This story is seen through the view of a quirky young woman who has returned to her high school town to live in a home left to her by her grandmother. She soon encounters her ex-best friend, finds out they are both members of the super natural community and learns to accept her gifts while hefting out some much anticipated revenge to old bullies. The author does a fantastic job at building relationships early on and making the characters relatable from the start. This quipy fantasy is like Gilmore Girls meets Onward and I absolutely ate it up. All of the descriptions of fantastical concepts were written in a very real world way, helping paint a picture of a normal life with a little added sparkle (and spice!). It’s humorous, magical, sexy and entertaining.Absolutely will continue the series!

DNF at 60%.

I enjoyed Stein's first book and was excited to see her take on a paranormal romantic comedy. However, I cannot continue. The dialogue is bothering me. It is very cringy. I read this via the ebook and tried the audio to see if it would help. It didn't. I will continue to read her books.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc!

I want to start off by saying that I’m not a huge paranormal reader, especially when it comes to werewolves. However, I do like reading these books for spooky season, so I was excited to pick this one up!

Cassie returns to her hometown after the passing of her grandmother, who left Cassie her house and pretty much all her belongings. Cassie begins work going through the hodgepodge of belongings in the house when she hears a pretty frantic knocking. When she goes to see who it could possibly be, she’s shocked to find Seth, her old childhood best friend turned enemy. Despite the fact that Cassie is very displeased to see Seth, he’s acting very strange. Seth doesn’t even know about the passing of Cassie’s grandmother, and once he finds out, he seems very insistent on needing to know how it happened..definitely suspicious behavior. Cassie isn’t sure what to make of Seth’s behavior, besides speculating that maybe he was somehow dating her grandmother. Then, when Cassie hears something in the basement in the middle of the night, she goes downstairs to find Seth urgently searching for something. He tells her he’s looking for his medicine, and then the impossible happens- Cassie finds herself racing up the staircase, running for her life, as Seth turns into a werewolf.

Seth’s condition is hard for Cassie to believe, but she can’t unsee how he transformed in her grandmother’s basement. It turns out, Cassie’s grandmother was a lower level witch who would make a potion for Seth to help with his werewolf issue, and he was searching for the potion or the ingredients of the potion in the basement. When Cassie mentions a recipe book she had used to make soup the night before, the two discover that the soup is actually what Cassie’s grandmother would make for Seth to help him. Cassie agrees to help Seth out with the potion, because despite the fact that she can’t stand him over an incident in high school, she doesn’t want to see him suffer.

As the two spend more time together, Seth reveals to Cassie that he believes she may also be a witch, one more powerful than her grandmother. He also introduces her to the world of other supernatural beings. As Cassie gets to know Seth more as an adult, as well as discover herself more as a witch, things change between the two of them. Especially when she finds out that as being a werewolf, he gets incredibly turned on very easily, a curse that rubs off on Cassie as well. The two have work to do, but find themselves unable to concentrate because their attraction to each other is so overwhelmingly strong. Now the two have to figure out how they’re supposed to break the horny curse-while also battling against the reappearance of some high school bullies.

I did enjoy the humor in this book and I thought that Cassie was a funny and likable character. However, I could have done without the whole horny curse plot, and I felt it to be cringey a lot. There were some really charming characters though, like Pod or Nancy. It was nice to see Cassie grow into herself as a witch while also getting her friendship back with Seth.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a not so serious paranormal book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

With Halloween around the corner, I was excited to read this paranormal romance. I’m not going to lie the prologue was hard to get through. While the author does have a content warning at the start of the book, it was hard to see how the MMC would redeem himself. His actions had a severe impact on the heroine so much so that she had to be homeschooled for the rest of her senior year and even years later she’s unable to forge close relationships for fear of getting rejected and hurt. I was curious to see how, if even possible, Ms. Stein was going to redeem him.

The MMC came across as very himbo at the start of the book in a way that grated. I can see how Ms. Stein was trying to perhaps give him puppy dog vibes to go inline with the werewolf theme, but he comes across as immature and without any depth. That being said, he does sort of grow on you as the story goes on. He is charming and seems to care about the FMC, but it’s just so overshadowed by the prologue.

Sometimes I really enjoyed the banter in the book and other times it just felt immature. They felt more like teenagers than adults. In fact the first half of the novel did feel very YA, which gave the book a disjointed feeling when the second half became more like erotica. I’m all for spice, the spicier the better, but it didn’t seem true to the characters we’re presented with at the start of the story. So it was a bit jarring.

