I honestly thoroughly enjoyed this book. My interest was piqued within the first chapter, I found it started strong to draw you in, with none of that excessive world-building intro stuff which sometimes I like to do without.
I don't know if I'd say the story is fast-paced but it's like medium paced there's no parts that drag out too long or unnecessarily, the story just keeps going. Now, I did not know going in if this was a stand-alone or multi-book series nearing the end I started to believe it was going to be a stand-alone cause it felt like the plot was closing off nicely.....that thought didn't last long and we get some surprises at the end that create the plot line for the next book. I'm definitely planning to read book two when it comes out.

I also loved the banter and conversations between the MMC and FMC.

I got this book from Netgalley for my honest review :)

Witch of the Wolves was a fast paced and engaging shifter romance, with surprisingly a lot more action than I was expecting. The romance was a bit too slow of a burn, but otherwise I enjoyed this.

Easy 4 Star. Good chemistry between MCs. I love a sassy FMC and Cordelia gives all tha sass. She is bright and quick to react but just as quick to think things through. I don't typically, or ever really, enjoy werewolf novels but for some reason this one called to me. I'm glad i went with my gut and gave it a shot as I cannot wait for the next one.

This book is FAST paced and engaging. It grabbed my attention in the first chapter, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I’m looking forward to the next book! 4.5/5 stars.

Cordelia is a young witch living in Victorian England with her protective aunt, when she learns her father is an Alpha Werewolf trying to save her from other threats. Cordelia is valuable to any werewolf pack as she comes from a powerful family of witches and is the daughter of an Alpha who inherited secondary traits from her father. She can’t change into a werewolf but has a stronger sense of smell. The one issue I have with the plot is that Cordelia tells us witches can only have daughters. I guess as part werewolf she could have sons as well, but I don’t recall ever getting that explicit clarification. If Cordelia can’t have werewolf sons because she is a witch, then she wouldn’t be valuable to werewolves.

Cordelia is a great lead character. She’s curvy, witty, and pragmatic. She doesn’t dwell on the bad situations and instead focuses on tackling the problems and doing what it takes to survive. Her pragmatism extends into the romantic storyline as well, as she is a very understanding partner. As I said, this book moves fast. I don’t think it was quite intsa-love, but this isn’t a slow burn or strong enemies to lovers.

This is a book for when you just want to have a fun quick read and not worry about complex magic systems or fantasy worlds. The plot was pretty unpredictable and exciting. The villains kept me on my toes!

- Witches and werewolves
- Demons and necromancers (side characters)
- Arranged marriage
- Curvy FMC representation
- Victorian England
- He falls first
- Action packed

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me be an ARC reader!

Set in Victorian-era London, Witch of the Wolves is a supernatural, enthralling book that tells of the story of the witch, Cordelia. When we first meet Cordelia, she lives with her aunt, also a witch who makes potions and spells for other supernaturals, does her deliveries, and daydreams about what her future may be like. As a witch, she is not expected to marry and give up her freedom as other women do in their time. When a threat comes to Cordelia's home, she's forced to leave with her rescuers, werewolves from the Albion pack. They tell Cordelia that they will take her to her father, a man who Cordelia has been told all her life was a perfumer who passed away when she was a baby. What should be a happy reunion takes a turn when Cordelia realizes that not all is as it seems with the Albion pack, and her father is not the man or wolf that she thought he was. Her only ally within the pack is her 'rescuer', Bishop, who is next in line behind her father for the position of Alpha. Together, they must decide what they want their future to look like, and how they're going to overcome the obstacles in their path, including their growing feelings for each other.

The Victorian era setting was a fun one to read, because I feel like it's not one that we see often in Romantasy novels. The main character, Cordelia, is extremely likeable and I admire her wits and determination to be an independent woman of the time, something that is unheard of. The sexual tension between her and Bishop comes right off the pages at you. I would call this a slow-burn romance, but there is still spice and it is delicious.

This novel is the first in a new series, and while it does leave you on something of a cliffhanger, it is not one so drastic as to make you want to throw your novel when you're finished. I'm very excited to see where Kaylee Archer takes these characters next, and I'll be keeping an eye out for the announcement of the next novel in this series.

3/5 chili pepper spice rating.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Griffin, and Kaylee Archer for allowing me to read an eARC of this novel.

