This was a unique book! I really really loved the premise - a washed up actor seems to be following the path of his once beloved character on a long running tv show: turning into a werewolf. He doesn’t know who to turn to for help, so he finds the moderator of the fan page for his show, because no one knows more about his old character than her.

It started off so strong for me, it was laugh out loud funny and like I said the premise was so fun, but ultimately I was kind of bored and wanted more to happen. I had no desire to pick it up and keep reading because it just kept meandering.

The MMC was kind of a self centered himbo, which I didn’t actually hate, but he also pretty much showed no growth. The FMC was great even if she let him in too easily. Overall, I don’t know. It was funny but not a true winner for me.

Thank you to Berkley for an ARC!

First off, I LOVED Do Your Worst. This one I think is even better. It's sweet and it's also so funny. This book pays homage to fandom and all the "weird ones" and the "nerds" who used to be obsessed with TV shows and felt like outcasts.

Rosie Danan is amazing at crafting a story that makes you fall in love with these characters and their problems. Honestly it was a feel good story, and I really got lost in the book. You know how a book just makes you feel a certain way? But can't explain it? Yeah, this book is it.

I got to 50% in and was giggling. Alex was such a great FMC, and Devin was a geat MMC. One reason why was they complemented each other in a way that worked. I loved the bantering that they did. I loved how they slowly began to get to know each other.

It had such vibes all the way through, especially in how it related to fandom. As someone previously part of fandoms it felt so...there and honest. I loved it. It was as if all of our "as ifs" had come to life in a book.

Funny, really! And it definitely had both Buffy and Supernatural vibes. In some ways it had a sense of nostalgia to it.

I had such a fun time reading this book, and I just couldn't put it down. A fun romcom read that will (hopefully) delight people who were (or still are!) in fandom spaces. And that you're never too old for fandom.

Fan Service is a fandom-inspired, nostalgia-fueled romp for those of us who aren't quite ready for knotting but still love a scent-marking possessive streak, and a book I knew I would probably like (Rosie Danan never seems to miss) but really ended up loving. Whether Danan was inspired by Supernatural or Teen Wolf (or neither), she imbued her book with as much heart as any fanfiction writer trying to fix a bone-headed showrunner's decades-long queer-baiting relationship (cough Destiel cough) and wrote a book that was truly laugh-out-loud funny, emotional, and sexy.

Because it feels appropriate, here are some AO3 tags for Fan Service: Alex/Devin, Bisexual goth mommy, BDSM (for science), Celebrity x y/n, Grumpy x sunshine, Humor, It’s not my turn for the brain cell, Middle-age himbo, Reluctant coworkers, Romance, Slow build, Smut

Have you ever been a part of a fandom? I have been involved in a few over the years some focused on books and others on tv series, one for Buffy the Vampire Slayer was my first. They are really fun communities that you share a love of a show or book and dig down into the minutia of some of the subplots and characters. Fan Service builds on what if one of the characters you used to fangirl/boy over needed your help years later? Could you help them, would you be able to remember they are not just the character they played on tv, but something real as well?

Fan Service is a stand alone enemies to lovers story, with a happy/grumpy trope. It stars a former actor whose claim to fame was a series that hasn't been on air for about a decade and the girl who used to be the moderator of the fan page for the show. The down on his luck actor is about to meet the girl that dug into all the lore and knows all the superfluous details of his former show. He is hoping she can help because he might just be becoming the monster he used to portray. Devin wanted desperately to bring the Arcane Files back, but he was hoping that he wouldn't need to actually become a werewolf to do it.

“But fair warning, whether or not this works, it’s probably going to be really unpleasant.”
“Oh, you mean different, then,” Devin said, “from the blackouts, public humiliation, destruction of my career prospects, and the complete upending of my physical and mental health?”

Alex has a love hate relationship with Devin. He might have broken her heart a little at a Con years ago, but that didn't dim her enthusiasm for the show he was on and the character he played. When he shows up in her little town in Florida, she is a bit reluctant to help him. But he has a lot of money and she is in a little bit of a financial pickle since her dad's heart issues years ago. She might have agreed to help him, but she is going to definitely keep him at a distance. That is a little harder than initially anticipated as he starts to turn up the charm and insert himself everywhere in her life.

