I am typing this review in bits and pieces, one-handed at times, because I’m on maternity leave with my infant. Through sleepless nights, tummy time and cleaning up various poop-apocalypses, I have devoured this book. That I am making time to write this review now speaks of how desperately I want people to read this book.
I know usually I include a bit of a plot summary, but this blurb is so perfectly written, I’m going to include it instead. (I have a bit of an issue with poorly written blurbs, so when I come across one that is not only well-written but matches the content and tone of the book perfectly, I want to put it on a pedestal.)
The truth is stranger than fan fiction in the next sexy paranormal rom-com from the beloved author of The Roommate.
The only place small-town outcast Alex Lawson fits in is the online fan forum she built for The Arcane Files, a long-running werewolf detective show. Her dedication to archiving fictional supernatural lore made her Internet-famous, even if she harbors a secret disdain for the show’s star, Devin Ashwood. (Never meet your heroes—sometimes they turn out to be The Worst.)
Ever since his show went off the air, Devin and his career have spiraled, but waking up naked in the woods outside his LA home with no memory of the night before is a new low. It must have been a coincidence that the once-in-a-century Wolf Blood Moon crested last night. The claws, fangs, and howling are a little more difficult to explain away. Desperate for answers, Devin finds Alex—the closest thing to an expert that exists. If only he could convince her to stop hating his guts long enough to help….
Once he makes her an offer she can’t refuse, these reluctant allies lower their guards trying to wrangle his inner beast. Unfortunately, getting up close and personal quickly comes back to bite them.
Devin Ashwood is having a tough time of it with his career on the rocks and becoming a werewolf. Alex Lawson worshipped him until he was terribly rude during a fan con. So she puts him in the ‘asshole’ bin and leaves him there. Only in their interactions nearly two decades later, Alex gradually peels back layer by delicious layer of Devin’s personality, history and trauma. There are really nuanced moments of how fame can damage a person and the baggage we inherit from our parents. Devin’s flaws are absolutely still there, but the context is revealed and sheds new light on his choices and his beliefs.
The same process happens for Alex. In her interactions with Devin, she sees the ways that her parents’ divorce and her mom’s abandonment have shaped her in this small Florida town. The ‘outsider’ persona that she has cultivated is part of her, yes, but it is not the full story. She is vulnerable and soft and so much more. The way in which these two reveal each other’s true selves and come to a fulfilling connection is absolutely beautiful to read.
This novel is immersed in fan culture. There are references to fanfic, AO3, cons, forums, internet friends, etc. This isn’t really a world I know much about, but I found it accessible and easy to follow. My guess is that someone immersed in fan culture would find parts of this book a love letter to the connections one makes with fellow fans. At one stage someone, I won’t say who, summarises the relationship between Alex and Devin in (I assume) AO3 tags: “#blackcat/goldenretriever #Enemies-to-lovers #agegap 300K Rated E.”
On the surface, this is a good summary, but the story is so much richer than these tropes (so much so that it took me a second to realise that these tropes were actually present in the book. The story is so rich that it didn’t occur to me that there were tropes in there at all).
Another star of this show is the writing. It is deft, immersive, compelling and heart-filled. The humour is warm and woven into the story seamlessly so that I ended up smiling at the book. Sometimes that smile turned goofy when we got to the romantic moments (of which there are many). Also, the sex was very hot.
All of this wonderful stuff is true, but there is a catch. For the first third of the book, you have to suspend your disbelief INTENSELY because why on earth would a person who suspects they’ve become a werewolf turn to a fan of a werewolf TV show for help? So I scoffed through the first part of the book because it just seemed so silly to me.
But I did reach a point where the idea using the TV show as a basis for understanding the werewolf stuff IRL made sense. The explanation is a really good one which I won’t spoil. From that point on, the book soared. The chemistry and the excellent writing kept me going until I reached the point where my disbelief didn’t need so much suspension. From then on, I gave up precious precious sleep to read this book.
If you’re in the mood for some giddy happiness, then I humbly put forward Fan Service as a plentiful source of it.
