I loved this so much!! The prose was really good, loved the pacing and these characters are so loveable and funny! Was giggling and kicking my feet, and i do so love an animal familiar especially one like Percy 🥹 there were a couple convenient things that could’ve used more problem solving or exploration of magic system but this was so good and so easy to get through!
The narrators were PHENOMENAL!!!! They definitely made it more enjoyable!!

I am still picking my jaw off the floor after finishing this book. The vibes of Strange Familiars in immaculate. I love the college setting and the Gwen and Harrisford were at each others throats to be top student had me loving every second. I loved digging into the veterinary world with the magical twist. I am obviously a part of the Mythical Creatures track and reading about the care of dragons and unicorns and the like was super interesting.

Gwen and Harrisford's familiars were the best. Percy might be my favorite characters lol he was cracking me up! The romance was a perfect slow burn and a true rivals to lovers. The mystery element of the story kept me guessing on what could possibly be next and who not to trust. The dedication to Gwen had to her family as well as finding family at school was so heartwarming.

The stakes are high, the sidekicks are snarky, the rivals are rivaling - it checks all my boxes!

The narrators did a fantastic job with the book as well! They both hit the mark with their characters as well as the sidekicks.

Thank you to Keshe Chow for this book! I absolutely cannot wait for what's in store in book 2!

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton Audio for the ALC copy in exchange for my honest review ! I read strange familiars back in March and it was an immediate five stars, so when I saw the audiobook was available to request I did not hesitate and RAN.

I'm still as obsessed with this story, its setting and characters. The audiobook allowed for an immersive experience that I LOVED as I felt even closer to the characters. I even went and reread some parts of the e-arc at the same time as I was listening just to feel 100% with Gwen and Harrisford.

Mei Mei MacLeod and Sam Stafford are new to me narrators but they did not disappoint and brought the characters to life perfectly. They sound exactly like I imagined the characters to be.

Strange familiars is a beautifully written magical veterinary academic rivals to lovers, but could we really call them rivals since the mmc has been down bad head over heels for her for literal YEARS.

It is the first book in the Seamere College duology and follows Gwendolynne and Harrisford. They are both gunning fr the Dux, which is their equivalent of a valedictorian title.
Magic starts acting strange, surges appear, animals start feeling the consequences. Our MCs decide to put their rivalry aside investigate those surges and discover a link to Magecorp, one of the two major magic distributors, and the company where Harrisford's father is one of the top executives at.

From this ensues discoveries, crazy discoveries, some light breaking and entering, and some more crazier discoveries. Gwendolynne and Harrisdfords relationship evolves into something more, both having feelings for the other but also both being a bit dumb and not saying anything to each other, causing Gwen to think Harrisford is manipulating her and actually don't like her. I loved getting to Harrisford's chapters as we saw how down bad he was for Gwendolynne, I do like a man in love.
We get yearning, pining, hilarious banter between our mcs, but there's also some found family and hilarious familiars.
The familiars were probably the best part in this book for me, as Percy, who's Gwen's familiar, is very similar (up to only having one eye) to my childhood cat who passed away six months ago. He is the best lil snarky old black cat, I absolutely loved all his comments.

This ending actually had me SHOOKED. The plot twist had me wanting to throw things at some people.

This was such a bingeable book with whimsical world building, exploration of capitalism, racial and class politics, magical creatures and rivals to lovers romance. I loved this book and was lucky enough to listen to the audiobook in tandem. Mei Mei MacLeod had such a soothing melodic Northern UK accent (I'm not an expert but I think its more Yorkshire than Mancunian? Either way I loved her voice) to bring Gwen to life, while Sam Stafford really got upper crust Harrisford's vibe. (My only suggestion is don't listen to chapter one in front of you cat. No cat needs to listen to talk of feline euthanasia).

I loved Gwen. She's hard-working, smart and dedicated to animals (totally agree, humans are disgusting!). Like so many children of migrants, she's determined to get dux so she can get the sole government grad position. She did frustrate me with her naivity about Magecorp (Gwen, no corporation is ever going to be doing good!) and inability to see how the MLO were trying to do good. Harrisford took a bit for me to warm to with his derision of Gwen, but then you can see the derision is really a massive crush (he got how she likes her tea!). He too has a lot riding on becoming dux due to his own messy relationship with his father. However, it was Percy stole my heart. Keshe Chow's experience as a cat vet have her a master at capturing cats, their slow blinks and their mercurial personality.

