Eleanor
263 reviews518 followers
4.5 Sweet and Charming ✨'s A Little Too Familiar is a cozy and light romcom following Lou, an animal mage specializing in familiars, and Declan, a wolf looking forward to a fresh start after moving in with his old friend and roommates. When Declan meets Lou, one of his new housemates, things don't go as planned as he learns of her magical affinity. With his traumatic past, Declan is blindsided by his attraction and despite his hesitance toward her, he quickly finds his home in Lou and her friends. However, when his past threatens to unravel all the progress they've made, Declan and Lou vow to stick together and keep each other safe. I am so glad I picked up this book and dove straight into this series! Lou and Declan were so magical together, I loved how caring they were to each other. Declan is an absolute sweetheart, his mother hen tendencies were so adorable and made so much sense with his upbringing and personality. Lou was just as kind and sure to make Declan feel heard. I loved how their relationship unfolded and they truly found a place for one another in their hearts. The found family was the cherry on top of their sweet connection, the way they included one another in their respective families while also making their own with the roommates was just to special. Not to mention the absolutely adorable animal friends in this book, I mean a baby phoenix named dammit.... this romance was made to tug at my heartstrings.
- cinnamon-roll-mc found-family monster-romance
Elizabeth
2,808 reviews238 followers
Bought the audiobook so I could re-read this adorable book. Guys, this is a duet narration (meaning the guy speaks the guys parts and the woman speaks the women's parts)! Still a delightful book on the reread. This book starts off with a baby bird, a phoenix. And the descriptions are so cute of this little guy. His name is "dammit" because that's what he heard from the person he imprinted on. This was so sweet, charming, satisfying and all the positive words I can use. The guy is my ideal. So warm and wonderful. He defines an alpha wolf as a caretaker. I loved him so much. And Lou was fierce and kind. This book has a great cast of characters and I can see us being set up for lots of romance pairings in future books. The adventure was also good. This was a satisfying read! I really enjoyed the therapy rep here. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen therapy in a fantasy novel and I’m all for it. Highly highly recommend. Please note that the backstory might bother some. This dude’s ex-girlfriend ended up with his sister. I cannot understand that. But thankfully, those two are side characters and I don’t have to live through that personally. The main characters are delightful and there are no OW or OM.
- fantasy fantasy-romance giggle-fest
Noi
469 reviews326 followers
Read this because of @Elizabeth I loved this so so much. Never thought I'd say this, but, where can I find my own 'poison cookie'? 🤭 I am going to be super nit-picky and give it a 4.75 because -- spoiler - - proceed at your own peril When the familiar bond happened, I felt like some adverse reaction from our MMC was warranted before the acceptance.
Our MMC is such a care-bear and so sweet, and all the other characters were developed and had their own thing going.
- 2022-publication
RLbooks (on a break)
829 reviews315 followers
At times, A Little too Familiar felt like a warm hug and a cozy coffee date with friends with its found family, quirky humor, and inclusive cast of characters. There are wonderful examples of positive masculinity (men hugging and loving on other men for example) and LGBTQ+ representation. Other times it was a suspenseful ride with potential dangers lurking to destroy our main characters. This juxtaposition made for an interesting read since I hadn't realized the suspense/danger portion of the plot was such a large part. I could go from feeling mushy to laughing to edge of my seat. Lou (h) is an animal mage who's apprenticing to specialize in familiars and bonding. She has a large and warm family. Declan (H) is a werewolf who's moving in with a friend, needing to start over after his sister and his girlfriend fell in love with each other. He now feels like a lone wolf and is esp sensitive because of a mysterious background. Lou is one of Declan's new roommates, except he has a traumatic background with animal mages and they get a very rough start. A rough start that doesn't completely douse the attraction/interest each feels for the other. Except there's more to come. Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and neither were virgins (it had been a while for both and H specifically hadn't been with his ex for some time before they broke up). I'm not going to spoil the twists, turns, and dangers in the plot. I did really enjoy the world that Ms. McBride created with all the potential in the types of magic and beings in it and also with the many potential romances she could introduce. While Lou and Declan are at the center of the book, their friends and family are enormously important, esp as Declan forms a new pack. Character-wise, Lou and Declan are both very likable, although Declan won out for me with the caring alpha side of him and how some of Lou's reactions/thoughts were unintentionally too prickly at times. Both are super protective of those they consider theirs, as well as being compassionate and just fun personalities, despite some of their hang-ups. These two go through a lot together from adjusting to a strained start as roommates to developing a supportive friendship as they find themselves in a forced proximity situation because of the danger element to the development of their romance. I loved the depth of the relationships throughout the book. Steam-wise, there are a couple of scenes on page and then a couple of times are referred to so while it is open door, it's not a super steamy book imo. The connection and intimacy though are super strong. There was lots of humor sprinkled in the book, but also lots of feels. Emotions not just for Declan and Lou, but also for some of the side characters. As I said, there's suspense and danger here too, along with past traumas and external drama. The villains are heinous. There are also some questionable characters that you're not sure how good or bad they may be. One in particular that's clearly bad I think is even more villainous than was revealed in this book and I think more will be revealed if the world is continued, which I'm assuming it will be. I did struggle a bit at times with the writing. There was some repetition and a couple of draggy spots. Sometimes the tense also changed, which is something that drives me a bit crazy. But the characters and the plot kept me engaged and curious. The climax of the story has some humor (always appreciated) as well as the expected action and tension, and lots of love (of the romantic, platonic, and familial). The book ends on a HFN with a bit of a jump ahead and is really sweet, offering some closure. The romance though is solid and certain, so a HEA in that sense. I definitely hope for more in this world! Trigger warnings: past child abuse
- celibate-hero cute-animal-sidekick favorite-heroes
Stephanie
Author77 books1,126 followers
*4.5 stars* This is such a charming, cozy paranormal romance with a huge found family element (find the pack that's right for YOU!) and the sweetest werewolf alpha ever to embroider his housemates' names on the lunch bags he carefully packs for all of them every day (because being an alpha means he REALLY wants to look after them and make sure they all eat well and live in a tidy, cozy home). The story starts a little slowly but builds into such a lovely, warm book full of adorable characters. The hero is that incredibly sweet, caretaking alpha, who finds comfort in cooking and cleaning and feeding his new pack; the heroine is a magical vet (basically) who wants to protect *him* from all dangers, including her own powerful magic; they're both surprised and thrilled to find themselves taken care OF by each other when they're each so used to looking after others. They're also surrounded (not only in their very full house but in their larger community) by wonderful friends and family (both biological and found), including lots of happy LGBTQ+ couples and (I hope!) potential couples-to-be. Oh, and the animal familiars around them are all fabulous, too, especially the very nosy pair of ferrets! I just loved living in this lovely little community for the space of the book, and I can't wait to return to it whenever another book comes out (for a new romantic couple). Perfect for any fans of Lauren Dane's Diablo Lake books or Molly Harper's paranormal rom-coms!
- f-sf-for-adults fiction-for-adults romances-comedies-for-adults
buket
849 reviews1,263 followers
first of all thanks to my gr friends for recommending this gem!! this was exactly what i needed this weekend 💖 this book could be my new comfort book because even though there was some dark scenes it was also so sweet and heartwarming. i loved declan and lou's dynamic. lou was selfless and such a sweet person, even when declan was mean to her at their first meeting she was very understanding. oh and how i loved declan, he was the sluttiest slut except when he was mothering 💅🏽 he was an alpha, ready to protect his pack but he also loved cooking for them and cleaning the house plus he cares environment🧎🏼♀️i was dying when trick and lou didn't notify him that they were late for dinner and he was ready to give them a time-out 😂 i felt so safe and positive while reading this book. i loved how the guys hug each other 💪🏽 i'm not a hugger but i want will to hug me so bad 😭 i also want this author to write many more books about for the series because the side characters were so good!! at this point i'll read a book about phoenix and ferrets😂 but the drama toward the end stressed me out 😩 and is this count as hfn because where did eva go??? will she be back??
