4.5 stars!
✨Thank you to Jaymin Eve, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the digital ARC of Spellcaster!

When I saw I was approved, I was so excited—and can we just take a moment to appreciate that stunning cover?! This is absolutely one I’ll be adding to my shelves in physical form.

From the very first page, this book completely pulled me in. The lore, the worldbuilding, the magic system, the relationships, and the TENSION—I was hooked. I’ve never read anything by Jaymin Eve before, but after this, I’ll definitely be checking out more of her work.

And that cliffhanger?! I need book two ASAP.

I loved everything about this story! I was immediately hooked and read the entire thing in 1 sitting.

It has literally everything that we love- slow burn, enemies to lovers, fated mates, "who hurt you", found family. All wrapped in the best dark academia setting. There is a unique magic system with elementals, sprites, necromancers, and spellcasters.

It is fast-paced from the start and just wraps you up in this world. I absolutely LOVED every character. The twists and turns. The enemies to lovers aspect- chefs kiss.

And the twist at the end had me shook! Can't wait for the next book!

DNF at 25%
I had such high hopes for this book (the tropes practically made me salivate), but I knew from the first chapter that this book wouldn't be for me. I'm not sure what it was, but I just knew.
It felt like absolutely nothing happened in the 25% of the book I managed to read. It was repetitive, and completely unnecessary things were overly descriptive. The dialogue made me cringe. I thought if I had to hear ONE MORE TIME about how the FMC didn't know her calling and was afraid she'd never find it, I'd lose my mind.

I decided to DNF Spellcaster by Jamie Eve around 30%. I typically enjoy reading new adult, but this one I don't think was for me for me. The writing felt immature and the dialogue often came across as cringey. I found the use of modern slang hard to grapple with. The worldbuilding was one of the biggest issues. Instead of being shown, I was mostly just told about the setting, which made it hard to get invested. The plot felt unoriginal and lacked compelling elements to keep me hooked. Unfortunately, I also didn’t connect with the female main character, or like the love interest which made it even harder to push through.

Spellcaster is a solid New Adult novel. The beginning felt very YA to me but as the story progressed it was more Adult in nature. This makes sense for the storyline because our protagonist, Paisley, is only 22. This will be her first year at Weatherstone, a prestigious school for witches and warlocks.

During a students first year, they are going to find out which element their powers most closely align with. Paisley’s powers are taking their sweet time deciding. Meanwhile, monsters are showing up on campus and the only person who seems equipped to deal with them is the extremely attractive and enigmatic Logan Kingston, the son of her father’s sworn enemy.

I agree with some other reviews that say the pacing is slow in places but the ending was absolutely perfect. Gives some answers while asking new questions, leaving the situations with the main characters open ended leaving the reader dying for more.

Absolutely recommend if you enjoy New Adult, witches, spice, academia.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Jaymin Eve, HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital ARC for review purposes.

I tried a few times to get into this book, but the flow was a bit off for me. I am a mood reader, so it definitely could be the place I am in my life or reading journey, but I tried several times to give it a chance and it never pulled it off for me. This would be my first Jaymin Eve book, and people really seem to love the way she writes with all of her reviews and books, but I was not one of them. I do wonder if I would have perservered if I would have liked it more, but the writing was a little off for me and my tastes. I think her fans would probably enjoy it, as they did her others, but I can't count myself within this particular book. I am not going to review this book on goodreads because I don't think that is fair to the writer. I think if this writer usually pleases you with her work, you will enjoy it.

WOW. I loved this book so so much. I've been in a funk when it comes to fantasy and this book got me out of it. The characters are so well written and there was just enough drama and spice to keep me hooked. Thank you Jaymin! I can't wait to add the physical to my shelf

Dark academia girlie checking in.

I’ve been excited for this since the cover and tropes were revealed. A forbidden romance enemies-to-lovers? Sign me up.

There was a lot of surface level world building so I am hoping that the future books in the series dive more into these elements. The magical world exists alongside the mortal world so it feels like there are some really cool opportunities.

The main tension starts due to the, for lack of a better word, rivalry between two families. This is kicked up a notch when Paisley, our FMC, starts at Weatherstone College the same year that Logan, the MMC and an already known strong alchemist, transfers in. What’s a girl to do when she’s told to stay away from the illegally attractive warlock?

This book is set in a modern world that has witches and warlocks that co-existed with humans and magical creatures.
Paisley is the youngest Hollister that is attending the exclusive Westherstone along with her siblings and turns out she is a spellcaster which is super rare even more rare is having 3 at the same time. Lucas is also a spellcaster and has a blood feud with Paisley's family. After Paisley is attacked twice the tension between Lucas and Paisley is hard to ignore.

This is a very Romeo and Julliet style of book and it ends on such a cliffhanger that makes you want more right away.

