Laurie Gilmore delivers another charming and addictive romance with Wild Wicked Mate, combining small-town charm, playful banter, and undeniable chemistry. The characters are easy to root for, and the romance unfolds with the perfect balance of humor and emotional depth. Cozy, fun, and full of swoon-worthy moments, this is a delightful read for romance fans.

"Wild Wicked Mate" by Laurie Gilmore is book two in the Maple Hollow series and it is just as great as book one!!!! I absolutely LOVE this series and cannot wait for more!

While book 1, Big Bad Wolf is still my favorite I was absolutely enthusiastic over Wild Wicked Mate and finished it in 1 sitting. I had assumed wrongly that Book 2 would be about Lena and whoever her MMC is, but instead we are given the gift of Rafe's younger brother, Theo and his best friend Phoebe who is a tree nymph.

Similar to book one Theo also suffers from his past abuse under his father and runs from his connection to Fee, or Phoebe. However we don't have to read the whole book for them to finally come together. I do hope book 3 goes in a slightly different direction though without the MC running away from his mate.

Theo has known Fee for a decade and they have always been flirty friends, deep down he has always known she is more. But after he looses his pack he pushes her away. They remain strictly in the friend zone as they help Ruby and Lena in Book 1. When Lena disappears they offer to go on a little road trip looking for her. The forced proximity forces them both to face their feelings. This book has some action but most of the angst is driven from watching Theo and Fee's friendship grow through flashbacks. It was more of an emotional peaks and valleys book, then the action filled instalust of book 1.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 round down
3 Spicy

Tropes:
🌘Past trauma
🌘 Hurt and comfort
🌘 Werewolves, nymphs, witches and humans
🌘 Mates
🌘 Betrayal
🌘 Found family/ pack

I can't wait for book 3! It will be Leana's story and we now know who her MMC is. Looks like this will be releasing in early 2027.

Thank you to the author, Harper Collins Publishing, and Harper 360 for the opportunity to ARC Read. #WildWickedMate #NetGalley

Thank you net galled and Harper for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of my thoughts’ This is such a fun series! I can’t wait for more in this werewolf world! Theo and Phoebe were so fun to get to know! My heart breaks for how much Theo has overcome! I have theories with the next book but don’t want to post spoilers so I will just say I am going to have my eyes peeled for the announcement of the next books! I will be telling everyone about this series!

A great second book in the series. I am excited to see where the third book will go. I think I have an inkling, but I am not sure.

I absolutely loved Wild Wicked Mate! 💕 Laurie Gilmore has once again delivered that perfect blend of small-town charm, romance, chemistry, and just enough drama to keep me completely invested.

The characters were so easy to root for, and I loved watching their relationship unfold. There’s something about the Maple Hollow series that makes the town feel like a place I’d happily disappear into for a while. The romance had plenty of swoon-worthy moments, and the emotional side of the story gave it that extra depth that kept me turning the pages.

I especially loved the cozy small-town atmosphere and the way the story balances heart, humor, and spice. Laurie Gilmore has a real talent for creating characters who feel relatable and romances that are incredibly easy to get swept up in.

If you’re a fan of small-town romance, irresistible chemistry, lovable characters, and a story that gives you all the feels, Wild Wicked Mate is definitely worth picking up!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.75/5

Another wonderful addition to Maple Hollow, and I’m already looking forward to more from this world! ❤️

Thank you so so much to NetGalley, Harper Collins, Harper 360, and of course the wonderful Laurie Gilmore for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I can’t wait to read the first book next!

I wasn't able to read the first installment in this series as it wasn't available to request on NG, buttttt this was still a fun book. Did I feel like I was missing key parts? Sure but I was still able to enjoy Phoebe and Theo's story.

Wild Wicked Mate is a story of two long time best friends and all the highs and lows of navigating their friendship and more. A lot of spice! A lot of human emotions for wolves and fae and other mythical beings. WWM has characters that have realistic and relatable emotions, while still maintaining the fantasy element and it's all layered into an interesting and not quite normal town.

I think the blending of contemporary and fantasy is done really well here. And the spice? Delicious, if unexpected from the cozy book title 🤭

I'd read this one again after the first and I think I'd enjoy it even more.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This author is very popular in our store, so I was happy to get a chance to read her paranormal romance.
From the first chapter I was sucked in and had a hard time putting it down to do silly things like work!
Thanks for the chance to review this in advance and it will definitely be included in our purchasing.

Thank you Harper 360 and NetGalley for the arc! This was an adorable sequel!!! Gilmore definitely did not disappoint in this one! =] This book was soooo good. I loved the characters, the suspense, and the plot! I was NEEDING a book with a complicated plot and characters and she SERVED. WHAT A BOOK. I am excited for the world to get their hands on this! AHHHHH!!!

