I was excited to read this book because of the description of werewolves and witches in a Victorian era setting! I really liked learning more about the world and society in combination with the magical system, and I thought that they were very thought out and executed. There was definitely a rivalry aspect between the two groups which definitely added to the drama and action-packed plot. I almost wish that there was a prequel story about some of the side characters and/or the stories that are mentioned throughout the story, since I thought those aspects were super interesting.

The plot was very fast paced and very quickly got into the action and at times it was a bit hard to keep up with, however I didn't find myself overly confused or lost. I did generally enjoy the plot and I thought it was the strongest part of this story.

Unfortunately, I found myself a bit let down by the characters. Both the FMC and MMC felt boring, despite the action-packed story, making it hard to be interested or invested in them and their relationship. I almost feel like the business of the plot took away from the romance aspect, as it didn't leave a lot of time to explore their relationship with each other. Instead, the characters seem to just suddenly decide that they love each other, after seemingly hating each just before. I think there was potential with the characters, but ultimately they fell too flat for me to find them to be enjoyable characters to read about.

I think this was a fun fantasy with an intriguing plot and with a greater focus on character development and relationship building, this truly had the potential to be a great romantasy!

Witch of the Wolves is for sure one of my new favorite fantasy books, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!
The story was so gripping that I seriously couldn’t stop reading, and I was invested from start to finish. Set in a Victorian era London, the story follows Cordelia, a 23-year-old witch whose life gets upended when a handsome stranger kidnaps her on behalf of her long lost father — who just so happens to be the Alpha of a well-known werewolf pack. As her dual heritage makes her a powerful supernatural, her life is now under threat, and what better way to protect her than to mate her to the Alpha’s heir Bishop (who is also her kidnapper)?
As the two navigate their budding feelings for each other, secrets within the pack are revealed and danger looms around every corner.

While it took me a while to get into the story and worldbuilding, I was intrigued from the start and it only kept getting better. I wish there had been more on the witches and coven dynamics, but I have a feeling that will be explored more in future books. The setting was so unique and interesting, and the story fit perfectly into the Victorian vibes as well as the paranormal aspects. I was invested in Cordelia and Bishop’s relationship from their first meeting, and I loved seeing their feelings and trust for one another grow.
The last 50 pages or so were suspenseful and nerve racking, and there were so many unexpected plot twists that I seriously cannot wait to read the next book and see where this series goes.

Big thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC! Romantasy readers are going to love this.

For a debut novel, this was well done. Yes, it’s full of the typical tropes but it was still a very enjoyable read and it really put me through a lot of emotional turmoil (in a good way). The plot and its twists were well thought out, characters were well fleshed out and the writing was good.

Cordelia is a strong FMC, capable of holding her own and never needing a man to save her. She’s more powerful than she knows, and that kept developing throughout the book. Even though she is strong, she does have a weakness for Bishop but honestly? I don’t think that’s an issue.

Bishop is also strong but he’s also deeply infatuated with Cordelia even if he didn’t mean for it to happen. There were moments where I couldn’t trust him and moments I wholeheartedly trusted him, so it was nice having that uncertainty.

The side characters were all great additions, the good and the bad. The pack members, specifically Bishop’s circle and the maids, were all interesting characters and I liked getting to know their backstories as much as our main characters.

The last quarter of this book was crazy, a lot went down and a lot of twists happened that I wasn’t expecting. I will definitely be picking up book 2 when it comes out.

Witch of the Wolves totally swept me up with its dark Victorian atmosphere, rich world-building, and the sizzling tension between Cordelia and Bishop. The mix of witchcraft and werewolf lore felt fresh and immersive, and I really enjoyed the slow-burn romance and power dynamics between the characters. Cordelia is a strong, complex heroine, and the emotional stakes kept me turning the pages.

The only reason I’m giving this 4 instead of 5 stars is because the pacing felt a bit uneven in parts—some scenes dragged a little while others moved too quickly. Still, it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the ride. Highly recommend for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and dark fantasy romance in general!

