NetGalley Review for Spellcaster by Jaymin Eve
⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Spice: 2.5/5

Spellcaster had some fun moments and a world I was definitely curious about, but overall, it landed somewhere in the middle for me. Not bad, not amazing, just one of those reads you finish with a " I may read the next one if I’m in the mood.”

Paisley is a relatable FMC, and I liked that she wasn’t overly polished. Her humor felt casual and natural, and her interactions with Logan had that classic slow-burn, enemies to lovers vibe. The romantic tension was there, but never really hit that swoon worthy level. There is open door spice, but I’d personally rate it around a 2.5 on the spice scale, it's there but not wild.

The magic system was cool in theory, especially the different magical types (Elemental, Necromancer, Sprite, Spellcaster), but I kept wishing the world building had gone a little deeper. At times, it felt like a lot of telling instead of showing. And some was a little questionable. There’s plenty of action and fast pacing, but some emotional moments, especially the romance and backstory stuff, fell a little flat for me.

The cliffhanger ending sets things up for more, and I could see this turning into a really solid series if things are fleshed out more in book two. If you love dark academia vibes, broody love interests, and magical school drama, this might be right up your alley. This felt a bit more "high school" than college aged. For me, it was an okay read with potential, but not one I’m rushing to re-read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to check this one out early!

This was a book I was super excited to read. After reading it I found myself to have a lot of issues with the book to the point I almost DNFed it at 40% but I wanted to know the ending so I didn’t but starting skipping some parts. In the beginning we are told that the MMC is the “enemy “ of the story but I didn’t see that. Furthermore, I felt like there was too much smut to plot but that’s just my opinion. Now for spoilers, the MMC is supposed to be the childhood best friend to our FMC and they stopped being friends after his mom dies and his family blames the FMC mom. Now when they reconnect, it’s very childish interactions. Like “ew don’t talk to me I hate you” so it was like off putting. Also, she starts having wet dreams about him like the same day they met. Sorry but that’s not enemies to lovers that’s just insta lust. Not to mention the MMC is constantly saving her like of course she’s the damsel in distress that then becomes the most powerful which is so overdone. It honestly just seems like a miscommunication between the families and there’s no reason for the kids to hate one another. Furthermore, in the beginning the dad says he’s pulling her from school because the MMC is going like come on way to be dramatic. Throughout the book the FMC has stuff happen to her and she’s constantly blaming the MMC with no basis or evidence just because “well our families hate each other so it HAS to be him” eye roll. Not to mention of course he has a pet name for her, “precious” and it is so cringe. Can we also talk about the one encounter where he’s like “who the fuck hurt you” yep totally enemies. I will say the creatures/monsters gave the story some interesting aspects but I felt like they were easily defeated. It was quite annoying how every time the MMC is mentioned the FMC has to mention sex or how sexy he is. The ending was also not it with the mom being at the school with the demons and the MMC being like “she’s mine” . Overall just bad and very cringeworthy.

Thank you so much to the author and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

I have 3 ⭐️ for many reasons. I would like to say three stars is NOT bad.
I found myself having a hard time to relate to the characters in the book, I felt as though I was reading a young teen Netflix show and it kept missing for me. It’s as if the FMC tried hard to relate but it wasn’t for me. I did not like the instant love, I also don’t like the whole ghosting to reappear plot - also not real enemies to lovers. More like family issues.
The story line was pretty decent but for such a short book it did feel to drag on. I don’t know if I’ll revisit this world but I can see maybe some 18-20yr olds really liking this book.

There are just too many utterly fantastic and genre-defying romantasy novels out there right now for this book to turn my head more than any other book I read in a few hours on an average weekday. Even compared to other Jaymin Eve novels, it feels kind of mid.

It’s a mildly entertaining book, and I have absolutely no doubt it will find its audience. The spice rating is low in this installment, with a slow burn and a lot of tension before a steamy scene that’s not too explicit. The promised dark academia vibes aren’t there, in my opinion, unless you want to count mild matching aesthetics (which I don’t). I don’t know if the enemies-to-lovers theme will intensify in the next book (I didn’t know this was a series when I requested it or else I wouldn’t have requested it), but in this book it definitely felt like dislike-to-situationship than anything else.

I just felt like this book couldn’t cash in on what it promised.


I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. All reviews rated three stars or under will not be posted to my main social media sites. Thank you.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

If you love dark academia, with suspense of monsters breaking into the school, this is for you. Paisley was accepted into Weatherstone. prestigious school for witches. I did like the magic system, it was complex, but also simple. Along with starting a new school at 22, she's almost ripped out because of a new student. In walks Logan. Their families have history and with Paisley being the youngest of 5 kids, of course, first action was to protect her. It did feel very ya with the conversations played out but had some open-door scenes. I really wanted Logans pov or more interactions with him. I feel like I didn't really get to connect with him as an MMC. I will always appericate some good dark and moody atmosphere.

