I think my expectations were set really high by Rosie's other titles so this one slightly missed the mark for me.

"𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒇 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒍𝒇, 𝒃𝒖𝒕, 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏."

This is the paranormal romance you didn’t know you needed (or maybe you did).

This book manages to take all the bits of folklore, microtropes and fandom that we all know and love, and challenge it in new and deliciously entertaining ways.

The book follows Devin, lead actor on a cancelled long-running werewolf series, and perfect piece of the LA/Hollywood machine, as he discovers he has turned werewolf and tries to come to terms with it. He enlists the help of small town Alex, previous moderator of the shows fandom wiki sites and closest thing to an expert he can find, without realising her secret disdain due to a previous past encounter.

Devin was quite literally like a little puppy that just wanted to be patted and told he was a good boy. He managed to embody every stereotype you would expect from an entitled career actor, and yet still appear human and make you love him regardless. Alex was a delightful scorned black cat, claws and all. Despite all of her armour, she still managed to show her heart and proudly wield her weird flag making me want to join her efforts in the process.

Rosie Danan somehow manages to make the mundane so entertaining with her delectably dry wit, you can’t help but laugh out loud.

But for every part this story was dry, witty, self deprecating and downright hilarious it was also incredibly tender with deeply buried trauma and pain.

She has also explored some real and pressing issues and represents them in a thoughtful and refreshingly modern way, with a light delivery that doesn’t compromise the core message.

The FMC finds herself in trouble yet saves herself, before the MMC comes running in. The damsel in distress is the MMC, the FMC the knight in shining armour. These are only two examples but there were so many opportunities to step into old shoes and give us what we expect and want maybe on the surface, but instead flipping the script and giving us something modern and new that literally had me pointing a finger at my ereader and saying “f*ck yeah!” in triumph.

While this book covers multiple important topics, it didn’t leave me feeling bereft or heavy, it left me feeling light and empowered and ready for more. Which is a shame, because this book hasn’t even been released yet so I guess I’ll be waiting a while.

I have never met a Rosie Danan book I did not like. I jumped at requesting this ARC and was beside myself when I got approved. Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette AU for approving my request, and Rosie Danan for writing amazing books.

Fan Service by Rosie Danan is out 11th March 2025.

"Fan Service" by Rosie Danan is a paranormal romantic comedy that delves into fandom culture. The novel humorously explores their evolving relationship amidst supernatural chaos. Danan's writing is praised for its warmth and wit, offering a heartfelt narrative that resonates with readers. Fans of paranormal romance and fandom culture will find this book both entertaining and endearing.

4.25 stars

as a girlie who binged werewolf romances throughout my whole teens this was such a fun adult one! definitely a bit slower to start but picked right up & was hilarious & so heartwarming! and to add - the celebrity romance was such a good spin & felt genuine!

the growth of both devin (our tv celebrity) & alex (fan) was touching as we delved into both their childhood and early years that shaped each other & the slow understanding of their trauma and personality traits was so wholesome. and to see the romance grow bit by bit was even better because the tension could be cut by a knife! devin was the BIGGEST sweetheart even when he was so alone & lost in life but seeing him fall in love with the small town was heartfelt - truly a lesson that you will always always find your place in the right community!

throughout the whole book their were so many memorable moments but one of my favourites was the carnival scene which will stay engrained in my head for the LONGEST time! definitely gave me she’s the man vibes when viola’s (disguise) calls monique ‘uglayy’!

if you want a cure to any werewolf hangover & want a good laugh with such cute romance & amazing found family - you will have a blast!!

read if you like:
- werewolf
- age gap
- celebrity x fan
- dual pov
- small town

Thank you so much to Netgalley & Hachette Australia & New Zealand for the arc!

I loved Rosie Danan’s The Roommate but I’m afraid that after reading Fan Service, I probably have to acknowledge that paranormal romance probably isn’t my type of book. I just couldn’t really get invested in the werewolf plot - though I will admit the ‘testing’ storyline was fun.