This book is a duology with a bit of a cliffhanger so I REALLY need book two now!

I didn't know I needed a story set in a magical veterinary college, but oh boy did I! Strange Familiars was such a delight from start to finish.

The story follows Gwen and Harrisford, two top students at Seamere College, where they train to become magical vets. Gwen is determined to be the best, but Harrisford, with his privilege and natural talent, keeps getting in her way. When strange magical surges begin causing chaos in London, they’re forced to team up to figure out what’s going on.

I loved the titular familiars, especially Gwen’s snarky cat, who added so much personality to the story.

The tone was just perfect: so cozy and charming, but with enough tension and mystery to keep me hooked. The rivalry between Gwen and Harrisford was very enjoyable with lots of humor, and watching them going from rivals to lovers was a hoot.

The audiobook was fantastic, too. The narrator’s accent made me scream inside in the best of ways, and the dual POV was reflected perfectly in the narration, making it even more immersive.

I can’t wait for the conclusion of this duology. Bring on book two!

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to @NetGalley and @hodderbooks and @berkleypub for the eARC!

#StrangeFamiliars #Bookstagram #NetGalley

Strange Familiars follows Gwen and Harrisford, two rivals at Seamere College of Magical Veterinary Science. When dangerous magical surges begin creating chaos, familiars are going strange, people started to disappear; Gwen and Harrisford must work together to uncover the truth before the magical world falls apart.

It was such a fun and refreshing fantasy read. It balances humour and emotion beautifully. Gwen's and Harrisford's rivalry was easily one of the best parts of the story. The Rivals to lovers was so satisfying. Half of the time they were bickering with each other, the other time they were trying to figure out why they feel the attraction between them. The sharp banter, competitiveness, slowly building trust made the romance between them so entertaining.

The setting was fun to read with magical academic setting, mythical creatures and the familiars. The book was 4.5 stars for me but the ending made it a five star. I keep reminding myself everything's going to be right, everything's going to be right, and then I remember it's the first book of a duology, so not everything's going to be fine, definitely.

Special mention to Percy the black cat, who is Gwen's familiar. He deserves his own spotlight. He stole every scene he was in with his humour. I adore the bond between Gwen and Percy. Percy is like, 'I care for the human who saved me, but I'm not going to show it or let her know.' I just love him.

✨ Audiobook Review✨
Audiobook Production: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Story Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

✨Tropes:✨
🔥 Slow Burn
📕 Academic Rivals-to-Lovers
🐈‍⬛ Found Family
🦎 Sassy Sidekicks
💙 Diverse Representation

✨Audiobook Review🎧✨

I had the opportunity to do a reread of Strange Familiars with an Advanced Listener Copy, and it did not disappoint! Mei Mei MacLeod and Sam Stafford were great narrators for this story. I loved hearing not only how they brought Gwendolynne and Harriford to life, but how they voiced the other characters in the story as well. Mei Mei's portrayal of Gwen's mother I felt was spot on. I also really loved the accents!

Thank you so much to Keshe, Hodder & Stoughton Audio, Hodderscape, and NetGalley for the ALC! All opinions are my own.

✨Story Review✨
I breezed through this book! Enemies-to-lovers, mystery and magical cats? What's not to love?!

Keshe did such a great job adding so much depth to her characters. Gwendolynne and Harriford's story is much deeper than an academic rivals-to-lovers romance. We see them struggle with financial issues, racism, self-harm, and family trauma. It was refreshing to see they weren't "perfect" characters by any means. They were raw and real.

The way the story represents the special bond between humans and animals was spot on. Animals really are better than "disgusting" humans (IYKYK). Not to mention, Percy, the sassy magical cat familiar, was hilarious! Absolutely loved him.

The story flowed well, and I really enjoyed how romance, fantasy and mystery were all combined into one book. The slow-burn and tension between Gwendolynne and Harrisford had my heart fluttering. The spice was definitely spicy because Harrisford even had me blushing! And the way that man yearned for her? Ugh, so good!

