I adore Rosie Danan's books and this is no exception. Delightful, funny, honest, and always sexy as hell. Leave it Ms. Danan to make a washed up tv star from a beloved supernatural show turning into an actual werewolf remarkably relatable. This totally absorbing second chance romance with just a touch of supernatural kink left me happily breathless when not making me laugh out loud and even a bit misty eyed more than once. An absolute must for contemporary romance fans and anyone who eagerly waits, as I do, for Ms. Danan's latest.

Rosie Danan is a must read author for me. Her foray into paranormal romance is a delightful read from start to finish. Alex and Devin have a past, well she has past with him and yet Alex is the only person who can help when Devin suddenly becomes well, furry. A great combination of humor, heart and Danan’s trademark steamy scenes!

This book was everything: Supernatural reminiscent, very tumblr c 2010-1015, werewolves! Ruth does embarrassingly cute interactions so well. I read this as an arc and then immediately bought her previously written titles.

I wanted to like this so much but I’m throwing in the towel at 35%.

I just do not like Devin. Or Alex for that matter. Devin is self absorbed and his inner POV is constantly reminding us of how rich he is and how hot he is and whatnot, while also dragging Alex seemingly every time they interact. For a man in his 40s he’s acting very ‘just out of high school’. It’s just not leaving a great taste in my mouth. Alex is also not my favourite. She’s exceedingly abrasive towards basically everyone from what I saw, even her dad. She doesn’t seem to have moved on from high school, either. I find both of them very immature for their respective ages.

I also find that there’s a lot of emphasis on how Alex’s town just straight up hates her. She’s constantly having bad things happen and it just felt like too much. Especially the confrontation in the parking lot. That just felt uncomfortable for me as a reader and unnecessary.

I appreciate the various references to fandom culture and friendships. That was the best part of what I read. I love when fandom bleeds into mainstream books like this and it helped keep me plugged in for as long as I did.

If you like fandom culture and watched Teen Wolf maybe give this a try? It wasn’t for me but it might be for you.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The star of a long-running paranormal series on a CW-like network turns to the mod of the show’s fan site for help years after the show ends. It appears he has turned into a werewolf with characteristics like the one he once played on TV. Who could be better to help him than the person who detailed every facet of the show for each of its 13 seasons?

It’s simply too bad that she’s still harboring resentment against him for something that happened between them when she was a teen.

At a glance:
- Dual POV
- Celebrity romance
- Fated mates
- Black cat + golden retriever
- Teenage crush
- Small town + a bit of Hollywood
- He falls first
- Caretaking
- Jewish rep
- Bi rep
- Endometriosis rep
- Submission + power exchange

A collection of assorted thoughts I had while reading the book:
- This is highly entertaining
- Big grins over what a simp he is for her at times
- She is so guarded
- She may be resistant to his charms, but his inner wolf has decided she’s the one 👀
- I love how they help heal each other
- I like this training to handle his inner wolf with the show as a guide angle
- You can tell Rosie Danan had fun writing this, and I mean that in the best way
- Oh my heart
- I’m going to call this one werewolf-lite
- I love how Danan incorporates the elements of the wolf
- Danan does a fantastic job balancing humor, emotion, and heat in this one
- 5⭐️

I received an advance copy of the ebook from Berkley. All review opinions are my own.

This was fun! I enjoyed the characters and was instantly enamored with them, I'm a sucker for a paranormal romance! The plot felt a little lack lustre but didn't deter from my experience, I feel those who enjoy stories more character driven will enjoy this one

4.5 stars rounded up!

This was SO funny. It was truly a love letter to fandom culture. So many times throughout this book I saw my exact experiences mirrored on page. I could tell that this was written by someone who had spent their lives within fandom!! Some experiences shown in this book are simply too niche for the average person to know.
I loved the characters, especially the FMC. She was so relatable to me, I loved how she was shown to be grumpy, "ice cold," and the way she shut people out when she was feeling vulnerable. Me core!!!!

Admittedly, the MMC did frustrate me at times because the way he spoke to her sometimes was just not okay- even though you could tell through his internal monologues that he had good intentions. He was cocky and small-minded at the beginning of the book, which makes sense given his childhood. That being said, I loved reading his character development. I loved watching his mindset expand and seeing him learn to care about others in a new way.

The romance worked for me!! I loved them together. They were so funny and their personalities meshed well.
The plot was hilarious and was so perfectly ridiculous. It really captured that early 2000s CW show feel.
Overall I really loved this and definitely recommend it!!
I will 100% be reading more by this author!

I received a free digital copy of this in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

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I GOT THE ARC 😼😛
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I am sorry to say, but this book was such a disappointment. I have loved every other Rosie Danan book she has written and was excited to read this paranormal romance book but I think it just missed the mark.

