I absolutely loved this book! It was so freaking goood and such an amazing and addicting read! The story immediately sucked me in and the main characters and their tension were absolutely fascinationg. I loved the cozy vibes and the slow burn romance--this book was right up my alley! I genuinely hope there are more books in this series because the world building was superb and this author sure knows how to write a story!

First, the elephant in the room, yes it starts with teenage fat shaming. However, that is almost immediately marked as Bad, with a capital B, and something you will be punished for, so it actually didn't bother me that much. What did bother me was the almost terminal case of "tell don't show" and the fact that the magical system wasn't particularly well thought out. I found myself having to drag myself through this book painfully.

(Spoilers here, skip to the next paragraph if you don't want to read them: I mean, if supernatural creatures are functionally immortal, but they keep being born, then a _large_ portion of our society should now be supernatural creatures. Moreover, why isn't there a thriving business in werewolf changing for immortality? If you live forever, you really should all be suuuper rich by now, just because you don't have to pay for things the rest of us have to pay for-like health care or housing or tools. Anyway, you get the picture. *end spoilers*

That said, I truly think this would be catnip to a certain kind of reader. It is a super sweet love story with some magic plastered on the top like a bad paint job over pretty wallpaper. If you're the kind of person who can look past the magic systems, you should give this a try.

I really wanted to like this book. I thought it had a cute premise that felt like it was going to be a goofy cozy read. Instead it turned into a smut fest and I really just wasn't feeling it. I think going into expecting it to be a funny and light hearted read I was turned off. The comparing size has been done in almost every romance I've read lately. "He is as big as a house," can only be sexy when we don't compare men to houses. I like the paranormal side to it and the way she handled the magic system. The kitchen witch aspect that was putting magic into regular recipes was a really cool idea. Finally something that didn't have to be taught and unrealistically taught in the span of a few weeks. Overall it fell flat for me because of the fact I have a love for romances and consume so many.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book and think you will to.

This book is really choppy in the beginning 20%, and I found it hard to follow. Not usually how I feel about romances from this publisher!

The concept of this was so good but the execution left a lot to be desired. I don’t know if it was just that it’s an arc and it needs some editing final touches or if it just wasn’t one for me but it left me wanting a little more from the author than I got.

I was very excited when I got the widget for this book. I love supernatural romances, and the blurb caught my interest. Well, that excitement turned to disappointment as I read the book. I didn't like the characters, and the storyline alternated between one that could have been good (Cassie's magic) and werewolf porn. If the author had chosen one, I would have been good (and yes, I am down for a good werewolf porn book). But she didn't, and I couldn't get into it.

The cover and premise had me OBSESSING over How to Help a Hungry Werewolf, but unfortunately I did not vibe with the characters or story at all and ended up DNFing

How to Help A Hungry Werewolf is a fast, fun read from Charlotte Stein. I got this and finished it in a day. Charlotte Stein's easy, witty writing style is perfect for the quirky, insecure FMC Cassie and the hot, equally insecure MC Seth Brubaker. The two former best friends are caught up in an uneasy reunion that perfectly captures all the angst & sexual tension of high school that can linger long after graduation. I enjoyed the banter and continued (unspoken) attraction between Cassie & Seth. They form an uneasy alliance when Seth reveals he needs help controlling his werewolf shift. It was easy to cheer for them to mend their relationship no matter how awkward they are toward each other. The sexual tension comes to a head (pun intended) and it was everything I wanted it to be. The frenzied groping & steamy making out reminded me of the very best parts of a new romance. The pounding hearts, sex-hazed minds, frantic shedding of clothes are all perfectly crafted by Charlotte. I do recommend reading the trigger warnings as there are references to fatphobia & fat shaming as well as other bullying.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I reallllly wanted to love this. The setup and blurb had me excited but I felt there were a lot of unfocused parts and living in the past. I think it could undergo more editing and have a more successful and polished finish.

Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Steam:
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
-Werewolf Himbo MMC
-Plus size Witchy FMC
-Friends-enemies-friends-lovers
-Small town
-Paranormal romance

Cassie has return to the town she grew up in to clean out her grandmothers house, as she has recently passed away. The last thing she expects to see is her once best friend turned enemy Seth showing up at her door looking for said grandmother.

I should start this review with that this is my first werewolf romance. I think being unfamiliar with the genre made this a lot more entertaining for me since I did not have really any expectations going into it. Overall I would describe this book as a silly goofy read. I had a good time and there wasn't that much conflict. I went into this book looking for an unserious romance where a fat woman get's railed by a hot werewolf, and that's what I got...so I'm not mad at it.

There were also several grammatical and spelling errors, but it is an ARC so I anticipate those will be fixed prior to publishing!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! :)

I was incredibly excited about this book! I love a romance between different paranormal creatures and I enjoyed Charlotte Stein's debut. Unfortunately, the world-building didn't really work for me. I felt like there kept being new rules and I didn't like how the heroine's power worked. It was too effortless.

I did think Cas and Seth were cute together. I liked that they were old friends but I did think the mistakes and drama from high school got a lot of focus. I understood Cas' insecurity but I was surprised she hadn't had any other experiences that challenged her beliefs about herself.

There are a lot of great paranormal romances and I feel like the world-building here was too chaotic for me to recommend it. However, if you really enjoy friends to lovers and don't mind focus on high school drama this one may be worth a try.

An overall very fun read. I liked the general atmosphere and tone of the book, but I the characters’ dialogue was too quippy and felt very unrealistic to me, which took me out of it a lot. I also felt the structure could have been more balanced, it felt like a lot was stuffed in the last half of the book.

