As someone who loves paranormal romance AND contemporary books, this was legitimately the perfect blend of both genres. I can't YELL enough about how desperately I love this book.

Devin played a werewolf on tv... and now he kinda is one? Maybe? He needs help with this seemingly impossible series of events, so who does he turn to? A self proclaimed " weirdo on the internet" who spent 15 years of her life maintaining a forum on the show. Surely she'd be an expert right?

Alex and Devin are truly amazing characters.
Devin is the perfect amount of self absorbed - the right amount for a D list celebrity, but not enough to make you dislike him.
Alex is achingly relatable - her defiance of "normal expectations", her defence mechanism of pushing people away before they can reject her (both as a friend, and as a partner), and her secret intense desire to just be seen and wanted and loved. My heart HURT so many times.

Fan Service kept me smiling almost the entire book, and I didn't even realise it. Truly it's been so long since I've read a story so effortlessly funny - I laughed out loud so many times. Their relationship is an interesting one to watch unfold, built on layers of attraction but in almost opposing directions - Alex has loved (and hated) a very particular version of Devin - his online persona. She grows to learn who he really is. Devin on the other hand, questions why he is even interested in Alex for a long time, then grows to learn about himself and see her in a different light.

It's romantic, it's hilarious, it's paced so perfectly.

I cannot wait to own a physical copy.

As a nerd/member of multiple fandoms (although not quite to the level of the one in this book) I absolutely adored this story and the romance that develops between Alex and Devin. I also loved the various pop culture/fandom references, in particular the Astarion (BG3) one. I certainly didn't like Devin at the beginning and yes, he absolutely is a man child at 42, but this is completely explained by his back story and lack of parental guidance. Both he and Alex display growth in their characters as they help each other throughout the book. Their chemistry together is undeniable and delicious.

Some books are a sly wink to fandom, details subtle enough to just *pointing spiderman meme* but 'Fan Service' is a broad, conspiratorial smile. You can tell Danan has been there in the trenches and damn if it hasn't provided the perfect level of authenticity for this love letter to fans everywhere.

Meet Alex at 17; our prickly, nerdy, black cat spirit animal of a protagonist whose fandom obsession/teen crush on former TV star Devin sets the scene for this paranormal romcom of my dreams.

Skip to 17 years later.

Devin Ashwood (golden wolftriever [tm] himbo with the emotional intellgence of a blueberry scone) is struggling with an existential crisis. On the cusp of being washed up in Hollywood, Devin is desperately clinging to hopes of a reboot for his old hit series "The Arcane Files" when he comes down with a little case of....werewolf.

Oddly, this transformation seems to exactly mimick the sequence of his on screen character's, werewolf FBI agent Colby.

So, who can Devin turn to for help in his (incredibly niche) time of crisis but former super fan and Moderator of "The Arcane Files" wiki, Alex?

From the A+ banter to the inclusion of all the best tropes of shifter romance, Rosie Danan spins out a romance that feels both comfortingly familiar but also utterly, engagingly novel.

I want to specifically rave about the well constructed and real feeling character arcs for a moment. It's not easy to find equilibrium properly in romcom territory but Danan does so here with warmth, humour and angst balanced perfectly in her accessible yet compelling prose. The evolution of both Devin and Alex's emotional growth, their self-reflection and acceptance, feels authentic and earned. It's written so naturally, slipping into the narrative seamlessly so that each step forward gives you a little thrill for our blorbos.

By turns downright laugh-out-loud funny and genuinely touching, "Fan Service" is a book that speaks to the very essence of the things that make us human --- love and connection. And that's just beautiful.

You should read this book. Now, excuse me while I run to AO3.

The writing just felt really stock-standard and boring, which, like, the pacing and I felt like there were gaps in both characterisation and plot. The premise of the book was really interesting, but one huge pet peeve was that COVID was referenced about a million times in this book and it just got so annoying. Like, the concept’s good, the characters and plot are there, but like, it was fun and different. But it just got really boring and just flat in the end. However, the romance is the star of the show, sweet, wholesome, and cute.
2.75

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for the eARC.

This is for the girlies who were deep in the Teen Wolf or Supernatural fandoms, spent way too many hours on AO3, and maybe even wrote their own fan fiction.

It was funny, nerdy, and hot. You either get it or you don’t. If you didn’t spend your teen years obsessing over a fandom and being chronically online, you might not vibe with it. Don’t get me wrong, some of the dialogue was a bit questionable, and Devin didn't feel his age at times, but I still loved it. The slow burn really slow burned, and when the spice hit, it hit. There were also some heavier moments of loss and hardship for both MCs, and they definitely had some solid character growth.


