Now that, friends, is how you write spice!

I absolutely adored this book. It felt so fresh to me. In a world of copy and paste romances, this one truly stood out. The dynamic between Cassie and Seth really felt so comfortable even when they weren’t friends or when things were awkward. I didn’t have to be told they were best friends for most of their childhoods because I could feel it when they interacted.

I also adored everything about Seth. I loved the way he talked and how, every time he did, I got to learn more about how his brain worked. He kept talking and saying more than he should have and digging himself deeper and deeper into holes and I ate. It. Up. We need more love interests like Seth.

Now, the way Charlotte Stein writes tension and pining? Somebody give this woman an award. I swear she must have written fan fiction in the past because this is the absolutely beautiful tension and longing and pathetic wanting that you can only find in a good fan fiction. And the spice! Finally! Something that doesn’t feel like I read the exact same secret scene in twenty different books!

I am foaming at the mouth.

I need the next book immediately.

I may build a shrine to this book on my shelves.

Due to medical reasons, I was unable to fully read this book before it expired. I throughly enjoyed what I did read, however I cannot write a proper review due to this. I apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

This book did a great job with chemistry and humor. The MMC was a sweet golden retriever and their banter was so cute.

While I loved hanging out with the characters and their banter I feel like we didn't really get a plot until the last 25% or so. I feel like we spent most of the book just following them around being like hey look how cool all these supernatural things you never thought were real are and not building to anything (other than the romance).

I don't love seeing a fat woman have to have some sort of trauma related to being fat and I hated what the MMC called her at the beginning of the book (I still don't understand why he went along and repeated that) but I do like that this wasn't a constant barrage of self-hate from our FMC because of this. Also, loved that the MMC has always been attracted to her and her body.

Overall, I had a fun time but feel like this could have used more of a plot with some goal we were working towards and been a little shorter. Loved the characters and their chemistry though, and that is so key in enjoying a romance.

Cassandra comes home to grandma's house to find things a bit different. He best friend turned enemy has something strange going on and weird things keep happening to her.
When she realizes she is a witch and her best friend is a werewolf, a whole new world is opened up to her.
Opinion
This was a fun book to read. It was pretty fast paced with a lot of interesting twists on the supernatural world. I enjoyed the back and forth between Cassandra and Seth and simply cannot wait for book number 2 to come out.
Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

am DNFing this at 25%. This is the second book by Charlotte Stein and I just didn't vibe with the writing style or the banter. I don't think there is anything wrong with this per se, its just not my cup of tea. These are supposed to be two full grown adults, but they feel more like "wonky" teenagers who use swear words. And that was the same vibe I got from When Grumpy met Sunshine. And I am starting to think that this is just maybe an author whose books are not written for me.

This book is a friends-to-enemies-to lovers story and sometimes that trope doesn’t work as well for me. Cassandra’s history with Seth was likely fairly traumatic, especially for their ages when it occurred. But I do wish Cassie had gotten over her shame and had more confidence. The magical aspects were a little fuzzy and the ending was a bit rushed and bizarre? But I think that it will all make sense later in the series.

I had high hopes for this one, but it kind of missed the mark for me. The storyline is imaginative, and original, but the near constant dialogue drove me batty. Maybe it's because I listened to it instead of physically reading it, but I just wanted to tell the characters, "Shut up already!"

Cassie Camberwell returns to her hometown of Hollow Brook to clear out her grandmother's home. Bullied through0ut her school years for her weight, everything came to a head her senior year when her bullies destroyed her senior project while she was onstage demonstrating it. The worst part? Her best friend, Seth Brubaker, the one person she trusted most, was the one person she heard jeering at her as she ran from the stage. Leaving town, Cassie planned never to return, but then her grandmother leaves her the cottage. It was a magical place to grow up but she is stunned to find out the magic didn't die along with her grandma. In fact, it's stronger than ever.

Craving one of her grandmother's soups, Cassie starts cooking. Hearing weird noises in the house, she can't believe her nemesis, Seth, has broken in. He claims her grandma had been helping him, and the soup she's making smells like his medicine. Before he can take any of it, he begins to change. Can Cassie find a way to keep the beast at bay?

I liked that Cassie is clueless about the magic she carries, and that she is willing to keep trying, even when something she makes doesn't do what she thinks it should. I liked that Seth was persistent in trying to prove to Cassie that his friendship for her never died. I also liked that he didn't hold her mistakes over her.