As for the romance itself, I just couldn’t understand why an amazing FMC like Alex would want anything to do with Devin. His explanation for why he’d hurt her in the past was just not good enough & his behaviour throughout the book was unlikeable & gave off a lot of red flags. His arrogance & ego worked best when defending Alex - the dunk booth scene was excellent! But I’m afraid that arrogance was directed towards Alex way too often for me to believe that she could possibly fall in love with him.

A little disappointing, and while I didn’t enough the paranormal storyline, my high hopes for the romance also fell flat. It definitely won’t put me off reading more from Rosie Danan though, as I’ve enjoyed several of her books & look forward to reading more.

What a delightfully creative and funny book! As someone who spent their teen years in the midst of fandom culture, you can tell that this book was written from experience and a true love and appreciation of fandoms. It was so unlike any other story I’ve ever read, and I loved this twist on a celebrity romance. At times, Devin would frustrate me, but delving into his background as a child star really grounded him and helped his charm be his foremost personality trait.

oh this book was so enjoyable! such a breath of fresh air in the romance genre. also absolutely adored ms. dana's take on fan culture? stan wars? as someone who was around for a lot of them, this was such a fun read in that regard. the connection between the main characters? kind of iconic. undeniable chemistry, both of them getting exactly what they need from each other was really well done. really enjoyed this one!

ׂ╰┈➤ ★★★★☆ (4 ⭐️)

𝑸𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒌𝒚. 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒚. 𝑯𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔!

🌙 Werewolf
👾 Age Gap
📽️ Actor x Fan
🌙 Small Town
👾 Enemies to Lovers
📽️ Dual POV
🌙 Slow Burn

———

This is a case of in the wrong place at the wrong time, on a night of a blood moon…

Devin Ashwood is now 42. His career had pretty much ended along with the popular TV series he was casted in, The Arcane Files (TAF), where he played Colby a Werewolf Detective. After a night of blowing off some steam, he suddenly finds himself sprawled out in his backyard, with no recollection of how he got there. Oh, did I mention he was naked?! Poor guy… Not long after this event, he begins to have another “episode” and blacks out. Only this time when he awakens, there is a video circulating on the internet of his “breakdown”

After a serious case of doom scrolling his symptoms… he comes across The Mod and their website containing an anthropology of the TV show’s lore; a break down of every episode, every character, every bit of information one would find on a Fandom Wiki!

Enters Alex Lawson. Once a fan, now despises Devin Ashwood with every waking moment. Until one email from her old Mod page, asking for help. Does she go along with it? Sure why not? I mean as if Devin Ashwood would actually be asking for help- *spits out coffee* wait. What the actual f?! He’s here. This isn’t a joke?

What could go wrong?

———

I liked this more than I thought I would. There were mixed reviews when I read a few, but I enjoyed it. It was funny, sad, saucy, interesting… should I go on? Yeah? Well this book was creative. I loved how it mentioned other movies/tv shows/books within this book. It almost made it real (well expect for the whole werewolf thing and of course, some things like omg-my-long-time-tv-star-crush-is-here-in-the-flesh, totally wouldn’t happen to us irl).

There were times though in the novel that made me cringe. There was TikTok oh and the word “Zaddy” came up 🤣 why?! Fanfic was mentioned in there but ohh man, reading by this made me was to read fanfics… got any recs?

For the characters, it was interesting seeing how a washed up actor who thought he’s only talent was acting, finds himself becoming more than just the face on tv. His character grows and he was loveable. Not to mention his alter ego with his wolf was adorable how they could connect emotionally. Alex is a no shits given character for sure. She is willing to do anything to hold up the community centre even if it means helping Devin.

A few times when reading I did feel lost, I think it was cause I’m still not used to reading third person, but it felt like some lines didn’t connect or like the sentence would just jump from one time span to another or one scene to the next. But that’s probably just me.

