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Magic and Romance #2
The Fake Divination Offense: A Magic & Romance Novel
Not yet published
Expected 19 May 26From New York Times bestseller Sara Raasch, sports romance gets a Dungeons & Dragons makeover with the next book in the Magic and Romance series that follows half-giant Orok, forced into a PR relationship with a feisty, fan-favorite cheerleader.
Orok Half-giant. Rawball defensive tank on the Philadelphia Hellhounds. Follower of Urzoth...only Orok’s tired of following the god of aggression.
Alexo Cheerleader. Human? A dancer with a stadium’s worth of secrets.
When Orok saves Alexo at a bar, fans go feral for the star athlete protecting the pint-size dude-in-distress. The Hellhounds propose that Orok and Alexo start a PR relationship to put a positive spin on Orok’s god. Orok is set to refuse and renounce Urzoth—but that wouldn’t let him see Alexo again.
So, like a sap, he agrees.
As Orok tries to drop the fake part of their fake-relationship, Alexo’s dangerous truths emerge. To save him, Orok will have to sacrifice far more than his divine association.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Orok Half-giant. Rawball defensive tank on the Philadelphia Hellhounds. Follower of Urzoth...only Orok’s tired of following the god of aggression.
Alexo Cheerleader. Human? A dancer with a stadium’s worth of secrets.
When Orok saves Alexo at a bar, fans go feral for the star athlete protecting the pint-size dude-in-distress. The Hellhounds propose that Orok and Alexo start a PR relationship to put a positive spin on Orok’s god. Orok is set to refuse and renounce Urzoth—but that wouldn’t let him see Alexo again.
So, like a sap, he agrees.
As Orok tries to drop the fake part of their fake-relationship, Alexo’s dangerous truths emerge. To save him, Orok will have to sacrifice far more than his divine association.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication May 19, 2026
9891 people want to read
About the author
Sara Raasch
26 books7,629 followersSara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then — her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES, the first in a trilogy, came out October 14, 2014 from Balzer + Bray. It does not feature her hand-drawn pictures.
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December 7, 2025oof (bad oof)
December 19, 2025
I’m… devastated. I hate reviewing ARCs so poorly. This book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2026. Orok getting his own book was supposed to be AMAZING, not… whatever happened here.
I think I started grimacing 7% of the way in, and never stopped. It never got better, just got a whoooole lot worse. I don’t even know what could have saved this book aside from a full rewrite. Something where the mc isn’t literally growling and repeating his italicized “mine” over and over just 10% into the book. The characters are so flat it was embarrassing to read. The love interest’s story felt VERY cheaply reminiscent of another book/character, but failed to deliver any of the emotional weight it needed. Everything was just a mess. I’m a mess. I set everything aside to read this and it was so bad I don’t even know if I can follow it up with anything else. Sara Raasch is (was?) an auto-read author for me but if I’d read this before any others, I don’t think I’d ever pick up another of her books.
I think I started grimacing 7% of the way in, and never stopped. It never got better, just got a whoooole lot worse. I don’t even know what could have saved this book aside from a full rewrite. Something where the mc isn’t literally growling and repeating his italicized “mine” over and over just 10% into the book. The characters are so flat it was embarrassing to read. The love interest’s story felt VERY cheaply reminiscent of another book/character, but failed to deliver any of the emotional weight it needed. Everything was just a mess. I’m a mess. I set everything aside to read this and it was so bad I don’t even know if I can follow it up with anything else. Sara Raasch is (was?) an auto-read author for me but if I’d read this before any others, I don’t think I’d ever pick up another of her books.
October 30, 2025
Once again very cute, very sweet, very sexy. Some parts of the story started to feel a little bit too over the top as it went on. But overall this is exactly what I wanted: a funny, entertaining fantasy romcom. I do prefer the first book but only because it’s a set up/relationship dynamic that’s I prefer.
Full review to come closer to release date (because apparently I only read my ARCs super early or super late)
Full review to come closer to release date (because apparently I only read my ARCs super early or super late)
November 12, 2025
3.5/5 stars
(I rounded it up, though)
Thank you to TOR/Bramble for allowing me to read this book so far in advance in trade for an honest review.
I have to be honest and say that this is, regretably, my least favorite of her adult books so far. I found the discussion of religious deconstruction rather interesting, but it fundamentally gets lost behind a lot of the bells and whistles of the story for me. It was just a little bit all over the place if I am being transparent. I think it tried to tackle just a little bit too much for a "rom-com".
I will also be honest and share that this particular flavor of...erm... sexual dynamics isn't one that I am a fan of personally. That doesn't make it BAD, it just makes it to where it wasn't for me and made a lot of the book somewhat hard to get through. Just not my preferred dynamic. If you're into what's going on here, you'll probably love it. I am just not big on the whole "possessive manly man protects small feminine twink/size difference" thing.
Also, she definitely explains what Rawball is and how it works, but I still absolutely have no clue. I tried my best, okay? I just don't think I am meant to understand sports, fantasy or not. I thought I had a chance at it due to my understanding of D&D... but I've got nothing. Maybe one day I will get it.
Overall, it was mostly enjoyable. There are some AMAZING jokes in this and I enjoyed the cameos from Seb and Thio a ton!
(I rounded it up, though)
Thank you to TOR/Bramble for allowing me to read this book so far in advance in trade for an honest review.