From the moment Paisley sets foot on the mysterious grounds of Weatherstone College, it’s clear she’s in for more than just classes and campus life. Ancient secrets linger in the shadows, and danger pulses beneath every ivy-covered corner. What truly makes this story sing, though, is Paisley herself, her inner monologue sparkles with wit, vulnerability, and a refreshingly sharp sense of humor. As she grapples with the pressure of legacy, the weight of her mother’s memory, and her own unpredictable magic, readers can’t help but root for her.
At the center of the romantic storm is Logan Kingston, Weatherstone’s most dangerous spellcaster and the brooding son of Paisley’s family’s longtime rivals. His dark reputation, fueled by tantalizing whispers and school gossip, only adds to his magnetic pull. Paisley's spicy, swoon-inducing dreams about him add heat to the slow-burn build-up, making their eventual first kiss nothing short of electric. Their dynamic is a perfect blend of snark, simmer, and longing, the kind of tension that makes every shared glance feel like a spark ready to catch fire.
But this story is more than just steam and sparks. The fantasy elements are vivid and immersive, from magical beasts to thrilling spells and richly described potion-making. Paisley’s love for herbs and alchemy adds a unique and grounding layer to the worldbuilding, giving her an identity beyond the romantic and magical drama. As the dangers haunting Weatherstone grow darker and more urgent, the stakes climb with them—and the unlikely alliance between Paisley and Logan becomes essential to uncovering the truth.
Weatherstone is a crackling romantasy packed with magic, mystery, and magnetic chemistry. With richly layered worldbuilding, unforgettable characters, and a romance that’ll leave you breathless, this story casts a spell that lingers long after the final page. I’m already desperate for book two, because Paisley and Logan? They're just getting started.

I really enjoyed this book and especially the characters both her family, the friend group and the boys! You can see that this is setting up to be multiple books because there was character and world building that had to take place. She did a wonderful job making you fall in love with all these characters both main and secondary. I found myself liking each character for their individual personalities and I will not be okay if she SJM/Rebecca’s ant of them 😂

I was getting ‘Fate: the winx saga’ mixed with Vampire academy vibes but with a more witchy focus, older in age (22ish but still young) and a FMC with strong family ties. Not a very complex magic system at all, standard college dorm/life format. I look forward to seeing what the happens next! **Ends on a cliffy**

I have such mixed feelings on this one! From the tropes, prologue and the summary this is right up my alley. I mean enemies to lovers, dark academia, magic, monsters, and some mystery this is everything I look for. That being said I feel like this was more a rivals to lovers story with romance on the back burner. Main characters Paisley and Logan are supposed to be enemies based on a family feud that started when they were kids. However I feel like we never had any true enemy moments. Plus with the pacing of the story we really don’t get many interactions between them until half way through the book. However, the moments we did get I absolutely loved! Their intense connection and obvious tension really shined through and stood out to me. Especially as we learn more and more about their past and magical connection.

I really enjoyed the diverse range of magic we see throughout the story and can’t wait to see more in the next book. With it being the end of Paisley’s first year at college there is so much more for us to see and learn from her and her friend group. For me the ending was honestly the best part. So much happened and I couldn’t stop reading. It’s truly what made me bump my rating to a four. I have sooo many questions and can’t wait for the next book!

What a cool concept! First, I have to say that it’s refreshing to meet a FMC with a happy family. I feel like most FMC’s come from a broken, toxic, or nonexistent family. Second, I love the idea of the coven communities and how they do life together. Third, the school concept and execution is unique in a lot of ways. The author does a great job of using explanatory vocabulary to paint a detailed description of the school and the mysterious halls. And the TENSION between the FMC and the MMC is *chef’s kiss*! I am dying to know what happens next!

OMG!!! OMG!!! OMG!!! Jaymin Eve does it again!!! 2 days, it took me 2 days to DEVOUR this book. I need book 2 like yesterday! Everything about this book has the makings of the next it book. I loved the characters, the plot, the speed. It was perfection. Easily a 5 star read.

3.5⭐️
I’ll always read any type of fantasy academia book and I quickly devoured this one.
It gave me YA except for the intimacy because that was very very spicy 🌶️ 👀 plus I love me a dark, brooding, love interest with lots of sexual tension.

There’s not a lot of world building in this book because it’s not really needed which is a nice break for me, so if you enjoy a fantasy book where you don’t need a map or glossary you will love this!

My only setback with this book is, I did feel like there was too much build up, and I kept waiting for something to happen that never did. And the plot twist at the end felt anticlimactic.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend.