🧙‍♀️✨ARC REVIEW✨🐺
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of Witch of the Wolves by Kaylee Archer! This enchanting romance releases on September 30, 2025, and I already can’t wait for more! I rated it a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5.

We follow Cordelia (Delia), a witch living in London, and Bishop, a brooding werewolf who takes her prisoner. What follows is a deliciously dark, twisty, slow-burn romance that had me kicking my feet and giggling like it was my job. 🫣💘

The only reason I’m not giving it a full 5 stars is because the worldbuilding at the start was a little rough—but once the story found its rhythm, I was completely hooked. The tension? The banter? The vibes? Absolutely nailed it.

If you love witches, werewolves, and plot twists with a splash of spice and swoon, definitely add this one to your spooky season TBR. 🍂🕯️

This was a fast paced, gas lamp paranormal romance with werewolves and witches set in London. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was engaging and entertaining. I liked the characters. The ending had a good amount of action and wrapped up well but still leaves me excited to continue the series.

I went into to this read with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I thoroughly liked the pacing. It was easy to digest despite the typos which can be expected as it’s a draft.

I would say that, maybe it’s just me, but I found Cordelia to be annoying at times. I understand being a strong independent woman and all but under times of urgency, like when someone is trying to help you escape from your psycho father from the cell he’s trapped you in, there isn’t really time to explain every little detail as you analyze the situation.

Contrary to the fast pacing it IS a slow burn. I wouldn’t consider it a <b>true</b> enemies to lovers. I mean Cordelia was the only one really questioning Bishop. He was just a loyal man doing as he said he would and he was already enamored by Cordelia before she was even a <i>captive</i>.

Slightly spicy but not overly done. There’s tension and spice but maybe like 🌶️.5?

It’s a solid start to a series that I intend to follow as I see so much potential for the next book. I’d love to see how some of the supernatural elements get highlighted in the future because I feel like you didn’t really get a sense of the world until the very end (which does make sense when you learn why) but that’s what makes the next book seem more exciting.

I absolutely loved this book! The atmosphere was dark and magical, the romance was intense, and the tension had me hooked from the very first page. Kaylee Archer nailed the chemistry between the characters—it was the perfect mix of steamy and emotional. The worldbuilding was rich without being overwhelming, and the plot moved at a great pace. If you’re into witches, wolves, and morally gray love interests, this one’s a must-read. Can’t wait for more from this series!

If I was idk, 15 again or something, I might've liked this. I'm not entirely sure who the audience is supposed to be for since the writing and plot are both undercooked. The language used is pitiful and I could find something better in the forlorn drafts of ten years ago. It is a tad too much inclined toward the main character's sexual prowess or lack thereof. The direct "I haven't slept with a man but I often think of it" was very off-putting as well. I don't care that the main character is different or not in that aspect, matter of fact what does that have to do with anything? Bishop also as a character is so........bizarrely characterized. The author spends too much time trying to paint him like he's so so......gentlemanly? He'd never touch her without consent, etc. Yeah, a normal person wouldn't, and I wouldn't need to read that because I'd assume so. A huge waste of my time to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the eARC!

Thank you to the author and Netgallery for gifting me this eArc

This story follows a witch named Cordelia Levine who learns her biological father is the Alpha of the Albion pack which makes her a Lycan. After a threat arises, Cordelia is abducted and taken to her father’s estate by Bishop Daniels, his father’s general. Now she must navigate life in a werewolf compound while teaming up Bishop to avoid their arranged marriage.

If you love reading about witches and werewolves, this Victorian Romantasy is well written, has great plot twists, and a chaotic cliffhanger. Cordelia and Bishop’s chemistry is amazing and their intense/steamy romance is a great addition to the overall plot.

I enjoyed Witch of the Wolves so much! I would definitely recommend this book to those that love witches/werewolves and the Romantasy genre. I look forward to book 2!

I had to DNF, there was so much over explanation that it was taking me out of the story. I hated how the FMC found out that she was part werewolf it was very underwhelming and not very thought out, this happens very early in the story so I wouldn't say this was a spoiler. There was also a lot repetition in regards to who her father was to describe certain characteristics that she displayed and other main side characters. I really liked the concept but unfortunately these were things that I just could over look to actually enjoy the story.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Cordelia is a witch, and comes from a long family of powerful witches. She lives in London and loves her life and her job in the human world. But then she is abducted on orders of her father, who is the Alpha. It is then that she learns she is part witch and part werewolf, and learns that there are those who want her and her combined traits for their own use. As a result, her father intends to marry her off to the man who abducted her, Bishop, and who is second in command. While desperate to not have this be her fate, she eventually learns there are cracks within the Pack and that Bishop does not agree with all that her father is doing.