I have mixed feelings about the romance in this book. I only liked the characters about half of the time. Devin is supposed to be forty-two. I had to remind myself of that constantly because he still acted like a person in their twenties. Part of that can be explained a little by how he grew up on a set and surrounded by adults with no really solid role models. But there were multiple times that his selfishness overshadowed any redeeming qualities and I struggled a little with his motivations. Alex too spends so much time shut down or off emotionally that I had a hard time forming an attachment to her. She is lashing out at the world with tattoos, piercings and black garb. She also seems in her early twenties emotionally and I struggled to picture her in her thirties. At a certain point, I gave up on the age of the characters, resolved in my head they were emotionally 22-25 and went on with the story. It was a lot more fun that way.

I thought the premise of the story was interesting and I liked how they tied in Devin becoming a werewolf now to the lore of the original T.V. show. The eventual development of the romantic relationship eventually grabbed me and dragged me along as well. Devin was so broken that I was really rooting for him to find something else to care about than the show he was on over a decade ago. I liked all of his backstory as it was teased out that gave us some insight into his stunted emotional growth and need to be something for other people.

After a lifetime of seeking the approval of the anonymous masses, he’d wound up completely alone. Devin wouldn’t know real love if it was standing right in front of him.

Remarkably, even though I had a few issues with liking the characters and all the 'woke' stuff throughout the book, I actually ended up enjoying it overall. I was satisfied with the ending and how Devin and Alex changed their lives. Getting to see the softer side of Alex helped as she worked through some of her issues and learned how to open up. Alex and Devin were good for each other and were able to soften out some of the broken pieces so each became a better people. I grew to like the characters they became in the end.

Oh my gosh this book was so good!! I went in expecting a silly fun, paranormal time and I definitely got that but I also got a really tender love story that made me very emotional. I adored everything about this book. As someone who grew up on tumblr I ate this book up!! This is a love letter to fan culture and it really worked for me. The passion of fandom was respected while still acknowledging the pitfalls of parasocial relationships and idolizing people you don't really know. The power dynamic of the celebrity/fan romance was balanced so perfectly that I never felt like either character had too much of an advantage. It was an absolute delight to watch two characters with their own baggage find a partner who sees them in all their messiness and complexity and loves them for it. That is peak romance to me. Despite this being a paranormal story, I loved how all of Devin's wolf instincts just led to him wanting to care for Alex any way he could and never crossed the line into alpha-asshole territory. As a queer person, I loved the bi representation with Alex and it made my heart happy to see trans representation too. Seeing a young nonbinary character be supported by the adults around them filled me with joy. I've found a new favorite author and I'm very excited to see more from Rowan in book 2!!

A love letter to those in fandom culture, the convention goers, the fanfic writers, and anyone who has ever had a proper celebrity crush (yeah, we’ve all been there). For fans of Supernatural, The X Files, Teen Wolf, and Twilight… this book is the perfect amalgamation of all of these while still being its own unique story. Fan Service is a spicy, slow burn, sci-fi romcom that has stolen my heart!

Alex, an outcast from small town Florida who knows everything there is to know about The Arcane Files, a werewolf supernatural detective drama show. This, in turn, means she knows the ins and outs of Devin Ashwood, the shows star and Alex’s celebrity crush. Well, former celebrity crush, after a meet and greet goes wrong and Alex sees that her TV show hero isn’t that in real life. Devin, a now former actor, finds himself in a dilemma 17 years later. Growing claws, fangs, and howling at strangers, he wants to understand what is happening to him and why it correlates with what his character went through on his TV show. Finding a fan page created by Alex (unbeknownst to Devin), he seeks her expertise and makes her an offer she cannot refuse. But can Alex move past what she knows, or better yet, what she thinks she knows about Devin Ashwood?

I had so much fun reading this book, I kept having dreams about werewolves! As a fandom girly myself, I was able to relate closely to Alex, right down to the tooth gap, and it felt good reading a story about being seen when some of us in fandom culture can sometimes feel overlooked or berated for enjoying what we love. Devin, our 90’s heartthrob, grumpy and grisly MMC that I LOVE. Getting to see his character development through both his and Alex’s POV’s were great and added so much depth to their very different backgrounds.

