel so fast that I had to reread a sentence a few times to make it stick in my brain. I will say the book did feel quite young adult, but I'm hoping this improves throughout the series.

ARC Review: Spellcaster
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

First - thank you to @htp_hive @jaymineve and @netgalley for gifting me a copy of this FANTASTIC ARC! So - Let’s get into it👇🏻

Spellcaster by Jaymin Eve is an addictive, fast-paced dark academia romantasy that had me hooked from the very first page. If you’re a fan of broody male leads, powerful female protagonists, and sizzling enemies-to-lovers tension, this one absolutely delivers.

The chemistry between Paisley and Logan is off the charts—their dynamic crackles with intensity as their hate morphs into something far more complicated and addictive. Jaymin Eve nails the slow burn romance without ever dragging the pace, keeping you fully immersed in the drama, danger, and secrets that surround Weatherstone College.

The magical world is rich but not overwhelming, offering just enough context to ground the story while keeping the plot moving at a breakneck speed. I loved how the magic was wild and unpredictable, much like the dark energy stalking Paisley, and Logan’s dangerous edge only made things more exciting.

The twists are unexpected and perfectly timed, and the cliffhanger? Brutal—in the best possible way. I wanted to throw my tablet across the room the moment I finished. If you love dark magic, forbidden attraction, and a good old-fashioned legacy rivalry, Spellcaster needs to be on your shelf. Highly recommend! Releases Sept 2025!

If Bewitched & Zodiac Academy had a baby, this would be it.

Paisley starts college as a witch who is trying to unlock her powers and discover what element calls to her. Soon after, her childhood friend transfers in, but there’s a blood feud now between their families. Monsters lurk around campus, secrets are discovered, and Paisley has to survive. There’s mystery, suspense, tension, magic, and so much more. I couldn’t put my kindle down.

I literally woke up my husband from screaming because I was so excited about what I was reading!

I need every edition of this book and will be reading the rest of the series immediately upon publication.

Perfect if you love:
✅ Witches
✅ Slowburn Enemies to Lovers
✅ Elemental Magic
✅ Dark Academia
✅ 🌶️🌶️

Review date: April 29, 2025
Publication date: September 23, 2025

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Jaymin Eve, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spellcaster had a lot of potential—a promising premise, atmospheric magic, and a heroine with the weight of a legacy on her shoulders. But while I was intrigued by the world and the lore, I found myself wishing for more depth in both the characters and the pacing.

Nadia is a capable and compelling protagonist, and her journey as a witch trying to protect her new town from dark forces had moments that really worked. The blend of small-town eeriness and magical tension created a solid backdrop. However, the character development sometimes felt a little surface-level, and the romance, while sweet, didn’t quite reach the slow-burn or emotional impact I was hoping for.

What kept me turning the pages was the underlying darkness in the plot and the glimpses of a larger magical system. I just wish we’d spent more time digging into it all. It’s the kind of book that hints at a deeper mythology but doesn’t fully explore it, which left me slightly unsatisfied but still curious.

Overall, Spellcaster is a quick, enjoyable read with familiar tropes and a touch of darkness. While it didn’t blow me away, it was a solid intro to what could be a much richer series if the layers continue to build.

4.5 ⭐
1.5 🌶️

If you are a fan of the show Legacies, this is the book for you! This book has witches, it has monsters, it has powerful warlocks! The world building was easy to get into and to picture, I loved the enemies to Lovers aspect between Paisley and Logan, that cliffhanger at the end, like I need book 2 asap! This is a slow burn, there is spicy but like 70 percent into the book, which was fine, because this book had a great plot. Paisleys powers start to come out when she turns 22, she gets into a prestigious college for witches where her brothers and sisters go, and there she is taught how to bring out her powers, but things go different than planned, when Logan her father's enemies son, and the most powerful spellcaster in the school, enrolls at the same time. Thank you so much Netgalley for letting me Arc read this book, in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so fun and had my attention the whole time. I gave it 4 instead of 5 because there were certain plot holes and gaps but I’m holding out that those will all get solved in the sequel. I also was just hoping for more, but the plot and the potential is so good!
It was also a tad cringey at times, but Paisley is a horny 22 year old so that’s to be expected.
I can’t wait to learn more about Noah, Logan, Paisley’s family, and the extent of her powers! There are so many places the plot can go and I really hope the next ones live up to that!

