Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the eARC!

Sara Raasch has done it again with this one. She has quickly become one of my favorite romance writers. The way she is able to include serious tones and themes and then make me laugh a chapter later is miraculous. The constant queer representation is so important, and the fact that Raasch focuses on celebrating queer romances and even friendships makes me truly happy to see as a reader. Too much of the word focuses on the dark and dreary, so showing positive queer relationships is the only way to move forward.

Review:
"The Entanglement of Rival Wizards" follows Sebastian Walsh, an evocation Wizard, and Elethior Tourael, a Conjuration Wizard, and their journey to work together on a project. The deep hatred between Conjuration and Evocation wizards brings prejudice and competition into their new relationship as co-workers and provides much room for them to grow.

Sebastian and Elethior have such beautiful and rich character development through out the novel that they seem completely different at the end of the novel. Which is an amazing feat to do in only 300ish pages. Their romance was very mature it felt, both in body as well as emotion. They both understood how to put aside their premonitions and get to know a person for who they are not their reputation.

I would put this book on the higher end of Sara Raasch spicy meter compared to "A Nightmare Before Kissmas" and "Go Luck Yourself". Sebastian and Elethior are a bit... passionate! But the scenes were well written and I loved how different of a couple they were compared to even Locke and Kris or Hex and Coal.

Where I wanted more with this was the world building. Perhaps it was my D&D oriented brain that craves more magic, but I really want to know more about the magic system and even the people here. But hopefully a second book will come around and we will learn more.

If you love Dungeons and Dragons, you will adore this book!! Thank you again Sara Raasch for giving us another amazing novel and a brand new series to devour.

I'm a big fan of Sarah Raasch's holiday series and this book did not disappoint. The characters were so loveable and the sexual tension was just perfect! Another great book by Raasch! I can't wait to read what she writes next.

Sebastian has one problem and his name is Elethior. His family is directly tied to some of the most traumatic moments in Sebastian's life, the man torments the evocation department, and he is the biggest rival for a grant that could fund Sebastian's research. So when their university decides to split the grant so long as they work together, Sebastian is forced to do the impossible: be nice to his mortal enemy. Raasch's newest novel has brought the signature undeniable attraction and intense chemistry we've come to expect, and the world of magical academia has never been so spicy. A wonderful read, this book is great for fans of Critical Roll and Arcane, or reads like Swordcrossed by Freya Marske and Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC! All opinions are my own.*

This was so much fun!!! I have read both of Raasch’s other adult romances and I truly feel like her writing gets better with each book. I had such a good time reading this. It genuinely made me laugh out loud.

I think the “Ali Hazelwood meets D&D” description is absolutely spot on and such a fun idea. The romance is great, I loved Thio and Seb’s banter. And the spice was SPICYYYY.

Also one of the truly stand-out things for me was the friendship between Seb and Orok. It is so tender and sweet and I absolutely loved that it never was used as a conflict in Seb and Thio’s romantic relationship.

Highly recommend!!

(ps extra special thank you to the publisher for making this accessible on the Kobo ereader!! an absolute game changer for me)

everything sara raasch writes hits me in the solar plexus. the way she writes enemies to lovers is so perfect to me.

I was excited about this because I have really enjoyed Raasch's holiday series, but it fell pretty flat for me. I never really connected with our characters, and I think it might have been because the plot felt too rushed? There were a lotttt of spicy scenes but we were missing the emotional beats and character growth to make them impactful. Not a terrible book, but just pretty meh.

Sara Raasch is quickly becoming an auto-read author for me, this is her third book I've read that knocks it out of the park. I was a little hesitant in the beginning with the world building, because I'm not a DnD player and am unfamiliar with some of the concepts and lingo. However the focus on the characters and their development really grabbed me and I was rooting for everyone, and wanted to pass out virtual hugs. This new book is spicier than her Royals and Romance series, with more intense trauma, but it's also full of humor and emotions to get you through. I wanted to reread the entire book as soon as I was finished.

The Entanglement of Rival Wizards by Sara Raasch is a gorgeous, cozy fantasy romance about two wizards at odds with both each other, and their families. Raasch does a gorgeous job of inserting humour, reflection on trauma, and romance into this beautiful book. I genuinely could not put it down and will 100% be purchasing a copy when it is released.

