Strange Familiars (Seamere College Duology)

Moon Phoenix

Rivals to lovers and wonderful magical creatures

"Strange Familiar is the first book in a new duology. It feels strangely cozy, even though it isn’t; it’s set at a magical university. Hazel, our protagonist, is a student and a magical vet, so it’s a mix of cute animals, mythical creatures, mystery, corruption, and a romance that starts as rivals and turns into lovers. It’s dual POV. Gwendolynne Chan is a hardworking and smart student who struggles with money and recharging her magic; her goal is to be the top student and land a prestigious job. Harrisford is her biggest rival, the complete opposite of her, a white guy who has it all, but he’s smitten with Gwen (even though at first he doesn’t realize it and finds her a fascinating nuisance). When they have to spend more time together, and their relationship progresses, the yearning and tension are so good, Harrisford falls first and falls harder. The setting and magic system were very interesting; it’s set in a magical university where both are veterinary students, and people have familiars, animals that help them wield a little more magic. Harrisford has had a lizard/dragon as an emotional support familiar since he was a child, and Gwendolynne accidentally became bound to a grumpy cat when she tried to save its life. They’re about to graduate, and some of their final assignments involve horses, even qilins, unicorns, or dragons. The magic system isn’t super complex or overly explained, but it’s such an interesting world. And even though I loved the academy and the animals, the main plot revolves around the mystery, the disappearances, and the bursts of magic. There’s also social commentary; it deals with racism, classism, and the differences between social classes. Harrisford has it all, while Gwendolynne is brilliant but can barely keep her life afloat. It reminds me of urban fantasy, set in a London similar to our own, at a similar university, with a protagonist who’s trying to land a good job, just like many recent graduates—only in a world where magic and money rule, and magic is controlled by those who can afford it, leaving the rest struggling. Thanks so much to Berkleypub for the free ARC, eagerly awaiting the sequel. Read it you like: Academic rivals to lovers Duologies Cool animals ["

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May 20, 2026

Stephanie F.

Thoroughly Wowed!

"I mean...YES! To all of it! To every word! To every bit of magic! To even that ending that left me in a chokehold! Baaah! Strange Familiars is a certified hit, y'all! I felt excitement reading this one! I felt angst! I felt shock! I felt my jaw drop and one or two twisty reveals! Need I say more?! Best part of this story? We're just getting started. Strange Familiars is a set a in world like our own (specifically London!), except with much more magic. Gwendolynne Chan is in her final year at Seamere College of Magical Veterinary Sciences, where she looks to keep the lead in marks against her long-term academic rival Harrisford Briggs. Rivals until magical surges throughout the city and affecting beloved familiars, see Gwendolynne and Harrisford teaming up to find its cause. And perhaps finding a lot more along the way... The tone set in this work is exceptional. It balances the romance along with the mystery perfectly. Creating a world-building that is strong yet accessible. We have this angst-filled romance promising blossoms but also have a high-stakes mystery with an urgency to solve. But my focus was always in perfect balance. I eased into every facet of this work in a way that that had me invest readily in each. And at the lead of each part of this work? Two spectacular leads, Gwendolynne and Harrisford. Gwen and Harrisford are fantastic and lovable and simply magnetic protagonists. I ate up each of their POV chapters with thorough satisfaction. I loved getting to know them, and I loved watching them get to know each other. Or perhaps better said: realize how well they already do. How years of being one another's rival has led them into each other's orbit where they have unconsciously gotten to know one another well. Be it the preferred way to take one's tea or the gentle curl of golden hair. They each have their reasons for striving to receive the top marks of their graduating class, but set that aside, and we see how well these two fit when they aren't competing against one another. And they fit pretty darn well! Their partnership betters one another, whether that means challenging one another or supporting one another. Proving their belief in one another. They are stronger together than apart. But they have their stumbles that threatens to unravel what they cautiously build. Their communication can certainly use a tune up, but between you and me...I'm glad it takes time to get there because in the meantime it delivers a nice delicious dose of angst. And you know I love me some angst! Ufff! It sets up for a promise of a love story you yearn to see explore, but there's hesitation, doubt, and insecurity that clouds its path. I yearn, I long, and I swoon too! The chemistry between Gwen and Harrisford is sublime. I couldn't take my eyes off them! And that applies in the non-romantic parts of their arcs as well. With Gwen, I found inspiration. I was inspired by her resolve as well as her heart. She is very goal-oriented, and for good reason. If she earns the top marks of her graduating class she walks away with a Dux position, which will grant her prize money and a well-paying Ministry job. All of which will keep her afloat and ensure her parents don't lose their restaurant. She is so determined to keep the work up, but her heart is just so big and generous. And when a wealthy client sets out to have her feline familiar put down, Gwen takes the cat to her dorm (shout out Percy!). Effectively breaking many rules and unintentionally becoming embroiled in a bigger plot. She could take the easy way out, but instead, she takes the steps to ensure every decision that follows is the right one. Not the expected one. She places herself in jeopardy to find the truth, how can I not love this girl!? She is exceptional. And so is Harrisford. He may seem at first glance like another nepo baby born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His future isn't in jeopardy if he doesn't win the top marks, but the more layers peeled back, the more we get to the true core of Harrisford. Someone who has suffered trauma and submerged in grief, someone who cares just as much as Gwen but hasn't quite found his footing. At least, not until Gwen became his rival and suddenly she became this gravitational pull he couldn't escape. And didn't want to either. Harrisford fascinated me. He's a hard nut to crack, but that makes every detail we learn about him all the more significant. Gwen's fierce bravery inspires Harrisford to finally take control of his destiny and where it leads may leave us all breathless. I wish I could talk fully about that ending! Arghhh! I best not say a word but let me tell you...I was screaming at the top of lungs. Internally but it might as well been out loud! So much went down and then *that* scene happened and it just promises so much more in the next book! Like I am going in with such a high set of expectations, but how can I not after an incredible delivery of a final act in this one?! I have been WOWED ever so thoroughly! ["

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May 19, 2026

Haley Anne

Rivals to Lovers with a twist!