My Prediction: This is the Next Sleeper Romantasy Hit! I loved this book and truly believe it's going to be the next big sleeper hit in the Romantasy world! If you're a fan of Zodiac Academy, dark academia, or just on the hunt for your next magical obsession, look no further—this is it. The story gave me major "mature Harry Potter meets Degrassi" vibes in the best way possible. The writing was smooth and engaging, and the plot flowed effortlessly. While it was marketed as a New Adult (NA) book, it definitely leaned more toward Young Adult (YA) in tone and content. Still, the romantic tension was there! You get that enemies-to-lovers dynamic, though it's a softer version—more teasing sparks than full-on hate. The chemistry between the MMC and FMC was enjoyable, and the world-building kept me hooked from start to finish. I rated it 4 stars only because I was hoping for a bit more adult content, but that didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the story. Overall: A super fun, addictive read. I can't wait for the next book in the series! I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The way I cannot stop talking about this book! I feel terrible because I read it so early so I don't want to get people excited too early but this was incredible. I tried to slow down my reading but I took 2 days instead of the couple of course it truly would have taken me. The tension between mmc and fmc was electric. You said he wants to kill you? I think you actually meant a different four letter word of what he wants to do to you... he was constantly saving her and then helps her begrudgingly in the beginning. Then you find out the only way he can really help her is if they get a little spicy?! the like fake camera looks we do while reading? Yeah I had a ton of camera time because i was squealing left and right at this. When the family was talking, which i loved the siblings and their dynamics but the dad. The dad was all "he's trying to kill you, stay away from him!" Um dad hello look at the man. He is hot and powerful and when we're alone... I mean le petit mort is the name for a reason.... anywho this book was a five star read for me. The ending had me looking dad into the camera doing the Jennifer Lawrence "WHAT DO YOU MEAN" because it was ended on the wildest cliffhanger. Like hello it's February I think when I read this, the book comes out in SEPTEMBER, and im supposed to just sit here knowing what I know and not knowing what I don't? Honestly, torture. Anyway I'm going to go reread this and see if I missed anything. Only 4 months till release month.
Quick unrelated question: when does book two come out? November? A girl can hope

I'm typically not a harsh reviewer when it comes to ARCs because reading is subjective and I never want to harm an author's career, but this was truly so bad that I started taking notes.

Setting aside my issues with the pacing, plot, relationships, dialogue, and basically everything about this book, I want to start with the most concerning aspect of this book. I'm white, so obviously I'm not the most qualified person to dictate whether or not something is racist, but the characterization of the only Black character in this entire book (other than 2 side characters that are each mentioned once and basically get no dialogue) really bothered me. Noah, who is the best friend of Logan (the love interest) is introduced in a concerning way, which was basically the tall large threatening black friend of a male villain love interest, who isn't even given a name for a good amount of the time he's in this book. On the main character's first impression of him, without him even saying anything or moving, she says he's built like a linebacker (this takes place in America but none of these witches/warlocks do sports!!!!! or even partake in any sort of human culture like football why would this be the first descriptor that comes to mind?) A direct quote in her first encounter with him is "there was a coiled energy about him that told me if needed, he could turn from neutral to deadly in a heartbeat." Mind you he's literally just standing there and being tall and Black - seems like someone is stereotyping idk. Noah gets absolutely no character development, has no personality traits other than being the friend (more like bodyguard the way he's written) to Logan. You could have replaced his character with some sort of protecting familiar and there would have been very little change he has so little dialogue. This wouldn't have necessarily bothered me if it didn't feel like the shittiest excuse for diversity I've ever seen. It's not a move for inclusivity if you're just writing a poorly written stereotype of a Black man whose only purpose is to stand next to the love interest. There were some other quotes that made me side eye both the main character and the author. One that stood out to me was, "Your master left. Hope you're not on a choke chain." This was said to Noah by Paisley, the main character. Genuinely disturbing and there's no way the author didn't recognize that this was NOT the way to phrase the sentiment she was attempting to convey. Another one that bothered me was, "Noah stood three feet away, dressed in all black, because that wasn't creepy. 'We need to get a fucking bell on you,' I said with as much snarl as I could manage." These quotes wouldn't bother me if Noah was white, but the author made a conscious decision to write a Black character then had her main character say things that, to a Black man, come off as racially motivated. It's worth noting that there are no other non-white characters (unless you want to count the Paisley's best friend, Belle, whose mother is from India? She lives in India, but I'm not sure if it's stated that she's Indian though I guess it's implied. But all of Paisley's physical descriptions are about her being a redhead, which doesn't immediately make her fully white but still felt like a really poor attempt at inclusivity, almost like the author last minute decided to make her mom live in India).