I really enjoyed the ideas in this book; I liked the incorporation of mixed traits and an actual pack family. I also liked the romance between Cordelia and Bishop, and enjoyed the manner in which it unfolded. But I did not think there was enough in here about the witch and wolf elements - I would have liked more in that regard, because I think there was a whole world to explore with how the author set things up. Since this is the first in a series, I am hopeful readers get more world building. All that aside, this was fun and engaging, and I am excited to read more!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advance reader's copy of Witch of the Wolves by Kaylee Archer from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Decent character-crafting and interesting storyline, but the plot was rather predictable and the action was a bit flat.

REVIEW✨
Witch of the Wolves
By Kaylee Archer

I really wanted to love this one; a witch in a manor of werewolves that has arranged marriage, slow burn romance, and enemies to lover vibes. But it was extremely flat, I found the characters very annoying, the world building wasn’t great, it just kind of felt like a witch that is imprisoned in a house with a whole lot of sexual frustrated werewolf males… At about the half way point of the book, I really didn’t care what happened in the story and there wasn’t enough chemistry to want me to continue reading to see what happens… so I didn’t finish it.

Book Status: DNF at 44%
Stars: ⭐️

Out on September 30th 2025

I would like to thank St Martin Press and Netgalley an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
•

It was okay. I think the author was trying to do too much with the plot, making it hard to follow at times and really jumbled, especially at the end.

There was not enough development or time to care about this character, but there were too many, in my opinion. I love the historical setting. If you love fantasy, paranormal elements, and non-stop action, this book is for you.

Labyrinth: a place constructed of or full of intricate passageways and blind alleys.

The word that came to mind with this read. Just when the author leads you in one direction, another unexpected one arises. This is where the story excels.

What made this a three star rather than a four star read then? Cordelia's character. She is a fledgling witch under the care of her maternal aunt. She interacts with humans. A trait not common to witches. In fact, the start of the story lays out her friendship with human, Audrey. But it felt surface level. Then the strength that seemed to be a part of Cordelia seemed to dissipate as the story progressed. Rather than seeing Bishop as a complement to her character, felt he was more to prop her up and the core of who she was just became less than.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Intereting new world, witches, werewolves, sorcerers and demons. Fast paced, high stakes, betrayals, secret identity and he falls first.

This one was interesting, I liked the lore behind it and the way the supernatural elements were handled. I found myself reading through this one super quick because the story was just that captivating, even if it was frustrating and I wanted to yell at the characters half the time. It was much darker than I expected it to be and I am totally fine with.
I received an advance copy of this through NetGalley so as I’m sitting here penning this review the book isn’t expected for release for another several months. This is an issue for me because, you see, this ends on one hell of a cliffhanger and I have no clue when the next book might be released, but I do know that it isn’t soon enough!

Brought up as a witch without a coven, Cordelia believes her only living family is her aunt. Comfortable in their city townhouse, Cordelia and her aunt live a nondescript life under the radar. That is, until Daniel Bishop, the famed right-hand man of the Alpha of the Albion pack, shows up asking Cordelia to come with him. Little does she know that Bishop’s arrival in the city marks that her life no longer as her own. Cordelia must face the dueling nature of her heritage and the betrayals of her own kin.

Witch of the Wolves immediately pulls you in. In the first few chapters, we learn quite a bit about Cordelia and the magic system. I wasn’t expecting the historical/period setting—a someone who reads a lot of urban paranormal romance, I appreciated the introduction to the world and its magic system. I also liked that Cordelia often keeps her cool and stays levelheaded throughout the book, despite being mistreated by those she trusts.

I enjoyed the author’s use of tropes like found family and forced proximity. My biggest qualm while reading was that after about 35% , I was anxious the whole time and waiting for the other shoe to drop (which it does). I wish there had been a few more moments of reprieve. Overall, I enjoyed the book but I’m not sure I’ll continue with this series.

Thank you to Kaylee Archer and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy!