Bishop Daniels. Incoherently screaming.

I was very excited to read this because I haven’t read many werewolf books, and I think this definitely scratched that itch! Following a witch, Cordelia, as she learns about her parentage, and is taken to live amongst wolves, including the prospective Alpha, Bishop, who she takes a liking to despite the horrors she is facing.

To start off, this novel is very violent, so that’s something to keep in mind if you’re interested in reading it. Some of it really took me by surprise, but it worked so well for the plot, and for the sake of them being werewolves, it was intense! Initially, I had a difficult time getting into this book, but it picks up pace very quickly. The entire second half is nonstop action in many different forms from the actual plot, to the romance between Cordelia and Bishop. I actually enjoyed this being fast-paced, but we definitely could have spent more time building Cordelia and Bishop’s relationship.

It is very insta-love, but I would have felt more inclined to believe it/enjoy it if we got more of them, or more conversation between them. Also, it gets frustrating when Cordelia keeps internally thinking she’s not sure what to think about Bishop, then the next page she’s all in with him. She has the potential to be such a strong character, and she has her moments on the page, but I was not as captivated with her as I would have liked. This goes for Bishop as well. He was such an interesting character, and the combination of him being a werewolf and a respectable man was a great choice, but I was missing something. The side characters also had so much potential here, but we simply do not get enough time with them.

There are a few inconsistencies that I picked up on, and they were usually minor (like its said bedding was returned to Cordelia’s room, then the page after it says there’s still no bedding), and while it was small things like this, it stood out. The novel takes place in 18th Century England, though at times it did not feel like it. I think this is mostly through the dialogue. The only thing reminding me of the time period was whenever clothing was mentioned, or the repeated notions of how women were treated at this time. That is a big theming in this novel, and while I like that choice, it did not reach it’s full potential.

With that said, this is a really entertaining book, especially if you like a novel that is action heavy. I finished this book still interested in seeing where the series will go, so for that, I am glad!

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC! Book publishes Sept. 30 2025!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange this is my honest review.

Witch of the Wolves by Kaylee Archer is a historical romantasy read that is fine at best.

Archer introduces Cordelia Levine a witch who lives with her aunt in London. Through a series of events she learns her father is a werewolf and alpha of the local pack and ends up in her father’s house with his pack and betrothed to Bishop her father’s heir apparent.

The writing isn’t bad. It’s the plot I felt annoyance at. Cordelia claims to be strong and independent and then calls herself foolish and ignorant when she ended up falling for her father’s schemes to bring her to the pack and be wed to Bishop. I can’t fault her for that because she was lead to believe she was in danger and they could protect her. She also of course finds Bishop super attractive. But I don’t think Bishop is really free of sin here either he helped bring her to the pack? I don’t really care if he was ordered by his Alpha and he wants to “protect his wolfy brothers” he still knew of the plan and brought her there knowing what her father had planned. Then there is the “I want her for her womb to have Bishop’s sons so my blood goes on” trope is tired, this felt like one of those ads you see on reels or shorts for a shifter pack romance thing except in book form.

Cordelia has a “not like the other girls” vibe that throws me off, especially at the end. Bishop doesn’t say much which speaks volumes, but he’s hot so it’s okay! Also just the level of demanding abuse towards women because they are women I find myself cringing at.

Overall this was not my cup of tea 2/5 stars. Buy or pre-order by September 30.

Witches and Werevolves! Some action and romance. What more could you want? I really enjoyed reading this and can't wait for the second book to come out. I love getting lost in any sort of fantasy books. The two main characters complimented each other perfectly! Cordelia is strong and independent and angry at her situation and the situation of some of the other women in the house. Bishop is the dark, silent and brooding type who is doing his best to look after his group of werevolves that he brought to Cordelia's father's pack. There are definite sparks between them! Can't wait to see how that turns out in book 2.

The Victorian England setting mixed with paranormal romance was a unique touch, and I really enjoyed the fast-paced storyline, decent action scenes, and the variety of characters.