Returning to Maple Hollow feels a little like stepping back into a town where everyone is charming, supernatural, emotionally complicated, and almost impressively incapable of avoiding trouble. This second installment leans even further into that energy, and for the most part, I had an excellent time with it.
Theo and Fee have known each other for years, which gives their romance an immediate sense of history. Their friendship is already established, their affection is obvious long before either of them is prepared to acknowledge it, and their insistence that there is absolutely nothing romantic happening between them becomes increasingly amusing as the story progresses.
What made their relationship especially successful for me was that the friendship never felt like a convenient prelude to the romance. Their bond matters independently of their attraction. They understand one another, care deeply about each other’s lives, and have already built the kind of emotional familiarity that makes the transition from friends to something more feel believable rather than inevitable simply because the genre requires it.
Theo surprised me more than I expected.
On the surface, he is confident, flirtatious, playful, and very comfortable leaning into his wolfish charm. Beneath that, however, is someone carrying considerably more pain than he allows most people to see. As pieces of his past are revealed, some of his emotional distance begins to make much more sense. His reluctance to be vulnerable is not simply stubbornness; it is a defense mechanism shaped by experiences he has never fully processed.
Watching Fee gradually reach the parts of him he normally keeps protected was one of my favorite elements of the book.
His emotional development is particularly satisfying because it does not require him to become an entirely different person. Theo remains teasing, confident, and occasionally infuriating, but the reader begins to understand the vulnerability underneath those qualities. His willingness to eventually trust Fee with that vulnerability gives their romance much of its emotional weight.
Fee is equally easy to love.
She has a wonderfully soft, slightly unpredictable quality that suits the atmosphere of Maple Hollow perfectly. There is something almost woodland-fairytale about her energy, but her gentleness should never be mistaken for fragility. She is far more resilient than she initially appears, and the story gradually gives her opportunities to demonstrate just how much strength sits beneath that sweetness.
Together, Theo and Fee make the friends-to-lovers and fated-mates combination work extremely well. The existing affection creates emotional intimacy, while the supernatural connection adds an entirely different layer of tension. There is plenty of longing, denial, unresolved history, and mutual frustration before they finally begin confronting what has clearly been developing between them for a very long time.
Of course, they also make the process considerably more difficult than necessary.
There were moments when the secrecy and miscommunication tested my patience. Several conflicts could theoretically have been resolved much sooner if either character had simply decided to communicate honestly, and occasionally that repetition slowed the momentum of the romance for me. I found myself mentally begging both of them to have one uninterrupted, straightforward conversation.
Fortunately, the eventual emotional payoff was strong enough that those frustrations never overwhelmed my enjoyment of the story.
The romance also benefits from being part of a much larger mystery.
The continuing questions surrounding Lena add another dimension to the novel and prevent the book from becoming entirely self-contained. Her disappearance—and the attempts to understand what has happened to her—draw the characters further into the larger conflicts surrounding Maple Hollow.
By this point, it is increasingly clear that the romantic storylines are only one part of something much bigger.
The Highlanders, the grove, the wolves, Knox, Lena, and the various unanswered questions threaded through the series suggest that there are several pieces still waiting to fall into place. I appreciated that sense of continuity because it makes Maple Hollow feel like an expanding world rather than simply a setting reused for a sequence of unrelated romances.
What may ultimately be becoming my favorite part of the series, however, is the found-family element.
The relationships forming around these characters have begun to feel increasingly important. What starts as a collection of supernatural personalities gradually becomes something resembling a very unconventional support system, and there is something genuinely comforting about watching them choose one another.
The final chapters captured that beautifully.
Seeing Theo and Fee reach a point where they are finally more secure in what they mean to each other was satisfying on its own, but watching the larger group begin to solidify into this strange, affectionate little community made the conclusion even warmer. The pack dynamic, friendships, alliances, and developing loyalties give the story much of its cozy appeal despite all the supernatural danger and ongoing mystery.
And then, naturally, the book ends by creating even more questions.
Rather than neatly resolving the broader storyline, the conclusion expands it. Lena remains central to the mystery. Knox raises further questions. The Highlanders clearly have more relevance than has yet been revealed. The grove is far from finished with these characters, and the wolves seem destined to become even more significant.
In other words, Maple Hollow is clearly not done causing problems.
That continuing uncertainty worked for me because I am now genuinely invested in understanding the larger mythology of the series. The romance may provide each installment with its emotional center, but the interconnected mystery gives me an additional reason to keep reading.
Overall, this book delivered more of the elements I most enjoyed about the first visit to Maple Hollow: eccentric supernatural characters, small-town strangeness, romantic tension, mystery, an increasingly lovable found family, and enough disorder to ensure that things never become too comfortable.
Theo and Fee are affectionate, frustrating, stubborn, vulnerable, and completely determined to make their path toward happiness much more complicated than it needs to be.
Naturally, that made me very fond of them.
Many thanks to Harper 360 and Laurie Gilmore for providing me with an eARC through NetGalley ahead of its October 20, 2026 release. I thoroughly enjoyed returning to Maple Hollow—and now I would very much like answers to everything this ending has left unresolved.