I did not particularly vibe with this one as much as I would have hoped.

The first 20% definitely had me intrigued. The academia setting, elemental magic and rival families was really giving Zodiac Academy meets Fourth Wing. I loved it.

As the book and story progresses, it just falls flat and becomes very repetitive. The enemies to lovers weren’t really enemies, their parents were. The characters really didn’t seem to have any chemistry in their friendships. The FMC was slightly annoying at some points. And the sex talk was just very weird and childish.

Even at 60% I wasn’t entirely sure what the plot was, but once it kicks in, it made it a bit more interesting. But the ending was very ambiguous and bland.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me but if you like more of a YA (just with spice), easy & quick read you may like this one.

Shortly after her twenty second birthday, Paisley Hallistar is admitted to the most prestigious witch school, Weatherstone College. The Hallistar's have a reputation on campus as Pais' siblings all attend and her father is a professor. While prepping for her start of school, Paisley and her father are warned that Logan Kingston, the son of her father's enemy, will be transferring to Weatherstone this year. Paisley's father warns her to stay away from him, but it is clear that Logan's sights are on her. The book follows Paisley navigating her first year of college which includes seeking out her magical affinity, blossoming relationships, and avoiding the mysterious monsters that have been appearing on campus. Will Paisley survive her first year unscathed?

Spellcaster is marketed as dark academia, but to me it felt like sugary sweet, bubbly gum, and glitter plot that just <i>happens</i> to have monsters. These monster attacks happened fairly often to the point it was overly repetitive as a way to switch up the plot. In most romantasy books, the MCs don't have a tight knit, stable family or support system so it was refreshing. Paisley's friends were also extremely lovey-dovey constantly calling each other "bestie" and telling each other how much they loved one another. Again, while this is sweet, I just don't think this fit the marketed vibe of the book. I also rolled my eyes every single time someone called Paisley or Logan by their full names because it happened one too many times and feels super unnatural for that to happen.

The personal connections felt pretty surface level, including Paisley and Logan's relationship. In fact, I didn't feel invested in their connection at all. I also feel like this is incorrectly marketed as an "enemies-to-lovers" as Logan does nothing but treat her with respect (which we love) and is constantly looking out for her to the point where he saves her <b>EVERY</b> time she is in trouble. In addition, we are told that the pair has known each other for years and Logan calls her "Precious Gem" and "best friend". I understand their parents are enemies, but parental conflict does not translate to their children. I am someone who loves <b>true</b> enemies to lovers, so was extremely disappointed that this is not what it seems. The romance and flirting between them was also pretty cringy and overly repetitive in my opinion.

I think while I did enjoy the atmosphere of the book, my expectations for this plot were vastly different from how this was marketed. If I had a different outlook heading into this story, I think I would have enjoyed it more. I personally see this as a cozy romantasy. I don't foresee myself reading the next book in the series unfortunately. My rating is truly just a reflection of the vibes and atmosphere of the book, not the actual plot and characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you’re looking for a romantasy with easy to understand world building, then this is for you! Much less tragic than Zodiac Academy and gives me nostalgia vibes of series like Vampire Academy. Definitely intrigued to see where this series goes after that cliffhanger of an ending!

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley**

Book review 📖

📜Spellcaster
✍️Jaymin Eve
📠Harlequin Trade Publishing/ MIRA
📚Fantasy Fiction
🗓️Pub date: September 23, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @harlequinbooks for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨The last thing Paisley expects at 22 is to be accepted into the most prestigious witch college in the world. Considering it’s a family legacy to go there, it’s practically written in her stars.

✨Determined to avoid Logan Kingston, son of her father’s enemy, proves futile as it seems he has different ideas. In fact, Logan only seeks out Paisley even more. She was warned to stay away from the powerful spellcaster—that he could bring her irreparable harm—but it proves impossible.

✨Sensing a dark energy tracing her steps, Paisley is attacked by a monster. The only one who can help her is the school’s strongest warlock: Logan.

✨This was as if you merged Harry Potter’s Hogwarts and magical, witchy vibes with the college life and budding romances of Tell Me Lies. I didn’t love this as much as I thought I would but definitely a must read if you’re into dark witchy vibes, shadowy monsters, and hot inked MMCs!