I have to be honest and say that this is, regretably, my least favorite of her adult books so far. I found the discussion of religious deconstruction rather interesting, but it fundamentally gets lost behind a lot of the bells and whistles of the story for me. It was just a little bit all over the place if I am being transparent. I think it tried to tackle just a little bit too much for a "rom-com".
I will also be honest and share that this particular flavor of...erm... sexual dynamics isn't one that I am a fan of personally. That doesn't make it BAD, it just makes it to where it wasn't for me and made a lot of the book somewhat hard to get through. Just not my preferred dynamic. If you're into what's going on here, you'll probably love it. I am just not big on the whole "possessive manly man protects small feminine twink/size difference" thing.
Also, she definitely explains what Rawball is and how it works, but I still absolutely have no clue. I tried my best, okay? I just don't think I am meant to understand sports, fantasy or not. I thought I had a chance at it due to my understanding of D&D... but I've got nothing. Maybe one day I will get it.
Overall, it was mostly enjoyable. There are some AMAZING jokes in this and I enjoyed the cameos from Seb and Thio a ton!
October 24, 2025
First of all, thank you to Tor and Bramble for the opportunity to read this book so early 🥹 This was perfection.
Orok deserves literally everything good in this world, and it was so powerful to be able to experience all of his emotions, insecurities, and hesitation from his POV. He is a character that exudes strength, and it was such a juxtaposition to hear what is happening in his brain. It also made me think about how people can perceive interactions, due to insecurities and the way people think they’re coming across vs. how they actually come across.
I truly loved the way she portrayed religion in this one. As someone who has my fair share of religious trauma for growing up in a church, I think she really nailed how much guilt you can have surrounding just wanting to follow your own way and move forward. But also having to appear a certain way for reasons that aren’t necessarily right.
ALSO. The way she got into the actual fundamentals of Rawball was a masterpiece. I can really tell that this was FUN for the author to write, because it was incredible to read. Boooo Chimeras!!!
Thank you again! This was incredible.
Orok deserves literally everything good in this world, and it was so powerful to be able to experience all of his emotions, insecurities, and hesitation from his POV. He is a character that exudes strength, and it was such a juxtaposition to hear what is happening in his brain. It also made me think about how people can perceive interactions, due to insecurities and the way people think they’re coming across vs. how they actually come across.
I truly loved the way she portrayed religion in this one. As someone who has my fair share of religious trauma for growing up in a church, I think she really nailed how much guilt you can have surrounding just wanting to follow your own way and move forward. But also having to appear a certain way for reasons that aren’t necessarily right.
ALSO. The way she got into the actual fundamentals of Rawball was a masterpiece. I can really tell that this was FUN for the author to write, because it was incredible to read. Boooo Chimeras!!!
Thank you again! This was incredible.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
the longest sigh in the world. okay, I think four books is enough, that's enough Sara Raasch for me.
when you think about how in the first Christmas Prince book, she wouldn't even say the word dick during the sex scenes, and how we've come (hehehe) so far, though? inspirational. growth. love to see it.
"Just a pile of rocks on the stage while the instrumentals for 'Sweet Caroline' play on" made me laugh aloud pretty hard.
when you think about how in the first Christmas Prince book, she wouldn't even say the word dick during the sex scenes, and how we've come (hehehe) so far, though? inspirational. growth. love to see it.
"Just a pile of rocks on the stage while the instrumentals for 'Sweet Caroline' play on" made me laugh aloud pretty hard.
remind-me-once-out
September 6, 2025yes.
Want to read
August 21, 2025One of the MMCs is a cheerleader? Omg yes!
Want to read
September 30, 2025This was an absolute blast to read.
November 2, 2025
my chest hurts i loved this so much
review:
Thank you to Bramble for the advanced copy! All thoughts are my own.
I knew Orok’s book was going to wreck me and it suuuure did! I was in love with this gentle giant in Seb’s book and I had been so curious on where he was in his journey in regards to their shared trauma.
He exudes strength and masculinity but he has worked so hard on himself to not use his size and stature to threaten or push people around like people expect him to. There was also such an interesting take on religion and how the guilt from separating yourself from what you’ve always known can manifest and affect us in our daily lives as adults.
I am OBSESSED with the dynamic between Alexo and Orok and particularly Alexo’s background. There’s so much to him and I loved how these two are just so so so down for each other and protecting each other from the world around them.
Also this sports world, despite it being a fantasy sport, was really fun to read! I have no idea how this game works but I wish I could go to a Hellhounds game. The team becoming Orok’s found family gave me the warm and fuzzies.
I devoured this in a day and I’m sure others will too. This duology is fantastic and I already can’t wait for Sara’s next one.
review:
Thank you to Bramble for the advanced copy! All thoughts are my own.
I knew Orok’s book was going to wreck me and it suuuure did! I was in love with this gentle giant in Seb’s book and I had been so curious on where he was in his journey in regards to their shared trauma.
He exudes strength and masculinity but he has worked so hard on himself to not use his size and stature to threaten or push people around like people expect him to. There was also such an interesting take on religion and how the guilt from separating yourself from what you’ve always known can manifest and affect us in our daily lives as adults.
I am OBSESSED with the dynamic between Alexo and Orok and particularly Alexo’s background. There’s so much to him and I loved how these two are just so so so down for each other and protecting each other from the world around them.
Also this sports world, despite it being a fantasy sport, was really fun to read! I have no idea how this game works but I wish I could go to a Hellhounds game. The team becoming Orok’s found family gave me the warm and fuzzies.