- 2023-favorites husband-material possible-re-read
Inna
1,603 reviews349 followers
5 stars. The best use of my audible credit this year. Thank you, Elizabeth, for this rec! This book was… amazing. I loved every minute of my listening experience, and can’t wait to continue the series.
The only part that I didn’t love was the relationship between the hero/his sister/his ex (who broke up with the hero to be with his sister). That keeping it in the family shit doesn’t really work for me… at all. And the hero was much too forgiving, and everyone else much too understanding. There’s not a single thing about switching siblings that’s ok - it’s a major betrayal. But that part was treated with such a blasé manner that it made me question the author and her sanity. Thankfully, the rest of the book lacked red flags, so I did my best to let it go. The book overall was very progressive with a lot of diversity and inclusivity, which I loved.
I also really loved the first sex scene when the hero reached into the heroine’s drawer to use HER half-used box of condoms. Hell yes! I love a good role reversal… even though it has been a while for her also.
Safe
- no virgins
- both MCs celibate
- no OM/OW drama or scenes
- hero’s ex girlfriend left him for his sister
- no cheating
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
- 0-favorite-books 1-rating-5-stars 2-paranormal-fantasy
Stacee
2,875 reviews746 followers
This was absolutely everything I didn’t know I wanted and will be going on my top 10 of 2022 list. I love love loved Lou and Declan. They fit so well together and it was delightful reading their relationship progress organically. This cast of characters is phenomenal and I enjoyed the main group’s love for each other, complete supportiveness, and how they all jumped to help, no matter what. Plot wise, it was a good balance of romance, snark, and magic. The world building was slight, but made sense and the variety of people and abilities was fun fun fun. Oh, and let’s not forget the ferrets, baby phoenix, and pigeons. Overall, I was here because Lish’s name is on the front and I’ll read anything she puts out. This just happens to be my favorite thing. I can’t wait to read more from this group. **Huge thanks to Lish for spoiling me with an arc**
- i-want-to-hang-out-with-them read-in-2022
Restless Isabelle
244 reviews22 followers
A quirky set of characters, have quirky conversations about their quirky relationships and visit their quirky families and work their quirky jobs. Oh and there’s magic and werewolves and witches etc. This. Was. Tiring. There’s only so much quirk I can handle! Look, this isn’t a terrible book - it’s fast paced, romance-driven, has some funny dialogue and can be read as a standalone. Not too shabby. BUT I just found that ALL the characters kinda morphed into one big quirky jumble. Every single line of dialogue is drenched in their little group’s slang & idiosyncrasies- it became hard to tell them apart. They didn’t feel real which made it difficult for me to invest in their struggles so 🤷♀️ 2 ish stars. If you enjoy urban fantasy, love over the top banter, found families, and some steamy romance you might have fun. For me it didn’t work, but I wholly recommend checking out CURSED by the same author for a more polished, fantasy of manners with laugh out loud banter.
thelittlereaderthatcould
237 reviews2 followers
I’m in a witchy mood and this book had the perfect amount of witchiness to fulfill my witchy appetite. And ANIMAL MAGES !!! If I could be anything in the world, that’s what I would be 🫡 I love that magic users are called the Uncanny. Every single good character in this book had my heart in their clutches from the get go. Lou, Declan, Van, Will, Trick, Juliet ,Savannah and Bay had me yearning for a found family of weird and chaotic friends. Watching Declan and Lou come together as a couple was like watching those videos of people making smoothies. The satisfaction in watching all the colours blend together that’s basically hypnotizing and sooooo satisfying. That’s what I felt reading this book🫠 And the humour 😮💨 honestly this book had me constantly cackling … internally. Or rather, breathing out very heavily through my nostrils when I was delighted . The world that was built in this book was so interesting and fantastical. I NEED another book in this world like I need my next breath. Ms McBride you have my sword and my ax 💙💙
Big, funny, till-death-do-us-part loving families are my favourite thing in the universe. Mama Ami, Jory and the rest of their crew made me feel so warm and squishy anytime they made an appearance😭🩵
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
M.L. Brennan
Author8 books292 followers
This book was AMAZING. It’s incredibly funny, very romantic, and at times extremely sexy. There’s a great magical world to explore, and Lish McBride is creating a world of magic users that is both uniquely McBride and also extremely magical Seattle. Magical coffee shops? Magical tattoo parlors? Magical veterinary clinics? Yes to all! There are ferret familiars (which absolutely stole every scene they were in), a baby phoenix, strong and supportive friend relationships, and an interpretation of alpha werewolves embraces non-toxic masculinity – it’s fantastic! (who wants a hot dude who also makes sure that you have a packed lunch in a re-usable lunchbag? EVERYONE) Lou (Louise) has a fantastic and hilarious web of family, friends, co-workers, and roommates who are all involved and supportive. She has a career and goals, and when Declan arrives in town, he fits into her life and friend relationships rather than making everything all about him. Declan also gets so much out of the relationship – Lou is supportive, empathetic, caring, but also someone who is full of fun and life. The magic is very neat in this book, the sex scenes are very steamy, there are so many hilarious lines, and all I’m wondering now is when the next book in the series comes out! I can’t recommend this book enough – your week needs this lovely, sexy, funny, magical, cozy romance.