Small-town romance, werewolves, dryads, found family, and enough unresolved feelings to make me want to SCREAM, all wrapped up in something that somehow feels like a modern-day folktale 🐺🌳✨

I absolutely adored Big Bad Wolf, so my expectations for Wild Wicked Mate were ridiculously high. And while Big Bad Wolf still has a tiny extra piece of my heart, this was absolutely a five-star read. I did not want to put it down.

Theo and Phoebe have ten YEARS of history, chemistry, hurt, and feelings they refuse to acknowledge. The chemistry was never the problem. These two needed to admit to THEMSELVES that this was more than that, and waiting for them to finally get there was making me want to scratch my eyeballs out 😂 And then they still had to actually tell each other! The slow burn was killing me in exactly the way a good slow burn should.

I also was not prepared for Theo to be such a soft boy underneath all that swagger 🫠💕 The way he is with Phoebe just got me, especially because there’s so much hurt tangled up in their history alongside all that love.

And I loved everything happening around them just as much. The oak grove, the nymphs, the neighbors and friends slowly becoming their own little chosen pack, the road trip, the one-bed situation, even the BUNK BED situation 😅 It takes everything I love about small-town romance and drops it into this magical little world where werewolves and dryads just happen to be part of the neighborhood.

That’s what I love about this series. It feels almost fable-like, like these characters and their stories have existed forever and we’re just getting to hear them now. But at the same time, it’s funny and modern and romantic and full of all these familiar tropes that never feel like they’re there just to check a box.

And I am VERY invested in everything still brewing in the background with this pack 👀

Five stars for Theo and Phoebe, and now Lena and Knox need to get over here because I am READY 🐺🌳💕

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins 360 for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 💕

Wild Wicked Mates

Rate 4 ☕️☕️☕️☕️
Summary

After ten years of friendship a wild goose 🪿 chase on Lena disappearance came an unexpected road trip forcing Phoebe and Theo them into close quarters, pushing them to risk their friendship for something deeper. Experiencing betrayal, spice 🌶️, trauma and some good snacks on the way.

My Thoughts 💭

Wanting to know more about the new series Maple Hollow I immediately look through NetGalley. Luckily got accepted dive right to it. Definitely fates but in the wrong timing Theo was dealing with the trauma his father had put him through as well as Rafe and Knox. He was finding his own path but Phoebe was in his thoughts even when he pushing his feelings down. As for Phoebe well she wasn’t expecting to fall for a werewolf given that she is a nymphs and the given “ obvious rule” that mythical creatures can’t breed together. Which made it hard for them to be distance but it was obvious that they would become more than flirty friends. We get the cozy winter vibes whats a road trip without some snack on the way. We do get a glimpse on the third book 📖 can’t wait.

Tropes ❄️

• Family Secrets
• Betrayal
• Flirty friends
• Mythical Creatures
• Past Trauma
• Forced proximity

Spicy 🌶️ 3

Thank you Laurie Gilmore, Harper Collins Publishing, and Harper 360 for the opportunity to ARC Read. #WildWickedMate #NetGalley

Wild Wicked Mate takes us back to Maple Hollow where Lena is missing . Theo, Rafe's brother and Fee, his best friend are trying to help to find Lena. They have been best friends for 10 years and a year ago, Theo promised Fee things would be different between them and took those promises back the next day. Fee and Theo have remained friends, but have been careful about spending too much time together. The search for Lena puts them in close proximity where they are forced to explore their feelings and what they mean to each other.

I so enjoyed this book and am loving the Maple Hollow series! I love Theo and Fee's devotion to their friendship and sometimes misguided space they give each other. I also just love this town and all of the paranormal creatures that live there. This is another cozy mystery romance and the perfect book to enjoy curled up by the fire with hot cider. Highly recommend and I CANNOT wait to see what is next for Maple Hollow! Thank you Harper360 and NetGalley for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I think I liked this second installment of the series better than the first and I loved the first one. And the first book was good. It is helpful that readers are familiar with characters. I felt sorry for Theo because he honestly didn’t know how to handle his feelings. He grew up with a very abusive father who was Alpha in the pack and set the tone for the community. His brothers suffered the same upbringing, and all seem to have challenges with finding their way socially. Fee has been heartbroken by Theo but has never given up on their friendship. I loved how the nymphs interacted and cared for her. Such a sweet and passionate story!

Not only does the cover grab my attention, but the story found inside does as well! It is a magical feeling to read Laurie's stories, and this book was equally as enjoyable as Book 1. I'm already looking forward to more. The spice and banter are my favorite parts!

