Thank you for the opportunity to read Spellcaster by Jaymin Eve. As a fan of her previous work, I had high expectations going in—and this novel exceeded them in every way. The blend of dark academia, slow-burn romance, and unpredictable magic created a fast-paced and immersive reading experience that I couldn’t put down.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between the protagonist and Logan was executed with sizzling tension and layered emotion. Their relationship never felt rushed, and the development was as rewarding as it was intense. Eve also does a fantastic job of balancing worldbuilding with plot momentum—Weatherstone College feels fully realized, mysterious, and alive with secrets.

I particularly appreciated the protagonist’s voice: smart, vulnerable, and grounded in a way that made her journey through magic, legacy, and danger feel personal and real. The inclusion of ancient magic systems and creatures added a fresh twist to the romantasy genre, keeping the story feeling both familiar and new.

Spellcaster has clear series potential, and I believe it will strongly appeal to fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Sarah J. Maas, and Elise Kova. It hits the sweet spot between romance and fantasy, with high commercial appeal and binge-worthy pacing.

I would be eager to support future titles in this world and recommend Spellcaster enthusiastically to fellow readers.

Best regards,
Caitlyn Frias
@heartofhomesteadreads

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing, Harper Collins, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

This was such a fun, quick fantasy read! I flew through this book in 24 hours and had so much fun reading it!

Spellcaster is a fantasy romance set in a dark academia setting. The magic system is structured for different characters to have different affinities (elementals, nature sprites, necromancers, and spellcasters). This was an easy to understand yet unique way to have these witches/warlocks magic manifest. It is also nice that the readers learn more about how the magic works at the same time as the FMC since she is a freshman at this academy and is learning about her own power throughout the year.

Typically in these types of books, you get FMCs with no family or a dysfunctional family backstory. I loved that in this book our FMC, Paisley, has a strong family unit and loving siblings to look after her while attending this magical college. It's refreshing to see Paisley navigate her first year at this magical academy, with both her found family and her real family by her side. There is also a mystery at the heart of this plot that I can't wait to see unfold (especially to see if my guesses are correct).

Where this romantasy could improve is in the romantic element itself. This read more like a dark academia fantasy with a romantic subplot because the MMC is so rarely in the book. While this does make for a good slow burn enemies-to-lovers story, we don't see enough interaction for them to really be classified as either. I would have loved to see more interaction and potential affection between these two just to make their connection seem less surface level. Also, the MMC is named Logan but he is supposed to be from Italy. I would have loved to see him have an actual Italian name to better fit his character and backstory.

On this same note, I think we see too much interaction between the friends that doesn't seem to add much to the plot. While I have really been enjoying this found family, and it has played into the plot in some ways, the scenes with Paisley's friends have made this read more YA than NA. These characters are meant to be 22+ but the dialogue between them makes them sound a lot younger.

Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this and would buy a physical copy when it releases. I will also happily read the sequel just to see the mystery and romance continue to unfold!

*A brief video review will be uploaded on @alireadsanywhere on 5/19/25 and a full review will be posted in September before the publishing date*

3.75

This story centers around an elite witch/warlock college and follows Paisley as she begins her first year. Right from the start we learn that her family has a long standing feud with a powerful warlock, and his son will be attending Weatherstone with Paisley. Enter: Logan, the MMC. He is posed as an uncaring, dangerous warlock that clearly has it out for Paisley, but every time something happens to her, it always seems to be Logan saving her.

In this story, the age that college starts for witches and warlocks is around 22, but admittedly this felt very high school to me sometimes? There was an instant best friend situation which felt really fast and out of nowhere, and Paisley had 4 siblings who were also at Weatherstone and their relationship is extremely tight. I think all of it could have been toned down to feel more realistic, but the constant "I love you's" and "I don't know how I would survive without you" etc. just felt forced.