To start, Devin is simply not likeable. I can appreciate a good redemption arc, but this book didn't give him one. I was put off from him but the very first comment he made to a young Alex because it was just so cruel, and he didn't get better. Even near the end he was mostly irredeemable and I'm not entirely sure what Alex saw in him besides his look and her former starstruck feelings for him.

The parts about the show were a bore. Maybe it's because I didn't watch Teen Wolf (which it seems like the show in this book is based off of) or because I've never been a particular fan of scripted television, but I typically skimmed every section that went on about the show details.

I liked a lot of the background characters including Alex's dad but even those parts weren't worth the second hand embarrassed I got from Devin's antics, both in and out of his wolf form.

This was so incredibly fun! I was on board the moment I knew it involved werewolves, and I LOVED seeing how the lore of the ‘show’ overlapped with what was happening. The characters were also very fun - I would love to be Alex’s friend, honestly! Absolutely going on recommendation lists!

Thank you so much for allowing me to read an advanced copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

"To be clear, I'm in love with you too." Even though Alex said it first, saying it back still felt like jumping off the edge of a cliff.
She snapped her head up. "You do?"
He nodded solemnly. "Devin Ashwood is in love with you."
Alex scowled. "You are not as cute as you think you are."

4.5 stars

What an absolute delight this book was.

This was cute, funny, heartfelt, spicy, everything. Devin had his character flaws, but his POV was so entertaining. So full of himself but an honest to god golden retriever, and the mix of a contemporary romance and throwing in the werewolf aspect was 🤌

Absolutely recommend for romance readers who also like a spoonful of fantasy 💙

4.25
I have to say- if you were ever a fandom loving, A03 reading fan girl- this is for you. If you aren’t familiar with these things you may not have some of that initial softness I found towards it in the comfortless of something so familiarly niche in public but explosive in the right forum. This reads like a Ali Hazelwood/Julie Soto novel without the emphasis of size difference and a Stark lookalike to Adam Driver. (Yes I love both of those things leave me alone) I desperately wish there had been more talk of traditional werewolf traits (e.g. mates, marking, bitting, knotting), but I found this well written and funny! I read it in one sitting and throughly enjoyed it. It just felt very far left of a traditional werewolf romance, not a negative thing necessarily especially if you’re new to the concept. As someone who is not- I would have liked a lot more werewolf moments and less half shifted/human.

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

Again, I'm coming back after a long review hiatus, so it's been quite some time since I read this book. I will say I had some initial concerns about where and how the romance was developing, but honestly I felt it was handled well (age gap). This is a romance with a touch of the supernatural that really evokes the feelings of people in fandoms and was ultimately enjoyable.

Unfortunately, no warnings as I can't rely on my memory to be accurate.

I'm not going to say I hated this book but I did have a dawning realization while I was reading this book about why books like this don't work for me. When I say "books like this", what I mean are books that are mostly contemporary in nature but dabble in the paranormal, in this case, with the hero turning into a werewolf. I want the book to fully commit to the bit, meaning that either it's fully contemporary or it's fully paranormal and there's some level of world building happening. Here, if you take out the werewolf elements, it's just a full on contemporary, there's no world building that's happened, it takes place in a small town in Florida known for raising some of the best race horses in the world.

Secondly, the characters: Devin is 42 and Alex is 34 but they both read as so much younger that every time their age gets mentioned, especially Devin's, I'm taken aback. He reads as so immature for being 42 and I know that's part of the allure of him, his inherent need for attention and validation and approval, but it also makes it hard to take him seriously as a love interest for anyone. I can probably buy Alex as a 34 yo, if I squint my eyes a bit, but most of her character development solely rests the fact that she was abandoned by her mother when she was pretty young and has kept emotional walls up even with her closest friends since then because as Devin astutely clocks it, if she doesn't let anyone in too close, she can't be hurt.

That's not to say I disliked this book in it's entirely, I did like the way both Devin and Alex's baggage was presented, their sense of abandonment, Devin feeling like everyone leaves him once he stops paying them. And there's a great line about him not knowing what made him a werewolf but Alex made him human that is really lovely but on the whole, this subgenre of books (I don't even know what that is, really, is it paranormal lite?) just doesn't work for me. But that's just me, I think other people will enjoy it.

Fan Service was a roadtrip straight to my golden age of fandom. The sweet spot between the late 2000s to early 2010s, where I'm thriving on Tumblr, and discovering a supernatural show that reeled me in like no other. Where I'm connecting with new friends that become lifelong friends, where I'm forming a community that becomes home. Where I find a place of belonging.

