Right away the magic system drew me in, it was well down and unique, I liked the romance but it felt like there was more to be desired, I'm really hoping we see more of them in another book or novella, it was tied up nicely, but still open enough for more if that is a future possibility.

So, I was given a chance to review The Wizard and the Welshman by Laura Rayndrop, and I have many thoughts.
The book is the story of Hal Hawthorne, a detective in London who is investigating the death of a woman and is drawn into a world of magical creatures and spells. He partners with a mysterious mage and quickly develops feelings for the young man that could lead to his downfall in Victorian society.
The book is rough and uneven. It wants to be both a mystical retelling of Jack the Ripper while also having the whimsy of a Harry Potter novel. I was never much of a fan of Harry Potter, even before J.K. Rowling's turn, and the change of theme as they move between the gritty streets of London and the magical places was a little jarring. The romance also comes on very quickly, and there is not much original to be had. The book very much feels like a first-time author writing a bunch of stuff they liked in other novels.
All that being said I ended up enjoying the book more than I thought I would at the beginning. There were a few moments of interesting world building, and I grew to like the characters. I would be interested in to see where the author takes the series from here and hope she can grow in craft and originally.
If you are a fan of m/m paranormal romance and are willing to give some time for a book to woo you over this is not a bad choice.

3.5 Stars Rounded Up. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing an advanced digital copy.

The world of The Wizard and the Welshman was enchanting and immersive, pulling me in with its rich magic system and intriguing mystery. I loved how the setting felt alive, filled with wonder and suspense. However, the romance aspect left me wanting more. The relationship between the characters felt rushed, almost like insta-love, with little time to explore deeper emotional connections. With so much action happening throughout the book, there wasn’t enough space to develop the characters’ personalities or allow them to truly bond. While I enjoyed the excitement and magical elements, I wished there had been more balance with slower, more intimate moments to flesh out the characters and their relationships.

I wanted to like this. It had all the elements I like. Most of the elements in this book in other books are five star reads.
Unfortunately for this one I couldn't care less for either character. And it made it hard to read.

The Wizard and the Welshman is THAT girl of a book. Loved every single second of it. I rated it 5 stars because it really is that good. I recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good.

This sounded like an intriguing story, but the writing at the beginning was so mechanical. I didn't have a reason to root for Hal at all, so it made it hard to keep going. I'm afraid it's a DNF for me. I was also a little concerned that this book was listed last year under a different author name, so I'm not sure what's up with that.

Donoghue is nuts but I love it and him it was a great read I couldn’t put it down and the writing in this book is amazing I would recommend it to anyone that haven’t read it loved it 4.5 stars