#netgalley #spellcaster #jaymineve #harlequin #mira #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #fallreleases #fantasyfiction

ARC Review for Spell Caster by Jaymin Eve
Our main girl, Paisley Hallistar, gets accepted into Weatherstone Academy, where her dad works and her siblings already attend. They're all powerful with their magical affinities. Paisley isn’t sure she belongs at the school since she doesn’t know what her affinity is, but she’s not about to pass up the opportunity to attend such a prestigious academy.
Then there’s Logan Kingston our MMC spellcaster with a little bit of enemies-to-lovers (maybe?) going on with Paisley. Their fathers share a blood oath tied to a tragic accident that happened almost twenty years ago.
Now, monsters are being released at the school, and they seem to be targeting Paisley. Is it because of the blood oath? Or is something else going on? What really happened all those years ago?
I was SO into reading this story that I didn’t even realize I’d hit the end until that cliffhanger hit me. 😭 You get a build up of questions and a few answers but I need them all! I can’t wait for the second book in this series.
• Enemies to (slow burn) lovers
• Elemental magic
• Academy setting (characters in their 20s)
• Secrets
• And even more good stuff!
I have my theories and can’t wait to see if I’m right!

Thank you so much for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. This had some of my favorite tropes!
Dark academia
Slow burn
Enemies to lovers
What more could you want?
I loved Logan and Paisley and the world that was created. I can’t wait to read the sequel

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

Review: Witches, Warlocks, and monsters oh my! What a fun and surprising book this was. I was immediately drawn to this because the cover of this book is fantastic. I didn't realize that I would be fully immersed into a whole world I would fall in love with and fun new characters I would get to know. I'm a sucker every time for a good book about witches but throw in dark academia to? Yes, sign me up. This book checked so many boxes for me.

This story follows Paisely who is accepted into Weatherstone, a magical academy. On her first day she is surprised to learn that her parents haven't been completely truthful with her and that a rival family's son will be transferring in. She is warned to keep away from him but when strange things start happening, she finds out that to fight a monster she will need a monster.

All the tension and slow burn of this story is delicious. You will fall in love with Logan and the mystery surrounding him, but you will also be left with so many questions that will literally keep you up at night trying to piece them together. That cliffhanger was torture that's for sure.

Thank you so much to The Hive, HTP Books, and NetGalley for allowing me the chance to ARC read this fantastic book. I can't wait for everyone else to get their hands on this story.

Spellcaster is a darkly enchanting dive into a world of volatile magic, old rivalries, and forbidden attraction—classic Jaymin Eve, in all the right ways. Weatherstone College is equal parts haunting and alluring, with ancient secrets hidden beneath its polished facade. The setup is familiar for Eve fans—our heroine thrust into a world she’s not quite ready for, unpredictable powers, and a brooding enemy-turned-ally—but it still manages to be a fun, fast-paced read.

The tension between the main characters, especially Logan Kingston, leans into the slow-burn enemies-to-lovers trope with just the right amount of danger and chemistry. While some plot beats were a little predictable, I was still entertained and found myself flipping pages quickly to see how it would all unfold.

Perfect for fans of dark academia, elemental magic, and those “f*ck it” moments that tip everything sideways. If you enjoy Eve’s other series, this will feel like a familiar but satisfying addition to your shelf.

I realllly enjoyed Spellcaster. If you enjoy a dark academia setting plus a witchy magic system, this series is probably for you!

I love a MMC who is utterly obsessed with the FMC, even if she doesn’t know it. I also enjoyed the found family, hidden identities, unraveling mysteries, and political intrigue throughout. I’m stoked for the best book in this series and very excited for my physical copy of Spellcaster to arrive this fall!

Thank you to the author, Jaymin Eve, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of Spellcaster!

I always love Jaymin's books and Spellcaster was no exception. Jaymin has a way of writing the most relatable FMCs, who, while powerful and capable of amazing magic, are still just regular girls trying to find out how they fit in the world they live in. I love that I'm always able to find connections with the characters in Jaymin's books, and how their flaws and the things about themselves that they're struggling with is what allows the reader to bond with them.

I found Spellcaster to be a fun, exciting and intriguing read. Between the elemental magic, mysterious monster appearances, and a lovable cast of characters (both family and found family), there was so much to love on every page. As Spellcaster is book 1 in a new series, there are still some unanswered questions and mysteries that I'm excited to keep investigating as the series continues.

Spellcaster
by Jaymin Eve

3⭐️
2🌶️

This book was ok… I really couldn’t connect with any of these characters though. I thought this book was going to be more of a NA Fantasy but it came off more of a YA fantasy.
It’s centered around a university (college of magic ) but the dialogue from the characters seemed very immature. Almost like they were meant to be high school age.
MFC Paisley is from a family of witches and warlocks , she’s accepted into a prestige magic college which her other siblings attended also.
She’s trying to find her magical calling (affinity)
I did like the elemental magic system in this story . I think it was the only thing that held my attention in this book.
Paisley faces a bunch of challenges, monsters, and an enemy warlock/ spellcaster Logan who is obsessed with her.
Their relationship to me was just so lackluster and just didn’t do it for me.
And the ending was just odd…

Overall this book just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.