Much like our heroine Alex, a stumble into a fan convention sort of took the shine off the love I had for one show (but in this case, at no fault of the actors! can't say the same for Devin, sorry bud.), and I left that bit of me behind. Until now, until Fan Service delivered some nostalgia that had me going down memory lane. That girl I was is still behind me, but I now look back on her fondly. I see someone who took something she loved and cherished it in a way we forget too often to do. Alex reminded me of that love and the mark it leaves behind, even after you've walked away from it.

Fan Service follows Alex, a one-time fanatic of a supernatural show called The Arcane Files, and the one-time hero Devin, the washed up lead of the one-time popular show. Back when she was a teenager, Alex became a fandom forum mod for the show and excitedly met her hero Devin during a fan convention, but as the saying goes...don't meet your heroes, folks. After Alex overhears some hurtful words from her idol, her love for the fandom dwindles and she harbors resentment 17 years later when her idol connects with her, suddenly desperate for help. For the tv show may not have been so far removed from reality, as Devin alarmingly discovers...he's becoming a werewolf. Armed with a vault of fandom lore and knowledge, Alex sets aside past hurt and helps Devin to understand his new being. But along the way, it's not the lessons of being werewolf that become most valuable-- for the both of them. They set the course for a literal life changing adventure.

And, wow, what an adventure they have! I loved it! I'll gush about this book all day and evening and night and morning. It was that good, that enjoyable, that memorable.

Let's start with our wonderfully relatable, messy leads. Alex and Devin

Let's begin with my new book queen, Alex. I never self-insert, but I couldn't help but slip into Alex's skin at times. I deeply resonated with the core of her character, from her anxiety to her all her insecurities; to how fandoms became her escape and home; to how connecting with online fandom friends blossomed into years-long friendships and community she now cherishes. I saw so much of myself in Alex. But for all the ways I felt she was me, there was just many where she wasn't. Where instead I strive to rise to meet her in all the ways she's different. I found myself so inspired by her tenacity to keep driving for her goals, even if it seems everything is stacked against her. The way she always sets her own wants and comfort to help others. How she steadfastly stands up for what's right, even if it outcasts her. We can all be more like Alex.
Whether I was slipping into her skin, or wishing I was more like her, I love Alex so completely.

Now, let's take it over to Devin. What a mess. I adored him. He's a fallible character, whose cracks are hard to miss. He is a character prone to stumbling, whether it's with hurtful words, misguided actions, or unexamined thoughts. Dude is a mess, I must reiterate. But he truly shines in his POV. From his vantage point we see his hurtful words come from a thoughtless speaker, never a malicious one. We see his misguided actions come from a man without real world experience, who is prove to take the wrong turn-- but always rights himself. Devin is honestly refreshing, because he's not just another pick-of-the-litter in typical male leads. He's not a know-all, cool, suave guy. He is, thricely (let it be a word) said, a big ol' mess. But he's a lovable mess, because he's a mess that learns to clean himself up. That owns up to his mistakes, that learns to take criticism to the chin, that allows himself to finally grow up and embrace his failures along with his triumphs. Devin is a male lead who evolves. I came to love him as wholly as I did Alex.

These two characters become better versions of themselves because they meet. Because of their begrudging partnership turned budding friendship turned blossoming love story. As we find out from the prologue, Alex holds some understandable hurt due to Devin's past words, and one thing I loved the narrative did was not allow too much time pass before that is cleared. It really helped advance their relationship-- and it's one I loved to see grow. Alex and Devin mutually help each other in so many ways. Once Devin's selfishness is set aside (thanks to Alex), he's able to really pay attention to the woman she is and appreciate every quirk that's part of her. He comes to love those quirks, to obsess over her smell, to adore her way of being. It takes him a while to understand Alex, but she helps him to see things from a fresh perspective. It unlocked a humanity in him he long lacked. And, in turn, he helps boost her confidence, he becomes her cheerleader when she aims to make positive changes for her community. He supports her, and she gives it right back. Alex is all heart, and she can't deny helping her fallen idol. So she helps, helps him to embrace the wolf in him and helps him to make peace with his failures. I could honestly write a million paragraphs of all the ways I loved this relationship, but ultimately it comes down to just this: they helped in each other in poignant ways that blossomed them as individuals. For as much as I adored their romance and them as a couple (and god! I did, I did!), seeing their individual arcs evolve the way they did heartened me so much. This is a love story for romance and for self. And I left it feeling whole. Another theme in this one-- embracing one self, each other, all good things with a full heart.

The romance hit, the leads hit, and this book hits the right audience beautifully.