I devoured this in a day and I’m sure others will too. This duology is fantastic and I already can’t wait for Sara’s next one.
October 11, 2025
Definitely my least fav of her books I’ve read so far. But I was SO relieved to read a romance with no “enemies to lovers” plot. Still an auto-buy/read author for me!
February 28, 2026
------4.5 ⭐️------
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!
____
The Fake Divination Offense, starring Orok (the biggest pookie alive) and bright, sparkly Alexo, was exactly what I needed. It gave me everything I hoped ‘Tough Guy’ would deliver, but way way better.
What I love most about these books is how open and tender all of the relationships between the main characters are. There's no internalized (or outward) homophobia or misogyny, and the conversations (specifically between Seb--my beloved--and Orok--my other beloved--are as honest and vulnerable as they come.
I loved that this book took the time to explore Orok's side of the trauma that he and Seb endured together. I loved that the pain that he went through wasn't the focal point of his story, but context to his actions and his mindset. (Hey Orok! You are! The BPD posterchild!)
One thing that I seek more and more is queer stories where suffering isn't the plot, nor is it the endgame. Sometimes we just want a cozy, low(ER) stakes story that doesn't spike your cortisol every time you open the book, and this was that for me.
I will say, the "twists" in this book felt incredibly predictable to me, but not in such a way that it ruined the story for me--just pattern recognition, I think.
I also think this book could use another sweep from an editor, as I noticed some minor typos in there (but we are human! And typos are sneaky bastards), and I don't know if it's just that I was reading it on my phone or what, but the formatting was a little funky to me as well.
Sara Raasch, you have done it again! Please keep writing things like these! They spark so much joy!!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!
____
The Fake Divination Offense, starring Orok (the biggest pookie alive) and bright, sparkly Alexo, was exactly what I needed. It gave me everything I hoped ‘Tough Guy’ would deliver, but way way better.
What I love most about these books is how open and tender all of the relationships between the main characters are. There's no internalized (or outward) homophobia or misogyny, and the conversations (specifically between Seb--my beloved--and Orok--my other beloved--are as honest and vulnerable as they come.
I loved that this book took the time to explore Orok's side of the trauma that he and Seb endured together. I loved that the pain that he went through wasn't the focal point of his story, but context to his actions and his mindset. (Hey Orok! You are! The BPD posterchild!)
One thing that I seek more and more is queer stories where suffering isn't the plot, nor is it the endgame. Sometimes we just want a cozy, low(ER) stakes story that doesn't spike your cortisol every time you open the book, and this was that for me.
I will say, the "twists" in this book felt incredibly predictable to me, but not in such a way that it ruined the story for me--just pattern recognition, I think.
I also think this book could use another sweep from an editor, as I noticed some minor typos in there (but we are human! And typos are sneaky bastards), and I don't know if it's just that I was reading it on my phone or what, but the formatting was a little funky to me as well.
Sara Raasch, you have done it again! Please keep writing things like these! They spark so much joy!!
October 25, 2025
I am posting this review at two in the morning because I genuinely could not put this book down!! Sara Raasch's writing is engaging and humorous with characters that are easy to empathize with--and that alone makes for a great romance novel. But then she raises the stakes with magic, gods, and monsters. This book strikes just the right balance between romance and other aspects of the story. It's whimsical, sexy, funny, and heartwarming all at once.
Other things I loved about this book in no particular order: the detailed descriptions of Alexo's androgynous femme outfits, Orok using that pro athlete money to spoil his friends, and characters existing in a world where queer identities are a part of the norm and homophobia simply doesn't exist.
I would love to see more books in this setting/series!! Maybe some sapphic romance? I absolutely love the setting Sara Raasch has created and would love to see more books in this universe!!!
Other things I loved about this book in no particular order: the detailed descriptions of Alexo's androgynous femme outfits, Orok using that pro athlete money to spoil his friends, and characters existing in a world where queer identities are a part of the norm and homophobia simply doesn't exist.
I would love to see more books in this setting/series!! Maybe some sapphic romance? I absolutely love the setting Sara Raasch has created and would love to see more books in this universe!!!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Thank you Edelweiss for the eARC. This was so so so good, Raasch is becoming one of my auto-buy authors I will read anything she writes. Divination feels like a natural continuation to Rival Wizards, but focuses on Orok instead of Seb.
Don't worry though cause we get Seb and Thio content sprinkled in too....
I don't typically read sports romance either, but this was just so good and the spice levels were 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ high spice! I loved the dynamics between Orok and Alexo, they were so cute 😍 and the story kept me guessing the whole time, especially regarding Alexo and his past.
5/5 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶
Don't worry though cause we get Seb and Thio content sprinkled in too....
I don't typically read sports romance either, but this was just so good and the spice levels were 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ high spice! I loved the dynamics between Orok and Alexo, they were so cute 😍 and the story kept me guessing the whole time, especially regarding Alexo and his past.
5/5 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶
January 26, 2026
A worthy sequel to The Entanglement of Rival Wizards. Orok is reeling from big changes in his life: the end of a successful lawsuit against the teen military camp that nearly destroyed him and his best friend, Seb, and moving back to play professional rawball for the Philadelphia Hellhounds, putting him closer to friends he’s been avoiding. His night of celebration goes viral when he steps in to defend gorgeous Hellhounds cheerleader, Alexo, from an aggressor. Suddenly he’s in a PR relationship while trying not to become overwhelmed by his possessive feelings toward this spirited but troubled man.
