A Game of Cat and Witch

by Ruby Rune

Avery Alarch has always been the worst witch at Caerwyn University. Now she’s got twenty-four hours to conjure a familiar or get kicked out for good—a fate that means losing her magic forever and being stuck on a dreary island with nothing but regrets.

Desperate times call for desperate spells. So when Avery stumbles on a forbidden grimoire, she decides to risk it all. One little summoning later, she’s expecting a cute magical cat. Instead? She gets Felix, a six-foot-six cat shifter with a bad attitude and a knack for trouble. He’s her mortal enemy, magically bound to her by an illegal spell, and very much not purring.

He wants her dead. She wants him gone. Neither of them gets a choice.

The only way out? Solve a string of enchanted riddles before their magical link destroys them both. Of course, that’s easier said than done when Felix keeps tying Avery up in shadows, and their bickering is starting to feel a little less hostile and a lot more heated.

As they unravel puzzles and secrets, Avery and Felix find themselves at the heart of a conspiracy that could upend the supernatural world. And despite every rule and reason, sparks are flying in all the wrong (or right?) ways.

Get ready for claws, curses, and cat-astrophic chemistry in A Game of Cat and Witch, the first laugh-out-loud installment in the Monstrous Shifters series.

Perfect for fans of My Funny Demon Valentine and Assistant to the Villain, Ruby Rune’s debut is a magical, banter-filled paranormal rom-com you won’t want to miss.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Dark Academia, Enemies To Lovers, Paranormal, Dark Romance

414 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 10, 2026

Reviews

[morgan ۶ৎ]

⸺ 𑣲⋆˚࿔ preread

i’m very lucky to have received an arc from the author, i saw this book on tiktok and am OBSESSED + the cover is so cute! (mmc is a cat shifter btw) 😛😛😛

[veerali · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you ruby rune for the eARC—all thoughts are my own!
✦ publication date: may 10, 2026

A+ 10/10 WOULD BANG FELIX

i cannot believe that this is a debut! i've been so intrigued about this book after i saw the tropes and everything i had to sign up for an arc and i'm so happy to have received an arc of this.

avery is the worst student at her magic school. if she doesn’t find a familiar (a magical animal partner) in 24 hours, she will be kicked out and lose her magic forever. desperate, avery tries a forbidden spell to summon one. she hopes for a cute cat, but instead, she gets felix. felix is a giant, grumpy man who can turn into a cat. to make things worse, he is avery’s biggest mortal enemy. because of the illegal spell, they are now magically stuck together. felix hates avery and wants to get rid of her, but he can’t leave her side. if they want to break the bond, they must solve a series of magical riddles. as they work together to solve the puzzles, they discover a dangerous secret that could destroy the whole magical world. while they are busy arguing, they realize their feelings are starting to change from hate to something much more intense.

i absolutely loved this book! the writing is simple, funny, and very easy to follow. right from the start, i was hooked by the mystery elements. the setting and the pace were perfect, and i truly enjoyed every page.

my favorite part was definitely the dark academia vibe and the banter between avery and felix. i couldn't stop laughing. at first, i wasn't sure if the whole cat shifter idea would work for me, but i ended up loving it. avery is such a great character, i love how determined she is to prove herself. felix on the other hand is completely whipped. it was so sweet to see that he would do absolutely anything for her.

ps. felix is a shadow daddy/cat shifter and can turn this shadow into peens.

⤿ forced proximity
⤿ just one dorm/bed
⤿ enemies to lovers
⤿ touch her and d!e
⤿ dark academia
⤿ witch x cat shifter
⤿ fated mates
⤿ black cat mmc
⤿ underlying mystery plot

[ℛℰ]

Mystery plot in academic settings and he is a literal black cat shifter and they are fated mates ?!!!!!

[Ruby Rune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty good I guess but idk I’m just the author

[joni ౨ৎ - hiatus · Rating 5 out of 5]

𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── 4.85 stars

delicious. yummy. so good.

like if ur a fan of mates, witches, paranormal stuff... (a cat shifter 🙈) u need to read this!!!! SO good and like i cannot believe this is ruby's debut?!!


𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read

release date - may 10th 2026

i am sosoososo excited to read this!!!! after seeing this on booksta like 2 months ago i knew i needed to read it! the cover is GORGEOUS and all the tropes sound so delicious 🤭

✧˖°🐈‍⬛ ⋆｡˚꩜ 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀
⤷ he's a literal black cat
⤷ witch x shifter
⤷ touch her and die
⤷ only one dorm/bed
⤷ fated mates
⤷ enemies to lovers


thank u ruby for the digital arc!

