✨ARC Review✨

Title: Spellcaster
Author: Jaymin Eve

Wow. I didn’t have a clue what to expect from Spellcaster before reading the book. To say that I was hooked from the start is an understatement. I finished this book in half a day.

First, I love Paisley (Paisley). She is funny, sweet, loves her family and friends. She even has hobbies that are same with mine. She is a very relatable FMC.

Second, we have Logan. He oozes confidence, power, and mystery. His dynamic with Pais hints at mates and bonds. If there is one trope that I love it’s that.

Pais and Logan’s interactions are sizzling. The slow burn is worth the wait. I had so much fun reading their way they trade barbs.

As for the other characters, they made the story more enjoyable. The Hallistar family reminds me of my own family. Their bond and love for each other is so heartfelt. Meanwhile, Pais’ friends are hilarious. Who won’t relate with Haley who carries her ebook reader or paperbacks everywhere to read romantasy?

The cliffhanger is agony. I really want to read the next book already to know more about demon-witches and Logan’s past with Paisley. Spellcaster will definitely be one of the books I will be purchasing a physical copy of.

I recommend this book to those who love academia, magic, slow burn romance, and enemies to lovers. It’s fantastic!

4.5 ✨ but rounded up. ATE THIS SHIT UP. but that CLIFFY? WHAT !? THATS JUST WRONG! Where can I submit my therapy bill? im literally fuming. GAHHHHHHHHH.

in all honesty, I genuinely enjoyed the magic system.

*breathe deeply*

Paisley & Logan? perfect. gimme MORE.

Logan had me kicking my feet and giggling like a school girl. 🥹

Noah’s big ass? I WANT MORE OF HIM. idk if he’s even a love interest but he’s hot & mean 😌🥰

it’s rare I enjoy an “academy” book so much but this was so much fun. the pace was fantastic and the friendships? amazing.

I need book 2. NOW PLEASE.

thank you to Harper Collins & Jaymin Eve for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a slow burn without a cliff hanger this title isn’t for you. Quick and fun read! Super spice without much wait, cliffhanger that will leave you like ‘wait what?’. Definitely dying while waiting for the next one to come out because I have questions!

my goodness. i devoured this book. literally so so good and cannot wait for book 2 already. that ending was diabolical with that cliffy. cannot wait for more, big fan of logan and paisley. highly recommend!!

I just devoured this book!

I loved the premise of the story, the academy setting, witches and powers. The writing is engaging and there is so much potential for the next book. I'd love a bit more with certain characters and the time table of how things play out, but these things would only make the book stronger..

The FMC, Paisley, is sassy, smart and she cares about all the right things. She is coming in to her power but she is unaware of the secrets her family holds. The family dynamics are excellent and I love the relationships she has with them. It would be nice to see them a bit more because I do think they disappear for a bit, even though they're all at the same school. The MMC, Logan, needs all the screen time. He is powerful, mysterious, and completely obsessed with Paisley. I definitely need all of him in book 2. I can't wait for their relationship to develop further and for all the secrets to be revealed in book 2.

The ending leaves us wanting more. And I'm not sure I can wait for the next book. Hopefully, it comes out soon (even though I'm reading this book a full 6 months ahead of release) It's so good. This is perfect for dark romantasy girlies and this will for sure get better and better as the series continues.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the eARC. It's amazing!

3.5 ⭐
When I saw this stunning cover and the amazing tropes, I immediately wanted to read it!

At 22, Paisley receives an invitation to the most prestigious witch college in the world, where her siblings are already studying and her father is a professor. He warns her to stay away from Logan Kingston, the son of his enemy, even though their families used to be very close. But why is Paisley so drawn to Logan? And Logan himself doesn’t seem to see her as an enemy—quite the opposite, he actually helps her.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I didn’t really enjoy the first part—there were a lot of conversations between the heroine and her friends that didn’t add much to the story. It felt more like I was reading about high school students rather than characters in their twenties. Plus, Logan didn’t appear very often.

But the further I read, the more I liked it! The story became more intense, the chemistry between the main characters was undeniable, and the ending completely surprised me! Now I can’t wait for the sequel.

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓dark academia
✓who hurt you?
✓slow burn
✓enemies to lovers
✓elemental magic

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing (Canary Street Press) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a quick read, perfect if you're looking for an escape! This is a fairly low stakes, fantasy romance set at a magical school, Weatherstone college. I really enjoyed the relationships between Paisley and her family and friends, plenty of wholesome, cute moments if you're looking for something light. Logan was hot, I didn't really buy him as Paisley's enemy, but I enjoyed their relationship nonetheless. While I'm not against angst in fantasy romance and really enjoy it at times, I appreciated that this was lower on the angst scale, it was a refreshing read! It did read a bit YA, but based on this world's academic system I can see why that is the case. The story was fairly predictable, but I didn't mind that, it only lent to this being a lighter read, and a nice escape!