Sara Raasch addiction is real, and I’ve got it bad.
Sara Raasch addiction is real, and I’ve got it bad.
September 25, 2025
Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC of this book that dropped like 3 hours after I finished the 1st book in this series.
This was fake dating to real dating done to perfection. I loved the found family, the great platonic relationship between Seb and Orok, the theme of leaving religion when its no longer a positive in your life even in the face of immense parental pressure, and most of all seeing Orok and Bel find someone in each other who loves them for exactly who they are.
This was fake dating to real dating done to perfection. I loved the found family, the great platonic relationship between Seb and Orok, the theme of leaving religion when its no longer a positive in your life even in the face of immense parental pressure, and most of all seeing Orok and Bel find someone in each other who loves them for exactly who they are.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2025
I really hope there are more books in this world! More Thio and Seb, more Bel and Orok, new characters? I don’t even care, I just need more! 😅 Sara is definitely becoming one of my favorite authors.
September 6, 2025
i need this book so bad
like right this moment!
like right this moment!
December 31, 2025
Very cute!!!
February 1, 2026
when demon twink and gentle giant take on a more literal meaning…
October 20, 2025
This was cute. I don't think I liked it quite as much as the first one, and I certainly wasn't expecting so much cult stuff in this sports romance, but I still had a great time reading it!
awaiting-release
September 1, 2025I would give my first born to read this book rn
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Like a lot of queer romantasy readers, I discovered Sara Raasch through The Nightmare Before Kissmas back in 2024. I adored that book and its sequel, Go Luck Yourself, so much. Last year's The Entanglement of Rival Wizards was one of my favorite reads of the year, so to say I've been looking forward to the follow-up might be a bit of an understatement.
The Fake Divination Offense is the second book in the "Magic and Romance" series and follows Orok. He's recently joined a new rawball team, the Hellhounds, and the team's management wants to generate positive media attention to offset recent bad press. They encourage him to publicly pretend to date a Hellhound cheerleader, Alexo, who Orok recently protected from a creep at a bar. The public is swooning over Orok's gallant behavior, and everyone adores the romance the media has dubbed "Beauty and the Beast."
The thing I love most about Raasch's queer romantasy novels is the blend of humor with genuine, moving character growth. There were moments when I almost cried laughing, and others that made me actually cry. Orok is dealing with the fallout from his and Sebastian's lawsuit (and the trauma that prompted it). He's also still struggling with his association with Urzoth, his very intense mother, and he's been working with a therapist about his tendency to become unhealthily co-dependent in relationships. These all lead to a great growth arc for the character. I liked Orok as a side character in the first book in this series, but I truly loved him in this book!
Alexo is also a loveable character. There's a mystery with his backstory (and current situation) for the first half of the book, and I enjoyed discovering more about him a little at a time. We also get a lot of Sebastian and Thio in this book, which I adored. They have some adorable scenes, and there are big developments for them that made me swoon! Plus, Orok and Sebastian's friendship continues to be the steady foundation for this series; one of the best scenes of the whole book is a conversation between them!
The romance is steamy and sweet. Orok is protective of everyone he loves, and it's lovely to see him try to balance his need to protect Alexo without being too overbearing. I really liked how these two talked out their issues and discussed their boundaries. Even though they end up in a situation that easily could have made their dynamic unhealthy, their honest and open conversations made their romance delightful. I'm not joking about the steaminess either; these two are smoking hot together!
As expected, I loved this; I enjoyed it even more than The Entanglement of Rival Wizards, actually! The fantasy religion plot, along with the sports romance and fake dating trope, really worked for me and made for a story I quickly became addicted to.
The Fake Divination Offense is the second book in the "Magic and Romance" series and follows Orok. He's recently joined a new rawball team, the Hellhounds, and the team's management wants to generate positive media attention to offset recent bad press. They encourage him to publicly pretend to date a Hellhound cheerleader, Alexo, who Orok recently protected from a creep at a bar. The public is swooning over Orok's gallant behavior, and everyone adores the romance the media has dubbed "Beauty and the Beast."
The thing I love most about Raasch's queer romantasy novels is the blend of humor with genuine, moving character growth. There were moments when I almost cried laughing, and others that made me actually cry. Orok is dealing with the fallout from his and Sebastian's lawsuit (and the trauma that prompted it). He's also still struggling with his association with Urzoth, his very intense mother, and he's been working with a therapist about his tendency to become unhealthily co-dependent in relationships. These all lead to a great growth arc for the character. I liked Orok as a side character in the first book in this series, but I truly loved him in this book!
Alexo is also a loveable character. There's a mystery with his backstory (and current situation) for the first half of the book, and I enjoyed discovering more about him a little at a time. We also get a lot of Sebastian and Thio in this book, which I adored. They have some adorable scenes, and there are big developments for them that made me swoon! Plus, Orok and Sebastian's friendship continues to be the steady foundation for this series; one of the best scenes of the whole book is a conversation between them!
The romance is steamy and sweet. Orok is protective of everyone he loves, and it's lovely to see him try to balance his need to protect Alexo without being too overbearing. I really liked how these two talked out their issues and discussed their boundaries. Even though they end up in a situation that easily could have made their dynamic unhealthy, their honest and open conversations made their romance delightful. I'm not joking about the steaminess either; these two are smoking hot together!
As expected, I loved this; I enjoyed it even more than The Entanglement of Rival Wizards, actually! The fantasy religion plot, along with the sports romance and fake dating trope, really worked for me and made for a story I quickly became addicted to.
