This was such a cute read. I really enjoyed this spicy second chance romance novels, its one of my favourite romance troupes. The story was easy to follow, had a good cast of characters and plenty of spice. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.

I’m giving this 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars. This was a fun quick witchy read. This was a great palate cleanser for me between some heavier books. Because of this, I feel like I enjoyed it quite a bit more than I normally would have. I loved the premise, but ultimately it fell a bit flat toward the middle/end of the book. I also found Bryn’s inner thoughts to be a tad much. I didn’t find it to be a big problem until the end with the flattest third act breakup and I lowkey wanted more miscommunication surrounding it which is crazy I know 😅

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC.

Castles and magic and witches, oh my!

I'm always going to perk up at a new queer boarding school book—especially when, as is the case here, the boarding school is in a castle and the characters are witches. Here, Luna thought she'd put her school days behind her...until an unexpected inheritance puts her back on campus and the school head begs her to stay and teach for the term. Never mind that the school head is Luna's school crush...

Relationship- and romance-wise, this gets high marks from me. Luna and Amelia do a generally great job of speaking up and checking in. Just about every time it looks like they're going to go down the well-worn-to-the-point-of-overdone path of "both characters want something long-term but think the other only wants a fling!" one of them steps back and says hmm, actually, while it's okay if that's what you're looking for, I'm actually looking for something else. They even take the (far too unusual in romance) initiative to discuss the power imbalances and possible pitfalls of a head dating a teacher she's hired. And I love to see it.

Plot-wise, this gets...not so high marks from me. The stated conflict of the story is that the school is struggling, and the board is trying to make Amelia into a scapegoat. There are some interesting related points about the role of technology in a magical school, but—partly because so few students and so few other staff members are developed as characters—it doesn't really go anywhere. I wanted to know the names of more than three students; to know the names of more than three other professors; to learn more about the castle layout; the inherited library to come into play; Luna to try to get the ball rolling on ADHD testing for a student who is struggling in all the classes and thinks he does in fact have ADHD; the staff member who is awkwardly introduced two thirds of the way through to have a purpose in the story; the conflict to have a bit more of a *solution* rather than just...Amelia being impressive, I guess.

Three and a half stars. I should round down for plot, but I'm rounding up because I read this so quickly—and was so pleased by most of the communication—that it took me until close to the end to start being dismayed that the plot clearly wasn't going to go anywhere. A valiant debut effort, and if there's another book—there's potential setup for a romance between two other staff members—I will hope for more from it.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

Thank you to netgalley and Avon books UK for approving my request to read an arc of this book

If you loved Wicked but wanted it to be sapphic, then this is the book for you. Both former students, Bryn and Amelia meet again as headmistress and reluctant professor in this witchy romance. The two become closer as they work together to make the school everything they wish it had been for themselves when they were students.

a spicy second chance romance? sign me UP.
I think the spice was well done and the romance was believable.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

Firstly, thank you NetGalley and Avon books for this eARC,

This book is sooo good, witch school with old memories of being a former student and some very spicy scenes.

Bryn, the main FMC, discovers that her favourite professor has died leaving her the entirety of her vast library that she has to go and collect.

Amelia is Bryn’s childhood crush over which she had been humiliated whilst at school but is now head teacher.

I loved Bryn and her inner dialogue, the queer and non-binary representation was done well and also the way a non verbal child was handled so beautifully really made me love this story so much more.

This was a cozy, witchy sapphic romance and a lovely easy read, personally I found some bits rushed , the romance to spicy scenes and others needed more time, the world building, overall I enjoyed it.

A fun magical read. the atmosphere of this world was so fun and really gave me those Harry Potter vibes. The characters were very cute and had a lot of emotional depth to them.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Luna is a graduate from Grimoire Academy that recently received the spellbook from her favorite professor. Luna must return to the academy to retrieve the spellbook, even though she wants to avoid seeing Amelia. Luna had a crush on Amelia, but a problem arises and Amelia needs the spellbook. Amelia needs Luna to become a teacher to help save the academy, so Luna agrees. What she doesn't want to face are the lingering feelings between her and Amelia

This is a good book to read if you are looking for something light with witchy vibes, along with representation of the queer community. If you are not into something of an inner monologue, this book is probably not for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5



Bryn se graduó de la Academia Grimoire y nunca miró atrás, hasta que recibió una llamada sobre su querido exprofesor Herringbone, quien le dejó su preciada colección de libros de hechizos. Bryn se vio obligada a regresar al lugar que creía haber abandonado para siempre.

Amelia es la última bruja que Bryn quiere ver. Amelia, quien una vez fue su amor platónico en el instituto, ahora es directora y necesita desesperadamente la pericia de Bryn en libros de hechizos. Con el futuro de la Academia en juego, y a pesar de sus reservas, Bryn acepta a regañadientes convertirse en maestra.

Pero regresar a Grimoire significa enfrentarse a Amelia y a los sentimientos no resueltos que persisten entre ellas. Mientras trabajan juntas, Bryn descubre que la verdadera magia podría residir en la innegable conexión que comparten...


Gracias NetGalley por el ARC.

Magic and spice, what more could a reader want.

Spellfire is one of those feel-good stories that tugs at all the right emotions.

A great mix of lust and angst, combined with a quirky cast of characters that you really want to be friends with.

There's some great female energy coming from within the pages.

Strength and resilience shine through and I was left feeling brilliantly positive by the end.

Sweet, spicy and funny romantasy. I love the setting with magic. I love the characters. Both FMC are very funny and witty. A lovely read!

A beautifully written cosy sapphic romance, perfect for autumn reading! I thought the characters lacked a little depth but overall I enjoyed my time with this, the writing was captivating and well paced!

I absolutely loved this and the cosy vibes, definitely a good read for the coat seasons, I absolutely loved the characters and fell in love I can’t wait to read more from this author

Sweet, fun and a lovely read, Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.

I read to 66% and couldn’t push thru. I loved it until that point but the characters confessing their love here felt very fast and not believable. There were a lot of spelling and spacing errors as well.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!
This was such a cute and quick read for me, and I absolutely love the witchy vibes. The inner monologue for Bryn was fun. And I really like the awkwardness between Amelia and Bryn when she first came back to the school at the beginning after her professor died. The mystery behind all of it. It was pretty easy to figure out, but that’s OK. Sometimes I like things complicated There were a few portions that fell just a little bit flat for me and that’s OK. That’s not a problem for me, but I still had a really good time reading this solid 3.75 ⭐️ out of five.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book. It was a cute, spicy second chance romance with a witchy, autumnal cosy vibes feel to it. I would recommend if you are looking for something easy going this autumn.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Spellfire was a charming and lighthearted read, perfect for a casual, low stakes, palate cleansing read. It didn't get too deep into world building or explain its magic system in detail, but it was still a fun read. Despite knowing each other in high school and having a crush on each other, the main characters reunited as adults and fell for each other all over again. There is an element of insta-love, and it does get a bit spicy. Overall, it was an entertaining read.