🎬 black cat/golden retriever
🎬 enemies to lovers
🎬 age gap
🎬 slow burn
🎬 werewolf

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley (thank you Hachette Australia). All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This quote from the book was an apt description:
Him—charming, shallow, ripped. Her—bleeding heart with the personality of a feral alley cat.

It took a little while for me to warm to both MCs but once I hit the halfway point I was invested. I love the idea of incorporating the Fandom articles into the story as I am one of those people who look up things on fan sites.

Overall I enjoyed this book and if you want a nice easy read featuring werewolves then this one is for you.

If you like Supernatural, or any of those fun, less heavy 2000s supernatural/paranormal shows, this one is for you. Again, Danan does the relationship building and romance to perfection, and I powered through this really fast. A super fun read.

This was quite camp, funny and dare I say so millennial?

I enjoyed this quite a bit, it had me in stitches a fair bit. It's such a cute little read, super easy to get through. Perfect palette cleanser, recommend you to check this one out.

This book just wasn’t for me.

Unlikable MCs, lots of telling without showing, and a plot that made me go “uhh… what?” constantly. The premise had promise which is why I requested on NetGalley but unfortunately it just fell flat.

(Rated 2⭐️ since 1 & 1/2 isn’t an option).

this is solely a romance book for the girlies who spent their formative years reading teen wolf fanfiction on ao3. or supernatural. devin highkey gave jensen ackles vibes to me. if you spent those years like outside or something... turn away now. or if you're curious as to how the other half lived, read on???

the formatting of the wiki pages and the gc messages was such a highlight to me, because it really drew me into the fandomness of the story. the sheer amount of niche references... like idgaf that this book will not be accessible to everyone just because of that fact alone... it was for ME.

the romance was also so much fun!! my hatred for instalove was not activated here because it felt really adult in its speed?? like sure they said i love you at the end after like a month of knowing each other but idk the pacing made me actually believe it. but tbh it was more unbelievable than the whole werewolf transformation thing that devin was supposed to be 42. he behaved like he was 27 for almost the entire book, which could be explained away by his whole hanging onto the past thing, but idk i just kept imaging him as a 27 year old. and then as jensen ackles again.

anyway i really want a sequel to this book to answer two key questions i now <i>need</i> the answers to. 1. is devin gonna like make up with his ex coworkers and heal his clearly in need of healing childhood trauma?? and 2. is the movie gonna flop? please for the love of god flop.

This was everything to me!

I related to Alex so hard (pretty sure she was me? Rosie Danan are you living in my walls?). This made me so nostalgic for my fandom days back on Livejournal and Tumblr. If you were ever a Supernatural or Teen Wolf girlie or just loved a piece of media with your entire being then this book is for you! The way Rosie Danan captured fandom was so perfect. It made me sooo happy. Devin Ashwood had me giggling and kicking my feet. I loved the relationship between him and Alex soooo much. The queer rep was great to see as well. Such a fun and engaging read.

Fan Service is basically everything I’ve ever loved about a CW paranormal show but make it a romance. Like, Devin and Alex? Their whole vibe was *chef’s kiss*. Watching them team up to figure out what’s going on with him (and doing half of that at her vet clinic, which was pure comedy gold) had me hooked from the jump.

Devin is this super confident guy around strangers, but when it comes to deeper relationships, he’s lowkey insecure. And Alex? She’s got social anxiety dialed up to 100 and doesn’t vibe with new people easily. It’s wild how they’re so different on the surface, but deep down, they’re fighting similar battles. Seeing them work through that together? *Swoon.* Oh, and their golden retriever/black cat energy? 10/10.

The slow burn is so worth it—the emotional build-up had me screaming (in the best way). And when the spice kicks in? 🔥 Let’s just say it was *spicing.*

This book is perfect for contemporary romance lovers who want a little paranormal sprinkled in. It’s super accessible since most of the world-building happens through the lens of a TV show, and Devin’s the only paranormal character. Paranormal romance fans will vibe with it too, especially if you’re into romcoms.

You’ll love this book if you’re into:
✨ Age gap romance
✨ Golden retriever MMC/black cat FMC dynamic
✨ Slow burn 🔥
✨ “Who did this to you?” moments
✨ LGBTQIA+ side characters

Honestly, this book is pure serotonin. Get on it!

4.5/5 ✨

This book truly felt like a love letter to super-fans who trawled the internet and read y/n fanfics. As someone who has only dipped their toes in fandom, I had to google some buzzwords, so if you haven’t spent a portion of your life chronically online, this might not be the read for you.

BUT hand on heart my little bit of confusion was worth experiencing for Alex and Devin’s reluctant slow burn romance, which was so very endearing and surprisingly deep and profound.