***Thank you Netgalley for this ARC***
4 ⭐️

It’s definitely a good sign that I read this from one to the next. This is a strong debut from that immediately pulled me in with its gothic flair and promising setup. I’ll admit, about 15% in, I felt like the plot was unfolding a little too smoothly—as if the story was laying itself out a bit predictably, I got a little worried lol. There was a twist that, while not shocking, it did keep things fresh and kept me engaged towards the end.

I loved the Victoria era setting. I did find myself wishing for a bit more gothic grit and magic in the world building but I am hoping this is a good foundation for the series as a whole. The magical elements felt slightly underdeveloped for my tastes, but I’m hopeful future installments will dig deeper into the lore.

As far as characters go, I loved Cordelia and Bishop. I also loved a lot of the side characters. Cordelia was sharp, witty and charming. Bishop, our MMC, is equally compelling—his presence added just the right amount of romantic tension, and I’m genuinely excited to see more of him as the series continues. I love that the slow burn was slow but also satisfying AND there’s room for more as the series continues.

That said, I flew through this book and am already looking forward to the next one. A great start to what could be a really exciting series! Also I am hoping for bishop and Cordelia to finally have their night 🌝

First, thank you to netgalley and st martins press for the eARC!

4.5
The story was a good pace, wasn't boring, had good world building and good character development and lots of twists. I like that it was set in old England with top hats and corset dress vibes. I give it a 4.5 star though cause it didnt wow me like a good 5 star should. It was more of a comfort read, like witches and werewolves i've read a lot of before and it wasn't really anything new in that aspect but I'd still pick it up when I'm in the mood for that genre. Overall, It was a good book and would recommend if you are looking for a werewolf or witch book with old England vibes.

werewolves are definitely back! I’ve been seeing an uptick of them this past year.

this was a fun read, quick and not hard to follow in terms of world building. this would be a great intro for someone looking to get into paranormal fantasy, and the Victorian England backdrop was a unique touch.

I wish there was more showing instead of telling as that can take me out of a book but Cordelia and Bishop were fun characters!

thanks netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this earc in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine Bridgerton but with blood magic, arranged wolf marriages, and a witch heroine who wants to burn it all down. That’s Witch of the Wolves. Cordelia gets kidnapped by a brooding werewolf in Victorian England and is told she’s now his mate. Instead of swooning, she starts plotting. This one is for romantasy readers who want their courtship spiced with political rebellion and shirtless shapeshifters. Secrets, power struggles, forced proximity, and betrayal are served hot — just how we like it.

Entertaining and great character chemistry. The setting and period were fun. I love Victorian era books. I loved the forced proximity trope, and it was done well. Cordelia was a witty character I enjoyed reading.

Such a good book! If you were a fan of ACOTAR it definitely gives those vibes. The author did an excellent job of creating characters that I just hated. Love a good villain to hate. Just makes the redemption so sweet! I loved the creative spin with witches and werewolves. Can’t wait to read more! This definitely ended with room for more world building so I’m definitely going to keep an eye out from this author! Gave a 4 because I definitely wish the author was able to add a little more spice and I just wish there was more there but definitely think she can build upon that in the next book. Great book. I just devoured this. Thanks so much! I can review on Amazon when it allows!

A fun historical romantacy that features a just about everything!! The story centers around an independent Witch as the FMC and her love interest who happens to be a warewolf. But there are necromancers, vampires as well as others in this fun, fast paced read. I think this is a great relaxing and fun read for a weekend or evenings after a long day at work. The pace of the story is quick, the plot is good, the characters are fun and super likable. Over all a great read.

I absolutely LOVED this story. It pulled me in after the first couple chapters. Now I have to be patient for the next book! I did not see that twist coming. The last few chapters had me emotional. Ann and Marjorie's powers are bad a*s! I just kept waiting to hear an I love you! Fantastic Read!

Hello new romantasy addiction! This was so good. The perfect level of enemies to lovers and slow burn!!