[H. P.]

Who’s here from the trend??? 👀🤭

[charisse ♡]

preread: soo he's a cat shifter

[Janessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby’s debut novel had me sweating, giggling, and kicking my feet. From the first page I was enthralled. 🐈‍⬛❤️‍🔥

If you know me you know, I love paranormal stories but if you add in romance, I’m done for!

We’re pulled into Caewryn University, an urban fantasy, dark academia setting, where witches bond with familiars (furry sidekicks) and exist away from shifter and humans.

Avery needs to conjure up a familiar pronto before she gets expelled.

Only problem? She bonded with a Shifter. Shifters are witches mortal enemies.

She wants him gone. He wants her dead.

Avery- your unorthodox witch, self deprecating, but loves deeply, and only wants to make her family proud. Her humor fed my soul, it’s dark, dry and unhinge, I felt seen 😝.

Felix- BIG black cat MMC energy, but also literally a black shifting cat. He’s so broody, possessive and pushing her buttons for his amusement. He hates touch but can’t stay away from Avery.

Honorable mention: dust bunnies 🐰

I enjoyed every sarcastic comment, unhinged moment, banter, mindless flirting from Felix, and extreme tension.

The spice? Babe you’re going to need some water. It delves into primal play, biting kinks, chasing, & shadows (mhm do what you will with that context), etc.

The plot twist? I did not see coming at all. But their story wrapped up so sweetly & their character development was amazing!

For those who are seeking paranormal romcom but make it DARK (have you questioning your morals), unlimited cat puns, meddling goddess, underlying mystery plot, enemies to lovers, and good o’ spicy time, you need this.

A Game of Cat & Witch is a standalone with an overarching plot, yes it’s confirmed. It’s an interconnected standalone series; you will want hold on tight kitties, there’s more to this world! 😈

I had the absolute greatest pleasure to read this as an ARC. Thank you Ruby!! ♥️

[Noi (in & out)]

say less

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you think of the word fun and put it together next to the word book, you get ‘A Game of Cat & Witch’.

This was the most fun I’ve had reading a book. Ruby did such a phenomenal job with creating these characters, I truly loved them from the minute they stepped onto the page. The plot is absolutely chaotic (which we encourage) and Felix & Avery are just as insane as you would think. Their banter was absolute goals (and lowkey I need me a shifter bad). Felix was SO hot and honestly, Avery was just as hot. Those two freaks are a match made in heaven. I have never laughed as much as I did while reading this book.

I stayed up till late each night because I truly could not find it within myself to put this books down. I was having such a great time, so much so that I felt a pang of sadness in my heart when I realized I only had a couple of chapters left. And with the way that it ended, I cannot wait to see how the next book unfolds with a certain witch and some dragon shifter(s).

Thank you so much to Ruby Rune for giving me the chance to read this book early!

[౨ৎ e L L i e · Rating 5 out of 5]

[5⭐️]

one thing i absolutely love about being in the bookish community is finding new books to obsess over and new authors to discover!! because omg this book exceeded all of my expectations. a debut novel as well!! right off the bat the first chapter had me intrigued and i feel like that’s never an easy task. the banter in this book between avery and felix was top tier. if there’s one thing you need to know about me, it’s that i’m a sucker for some sarcastic humour. it’ll get me every damn time. now felix… wooo what a character!! he has some very interesting…body parts, let’s just put it that way. which yes, did persuade me to preorder the book that comes with some nsfw artwork of it 👀🫣 the amazing main characters and even side characters aside, the plot itself kept me on my toes enough to keep me interested throughout the whole book. there’s so many moments that you don’t see coming that has you wanting to read more and more!! plus the ending, omg!! i feel like i could genuinely go on and on about this book until you’re sick of hearing from me 😭 i urge everyone to check this book out, but of course make sure to check the tws first always as this does have dark themes included 🫶🏻

[Liz 🪽✨ S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby Rune smashed her debut with A Game of Cat and Witch!!

It was so fun, hot, full of tension, so much banter I was actually laughing out loud and the perfect amount of conflict to keep the story engaging that I genuinely finished this in 24 hours.

Avery, a witch at Caewryn University is the last of her class and what feels like the last witch in the world to summon a familiar. In a last ditch effort before she is shunned for good, she tries again…and it does not go according to plan.

