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

This is a light and cozy read. Easy to read, kind of slow paced. Despite loving the beautiful cover I also had a hard time connecting with these characters.

2.5⭐️ rounded up

The premise of this was sweet and definitely cosy but it ultimately fell flat for me. I found it quite dull, and I didn’t find the relationship between the FMCs very believable, nor did I particularly care about either of them.

Sadly this didn’t cast me under its spell. I wanted to enjoy this one, as I have been enjoying witchy stories of late, however this one fell short. It felt a little like the story was trying to go in too many ways, it could have done with more ground work, to make you care about the characters and the setting, it felt almost as if they were just fluff and didn’t matter, and that’s what I most enjoy about a story, the descriptions so I can visualise the characters and the places as I read, it felt a little half done there, and rushed in places, this is just how I like reading, and others may not like such a heavy visualisation so it may work better for you, and if you like the premise, do try it, as I am particular, and we all enjoy different styles.

Unfortunately, this book was a soft DNF for me at 50% and here is why.

This book has a really beautiful cover and I think the tropes are desirable and so is the plot line and what this is marketed and packaged as looks really cool, so I was excited and I think my expectations and hopes were a little bit too high potentially?

Please know I am a reader who doesn’t really enjoy school environments or school settings and books so I think that is partially taking me out of this quite a bit and making it so it’s not my favorite book so if you really enjoy school environment, then you might really enjoy this one.

The main character shows up at the witch school and she’s struggling with a sense of belonging, and she ends up becoming a professor, and I felt that this book was guilty of telling me what was happening versus showing.

At about 40% in I was about to DNF this book just because it felt like there wasn’t enough movement happening within the book itself and if there’s not movement in the dialogue isn’t keeping me engaged then I end up forcing myself through the reading experience a bit and it becomes less enjoyable.

I realized that this book is marketed as spicy as well which, at 50% there is a single kiss that has happened, so to mark this as a spicy book makes me a little bit nervous because I think readers are going to expect, unless it’s marketed as a slow burn, a lot more spice or a lot more tension at least. For me initially, I was not getting any sort of tension, like vibes, from the characters that are now kissing - it just seem to kind of happen?

I did enjoy the fact that the character has ADHD and that is mentioned and the ableism is called out, so it definitely gets points for that, but I’m also a bit exhausted of reading about ableism. I really enjoy the cover and the writing style is easy to follow but for me it definitely felt like I was being told what was happening while it was also being over explained to me at the same time. For example, a character would say that they don’t agree with something while also shaking their head, and I don’t know, these little things add up.

If you are looking for something, that’s a fun, cute silly school romance that doesn’t have a lot of depth and is an easy read, I would recommend this. If you are someone that tends to pick up on details within books and is quite picky (like I am) then I would say if you want this one, get it but know that this book does do a bit of telling versus showing,

I still enjoyed the portion I read, but I have a feeling that if I continue to push myself through this, the rating was just gonna get lower and I think I need to put this down for now and soft DNF. That being said, I would be interested in reading more books from this author and I may pick this book back up in the future but for now I’m just feeling like this book lack a lot of the elements that I need to have a good time with a book.

Please do not let this review deter you from picking this book up. If it looks good to you I am just really picky and these are all very personal things. The only really reasons I marked down one star is just because of lack of character development and too much telling versus showing for me personally, and just a lack of movement within the book itself, but please know this is still a solid read in the cover is gorgeous

Update: I have come to the realization upon doing further research that this author utilizes AI with their books to do brainstorming. Ethically and fundamentally, I will not be supporting a book or author that does that. It’s not just about the cover or the writing itself. I’m so exhausted of avoiding AI in art. It’s theft.

Thank you for this ARC! I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback voluntarily.

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.

While this was a sort of cute and cozy romance, I had a hard time connecting to the characters and I wasn't fully engaged. The writing style just wasn't for me as the book fell flat.

This book was easy to read, had a super cute premise, dealt genuinely with queer and non-binary interactions, and was very cosy. The front cover is absolutely adorable and is what drew me to the book at first.

While this was fun, I didn't connect with the characters and felt like their love jumped out at me - very insta-lovey, which is really hard to do well. I also would have loved a bit more tension before the peppers were popped. I also don't know how I felt about the mentor - mentee relationship. Maybe that's more me, it wasn't necessarily a badly written plot point, just felt a little icky.

I ultimately didn't connect with the characters and didn't find the romance 'stimulating'. But there wasn't anything overly bad about the book. It was fun enough.

Thank you for the arc.

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.

Firstly, thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC.

I definitely enjoyed this read and felt very drawn in by the premise, the gorgeous front cover definitely helped too!!

I liked Bryn our main character, I thought her inner monologue and reactions to certain situations felt realistic which really made me want to stick with the story. The plot however, while enjoyable as a quick and easy read felt as if it would have benefitted from a little more world building. I struggled at points to understand how the magic actually worked and how it fit into the world around our characters, there are multiple points in the story where our main character creates new spells, however, at no point is there an in depth explanation as to how this works and what steps it takes to create a whole new spell.

The romance was cute at first but seemed a little bland for me further into the story as I found it very insta lovely which isn’t for me! Our main character had a crush and then all of a sudden there were all of these intense feelings and they were saying I love you!