Laurie Gilmore really said “You thought the first book was chaotic? Cute. Watch this.” I had such a good time with Theo and Fee. These two have been circling each other for YEARS and the amount of “we’re just friends” energy between them while everyone else could probably see what was happening from space? PLEASE. Theo was probably my biggest surprise. Underneath all that teasing, flirting and wolfy confidence is someone carrying a lot of hurt. His past definitely explains some of his walls and watching him slowly let Fee in emotionally was probably my favorite part of their story.

And Fee? I loved her. She has this sweet, slightly chaotic forest nymph energy, but she’s also much stronger than she initially seems. Their friendship felt important before the romance ever took over, which made their eventual shift into something more feel earned. The friends to lovers plus fated mates combination worked REALLY well for me here. There’s yearning, tension, misunderstandings, emotional baggage. I also really enjoyed the mystery surrounding Lena and how the search for her keeps pulling everyone deeper into the bigger Maple Hollow storyline. There’s definitely more happening underneath the romance and I’m officially invested in figuring out where all of this is going.

But honestly? The found family/pack aspect might be stealing the show for me. By the end, I was sitting there like…wait. Did we accidentally assemble an entire supernatural support group? The last couple of chapters especially made me smile. Seeing Theo and Fee finally comfortable with what they are to each other, while everyone else is basically becoming one giant, wonderfully weird little family, gave me the cozy payoff I wanted.

And THEN THE BOOK HAD THE AUDACITY TO END WITH MORE QUESTIONS. 🙃

Lena. Knox. The Highlanders. The grove. The wolves.

EXCUSE ME, LAURIE???

I need answers.

I also have to admit, there were moments where the miscommunication and secrets between Theo and Fee tested my patience. There were several points where I wanted to grab them both by the shoulders and say “PLEASE JUST HAVE THE CONVERSATION.” It slowed things down for me occasionally, but thankfully the emotional payoff made up for it. To be honest, I think this book gave me more of what I liked about Maple Hollow… quirky supernatural characters, small town weirdness, romance, mystery, found family and just enough chaos to keep me turning pages.

And now I’m sitting here wondering how I’m supposed to patiently wait for the next book when Maple Hollow clearly has unfinished business.

Final thoughts: Theo and Fee were adorable, frustrating, dramatic, and completely incapable of making things easy for themselves.

Basically… I loved them.

Thank you so much to Harper 360 and Laurie Gilmore for allowing me to read this eARC before its release via NetGalley. I’m so happy I got the chance to visit Maple Hollow again!

Phoebe and Theo have been friends for years. They are in a mission to find a missing woman from their small town. They both try to ignore their strong fated mate’s connection but it only grows stronger on their mission. I loved all of the quirky small town characters we meet along the way! Maple Hollow is magical!

I absolutely loved this book! What a fun fast paced read with lots of spice that surprised me! I loved Laurie Gilmore from the Dream Harbor series and this second book in the Maple Hollow series did not disappoint!


Tropes:
-Small Town
-Friends to Lovers
-Fated Mates
-Found Family

This was such a cute and cozy werewolf book. Theo and Phoebe have been friends for about a decade and they’ve been avoiding their attraction to each other the whole time. Both are reluctant to put their friendship on the line to explore their feelings but when they finally do, they are such a cute couple. I really loved the time jumps to show us their friendship and flirting over the years.

Super cute and easy read, looking forward to the next one!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper360 for the ARC.

Definitely should read book 1 first. There was a bit of history and context that was missing but it wasn't enough that I couldn't enjoy the story. Miscommunication is not my favorite, either

Huge thank you to HarperCollins for providing this e-arc, which I instantly devoured! I can’t wait to get my hands on more of Laurie’s work and see where the next story takes us!

Thank you Harper 360 and Netgalley for the advance read copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wild wicked Mate is book two in Maple Hollow series, and focuses on best friends Phoebe (Fee) who is a Dryad, and Theo, who is a Werewolf. It's a slow burn friends to lovers romance with SO. MUCH. mutual yearning. Not only do we get a tangled but sweet love story, but we get a cozy, quirky town full of fun characters and various species, too!

Fee and Theo are helping their family and friends find a missing person, who coincidentally is a seer and twin sister of Ruby (from book one). Two rival packs both want the seer to help provide answers about their pack futures. No one is sure where she is, if she's in danger, and the town pulls together to look for her. During this search there are side plots happening that also help to set up for book three, and I'm so looking forward to it!!

I loved the fun banter, flirting, and smirks from Theo; and how his and Fee's story developed. Friends to Lovers is such a great trope when done right. I'm honestly obsessed with Maple Hollow series and it's unique population! I can't wait for more of this series and anxiously awaiting for more!

I’m a sucker for small-town and paranormal romances. So Maple Hollow was pretty much made for me.

In book 2, Lena is missing and the whole town pairs off to search for her. Best friends (with a loaded history) Theo and Fee set off on a road trip to look for the seer at a resort the sisters used to visit. The forced proximity ignites their spark, but the wolf and dryad are keeping secrets that might just burn it all down.