Incomes Felix, the furthest thing from a familiar and summoned by the one thing he hates the most- witches. Felix is shifter and a very funny, sarcastic and hot one at that (major black cat energy obvi).

Honestly a cat shifter romance was not my first choice of shifter preferences but when the real monster inside came out to play, I was SAT.

If you are in the market for a good pick it up and read it in one sitting paranormal rom com (plus there are dust bunnies with personalities), PLEASE read this!!

4.5 stars!!

Thank you so much to the author for this ARC!!

[Carly K · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️
If you’re looking for a fun, darker, lusty romcom styled shifter/monster story, I think this could be up your alley!

The cheeky commentary, both internally for Felix and Avery as well as to one another, genuinely made me chuckle quite a few times. At times it was cheesy but also worked well? Kinda reminded me of ‘The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy’ a little with the adult humor. The fanfiction scene with Maya also cracked me up because that’s such a real friendship convo haha.

The plot was interesting and had so much more potential, but I felt like it got lost in the sauce of shadow freakiness? Like when the characters would be on to something/cracking open a mystery it would always divulge in to lust and I’d find myself wishing that it came AFTER if that makes sense? But I also know that this was supposed to be an unhinged freaky paranormal romance, so I guess it delivered in that sense.


Thank you to the author for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review 🖤

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious , sexy and a bit unhinged , Ruby Rune’s debut novel is a total success! This is definitely my type of book, borderline monster romance - we have a MMC who’s a cat shifter and a FMC who’s a witch that needs to summon an animal familiar or she’s basically going to be a failure and get kicked out of her University. Well going against the rules she dabbles in some blood magic and ends up with a SHIFTER MANNNN who’s hot af!!! There’s a mystery we’re trying to uncover and we learn a lot about the world and magic system along the way. I was laughing out loud multiple times and couldn’t put this down !! This was a fun time and I couldn’t be more honored to have been chosen as an ARC reader🥹🥹 Guys go read this!!!

[Breezy · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank you Ruby for the honor of letting me beta read this stunning novel (her debut may i add!!)
this book is honestly one of the easiest books to start, you’re being pulled in within the first paragraph and it’s SO hard to stop. Avery is the perfect amount of self deprecation but in a relatable way if that makes sense.
her sense of humor is amazing and her inner monologue was easily one of my favorite things about her.
felix, our shifter black cat, is honestly so precious and sarcastic and grumpy and he is so incredibly sweet and precious to avery. he wants nothing more than her to be okay.
the relationship in this book isn’t like most romance novels i’ve read, there is some heavy banter but they’re not insta into each other. i mean it’s an accident!
girl now listen, there are some side characters in this book that will SEEEEND you omfg. i’m still dying over that damn horny tree.
i will forever be so thankful to be apart of Ruby’s team and the beta team was a dream to work with. you’re all just as stunning.
there is so much emotion and fun and yearning and spice in this book and im going to be thinking about her for years to come and i can not wait for book 2 omg

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first 6⭐️ book of the year and let me tell you, Ruby really cooked with this!

Initial thoughts, BARK, BARK, BARK or should I say MEEEOOOOWWW! I got to beta read this book and let me set one thing straight, it is worth the hype!

The humor in this book was top tier. The MCs Avery and Felix meshed so well together. Their banter had me flying through the pages hungry for more! I loved that both of them were very sarcastic. I think sarcasm is its own perfect love language.

The pacing of this book was absolutely perfect. I never felt like a scene went on forever or that I didn’t get enough of. (maybe the spicy scenes but that’s just me being greedy hehe)

The side characters, special the goddess? A++. Her mom? F- but written incredibly well. (Read the book to understand, you won’t regret it)

If you are looking for a literal black cat, shifter x witch, touch her and 💀romance, where the spicy is 🥵, and the plot is plotting, please read this (I’m not begging you but I will).

Thank you Ruby for trusting me to beta read for you and congratulations on your debut novel. If all your books are like this one, we have a real treat in store for us.

[Gia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me-ow. Here kitty kitty.

But seriously this book was scrumptious. Thank you Ruby for the Arc and for letting me experience the whirlwind of a romance that is Felix and Avery. A witch and a shifter? What more could you ask for.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Booktok brainrot at its finest. So many tropes I couldn’t breathe. Witch x Shifter romance with seriously unhinged smut.

Look, I knew what I was going in for, so how can I be disappointed? It was never gonna change my life and I have to rate it based on the kind of book it is.