Julie - One Book More
1,201 reviews211 followers
A Little Bit Familiar is a fantastic paranormal romance with an interesting storyline, great characters, a swoon-worthy romance, and the absolute best found family! I adored the story so much that I it in one sitting. It was so good, I couldn’t put it down until I knew what happened to Declan, Lou, and all of the others. Lou is a great protagonist! Caring and empathetic, she is so understanding and such a great support to her friends and family. And she’s hilarious! She has a strong narrative voice, and some of her observations and comments are completely hysterical. I also adore Declan. He is also a caring person, and he always thinks of others before himself. He loves to take care of the people in his life, which he totally does with his new roommates. I love the sweet ways he shows his gratitude and affection. Declan has such a tragic story, and he has suffered a lot over the course of his life, and I just wanted to reach into the book and give this man a hug. The love story between Declan and Lou is amazing!! Ugh, the chemistry between these two is to die for! They have so many obstacles thrown at them, and their forced proximity after an accidental magical connection creates even more problems for them, but Declan and Lou deeply care for each other. I love how Lou shows Declan what it means to be unconditionally supported and accepted. She doesn’t show him pity and seems to understand him on such a deep level, which he hasn’t really experienced before. She also fights for him as much as he fights for her, much to his surprise. Lou treats Declan in a way he’s never been treated before – with respect, admiration, and unequivocal support, and it’s wonderful to see him slowly let down his walls and let her in. I love watching them fall for and be vulnerable with each other, and I so rooted for them to find happiness. Now, I need to talk about Lou’s family and friends because they are one of my favorite parts of the story. They are all so fantastic! Fun and funny, loyal and supportive of each other, these people welcome Declan into their fold so easily and happily. It’s such a change for Declan, who has been subjected to more than his fair share of toxic relationships. But he made the best decision in moving because it’s once he meets his roommates that he finds his pack, which is something he desperately craves. I love that he finds the family he deserves in Lou, his other roommates, and Lou’s family. I also like that the story highlights the positive effects of therapy. I think there’s still such stigma attached to going to therapy, so to see Declan advocating for himself, willingly going to counseling, and benefitting from it is powerful. Mental health is important and not something to be ignored, which Declan, Lou, and most of the secondary characters understand and embrace. Other messages about control, the abuse of power, love, and family are also powerful and thought-provoking. The world-building is creative and unique and includes a multitude of supernatural people, animals, and elements. It’s interesting to see how the human world and the paranormal world mesh. I also have to do a shout-out to the fabulous animals in the book, including the fiery phoenix Dammit, two rambunctious and gossipy ferrets, and the pigeons who get together and do what they do best. These animals are sweet, charming, and often hilarious additions to the story. This is an excellent paranormal romance by Lisa McBride with dynamic, layered characters, an exciting and suspenseful plot, a found family that I want to adopt me, vivid and original fantasy elements, a ton of humor, and a swoon-worthy and sexy romance. I’m so thankful to DevoLish and Turn the Page Tours for providing me with a copy of the book and would definitely recommend it to romance, paranormal romance, or romantic suspense readers.