Mixed bag pile 💼 💃🏼

Firstly a moment of applause for the cover illustrator because it is absolutely stunning and definitely what drew me to the book originally, the title then caught my attention along with the promise of magic and dark academia.

Paisley belongs to a family who are well known for their exceptional abilities. Paisley herself is more of a wallflower hiding in the shadows and feeling inadequate.

She decides to attend a school (enter dark academia) and there follows the promised themes of enemies to lovers romancing.

The first part of the book is a little slow and doesn’t do too much to pull you in, but if you are a persistent reader like myself and prefer to continue on then I will say the second half of the book is much better with more interesting events and dialogue and plot.

All together I enjoyed the read I just wish there was some more pizzazz in the beginning to captivate my interest so I didn’t have to force myself to get to the good parts.

Thank you for the gifted copy!

Publishes - September 23rd

4.5 ⭐️

Jaymin, how DARE you leave me hanging like that! This story pulled me in immediately and I was screaming at the end when I didn’t realize it was only book one! How am I supposed to wait forever for the next one?! I need book 2 right now!

Super fast paced and a little predictable, but still a really good read. But I love anything witchy and academia. I am dying for the next book on the series because of the way we were left in the end!

3.5 stars
So I’ve been sitting on this review really trying to let my thoughts and feelings sink in before I write them out. I REALLY wanted to love this book. I just struggled so hard to connect with Paisley as an MC. I couldn’t put into words why until I saw another review that said “she semeed to be merely drifing through a series of strangers and unexplained events and things simply happened to her.” and that is EXACTLY what I was feeling.

But yes over all I really wanted more from this book. The cover and edges are GORGEOUS, the story started off strong, but I need more answers for what I feel is missing once we get into book 2! I will. most. definitely be reading book 2!

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.

2.5 Stars

Sadly I didn't enjoy this book :(. I really wanted to it seemed really interesting, but in the end I found this book to be boring and forgettable in the end. I am not even quite sure how to really even describe this book as I quickly forgot a lot of it.

90% of the book is set in a college and following a girl that is trying to determine what she will be. She shows signs of being a rare class, Spellcaster. However the flip side there is another spellcaster in the school that used to be her best friend until his mom died and her mom is at blame. Like Fourth Wing, she is told to stay away from him because he wants her dead.

In the end this just fell flat and I have no interest in continuing in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

Spellcaster took me a bit longer to get into. There was a lot of world building before the story actually got really good. Its a good start to a really good series.

I’m sorry to say that I’m DNFing this book for now. It’s a soft DNF,. I’m a big fan of magical academia settings and I enjoy the lesson scenes However, the book is way to horny and spice for my taste. I’m simply not in the mood for it at the moment.
That being said, I might pick it back up closer to the publishing date to provide a full and fair review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌶️🌶️.5

“He’s legitimately terrifying.”
“The warlocks who f*ck the best always are.”

I enjoyed this one—the vibes were strong, the magic system was fun, and the setup had so much potential. But I found myself a little thrown off at times. The transitions weren’t always smooth, and more than once I caught myself thinking, “Oh, so we’re doing that now?” It made the story feel a bit inconsistent, like things were missing or skipped.

"You're haunting my dreams, Precious,"

But… Logan. I loved him. Total standout. So it was disappointing we didn’t see more of him.

Overall, I liked it. I just wanted more depth, more buildup, and more consistency. But if you like magical schools, family feuds, and a broody MMC, this one’s worth the ride.

♟️ Dark Academia
🖤 Childhood best friends → enemies → lovers
♟️ “Who hurt you?”
🖤 Witches & warlocks
♟️ Family rivalry
🖤 Elemental Magic
♟️ “F*ck it”
🖤 Cliffhanger ending

✨ SPELLCASTER by Jaymin Eve
🖤 “To fight a monster, she’ll need a monster.”

If Zodiac Academy and Harry Potter had a morally grey baby raised in a gothic boarding school with ancient necromancer blood on the floorboards… welcome to Weatherstone College. 🖤📚

Paisley Hallistar’s magic is unstable, her family is full of secrets, and her enemy? Yeah… he’s gorgeous, dangerous, and the only one who might be able to save her. 💥 Cue the elemental chaos, forbidden chemistry, and dark legacy plot twists that had me turning pages faster than my TBR can grow.

Things I devoured:
🖤 Consent-is-sexy scenes (thank you, Jaymin)
🔥 Enemies to Lovers (more like reluctant, magnetic allies)
📘 Dark academia vibes
⚡ Elemental magic + ancient curses
👀 Logan. Just... Logan.
⏳ And THAT ENDING?? I need book 2 yesterday.

✨Also? This special edition is STUNNING. Sprayed + stained edges, foil details, spicy tension? It’s a collector’s dream. 😍

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