This is a little hard to rate because I did enjoy it in the moment and I flew through it but I was left so unsatisfied. None of the questions posed at that beginning of the book are answered. If book 2 was already out, I’d jump right into because I want to know what happens next. However, I’m not sure I’ll go looking for the sequel whenever it does release. The romance was little lack luster also. It gave insta love but they only spoke a few sentences to each other at a time and only a handful of times through out the book. This was a middle of the road romantasy. I’ve read better but I’ve also read way worse. Worth a shot if you love witches and magical colleges.

3.5 ⭐️

I liked this, but some aspects felt very insta love. Like there was nooo need for both of them to just randomly constantly have sex dreams about each other. Like what’s the point?? Honestly, it’s been a week since I read this and I’m struggling to recall the plot. I was entertained in the moment, but I feel like it’s very similar to many other books of this genre, and doesn’t particularly stand out. I liked some of the aspects of the mystery, and am intrigued since there are some questions that have been left unanswered. But again, I think there’s a lot of insta love. The characters didn’t talk that much, but now they’re just obsessed with each other?? Okay. Also the “precious” nickname was really cringy, idc about the backstory. I’m definitely interested in reading more about their childhood and relationship when they were younger, and would read the sequel. Anyway, this wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t a particularly good or memorable book either. I don’t have any strong positive feelings.

I love everything that Jaymin writes I swear! I did find this book to be slow to get into in the beginning but once it got going it was hard to put it down. I loved the dynamic between Logan and Paisley and I really hope that we see more of it in book two. The magic system in this book was pretty interesting and I’d honestly love to live in it and experience it for myself. Overall, I found this book to be wonderfully written and the world building to be complex and easy to follow. I loved Paisley’s relationship with her friends and how they always have each others backs even when the other sounds crazy. I’m very excited to see where this story goes. Although, I can’t believe I have to wait so long for book two with it ending on that kind of cliffhanger!

IS IT TOMORROW YET?! 😂😂

This was SO MUCH FUN. I binged it. It was on my TBR for the summer and then mood reading got a hold of me so here we are. Witchy vibes x dark academia x tension filled enemies to lovers = a completely entertaining read. Full review to follow!

Starting off this review by saying thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this e-arc!

Kicking the actual review off by saying that I've read two series by Jaymin Eve and loved them. That being said, I didn't feel the same about Spellcaster. This story definitely has potential, but the characters read...like they were in high school? to me, at least. I also didn't love the dynamic between her and her family - I'm interested in the relationship with the love interest, but they also didn't interact for me to truly have a deep interest. Unsure if I'll continue this series - but would potentially try another book by this author!

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC. I was drawn in by the beautiful cover but alas I was let down. The characters are dull, the dark academia vibes lacking, the magic system boring, and worse of all the romance lacked tension, and they did not feel like real enemies.

Spellcaster was absolutely amazing, and I cannot wait to read the next book in this series. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that the cliffhanger ending was everything, especially because of the secrets within this story. The author finally reveals a little of the secret at the end and it desperately left me wanting more. I'm so excited to read how everything plays out not only with Paisley and her family, but also Logan because he has laid down his claim and nothing will stop him. The chemistry and connection between Paisley and Logan was undeniable from the very beginning and the angst between them only increased as the story went on. I could not get enough of them. But I loved quite a few characters in this story and there's still a lot of mystery when it comes to their characters. I absolutely enjoyed the relationship between Paisley and her family and her and Belle, Sara and Haley. However, I'm looking forward to learning more about Logan and Noah. This is just the beginning, but I can't wait for more because this story had me hooked from the very beginning and gave me everything, I needed for this to be a fantastic read. The author's writing style was amazing and descriptive. I was able to visualize everything as if it was right in front of me. This story has major family presence and involvement which I loved, then there's mystery, suspense, action, secrets, magic, attacks, deaths, threats, enemies, friendships, chemistry, steamy scenes, laugh out loud moments and so much more. I loved every page of this story and it's one I will definitely be recommending to all of my paranormal romance book loving friends.

This book was an immediate page turner and had me hooked from the start. It had major Hogwarts vibes but in a university setting. It was a perfect blend of dark academia, witch craft, mystery and hot warlocks. The world-building, although not that unique, was intriguing and interesting. From time to time this book felt more like a YA due to the FMC's kind of juvenile way of thinking and acting even though she's 22. The FMC to me felt kind of flat and it didn't really feel like you got to know her throughout the book. I would have like to see a bit more character development and relationship building. It had quite a few twists and turns and was quite fast-paced. Overall a really enjoyable read and I can't wait to see how the rest of the series conclude.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

I think at this point I have read almost everything that jaymin Eve has written. That being said, this book has easily slipped into the top slot, yes even above the Curse of the Gods series, and if you've been following me for a while, you know that I think that series is TOP TIER.