February 21, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance reader copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Tropes: Sports Romance, Fake Dating, MM Romance, Cinnamon Roll MMC, Opposites Attract, Protector Romance, Love At First Sight, Single POV, No Third-Act Breakup
This is the second installment in the Magic and Romance series, and it follows Seb’s BFF, Orok. He is back in Philadelphia after a tough four years with the Las Vegas Chimeras. The lawsuit against their traumatic military camp went through, and he is ready to renounce Uzroth and start fresh.
I really wish Raasch’s books were dual POV. That is honestly the only thing I do not like about her books. Although this one was good, I liked the first book in the series more. However, I still finished this in a day and really enjoyed it.
Orok is a big cinnamon roll with a protector complex and a need to protect everyone around him. He has a tendency to be a bit obsessed with his loved ones, though not in a bad way. He has experienced trauma and wants to make sure the people he loves are safe and cared for. Now that Seb has Thio, Orok has been struggling.
Orok meets Alexo at a club after seeing someone bully him, so he jumps in to rescue him. I am not going to lie, it is a bit love at first sight for Orok. However, Alexo is incredibly mysterious, and Orok does not know much about him, only that he has pink hair, wears gold chains, and is a cheerleader. When his team proposes a PR stunt, Orok jumps at the opportunity. He is thrilled when Alexo agrees to fake date him and be sponsored by Uzroth for a spot on the cheerleading team, even though it throws a wrench into Orok’s plan to renounce Uzroth. Uh oh.
The romance felt a little fast to me. Although explicit scenes do not happen until later, it seemed like there was immediate love between them without much yearning, which I personally love in my books. That said, these two are incredibly sweet with each other, and I ate it up.
As they get to know each other, you learn that Alexo is hiding a big secret. You do not find out what it is until about halfway through the book. I was low-key stressed. I was worried it would be something awful, but do not worry, this is a cozy, feel-good romance after all.
The book takes a turn after the big reveal, and the two of them truly get to know each other and fall head over heels. There is no third-act breakup, which was a relief. However, there is a major conflict right at the very end of the book that I saw coming. I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Still, we get our HEA.
Overall, this was a fun fake dating sports romance with serious undertones about trauma, grief, and PTSD. There is excellent character development, but I found myself wanting more build-up and yearning in the romance.
Tropes: Sports Romance, Fake Dating, MM Romance, Cinnamon Roll MMC, Opposites Attract, Protector Romance, Love At First Sight, Single POV, No Third-Act Breakup
This is the second installment in the Magic and Romance series, and it follows Seb’s BFF, Orok. He is back in Philadelphia after a tough four years with the Las Vegas Chimeras. The lawsuit against their traumatic military camp went through, and he is ready to renounce Uzroth and start fresh.
I really wish Raasch’s books were dual POV. That is honestly the only thing I do not like about her books. Although this one was good, I liked the first book in the series more. However, I still finished this in a day and really enjoyed it.
Orok is a big cinnamon roll with a protector complex and a need to protect everyone around him. He has a tendency to be a bit obsessed with his loved ones, though not in a bad way. He has experienced trauma and wants to make sure the people he loves are safe and cared for. Now that Seb has Thio, Orok has been struggling.
Orok meets Alexo at a club after seeing someone bully him, so he jumps in to rescue him. I am not going to lie, it is a bit love at first sight for Orok. However, Alexo is incredibly mysterious, and Orok does not know much about him, only that he has pink hair, wears gold chains, and is a cheerleader. When his team proposes a PR stunt, Orok jumps at the opportunity. He is thrilled when Alexo agrees to fake date him and be sponsored by Uzroth for a spot on the cheerleading team, even though it throws a wrench into Orok’s plan to renounce Uzroth. Uh oh.
The romance felt a little fast to me. Although explicit scenes do not happen until later, it seemed like there was immediate love between them without much yearning, which I personally love in my books. That said, these two are incredibly sweet with each other, and I ate it up.
As they get to know each other, you learn that Alexo is hiding a big secret. You do not find out what it is until about halfway through the book. I was low-key stressed. I was worried it would be something awful, but do not worry, this is a cozy, feel-good romance after all.
The book takes a turn after the big reveal, and the two of them truly get to know each other and fall head over heels. There is no third-act breakup, which was a relief. However, there is a major conflict right at the very end of the book that I saw coming. I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Still, we get our HEA.
Overall, this was a fun fake dating sports romance with serious undertones about trauma, grief, and PTSD. There is excellent character development, but I found myself wanting more build-up and yearning in the romance.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.5 stars rounded down
This was SO cute and cozy! A great follow up to Entanglement of Rival Wizards, although I definitely loved that one more. To be fair, I knew it would be hard to live up to it. Seb and Thio own my heart and the glimpses of them that we got in this one were so precious- I loved seeing them all homey and domestic.
The relationship between Alexo and Orok is so sweet and heartwarming. They are head over heels for each other and Sara always does such a great job of showing the chemistry between her characters. I particularly love how healthy and balances the relationship is. Yes, they are both very codependent I think it actually works in this specific case. They both have a lot of trauma and things they are working through, so it makes sense they would rely so heavily on each other. Orok is very obsessive in nature but Alexo loves that side of him and almost NEEDS that side of him and the reader can see that what would otherwise be a toxic relationship is actually quite well balanced by one key theme: COMMUNICATION! These two actually TALK TO EACH OTHER (I know, rare in a romance novel). If they disagree, they talk about it. If they don't like how the other is acting, they talk about it. If they need something from each other, they -you guessed it - talk about it. The miscommunication trope is one of my least favorite tropes in books and I really appreciated that it was not included here.