If you’re not a fan of miscommunication and lies, this might be tough for you. But hang in there — it’s worth it!

I enjoyed the flashback scenes that explained Theo and Fee’s history. And after the wild goose chase ended, I devoured the rest of the story.

Can’t wait to find out what Knox is up to in book 3!

Thanks to HarperCollins for the gifted e-ARC! All opinions are my own.

This is a direct continuation of Big Bad Wolf, so definitely read that one first or the characters, plot, and world will mean very little to you. It does give some closure to what's exactly going on with Lena, but I'm hoping for a third book about her and Knox. Because something is going on there and I need it.

The main plot of "finding Lena" both drug and wrapped up earlier than I would have thought. It's hard to be invested in a plot point when one of the characters knows it's just a wild goose chase. Or would it be wolf chase?

I enjoyed both of the characters and the fact that neither of them stayed celibate throughout the ten years they were friends, pining for the other. It's a role commonly given to the female character and it's overdone.

The character's past is told in flashbacks instead of telling the reader that the two are best friends. The flashbacks aren't long enough to take you out of the main plot, which was nice.

I particularly enjoyed the scenes of Theo taking care of Fee when she was ill--it's a trope that I find a lot of joy in for whatever reason. It was also the point where he came to his senses about what he wanted.

If you're looking for a book about idiots in love--this is a book for you to try. If you're not a fan of the miscommunication (or non-communication) trope, this may be one for you to tread carefully with. There's a lot of hiding feelings because of misunderstandings and angst and species differences. That happens to be my jam, so I liked it.

Can I just say that I didn't like Fee's mom? She's flighty and nosy and is only around when something interesting is happening. It reminds me of Bella's mom in Twilight, who I also don't like. Be a better mom, Runa. Not just a girlfriend.

Once again, this is darker and spicier than the Dream Harbor series, with most of the coziness.

It's also interesting that humanity is the true bad guy in the story--destroying Fee's grove and taking the wolves' land. A truth that exists outside of fiction that's being used in a light handed way without being preachy.

Fingers crossed for a third book!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Wild Wicked Mate is giving small-town romance with a wild paranormal twist, and honestly, I ate it up. The chemistry between the characters had me hooked, and the mix of romance, secrets, danger, and supernatural vibes made this such a fun and addictive read. It has that cozy small-town feel Laurie Gilmore does so well, but with a little more chaos, spice, and mystery thrown in. Basically, if you love a broody love interest, undeniable chemistry, and a story that keeps you turning pages way past your bedtime, this one is definitely worth adding to your TBR.

Book two was as adventurous, steaming and fun to read as book one. I enjoyed this darker side of the authors storytelling. Ruby and Rage watch younger brother Theo try to navigate the world without his pack, avoid his fated mate and all while dealing with a missing seer and pack politics. Wolfs, forest nymphs, seers and witches oh my! Wonderful read!

This was such a cute small town romance. It had best friends, it had forced proximity, it had a grumpy sunshine. Honestly the only thing that would have made it better would be a fantasy element...oh wait it has that too! Wild Wicked Mate is a cute fantasy, fated mates romance. And like any good fated mate romance, the main characters fight it every step of the way.
Phoebe and Theo are two headstrong best friends determined not to be together. But fate has different plans. The longing in this book is insane. Like it will actually drive you insane. You want them to be together so bad and of course they won't play along. But that's what makes a romance book so good. There are so many cute moments in this book that you will absolutely eat up. I could not put this book down. Seriously, I'm writing this review at 1:30 am. Should I be sleeping? Probably. Do I regret staying up to plow through this book? Not one bit.
I will also say, there is not a lot of nymph representation in the fantasy world, so I really enjoyed that part of this book. The wold building was also really good. I felt like I was on every part of the journey with Phoebe and Theo. I will definitely be going back to read the first book in the series and also anxiously await the third.

Wild Wicked Mate is the second book in Laurie Gilmore's Maple Hollow trilogy. The story follows Theo, a werewolf, and Phoebe (Fee), a dryad nymph, who have been best friends for ten years. When Lena goes missing the whole town launches a major effort to find her. Theo and Fee are assigned to a road trip to a location where Lena could be. This forced proximity becomes the catalyst they need to finally confront the romantic feelings they've been denying for years. There are some underlying mysteries throughout this story and not all things are what they seem. Throughout the journey, the found family dynamic of their friend group strengthens, creating a cozy yet complex world where werewolves, dryads, witches, and humans navigate small-town life together. 📚✨

💕 I absolutely loved Wild Wicked Mate because it nails the friends-to-lovers trope. 🌙 Theo and Fee's ten-year history makes their romance feel earned rather than forced—their friendship was genuinely important, and watching that foundation shift into something deeper was incredibly satisfying. What really got me was discovering Theo's softer side beneath all his confident, flirty swagger. He carries real hurt from his past, and seeing Fee gradually reach the vulnerable parts of him he normally keeps hidden was my favorite part of their story. 💫 The forced proximity and slow burn had me wanting to scream at them to just communicate already, but that frustration was exactly what made the emotional payoff so rewarding. 🔥 Beyond the romance, I was equally invested in the found family element—watching this quirky group of supernatural characters slowly solidify into an unconventional support system felt genuinely comforting and cozy. The mystery surrounding Lena and the larger conflicts brewing in the background also kept me turning pages, making Maple Hollow feel like an expanding world with real stakes. Such a great book!. I mean, who doesn't want to meet a hot and sexy werewolf?🐺🌳 I'm already eagerly waiting for book three! Definitely recommend. ⭐️

4.5 Stars

THIS is what I wanted from Maple Hollow.

Wild Wicked Mate took everything I wanted more of from the first book and delivered it. The character development was stronger, the romance had more emotional weight, and Theo and Phoebe's years of history made their relationship feel earned rather than rushed.

Friends to lovers, fated mates, forced proximity, a road trip, a werewolf and a tree nymph? Yes, please.

What really worked for me was the history between Theo and Phoebe. They've known each other for years, and the flashbacks allow us to see how that friendship developed and how much has always existed underneath it. By the time they're forced to confront what they actually mean to each other, I was completely invested.

Theo also surprised me. There's much more going on underneath his character than I expected, particularly with his family history, the expectations placed on him, and everything he's trying to overcome. Pairing that emotional storyline with Phoebe and the found-family aspect of Maple Hollow gave this book the depth I felt was missing from the first.

This one is definitely more relationship and character driven than action heavy, but for this story, it worked. The chemistry is there, the spice is there, the banter is fun, and most importantly, I actually cared about these two getting their happily ever after.

Book One introduced me to Maple Hollow. Book Two made me want to stay.

4.5 stars, and now I'm absolutely ready for Book Three.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review Wild Wicked Mate.

Laurie Gilmore gives us another whimsical romance, set in Maine. This novel focusing on Theo and Phoebe and their refusal to give in to their feelings. They are on the hunt to help Rafe and Ruby search for Lena, Rubys twin. But will secrets keep them from their true fate? Hmmm

This book got so much better after the 40% but I really do feel for the MCs. I’ll be interested to see where the storyline takes us, as it isn’t interconnected standalones like her other series.

Read if you like:
🛏️ One Bed Trope (a few times)
💕 Friends to Lovers
❄️ Winter Vibes
🐺 Werewolves and 🧚 other mythical creatures

Thank you Harper 360, Laurie Gilmore and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

The way I screamed when the sequel to Big Bad Wolf downloaded on my Kindle! 🙌🏻🐺❤️ Theo and Fee’s story is an emotional slow-burn with a spicy pay off full of heart, honesty, and that fated love we all fall for every time. Their chemistry and yearning carried the story, all while they’re on an adventure to find a missing character from the first book. Another gem from Laurie Gilmore! Hoping to see a third installment 👀

(Review posted on Goodreads and TikTok post next!)

I didn't realized there was a book 1 (oopsie) but you can get by in this one just fine without it, maybe minor details are missed but its okay. This was a great read and completely different than pumpkin spice cafe series - it's still cozy and cute but brings supernatural to the forefront. If you like friends to lovers, you'll enjoy it.

WILD WICKED MATE was a fun, magical and addictive follow up in the Maple Hollow trilogy.

Phoebe and Theo have had that simmering something between them for years, so getting their friends to lovers story was very satisfying. I loved the small town charm, the forced proximity, the road trip setup and all that fun tension that builds between two people who have been fighting what's been there all along.

Fee being a nymph tied to the trees added an interesting twist and I enjoyed how that, along with Theo being a wolf shifter, made their connection feel deliciously complicated. But once that barrier stopped keeping them apart, all bets were off. Theo was easy to root for, Fee was wonderful and together they had exactly the right mix of heat and heart.

I am looking forward to what comes next. WILD WICKED MATE gets the judy.ann.loves.books stamp of approval, TBR and Enjoy.

Small-town charm mixed with paranormal romance is always a win for me, and Maple Hollow continues to be such a fun world to return to.

This time, Theo and Fee head out together to search for the missing Lena, and their complicated history makes that road trip VERY interesting. I loved the forced proximity and the flashbacks that slowly revealed what happened between them in the past. There are plenty of secrets and some frustrating miscommunication along the way, but the payoff was worth sticking around for.

The second half really picked up for me, and once everything started coming together, I flew through it. Now I’m very curious about Knox and already ready for book three!