Is it unhinged? Yes.
Is it tropey? Yes.
Is it entertaining? Fuck yes.

Unfortunately I’m gonna say it lost a star for plot - not because the plot wasn’t there, but because I actually feel it was but it wasn’t explored as much as it could have been. Another star for the nipple piercing (iykyk).

Read for barbed 🐓 and shadows going in every hole.

3 🌟

[Sasha | omgitssmk · Rating 5 out of 5]

7 Candles? Check.
7 Animal Bones? Check.
7 Sticks of Sage? Check.
7 Wolf’s Milk Flowers? Check.
1 Matchstick Box? Check.

I open the box of matches and strike, the glowing ember lighting all my objects spread out before me in the safety of my backyard. I look around making sure no one is nearby, especially my “nosey” neighbor Jim who seems to want to come outside every damn time I decide to surface. I glare just a little bit longer at his backroom window just a few seconds more to make sure he’s not peeking out of his shade that just so happened to shift slightly to the left.

Satisfied, I light each candle, smelling the various fragrances of each one; as they were the only ones I could find on such short notice. A shifter wouldn’t mind a little Cinnamon Sugared Donut and Ice Lemon Pound Cake, right? Then again, my Animal Bones are left over chicken wing bones from our corporate lunch this week and the Wolf’s Milk Flowers were ordered off Amazon which we know could or could not be the real deal. The Sticks of Sage are legit though; so that’s something.

I take a deep breath and swipe the knife over my arm, letting the blood flow on top of the items before me – let’s hope that Felix has a brother because I’m ready to deem 2026 as my Shifter Romance Summer.

Let me start by saying IYKYK because after I read A Game Of Cat And Witch by Ruby Rune, which was AMAZINGLY gifted to me as an ARC from the author, I couldn’t think of anything other than trying to figure out how to summon my own Felix because I am I-N-L-O-V-E with this 6 STAR READ that I cannot think of anything else but immediately pour my heart out and beg everyone to PRE ORDER or schedule to pick up this book when it comes out on MAY 10, 2026.

Let me start off by giving you a list of tropes to get you started….

🐈‍⬛ Witch x Shifter Romance
🐈‍⬛ Forced Proximity
🐈‍⬛ Enemies To Lovers
🐈‍⬛ Touch Her And Die
🐈‍⬛ Just One Bed
🐈‍⬛ Fated Mates
🐈‍⬛ Black Cat & Jealous MMC
🐈‍⬛ Feisty Backtalking FMC
🐈‍⬛ Mystery Plot
🐈‍⬛ Spicy Banter x Spicy Scenes

Still not convinced?
Alright then…let me try setting the stage for you….
(And yes, I am DEFINITELY giving you the side eye right now by the tropes alone not convincing you that you need to read this. But don’t worry, the premise of this book surely will get you foaming at the mouth.)

The book starts off very similar to my own adventure above where our FMC Avery is attempting to (illegally) summon a familiar, which is her only ticket to staying at Caerwyn University, else she will be deemed unworthy to graduate the academy and live out her life magicless and exiled on the suffocating island she so desperately wants to part from. While we aren’t going to focus on the little “illegal” situation, Avery needs all the help she can get because if she doesn’t summon her own familiar in less than 24 Hours, being magicless and exiled is going to be a reality and this is something that Avery and her Chicken Nugget loving heart can’t bear to think about.

Surprisingly, the summoning actually works, and Avery finds herself face to face with a cute black kitten that she names “Lucky”, for the luck that he’s bringing her for allowing her to stay at Caerwyn and live out her dreams of becoming a Healer outside of her home. However, Avery soon finds that that she didn’t actually summon a familiar…rather, the cat before her is our MMC, Felix, who is a 6ft 6in Cat Shifter that was just pulled away from his home in London who now she has bonded to from her summoning in the woods.

Felix, outraged, immediately deems Avery as his mortal enemy and starts to frantically look for a way to break the bond and get back to his den with his family & friends. When he demands for Avery to break the bond, he surprisingly finds out that Avery has no idea how to break it and his frustration level has now hit through the roof; albeit with his ego a little bruised that an “unworthy little witch” was able to tie a bond to him, a powerful and dangerous shifter.

Avery, stuck in a hard place, strikes a deal with Felix and promises that she will work to figure out a way to break the bond, as long as Felix stays as her “pretend” familiar so that she can graduate Carewyn University. Agreement is made and the two set out to figure out how to break the bond and keep everyone from staring too long at her familiar which just so happens to be a little bit different than the rest of her classmate’s pets.

As time goes by, Felix and Avery find that their bickering and banter are starting to subdue, and the time spent together starts to feel like something more simmering below the surface. In fact, it’s not only their burning chemistry that is causing the heat in the air, the puzzles and secrets tied to their bond are also heating up as there is a reason these two individuals have come together and why the bond was able to be made. In fact, now that Avery thinks about it, those little dust bunnies WERE the ones to bring her to that grimoire to allow her to figure out how to summon the shifter to begin with.

Okay, you have GOT To be running to pull your credit card out now, right?!?
Trust me, you can thank me later. Because this book is going to be SO worth it and a guaranteed FIVE STAR READ when it gets in your hands.

When thinking about what I loved most about this book, I really enjoyed the banter and views that you get from both sides. This Dual POV really helps in bringing humor to the situation both Felix and Avery are in, and I love being able to see the situations & inner monologue in light of both MCs. The burning tension between them both is DELICIOUS and, as I mentioned previously, have found myself wanting to summon a Felix of my own. In addition, this book brings a really intriguing mystery and plot storyline as well which grabs you even at the beginning of the story through the very end – so much so that it keeps you on your toes trying to unravel the puzzles and mystery of the bond, as well as the fate of what’s going on between the conflict of Witches and Shifters.

If you are someone looking to find a new read that will not only get you out of a reading slump, but also make it’s way to one of your top reads of 2026 this year, I definitely recommend picking up A Game Of Cat and Witch when it comes out on MAY 10, 2026. It was a fun and spicy ride & cannot wait to see what more this author has to offer!

[Ali (Taylor’s version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You are still staring"
"I am a man of my word. Why would I look away when my whole world is in front of me?"

A game of cat and witch es mezcla puurrrfecta de fantasía, dark romance, vibes de academia gótica y un pelííín de misterio. Y sí, es un poquito de misterio, porque aunque realmente todo comience por *algo* que tienen que acabar resolviendo los dos protas (Avery y Felix) juntos, el hilo de trama prinicpal es el romance.

Y hablando de los personajes principales:
Avery. Avery es la FMC del libro, caótica, deprimida y muyyy gen z. Y esto lo recalco, porque nunca pensé que en un libro llegaría a leer un: "And he had tattoos. Smash"
Que razón no le falta jaja, pero eso.
En general es un personaje que me ha gustado bastante! Es una girl's girl, muy relatable tanto en su vida personal como en cómo se siente frente al mundo y lo que le sucede. Y bueno... un meme andante, ya de paso.
Ah bueno, y ya he dicho que es una bruja (sin familiar) y por lo cual recurre a magia oscura para tener uno porque no quiere estar deprimida, amargada Y viviendo debajo de un puente porque no la quieren en su universidad? AH NO? pues mira

Y Felix es... Felix. Muy sassy, muy icónico y una girl's girl también, ya de paso.
Me he reído mucho leyéndolo y ha estado bien:)
En general trae esa vibe caótica de personaje secundario gracioso, but let's make him the MC just for the sake of it sabes?
Felix no aguantaría ser personaje secundario, necesita ser la estrella. La estrella y representante de los shifters... porque él y Avery deberían odiarse a muerte... aunque Avery acabe de hacer un lazo de familiar-bruja entre ellos y ahora pues... Felix se tiene que hacer pasar por un gato (su forma animal tho) para que no lo aniquilen en espacio enemigo (yay!)

"If I had never met you, I would have lived every life searching for you.
Thank you for putting me out of my eternal misery."

La trama en general es bastante simple y predecible ya que se basa realmente en el romance... y a ver, es un "enemies" to lovers, así que aquí no podemos engañar a nadie.
Y recalco enemies entre "" porque enemies eeeneemiessss tampoco es que sean.
No he visto mucho odio propio en el ambiente (aunque sí tensión y odio generacional quizás...) pero para mi Avery y Felix no se comportan como enemigos reales. (aunque lo sean)
Yo creo que la razón principal por la que no veo esto es que realmente Avery y Felix tienen que llegar a un acuerdo de manera rápida (o muerte muerte y vivir bajo de un puente) así que no hay una clara distinción entre lo que es antes del pacto o después.
Además, Felix, con lo sassy que es ha hecho que sea bastante easy peasy lemon squeezy el estar juntos y que sea viable.
En general, que me han gustado como personajes, pero su relación, el cómo se conocen,... me parece bastante apresurado. Es que para reflexionar que el libro realmente sucede en DOS SEMANAS.
Y esas dos semanas pasan de enemigos "mortales" a mates... permiteme dudarlo.