I also found myself constantly doing that little laugh-huff out of my nose that people do when they read something funny on their phone. I knew this book truly put the “com” in “rom-com” when I real life cackled during their first (technically second) interaction:

“Upon later reflection, he realized he shouldn’t have jumped to his feet, pointed straight at her, and shouted, “You’re lying!” But Devin got swept up in the moment.”

Hear me out: clearly context matters because it doesn’t make sense reading it back like that. Rosie Danan sets up such vivid imagery through her writing that the comedic one-liners truly hit hard (and it made the intrusive horny thoughts from them both so deliciously funny).

———

So very thankful to Rosie Danan, Hachette Australia & New Zealand, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

———

Tropes:
- Small Town
- Werewolf x Human
- Black Cat FMC x Golden Retriever MMC
- Age Gap (FMC 34 x MMC 42 [side note: Devin read as emotionally stunted for his age, I felt that he could have been aged down])
- Misunderstanding
- Unlikely Allies
- Forced Proximity
- Slow Burn
- Fated Mates (Kind of? His wolf really likes her)
- Open Door Spice

Fan Service is a fun, unique rom-com with a supernatural twist. This author is new to me and I was excited to read this one. I enjoyed the premise and found it a lot of fun, laugh-out-loud and easy to be immersed in that you can't help but read in one sitting. I'm looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next and am planning to go back and read more of this authors backlog. Highly recommend.

Review is up on Goodreads and will be posted on Amazon Australia on release day. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

This book is everything the little nerdy fanfiction reader in me wanted! I feel like this book spoke to me on so many levels. While it has silly moments and Devin is hilarious, there are a depth to these characters that really make you love them.

I loooooved Fan Service! This book gave me so many Vampire Diaries vibes and since that's my favourite tv show, I felt like this book was written for me. This had heaps of TV and fanfic references, which really added to my enjoyment,

This book had a completely different spin to the typical werewolf stories, and I really appreciated the changeup.

Alex and Devin were both really interesting characters, with detailed backstories and different challenges. I liked that Alex had a complicated history with Devin, and I enjoyed reading how they worked through this. The spice factor was great, the chemistry was very hot, and their time together was a great mix of light-hearted and serious.

New favourite author unlocked after this read!

Without a doubt ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️‘s !!!

I loved everything about this book and devoured it in a single day! A really fun premise and as always, the writing definitely delivered.

The perfect blend of humour, plot and spice!

Both characters Alex and Devin felt real and relatable— they weren’t perfect (and honestly, who is?!) but their personal growth and eventual understanding of each other made the ending heartwarming and got me in the feels for sure!

Thank you to Hachette for the eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette for providing me with an eARC of Fan Service in return for my honest opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as someone who spent a lot of her teen years reading fan fiction on Tumblr, Wattpad and AO3 the main character Alex made me feel quite nostalgic! If you were a teen in the 00’s or 10’s and a lover of the Buffy, Teen Wolf, supernatural kinda shows, you are going to eat this story up!

As someone in their late twenties, I also appreciated that our MCs were a bit older (she’s in her early 30’s and he’s in his early 40’s) and both had a bit of life experience. Alex and Devins story is engaging and made me laugh out loud many a times. Their chemistry is off the charts and lovers of spice will thoroughly enjoy this book!

Fan Service by Rosie Danan is a fun read about a woman (Alex Lawson, the heroine) who grew up living and breathing the fandom life. Her formative years were spent devouring her favorite TV series, which featured Devin Ashwood (the hero) in the lead werewolf role, and creating a comprehensive online archive detailing everything about the show.

Now in her 30s, Alex suddenly finds herself in thrust once more into her favorite fandom as she helps Devin wrangle his inner beast that's now decided to come out and play.

I absolutely adored this book! As someone of a similar age to the heroine and who also spent their teen years devouring fanfiction (on fanfic dot net rather than AO3), this story was right up my alley. It felt whimsical and nostalgic and made me want to sit down and binge-watch all of my favorite paranormal movies and shows from the 90s/early 00s (think: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Supernatural, Twilight).

Fan Service contained multitudes; it was funny and light-hearted at times, but it also showed the heavier moments of loss and real-life hardships. Rosie Danan is a fantastic writer and gave us the POVs from both main characters to really show us what the shoe is like on the other foot. Both characters have their own experiences that shaped who they became, and I loved to see the further growth as they opened up to each other.

Danan has proven yet again why she's one of my go-to, auto-buy authors, and I think she did an excellent job telling this story. There were so many fun side characters, all with their own quirks and depths, that really added to the richness of the story, and the world-building felt complete.

If you're someone who believes the truth really can be stranger than fiction, I think you'd like this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book before release.

As a fan of Rosie Danan past books I was super excited to read this one.
Such a fun read! The characters are very fun together and have great chemistry.
Great for fans of Ali Hazelwood’s Bride