I love the way that this book gives us a wholesome Family unit even in the face of death and destruction. The siblings and their interactions with each other are some of my favorite moments throughout the book. It's such a breath of fresh air in an otherwise dark story and it helps ground you and keep you centered as you turn the pages.

This couple is star-crossed and doomed to fail. They are meant to be enemies, according to their fathers, but Logan, our MMC, seems to have his own game that he is playing with Paisley, our FMC. Instead of being out to get her, he is very protective of her from a distance, until circumstances force him to be up close and personal. They have a drool-worthy tension between them and even their banter , though mostly one sided, is fueled with angst and longing. The DREAMS are some of my favorite part and when the two finally clashed, it was well worth the wait.

I am so grateful to Netgalley and Harlequin for gifting me this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I really enjoyed this book! It had such a great mix of dark academia vibes with a blend of Harry Potter and Fourth Wing. The world felt super immersive! I loved that it focused on witches and warlocks, and the variety of magic wielders kept things interesting.

The FMC was super relatable and easy to root for. I also really loved the strong family and friendship dynamics, they felt really natural and added a lot to the story. My only complaint is that I wish we got more of Logan. The moments he was around were so good, and I really enjoyed his dynamic with the FMC. I just wanted more of him so we could build a deeper connection! That being said, it definitely made me even more excited for book two to see where their relationship goes.

The ending had me hooked, and I’ll definitely be picking up the next book when it comes out!

What a fun and intriguing story! I loved the academy and the worldbuilding. I think I'd have loved it more if we got to know Logan better, I feel like he just was a little one dimensional so far. I'm looking forward to more because I bet since this was more focusing on setup and the dynamics of her family and friends the next book will dive more into her dynamic with Logan and more about who he is other than eye candy.

It really picks up at midpoint and while not a boring book by any means, I loved the last half the best. It's very thrilling.

Absolutely LOVED everything about SPELLCASTER!

As soon as I started reading, I couldn't put it down and I was immediately swept into the world that Jaymin Eve created. I loved all of the magical elements and the world-building so much, and I absolutely adored the characters! Paisley and Logan were fantastic, and I'm so, so curious about their history! I also loved Paisley's family and friends so much--they added such wonderful heartfelt moments to the story and complemented all of the action...and the slowburn romance so well! I also adored the moments between Paisley and Logan! Enemies to lovers, who hurt you?, f*ck moments, and dark academia vibes at a magical college...I was so here for all of it, and it completely delivered for me. Also, Logan and Paisley's chemistry was phenomenal and I'm extremely excited to see where it leads!

Highly recommend to readers who like enemies to lovers, all things romantasy and fast-paced stories that they won't want to put down!

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️/5
Genre: romantasy; more fantasy than romance
World building: 🧱/5
Plot: lacked originality
Emotion:📉 none
Spice: 🌶️/5

The plot was rather predictable. The inspiration for this book appears to be the wizarding word of Harry Potter fantasy elements (school / magic) meets attempted Fourth Wing romance. It was abundantly obvious who the enemies to lovers would be and how their relationship would play out. Context clues were too easy to predict, leaving no room for mystery/surprise. There was some spice but it was short and not super steamy.

The dialogue was juvenile for 22+ year olds with conversations that didn’t flow naturally and/or were meaningless, contributing nothing to the overall plot. I could not relate to the FMC and the bond between her and her 3 besties. I have never been a fan of friends that walk around arms linked, constantly saying ‘love you’, especially when they just met - so fake and forced. I also didn’t particularly care for such heavy family involvement throughout the story. FMC is one of 5 siblings all of which attend Weatherstone College. Family dynamics also come into play with other characters as well. The personalities of the characters were so underdeveloped that most of what we know about them is surface level, failing to reach deeper connections. The MMC was sparsely present for most of the book with minimal dialogue between the enemies to lovers.

The ‘fast paced’ nature was the downfall of the book. Not enough time was devoted for character and world development. For example we learned about a spell in less than one page and were already using it defensively in the next chapter - too fast without enough context to really take it in before the event happens. With the lack of descriptive world building, I often found myself having difficultly visualizing the scenery. The book also failed to address the speed at which time was moving. I had no idea, most of the time, if days, weeks, or months had passed.

There is potential for this series; however, this first book didn’t deliver in comparison to leading romantasys. Unsure whether I would read the next book; perhaps I would just to see if the world and character development improved.


Review and rating posted on Goodreads. Rating will be included in March recap of books read on Instagram (no individual book review post due to lower rating).