Overall, if you just want a good read that isn’t over the top fantasy or the same over the top cliche romance with the tropes/themes (*cough cough looking at you hockey sports romances cough cough*), definitely pick this up for a laugh (in a good way).

4/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶️

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher Hachette Australia & NZ for the ARC. unfortunately I missed the publication day! But I enjoyed it nonetheless. I want to read more of this authors books now!

FAN SERVICE is a love letter to fandom – and werewolves. The first few chapters are busy with the premise and there’s a lot to process if you are new to fanfiction, but once that was sorted, I became immersed in the world of Devin and Alex.

Devin is a washed-up actor in his forties who, some years earlier, starred in a supernatural TV show called The Arcane Files, in which he played a detective - who was also a werewolf. While the show’s storylines were fictional, the showrunner based them on old family legends about a distant relative who was hanged after being found ‘feral’ and covered in chicken blood in the woods. His career in tatters, Devin is a bit of a mess, and is dealing with issues stemming from a toxic childhood, a mixed career where he’s trying to stay relevant, and a life alone with nobody to keep him grounded. To make things even worse, Devin is actually becoming a werewolf himself, and the process is mimicking how it happened in the TV show. Desperate for help, he reaches out to Alex, who was the moderator of a fan site back when the show was running.
Alex is defensive and lonely, but has made herself a life, however small. She works as a veterinary nurse, looks after her father and mentors at a community centre, but she’s an outsider in her hometown. She had an awful fan-based interaction with Devin years ago, which ruined her self-confidence and soured her crush on him.

Even though she’s conflicted, Alex agrees to try to help Devin, and between them they concoct a series of trials and routines to help him harness his inner wolf so that he won’t let it loose at the next full moon. This gives Alex and Devin a month to learn the wolf and in doing so they get to know each other and Devin becomes immersed in Alex’s Florida community. He surprises himself by being helpful and standing up for her – I loved this! Everything comes to a head when they go back to Hollywood for a celebrity appearance at the full moon.

That all sounds very serious, and it is, but it’s also great fun. The only reason this book isn’t a 5 stars the complexity of the fandom set up. What I loved most is how funny and horny and sexy it is – Devin rocks the werewolf’s senses, he’s attuned to Alex’s scent, her body language, her arousal and this makes for some serious chemistry. Devin has to contain his lust and stay in human form around her and there’s some steamy primal play and power exchange. One important thing to know is that this isn’t a fully-fledged paranormal romance in that there are no other supernatural creatures or shifters, the story isn’t set in an alternate world, and Devin becoming a werewolf isn’t really explained. All he and Alex know is that it’s happening and they have to work out how to deal with it. I loved how this ridiculous premise played out, I felt the growing connection between the pair and I loved how the werewolf storyline is resolved. Enjoy!

Thank you Rosie Danan, Hachette Australia and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Review coming soon on <a href="https://allaboutromance.com">All About Romance</a>

*4.5 stars*

*Thank you to NetGalley & Hachette Australia & New Zealand for providing a digital copy to reivew*

I love the concept of this book. The star of the TV show you were obsessed with as a teen shows up to meet with you cause he now actually turns into a werewolf and needs your help. This book is for the fangirls, and I ate it up.

I loved Alex, our FMC. She never felt as though she belonged in her town and found solace in the online community surrounding The Archane Files, of which she plays a central role. I related heavily with finding people online to talk and interact with and sharing something in common.

I would describe Devin as a puppy, which is apt since he’s now a werewolf. He was a child star and spent most of his life in the spotlight and is trying to find some kind of purpose to his life. He’s very childish, and I often forgot that he is in his forties until it was randomly brought up.

I loved seeing how he and Alex developed as characters alongside their relationship. They both have issues relating to letting people into their lives and through helping Devin tame his wolf Alex resolves her issues with him and her life as a whole.