I will definitely be reading the next book, and I cannot wait to see where this story goes!

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton Audio for this ALC for review!

4.5⭐️ | OUT May 19th

Described as cosy fantasy, light academia this book packed an absolute punch! I absolutely loved how this audiobook captured Gwen and Harrisford - the dual narration really made me more invested in both of the characters, I think both narrators capture the characters so well. Gwen's reserved and untrusting nature was absolutely nailed by Mei Mei MacLeod. Sam Stafford also brilliantly captures the arrogant Harrisford who is actually really a cinnamon roll on the inside!

Synopsis:
Gwen and Harrisford are academic rivals at the prestigious Seamere College of Magical Veterinary Sciences. Gwendolynne Chan spends her days using her magical powers to heal animal companions while her nights are spent studying hard for exams. She is on track to be top of her class if her rival Harrisford Briggs doesn’t mess this up for her. She needs to remain top of her class if she wants to secure a high up job in the ministry post-graduation.

However, magical surges begin to rock their way through London, causing calamity among the familiars and the humans without a reliable source of magic. To fix this they must put aside their duelling feels and diagnose the problem to save the fate of the magical world.

Review:

I loved the main characters Gwen and Harrisford (and their familiars Percy the cat and Pudding the lizard). Have I mentioned how much I love books with talking familiars??

Keshe’s writing is quick and witty. I love that her sense of humours shines in through in this book as well as her veterinary knowledge (as she is a veterinarian in real life!). Overall I devoured this in 3 days - I could not put this down due to the electric chemistry between Gwen and Harrisford, the banter and the super fun setting of a magical vet college.

I CANNOT wait for book 2 in this duology!!

🐈‍⬛Academic rivals to lovers
🦎Magical vet college
🦄Animal sidekicks
🐈‍⬛Found family
🦎Slow burn
🦄Diverse representation

You will enjoy this if you love books on girlies in STEM. The comparisons to The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy are not taken lightly so if you liked that book you may enjoy this as well!

"He is a very good bum scratcher to be fair"

I knew when I read this line, this book would live rent free in my mind for the rest of my life.

Strange Familiars by @keshewrites is like if you took all the amazing about Maxton Hall (which is most everything tbf) and added a magical veterinary school with talking animals. Holy wow this book was outstanding. You have Gwen, your poor but incredibly smart GMC who has to be top of her class to win the prize money and elite job offer to save her parents restaurant from ruin, only, in this world, magic is currency. You have your super hot, attractive and also smart MMC, Harrisford Briggs, son to the money mogul and deceased mother. His asshole of a father helps control the world's currency flow, and expects Harrisford to win the top spot or face his wrath as an authority figure with pull in the job market and every aspect of his life. We have your heated enemies to lovers, opposites attract PERFECTION. Only, add in MAGICAL TALKING FAMILIAR ANIMALS!!! Like, what more could you ask for, truly?! There are bearded dragons, real dragons, unicorns, guinea pigs, and of course your standard one eyed black cat. Oh, and they also talk telepathically! when Gwen and Harrisford find themselves on the same side of exposing a magic-laundering scheme, will they be able to hold it together and be friendly enough to uncover who is responsible for the magical explosions occurring all over town?

You'll have to read it 19 may to find out! I adored this story! Thank you so much to @hodderscape for sending not only the physical proof, but the outstanding ALC as well! I really felt that @meimeimacleod embodied the perfect Gwen. Her tone and cadence really reminded me of Ruby Bell from Maxton Hall which was just perfection. Mei Mei and Sam did outstanding together, I could listen to the two of them argue all day!

#maxtonhall #academia #familiar #BookstagramUK #strangefamiliars

Ooof, this book HAD me. I completely fell for the world this was set in, the characters and the plot line. I couldn’t have been more hooked and my few chapters with this audiobook a day were a highlight. I listened on the train, in the gym, on walks, with breakfast - any moment I could to snatch a few minutes with the book, I did!

I loved the whole premise and as someone with a grounding in veterinary science - I adored this take on it.

I’m so happy there is another book after this one - I’ll take a Duology although I could have read a million in this series!