"Is he dead?"
"As a dodo. Dodo's deserved far better than him, though"

Además, el misterio (aunque ya he dicho que es más secundario) me parece que es demasiado fácil. Dentro de todo lo malo que les pasa a diario a ambos personajes, y ahora me estás diciendo que son capaces de descubrir una red que llevan escondiendo las brujas durante años? . Sin ayuda, sin problemas adicionales... solo por amor?
I mean, pintadme sorprendida jaja
Al final me parece que todo lo que sucede acaba siendo demasiado conveniente, lo que lleva a que pueda ser... aburrido?

pero bueno, insertemos aquí canción de Avril Lavigne porque en verdad la dupla galáctica sí que es icónica lmao

He was a shifter
She was a witch
Can I make it any more obvious?

En fin, que si queréis leer algo fácil, divertidillo y para pasar el rato, este es vuestro libro!
Ruby realmente ha hecho un buen trabajo y creo que el segundo libro va a ser incluso MEJOR que este <333

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a debut for Ruby Rune!! I’m obsessed with this book and how fast-paced and full of tension it is! I had high expectations for this one, and it totally met them.

Ruby’s writing is never boring and keeps the reader glued to the pages, and the tension between Avery and Felix is pure fire.

Avery Alarch has always been the worst witch at Caerwyn University, and now she has twenty-four hours to conjure a familiar, or she’ll lose her magic forever. Desperate, she turns to a forbidden spell, expecting a cute magical cat.

Instead, she gets Felix.

A six-foot-six cat shifter with a terrible attitude, a talent for trouble, and most importantly, the small detail that witches and shifters are mortal enemies. Now they are magically bound.
He wants her dead.
She wants him gone.

The only way out now is to solve a series of magical riddles before their bond destroys them both. But that’s easier said than done when Felix keeps messing with her, and their constant bickering starts to feel a lot less like hate… and a lot more like something else.

Between secrets and hidden truths, Avery and Felix find themselves at the heart of a conspiracy that could upend the supernatural world.

And most dangerously… cough forbidden feelings.

I devoured this book in a few days, and I’m so glad I had the chance to read it in advance. It’s really hard to choose a favorite scene, but the cave scene is probably one of the best!!

You NEED to read A Game of Cat and Witch!!! He’s a shifter and a shadow daddy!! Do I need to say more? 🔥

I really wanted to slap Avery’s mother, she’s truly awful. And I’m really intrigued to see how this story will continue.

Thank you, Ruby, for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. 🥹❤️‍🔥

🇮🇹:

Che debutto per Ruby Rune!! Sono ossessionata da questo libro e da quanto sia scorrevole e pieno di tensione! Avevo aspettative altissime e le ha completamente soddisfatte.

La scrittura di Ruby non è mai noiosa e tiene il lettore incollato alle pagine, e la tensione tra Avery e Felix è puro🔥.

Avery Alarch è sempre stata la strega “peggiore” alla Caerwyn University, e ora ha ventiquattro ore per evocare un famiglio, oppure perderà la sua magia per sempre. Disperata, si affida a un incantesimo proibito, aspettandosi un dolce gattino magico.

Invece, ottiene Felix.

Un mutaforma gatto alto quasi due metri, con un pessimo carattere, un talento per i guai e soprattutto, un piccolo dettaglio é che le streghe e i mutaforma sono nemici mortali. Ora sono legati magicamente.
Lui la vuole morta.
Lei lo vuole fuori dalla sua vita.

L’unico modo per uscirne è risolvere una serie di enigmi magici prima che il loro legame distrugga entrambi. Ma è più facile a dirsi che a farsi quando Felix continua a farla andare fuori di testa e i loro continui battibecchi iniziano a sembrare sempre meno pieni d’odio…

Tra segreti e verità nascoste, Avery e Felix si ritrovano al centro di una cospirazione che potrebbe sconvolgere il mondo soprannaturale.
E, cosa ancora più pericolosa… sentimenti proibiti.

Ho divorato questo libro in pochi giorni e sono davvero felice di aver avuto la possibilità di leggerlo in anteprima. È difficilissimo scegliere una scena preferita, ma probabilmente quella nella caverna è una delle migliori!!