I enjoyed their relationship immensely, especially how gone Devin (and his wolf) were for Alex. I just love a ‘he falls harder’ trope. Overall, it was a fun time which is what I wanted with this book

DNF@30%

I really wanted to like this book. I mean look at the cover, at the synopsis…. I really thought it was going to be right up my crazed fan girl alley, but alas it was not.

I didn’t enjoy the writing style and found it hard to actually become engrossed in the story. The overt use of metaphors became difficult to read and I really just wasn’t vibing with how the mmc spoke and held conversations…. He’s in his 40s, so why is he talking like my pre-adolescent family members?

I hope that this book finds its target audience and that they adore it, but sadly that won’t be me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc copy of this book.

So much of this would’ve been considered fun if it weren’t for the downright cringey, borderline problematic comments made by this manchild.

I wanted to like this, and at times I did. But at the end of the day, the chemistry between these two was lacking. Alex was an absolute badass who had been awfully treated by so many people and then she just ends up with a guy whose internal dialogue suggests she is porn material, not his type, should remove her nose ring etc. I understand his character flaws contribute to this, but it doesn’t make a compelling romance. Just feels uncomfy.

Lastly, Devin’s comment about not being gay as if it’s the most outrageous, shameful thing + his outrageous obsession with porn, watching porn, the objectification of women, REALLY made him the most unredeemable MMC I’ve read to date.

This has so many cool aspects and all of it resided with Alex and the fandom and the way so many people are treated for their love of fictional worlds. I loved all of that.

Sadly, I cannot recc this book.

2025 Read: #31
Rating: 3.5 ⭐
MY THOUGHTS 💭
✨ The premise of this one sounded interesting and I liked it but I didn’t love it like I thought I might
✨ It was quite slow to start with the set up and I ended up taking a break from this book for like two weeks at around 20%
✨ When I came back after seeing a positive review, I did grow to enjoy it more but the overall book just felt a touch too long
✨ The learning to be a werewolf part and Alex’s history with the show Devin starred in were both interesting

DNF at 25%. This book just was not for me unfortunately. I didn’t like either of our main characters and I found the dialogue quite cringey. The storyline was just odd 😥. I’m sure there’ll be lots of people who enjoy but I just couldn’t get into it.

Fan Service by Rosie Danan is a delightful mix of paranormal romcom, fandom culture, and reluctant allies-to-lovers romance that keeps you hooked with its wit, sizzling chemistry, and supernatural intrigue.

Alex Lawson has always felt more at home in the online world than in real life. As the creator of a wildly popular fan forum for The Arcane Files, she’s become the go-to expert on all things supernatural—especially werewolves. The only problem? She secretly despises the show’s leading man, Devin Ashwood.

Devin, on the other hand, is a washed-up actor whose life has been spiralling since the series ended. But waking up naked in the woods with no memory of the night before? That’s a whole new level of disaster. The full moon, claws, and fangs don’t exactly help his case. With nowhere else to turn, he seeks out the one person who might have answers—Alex.

Forced into an uneasy partnership, Alex and Devin must navigate the strange new reality of his condition. Their banter is sharp, their mutual disdain is entertaining, and their growing attraction is impossible to ignore. As they work together to uncover the truth, things get even more complicated—because fighting off supernatural urges is one thing, but fighting off feelings? That’s an entirely different battle.

With laugh-out-loud humour, sizzling tension, and a refreshing take on both fandom culture and paranormal romance, Fan Service is a fun, fast-paced read that will appeal to lovers of snarky dialogue, reluctant alliances, and a touch of the unexpected. Rosie Danan delivers a unique and entertaining romcom with a bite—literally.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book for anyone who has ever been in a fandom. This took me back to my teenage days of trawling through forums and fan fiction. The premise is incredibly fun: the MMC who played a werewolf on tv is turning into a werewolf, and turns to the mod of an online fan forum.

