REVIEW The Fake Divination Offsense (Magic and Romance #2) by Sara Raasch

The Fake Divination Offense (Magic and Romance #2) by Sara Raasch

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: May 19, 2026

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited) 

Publusher: Bramble

All of Sara Raasch's newest books have been major hits with me, so it was no surprise that I absolutely fell in love with the second book in the Magic and Romance series. Orok's character was awesome and a major part of Sebastian and Thio's story in The Entanglement of Rival Wizards, so it was nice to see him get his own book in The Fake Divination Offense.

Orok, while being a half giant defensive tank, is a big softy and Alexo triggered all of his protective insticts. This picks up fairly quickly after the events of the first book. Being trauma bonded with Sebastian, it was a lot to see how they were dealing with the aftermath of the Camp Merethyl lawsuit. It was also quite a journey to have Orok re-evaluate what he saw as strength, after being told what it was supposed to mean to him for so many years (by the camp, by his old team, by his family and his religion). While Alexo is not someone who would be the poster card for physical strength, he's demonstrated a lot of emotional strength for dealing with all of the turmoil in his life and I think that he and Orok fit very well together.

While this book has fantasy elements, its set in a modern world so its not super heavy on worldbuilding. I would primarily categorize it as a sports romance with fantasy elements. As someone who doesn't pay attention to that many sports in general, I really appreciate how accessible and easy to understand the author made the sport of rawball (which is very dungeons and dragons meets rugby). I would totally read a short story detailing a full professional game, instead of just the snippets we got in the book.

Overall, this was an amazing book and I finished it within about a day of the release. I highly recomend it to romance readers who enjoy fantasy elements or sports romance type books. It is an adult series, with the violence, and some of the more explicit intimate scenes. While the series seems to be structured as a duology as far as I can tell, I hope there is more in the series to come (especially with the line towards the end of the book about the status of two of Orok's teammates).

Content Warnings: Psychological and Emotional Trauma, Cult Themes and Kidnapping, Religious Elements, Explicit Intimate Scenes

REVIEW The Entanglement of Rival Wizards (Magic and Romance #1) by Sara Raasch

The Entanglement of Rival Wizards (Magic and Romance #1) by Sara Raasch
Rating: 5 Stars 
Release Date: August 26, 2025
Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited) + Audiobook (Library) 
Publisher: Bramble

Sara Raasch's Royals and Romance books were so much fun that it was a no brainer to read her newest series, Magic and Romance. The first book in the series, The Entanglement of Rival Wizards, was so much fun to read. Sam Stark did an excellent job bringing Thio and Sebastian's story to life. And while it doesn't even release till May 2026, I am very very excited for the sequel to this book, The Fake Divination Offensive, which covers Orok's story (Sebastian's best friend who you meet in this book).

Hailed as a fantasy academia rom-com,. the author wholeheartedly delivers on that premise. I really loved how she wove together the magical elements of the story along with some more modern references (i.e. Sebastian's familiar is named after a character in Zootopia instead of something more 'mystical'). There are also some more magical crosses like the game of rawball (which Orok specializes in), which seems like a cross between rugby and live Dungeons and Dragons, given that the players roles are things like tank and rogue.

Thio and Sebastian's relationship was fun to watch to develop. They went from academic rivals, to reluctant lab partners, to competing together and finally in a relationship together. They both have a lot of emotional baggage to deal with, especially in the family department, and it was rewarding as a reader to see them take back what they lost in those dynamics. It was also fun to see how they interacted with those in their orbit. Orok, for example, is Sebastian's best friend and ride or die. They have been dependent on each other for years, but when he realizes Sebastian's burgeoning feelings for Thio he meddles to get them to actually talk to each other and work things out. I'm so excited to see how Sebastian inevitably becomes a part of Orok's relationship with Alexo in the next book.

Overall, a great book and a very entertaining read. I highly recommend it for fans of romantic comedy, as well as LGBTQ romances and fantasy novels. The Royals and Romance series and the Magic and Romance series are completely separate, but I highly recommend you check out the Royals and Romance series if you like this one.

REVIEW Go Luck Yourself (Royals and Romance #2) by Sara Raasch

Go Luck Yourself (Royals and Romance #2) by Sara Raasch
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: March 11, 2025
Format: eBook (Personal Library, Bookshop.org) + Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Bramble

“In all that writing you used to do about happily ever after,’ Coal continues, ‘did you ever think what being happy would actually feel like?”

The Nightmare before Kissmas by Sara Raasch is a favorite of the holiday themed books I’ve read, and its sequel Go Luck Yourself is no slouch. Audiobook narrator Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick absolutely knocked it out of the park with his performance in the audiobook. I really felt like he captured both Kris and Loch’s personalities, and brought the book to life on another level. 

This book is an enemies to lovers romantic comedy meets mystery, and it's absolutely joyous insanity. From Kris’ lack of ability to hold his liquor, to the Irish method of flirting being ‘talking shite’, I was hooked. While there are some minor similarities to the first book (Kris and Loch are also princes of their holiday, like Coal and Hex), this romance has an entirely different feel. There are silly moments, old timey romance swoon moments, and even some incredibly emotionally deep moments. While I was 100% on the Kris and Loch ‘ship’, I was also invested in the growth of Kris and Coal’s brotherly relationship over the course of the book. As someone who has my own sibling, Coal’s commitment to seeing his brother happy and enjoying life on his own terms was particularly impactful. 

Overall, a fantastic novel. I think the author did a great job wrapping up the storyline of the Christmas princes, but I would be absolutely thrilled if there was a third book in this series featuring Iris (and maybe a short story of her sister and the Valentines day prince). I highly recommend this to mature readers who enjoy queer romantic comedies that feature an enemies to lovers romance and pure, joyful shenanigans.