DOVETE assolutamente leggere A Game of Cat and Witch!!! Lui è un mutaforma… e uno shadow daddy!! Devo aggiungere altro? 🔥

Avrei davvero voluto prendere a sprangate sui denti la madre di Avery.
Sono super curiosa di vedere come continuerà questa storia.

Grazie Ruby per la copia ARC in cambio di una recensione onesta. 🥹❤️‍🔥

[Christina ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

A Game of Cat and Witch follows Avery, a magicless witch who is about to get expelled from her university if she does not conjure up a familiar in 24hrs. Just like her aunt, Avery does not have magical abilities that will allow her to easily conjure up a familiar. Worried about meeting the same fate as her aunt, Avery decided to do forbidden blood magic in order to get her own familiar. Her luck finally turns when she eventually summons a cute cat she called Lucky. But then her luck runs out when she learns that she bonded herself to a cat shifter named Felix. Shifters and witches have been enemies for so long, so the two get off to a rocky start. Felix agrees to pose as Avery’s familiar while researching how to break this bond. They get on each other’s nerves but they start to care about one another and start to see that they were fed lies about the each other’s species, which leads them to uncover a conspiracy that can shift the balance of their world.

This was such a fun and enjoyable fantasy book! I loved that we get the POVs of both Avery and Felix. You can truly feel the tension between both of them as they navigate being in each other’s lives and trying to resistant their attraction to each other. I feel for Avery especially being in a family who despises her for no reason. Her mom is insufferable and still does not care for her even though she finally conjured up her own familiar. I am hoping the author dives into more of the history of what happened between the shifters and the witches in the next book. It looks like the next book will have Wren’s POV, which I am so excited for because I need her to redeem herself. Overall, it was such a fun fantasy with great world building and a magic system but was not too dense or difficult to follow along. Thank you so much to the author Ruby Rune and Tales & Teacup for the arc of A Game of Cat and Witch ✨



Christinas.Chapter
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[Kassyreadsalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: A Game Of Cat And Witch

Author: Ruby Rune

Synopsis: Avery Alarch has always been the worst witch at Caerwyn University. Now she’s got twenty-four hours to conjure a familiar or get kicked out for good—a fate that means losing her magic forever and being stuck on a dreary island with nothing but regrets.

Desperate times call for desperate spells. So when Avery stumbles on a forbidden grimoire, she decides to risk it all. One little summoning later, she’s expecting a cute magical cat. Instead? She gets Felix, a six-foot-six cat shifter with a bad attitude and a knack for trouble. He’s her mortal enemy, magically bound to her by an illegal spell, and very much not purring.

He wants her dead. She wants him gone. Neither of them gets a choice.

The only way out? Solve a string of enchanted riddles before their magical link destroys them both. Of course, that’s easier said than done when Felix keeps tying Avery up in shadows, and their bickering is starting to feel a little less hostile and a lot more heated.

As they unravel puzzles and secrets, Avery and Felix find themselves at the heart of a conspiracy that could upend the supernatural world. And despite every rule and reason, sparks are flying in all the wrong (or right?) ways.

Review: This was so much fun and I loved every minute of this spicy book! The romance and chemistry was perfect! I still have some questions about things but I don’t want to write what it is because it would spoil major plot points! I don’t want to put this book down and I felt so invested! I am sad Avery and Felix’s story is over but I am excited for the next book set on a different character!

Thank you to the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance and I pray I can get an arc of book 2!

[Francisca Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of advanced copy received from author.

What can I say about this book? COMPLETELY OBSESSED!!!!

I loved our main characters- who knew that our cat Felix would really have that black cat energy?

And this is just the beginning! We have Avery, a character who made me feel very welcomed. She is portrayed as overlooked, critical, sentimental, funny, and sarcastic- someone you can connect with from the start. As for Felix... omg, what a character. From the very beginning, I keep waiting for something to happen because the sexual tension>>>>> you could feelit from a mile away!

And the smut people??? I was already familiar with knotting, but the way Ruby expanded on it using cat anatomy?? This definitely heated things up 🔥Especially chapter 31...

I was so happy to be chosen as an arc reader after months of being sprinkled with this book on social media. Ruby, this is a work of art. The fact that it's your first book left me speechless because this is honestly so good! From the moment I started reading, I couldn't stop. ❤️‍🩹

[India Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review
🌟 4 stars 🌟

I had so much fun with this book! It was fun, flirty and everything you could ask for as a debut novel. Witch and shifter, fated mates- what more could you want. And let’s be so real Avery is honestly the most relatable character!