Next, this was incredibly poorly written, and I can only compare it to the 2010s paranormal romance-ish book you read in middle school that was soooo tropey in every way. The setting, the characters, their mannerisms, the relationship, etc. This was not a compelling novel at any point, and I really wanted to DNF it in the first 10 chapters but decided to stick it out and see if it got better. The pacing was genuinely awful and I was so bored half the time. So many scenes felt unnecessary and were like a chore to read. The worldbuilding was incredibly clunky and just shoved at you through dialogue. The first half of this book at least has some things happening, but I cannot point out a single thing that happens in the second half other than like 2 sex scenes. There was essentially no 3rd act conflict and the ending was the definition of unsatisfying and anticlimactic, giving the reader absolutely no reason to continue this series. The romance is bland, the plot is all over the place ad barely there, there are no stakes and no cliffhangers, the questions that need to be answered aren't clearly defined enough to be intriguing, and none of the characters are likable!!! Why would I torture myself with the second book?

One thing about this book that so clearly stood out was the absolutely terrible dialogue, characterization, and relationships in this book. First off, Paisley is the youngest of five children, who all go to this super prestigious school (which really didn't seem that prestigious to me because there's only like 5 schools but anyway) and all of them are walking clichés with no personality traits, just very clearly defined walking tropes. Also, this author is definitely an only child because no siblings would ever interact this way?? They're constantly calling each other baby sis or big bro, and I'm pretty sure no sibling has ever used this term seriously. They tease each other, but in a really gentle and nice way, which was just entirely unrealistic. Like they were always happy and content with each other and never fighting...sorry have you ever interacted with five siblings all within 4 years of age? They also kind of felt like that parody movie of the Brady Bunch, where there's like a weird almost sexual undercurrent at times? They talked about sex entirely too much for my comfort (I can confidently say I've never bragged about my boobs to my brother!) None of the relationships, family or otherwise, are even slightly realistic. Everyone, especially Paisley, who is supposed to be 22, acts WAYYYY younger than they are, and the college treats them like they're high school students and not literal adults. It felt like the oldest sibling was about 17, when the youngest is actually 22! I genuinely have a theory that this started as a YA novel set in a private high school (thus the literal uniforms like they're at Hogwarts or something) but at the last minute the author decided she wanted to write smut so she just ctrl + f'd every character to be 22 instead of 16. Everything would make so much more sense if they were 16. The dialogue is so clunky and unrealistic, I genuinely questioned if it was written by AI because I cannot imagine a human thinking the dialogue is realistic. It was jarring to go from a sentence nobody would ever say or think in real to life to modern day slang like "situationships". (NOT accusing this author of using AI in her book by the way)

Logan and Paisley. You'd think that since this is a "romantasy" (it's not, in my opinion as a professional romantasy reader) there would be some frequent appearances from the love interest, but no. He really doesn't show up much, and Paisley for the most part doesn't interact with him. Obviously there are some moments of tension or like insulting each other, as well as 2 smut scenes, but other than that he's pretty absent. He has no development whatsoever, and no actual personality, just kind of staring there stoically and giving nothing away on his face, but sometimes threatening her family or her. When he is there, he's honestly pretty annoying and insufferable, which I personally don't find attractive at all. I also cringed HARD at their first kiss, which is never a good sign. One of them says, "fuck it" and then kisses the other, which is such a cliché that it reminded me of when I was in middle school, and my friend brought me on her first date with her boyfriend, and I had to hide behind a bush with our other friend while they had their first kiss, and he (a 13 year old boy) said "fuck it" and kind of kissed her. That was my mental image. There was no banter at all, very little tension, and pretty much nothing that makes a good romance.

Some of my smaller issues that just bothered me
- Her name is PAISLEY. no offense to the Paisley's of the world but I'm pretty sure she's supposed to be super badass and Paisley is just not giving me that vibe. If she was super feminine and nice and sweet and soft then was also a badass, I'd love that, but that was the not the vibe here.
- Again with the names, I'm not viewing a guy named LOGAN as a super powerful scary villainous wizard guy. He just seems like he's going to spike my drink
- I immediately clocked that this author was not American, because the way America was mentioned was so weird? Like Paisley is from Spokane, Washington and this college is in a rural area of New York, but it's in "the wilds of New York state". And the school system was referred to as primary and secondary school, which is not at all what American schools are referred to as. Even some of the phrases used were just not fitting for America. I don't really know why this author wanted to set their book in America when it could have easily been in any other country. Not a big deal it just bugged me
- there was a weird random love traingle introduced that had a very obvious outcome, and didn't really amount to anything, so that was just weird. This felt like yet another thing that was reminiscent of 2010s paranormal fantasy/romance except it's missing the things that made those so good (like the tension, banter, compelling plot, romance, etc)

Truly hated this, would not recommend it, and have no interest in reading the second book.

I really tried to push through this one, especially since it's less than 300 pages, but I chose to DNF around the 45% mark. Everything is super fast paced, which generally isn't a bad thing as long as the story is built with enough detail. But every time something happens, we fast forward almost too much, and it leaves many moments/relationships underdeveloped. Other than that, I think this reads as more YA with random steam mixed in and it was hard to take seriously at times. The MMC still wasn't a big part of the story at the 45% mark, and the times where he was present were so vague and annoying. This simply didn't work for me, but I'm sure others may enjoy it. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

A fast paced romantasy that will keep you hooked.

Paisley was accepted to the most prestigious witch college. She is determined to live up to her family and school’s expectations.

Logan is the son of her father’s enemy. But Paisley ends up falling for him. I absolutely love the chemistry between these two. Are you ready to dive into a world, where nothing is ever as it seems and love is as dangerous as power.


If you love:
💕 Dark Academia
💕enemies to lovers
💕high stakes
💕 magical creatures
Then this book is for you!

I hoping there are more books in the future! Big thanks to NetGalley, Jaymin and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the E-ARC!!


Publication Date: September 23 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Freaking fabulous!!! Such an anticipated read and worth every second. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy and others to be able to read this. Anything Jaymin writes is fantastic and this did not disappoint.

This book caught my eye on Netgalley and I was excited. Alas. I am so disappointed. I got to Chapter 6 and could go no further. I felt like I was reading about high schoolers not grown adults. There were bits of writing that made me physically cringe. “Why do you hide your youngest? Where is my best friend?” I’m sorry what you’re like a few years older than her why are you talking like that? And then Paisley the FMC, 22 years older, seems like she’s mentally 15. Let’s mommy and daddy dictate whether she can stay at college or not. Says things like, “he growled, like a legit growl and since he wasn’t a nature sprite with an animal familiar it took me by surprise.” This is her dad she’s talking about. Next up is a sibling character “he gravitated toward you and was überprotective.” I’m sorry what? “You’re right about this being a trigger for her”
“Don’t you remember our last days?” -Who talks like this? Nobody.
There was no way to stay immersed in this book.

Spellcaster by Jaymin Eve is an intense enemies to lovers romantasy I would recommend to any seasoned romantasy reader or someone who is just getting their feet wet in the genre, I really loved reading this book and look forward to more from Jaymin Eve. Thank you Net Galley for this ARC!!

Absolutely loved it! such a fun, fast-paced read with a great mix of magic, mystery, and romance. The main character is strong, witty, and easy to root for, and the magical world feels exciting and full of surprises. Jaymin Eve does a great job keeping the story engaging—there's always something happening, and the twists keep you hooked.

The chemistry between characters is great too, with just the right amount of tension and heart. If you enjoy books with powerful magic, found family vibes, and a heroine who doesn’t back down, this one’s for you.

If you’re like me and crave stories that whisk you into a moody, magical world filled with secrets, slow-burn romance, and powerful self-discovery, then Spellcaster is a gem you’ll want on your shelf.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*