One thing I always love about Sara Raasch's romance books in particular is the theme of mental health that is explored. You can tell that she puts a lot of care and thought into how these characters are portrayed.
A pretty big focus of this book is Orok's trauma regarding what happened to him and Seb in camp - which is first brought up in Entanglement. I appreciated seeing Orok's point of view about this, and how it affected him and his life. Orok has a lot of trauma from this experience and the author does a great job of showing the anxiety and the codependency issues that arose from this. He is constantly working through these things and goes back to that whole communication thing with how well the couple works through it all together.
The one thing that kept this from being a full 5 star for me is the insta love. It's chapter 1 and they're already obsessed. I love the fake dating trope and was so excited to see that in this, but after only 1 chapter of "fake" dating, the communication I loved bit me in the butt when they both talked about how it's real for them. I needed the tension, the angst and yearning, but I got none of that.
This was SO cute and cozy! A great follow up to Entanglement of Rival Wizards, although I definitely loved that one more. To be fair, I knew it would be hard to live up to it. Seb and Thio own my heart and the glimpses of them that we got in this one were so precious- I loved seeing them all homey and domestic.
The relationship between Alexo and Orok is so sweet and heartwarming. They are head over heels for each other and Sara always does such a great job of showing the chemistry between her characters. I particularly love how healthy and balances the relationship is. Yes, they are both very codependent I think it actually works in this specific case. They both have a lot of trauma and things they are working through, so it makes sense they would rely so heavily on each other. Orok is very obsessive in nature but Alexo loves that side of him and almost NEEDS that side of him and the reader can see that what would otherwise be a toxic relationship is actually quite well balanced by one key theme: COMMUNICATION! These two actually TALK TO EACH OTHER (I know, rare in a romance novel). If they disagree, they talk about it. If they don't like how the other is acting, they talk about it. If they need something from each other, they -you guessed it - talk about it. The miscommunication trope is one of my least favorite tropes in books and I really appreciated that it was not included here.
One thing I always love about Sara Raasch's romance books in particular is the theme of mental health that is explored. You can tell that she puts a lot of care and thought into how these characters are portrayed.
A pretty big focus of this book is Orok's trauma regarding what happened to him and Seb in camp - which is first brought up in Entanglement. I appreciated seeing Orok's point of view about this, and how it affected him and his life. Orok has a lot of trauma from this experience and the author does a great job of showing the anxiety and the codependency issues that arose from this. He is constantly working through these things and goes back to that whole communication thing with how well the couple works through it all together.
The one thing that kept this from being a full 5 star for me is the insta love. It's chapter 1 and they're already obsessed. I love the fake dating trope and was so excited to see that in this, but after only 1 chapter of "fake" dating, the communication I loved bit me in the butt when they both talked about how it's real for them. I needed the tension, the angst and yearning, but I got none of that.
October 28, 2025
In the second installment of Magic and Romance we find Rawball Tank Orok back home in Philadelphia after 4 years away. Coming off of the lawsuit win and finally being traded to his home team Orok finds himself reuniting and celebrating with Seb & Thio at a karaoke bar. However the night takes a sudden turn when Orok makes a heroic rescue- saving a mysterious man from unwanted attention.
When it turns out the man works in the cheerleading department for Orok’s new team a PR plan, funded by the Church of Urzoth, is hatched to help both Orok and the church with better press. The plan? A fake relationship between the two.
I fell in love with Orok in The Entanglement of Rival Wizards, drawn in by his depth and loyalty. Seeing him get his own chance at love was everything I wanted and more.
This was a cleverly crafted tale, rife with magic, humor, and dynamic characters. The plot gripping— bursting with mystery, danger, and emotion.
The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. Orok and Alexo’s chemistry leapt off the page and when it finally ignited it burned white hot. They were hilarious and charming together and when Seb and Thio were added into the mix it was a laugh-out-loud riot.
Though this story was so much more than magic and mayhem. This was a story of freedom. Freedom from fear, from expectations, from self doubt. The religious trauma and PTSD were brought to life in a raw and relatable way. With nuanced and palpable depictions of the mental health struggles often left in their wake, and of what it takes to let go of the things that keep us caged.
In the end we learn that healing isn’t linear. And that with help the bad doesn’t get to poison the good.
What you’ll get:
•Half-Giant/Human
•Defensive Tank/Cheerleader
•”Rawball” DND meets NFL
•PR Fake Relationship
•Size Difference
•Possessive MC
•Mental Health Rep
•Religious Trauma
•PTSD
•Therapy Rep
•Found Family
Thank you netgalley and the publishers for an early copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
When it turns out the man works in the cheerleading department for Orok’s new team a PR plan, funded by the Church of Urzoth, is hatched to help both Orok and the church with better press. The plan? A fake relationship between the two.
I fell in love with Orok in The Entanglement of Rival Wizards, drawn in by his depth and loyalty. Seeing him get his own chance at love was everything I wanted and more.
This was a cleverly crafted tale, rife with magic, humor, and dynamic characters. The plot gripping— bursting with mystery, danger, and emotion.
The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. Orok and Alexo’s chemistry leapt off the page and when it finally ignited it burned white hot. They were hilarious and charming together and when Seb and Thio were added into the mix it was a laugh-out-loud riot.