Oh gosh, the fat shaming of the FMC by the MMC realllllly put me in a bad spot on this book and unfortunately did not make it past 6 chapters.

Charlotte Stein does it again. Here I was, ready to give How to Help a Hungry Werewolf three stars, because the first 3/4 didn't really do it for me (much like When Grumpy Met Sunshine; at least her titles are getting better), but then in the last 1/4 of the book she knocks it out of the goddamned park and I am an emotional, gleeful, (horny) mess of a person at the end of it all.

I will say--this book is the slowest of slow burns. If you have little patience for them (like me) and/or don't like the miscommunication trope, then most of this book is going to be agony for you. I put this one down so many times, only to remember how much I loved WGMS by the end of it, so I picked it back up mildly grudgingly. So I am pleased to report it all pays off, though I am still rather frustrated by the build up. I will say something about Stein's writing style didn't click in this one for me quite as well as it did previously, but that may just be me at this point too.

If slow burns, miscommunication, very explicit sex, and banter all sound like things you'd like, then please read this one. It's perfect for autumn and I cannot wait to get my hands on the physical copy of it come October.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love paranormal romances, especially when they include witches or a little bit of magic, so I thought I would really enjoy this book. Afterall, the synopsis describes this as a mashup of 'What We Do in the Shadows' and 'Gilmore Girls' (both shows I love!). Unfortunately, it just really missed the mark for me.

The book starts with fat shaming and bullying and it's just really hard to ever root for Seth. He's constantly unable to answer her questions (it comes across as wishy-washy) and I'm not even sure there's enough of an explanation for why he did what he did.

The story has a lot of telling and not enough showing. A lot in the second half of the book felt repetitive and would have benefited from some heavy editing. Their banter felt extremely juvenile with all the innuendos (I had to go back and check that they were 27 and not 19).

I don't know how to explain this better but even though they hook up, it's such a slow burn (not in a good way). The will they won't they felt like it went on forever.

It took until about the 30-40% mark of the book for me to get into but very soon after the plot shifts to werewolf smut (sans knotting). It felt like a real bait and switch. All of a sudden there were fated mates? It was really hard for me to finish this book.

Maybe if there had been less smut and more of a focus on the plot and dialogue, I would've been able to enjoy it more. As it currently stands, it was almost a DNF for me.

I've read a few of Charlotte Steins books, and I try to
Give it a change. But I'm not loving the fat shaming bullying that happened. NOT A FAN.

Moving on.

Once I got past that it was an ok read, paranormal, werewolf smutty, had a few hard parts to get through, inconsistent pace. Wasn't bad but wasn't my fav! Bully romances tend to turn me off. But if you like that, I won't yuck your yum.

Witchy/werewolf enemies to lovers slow burn? Absolutely! There was a lot to love about this book, but there were some shortcomings as well. What did I love? I loved the world of the supernatural in this book! I felt like it was a new twist on this type of fantasy with the world that was presented to the reader. I loved the potion-making and how Cassie just felt the right way to do things. The sentient kitchen and microwave were ADORABLE, and I LOVED POD!! I need more Pod. I also liked the way her Grandma presented herself in the story, too.
Now for the parts I struggled with: the slow burn was super, super slow. This normally is ok, but I felt like it drug on unnecessarily. I also agree with other readers that the bullying and resolution weren't sufficiently explained. I truly think there could have been a better bullying incident that Seth could have defended. My biggest dislike of the book was the back and forth of Cassie and Seth regarding their true feelings for each other went on entirely too long. It should have been resolved much quicker.
I know this is the start of a series, so I AM looking forward to the next book. Thank you for the opportunity Netgalley!

“A fucking raccoon was attempting to get her to define her relationship with a man she was trying not to be horny for, while they stood together in a scrappy yard, in front of a Chevy she was going to fly.”

Thank you to NetGalley.com & the author for this Advanced Readers Copy

I want to start off with the things I loved:
- THE FOREPLAYYYY 🔥 was so well written in my opinion despite the relationship being at an awkward stage.
- The magical realism and the way the author describes the town. I loved the idea that the supernatural blend in.
- I genuinely liked that the magic terminology is not “accurate” but more-so made up in a way that benefits the story and allows you to remember what a potion/spell is.
- The MMC Seth is my favorite of the story, followed right behind by the microwave and raccoon.

My dislikes:
- More often than not if felt this was written just for the tropes itself. The premise is/was there, but the immature high-school horror that the rest of the book stems from made me wonder (as a fat woman myself) what the author intended for that scene to do to the reader besides give them a big ick. I wonder if the plot was strong enough to make the book worth recommending unless for trope alone.
- This is, slow slow slow burn. And unfortunately the plot/writing style had me struggling to want to pick it back up and finish. I almost DNF’d 2x due to pace alone.

I think I would recommend this to a certain reader looking for a certain trope/storyline, I would not recommend to someone who’s randomly asking for “romance” or “supernatural” recommendations.

This book is a lighthearted and imaginative read that includes various supernatural elements. The book also provides a new take on werewolf lore, and focuses on the culinary challenges of our main character Cassie. The characters are well-developed, and the plot is both entertaining and heartwarming. The only reason I'm not giving it a full 5 stars is that some parts felt a bit predictable and the book felt like it stalled in various chapters. I understand the need to build a foundation for Cassie and Seth, but there was wayyyyy too much bickering, and not a lot of initiative to progress. However, the witty dialogue and creative scenarios more than make up for it.