Readers who love a story with a hefty dose of magic, another dose of romance, and a few dashes of hilarity, will enjoy How to Help a Hungry Werewolf.

I wanted so badly to love this but in the end I couldn't finish it. I was expecting cute and cozy vibes but I struggled to get into the writing or to connect to the characters. It felt very surface level, which was frustrating because the premise had so much potential. Also, humour is subjective and I felt myself roll my eyes more than laughing out loud in this case.

DNF 15%

I really enjoy Charlotte Stein’s contemporary romances and they make me laugh so much, but I just cannot get into this book. I’ve tried starting this so many times, but it’s boring and I just cannot convince myself to pick it up again. I’m planning to try upcoming demon one, though I’m a little hesitant cuz I feel like Jackson is the bully from high school that Seth became friends with. I also do find it a little harder to root for Seth as a love interest when he was fatphohic, even if it was in high school and even if it was to be part of In Crowd or whatever. I dunno, this just doesn’t work for me, though I’m not writing the author off because, as I said, I’ve enjoyed her other works; this one just isn’t hitting.

I have liked Charlotte Stein okay in the past, but the concept behind this one was just too silly for me and I really did not like it. It may be a hit for others, but I did not finish it. Too many books in the world to read something you are not enjoying!

This book wasn’t quite what i had expected. It was better. I really enjoyed the second chance type of romance and the twisty fantastical element to the story. It had a bit of suspense and a lot of swoon. I really liked it.

This is classic Charlotte Stein—feisty heroine who's a little insecure and socially awkward but always has a quick, clever comeback in her head. The hero? An oblivious jerk who has no idea how clearly he’s bonkers for her. The story delivers plenty of cringe-worthy, nose-peeking moments, adorably clueless attempts at kindness, face-turning blush scenes, and outright laugh-out-loud funny bits.
If this is your first Stein, you might want to start with one of her earlier books—especially her paranormal ones—building up to her signature style. But if you love well-written sex scenes (erotic, yes) mixed with humor, awkward dialogue (sometimes painfully so), and a satisfying ending, this book is perfect.
It’s part of a series, so there were a few info dumps that pulled me out of the story—nothing major, but worth mentioning. Overall, I had a great time reading it. If I hadn’t gotten an ARC, I’d have definitely bought it on release day because I knew exactly what to expect from Stein’s signature style.
After a break from writing, Stein returned with When Grumpy Met Sunshine earlier this year, and I was over the moon. I have no doubt she’ll keep her loyal fans happy and attract new ones with these latest releases. I’m definitely looking forward to diving into the rest of this series.

What's insane is this was my introduction to Charlotte Stein. I'll certainly seek out her backlist, but this did not hold my attention.

I never got to read this, but I plan to for spooky season this year! It looks like such a cute and cozy and creepy too book for Halloween time

As with all of Charlotte Stein's books, I absolutely adored How to Help a Hungry Werewolf! Cassie and Seth have a cute relationship, even with their history hanging over them. The spicy parts are, as usual, phenomenal. The worldbuilding was just enough that I wasn't confused, but no more than I needed. I really really loved this book!

Definitely check the trigger warnings for fatphobia, it's absolutely there and I think handled well but there was a moment toward the end that made my stomach drop—but again, it was handled well.

I honestly couldn’t finish this one. It was not entertaining enough to keep my attention and I eventually had to put it down. It was just plain boring

Went in with high hopes, but this one didn’t quite sink its teeth into me. The premise was fun, but the writing style just wasn’t my vibe. Sadly, it was a “meh” read for me.

Ohhhh this book. I was so excited for it. But there were just too many things that gave me pause that I couldn’t overlook.

The main thing here is that these are former childhood friends, but he gets in with the ~cool crowd~ and is so outwardly cruel to her and is single handedly responsible for one of the worst and most embarrassing moments in her life. Fat-shaming her in front of the entire school.

Any romance after this (which is mentioned in the prologue) seems too improbable for me. If you’re going to go this route, you need him to be begging and pleading for her forgiveness as soon as possible, but even then I think it’s a long shot.

This book was such a fun ride in all the best ways! When I picked it up, I thought it would just be about her friend being a wolf but there was SO much more to the magical world. I was laughing at some of the lines and cheering for these characters. The FMC was FIREY and I loved seeing her stand up for herself and take no bologna.

I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did because shifters aren’t my favorite, but I was pleasantly surprised! I liked that the MMC was really a giant nerd and super awkward. The chemistry and the build up was really good!