Overall, despite my issues with the plot this was an easy fast paced read and I would definitely be willing to try this author out again in the future.

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

I was very surprised when this book appeared on the NetGalley catalogue. Unfortunately, the synopsis made promises the book did not keep. The book felt a little flat for me and although I liked the characters, I just couldn't overlook the writing style.

As always, this is most likely a case of it isn't you it's me.

This was a cute premise, but it fell a bit flat in places unfortunately!

Queer and non-binary representation was great. There was a moment where FMC1 found out someone used the pronouns, and made a comment about ‘readjusting the pronouns in her head’ which I liked, it made it feel real.

The relationship was sweet - but insta love and then some. Maybe it does actually take place over a longer period and it’s not clear, but it reads like they have sex for the first time and then declare their love for each other the next day. That’s just not for me personally. The tension between them in the run up to their first ‘encounter’ could have been more, but that’s just personal preference really.

I feel like it needed another round of edits? Like at times it came across a bit ramble-y, and things are mentioned and then never discussed again (the broomstick sculpture needing engineering works, and FMC1 makes a comment about roots…it felt like it’d be a plot point later down the line. Nada). At times it was a bit unclear what the main plot line was and how it was progressing, but I do think a bit of editing could have fixed this.

Overall this was a cute easy read, best for if you’ve just read something a bit heavy or intense and want a cute sapphic pallet cleanser.

3.25/5, rounded down. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

DNF at 59%

I was so excited for this witchy story, with the beautiful cover by Leni Kauffman and promises of spice and found family, but ultimately I found myself disappointed.

I don't like the writing style, at all. It's simple, pure rambling, the dialogue is mostly unbearable and comes across as completely unnatural and too scripted/over the top obvious.

What do the characters look like? Based on the cover, one is blonde and the other has dark her, but who is who? I assume Amelia is the one in the cape as she's the headmistress, but there are barely any descriptions of the main characters.

There are also references to technology, AI, vaping - it's just too modern for my liking. Mobile phones are one thing, but all the rest just takes me out of the magical place I want to stay in.

The world in general is weird, the magic doesn't seem to contribute anything substantial to the story.

I'm really unclear on where this story is set. I believe it's in the USA as there mentions of California and other US states and cities, then it mentions Welsh - are they in Wales? Are they in the US?

I also just read the most awkward sex scene I've ever come across, and wish I could unread the words my poor eyes were forced to see.

The romance in general is so bland and shallow, these women knew each other back in school and one had a crush on the other, then their feelings just ignite, with no evidence of any substance behind this.

The book deserves maybe 2 stars at this stage, but I just found out the author "doesn't support AI" yet uses it to brainstorm their books?! And decided to post a reel on their Instagram actually saying those words, out loud. So I am absolutely DNFing this right now, and I will not support anyone with this mindset.

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.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Sweet, Slow-Burn Magical Reunion with Some Missed Potential

This book had all the ingredients I usually love—magical academia, second-chance romance, and a sapphic love story with history—but it didn’t quite cast the full spell I was hoping for.

Bryn’s return to Grimoire Academy had great emotional potential, and I appreciated her complex relationship with her past and with Amelia. There are some lovely moments of introspection and quiet tension, and the idea of former classmates reconnecting with years of unspoken feelings was compelling.

I didnt quite like the immature inner monologue of the characters and their relationship felt more nostalgic than fiery, and the emotional payoff didn’t land as strongly as I’d hoped. The magical elements and mystery surrounding the spellbooks were intriguing but never quite fully developed.

Overall, this was a cozy, easy read with some heartfelt moments, but it left me wanting a bit more depth, spark, and magic. Still enjoyable—just not as memorable as I’d expected.

Thank you to Avon Books UK for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

Spellfire by Agatha Willow, unfortunately, wasn’t the right fit for me, and I had to DNF around the 25% mark. From the start, I found myself confused and disconnected from the story and characters, struggling to understand what was happening. I had really been looking forward to this book, especially as someone who enjoys witchy reads, so I’m disappointed that it didn’t quite hit the mark. While it may work better for other readers, it just didn’t resonate with me.

Spellfire

A struggling young headmistress requires the help of a spellmaker, who just happens to be a girl she used to go to school with, to help keep her job and make the students happier!

In this sapphic YA style romantasy book, we see Bryn and Amelia discover their love for each other while saving Grimoire Academy from turmoil.

The only way I can really describe this book is if J K R****** (ugh I know) wasn’t a prejudiced twit and had wrote Harry Potter with the ACCEPTING mindset of what people should have in 2025 but wrote it in from the point of view of 2 lesbian teachers 🤣

What I’m trying to say is it has that family-esque feel to it with the side characters and how the school and surrounding areas are set out replicating in my mind the likes of hogsmeade✨

It also gives Wednesday vibes in that way too!

Spellfire is a very wholesome read full of love, ambition and witchcraft 🧙‍♀️

It is a very relaxing read and I enjoyed it very much 🫶🏻

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.

I’m sorry to say that this just wasn’t it for me.
The main characters inner thoughts were soo immature it really put me off her altogether. I could have got past this if the same thoughts weren’t repeated over and over again.
I feel like this book reads very young except from the spice it felt like I was reading about teenagers not adults.
It’s a shame as it should have been the perfect book for me.