- paranormal-romance romance romantic-suspense
Kelly (AndKellyReads)
949 reviews58 followers
Holy freaking shit I loved this book. The found family, the familiars, the humor, the acceptance; all of it was absolutely wonderful and when I wasn’t smiling from ear to ear I was probably crying and all up in my feelings. Lou, Declan, and the whole damn crew were just absolutely wonderful and I want to bottle up this warm fuzzy feeling and revel in it. Also from here on out I will be referring to all my petty and mean thoughts as “cat thoughts” and I will be taking no questions at this time. Do I think Declan got beyond his trauma where Lou’s magic was concerned a little quickly? Sure. Did that dampen my enjoyment? Not even a little bit. One of the things McBride does really well is talk about how grief and trauma are fluid and pop up unexpectedly and, to me, that was way more important and crucial. Plus, everyone’s journey is different and Lou is a LIGHT of a person. I loved this book. I want more of it. Need it, actually. Absolutely fantastic 👏🏼 [I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review]
Cassandra Mitchell
222 reviews90 followers
Thank you Libro FM for a free audio copy of this book!
- adult arc-or-from-pub audio
Stacia | stacialovestoread
435 reviews28 followers
TW: car accident, parental abuse, kidnapping, alcohol consumption Being that Lish is more known for her YA and fantasy writings, I was quite surprised when she said she had an adult romance on the horizon. But, she brings her fantasy roots with her. ALTF stars Lou (Louise), an animal mage in training. She’d be the equivalent of a specialist vet in the mundane (non-magical) world. Her job is to assist witches and familiars with bonding to each other and becoming buddies. Everything is going normally until her new housemate, Declan arrives. Declan is a shifter, werewolf, specifically. He’s leaving Portland for Seattle for a fresh start after breaking up with his girlfriend. His parents are well known in the magical community as some very unsavory characters, but they’re in jail, so Declan feels he can finally put that bit of his past behind him for good. Until the break out of jail. And now his parents are looking for him and his siblings again. Can Declan protect himself, his roommates, and his sister from the evil on the horizon, or will he be the next victim? ——————
I received an eARC of this book from my good friend and author Lish herself! Receiving these materials in no way impacted my review.
- arcs-and-review-copies
Jaime
149 reviews183 followers
I didn't know I needed Lish McBride's A Little Too Familiar until I read it, but I did. I really, really did. Louise is part of a large, loving family who support her in her quest to become an animal mage, and she works hard to reach her goal. Lou never doubts she's loved, and her family will always be there for her. That goes for her roommates and found family as well. Declan is a literal lone wolf, a shifter without a pack, which might be the loneliest feeling on earth. His younger sister is making a life of her own, and his father and stepmother are in prison. He won't stand in the way of his sister's happiness, and he wants nothing to do with his father. He really is on his own, but trying to make the best of it. When Lou and Declan meet they both fight the attraction, but avoiding one of your roommates is hard and the attraction between them grows, and grows, but so do the dangerous obstacles in their path. They don't have an easy time of it, but true love finds a way, even when love needs a little help from a baby phoenix, and a couple of ferrets. Lou and Declan's love story is told with warmth and compassion, has an amazing cast of characters, is deeply funny, and still has more heart than any book I've read in a long time. I couldn't ask for more. Highly recommended.
- kindle-books owned-books
Tanya
115 reviews
Who knew that urban fantasy paranormal shifters was going to be my newest kink? I surprise myself. What a ride. And I loved every minute of it. Some great internal dialogue and unique observations like pigeons being dirty bastards and ferrets are gossip mongers. Declan is a tortured soul and Louise is too much of a people pleaser (and a bit of a doormat to be honest with you) but somehow they are great for each other. Well done Lish McBride.
Sienna
146 reviews1 follower
Wow I loved how good the story was in this- love a bit of high stakes and romance😈 Anyways loved this xoxo
This is genuinely my ideal balance of fantasy and action and romance and I am very interested to see what the next book could hold - and if it has the same great energy that this one had throughout!
Love- would recommend if you liked “Bride” but only in the sense that there is magic and mystical beings, and not marriage of convenience and characters forced together kind of?