The chemistry between them felt more platonic throughout the first half until suddenly it turned sexual. I wish their attraction to one another evolved more organically. It feels like they’re friends one minute and intimate the next. Much like in the novel when Seth and Cassie cross the veil into fairy land, readers cross a veil in which one half of the book is the friend zone and the other half is sexy times. There’s no journey in between for us to get there. The sex scenes were awkward and not very sexy. A lot of unnecessary commentary was made about bodily fluids… we’ll just leave it at that.

I really wanted to root for them, and if the prologue hadn’t happened I would’ve rooted for the MMC more. I understand that they were just kids when the incident happened, but when they meet again it seems that Seth is more interested in his potion than reconciliation and atonement for what he did. He does, however, admit later on that he hasn’t earned her forgiveness. But I think Cassie forgave him too easily without much effort on his part. It leaves you with a sense of well, where do we go from here? There’s no journey towards redemption. They pick up where they left off rather than getting to know each other as adults. Cassie is such a lovely and caring person, and to be honest he didn’t really deserve her despite their chemistry.

I really liked how Cassie’s magic was innate and all she really needed was to trust her intuition. It sends a powerful message about believing in yourself and trusting your gut.

“Feelings, a tingle inside, a strong sense of self—all will better inform you which is the correct path to take,”

“You have to trust yourself, your true, clumsy, silly self, her brain whispered. And though her heart thumped too hard to hear it, she suspected it was right. All she had to do was listen, all she had to do was believe. She could be more, she knew she could.”

I also enjoyed the world building and the rules that Ms. Stein came up with for the various paranormal beings. It was a fun and different take from what we’ve seen before.

Overall, it was an okay read. Would I re-read it, probably not, but there were some moments I did enjoy. I can see how this book will appeal to many.

All the tropes-second chances, enemies to friends to lovers, werewolf and witch? Wait that last one makes this paranormal romance between Cass and Seth different. There's steam, there's jokes, there's an interesting town. All in all, it's a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

📣 a PNR with ex best friends to friends to lovers

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 what’s a word that starts with S, E, P, T or any other letter in the word September that describes your day so far? Mine is Sleepy.

You can tell that Charlotte Stein had fun writing this book.

Heroine Cassie learns that she is a witch & that her ex BFF is a werewolf & both discoveries end up being entertaining as heck for the reader. I really never knew where the story would take me 🤣. Like seriously 😆.

Though this is a slow burn,once it gets going boy does it ever get going.

The cuteness element is there too, since both leads are hot & nerdy & totally vibe on a best friend level.

So what was missing, then?, because I feel like this review is leading to that point 😝. I wish that some elements of the story had totally come together for me. In the end, the story feels cute & engaging but also missing a final tightness to it all that would have made everything fully cohesive for me.

I’ll read more by this author, though, because what was in this shifter + witch romance is intriguing & fresh & just bonkers in a way I appreciated.

4 ⭐️. Out 10/01.

Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.

[ID: Jess holds the ebook in front of a green & blue mural.]

I was worried this was going to be a bully romance and I’d like to clarify for anyone else with that concern-it is not. Seth did something terrible to Cassie in high school but he does not continue to hurt her, he shows genuine remorse and ownership of his actions. I’ve read novels that try to do the enemies-to-lovers angle with bullying throughout and I personally hate it because it lacks respect and equal footing, so rest assured this novel is not that. The bullying Cassie experienced in her youth (Seth did one terrible thing, many others did worse) sets readers up to know her trauma, where it stems from and how it’s effected her to this day. It also sets the tone for why she distrusts Seth so deeply and how every inch of reconnecting between them will not come easily.

I did find the characters to be somewhat immature. High school and their relationship as children is so prevalent, I found that they often acted like teens despite being almost thirty. The jokes told throughout the novel ranged drastically from being genuinely funny to having me wanting to take a lap around my house out of second hand embarrassment. Both characters were chronically dense which I found frustrating at times but overall this novel was an easy read. I was entertained and I think the supernatural aspects of the novel were fleshed out well.

This book is what I would consider a cozy, quirky romance. Obviously by the title we are dealing with paranormal stuff. For me it rode the line of too cutesy, but did it effectively, where I found this book quite enjoyable, and with weaker writing, it could have easily gone over the top to something I just didn't want to read. So - if you like cozy and quirky - you will probably like this. If you don't normally like cozy romance - give this a try anyway! Cute story of high school best friends turned enemies turned friends again. All with lots of simmering unresolved sexual tension. A fun read!

