Thank you so much for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I will say that I personally struggled through this book. The world-building was basic and the characters were fairly rudimentary. The writing style felt very introductory; which, as a debut, is not especially surprising. There were a few grammatical errors and run-on sentences that pulled my focus away from the actual story itself.

I also had a hard time connecting with the characters. The FMC, Cordelia, felt juvenile and naive, while the MMC, Bishop, was almost too dull and dry. A lot of the actions and comments of characters such as Cordelia, Bishop, and Silas felt very repetitive but were also wildly opposite of previous actions. I was a little lost by the plotline during some points and had a hard time keeping focus.

I do think that for a debut novel, the author does a great job ensnaring the audience's attention during the first part of the book. This would be a good option for readers just dipping their toes into the world of romantasy or for readers looking for a light read that's not too complex!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kaylee Archer for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

The title immediately caught my eye—witches and wolves? Say no more. I've been wanting to dive deeper into witch fantasy, and this story delivered a fresh take. Cordelia believes she comes from a powerful line of witches, but it turns out there's much more to her than she ever imagined. The plot moves fast; with a few curveballs I didn’t see coming—so consider yourself warned.

I was a little confused at the start. While it’s clear Cordelia is being hidden in the human world, the opening lacked some buildup, and I struggled to visualize the setting. I’m hoping the next book expands on that, because I will be reading it—I need answers. The cast of characters was a highlight for me: each one felt distinct, and some moments genuinely hit me in the feels. Like... why :'((((

As for the romance between Daniels and Cordelia, it felt a bit rushed. One moment she’s indifferent, and the next it’s butterflies and sparks. I expected Daniels to be broodier and Cordelia to resist her feelings a bit more. That said, the spice level was just right—not overdone like Ruthless Boys, which can get repetitive. For a first book, it struck a good balance.

I’ll definitely be continuing the series. It hooked me enough to want more, and let’s be honest witches are just bad@ss. I’m excited to see how the characters evolve from here.

I would say this is a YA romantacy book. Fast paced with witches, werewolves, demons. All the good stuff. I wish that was some more character development or connection between them.

When I came across this book with witches, werewolves and other supernaturals set in Victorian era England it was an immediate yes!

Cordelia is a witch living in London who has no idea that she’s also half werewolf. That is until she has a run in with Bishop Daniels, right hand to Cordelia’s alpha werewolf father. When Cordelia is attacked Bishop takes her to her father’s country estate so she can be protected. Unfortunately for Cordelia everyone has their own agenda and none of it is for Cordelia’s benefit.

It took a minute for me to get into this even though I love paranormal romance but once the story took off all I could do was hang on for the ride. Poor Cordelia is nothing but a pawn on a chess board and has no idea who she can trust. Lucky for her she’s a smart, mouthy witch who doesn’t plan on taking any of this lying down. Bishop is a secretive MMC that you know has more layers than an onion and all you want to do is peal them back to see what’s inside. He’s cool. He’s calculating. But boy does he come undone when Cordelia is around. The sparks really fly between these two.

Thankfully this book didn’t leave us on a massive cliffhanger but Cordelia and Bishop and their pack are scattered in the wind so I’m very curious to see where this story will go next.

What you get:
- witch x werewolf
- Victorian London
- secrets + manipulations
- secret identities
- slow burn
- forced proximity

Wow, this story definitely hooked me from the very beginning. it mixed two archetypes that I love into one- Regency era England and fantasy. From describing the societal norms of the time to the idyllic countryside estates, I was enthralled. Bishop and Cordelia are the type of star crossed lovers that every romance reader can root for. Their enemies to lovers whirlwind love story is sure to draw every reader in. Add in the fact that the story revolves around the equivalent of an old fashioned boys club (but they are werewolves), unknown lineage, and undiscovered magic and you have yourselves quite an epic tale. The cliffhanger at the end already has me wondering what will happen next in this saga!

I'd like to make a personal note that I loved that this wasn't just some weird romance novel with werewolves that tends to trend more towards bestiality erotica than an actual substantial plotline.

A spicy 🌶️ 🌶️ romantasy, the first of a series and a tale of witches and werewolves. This book comes right on time for spooky season! It didn’t have a lot of character development and it did drag a bit for me.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Kaylee Archer for the ARC, All opinions expressed are my own.

Witch of the Wolves is a fast paced romantasy about a witch named Cordelia who learns she’s not just a witch, she’s also a werewolf.