Wild Wicked Mate is a howling good time! I have been looking forward to reading it since the moment I finished Big Bad Wolf! This is a road trip romance with werewolves and other paranormal beings. When the story opens, Phoebe and Theo are just starting to get cozy with each other after being friends for many years. They are interrupted by a call from Theo’s brother Rafe (Big Bad Wolf) asking for their help finding Lena, Ruby’s sister. Lena, a seer, is missing and they’re afraid another wolfpack has kidnapped her. Everyone in their small town comes together to search for her.

Theo is funny and sweet and thinks Phoebe is beautiful, but has always held himself back from her. Now he’s ready to be more than friends. Phoebe has been in love with Theo for a long time but she doesn’t want to risk losing their friendship. But as they travel together, they flirt and things get pretty steamy. This book was pretty spicy!

I loved the found family in this story and the book cover is so pretty with Phoebe’s treehouse. There are BIG secrets revealed later in the story that I didn’t see coming and I’m hoping there will be a third story with Lena and Knox (Theo’s brother). It’s a fun world to visit. Thank you to the author, HarperCollins and NetGalley for this ARC. My full review will be at Spoonerreads.com closer to the release date. 10/20

I was so obsessed with Big Bad Wolf so when I got the chance to ARC read Wild Wicked Mate I was over the moon! We picked up right where we left off, only out of Phoebe and Theo’s perspective. After being friends for years they are finally being forced to explore their feelings for each other.

I am so obsessed with this story, and the journey Phoebe and Theo take to find each other again. Their past is so complicated and they are both struggling so much with their feelings and how to embrace their futures together. Honestly Laurie can do no wrong in my eyes but the way she brings the magic of this world into her writing is phenomenal. I cannot wait for more of Maple Hollow!

I absolutely loved Wild Wicked Mate! This second installment took everything I enjoyed about Big Bad Wolf and turned it up a notch.

Theo and Phoebe’s ten-year friendship, unresolved feelings, and undeniable chemistry made their friends-to-lovers journey SO good. Add in forced proximity, a road trip, fated mates, werewolves, dryads, found family, and plenty of spice, and I was completely hooked.

I especially loved getting to know Theo beneath the swagger and seeing how his past shaped him. The magical world of Maple Hollow continues to be such a fun blend of cozy small-town charm and paranormal romance.

There’s some miscommunication and secrets along the way, but the emotional payoff was worth it. And now I NEED to know what’s next for Lena and Knox!

A fun, swoony, spicy addition to the series that left me so ready for book three!

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 | HarperCollins for the eARC.
#WildWickedMate #NetGalley

I was a big fan of the first in this series, and I was so excited to see this second installment of Maple Hollow out so soon!

Here we delve into the story of Theo and Fee. They have been friends for 10 years, with Theo being a gigantic idiot for much of the last year or so. Like, bro can’t get out of his own way. The book picks up where the last one left off, with a major event underway.

Fee is put in a position where she is asked to keep an impactful secret. Most of the book we see her having an internal battle around said secret, while she and Theo are thrown into close proximity (hello, only one bed trope!) where they can’t as easily brush off their feelings and attraction for each other. It all ends well but, good lord, Theo is just supremely immature. I understand it given his pack and family dynamics, but be prepared to want to shake him a few times. All-in-all, it was a fun story and well worth the read.

Thank you Harper360 for sending this ebook for my review consideration. All opinions expressed above are my own.

I loved the story of Rafes brother and his nymph friend. I liked the slow burn of them too. Even though the FMC was buying time for the "seer" which is the sister of book 1's sister, she didn't want to lie to the MMC but knew she couldn't tell him. I liked everything from the plot of this book to the flashbacks but when the FMC and MMC first met. How they have always had this connection that there was no denying but themselves but because the MMC was the son of the alpha he couldn't go for a nymph. Being that his dad had gotten his older brothers girl friend dead, he didn't want to risk his friend the FMC. I liked how in the end it turned out she had some wolf in her and that is why she was also to mate with the MMC and she wasn't going to leave him which was his fear. Truly enjoyed this 2nd book of the series. I don't think you have to read the first book to understand the characters. It's a plus if you do though.

I ended up enjoying the second book of this series a even more than the first, so that was a pleasant surprise. I found Theo and Fee to be more interesting, especially because I could never fully get behind the hot-and-cold Rafe in Book #1.. There was quite a bit of build-up between this couple (TEN YEARS of pining for each other), so it was satisfying for them to finally have their moment. Having them be "friends" for as long as they were ahead of making it official made me appreciate them a little extra. There wasn't the awkward getting-to-know-you scenes and instead we had an easy comfort between the pair, which is a nice change of pace for a romance book.

Sure, it was a little repetitive at times, and I didn't love the lying aspect of the plot, but it was a very quick, easy read. I also couldn't help but wonder if any of these characters ever work?! There's also more spice and atmospheric rather than cozy vibes in this series than the Dream Harbor books, so I like that it's similar but still distinct. I'm curious to find out what happens in Book #3!