The cover got me and really let me down here. I love a paranormal romance so I thought this would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, I think this author's work isn't for me as I've previously DNF'd another one of her works.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own.

3.5 ⭐️


Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Charlotte Stein for the ARC of *How to Help a Hungry Werewolf*. This book is perfect for the fall season and the upcoming spooky time. While the beginning was a bit slow to gain momentum, the overall premise is undeniably charming. The author describes it as a “cozy, heartwarming, and hilarious paranormal romance,” and it delivers on that promise. It’s a fun and cute read that’s ideal for October. I enjoyed it and recommend it to those seeking a lighthearted and whimsical story, I will definitely continue with the series and I’m excited to see where this will go next

DNF @30%

I really enjoyed When Grumpy Met Sunshine by this author and thought a paranormal rom-com sounded like fun. Unfortunately this one just isn't working for me. Humor is very subjective and I can tell a lot of the dialogue is intended to be funny, but I'm finding it more grating and cringe-worthy. Your mileage may vary, but it does feel kind of immature and it's getting under my skin in a less than positive way.

And for that matter the characters feel rather immature as well. There's also the fact that the hero was the childhood best friend of the heroine, but then went along with the cool kids teasing her about being fat in high school. He doesn't seem mean-spirited and there's probably some explanation for why he did that, but I'm not sure I want a romance with a high school bully. Especially when the previous friendship made it such a betrayal, I think I would need a book that takes a much more serious tone in addressing something like that. This is more silly and even wacky in tone, which just isn't going to work for me. Again, you may have a different experience, but I think it's best if I stop here. The audio narrators do a great job and with a different story I would have liked them. I received an audio review copy via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

A cutesy cottage core which vibes. After moving back to her grandmothers house after her passing, she finds out her grandmother’s secret, that she was a witch. After learning her high school best friend is a werewolf and that the recipe she cooked for her supper was the medicine her grandmother supplied him to help with his change. I’m not sure how I feel about the twist at the end, but there is plenty of the smut towards the end of the book.

🔹enemies/friends to lovers
🔹curvy girls

I chose How to Help a Hungry Werewolf for two reasons: (1) the premise—after the death of her grandmother, a woman returns to her hometown only to discover that she's a witch and her former-bestie-turned-nemesis is a werewolf who needs her help—sounded fun; and (2) loved the banter between the MCs in the author's previous novel, When Grumpy Met Sunshine. That the blurb included the promise of a "delightfully cozy" read with a "swoony romance" and "small town feels" sealed the deal—I wanted (dare I say needed?) to read this novel.

But then.

But then I read it, and let me just say that the description was misleading, to say the least. I won't claim that the banter was utterly absent—I did chuckle aloud at least twice—but I have to seriously object to any sense of this novel being cozy. At somewhere just past the halfway mark, all the quippy banter and any sense of coziness was entirely overshadowed by the sheer volume of absolute smut that overtook the narrative.

Don't get me wrong—I love smut. (By which I mean that I pray that my mother never sees my Kindle Unlimited reading history.) But I need to know that's what I'm getting. When I've cozied up with the promise of some Gilmore-Girls-level-swoon, I'm unsure how to respond to the excessive and oh-so-explicit bits-and-parts-and-fluids smut scenes.

So.

What gets me most about this book is that it still could've worked. Unfortunately, the under-development of the how/why/what when it came to the supernatural aspects of the fated-mates trope and simultaneous over-development of the physical effects (read: both MC's extreme horniness) completely took over an entire third of the narrative. Scenes that should have moved the plot forward instead kept it stuck in a loop. Which in turn made the ending feel rushed.

That said, I enjoyed many aspects of the book and look forward to more in this series. But I also hope the author gets much better editorial advice on the next one because I'd love to see these MCs again.

Final word: if you've existed on a steady diet of Kindle Unlimited smut and are looking to transition to more mainstream publications, How to Help a Hungry Werewolf is the book for you. If, on the other hand, you pick this title up because you're looking for something cozy and swoony, just...be advised.

Cassie returns home following the death of her grandmother only to find her former friends turned nemesis Seth at her door looking for help. But nothing it what it seems.