I do feel this book is perfect for 30+ year old readers. It includes pop culture we will instantly get and be tickled by (I see you LiveJournal namedrop!). Usually, I don't care for pop culture references, I think it can age a book in the years to come, but these are references of the past that really elevate the narrative by not being afraid to remind us of our heroine's age at 34. I massively appreciated that. These are older leads, with Alex in her 30s and Devin in his 40s. And the pop culture references emphasize that positively. And, as a reader in her 30s, it brought me comfort. It's even made me wonder if I was too harsh at the inclusion of pop culture references in past reads, because, as it turns out, when you're the target audience, it hits so incredibly well!

Much like the communities I become part of in my thriving fandom days, I felt warmly at home in this one.

This book is for the fandom nerds, of every kind! If you grew up on Tumblr obsessing over your favorite show, if you connected with fandom friends that formed a cherished community, if you found comfort in a seasons-long show, Fan Service is just right for you. Welcome home.

Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for this advanced complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily.

This is one of those books that I think just isn't for me. While I have entertainment that I adore, I've never been able to get into the die-hard fandoms which I think makes this book harder for me to connect to than for it's ideal audience. It doesn't help that I really really didn't like Devin and found the relationship between him and Alex a bit icky. They both seemed far younger than their 34 and 42 ages and that is a personal pet peeve of mine. So all of this together just made it hard to read for me.

I think that there is a large audience for this and it is well written with a new take on the paranormal/urban fantasy genre but it just wasn't for me.

This was SO GOOD🥹🫶🏼 I think Rosie Danan has a way with words that sucks you into the story to the point where you can’t stop reading and finish it in one sitting. It’s truly remarkable… 10/10

I absolutely loved this book!!! There were so many clever, off the cuff niche references to 2000s ephemera and just what it feels like to be a die hard fan girl, and that exceeded my expectations and more. I am always happy when a book makes me (for lack of better term) guffaw. I loved the set up for how Alex and Devin met (the first time) and how that catapulted their relationship to where we find them in the present day. I want to be friends with Alex. She was bad ass, and her secret emotionality and sensitivity was very relatable. She was deadpan funny- I loved how she went through the world, and how she was drawn characteristically. Devin was a hilarious himbo, and I think that him and Alex made a really cute pair. He was more to what met the eye, and I think that his character growth was satisfying and earned. I loved their bickering and bantering when they were trying to come down to what caused his problem, and just their banter in general. I think Rosie Danan has a really great talent for creating worlds and characters that are biting and hilarious, but full of tenderness, and the way she crafts chemistry between her characters is scorching fiery hot. Also, can we get some commotion for the cover??? It is a work of art.
I loved this story, and can't hardly wait for her next release. I will read anything she writes, even if it is just a to do list. 10/10 would recommend to everyone who will listen to me rave.

I have loved all of Rosie Danan's books and this one was no exception - I'm very into the supernatural elements in this one and Do Your Worst, but I think it was executed even more effectively in this book. Devin Ashwood is an aging actor most famous for his role as a werewolf detective on a cult TV show called The Arcane Files. He's struggling with his status as a forty-something actor past his prime and is really pushing for a reunion 7 years after the conclusion of The Arcane Files when something really weird happens to him - he seems to be becoming, somehow, a werewolf in real life. Desperate to figure out what's going on and to avoid totally destroying whatever professional reputation he has left, he finds himself scouring the internet for information about his new condition. He comes across a super comprehensive fan site about The Arcane Files and when he realizes that his current predicament is closely reflecting his character's experience on the show, he reaches out to the moderator and gets an email in response with a date, time, and place - a small town in Florida. He flies across the country and the only person who seems more shocked than he is is the moderator herself - Alex Lawson, who assumed that the email was from one of her lifelong fandom friends playing a joke. Alex and her dad have some major debt to pay off, so she agrees to help him with what she assumes is a totally fictitious problem... for a fee. Meanwhile, she's trying to get over her own anger at him for blowing her off and calling her a freak at a con in 2008, deal with the fact that he actually does seem to be turning into a werewolf, fight her very inconvenient attraction to him, and navigate her life in a town she hates (and that hates her back). All of the components here just really worked for me - there was a great balance between paranormal stuff, relationship building, character growth, and steam. It was a touch long - over 400 pages, I think - but it moved quickly and I found it really compelling all the way through.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this digital ARC

4⭐️

This was a fun black cat/golden retriever nerdy supernatural romance. I also really enjoyed that the characters were a bit older, it’s nice to read about people that aren’t in their 20s!

Was this book written for me? Even though I didn't have one particular fandom that I was obsessed with, this was my community. I love that we got to experience it in a vulnerable, loving way. Alex is so relatable and I wanted to hug her! Devin had so much trauma and I just wanted him to be loved. The way their relationship build was both fun and tender. The spice was HOT and the romance so sweet. I will definitely be recommending this to all my nerdy romance friends.

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for the ARC.