A review by bribreez
Feral by Trish Heinrich

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

4⭐️/ 4🌶️

In the spirit of spooky season, I decided to read this story. This story followed, Fraser MacDonald and Daphne Reynolds as they ended up working together as they were both part of the Secret group known as, The Archive. The Archive dealt with supernatural creatures and some humans working together to save magical artifacts from falling into the wrong hands and other related issues. When something was happening within Fraser’s pack, he needed some extra insight into the problem, and ta-da in came Daphne with her expertise in artifacts specializing in sex. This was a supernatural romance with a Werewolf and a human woman, who gave off Grumpy/Sunshine vibes, all in the midst of dealing with a mystery they needed to solve. Oh yeah, did I mention that in order for Daphne to help Fraser she needed to pose as his mate?! The synopsis sounded like fun and with Halloween approaching I figured why not give this story a go?

I’m not going to lie, I did in fact judge this book by its cover. To be fair, I try not to judge books on their covers, but I overlooked it with the synopsis catching my interest. Something about the plot involving Fraser who was indeed a Werewolf, eventually having a romance with the enthusiastic librarian researcher known as, Daphne piqued my eye. Also, this book actually showed Fraser in his actual Werewolf form so it didn’t shy away from having that monster look going on through out the story. Plus, I figured why not try reading a monster romance book because, yes, werewolves are considered monsters, and with a ruggedly handsome Scottish werewolf, I was even more interested!

The dynamic between Daphne and Fraser was sweet, and held some sexual tension between them. As far as mates go, Daphne and Fraser were cute together. I wasn’t expecting the whole, “let’s pretend to be mates” in order for Daphne to maintain her cover, but that surely ended being more than both Daphne and Fraser expected. Fraser was a grumpy werewolf, but I could tell he genuinely cared about Daphne both her well being and adored her. I was not expecting this story to have me fully enjoying the romance between Daphne and Fraser, but I really did like how they in tune they were, especially with their mate bond bringing them closer together. Fraser was protective, attentive, and super observant when it came to Daphne. From loving the way Daphne’s mind worked to taking her to a bookstore in his home village to shop around, Fraser was a caring and lovely mate to Daphne. 

The more I read, the more I actually really started to love the connection between Fraser and Daphne! Yes I went into this book with low expectations, and possibly just for the possible smut, BUT I was proved wrong by the lighthearted characters mixed in with the monsters ranging from Werewolves to other supernatural creatures. Fraser was a grumpy wolf, but as he got closer with Daphne, he wasn’t just a protective mate, but also a bit of a sweetheart! Slowly but surely Fraser became a bit of a softie for his mate. Don’t let that deceive you though because, when the full moon came out, Fraser’s primal instinct were at an all time high. The chase was on, and the spicy scene reached new heights showing Fraser chasing Daphne during a full moon, and…me finally understanding what knotting was. I’m not going to lie, I also kind of went into this purely for the monster smut! But with the added benefit of seeing Fraser and Daphne together growing closer, it made the spice a bit more appealing shall I say. At the end of this, the spice gave spooky yet also monster werewolf rutting away with his mate, and I was TOTALLY GOOD WITH THAT! Haha. Dirty, filthy, sexy things between mutual consensual individuals is always the way to go, and Daphne and Fraser had no complaints when it came to their bedroom activities, as well as outside during a full moon in the garden. 

Did I go into this book purely for the monster romance/smut? