A Witch and Her Dragon was a sweet and spicy read, but a bit predictable. If you're looking for a quick fantasy book to read, this is for you!

A Captivating Blend of Magic, Romance, and Dragons

“A Witch and Her Dragon” is a delightful cozy fantasy that delivers a spicy and enchanting romance wrapped in magical academy vibes. Emberly Wyndham crafts a world where witches, dragon shifters, and royal politics intertwine in a way that feels fresh yet familiar.

Alina Ravenscroft’s ambition to master her magic and join the king’s coven is compelling, especially with the added twist of needing a knight as her protector. Raelan Ashvale, her assigned bodyguard and secret dragon shifter, brings intense chemistry and emotional depth, especially with the slow burn of their fated mates connection. The forced proximity and enemies-to-lovers tropes are executed well, giving the story a steady simmer of tension and desire.

The fantasy elements are charming and whimsical without overwhelming the romance, and I appreciated how the secrets and stakes unfolded naturally, keeping me engaged. While some plot beats felt a bit predictable, the characters’ dynamics and Raelan’s internal struggle added layers to the narrative.

Overall, a satisfying read for fans of magical romance and dragon shifters. I’m looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here!

A magical start with so much potential!

I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of A Witch and Her Dragon, and I’m really glad I did. Emberly Wyndham introduces a captivating world full of enchantment, secrets, and just the right dash of teen angst. The atmosphere at Coven Crest Academy feels rich and immersive, and the dynamic between the main characters—especially between the witch and her dragon—is both swoony and layered.

Pros:
• The magical worldbuilding is vibrant without being overwhelming. You can tell there’s more to discover, which keeps you turning the pages.
• The chemistry between the leads is well-developed, with moments that feel genuinely emotional, not just romantic fluff.
• The pacing overall is solid, especially in the second half, where the tension really starts to build.

Cons:
• The beginning takes a little while to find its footing, and some of the dialogue early on felt a bit expository.
• A few side characters seemed interesting but underdeveloped—hoping we see more of them in Book 2.

All in all, this is a promising first book in what could be a really strong series. I’m definitely sticking around for the sequel!

I really, really wanted to love this book. Sadly, for me it missed the mark a bit. I think the world the author has introduced has the potential to be really fascinating and I did like all of the characters she introduced. However, the story was very heavy on the longing dynamic between the MMC and the FMC and how their love story just cannot be. But to be honest I feel like it just kept repeating and repeating and repeating. I really needed more underlying plot, or side stories/more in depth secondary character stories, or introduction to the nefarious 'veiled hand' earlier and throughout the book, or more story with the Shadowfall Court, or more about Coven Crest Academy and how special/magical it is (Runeball started to peak my interest!), or even just more world development, in order to keep me intrigued. I really felt like I was just reading a reiteration of the same thing over and over again: Longing, Longing, Longing, and more Longing. I wonder if this would be more successful as a young adult novel - minus the spicy scenes. The spicy scenes felt a bit forced anyway, so why not remove them and make it a little more PG-13 and embrace it as a YA novel. I do think this book has a LOT of potential, but might need some tweaking in order to reach its full potential. I do think this has the potential to be really enjoyable for many, just for me it missed the mark.

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing, and author Emberly Wyndham for this ARC of “A Witch and Her Dragon.” for my honest review above.

A Witch and Her Dragon (Coven Crest Academy #1) by Emberly Wyndham

Book Blurb:
His duty is to protect the princess, but his dragon’s desire to claim her is becoming impossible to ignore—and she’s about to uncover all the fiery secrets he’s been hiding.

Rating: ****
Feels: Anticipation, Sweetness, Heat, Fun.
Style: Fantasy, Romantasy, Magic Academia, Magic, Cozy Fantasy, Shifters
First published : June 3, 2025 : Kindle

This was some nice spicy anticipation, he falls first, longing, watching her from afar, romantasy. The magic academy setting was alot of fun as Raelan got to explore her magic and what she wanted to do for her her vocation and everything it meant for her to be a princess. Her roommates were so much fun, I've always loved the found family aspect of books and having fun friends along for the ride always makes things more fun. These girls are alot of fun !!! Having her super hot body guard who is secretly totally obsessed with her shadowing her every move was so much hot tension. The dynamic between the two was alot of fun and things progressed and the story unfolded. I also loved that this was a HEA.


Favorite Quote: "Thank you, Raelan. Truly." And now she's using my name. Again. I really wish she'd stop doing that. Its more powerful than any spell she could cast over me.

This book has:
Body Guard and Ward
Touch her and die
Found Family
He falls first
Hidden Identity
Politics
Magic Academy

A Witch and Her Dragon by Emberly Wyndham is an amazing book! I couldn't put it down for a second of it. I rated it 5 stars because it's that good! I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can.

I've read A Witch and Her Dragon by @emberlywyndham. Got this book as an ARC, this for leaving an honest review, thanks to @netgalley and @enchantedinkpublishing

The story is about princess Alina who got accepted at the Coven Crest Academy to learn more about her ice wielding. But because she's of royalty, she has to go together with a knight, her personal bodyguard Raelan, a dragonshifter.

For Realan is this a very difficult assignment, because Alina is his fated mate, which she doesn't know...

It's a very lightly romantic book, with a pinch of spice and a very nice relaxing storyline. It's also very well and easy written by the author.

For me it's a 4-star read

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance review copy!

I had a really good time with A Witch and Her Dragon. The FMC and MMC were both likeable and interesting. Most side characters felt three dimensional as well. I would have liked to see more interaction between the FMC and her animal familiar as that the only relationship that felt a bit lacking to me. Decent world building that I'm hoping is expanded as the series continues. Overall, a fun quick read!

This was my first book from Emberly Wyndham but I'll be checking our her other works for sure.

I've been looking for a new romantasy for a while, so was intrigued when I got approved for this arc!

Alina Ravenscroft is thrilled when her grandfather, the king, permits her to study her magic at the prestigious Coven Crest Academy. However, she soon realises this new chapter will not be smooth sailing, as she will be accompanied by the surly Sir Raelan Ashvale, who is hiding secrets he would sooner take to the grave than reveal to her.

I thought the dual perspective worked really well here, and added some nuance to both protagonists - and the miscommunication that continually threatens their growing relationship. I did struggle with Alina and Raelan as characters, as their behaviour sometimes seemed too juvenile and at odds with their situation. It felt almost as though they were YA characters, but in an adult setting.

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding itself, and I would have liked to see more of it. This story wasn't quite for me, but could be good if you are looking for a quick and light-hearded palate cleanser!

Books with similar vibes - When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A Parker, Feathers of Dawn by Jess Galaxie, Fear the Flames by Liv Darling, and Curse of the Wolf King by Tessonja Odette.

Thank you for the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review!

2,5⭐️

I was initially drawn to A Witch and Her Dragon by its intriguing premise—a slow-burn romance between a dragon shifter and a witch promised a compelling blend of fantasy and emotion. The setup had great potential, and I appreciated that the writing style was straightforward, making it an easy and quick read.

However, while the book leaned heavily into the romantic elements, I found myself wishing for a stronger emphasis on the fantasy worldbuilding and the academic aspects hinted at in the blurb. These elements felt underdeveloped, leaving the plot somewhat thin and lacking in depth.

My biggest issue, though, lies with the romance itself. The mate bond forming when the female main character was just 15 years old was deeply uncomfortable to read. While the physical relationship doesn’t begin until she is 18, the dynamic still felt inappropriate and unsettling, especially given that this is a fantasy world where the author had the freedom to craft a less problematic age gap. The scenes surrounding her first sexual experience were particularly difficult to get through and tainted my overall enjoyment of the book.

While the story had promise, the execution—particularly regarding the romantic storyline—ultimately made this a miss for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! I rate this one a 3.75, rounded up!

Tbh, I didn’t really read the summary of this book before diving in — sometimes I like to forgo reading the summary to be surprised where the story takes me (anyone else do this?), which is where I found myself here, and pleasantly surprised about it!

At first, I found the present tense first person point of view off putting for some reason, and the sentences felt clipped, but as I read, I got used to it and actually found it refreshing. I liked the two points of view, I always like seeing through both main characters’ eyes.

The language was not too flowery or overly descriptive, which made this end up to be such a smooth, easy and fast read. Great pacing.

I found the plot and characters predictable but enjoyable nonetheless, as I never wanted to actually put it down! Characters could use some more background and depth I think, but since this is the first of a series, I hope for more of this to come — it was a good setup for what I hope to see more of the magical school (Harry Potter-esque) and friendship dynamics of the series. I also want to see more of the spirit animal relationship (akin to His Dark Materials).

The angst (felt Twilight-y)!! The spice!!! The amount of spice wasn’t overwhelming, it didn’t leave me feeling cringe like some levels of spice I’ve read in the past.

I would love to continue this series, I had fun!

This was a really fun, light read! It had magic, slow burn romance, and some action to keep you on your toes. It felt like a cozy story to curl up with that kept me engaged until the end. I would have enjoyed a bit more world-building and more detail about the magic, but there will be time for that in the next book which I will happily read!

Thank you Emberly Wyndham for the arc!

Looking for witches and dragons? This book has you covered. A blue haired, ice witch princess is the unknowing fated mate to a dragon shifter, who just so happens to be her assigned guard at school. What could possibly go wrong? Or right?

This book was lots of fun to read and could easily be a standalone, with lots more to explore within the world.

Alina joins the coven crest academy with a knight under orders by her grandfather, the king. The knight, Raelan, is a secret dragon shifter and her fated mate. They are forced to spend more time together....

Love the characters ... their banter is terrific. Love the romance and the spice.... Love the light-hearted romance too. The happy ending made me smile...

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

This book delivered on all of my expectations for a cute witchy romance with a dark broody MMC. It was predictable but I was expecting that so I wasn’t disappointed. I enjoyed this.

I was really excited going into this book I mean, princess, dragon shifter, magic academy sounded really good. And I do think some parts worked wel, like the slow burn tension between Alina and Raelan. Their connection has some sweet and steamy moments. But overall, I felt the fantasy side was too light for me. The world sounded cool but wasn’t really explored much. I had a lot of questions about everything, to be honest. It’s cozy and the pacing is good. Thank you so much to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early. I’m sharing my thoughts voluntarily and with genuine appreciation

First few pages in and I knew this book wouldn't grip me as well as the summary did. I was just disappointed in the writing and lack of imagery about the scenery and the characters.

Sorry but I had to DNF this book at 32%! Felt like it was very rushed and there wasn’t much plot! I loved the concept of the book but just felt it was written more ‘young adult’ and not adult even though there was spice!

May try to re read in the future however for now, I have not finished!

I was intrigued by the premise of this but it fell very flat for me. I'm just so tired of non-YA romantasy FMC being 18 year old virgins and the fact that the MMC knew they were mates when she was 15 and was apparently picturing her while he slept with other women just really gave me the ick. It might have helped if it was established earlier that he's only 3 years older as I spent a lot of chapters just trying to figure how creepy this relationship was.

The world building was nearly non-existent and left me with a lot of questions. I'm not really sure why this was even set at an academy as none of the magic really gets explained or learned. Personally I prefer a lot more balance between the fantasy world and plot and the romance.

This was a solid 4.5 star read. I think the main characters were well thought out and had rounded character arcs. I love the tension and the forbidden romance aspect of this book. And at the end, a nice comfy cozy HEA. My only complaint is that almost all of the characters have the same names as other famous fantasy book characters which pulled me out of the world a bit.