Favourite quote:
“You are still staring.” She smiled sleepily. “I am a man of my word,” he said. “Why would I look away when my whole world is in front of me?”
Like are you kidding me 🙃 I’m so in love with Felix

I do wish we got to delve deeper about how magic works in this universe and more into the plotline about the university but with book two I’m sure this will be explored further.
Book 2 is definitely going to be on my TBR!

Thank you so much Ruby for sending an ebook ARC <3

[Chloe Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

you know what this was fun

there was lots of funny scenes… some you could tell where the moment was leading to but it was still fun to read… like we knew what was happening in that bath right 🤨

these two wanted each other so bad.. the lust was HEAVY for these ones 🥵 their teasing and little jokes were actually quite funny tho which I enjoyed

think I kinda missed the main moment when the shift went from “oh this bond is making me want to sleep with her” to “this bond makes me want to protect her” but I did enjoy their relationship

I do like to make my own relationship timelines in my head so I HATE when it is mentioned and I have to acknowledge that it’s only been “2 weeks” or whatever timeframe 😒

their main plot with riddles and such was fun but I am even more exciting for the much bigger plot that was just starting to buildup and will be expanded much more in the next book (can’t WAIT for that character redemption arc)

you know if you like a shifter/monster romance I think this is a fun little read and I’m excited to see where the story goes in future books

[Amanda Hopwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy for my honest review

I THOUGHT this was gonna be cute witch vibes and instead I got 🐈‍⬛🔥ENEMIES TO LOVERS WITH A PSYCHO CAT MAN🔥🐈‍⬛

she accidentally binds herself to her literal HATER???he wants her gone but also won’t let anyone touch her??? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE

the tension??? UNWELLthe banter??? UNHINGEDthe spice??? 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ I WAS NOT PREPARED

it’s giving:✨ one bed✨ forced proximity✨ “I hate you” proceeds to not leave her side

I was giggling, kicking my feet, and slightly concerned for my sanity

[chapterswith_c · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 RTC

[BookishVibesClub · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, the art sold me on this book. I could not resist reading it. The exciting and fast paced writing made this dark and witchy romance hard to put the book down. It’s fun and a little unhinged 🤭 This is written with spicy tension at the center of the plot. You get a witch struggling to succeed in magic school, disappointing her family. And a black cat shifter she accidentally summons as a familiar. The personality of the black cat shifter is a lot of fun and brings all the spicy banter. He has a spicy mouth and all the black cat personality. The FMC is kind and has not been treated well by the people around her, so I was cheering this shifter on as he grew protective over her.

💜 Witch FMC
💜 Black Cat Shifter MMC
💜 He’s a shadow wielder
💜 Academy
💜 Familiar
💜 Hate to Lovers
💜 Magic and Spells
💜 Meddling Dust Bunnies
💜 Lusty Tension
💜 Caretaking
💜 Fated Mates/Bond feels
💜 One Bed
💜 Good Girl
💜 Medium Burn Spicy


Check TWs as this has some dark romance elements

4.5 🌶️ Spicy Open Door
{due to the open door thoughts throughout, this is not a good candidate for skip chapters}

Lots of language: F, GD

[Nash Loves Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to read this SOOOOO BADLY. I know this is gonna be a very funny (and spicyyyy) read. Can't wait!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the ARC!! An awesome first read of the year. an honest review

Avery: how i loved her. shes so sassy and a boss and at the same time, shes so soft. her character growth was insane and fun to see. i loved it

Felix: BARBED. okay, but i LOVED the subtle changes of his behaviour towards his little witch. and like her, hes sassy and an itty bitty kitty, a pussy that was pussy-whipped.

im not good at writing reviews but I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT and finished it in three days.
here are some lines that i liked (there should be more but i forgot to take screenshots of them):

"That was enough to push her over the edge. Fresh tears spilled over her as a sob reacked her. She tried to wipe them away, but they kept coming. Her whole body shook. From the dinner, from the rage, from the aching loneliness that has lived inside her for so long. Because she just wanted someone, anyone, to fucking hold her and tell her she wasn't broken for feeling this way. More than that, she wanted the warmth of someone who wouldn't leave her when she did."
this hit so close to home, i cried reading this

"... his mouth pulling so that his fangs showed. What he would give to chew on an exposed wire right now."

"You are still staring." "I am a man of my word. Why would I look away when my whole world is in front of me?"

and finally "In a game of cat and witch, somehow they had both won. He wouldn't have it any other way."