Gwendolynne Chan just needs to get through her final year at Seamere College of Magical Veterinary Sciences. She's used to being the star healer of magical familiars - except when the obnoxious but annoyingly handsome Harrisford Briggs knocks her from the top spot.
Harrisford Briggs was born into privilege. His father, the Chief Financial Officer of Magecorp, one of the biggest global distributors of magic, expects nothing less than the best. And to top it all off, incurable swot Gwendolynne Chan is on track to beat him. The last thing he needs are the strange whisperings of uncontrollable surges of excess magic - because Harrisford can't help but wonder if his father and Magecorp has something to do with it . . .
When these magical surges cause animals to wreak chaos across London, Gwen and Harrisford are forced to team up. These bitter academic rivals must put aside their duelling feelings of lust and loathing, and - along with Gwen's snarky cat familiar - save the magical world.
From Sunday Times bestselling author Keshe Chow, Strange Familiars is whimsical, romantic and dark academia duology perfect for fans of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy.
Tropes you can expect . . . Academic rivals-to-lovers Slow burn Magical university Found family Animal sidekicks
Readers are OBSESSED with Strange Familiars: 'Absolutely amazing . . . a perfect rivals-to-lovers story' 'This was a perfect clash' 'I loved the yearning and the chemistry'
And so do your favourite authors: 'An absolute delight!' BRIGITTE KNIGHTLEY 'A must-read for any lover of animals and angst' NISHA J. TULI 'Full of wonderful rivals-to-lovers romance, humour, and twists' INDIA HOLTON
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
May 4, 2026
4.5
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 is a nice rivals to lovers romantasy in a world where magic is a limited resource controlled by big corporations and thus not available to everyone. The book reflects on topics like privilege, class differences and racism, which I found great, however it could have done so more organically with less explaining and more showing in situations and relationships. In general we get a lot of explaining feelings/concepts in the thoughts of the characters which I'm not always the biggest fan of.
The story is set in a world like our own but with magic that has to be bought or channeled through familiars, which also not everyone can afford. The main characters are students at a magical veterinary college, which was a fun setting and I loved the diverse magical creatures, though they could have been a little more inventive and taken on a bigger role for my taste. At some points I also felt like the world-building was a bit easy, like the author had just taken our world and pasted some wonky magic-system on top, that had specific rules that didn't really become clear to me until the end.
The scope of the story was bigger and the stakes higher than I expected in the beginning, which was okay but took away the focus from the whimsical setting. The dynamics between the main characters were clear, but at some times I would have liked a little more proper friction and more feelings on the page instead of "we have been rivals forever so I must hate him". Also, I wasn't a fan of how the spice was written, it was lacking some tension.
Overall a very interesting concept and idea in a fun new setting with diverse rep (both regarding queer and non-whiter identities) but some weaknesses regarding the narrative style and the character dynamics.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hoddor&Stoughton vor the e-arc!
Jun 10, 2026
3.0
Strange Familiars is a nice rivals to lovers romantasy in a world where magic is a limited resource controlled by big corporations and thus not available to everyone. The book reflects on topics like privilege, class differences and racism, which I found great, however it could have done so more organically with less explaining and more showing in situations and relationships. In general we get a lot of explaining feelings/concepts in the thoughts of the characters which I'm not always the biggest fan of.
The story is set in a world like our own but with magic that has to be bought or channeled through familiars, which also not everyone can afford. The main characters are students at a magical veterinary college, which was a fun setting and I loved the diverse magical creatures, though they could have been a little more inventive and taken on a bigger role for my taste. At some points I also felt like the world-building was a bit easy, like the author had just taken our world and pasted some wonky magic-system on top, that had specific rules that didn't really become clear to me until the end.
The scope of the story was bigger and the stakes higher than I expected in the beginning, which was okay but took away the focus from the whimsical setting. The dynamics between the main characters were clear, but at some times I would have liked a little more proper friction and more feelings on the page instead of "we have been rivals forever so I must hate him". Also, I wasn't a fan of how the spice was written, it was lacking some tension.
Overall a very interesting concept and idea in a fun new setting with diverse rep (both regarding queer and non-whiter identities) but some weaknesses regarding the narrative style and the character dynamics.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hoddor&Stoughton vor the e-arc!
The start was strong, setting a cosy tone that remained throughout the story and promised a fluffy, entertaining and fun romance.