Though this story was so much more than magic and mayhem. This was a story of freedom. Freedom from fear, from expectations, from self doubt. The religious trauma and PTSD were brought to life in a raw and relatable way. With nuanced and palpable depictions of the mental health struggles often left in their wake, and of what it takes to let go of the things that keep us caged.
In the end we learn that healing isn’t linear. And that with help the bad doesn’t get to poison the good.
What you’ll get:
•Half-Giant/Human
•Defensive Tank/Cheerleader
•”Rawball” DND meets NFL
•PR Fake Relationship
•Size Difference
•Possessive MC
•Mental Health Rep
•Religious Trauma
•PTSD
•Therapy Rep
•Found Family
Thank you netgalley and the publishers for an early copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
January 24, 2026
Rating: 4.5 stars rounded up
Review: Sara absolutely hits it out of the rawball arena again (see what I did there)! I absolutely loved the dynamic between Orok and Alexo. I loved that this book took the small glimpses of this world that we saw in Rival Wizards and expanded upon it. I really hope we get to spend more time in this world, because I adore it. This book made me smile like an idiot, laugh at loud, and even blush a few times. I loved the growth journey that we see Orok go through and (without spoilers) I loved how both Orok and Alexo were each other's strengths in different ways at different times. You definitely don't want to miss this one!
Synopsis: Orok star defensive tank on the Philadelphia Hellhounds rawball team. Half-giant. Patron Urzoth, god of strength . . . only Orok’s tired of being tied to a god known for aggression. So (don’t tell his mother) he’s planning on renouncing Urzoth.
Until the cult of Galaxrien, Urzoth’s sworn enemy, ends up causing a lot of damage through their ill-advised attempts to summon him, and the followers of both deities find themselves blamed for the long-standing feud and its ramifications.
Alexo cheerleading intern with the Hellhounds. Smells like apples, which Orok only knows because he picked Alexo up. Accidentally—Orok publicly saves Alexo from a bar fight, and fans go feral for the muscly pro athlete being protective of the pint size dude-in-distress.
That’s enough to have the Hellhounds and Urzoth’s church both coming to them with a Orok and Alexo will start a PR relationship to put a positive spin on Urzoth. Orok is all set to refuse—and finally separate from Urzoth—when the team offers Alexo a starting spot on the cheerleading squad to play up the star athlete and cheerleader optics. It’s such an obvious dream come true for Alexo that Orok finds himself agreeing to the arrangement like the sap he is.
He can keep living a lie for a bit longer. But Orok starts to wonder if they can drop the fake part of this fake-relationship…
Review: Sara absolutely hits it out of the rawball arena again (see what I did there)! I absolutely loved the dynamic between Orok and Alexo. I loved that this book took the small glimpses of this world that we saw in Rival Wizards and expanded upon it. I really hope we get to spend more time in this world, because I adore it. This book made me smile like an idiot, laugh at loud, and even blush a few times. I loved the growth journey that we see Orok go through and (without spoilers) I loved how both Orok and Alexo were each other's strengths in different ways at different times. You definitely don't want to miss this one!
Synopsis: Orok star defensive tank on the Philadelphia Hellhounds rawball team. Half-giant. Patron Urzoth, god of strength . . . only Orok’s tired of being tied to a god known for aggression. So (don’t tell his mother) he’s planning on renouncing Urzoth.
Until the cult of Galaxrien, Urzoth’s sworn enemy, ends up causing a lot of damage through their ill-advised attempts to summon him, and the followers of both deities find themselves blamed for the long-standing feud and its ramifications.
Alexo cheerleading intern with the Hellhounds. Smells like apples, which Orok only knows because he picked Alexo up. Accidentally—Orok publicly saves Alexo from a bar fight, and fans go feral for the muscly pro athlete being protective of the pint size dude-in-distress.
That’s enough to have the Hellhounds and Urzoth’s church both coming to them with a Orok and Alexo will start a PR relationship to put a positive spin on Urzoth. Orok is all set to refuse—and finally separate from Urzoth—when the team offers Alexo a starting spot on the cheerleading squad to play up the star athlete and cheerleader optics. It’s such an obvious dream come true for Alexo that Orok finds himself agreeing to the arrangement like the sap he is.
He can keep living a lie for a bit longer. But Orok starts to wonder if they can drop the fake part of this fake-relationship…
November 3, 2025
I finished this book in record time and I’ve had to spend several days recovering from it. Like…I’m still replaying the scene in the car over and over in my head and the championship game…like I can’t even talk about it. So, hang on, can we just talk about the fact that Sara Raasch is a creative genius? I can’t say that enough. A portal to another dimension stitched into clothing? Genius! Seriously. I feel so so so lucky to have gotten an advanced copy of this tile because after reading the first one, I literally wasn’t sure how I was going to make it to next year. For those of you waiting…oooo it is SO worth it! I wanted Orok’s story the second we met him in The Entanglement of Rival Wizards. Like a half giant, sportsball playing, I won’t be aggressive…unless I have to, snuggle bear? Stop. Marry me immediately. I was instantly smitten with his relationship with Seb and could only imagine what he’d be like when he found romantic love of his own. And it doesn’t disappoint. And then we meet Alexo and good gracious is he not the sass and beauty of a thousand divas all rolled into one tiny little pink haired package?! I’m as smitten as Orok. Not only is the romance and the heat on point, the fantasy world is captivating and the mystery had me on the edge of my seat. I love that Raasch has us dive right in to the worlds with her without a ton of confusing world building. She’s like okay, you ready? And we’re all just nod and smile but, listen, by the end I was like “oh yeah, I definitely understand rawball. Go Hellhounds *bark bark*”
Pre-order this immediately, and thank me later.