The overall story was interesting, and the ending left a lot of questions and made me interested to read the next one. I just hope the relationships can get some polishing!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5⭐

The premise of Spellcaster was super promising - the magical academy, enemies to lovers, mysterious enemy... But it fell a little short for me. There was so much telling and not showing that I didn't feel compelled to believe some things just because I was being told it was so. I also struggled with the timeline as there is no clear indication of how much time was passing.

The FMC is 22 but the dialogue reads seemed very surface level and immature. I enjoyed the tension between Paisley and Logan and wish there was more exploration of that dynamic - we didn't get a whole lot of conversation between them but we did get 2 spicy scenes which felt a little unbalanced.

The story has such promise and I enjoyed reading it! I just felt like it needed to be longer to flesh out the world building and relationship dynamics between the main characters so I can understand their motivations better.

Thank you HTP Books for the advanced review copy!

Spellcaster
by Jaymin Eve
Pub Date: Sep 23 2025

Don’t walk the halls late at night.
Don’t disturb the ancient magic.
And don’t, under any circumstances, ever trust a spellcaster.

When my magic bloomed at twenty-two, the last thing I expected was to receive an acceptance letter to the most prestigious witch college in the world. It’s not that I don’t have magic. It’s just…unpredictable. But with Weatherstone a part of my family legacy, I’m determined to live up to their expectations.

A task that’s almost derailed on my very first day when I come face-to-face with Logan Kingston, the son of my father’s enemy. I’m warned to avoid the powerful spellcaster at all costs, but apparently Logan did not receive the same memo. The more time I spend around him, the more I crave his unsettling attention, and as hate flirts with obsession, I’m left wondering if there’s another side to the decades-old feud between our fathers.

On top of that, Weatherstone is not at all like I expected. Built on the ancient blood of necromancers and battle, the magic here is as unpredictable as mine, and I sense a dark energy stalking my footsteps. When a monster attacks me, I have no choice but to turn to the strongest warlock in our school: Logan.

𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 is an intense, fast-paced fantasy that had me hooked from page one with dark academia, family ties, and simmering tension.

@jaymineve DELIVERS with a world full of morally gray characters, high stakes, and a magic system that feels both fresh and dangerous. The tension, magical and romantic, builds beautifully, and the twists genuinely shocked me.

If you love enemies-to-lovers, powerful legacies, and fantasy (with bite), this one is a must-read!

Plus, look at that cover art!!! She’s so pretty.

Thank you so much to @harlequinbooks and @netgalley for the ARC!

Definitely more of a 4.25/4.5 rating

When I first saw this book I said oh my goodness I need to read this it has everything I love

Witches
Elemental magic
Dark academia
Enemies to lovers

And so much more! I also really enjoy Jaymin Eve so reading Spellcaster felt like a no brainer.

I will say the beginning of the story was very slow. I was not that “interested” and at times felt like the book itself may not actually be for me but I kept going and I am so glad I did!

The story was intense. The chemistry was electrifying. And the ending was surprising.

I can’t wait to see what is next!

There was so much potential to this but it didn’t quite hit the right marks for me. The writer obviously has a lot of potential and this was fun to read. This was my first book of hers and I’m not against reading more of her books after this.

This is a bit of like twenty year olds Harry Potter with smut. Main issue was the main character was very immature, almost child like at some points. Being a smutty book it was icky combination to me.

Recommend fantasy smut readers. This will not change your world but it is fun to read.

✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨
📖: Spellcaster
🪄: Releasing September 23, 2025

After her magical bloom, Paisley Hallistar is ready to embrace the next step in her future. Her tight-knit family have all manifested strong magical affinities while hers is unpredictable. When she’s accepted to the prestigious Weatherstone College, Paisley’s determined to live up to her family’s legacy.

When a family feud threatens her academic year, she’s warned to avoid Logan Kingston at all costs. But she can’t seem to escape him nor the darkness that seems to follow her.

