My first read by this author and I really enjoyed it. It was sweet and the whole supernatural element wasn't all that scary or too much it would definitely work for first time readers to the genre

(Advance Listening Copy courtesy of NetGalley and Tantor Audio.)

<b>A fun 4⭐</b>

This one started at a “passable shifter” 3⭐ for me, but the story definitely improved as it went along. What made the difference was that it wasn’t the typical “super possessive big bad wolf” story that’s so common in the genre these days.
The heroine had some difficult things in her past, and the hero slowed down and respected her pace, despite initially wanting to move faster. He held himself back instead of pushing, and I really appreciated that.

Another thing that made this a 4⭐ experience: his ex shows up, but not for the tired trope of trying to take the child. In fact, she had found out she wouldn’t be able to have children in the future, and she <i>still</i>didn’t come back into their lives to cause custody drama. That was refreshing.

The two MCs had a believable, sweet romance. It was funny and lighthearted at times—they were a bit silly together in the best way, which made reading about them very enjoyable.

Another highlight was the worldbuilding. As non-spoilery as I can be: this is a world where shifters aren’t publicly known, but the story takes place in a predominantly shifter town. The reason for them all being gathered in this area turns out to be pretty unique—something I hadn’t read before. It added layers of mystery even within the shifter community, with secrets not everyone in town was privy to.

The pacing was solid—the book got in, told its story, and didn't linger. I thought it was the perfect length.

<b>🎧 Audio-Specific:</b> Narrated by Stephanie Rose and James Cavenaugh. The voice work was good—they got the job done, nothing distracting or off-putting, but nothing particularly memorable either.

<b>📌 TL;DR:</b> A solid, sweet shifter romance that avoids a lot of tired tropes. Respectful relationship, believable romance, and a unique take on shifter communities.

This was lovely. A slightly different take on a werewolf romance. I found the characters to be believeable.

Addison just moved to Nickel City and got a job at a daycare for shifter children. She meets Roderick and his daughter, Gabby, on her first day of work. Addison and Roderick both feel an instant attraction, but they have been burned by past relationships and are afraid to give in to their shifter instincts.

This was a cute romance story. Addison and Roderick were both good characters who were easy to root for. Gabby and the other shifter kids were adorable, too.

I enjoyed that the romance did not fall into a miscommunication trope or dramatic third-act breakup. They liked each other and worked through their issues together. I also really liked how the storyline with Gabby's mother was resolved in a mature, realistic way.

This book is the start of a series, and I would definitely read more of it. If you are looking for a light, cozy small-town romance, check it out.

This was a cute young adult book about shifters. Not a lot of action, but very cute. I honestly don’t think I would finish the series if there is more, but it’s a very cute little young adult read.

I would overall recommend this audiobook to a friend who was looking for an easygoing low stakes romantic story!
At no point did I truly fear for a happily ever after (HEA)
I felt it was inevitable throughout !
Ultimately this story follows the mmc & fmc growth into accepting and falling into their “mate bond”. They try to constantly tell themselves to slow down because they were both burnt in the past. While the mention of mate was brought up - I loved how the author explained it and used it in a different sense than other shifter romances. It was explained more along the lines of their soul animals “instinct” driven knowledge that the other would lead to their ultimate happiness.

Rodrick & Addison (our male main character & female main character) both have past experiences that are holding them back throughout the story.
Rodrick is a single dad whose baby momma shows up totally unexpectedly.
While Addison was in a traumatic controlling relationship she’s running away from - that also comes back to haunt her unexpectedly!
Those exact things are what are inhibiting them from falling head over heels with their love at first sight.
The journey of them both individually working on their issues and fears and them facing them together as a couple is SO GREAT. It’s balanced out well and doesn’t seem unrealistic.

I especially loved their first legit conversation! He accidentally calls her while giving his daughter a bath and the banter was just so cute ! I don’t wanna give any spoilers but they may or may not have stayed on the phone through story time & bedtime 😊 so cute !

While the couples story is the bulk of the plot- I enjoyed the subplots of things happening in the community they lived in as well! There is a realty tyrant (basically) and major housing issues since the town has become so popular. It didn’t seem too disconnected with Addison being new to town and searching for her own place.

Narration : 5⭐️ I have absolutly no complaints on the narration for this audio book. It’s dual narrated by a male and female. The males voice fit the physical depiction of the mmc from the books cover art perfectly in my opinion. He also did well adjusting his delivery based on the mood of the story - being extra gruff sounding when he was referencing his wolf. The female narrators voice was sweet and fit her daycare/ children’s caretaker vibe wonderfully.

Roderick and Addison have both been burned before, and they both question whether or not they can trust their animals' instincts about love. Roderick really has to get this right because he has a daughter, but she seems to love Addison. There is also a threat to their town that makes everything more difficult, and there are reappeating exes. The narrators do a great job with the uncertainty, attraction, and adorableness of the kids. I loved listening to this and had a hard time turning it off at night.

3.5 ⭐️/5
Goodreads review posted on: 07/16/2025

Wolf’s Instinct was a cute quick listen and Addison, Gabby, and Roderick were great characters with some amusing scenes.

I loved the interaction between Roderick and Addison, including Gabby in their dates and interactions. Addison was adorably cute with Gabby and the visuals that were thought up through the descriptions of the shifters was great.