The book delivered in that regard, but not without channeling every trope out there without as much as an original take, milking clichés and reusing over-used lines & themes.
Of course the mmc has daddy issues.
Of course the rich boy loves the small, chaotic, crowded home of the poor girl.
Of course he is used to fancy restaurants that won't fill your stomach as well as the street food she recommends.
Oh, and please, a round of pity for our poor rich guy - he has a hard life with a family like that. Luckily, the poor girl has a loving family and her only problem is lack of money.
You get the idea.
My favourite was Percy - a cat and Gwen's familiar. He had such a snobby attitude and carried me effortlessly through the story.
Harrisford (take a moment or two to get used to that name, I certainly won't blame you) wants Gwen hard. From the get go. It's not really insta-love, since they technically know each other for seven years, attending the same university. They just barely interacted until now.
I really enjoyed the tension between them, I could strongly feel his longing for her. It's definitely he falls first - more so, falling from the start.
Oh how he wants her. At about 20% he already has a boner for her. Unexpectedly, I found that more hilarious than off-putting.
I feel more from his pov, so I was sad the kiss and intimacy was always written from her pov. His desire is stronger, while she is constantly doubting everything. Yet, the author is female, so maybe better to write those scenes from a women's pov.
The story comes with fun elements (He had to download a spell. I repeat. He DOWNLOADED a spell. You can buy them - online. That's hilarious.) and also serious topics. I appreciated how racism was thematised, eg. when they used the fact that white people think all asian people look the same to sneak Gwendolyn into a workplace with an ID of a random other asian person, even mentioning that being Chinese isn't even a requirement to match looks. I thought that was charmingly done. It is also diverse beyond that, featuring pocs and queer people as side characters.
Unfortunately, I had so many issues with this.
First and foremost - how many times can one stress that they are each others enemies - when they are clearly not? Rivals at best. That got really annoying.
And it never stopped! Throughout the whole book!
Also, I was craving originality. This book throws tropes, seen-before-elements and every cliché out there on you as if it was a fan-fiction (a fun one, admittedly). No original thought, no original line.
Annoying as that was, I still enjoyed listening to the story.
It contained a villain who explains everything to the victim before "killing her anyway".
But - surprise - the nerdy girl just kept him talking while freeing herself because he used the wrong knot, which of course he would have known if he had worked as a vet ... (unrealistic)
We have "she dresses up, looks beautiful. He can't stop staring because she looks breathtakingly gorgeous and she thinks he is staring because she looks ridiculous" (don't like that one).
There is a pretended make-out-scene to cover up what they are really doing.
Every rich-boy-loves-poor-girl trope that has ever occurred in this set-up ...
You name it.
Gwen was awfully insecure. She is supposed to be 25, intelligent and ambitious. Yet:
Having scars makes her think he surely wants to leave her the moment he sees them. Why would you think that? More importantly - why would you (want to) sleep with someone, who you believe would vanish once he sees your scars?
Then, these constant thoughts of other women. How many others these, he doesn't really want me that ... I hated it. Know your worth! Don't be so oblivious, stupid and blind about his feelings and intentions towards you. Until the very end, she thought he had no reason to like her. All this "why pick me? There is absolutely nothing special about me. Why not another prettier, rich girl? Does he really love me? No, surely all of this is just a one-time thing" ... Get it together, you are in your mid-twenties, not 14!
Regarding the audiobook: there are two narrators, one male, one female for each perspective. I liked listening to them and would recommend it, except for the way the female narrator puts on a too-deep and growly voice when narrating Harrisford.
On other notes:
"I don't much like pain" - oh, that's worth mentioning. It appears Gwendolyn is not like other girls!
When Harrisford says to Gwen "I'm going to make you come", she thinks that's hot. It is not, that is pressure.
Also, Gwen apparently got many orgasms. Many, yeah? I'm sure we all can relate, happens all the time.
And, if you tell me, you bought a car just to drive to my place to see me, you can be certain you are not going to sleep with me.
Harrisford did this while they were on it ... I would be off and about so quickly.
Overall, it was still a really fun and entertaining read, light and short. The ending had twists in store, I did and didn't see coming. Clearly, the story isn't finished but I'll probably leave it at that.