Wow Sara Raasch just can't miss with these fantasy-lite romances lately. First the Royals and Romance books, and now this delightfully DND nerdy romance about two competing top-of-their-class students at a magical university? Honestly just the epitome of fun, funny, sweet, warm, lovely fantasy romance and I'm so about it all day long. Looks like there's going to be a book two and I am already seated, ready and waiting. Does it help that this book was also incredibly sexy on top of all the other adjectives I already mentioned? Yes. Yes, that helps a lot, thank you. Honestly, Raasch. I had to put the book down and walk away at one point. (How dare you.)
Look, don't take my word for it. If you haven't read any of Raasch's recent reads but you love romances that are as sweet as they are steamy, do yourself a favor and pick up The Entanglement of Rival Wizards from your favorite local indie or public library and add it to your tbr.

This was a lot of fun! I definitely enjoyed the world, though I will say that this one didn't seem as strong as the Holiday Princes series. The world didn't have the same level of worldbuilding. For example, it took me way too long to realize that this was set modern day rather than in a typical dnd setting. It felt a bit offputting, though it was easy to adjust to.

The characters also felt a bit flatter. Not Seb — of everyone, he was the most fleshed out, which is good considering he's the main character, but Orok felt like he was going to get the same treatment, only for him to disappear once Seb and Thio started dating. And Thio just... felt like he was there for most of the book. His only real traits were hot for Seb, sad about his mom, pissed at his family. He had no real depth outside of that. I think it would have been helpful to see things from his POV in alternating chapters because I really didn't feel much towards him. And the only female characters were practically background, which was a far cry from Iris' presence in the previous duology.

The epilogue was... there. I don't know, epilogues where the main pairing gets engaged when we got - at max - a few months of their relationship always feel off to me. Don't get me wrong, it was hilarious, and I absolutely enjoyed it, but I would have preferred to see the relationship progress in Orok's book rather than give them a nice, neat ending at the end of this one.

Once again, the friendship at the center is a major selling point. Orok and Seb are delightful and I adore them. And I truly appreciate Thio not being an asshole about their friendship. I look forward to the next one being from Orok's point of view and the fallout of him and Seb deciding to go ahead with the lawsuit.

I will definitely be reading the next one, but I'm currently not as on the edge of my seat as I was with Go Luck Yourself.

This was a great rivals-to-lovers read! The banter between Sebastian and Elethior was adorable, the tension was great, and Seb's backstory was heartbreaking. His reasoning for being the way he was made sense based on all he went through as a teen, and that past trauma made his relationship with Thio that much more authentic and rewarding as a reader.

Sara Raasch does it again with this rivals to lovers story. Elethior and Sebastian are now my favorite ship. The world building band magic system are so well done. I cant wait for the sequel so we can have more of this world.

ARC Review: The Entanglement of Rival Wizards by Sara Raasch
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.25/5)

Sara Raasch has done it again—The Entanglement of Rival Wizards swept me into its magical world from the very first page. Her ability to create whimsical, vibrant universes is unmatched, and this installment was no exception. But beyond the charm and creativity, Raasch masterfully weaves in deeper, hard-hitting themes that feel natural and necessary to both the characters and the plot.

One of my favorite aspects was the friendship between Orok and Sebastian. Their bond was a consistent source of strength, and I loved how they leaned on each other through every twist and turn. It added such emotional weight to the story and grounded the fantasy in something real and relatable.

This book was equal parts fun, heartfelt, and emotionally resonant. I couldn’t put it down, and I’m already eager for the next installment in the series. Raasch continues to be a must-read author for me!

This is truly one of my ultimate favorites of Sara. Go luck yourself blew me away but THIS. My fantasy loving soul devoured this story. Any D&D lover would thoroughly enjoy it. I love to the chemistry of the two main characters as well as learning about their campaign. the banter 👀📝 Sara never misses. You should have this book on your radar. August 26.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy!

Whatever Sara Raasch puts in her romance books makes them addicting.

The Entanglement of Rival Wizards is a college/ D&D urban fantasy setting, that blends together very well. The romance and comedy is amazing, but it does still delve into deeper topics. These guys definitely have trauma, but most of Sara’s character seem to from what I’ve read so far.

The pacing of the last third did seem a little rushed, there are topics I would have liked expanded on a little more, but overall I loved this novel! Can’t wait to read the next one in the series!

Oh. My. God. This book was amazing. I could not put it down and I read it all in one sitting. My coworker gave me her physical arc and when I tell you I could not stop spamming her messages with my reaction the entire way through the book.

This book is completely different from her other two books that I have read, “The Nightmare Before Kissmas” and “Go Luck Yourself”. This book takes enemies to lovers and just smacks you with the bantering and pranks between the two love interests, Sebastian and Elethior. Like every single character in this book (that is important) has so much depth and character.

The backstory reveals something I was not prepared for, like the way I gasped and had to stop myself from physically throwing the book across the room. Although yes, there was a TON of romance in this book, there was also a good amount of plot that just left me looking at the page like I couldn’t believe what was happening. Honestly, there was A TON OF SPICY SCENES THAT I WAS FANNING MYSELF BECAUSE I WAS NOT PREPARED. Compared to the other two books, this one is by far the most out there because these two are FREAKS.

But Seb, the protagonist, I was a bit annoyed with him in the beginning, I will be honest. BUT. I grew to understand him and honestly just felt so bad for him halfway through the book. When his backstory was revealed, the way I COULD NOT BREATH BECAUSE POOR BOY. Sara likes giving her boys trauma and honestly the way she executes it is so well done. The parent issues were strong on this one for sure.

The friendship between Sebastian and Orok is so special to me. Like I knew they were besties for life, but I did not expect them to be on THAT level of codependency because of trauma.

The way she incorporates the magic world building into her book so seamlessly without it sounding like exposition is just so well done. The author teases about how the world functions through the small snippets and clarifies everything once it makes sense for the plot and characters.

Overall, this is honestly one of the best reads I’ve had in a while and I’d recommend this to anyone who wants a gut-wrenching but also humorous fantasy romance.

Sara Raasch does it again!! I laughed, I cried, I squealed—and I fell in love with these characters with my whole heart. It broke me and put me back together and made it all better. This book is a must-read.

A true 3.5, but I’m rounding up because I really liked this up until about 75% of the way though. I feel as though too many of the conflicts felt too big for them to have been solved in the last fifteen percent (some even only truly introduced during this time). Otherwise, this story was great. I honestly wish it was less plot and more just about the enemies to lovers.

Seb and Thio are characters that are easy to get wrapped up in. Both a little neurotic in their own ways, but provide a lot of humor and balance. Orok was an amazing best friend to have for Seb, providing warmth in a messy story (and I’m thrilled to see that his story is the next of the series!!). The side cast was fun as well; I would’ve liked to have spent more time with the team.

The conflicts and secrets is where I felt this got a little sloppy. I the duration of the book focuses on the boys trying to solve magical equations with a joint-grant, with both boys doing so for secret personal reasons. Once the secrets started to unravel, there were too many lines to cross and follow for me to feel like it was super well done. There was so many things left unanswered and the things that were answered felt superficial and rushed. I’m not sure if I’m reading too far into the storyline and the is supposed to be a more lighthearted romance? But if so, the conflicts were WAY too heavy.

Here are all the questions I still have: Why did we need to have Thio’s mom dying? Just to give him humanity? Why was that weird cousin his keeper? How did none of that come to a head at the end of the plot, pre-engagement? Why did Seb just accept that his dad was going to work at this horrendous place? How come him and Orok didn’t share a little more about this earlier? How does their magic work at all? Why did we need the happily ever after in the end? What is Orok’z family’s religion cult like? There are probably more, but I can’t think of any. But again, most of this came to a head in the last 15% which is disappointing.

And last, but certainly not least, this gets spicy. I found myself blushing at a few scenes. However, again with plot, the placement of these scenes didn’t always feel like they fit for me. While you definitely felt the chemistry between Seb and Thio, it felt forced a time or two.

I’d still recommend this to any LGBT+ romance reader. The banter is great. The characters are easy to like. And the story is easy to follow. Just don’t expect too many answers. Thank you to NetGalley and Indigo publishing for the ARC in exchange for this review.

Devoured this in one sitting (RIP to any work I was supposed to do for my job that night) and I am obsessed. More please.

A perfect enemies to frenemies to lovers.

Elethior and Sebastian are both competing for a grant from two different magical departments. But what happens when their proposals are so similar that they win the grant together and are forced to work together for an entire semester? Well probably what you think, but read it to find out.