Read if you like:
-Werewolf x Witch
-Friends to Enemies to Lovers

I was really excited about the premise of How to Help a Hungry Werewolf, but it fell short of my expectations. The romance aspect of the book was my biggest disappointment, and not because it was a slow burn, but because it was cringy. They spent so long trying to avoid it while also indulging in hypothetical dirty talk. It just didn't really work.

Oof, I’m sad to say this one didn’t work for me. I struggled to even get past the first 20% … it was too much, too fast, and I struggled to keep up with everything going on while also trying to get to know and care about the main characters. This author is hit or miss for me, and unfortunately this one just didn’t land.

I am so so sad that this book just wasn't it. I absolutely love witchy Halloween theme books and was absolutely thrilled to dive into this one! Unfortunately, it just wasn't it. I'm not a huge YA fan. Some are great but as a whole I read way more adult theme books. This book is marketed as an adult book but reads like a YA novel. Yes the MC Cassandra is an adult, but the things she's dealing with are actual high school issues and problems from long ago. Which to be clear, you can absolutely have childhood trauma and carry it with you, this just read as way more juvenile than I think the author meant for it to. I felt like I waited for the good part to come and unfortunately it just didnt.

✨️✨️✨️/5

I received an advanced copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Charlotte Stein. ❤️

I was really excited to read this book and for the first two thirds I was disappointed.

It read a lot like a young adult book with some spicy scenes near the end. There's a lot of high school related trauma that the main character isn't over and even though she's in her late twenties, she acts a lot like a teenager.

I get world building in fantasy books, but the amount of description was a bit excessive. I was less into reading it for the discovery of a magical side of the world and more in it for the flirtations I wished were throughout the novel. I feel like they spent more time pretending they weren't into each other which gave off high school vibes.

I will say that by about 73% the book picks up in the romance department and I enjoyed it overall. I normally finish a book in two to three days, but it took me around eight to read this one. I finished the last quarter in an evening though.

If you like young adult fantasy with a hint of spice, this might be a good book for you.

3.5 ⭐️ 3 🌶️

Read As An Arc

🐺 Friends to Enemies to Lovers
🐺 Plus Size FMC
🐺 FMC Is A Witch
🐺 Second Chance
🐺 Paranormal Romance
🐺Slow Burn


I absolutely love the cooker! That little raccoon is the best, loved him… And he talks!! This really does give off the cozy, October read vibes. I really wish I loved this more than I do.

Can I see a such a sweet character, she is confusing at times, but I can't help loving her and Pod.

TW: I am not a fan of this, but I feel like Charlotte did this one enough for me to actually finish and get to the cute ending. There is fat shaming, Seth does this to Cassie in school, although she likes him. This is also a bully romance not a thing I usually read due to personal preference, but Charlotte threads. Listen pretty well I think.

Seth: After reading this, I feel like something needs to be done with Steph. I need more from him, to know who he is, and how he grew as the story progresses. I think his character needs to be developed and rounded off a little bit more.

The Town: I’m not sure if the town knows that they are, which is in wolves among them? This is unclear to me, so it would be great to add that in for context. A lot of things could've been omitted in the writing that doesn't really add or contribute to the story, so, including a little bit of backstory on the town would've been a perfect addition.

Overall, all those seeming a bit under developed, it is a fun and enjoyable read. It's easy to read, a bit juvenile, except for the spicy scenes. I can definitely tell you that the spice is really spicing here!!!




* Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

Oh how cute! How to Help a Hungry Werewolf by Charlotte Stein is a cute and cozy paranormal romance that is perfect for spooky season. The magic in this book was fun and somewhat disturbing. Some of the things about the werewolf transformation had me cringing in sympathy painm but the witchy magic was fun, intuitive, and kind of adorable. There was a very large focus on fatphobia and fat shaming, and while I do think that is an important topic, I wish it had been less central to the plot. But it was nice to see it handled so well. The relationship was a little iffy for me but the spice was passionate and wild while still being really wholesome and cute. Overall, this is definitely a book you should to your fall tbr.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, to be a witch. Cassie and Seth have a complicated history. Seth is such a great character. You really feel how Cassie is feeling. You know you shouldn’t like him and give in so easily, but you also can’t really help it. Cassie really has some of her own strengths and determination. Together they face reconnecting, awkwardness, and a bit of danger. The slow burn of this was incredible. The fire immediately kindles and continues to grow until they are combusting. Such an amazing read. Loved it.