May 16, 2026
3.0
Cosy Romantic Urban Fantasy
The start was strong, setting a cosy tone that remained throughout the story and promised a fluffy, entertaining and fun romance.
The book delivered in that regard, but not without channeling every trope out there without as much as an original take, milking clichés and reusing over-used lines & themes.
Of course the mmc has daddy issues.
Of course the rich boy loves the small, chaotic, crowded home of the poor girl.
Of course he is used to fancy restaurants that won't fill your stomach as well as the street food she recommends.
Oh, and please, a round of pity for our poor rich guy - he has a hard life with a family like that. Luckily, the poor girl has a loving family and her only problem is lack of money.
You get the idea.
My favourite was Percy - a cat and Gwen's familiar. He had such a snobby attitude and carried me effortlessly through the story.
Harrisford (take a moment or two to get used to that name, I certainly won't blame you) wants Gwen hard. From the get go. It's not really insta-love, since they technically know each other for seven years, attending the same university. They just barely interacted until now.
I really enjoyed the tension between them, I could strongly feel his longing for her. It's definitely he falls first - more so, falling from the start.
Oh how he wants her. At about 20% he already has a boner for her. Unexpectedly, I found that more hilarious than off-putting.
I feel more from his pov, so I was sad the kiss and intimacy was always written from her pov. His desire is stronger, while she is constantly doubting everything. Yet, the author is female, so maybe better to write those scenes from a women's pov.
The story comes with fun elements (He had to download a spell. I repeat. He DOWNLOADED a spell. You can buy them - online. That's hilarious.) and also serious topics. I appreciated how racism was thematised, eg. when they used the fact that white people think all asian people look the same to sneak Gwendolyn into a workplace with an ID of a random other asian person, even mentioning that being Chinese isn't even a requirement to match looks. I thought that was charmingly done. It is also diverse beyond that, featuring pocs and queer people as side characters.
Unfortunately, I had so many issues with this.
First and foremost - how many times can one stress that they are each others enemies - when they are clearly not? Rivals at best. That got really annoying.
And it never stopped! Throughout the whole book!
Also, I was craving originality. This book throws tropes, seen-before-elements and every cliché out there on you as if it was a fan-fiction (a fun one, admittedly). No original thought, no original line.
Annoying as that was, I still enjoyed listening to the story.
It contained a villain who explains everything to the victim before "killing her anyway".
But - surprise - the nerdy girl just kept him talking while freeing herself because he used the wrong knot, which of course he would have known if he had worked as a vet ... (unrealistic)
We have "she dresses up, looks beautiful. He can't stop staring because she looks breathtakingly gorgeous and she thinks he is staring because she looks ridiculous" (don't like that one).
There is a pretended make-out-scene to cover up what they are really doing.
Every rich-boy-loves-poor-girl trope that has ever occurred in this set-up ...
You name it.
Gwen was awfully insecure. She is supposed to be 25, intelligent and ambitious. Yet:
Having scars makes her think he surely wants to leave her the moment he sees them. Why would you think that? More importantly - why would you (want to) sleep with someone, who you believe would vanish once he sees your scars?
Then, these constant thoughts of other women. How many others these, he doesn't really want me that ... I hated it. Know your worth! Don't be so oblivious, stupid and blind about his feelings and intentions towards you. Until the very end, she thought he had no reason to like her. All this "why pick me? There is absolutely nothing special about me. Why not another prettier, rich girl? Does he really love me? No, surely all of this is just a one-time thing" ... Get it together, you are in your mid-twenties, not 14!
Regarding the audiobook: there are two narrators, one male, one female for each perspective. I liked listening to them and would recommend it, except for the way the female narrator puts on a too-deep and growly voice when narrating Harrisford.
On other notes:
"I don't much like pain" - oh, that's worth mentioning. It appears Gwendolyn is not like other girls!
When Harrisford says to Gwen "I'm going to make you come", she thinks that's hot. It is not, that is pressure.
Also, Gwen apparently got many orgasms. Many, yeah? I'm sure we all can relate, happens all the time.
And, if you tell me, you bought a car just to drive to my place to see me, you can be certain you are not going to sleep with me.
Harrisford did this while they were on it ... I would be off and about so quickly.
Overall, it was still a really fun and entertaining read, light and short. The ending had twists in store, I did and didn't see coming. Clearly, the story isn't finished but I'll probably leave it at that.