Tropes:
⚠️Enemies to lovers
😮‍💨Who hurt you?
🏫Magical academy
💫Magic & monsters
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Found family
🤌“F it”
🔥Slow burn 🌶️

I was immediately drawn into this world of witches and warlocks and was living for the dark academia setting. Paisley is slowly discovering her magic and Logan is a powerful warlock who is likely plotting her demise. She can’t remember much about him from their childhood but feels drawn to him. Each interaction between them pulses with tension, reluctant longing, and a touch of danger. Can she unlock her magic and unravel the mystery of the monsters lurking?

The Spellcaster weaves a spellbinding tale teeming with captivating magic, dangerous secrets, and a sizzling enemies to lovers romance. I am desperate for the next book!

Immensely grateful to the author, Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA, and NetGalley for the ARC opportunity! This is my honest and voluntary review.

This gave me major Vampire Academy vibes but with witches and warlocks. Was an easy read that moved quickly. It kept me interested and wanting answers. The enemies to hookup was a slow burn but so good. Be prepared for partial answers and one heck of a cliffhanger

Thank you Jaymin Eve! This book is amazing and one of my top reads of the year. I am so excited for this book to come out so I can have a physical trophy on my shelves! I loved everything about this book

Review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, and Fable.
Posted Thursday May 15 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY INCREDIBLE!

A fast paced, dark academia romantasy? Sign me up ALWAYS! I couldn’t put it down!!
Logan and Paisley have such incredible and INTENSE chemistry, and who doesn’t love that?😍
This slow burn romance will have you gripping the pages for more.

The world. The magic. EVERYTHING was top tier!
AND THAT CLIFFHANGER?!?
Releasing Sept 2025, and I promise you don’t want to miss this!

4.5 stars!

First, I would like to thank the author, Jaymin Eve, and the publisher, HarperCollins, for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

"Spellcaster" is about a young witch that comes of age and "blooms" into her magical powers. She receives an acceptance letter to the prestigious Weatherstone College for witches and warlocks. While this could be the best thing for Paisley, she will encounter many things while in her freshman year of college, not just finding her powers, but much more.

I was sucked right into this book from chapter 1. What made me give this book a 4.5 star rating was the descriptions and backstory. I felt it was easy to follow and everything made sense, not an ounce of confusion. I loved the characters, both the main characters and background characters. I loved the magical aspect of this book as well. The descriptions of each type of witch and warlock was great and helped to understand everything later in the story. However, I do love me a cliffhanger, but now I'm CRAVING another installment of this story.

I plan to recommend and purchase this book once it releases.

Honestly loved this book. I was uncertain when I started since it has such a similar premise to other books but I thought it was really well done. It gave kind of like fourth wing x Harry Potter and elements of other beloved series. Very very sad this is just the first of a series though. I didn’t realize that going in so if you hate cliffhangers (like I do as well as the FMC) then you’re gonna wanna wait a bit. My only real feedback would be it was at times hard to keep up with all the different characters. I honestly felt like I needed to take notes at a point. I also wish that the end was more fleshed out. The beginning was a bit longer whereas the end seemed to come quickly. I also wish we had a bit more insight into the cliffhanger.

If you've enjoyed other Jaymin Eve books then you'll like this one too!

Spellcaster is a fast-paced, dark academia, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance that hooks you from the start.

The FMC, Paisley, is the youngest in a large family of witches and is joining her siblings in her first year at the elite Weatherstone College. When the son of her father's enemy, Logan, transfers to the college, things become complicated for Paisley as she tries to determine if Logan wants to be her new best friend or if wants her dead. Paisley has bigger things to worry about while she tries to harness her magic and defend herself from mysterious monsters that start popping up around the school.

This book is full of unexpected twists, witty-banter, spicy tension, and intriguing world-building that doesn’t feel unnecessarily complicated.

I literally squealed when I saw this ARC come through and I can't wait for the next in this series!

Thank you so much to Jaymin Eve, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for the eARC!