Reading Journal Details
Book: Witch of the Wolves by Kaylee Archer
Format Read: ebook (~352 pages long)
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

My Quick Take Review
Witch of the Wolves is a character-driven and richly atmospheric fantasy with Victorian vibes and an enemies to lovers slow/medium burn romance. The pacing was a little uneven, but this was overall an incredibly enjoyable journey worth diving into.

Some Key Features
👗 Victorian era vibes
🩸 Powerful bloodlines
🐺 Werewolves
♟️ Methodical planning
💗 Enemies to lovers

My Full Review
I found Witch of the Wolves to be an absolutely delightful read from beginning to end. The book beautifully combines a captivating, enchanting world with a wonderfully diverse and multidimensional cast of characters. Just when I thought I had uncovered all the secrets and mysteries, author Kaylee Archer kept surprising me, unveiling even more depth and complexity.

Cordelia Levine, the main protagonist, truly stood out to me. I found myself consistently rooting for her; her arc felt natural, her resilience and tenacity was inspiring, and I'm genuinely excited to see where her journey goes next.

The chemistry and banter between Bishop Daniels and Cordelia kept the novel entertaining and stoked the flames of the enemies to lovers trope rather well. Their relationship unfolded with great emotional depth as opposed to feeling like rushed tension, which I appreciated.

If I had to nitpick, the pacing did wobble a little, especially through the middle stretch. Still, it didn't take away from the immersive experience or the intrigue of the story. The world building and character dynamics more than made up for any slower moments.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader's copy (ARC) of this truly spellbinding romantasy novel in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are solely my own.

I LOVE a witch and werewolf story...and Cordelia is both. Im obsessed. She's clever and funny and named Cordelia - adorbs. The story started a little slow for me in world building, but quickly picked up and sucked me in. I'm looking forward to book 2!

Secrets and spells galore in this book! It has the coolest witches and the neatest wolves in this story! I could not put this one down. It has all of the beef elements of a good fantasy with other genres sprinkled in! A must read for this year!

I had really high hopes for this book because the synopsis sounded super interesting. Unfortunately, I had to DNF the book about 20% in.

There were several things that hit me about the book right off the bat. The plot is severely underdeveloped, the interaction between the FMC and the MMC feels forced, the writer seems to “tell“ instead of “show” ask what’s happening. For example, Cordelia makes the decision to trust Bishop. But instead of showing us why Cordelia made that decision through character building, plot development, and actual emotional development between the characters, she instead just states that Cordelia trust him because of “x, y, z“.

I really hate giving one star reviews to debut authors, but unfortunately, this was a one star read for me. I feel like with some rigorous editing, and some heavy plot development. This book would have been a lot more promising. Instead, it came off as a book written for someone in high school with some 18+ spice thrown in.

This was a quick, easy, and fun read.

I liked the intriguing plot and thought the writing flowed nicely and was good. I loved the Victorian-era setting; I thought it was unique and not a setting you see often in romantasy. The pacing was fast and kept the story moving. I also really liked all the betrayal.

While I enjoyed this, it wasn't great. It lacked depth and complexity. There were a lot of small inconsistencies in the plot. Cordelia's character was also very inconsistent in her thinking. The magic system was weak and underutilized; for a book with witches and wolves, I wanted more witches and wolves. Not sure if I'll be picking up book 2.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!!!
Thank you Netgalley, Kaylee Archer, and St. Martins Press for the ARC!
I would give this 6 stars if that were an option. I devoured this book. Honestly, it should be named betrayal! There is so much betrayal and secrets in this story that I ate it up. I absolutely love stories that make me angry for the main characters and this did that. I was ranting to my husband all day every time something new and terrible happened. The story is well written, and keeps you engaged the entire time. I loved/hated it in the best way!! I'm going to read this so I can experience it again knowing every betrayal and wonder if I should have caught them the first time.

Witch of the Wolves is a lovely paranormal romance with magic, Victorian vibes, and lots of sexual tension! I enjoyed this book so much !