This isn’t a deep or complex read—it’s fun, fast-paced, and perfect for readers looking to dip their toes into paranormal romance. It’s not the greatest thing I’ve ever read, but I can definitely see myself continuing the series. Just a heads-up: the sexual tension is high, but there’s little to no spice, so don’t go in expecting anything too steamy.

Overall, a solid mix of magic, witches, and werewolves—definitely worth a read if you’re into the genre.

This book gives A Court of Thornes & Roses vibes in the best way possible, if witches, werewolves & love is your forte this is the book for you. This book kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat for the second half of the book. The plot is a beautiful love story brewing up some trouble in the castle and will keep you guessing! I will definitely have post notifications on for this author!

This one took a bit to get into. Its a slow burn which isn't always bad but this one felt a bit tedious. Also the world building/magic system explains could use some more work.

My main reason for the two stars is that if I'm reading a book about witches and werewolves...I expect them to be more important to the story. I liked the main character and the setting was fun and not one I read often. I liked the tension between the two main characters.

Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Slow burn
Magic/witches/wolves
Victorian times


It was a very very rough start for me. I couldn’t get into the book and it took about 40% for me to start enjoying it. I liked some of Bishop and Cordelia’s interactions. It’s a VERY slow burn. I feel like the world building and magical system could use a little work and be explained better.

Be prepared to feel rage, over and over and over again!
Our poor FMC goes through absolute hell.
She is repeatedly betrayed and used by all those around her even the ones claiming they want to keep her safe, even the ones she thinks she can trust.
This book was really hard to read in a lot of ways
I picked it up around 8 PM, got to about 60% by two in the morning and was just emotionally exhausted, but I couldn’t fall asleep because I was so angry.
I finished the rest just now and even though I feel OK about the cliffhanger I did want to warn people that there is a cliffhanger.
It’s kind of a natural progression and not necessarily something that slaps you in the face with confusion and horror.
I can imagine the next book is going to be a lot of action !!!!

Very unique and interesting with the Victorian aspects. I enjoyed being put into the story right away but wish the world building was a little more fleshed out because it felt absent at times. The characters were entertaining and I enjoyed their relationship but I do wish there were some more dialogue and development.

While I had an okay time reading the story, I am unsure at this time if I would pick up book two but it isn’t a no either. Overall, if you enjoy a good romantasy with Victorian elements I think that this is right up your alley. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5 stars
This is a difficult one to review, I overall liked it, but there were parts I severely disliked.

What I liked:
- I liked the overall premise and plot of a witch finding out she’s part wolf shifter and forced immediately into their world.
- FMC: I liked Cordelia a lot for the first 50%. The author did a great job of making her confident, funny and smart. She thought logically about her predicaments and potential solutions, I really appreciated that, as it is something that is lacking in lots of Romantasy books.
- The supernatural world is interesting, and a little different than in other similar stories. It is set in Victorian England like era, so that has a big influence on the gender roles.
- The first 50% was great. I really enjoyed it and the build to one of the plots climax’s around the 50% mark. It was fun and interesting plot, great interaction between the FMC and MMC, and good plot movement/pace.
- The writing was good. It flowed well with a good combo of dialogue/ internal dialogue and description (something I have found lacking lately, so I appreciate it when a find a good one)
- The ending was good. I liked where the story eventually went and the twists and turns it made in the last few chapters.

Issues:
- Chapter 22: it ruined all the momentum the plot was building to for me. I was SO disappointed in it. One massive issue I have with all Romantasy books is the complete lack of consequences for MMCs when their actions negatively affect the FMC. It happens in every single book I read- the MMC will do something wrong towards the FMC and the she will almost immediately forgive him with no more than a shrug. I hate it every time, but this one truly made me angry. It felt like such a 180 turnaround from the character the FMC had built in chapters 1-21. The first half was much stronger than the 2nd half.
- The FMC/MMC relationship- it was good until chapter 22, then it was kind of ruined for me. I hated the FMC’s decisions and the MMC just lost a lot of his intrigue. I ended the book not really caring that much about the MMC and don’t feel like we really learned enough about him and his personality. I normally don’t really care about slow/medium/fast burn romances, as long as they are done well, I have no preference. But this was a slow burn done super well, until it wasn’t. I ended the book not very invested in their relationship.
- Small critiques: Some of the dialogues got super wordy and a bit confusing, definitely some overwritten parts. I got a bit confused on the plot around the 60% mark, felt like I missed important information.