Robin Mandell
365 reviews13 followers
This is the most creative urban fantasy setting I have seen in a while. I loved it.
Really sweet, and lots of wonderful chosen family, but also pretty creepy and lots of intense use of magic.
what.rachel.reads
463 reviews36 followers
4 stars for our sweetie pie Declan who just wants to take care of his love and found family with packed lunches and embroidered gifts. 😭 Bonus points for duet narration!
- _source-scribd _sub-genre-paranormal 2024-audiobooks
Monica
344 reviews6 followers
This book was basically perfect. Interesting relatable characters? Check. Well developed side characters? Check. Compelling relationship development? Check. Fascinating paranormal world? Check. Found family? Check. Ugh. Cannot wait for the rest.
- paranormal romance
Leanna W
66 reviews
4.3⭐️ REALLY enjoyed the world and the dynamics of the characters. Set in modern day world but with supernatural acceptance (think universities for witches, potion shops, etc.) found family dynamic was great and the character interactions were funny and heartfelt. Storyline was also really interesting and unique which I loved. Lots of 🌶️ and fulfilled my need for a witchy spicy vibe 🎉👏🏼
Kaila
909 reviews107 followers
Super cute relationships all the way through, full of secure attachers, and no fake drama for the sake of drama. It fell victim to one of my least favorite tropes - bonding. It makes sense, in a romance book kind of way. You want the reader to know these two people are meant for each other, but you only have 300 pages to do it. Bonding is a shortcut lots of romance writers take. But that's exactly what it is - a shortcut. It does not get me to care about the couple and their relationship, it's stupid werewolf bullshit and it comes up in romance all the time. I immediately spotted which friends would be the main characters in the next book, and reading the blurb, yup! You get a sense of these things after years of romance! Do I kind of want to be in Lou's family and eat all the food? .....yes, yes I do. Also, pigeons have a brief appearance at the end of the book and "coo coo baby" made me laugh out loud.
- 2023 animals-are-better-when-they-talk beds-and-breakfast-book-club
LisaReadsThings
249 reviews11 followers
Utterly delightful. This is exactly what I want out of a rom-com. The main pair were so cute together and Declan is just the smooshiest marshmallow werewolf you'll ever meet. The best part though is that the secondary characters didn't just feel like props added in so they'd be familiar in their I'm assuming upcoming book. They were important to -this- story so you got to be introduced to them without them taking away from the building up of the main pair. This is a nice, comfy, slightly spicy little slice of fun.
- comfort-food
Andrianna
715 reviews1 follower
Cute but not exactly compelling. This felt like a really thorough fanfic, or like it was self-published. There were some typos and inconsistencies, and it felt like there was supposed to be a subplot regarding the mean mage dad that was dropped but not fully erased. But it was generally sweet and it did what I needed it to do (keep me occupied while recovering from surgery, without being too mentally taxing).
Nicole
164 reviews
I hate to say it, but I honestly wasn’t a big fan. The concept was cute but the book seemed to go on forever.
Sha
994 reviews38 followers
31 October 2022 1. Alt-reality modern era where supernatural creatures are out in the open and have been for a century and change. Werewolf looking for a change of pace in life moves in with his old friend. One of his new roommates is an animal mage and because he's part animal but also mostly because of some really traumatizing experiences in his childhood he reacts a little badly to that. But they are all mature adults who communicate (tm) so they soon make up and everyone starts living in domestic bliss. 2. One thing I actually did love about this book was how it portrayed the "alpha" of a wolf pack as the nurturer, which is a take I don't see in werewolf media much. And that is a shame, the nurturer alpha is a wonderful archetype. Nothing like a big potentially badass guy with a growly voice who can turn into a mass of fur and claws and teeth being the den mother. It was wonderful. That was the best part. 3. Anyway, some actual conflict comes in later on in the story with bad guys from Declan's past coming in to hurt him. This results in magical shenanigans and magical rulebreaking and the two protagonists being mind0chained together. Then there's some action and stuff. You know, standard stuff. 4. That asshole of a dad of our potential heroine no 2 Van (I have been reading romance for a while, but even if I didn't I know who the protagonists and love interests for the next two books are. Here's hoping Juliet gets one too.) is CLEARLY sketchy and running illegal experiments on the side. Somebody smack him with a broom. Repeatedly. 5. Anyway, the story is fine, and I like some of the elements (nurturer alpha my beloved (♡ヮ♡), the ferrets and Dammit also my beloveds) but most of the time I was kinda bored because well- Declan is a sweetheart and so is Lou. And that makes for a wonderful ship IRL but tends to be a bit boring to read about in-story. This is, of course, dependent on personal taste, but I need my hard edges yo.