It took me a little while to get into this—some of the writing felt like it was trying a little too hard to hit what is currently popular online. Devin also felt a little too much of a frat boy despite his age—I wish he’d been aged down a bit.

Overall, ‘Fan Service’ was an enjoyable, silly read!

3.75/5⭐️

This is going to be a favourite for 2025!
Fan Service is such a fun read. The writing is fantastic, the spice is strong, the MMC needs to work on communicating haha.
This book is part real life, part fantasy, part fandom, and 1000% has all the vibes of early 00's CW shows. amazing!
Danan has created a love letter to fandom culture & a must read for all the ao3, fanfic readers!!

If you’re someone who has been part of a fandom (think supernatural CW shows) and had the classic day dream where the heartthrob that plays your favourite character comes to you (since you’re obviously the chosen one) for help, because they in fact are turning into the supernatural creature they play on screen — this the book for you. It is funny and nerdy and messy. I really loved that the characters were older too! Their interactions, even within this bizarre situation felt authentic.

I did struggle with the writing sporadically, there were some editorial things that needed to checked but over all it’s a good time!

Thank you for the ARC! —this is more like 3.5 ⭐️

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

As a fan of Teen Wolf and Supernatural in their heyday, and a fandom consumer if not active participant, this book premise was right up my alley. An actor who played a werewolf in his younger years suddenly finds himself turning into an actual werewolf?? Perfect, no notes. He then goes to the creator/moderator of the highly detailed fan wiki for said show for help, because his werewolf experience is exactly like the extremely specific lore from the show? Love that. The moderator hates him for something he said about her ten years ago? Well, there needs to be some sort of conflict aside from him being a bit of an asshole actor.
Danan is a great writer. The scene with the dunk tank? Iconic.
Devin and Alex are fun, complex characters, though not always likeable. They seemed fairly real, which is a feat considering one turns into a wolf! They both really just needed a hug.

After adoring Danan's last quirky paranormal outing Do Your Worst, I am delighted to report she's done it again with Fan Service - a contemporary romance firmly grounded in the real world but there's just a touch of the unusual going on. Well, given the MMC is a wereworlf, maybe more than a touch.
Many reviewers have said that this book is a love-letter to fandom, especially that of beloved American tv channel CW paranormal shows like Buffy and Supernatural, and it's true. Devin is at first glance a cheeky, charming and always-agreeable golden-boy hero who played a werewolf on tv. He was Jensen Ackles in my head!
Some years after the show has ended and he's looking down the barrel of what might be the end of his career, suddenly Devin turns into a werewolf. The reason why is a bit of a hand-wave (in the time-honoured tradition of fanfic) but what's a guy to do but seek out the owner of the most comprehensive fan wiki for his tv show? This leads him to Alex, a black-cat bi girlie and an outsider in her Florida small-town where she stands out with her tattoos, piercings and black clothes. Her previous crush on Devin destroyed by an awful convention encounter in her teens, she nonetheless agrees to help him in return for payment.
The dynamic between these two is what kept me reading - they saw bits of themselves in each other and the dual POV was perfect for letting us see them get to truly SEE the other person and their deepest wounds. They are both hurt by their parental relationships in the past, Devin by a mother and father who exploited and financially abused him as a child actor and Alex by a mother who fled when she was young. Devin loves that Alex still has a generous heart (for her dad, animals and the young trans kid at her beloved community center) despite her prickly exterior. And Alex comes to see beneath Devin's charming facade is a boy who was taught people would only love him if he was pretty and perfect and useful at making money.
There's some funny and silly moments of course - he's a werewolf battling to get control of the beast inside him - but there's plenty of romance, tension and delicious spice as well. There is one Primal Play scene in the woods that had me absolutely SWEATING. And the fact that he's obsessed with her smell - it's adorable and sexy.
Recommended if you liked shows like Teen Wolf and paranormal romance - but especially both.