I loved this book so much! I enjoyed it even more than the first one. I love a good friends to lovers story and this one did not disappoint! Phoebe and Theo are perfect together. I loved seeing their relationship grow and change when they were forced together. If you like small town paranormal romance, this book is for you. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book ahead of release. My review is my honest opinion.

This book was such a fun read. The setting was more winter themed but just as cozy as Laurie Gilmore's books tend to be.

I HIGHLY recommend reading Big Bad Wolf before starting Wild Wicked Mate as there is an overarching storyline that continues throughout the series it seems.

While we do see Rafe and Ruby again, Theo and Fee are the main characters in Wild Wicked Mate and I love them.

Theo seemed like such a play boy and without any cares in Big Bad Wolf. His character showed quite a bit of growth throughout the story. Finding himself and finally accepting things that he struggled to come to terms with.

Fee was just so likeable, and there were times that my heart wanted to break for her. She wrestled with some of the same struggles that Theo had but from a different aspect.

The overarching storyline keeps the story moving while keeping the romantic relationship development between Theo and Fee the main focus. There are flashbacks throughout that give the story depth and context that readers wouldn't get otherwise.

I'm thrilled with this story so far, and extremely interested to see where it goes from here.

This one is for lovers of fated mates, yearning, second chances, and finally embracing the inevitable.

This is the story we’ve all come to love from Laurie Gilmore. It has a great story and engaging characterization. The alternating POVs keep the reader attentive to the MCs, Theo and Phoebe. The friends to lovers trope is expertly woven through the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper 360 for the advanced reader's copy.

I absolutely loved Wild Wicked Mate! As the second book in the series, it had a lot to live up to after the first one, and Laurie Gilmore definitely delivered. I was completely invested in the characters and their story and had such a fun time reading it. I’m officially hooked on this series and can’t wait to see what comes next!

I loved going back to Maple Hollow. I just adore these characters. They are charming and funny. There are so many cozy vibes throughout this book and the artwork on the cover is amazing. We already get a little glimpse of book 3 I believe at the end!

I was really looking forward to Wild Wicked Mate after reading and loving Big Bad Wolf so I was so excited when I got approved for this one. I found this to be a great follow-up to book one.

I couldn't wait to dive into Theo and Phoebe's story. The little glimpses we got in Big Bad Wolf of their relationship made me pick this up right away. I really liked their romance. It's friends to lovers and fated mates but they can't be together because there is a rule about two different species breeding together which brings a bit of forbidden element to it as well. I really felt that Theo and Phoebe were friends first. Their connection felt special and like they really knew one another. Their bond was super cute and lovely. The forced proximity brought on by a road trip to find Ruby's sister added so much good tension between them. I really liked how their romance developed throughout the book.

I also really liked the road trip storyline and trying to find Lena. It also provided some cozy winter vibes. The sneak peak we got for book three has me so excited! Cannot wait!

Would recommend!

Book 2 of the Maple Hollow series is wonderful. I did like book one a smidge better, but still really liked this book. I can’t wait for book three to come out!
Theo, the youngest brother, is making away for himself in Maple Hollow after he left his pack. Phoebe, his best friend, also lives near. They both love each other but for some reason they pretend they are just friends. They are thrown together as part of a search party and things heat up between them.
They need to both overcome a lot and work on their communication. It’s a lovely book and the final chapters set up very nicely for the third book.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper360 for an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Book 2 in the Maple Hallow book series did not disappoint.

I loved every part of this book. The disappearance of Lena sets the characters out on a journey to find her. I was hooked from start to finish and can’t wait to see what the next book brings.

Definitely recommend this series!

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.

I am so excited to read the next Maple Hollow Book!! After the first book, Big Bad Wolf, I needed Theo and Fee's story. I loved seeing both their current friendship/relationship and also flashbacks to when they first met and became friends.

Theo was so cavalier in the first book but once I read his book, I could see his scars inside and out. He has been through so much and it changed him. My heart broke for him losing his brothers and pact and how he didn't feel like he was good enough for Fee. I am happy he was honest with her eventually.

Fee, this little nymph, I loved her but man she made me mad in the beginning 🤣 I get her reasoning (not going to spoil) but I also wanted to shake some sense into her. I do love how much she loves Theo and cares for him as a friend and as her mate/love.

I loved the road trip setting and the different situations they end up in, especially running into Fee's mom. It was a great slow burn and I loved their connection as friends to mates and their love!

I am now waiting impatiently for book 3 as I want to see Lena's story, I have been excited from book 1 to read it and now I am even more excited!!! I can't wait!!

It’s basically Dream Harbor’s darker, moodier cousin... really enjoyed the second novel in the series where we follow Phoebe and Theo after years of fighting their attraction. Both books brought cozy, atmospheric settings, charming characters, paranormal magic, and plenty of swoony tension. Can't wait to see big bro Knox get his book!

I wish I could read this for the first time again. This book was truly incredible and would love to experience for the first time again.