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars. It's... fine. I just wasn't really into it?
Sheia
554 reviews33 followers
3.75 stars FL/ Lou:- an animal mage, Lou is kind-hearted and caring. But not a damsel and rather feisty. She and her friends Van, Jules and Trick live together. All of them are uncanny a.k.a. belonging to other-than-natural community. ML/ Declan:- a wolf shifter, Declan has had a painful and cruel past, which comes at hands of his wolf father, and an animal mage stepmother. When his sister and his ex get together, he decides to give them all space and move to Seattle to live with his friend Trick, not realising Lou, Van and Jules are actually women. Review Written well, this book has a very simplistic and easy to understand world. There are Uncanny, who have been ousted a century and a half ago, and then there are Humans. When Declan comes to live in Seattle, Lou and him don't get along immediately. But slowly Dec settles around his roommates. The book isn't masculine, as usually werewolf and paranormal books are. This one takes a different approach and takes on a softer, more emtional and easygoing route. Which I did enjoy, honestly. The characters are consistent, the plot solid. I did want Declan to not be only a goody-two-shoes. But I guess that's what he was, and it's hard to break character there. I love how relationships are explored in this book. The length is also right—not too long or short. Overall, a good one!
- character-shifters character-witches-or-wizards genre-paranormal
Laura
825 reviews
The relationship of this book is between Declan, a werewolf, and Lou, an animal mage. Their relationship is super solid, and there's no classic miscommunication plot that blows up their relationship. They face the problems together while also having steamy sex scenes. There were a lot of ideas that I found interesting in this book- a animal mage who deals with bonds, a shifter being a familiar, and even things like Minotaur shifters. Declan starts his life fresh after his sister begins to date his now ex girlfriend, it felt harsh to me even though he didn't care and it all works out. There were small things I enjoyed too, like I love the thought of Lou arguing with a pigeon before a date, I fully believe pigeons would be arseholes that catcall. "You can't keep secrets from pigeons." Iconic. Throw in a history with a cult and you're in for a ride. I also liked the total lack of toxic masculinity within the friendship group, it was a lovely thing to read. The solution to the familiar bond was a bit obvious. Overall, a pleasant fluffy read, it just lacked a certain oomph to get a higher rating. While I liked Will and Van, I'm not sold on the blurb of the next book so I won't be continuing.
DMATMOOBILforever
573 reviews11 followers
3.5 stars rounded to 4 Ch 4: rude, he told Lou to get out of her own place? Nice that she did it, I guess since he was having a sort of anxiety attack
Ch 10: this is sooo sweet. Okay Declan apologized and now he’s NESTING. Like mother hen taking care of his roommates, apparently let it’s an alpha male pack thing haha, to make sure everyone is fed. So cute. I’ve never read a book with an MMC in this kind of opposite stereotypical gender role and I love it hahaha.
Ch 14: whoa this is bizarre. So Declan’s stepmother was trying to trap him in a dream, he unconsciously reached out to Lou for help and Lou’s saved him, but also accidentally binding herself to him at the same time (seems like he offered it to her). Now they want to stay bonded so Declan’s stepmother can’t steal him back since she’s escaped from prison.
Okay, overall this was pretty good. It felt kinda long for the page count. I looooved Declan. Theresa found family was cute. It was all very wholesome. Declan was super manly and yet also so caring and doting. I’m guessing Eva will show up next book since she escaped? Also I’m glad there was no third act breakup.. it really worked for this couple. The third act kidnapping was enough.
❌ feels
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
- halloween paranormal