This is my first impression of author Rosie Danan, and I could not be more enthralled by her work in this book.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Tropes: small town, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, age gap, slow burn

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up!

Fan Service is 100% a love letter to the AO3 girlies! 💕 Rosie Danan manages to take all the parts of fandom culture (the good, the bad, and the obsessive), and turn it into a heartfelt and laugh out loud funny romance. I remember loving her debut novel for being witty and romantic, and the same held true for this one!

Alex spent her teenage years being an archive mod for The Arcane Files, a werewolf show that is very Teen Wolf-esque. The front runner for the show is Devin Ashwood, and he’s dreamy and perfect and everything she’s ever dreamed of until she meets him at a convention. Fast forward 17 years, Devin Ashwood comes knocking. He needs her expertise to help him understand why he is suddenly feeling ‘wolfish’.

The characters were interesting and I loved getting to learn more about why they are the way they are as the book progresses. Alex gives everything of herself to her family and the community she has built for herself, all while hovering on the outskirts of her small town society. Devin has the most heartbreaking backstory, but still manages to be insufferable, spoiled, charming, and sincere all at once. Devin and Alex trying to figure out what was happening was so funny and insane! The growth that both of them go through in this book made everything come together in a really satisfying way. I especially loved Devin’s character development from ‘vapid Hollywood himbo’ to ‘obsessed to the point of tears with my woman’.

I loved how straightforwardly Rosie Danan explained fandom culture. She doesn’t shy away from the fact that obsession and projecting ideals onto real life people can be harmful, but she made sure to highlight the community and creativity of fandom as well. The formatting of the book includes lots of fandom lingo and fanficton callouts that made it so fun to read.

Overall this book was such a fun tribute to fandom and paranormal romance. The premise was unique enough to be refreshing while still leaning into the tropes that make the genre so great. 🩷

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!

the premise of this sounded like so much fun and, while the werewolf aspect of the book definitely was, the romance fell flat.

the main male character is supposed to be forty two years old… yet his maturity levels would be questionable even for a frat boy in his early twenties. his inner monologue & commentary was, quite honestly, ridiculous and i had the ick for the majority of this book. he was not kind to the female main character and said some pretty nasty things to her. me, personally? i would never let that slide.

that being said, the romance definitely had some good moments & i liked the female main character a lot.

i really really really enjoyed the fandom aspect of this! i was a huge teen wolf fan (and many many other fandoms) so reading about that experience & relationships with other fans was great. so many of the fandom things discussed have been my own experiences. this book is definitely a love letter to fandoms, which i adore.

i also LOVED the werewolf plot! it was so much fun & cheesey (in the best way to be honest) and i had a great time reading about the trials that happened. so much of it was reminiscent to early teen wolf & i adored it.

overall, this was fun but not great. i was never bored, only icked out by devin, and i had a really fun time reading this.

DNF@ 30%

I like the idea, but the execution is too cheesy for me. I hate Devin, he's emotionally immature and I especially hate how he treats Alex.

Based off the synopsis, I definitely thought this story would be up my alley, but I didn’t realize how much I would love it! The book had such well written characters that are fully fleshed out and feel like real people, and romance is sl sweet and the fmc is incredibly relatable. It felt so new and refreshing I wish I could read it again for the first time, 10/10 would definitely recommend!

Rosie Danan writes an instant-favorite once again. I loved the premise and I was on the edge of my seat seeing how they would make this all work.

This book gave me all the feels. As a former fangirl of a certain long running paranormal show, this book felt like a warm hug. It reminded me of the countless hours I spent theorizing with my internet friends, some who I still am close to today. It is obvious that the author has deep ties to internet fandoms, and a deep love for it as well. I adored our two main characters, even if Devon came ofd as a bit of a selfish asshole in the beginning. But watching him and Alex start to trust each other, and how their walls came down enough to let the other in was really beautiful to read. (Also, the spicy scenes were 🔥🔥🔥). The supernatural elements of the story were great as well!