I did feel like the story came up in various points that didn’t always make sense and jumped from problem to problem. Overall it was a cute read and was a 3.5/5 ⭐️

This was a very sweet shifter paranormal romance. It actually felt like a Hallmark movie to me. And if you enjoy Hallmark movies, I definitely think you’ll love this. I enjoy the characters in the storyline with very simple with very low drama, which was what I was in the mood for. The narration was excellent and probably the best part of this book. I definitely think people will like this a great deal.

Thank you Netgalley for this ALC

Wolf’s Instinct is a cute, fast paced shifter romance. The city girl meets the small town single dad. Perfect for fans of Hallmark movies.

This was a great, quick read/listen. The story was fun and adorable (shifter daycare) and the characters were endearing. I loved that there was tension between the mmc and his ex without there being actual baby momma drama and that everyone was able to be civil while still navigating a difficult topic. Overall, the story was just good lighthearted fun.
The narrators did a great job though I felt like the male narrator’s voice felt overly formal in comparison to the plumber wolf shifter he was voicing.

I read a lot of shifter romance and rom-coms, and this combo really hit the spot! The romance is very gentle and sweet and exactly what I felt like reading—a great palette cleanser. As with a lot of shifter romances, the plot has an insta-love element to it, but it fit the characters and plot perfectly.

The dual narration is excellent—I will be happily inhaling every audiobook in the series as they drop!

This was my first book by Elva Birch, and it won’t be the last.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW:
Story: 4 stars Narration: 5 stars Overall: 4 stars

Wolf’s Instinct is the first book in the Day Care for Shifters series. This is a sweet sexy shifter romance between a wolf and a lynx with elements of drama, mystery and suspense. There is also a strong connection among the shifter population.
Roderick is a single dad to adorable Gabby. They meet Addison when she applies to work at the daycare center. Roderick and Addison are immediately attracted to each other. Both are hesitant due to past bad relationships. Can these fated mates make a life together with Gabby?
The dual narration by Stephanie Rose and James Cavenaugh was brilliant. Stephanie Rose portrayed Addison perfectly. Her uncertainty, happiness and love were all expressed beautifully. James Cavenaugh as the tough plumber but caring dad was absolutely delightful. His sweet dad voice as well as his dark sultry tone were both delicious and swoon worthy. Gabby’s baby babble was so cute. The children were all precious. I am looking forward to more in this series. I highly recommend listening to this audiobook.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this ALC. .

Elva Birch is one of my favorite authors, especially when I want something lighthearted and fun, and it all goes back to this book. So when I saw she was adapting it to audio, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it! Addison and Roderick are such a great couple and I love the way fated mates is executed in this series. I am also such a sucker for all the adorable shifter children! Gabby is such a great adorable baby and I love that she is woven into the story as more than just “Roderick is a single dad” kind of thing. The narration is excellent and they did a really good job at distinctive voices for each of the characters, as well as hitting the adorable but not annoying tone when it came to Gabby’s baby babble. All in all, this was excellent and fun and I can’t wait for the rest of the series to be available in audio!

The narrators were really good. The audio is read by a female narrator and a male narrator. I thought the voices of the voice actors suited the characters really good and they brought them to life really well. I could imagine both of them very easily right at the beginning. I didn't hear any double sentences or trip-ups so I had a really good time listening.

This short and charming paranormal romance novel is about single father Rodrick and Abby, the new kindergarten teacher at his daughter's daycare centre. Both belong to the local shifter community, and though sparks fly immediately, past relationships and complications in the village soon test their blossoming bond.

Rodrick and Abby are well developed and navigate the challenges they face well. Their motivations seem believable, which underpins the emotional arcs and conflicts. The pacing is good for a shorter romance, even if some emotional moments feel rushed. A few plot lines could have used more depth, but the story remains engaging throughout. The dialogue is natural and realistic, especially during their initially awkward but endearing interactions. I also liked the diversity of shifters in this world, it has a unique charm.

A fun, entertaining paranormal romance story with likeable characters, believable conflicts and a dash of small-town charm. Anyone who enjoys reading or listening to romantic shifter stories with heart and doesn't need long epics will definitely get their money's worth here.

Recommendation: For fans of fast-paced but emotional romance novels with a supernatural twist, definitely a sweet read for in between.

𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
🌟🌟
I enjoy a good shifter book, and the fact its a POC shifter on the cover was a major bonus point until I started the audiobook and a non-POV is narrating. Now I know sometimes the author doesn't have control over that, but I honestly can't listen to this audiobook and picture the POC character. Sorry, the voice just doesn't match. So unfortunately, this will be a DNF for me.

The audiobook is dual narrated by Stephanie Rose and James Cavenaugh.

I see a shifter book with a POC on the cover, I'mma read it. This was adorable as expected, the romance did seem to get sidelined by seeing up the world and resolving town issues but I can see the series being good to binge

I got the audiobook as an arc from NetGalley.

I really enjoyed the story. The prose was great and got me invested from the start.

I love books where the stakes aren't too high, so this book was right up my alley.

The two narrators fit well in my opinion, each POV having its oven narrator is something I enjoy quite a lot. I think they fit the two leads well.

This is a fun daddy shifter romance. It's centered around a day care for shifter children of all kinds.

This was a fun one. 4 stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Tantor Audio for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.