I will keep an eye out for book 2, it has promise to be an exciting story.

ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press  and NetGalley for an honest review.

I loved the dark Victorian era vibes & quick start into the action! Enemies to lovers / slow burn is my favorite and Cordelia & Bishop’s chemistry was chef’s kiss. This is a fun, fast paced, and good book to test the paranormal romance world.

I got The Handmaid’s Tale vibes about the “breeding potential” & even though I like that show, it always makes me so upset. The pacing felt off in some places that I wish the author would have elaborated on, but they just grazed over. Overall there was still an intense plot and was a page turning read with so many twists! I will definitely be continuing the series.

💞 Thank you Net Galley for the ARC! I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review 💞

This was one of those fantasy romances where you are dropped right into the action. It was a fun, entertaining story with some of my favorite romance tropes. The world building is sparse, but not exactly necessary for the plot, as I wasn’t left with more questions than answers. The pacing is fast, which was a drawback for me since some portions of the plot felt a little too fast for my taste.

I liked the characters, but would have appreciated a bit more descriptive story telling when it came to their powers, especially our FMC. The relationship dynamic between our leads was enjoyable, but I felt that there wasn’t enough time spent developing the relationship in order for me to feel deeply connected to it. Hopefully we will get more of that in the next installment. There is a cast of loveable side characters as well that I hope we get to spend more time getting to know.

Overall I liked this one, but I don’t know if I would prioritize reading the follow up.

If this hadn’t been an ARC, I would’ve DNFed around the 30% mark.

First, here’s what I liked about the book:
Victorian era setting
Magic
Forced marriage
Fake dating

The book has potential, and I was hopeful at first. It started off much stronger than it ended. With a few more rounds of editing and tighter plotting, it could really improve. What ultimately didn’t work for me was the execution.

The story is told in first person from the FMC’s perspective, but at times it didn’t feel like it was actually her perspective. The narration felt disconnected, and a lot of it was repetitive.

There was also very little dialogue, which made it hard to connect with any of the characters. I barely felt anything for the MMC, and their relationship felt like forced instalove and flat.

The FMC is supposed to be a powerful witch, but that didn’t come through. She started out with promise, but her presence and strength faded as the story went on.

Several scenes didn’t make sense, like the one in the cell. It felt like it was included just to add spice, but it was awkward and out of place. While the book has dark fantasy themes, the romance felt underdeveloped—more PG-13 in tone—while the rest of the content clearly aimed for an R rating. It didn’t mesh well.

There were also a few factual inconsistencies. For example, the FMC thinks, “Remember the Bishop from two days ago,” when it had actually been six or seven days.

By the time the final conflict rolled around, I was more than ready to be done. I just wasn’t invested. The characters didn’t connect, not even the FMC, as the narration never grounded me in her experience. The second major conflict—what I assume was supposed to be a plot twist—felt more confusing than impactful.

That said, I appreciate the ARC. I think with time, revision, and development, this book could be much stronger.

An Enchanting Tale of Dual Heritage and Forbidden Love

Kaylee Archer’s Witch of the Wolves delivers a compelling narrative that intertwines magic, identity, and romance. Cordelia Levine’s discovery of her lycan heritage and subsequent abduction by Bishop Daniels thrusts her into a world of pack politics and hidden desires. 

Highlights:
• Engaging Protagonist: Cordelia’s strength and vulnerability make her a relatable and compelling lead.
• Romantic Tension: The evolving relationship between Cordelia and Bishop is marked by palpable chemistry and emotional depth.
• Intriguing Plot: The narrative balances action, romance, and character development effectively.

Considerations:
• World-Building Depth: Further exploration of the magical systems and societal structures would enhance the reader’s understanding.
• Initial Pacing: The story starts slowly but rewards patience with a satisfying progression. 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this novel. I look forward to the next installment in this series.

I devoured this book!
I found myself getting fully lost into the storyline and was often unable to put it down! The characters were interesting, I absolutely loved Cordelia! I think she’s a complete badass that knows exactly who she is and what she’s capable of!
I loved the romance between Cordelia and Bishop, they always kept me coming back for more!
The plot was intriguing and had lots of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kaylee Archer and her team for the opportunity to get this ARC!

This book was a steamy and intrigue packed gaslamp fantasy romance. I enjoyed it and would definitely consider reading more books in this series! Witch of the Wolves can be recommended to fans of paranormal romance, especially if they are looking for werewolves in their romance.

One thing I really enjoyed about this book was how competent Cordelia was. Many romantasy main characters have a lot of learning and growth to do in order to resolve the plot’s conflict or work through obstacles. Cordelia is a strong witch who knows her own power and is unafraid of other supernatural creatures. That competence is turned on its head when the author reveals how much more world there is than she already knew. Her attraction to Bishop Daniels is initially physical but the way that they grow to trust each other and communicate made me want to keep reading the story. Bishop is set up as an excellent foil to the other men Cordelia meets in this story, and it makes it easy to root for him. Unfortunately, he often seems like the only man with good intentions and that can be hard to read, especially with the current state of the world.

This story is full of twists and turns, each revealing more about the world the author has created and forcing the characters to confront truths about themselves that maybe they would rather not have known. The story is fast-paced and comes to an abrupt end, pointing to a sequel in the works.

3.5 ⭐️
Thank you St Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Kaylee Archer for eARC (opinions are my own).

I liked this book and think it has potential to continue as a series with good focus on characters and interesting aspects to the world. You have typical tropes enemies-ish to lovers, forced proximity, found family which are both done pretty well.

Cordelia Levine is witch in 19th? century London. She lives and works with her aunt. That life is quickly upended as she is whisked away by werewolf Bishop Daniels on the orders of her father, the pack alpha. She discovers many aspects of her life can be traced to secondary werewolf traits she inherited. As she navigates the new world of pack werewolves and learns more about Bishop she has to decide whether he and pack are saviors or captors.

I liked Cordelia overall but did feel that a lot of her internal dialogue/exposition (especially in 1st half of book) got very repetitive. I liked Bishop more and I think learning more of his backstory as series(?) progresses will be interesting. I really liked some of the side characters both werewolf (Julius & Oliver) and especially supernaturals Ann & Tabi who both have good backstories and will be good to see expanded upon. The story is fairly predictable though that’s not necessarily bad thing.

What I didn’t like was for one that in book about witches and werewolves until the last 10-20% we didn’t actually get very much werewolf form actions or witch spells etc. I think also the overall world could have been built out little better so reader has greater understanding. Background on magical people and magical society overall could have helped. I think this will be necessary in book 2 to better have understanding of the stakes and rationale for actions. I think also pacing wise that things are very backend heavy and that could have been better paced.

Overall a good debut novel that does have some interesting aspects and overall good characters that will be interesting to follow as their worlds evolve.

Absolutely fabulous!
I found myself engrossed in the story and attaching to the characters. There’s a couple of the more racy scenes, but it’s pretty clean. I’m not one for smut so I appreciated that. I loved her spin on the lore, so it made it feel new. It had a nice crisp ending that left room for a series to follow. I can’t wait to see what she does with this series!

So Cordelia totally gave me Sherlock Holmes vibes with the way she had her inner monologues and they way she seemed to gloss over the situations she was in. I had a hard time understanding how everyone said Cordelia was this super strong witch but then she was always depleted or could really only use a knockback spell so the magic seemed very limited for me and kind of got annoying that she was always low after basically one spell. I loved the tension and build up between her and Bishop but there was no sort of real release so this is basically a very very slow burn. Between the wolves needing a while to turn and the main witch always depleted after simple spells it just never felt like the characters were able to make it ahead. Ideally I would give this book 3.5 stars!