Thank you to Tor Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy!
Pre-order this immediately, and thank me later.
Thank you to Tor Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Let me attempt to write a review that is more than just a garbled “ohmygodnessthisismyfavbookever”.
The cuteness aggression I had over Orok & Alexo was insane (even for me). I just wanted to smush their faces together like “you guys are the cutest”. It’s embarrassing of me, I know. I’d 100% be like a proud family member in the stands, shaking a foam finger for Orok on the Hellhounds as well as waving a pom-pom in the air for Alexo🤣 Do I completely understand Rawball? No, but hey, go team!! WOOOO! (Sara did explain more into the fundamentals of the game, and it feels a bit like a D&D campaign!! I’m not well-versed in D&D, but I was able to pick up what Sara was putting down!!).
Another exciting fact: we had deaf/sign language representation in this book!! 🥳 Marlow’s character is easily one of my favorites in The Fake Divination Offense, and can I *please* get her fancy earring/ring/hearing aid device to hand out to folks so I can also get subtitles on conversations?!? Seriously, I will be the first investor in that startup.
The banter, the theatrics, the romance (😏)…I was stopping almost every page just so I could close my eyes and visualize everything. That’s how amazing of an author Sara is- she does SUCH a great job at the description of every scene, I want to live it out like a TV show in my head. Can we get a TV show of this series? Is that possible? If so, I will *not* be letting certain scenes “fade-to-black.” But can I play Phei- I promise I can play a really good pile of rocks (or coconut tree, wisp of wind…literally whatever form they take, I promise I can play it).
The Fake Divination Offense releases May 19th- go preorder ASAP!!!
The cuteness aggression I had over Orok & Alexo was insane (even for me). I just wanted to smush their faces together like “you guys are the cutest”. It’s embarrassing of me, I know. I’d 100% be like a proud family member in the stands, shaking a foam finger for Orok on the Hellhounds as well as waving a pom-pom in the air for Alexo🤣 Do I completely understand Rawball? No, but hey, go team!! WOOOO! (Sara did explain more into the fundamentals of the game, and it feels a bit like a D&D campaign!! I’m not well-versed in D&D, but I was able to pick up what Sara was putting down!!).
Another exciting fact: we had deaf/sign language representation in this book!! 🥳 Marlow’s character is easily one of my favorites in The Fake Divination Offense, and can I *please* get her fancy earring/ring/hearing aid device to hand out to folks so I can also get subtitles on conversations?!? Seriously, I will be the first investor in that startup.
The banter, the theatrics, the romance (😏)…I was stopping almost every page just so I could close my eyes and visualize everything. That’s how amazing of an author Sara is- she does SUCH a great job at the description of every scene, I want to live it out like a TV show in my head. Can we get a TV show of this series? Is that possible? If so, I will *not* be letting certain scenes “fade-to-black.” But can I play Phei- I promise I can play a really good pile of rocks (or coconut tree, wisp of wind…literally whatever form they take, I promise I can play it).
The Fake Divination Offense releases May 19th- go preorder ASAP!!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and were not affected by the free copy.
Orok, a professional rawball player, is well-known for his patron god of strength and aggression, but he's tired of being seen as too weak for Urzoth. He's ready to renounce him, when he accidentally, and very publically, rescues Alexo from a bar fight, and the church decides they need him to fix their public image with a PR relationship. Almost immediately, Orok knows he wants something more.
To be completely honest, I mostly read this because I wanted more of Seb and Thio, and they truely were still my favorite parts of the book. It was really weird having Orok talk about how he was too toxic and co-dependent of a friend, when it didn't really come across that way in book one; I also know that was kind of the point, Seb got his chance to heal, and this is Orok's.
This book was a little too insta-love for me, and not enough of a plot progression in the romance to save it. However, there were enough adorable moments (usually platonic related) that made this worth reading. And the communication!! It was really nice to see communication to avoid any of the issues we often see in a romance novel. They argued, they talked about it, simple as that. I also really enjoyed the mental health representation.
All in all, this book was cute and I enjoyed it. I don't know if I'll read this one again, but I'll continue reading everything this author publishes.
Orok, a professional rawball player, is well-known for his patron god of strength and aggression, but he's tired of being seen as too weak for Urzoth. He's ready to renounce him, when he accidentally, and very publically, rescues Alexo from a bar fight, and the church decides they need him to fix their public image with a PR relationship. Almost immediately, Orok knows he wants something more.
To be completely honest, I mostly read this because I wanted more of Seb and Thio, and they truely were still my favorite parts of the book. It was really weird having Orok talk about how he was too toxic and co-dependent of a friend, when it didn't really come across that way in book one; I also know that was kind of the point, Seb got his chance to heal, and this is Orok's.
This book was a little too insta-love for me, and not enough of a plot progression in the romance to save it. However, there were enough adorable moments (usually platonic related) that made this worth reading. And the communication!! It was really nice to see communication to avoid any of the issues we often see in a romance novel. They argued, they talked about it, simple as that. I also really enjoyed the mental health representation.
All in all, this book was cute and I enjoyed it. I don't know if I'll read this one again, but I'll continue reading everything this author publishes.
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