"Firstly, thank you to Berkeley Publishing Group, Ace, and NetGalley for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own. Alright so this was a tough one to rate and review. Let’s start with the good stuff: The magic system here is very cool—I LOVE the inclusion of animals/familiars in how witches and wizards practice, and the commodification and control of magic by mega corporations. It felt fresh and added a layer of worldbuilding that kept me super engaged. There was a good amount of setup and chaotic upheaval for the next book, and the overall politics and plot kept me genuinely interested. Unfortunately a few things fell flat or completely yanked me out of the story. The self harm, in my opinion, was not handled with an enough care, which was painful and hard to overlook. Although we are told why Gwen does it, her pain and stressors were oftentimes quickly glossed over and felt a bit too far removed from the story. I was hoping we’d get a bit more angst and internalization of both Gwen and Harrisford’s motivations on-page so we could really connect with them, but the few moments we did get didn’t do much for the story—a lot of telling, not a lot of showing. There were little on-page instances of character development or processing their trauma until the 90% mark, so it was difficult to connect. I also noticed there wasn’t a lot of personality for either Gwen or Harrisford beyond “hating” each other (as in the reader is told they hate each other), being “rich,” or being a “bookworm.” I wanted more from them—they never quite felt like real people to me, just archetypes moving through a plot. So unfortunately, the romance overall didn’t fully earn it for me. The Twilight references were so odd and misplaced, really jarring—and some of this read quite young and corny in a way that undercut the more interesting parts of the story. I’m hopeful that the rest of the series leans more into the political upheaval and character development because there’s something genuinely compelling here underneath the surface! It was definitely a 3.5/mid read, but I’ll be back for the next one for SURE. ["

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May 21, 2026

Lauryn

e-ARC Review

"Beware of spoilers below!! This was quite a fun read! This story really highlighted what it is like to feel more connected to animals than humans, and that is shown through the care these characters have for them, especially Gwyndolynne. The familiars Pudding and Percy, had such great dialogue with Gwyndolynne and Harrisford as well, and I loved the relationships they had. The romance is also easy to root for. Watching their journey unfold kept me invested the entire time. Especially when it came to the banter! The romance was of course my favorite part of this book, and it served as a page turner. The plot was full of twists and turns towards the very end with just the right balance of tension. The only criticisms I have about this that led to this being about 3.5 stars for me, were a few. The friendship between Gwyndolynne and her best friend Heloise should have been more developed. We are just told several times that this is Gwyndolynne’s best friend, but there should have been more prior to show us that as readers. Which leads me to my next criticism, there were quite a few moments that felt info dumpy for me, and also felt like telling more than showing. I also was a little confused with the way the main conflict was being explained for The Source/the Tethers, I feel like that could have been explained a bit easier. Other than those few criticisms that I had, I did enjoy this as a light read! I am so thrilled to have helped with the marketing end of things being on the Street Team! I also want to give a huge thanks to Netgalley and the author for the gifted e-ARC! ["

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May 19, 2026

Lisa

A slow-burn, rivals-to-lovers romance in an academic setting full of magic, whimsy, and mystery.

"Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a free, advance copy of this book. There is so much in this that works for me! The blend of magic and science felt incredibly well done and thought out. It’s written to be very approachable, but doesn’t feel shallow. Magic as a finite resource that needs to be purchased felt incredibly fresh as a magic system and I loved how the story explored how it’s influenced by a disparity of wealth and corporate greed. I was fully on board with the romance almost immediately. Gwendolyn and Harrisford are the kind of characters that see themselves as completely opposite each other but are deeply similar at their core. Watching them peel back the personality layers of the other person is satisfying and heartfelt. They also fit in to what I affectionally call the emotional-idiots-in-love trope, where two wildly smart characters are so in their head that they don’t see the feelings that are right in front of them until they’re both in deep. There is a lot of miscommunication, which is never my favorite but this one at least feels justified. I particularly enjoyed how Harrisford’s wealth and privilege contrasted with Gwendolyn’s experiences as a minority scholarship student to create opportunities to explore wealth, racism, and the inequal distribution of necessary resources. Harrisford’s perception changes to see the struggles of those worse off than him and Gwendolyn is able to look past her prejudice against him to see him as a fully rounded (yet flawed) person. I think you’ll enjoy this book if you like: -Arrogant, rich, charming MMC x strong-willed, intelligent, brave FMC -a grumpy yet whimsical cat who loves baked beans and snooty commentary -detailed academic setting -investigations and corporate conspiracies -a slow-burn, rivals-to-lovers romance with both personal/environmental obstacles keeping them apart and chemistry pulling them together. ["

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May 19, 2026