I had high hopes for this book, but it unfortunately fell flat for me. I was so excited to read an adult Victorian fantasy with a werewolf twist, however this read more like young adult book. That’s not a bad thing, but just wasn’t what I was expecting. I enjoyed Cordelia’s quick wit and cleverness, but didn’t feel like I was really rooting for her. If anything, I was annoyed at how trusting she was given her circumstances. The general premise is so intriguing but I felt like the author was trying to fit so much into one book that it ended up all over the place.

While this book wasn’t my favorite, I can easily see many loving the Victorian fantasy setting and how quickly the story progresses.

Thank you St.Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this early.

DELUXE EDITION - featuring gorgeous stenciled edges -Caught between spells and savage beasts, Cordelia Levine must unravel the secrets of her dual heritage—half witch, half werewolf—and face her desire for the one creature who holds her future in his hands.

I wanted to like this, and it started off pretty well. By the end, though, it just got tedious. Lots of repetition to drive home that certain characters are evil, sadistic, untrustworthy, etc. (How many devious plots and backstabbings could the Alpha do in a day? As it turns out, way more than you think.) I had emotional whiplash from Cordelia, the witch-lycan at the center of it all, who would experience extreme grief one moment and playful sexy times not too long thereafter. Meanwhile, the plot was overly packed: just when the book should have ended, it took a turn toward the inevitable series that is planned and not the satisfying ending it should have had.

Promising elements, but the delivery just wasn't there.

When a powerful witch discovers she's the daughter of an Alpha werewolf and is taken by his Pack, she's determined to break free all the while denying her attraction to her abductor. Witch of the Wolves is perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and From Blood and Ash.

Cordelia Levine comes from a long line of powerful witches. She's been flying under the radar in the human world, focused on strengthening her magic. She loves working at her aunt's apothecary in London, secretly serving supernaturals.

Until the truth about her family is revealed.

She always assumed her enhanced sense of smell came from her French perfumer father. But when Bishop Daniels abducts Cordelia at the request of her father, the Alpha, Cordelia learns she's a lycan--sharing both witch and werewolf traits. She's brought to Trevelyan, the pack estate, under the guise of protection from foreign threats who want to use her to continue their bloodline.

She quickly learns that to keep her from being sold off to another pack, her father intends to give Cordelia as a mate to Bishop. His second in command and the future Alpha.

Cordelia refuses to accept this as her fate. She can't rely on her magic alone to escape and when she learns Bishop plans to challenge her father's power, she reluctantly begins to trust him. The cracks within the Pack become evident and something is bound to break. And Cordelia and her growing desire for the man who shouldn't set her on fire are right at the center of it all.

Witch of the Wolves is the first book in this Victorian romantasy series, featuring an intense and sexy romance and a world on the brink of change.

I think this book suffered from the "tell" not "show" writing that can happen, but for a debut, I still think it was interesting!

Witch of the Wolves had everything I love magic, political intrigue, and a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance. Cordelia is a strong, clever heroine, and her chemistry with Bishop was intense and addictive. The Victorian setting added a dark, moody vibe that fit the story perfectly. I loved the twists, the tension, and the supernatural world-building. Highly recommend if you’re into witches, wolves, and brooding alphas with secrets.

4.5 stars. This had me in a chokehold.

Through the first half I was thinking: Is this entirely predictable- yes. Is this steeped in all the tropes- yes. Am I staying up past my bedtime to read this- also yes.

And then the second half hit. I was not expecting that. Okay I mean I was expecting THAT but not the other stuff. We knew that as soon as she fell into that bed she wasn’t getting out of it. We knew the big baddie was going to loose. But I was not expecting the devastation at the end. That whole family mess around had me reevaluating. And this is why I can’t trust people that are “too nice” but I’m living for the feminine rage of these maids and women.

What a fun and fast paced read! 1800s London with some wolves, witches and a few others thrown in and this is a solid start to a new series. I enjoyed the writing and felt that anytime it started to feel slow a new twist would occur. The FMC was strong and resilient throughout and appreciated the fact she was not a damsel in distress. The rest of the characters provided depth and everyone had a purpose in being on the page. Loved the slow burn and can’t wait to see where it goes. I will definitely be reading book 2!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

Witch of the Wolves is a fast-paced, spicy paranormal romance that sinks its claws in from page one. Kaylee Archer delivers a darkly magical story full of fierce witches, possessive wolf shifters, and all the tension and drama you’d expect in a reverse harem setup — and then some.

The main character is strong-willed and refreshingly unapologetic, and her chemistry with the wolves is electric. Each of the shifters brings something unique to the table, and while the romance does get steamy fast, there’s enough backstory and emotional pull to keep it grounded. The magic system and lore are intriguing, though I found myself wanting a bit more depth in the worldbuilding at times.

That said, this book is clearly meant to be devoured, not dissected — it’s fun, sexy, and full of high-stakes supernatural conflict. Perfect for fans of The Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac or Zodiac Academy who are looking for their next addictive read with bite.

This is a Victorian era paranormal romance where witch and a werewolf fall in love. Cordelia and Bishop do really have some great chemistry. However she can get quite annoying very easily, especially with her inner monologue. But Bishop is an amazing character. He is the one that kept me reading.

The world that is written in this book is an incredibly sexist and misogynistic world. Cordelia is frequently reduced to her magical powers being for "breeding material" and making her more worthy because of that and nothing more. Also her father Silas just reappears in her life to try to control her and I repeatedly wanted to deck the man in the face throughout this book.

I really hope in the next book that is dialed back significantly because it does take some of the enjoyment out of this. I also hope that you get more advanced world building in the next book and we get to see more of Cordelia's magic. You don't really get to see her magic at all and it felt almost like a secondary matter.

For a first book in a paranormal romance series this book had potential. It could be a really good series but I do think there needs to be more development in the next book.

This book had me in a chokehold from start, to finish.
The banter between Cordelia and Bishop was fresh and natural. The tension of the story had me frustrated… the Spice? *chefs kiss* Witch of the Wolves found the perfect balance of - she can take care of herself, but why should she have to - a he falls first, action packed ride of supernatural proportions. My only critique was I wish this first book had MORE. The pace was quite fast, and I wanted more, which is a great problem to have if you ask me.

The following review was posted to Goodreads on July 28, 2025:

“4 ⭐️

This book was such a good time! An enemies to lovers slow burn romance, arranged marriage between a wolf shifter and the Alpha’s half witch daughter, found family AND a snarky FMC? Say less.

Kaylee Archer’s writing style was super easy to read and I absolutely loved some of the characters that she wrote into this story. Bishop is the perfect combination of gentleman and cunning werwolf. The way he get’s super protective of her? *chef’s kiss* Cordelia is the perfect balance of snarky, witty and kind. The pair were so much fun to read about and them, combined with the witchy elements, werewolf culture and the Victorian England Setting were perfection. Ultimately, this book was more character driven, but there was still a beautiful slow burn romance with three more mild spicy scenes, so I would rate this a 2 🌶️ on my spicy scale.

I only have a couple critiques, and the first is that I didn’t find the concept and overall plot terribly original. While there were some good twists I wasn’t anticipating, the plot was pretty predictable. That being said, I enjoyed the read immensely so this clearly wasn’t a sticking point for me personally. Additionally, the ending felt very anticlimactic for me. Going from one big conflict to another, it just felt a little weird to end it where she did. The author did clearly write the ending with continuing the series in mind, however, and that’s exciting! I’m looking forward to reading her next installment of the series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kaylee Archer for the opportunity to read this ARC of Witch of the Wolves!”

You may also see it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7515691559

I really enjoyed this book! My only critiques, as mentioned above, are that the overall plot isn't very original leading to some of the book being pretty predictable and the ending feeling anticlimactic. That being said, I absolutely fell in love with several of the characters in this book and am excited to see where the author takes them in book 2 of the series! Thank you again to both Netgalley and Kaylee Archer for the opportunity to read this ARC of Witch of the Wolves.

I was intrigued by the premise of the wolf/witch fantasy/romantasy but this story left my head spinning with everything that happened within a really short timespan (maybe a week?). The story lacked depth with minimal character development, a whirlwind romance and little to no world description. I couldn’t attach to any of the characters. This is a quick and easy read for someone new to this genre. Many thanks for NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for the opportunity to review this book.

The beginning of the book felt kind of ridiculous... poorly written. Like I turned left, then right, then I decided to go straight...... Like way too much info that really didn't mean anything... But I kept going. I thought about stopping, but I had nothing else.... But I eventually got into it. It was a little cheesy I guess. But as the book goes on, it does get better, the story is better, the writing is better. By the end, I was heavily invested and couldn't put the story down. The book ended up being very surprising. I imagine it's not for everyone. It's a world of corsets, witches, werewolves, and more various dark creatures.