This book is truly for all the readers who’ve existed in fandoms!!! It was such a great take on meeting the object of your teenage affection, with a paranormal twist. I really loved Devin and Alex with my whole heart 🥹

I enjoyed much of this, especially Alex's character. I struggled to tolerate Devin, though he did provide a lot of comic relief, because of the casual way he treated Alex despite the lengths she went to to help him out. So I didn't love the romance. But it was good and I'm glad I read it.

werewolves and fandoms collide in this rom com. It was silly and sweet and the MCs relationship was something, that's for sure. Definitely had some deeper moments but overall I enjoyed it!

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable and unique experience, as I had never delved into a paranormal romance before, but I found the narrative to be quite engaging. To begin this review, I want to emphasize that reading is a personal experience, and while this book may not have been my preferred genre, I still found it enjoyable and would be open to exploring similar works. The author’s adept writing contributed to a smooth plot progression that avoided confusion or monotony, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the characters and the unfolding events. I also want to praise the author for crafting vibrant and well-developed characters, whose complexities made it easy for readers to relate to them and form emotional bonds. However, there were a few aspects that felt somewhat awkward to me. The prologue, while necessary, struck me as a bit odd and left me curious about the events leading up to the main story. Additionally, I found the third act somewhat lacking in clarity, although I understand the rationale behind it. In summary, I enjoyed this book and would be interested in further exploring this genre as a result.

Love the latest from Rosie Danan! This one goes out to all the fandoms and shippers keeping TV shows alive. I definitely thought of Supernatural while reading this.

Hmm, I’m 50/50 on this one. This was my first time reading anything by Rosie Danan and I really enjoyed her writing. She’s very witty and smart with her humor. I loved the FMC, Alex. Like her, I was born a fangirl and I’ll die a fangirl and through Alex, Danan captured the complex emotions of being—to put it frankly—obsessed with something. The excitement, infatuation, and total embarrassment of it all.

The story fell a little flat with the MMC, Devin, and the plot. I wanted to like Devin so badly but he was a bit too shallow for me. I think I needed to experience more emotional depth from him?? I don’t mind that he’s lowkey a jerk, but I would’ve like a better explanation for why he was one. Re: The plot. It was a little silly and too simple.

3 stars because I genuinely enjoyed the book overall. Idk don’t ask me to make sense.

3 stars. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t my favorite. To start off with the positive- I absolutely loved Alex (the fmc). I always love to root for the underdog, and I especially love an underrated heroine. And Alex was definitely a fish out of water type of character that I truly rooted for. I also really appreciated the writing itself, both quality wise and pacing.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t a huge fan of the plot, which felt a little silly. And I really wasn’t a fan of Devin (the MMC)… which is kind of ironic given the title. Plot aside, Devin was just so damn unlikeable. I normally love when the male lead is a bit of a jerk… but I like for there to be a reason he’s a jerk, and I especially love a mea culpa moment. But with Devin, that didn’t happen. He was just kind of a self-centered, immature jerk, who even at the end, never showed any growth or chemistry with the fmc. I honestly was not rooting for him as a character at all, so it made me hard to be invested in the romance.

I’m truly grateful for Danan, Berkley, and netgalley for the ARC. Although this wasn’t my favorite, I definitely think I’d enjoy more from this author (given my enjoyment of the writing itself). So I will absolutely be cycling back to read more from them in the future.

Alex Lawson built a forum and a community around The Arcane Files, a long-running werewolf detective show. She tracked all the details and the fictional supernatural lore. That's how she meet all her friends... and if it also lead to the disaster of meeting the show’s star, Devin Ashwood in person, that's part of life learning that fiction is better than reality. But a freak accident leaves Devin turning into a wolf. Worried that he's loosing his mind he reaches out to Alex, the internet expert to give him real life advice.

Why I started this book: I love a good werewolf book and I was eager to a new-to-me author...

Why I finished it: Charming, a book about falling apart and finding the life you needed. Great story about seeing an individual, a whole person, instead of just a role or position. And an interesting take on the werewolf genre in that there can only be one werewolf per generation.