Published review on Goodreads - Posted on 05/14/2025

Alright so there are some interesting elements in this book, like the magic and school system, the types of powers, the detail in spells. I also like the main MMC and I'm curious about this family drama and how he is connected to the main FMC. However, the writing is a bit juvenile and I think there should have been more of a dive into the banter between the two main MCs, sone more details on powers, some follow through on the investigation of the attacks and overall a refinement in the writing because it was splotchy and felt like random at times. Especially the spicy scenes could have been done better they felt too odd when these two characters barely talked. Maybe multiple POV would be helpful? I would be down to read the second book to figure out the mystery but honestly would not rush to read this series. I feel like it needs another edit and re-read/refinement. It just made me wish I was reading a better version of the same thing.

✨𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆✨

Welcome to Weatherstone College…

Don’t walk the halls late at night.
Don’t disturb the ancient magic.
And don’t, under any circumstances, ever trust a spellcaster.

When my magic bloomed at twenty-two, the last thing I expected was to receive an acceptance letter to the most prestigious witch college in the world. It’s not that I don’t have magic. It’s just…unpredictable. But with Weatherstone a part of my family legacy, I’m determined to live up to their expectations.

Spellcaster in the first book in this series by Jaymin Eve. I appreciated the book's premise and the enchanting atmosphere of the witch school depicted within. The strong bond among Paisley and her family was delightful, and the interactions between her and her siblings were remarkable. Overall, the magical realm and its development were straightforward and comprehensible. While I found enjoyment in this book, I felt it lacked a compelling element that would compel me to continue reading without pause. This may be attributed to the minimal interactions between the FMC and the MMC for the majority of the book, and when they did interact, the chemistry did not resonate with me. However, considering this is a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers narrative, it is possible that the tension will evolve in subsequent installments. The book concludes with a cliffhanger, so be prepared for a lack of resolution.

If you are looking for Who hurt you, Elemental Magic, and Dark Academia vibes, then this book is ideal for you.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a great read! I found that I didn't want to put it down! I think this would be great for fans of Zodiac Academy and Gothikana with the dark academia setting (the school) and the magic and mystery! I also LOVED the romance between Paisley and Logan. Would definitely recommend this book!!

I received an ARC of this book and I loved every minute of it. The vibes were fantastic and I couldn’t put it down.

This is urban fantasy, so the characters reference reading on Kindles and use modern slang, which was a lot of fun, as I typically read a lot of high fantasy. This book is fast paced and engaging with just enough world building to understand the magic system, but not so much that you can’t remember the types of witch affinities or other terminology.

We follow the FMC as she heads off to a magical college with her 4 older siblings — one of my favorite parts of this book was when we got a glimpse of the sibling dynamics as the FMC and her siblings interacted. We have a mysterious and powerful MMC who appears just enough to be intriguing and leave us wanting more — I have so many questions about him. My favorite part of this book is that it had some of my favorite tropes, including enemies to lovers and a “who hurt you??” scene.

The book ends on a huge cliffhanger and I am now desperate to find out what happens next!

My only constructive feedback would be that there could be a bit more relationship development — the main character falls into a group of friends almost immediately when she gets to college and within one day is talking about what a great friend this witch is who she literally just met 24 hours earlier. I definitely know that in a college environment, sometimes you become fast friends with people, but some of the dialogue between them stretched the realm of authenticity for me.

Overall, this book was a lot of fun. I think folks who love books like the Broken Bloodlines series by Sadie Kincaid or The Dragons of Ember Hollow series by Tessa Hale will love this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for the ARC!

I have loved Jaymin Eve’s books and was thrilled to get to dive into this one early! Spellcaster had everything you love from an enemies-to-lovers story- the slow burn, the tension and anticipation. It was all so delicious!

The only downside for me was that I thought this was going to be a standalone so the cliffhanger was not a welcome surprise 😅 I’d suggest making it clear to readers that this will be a series, not a standalone.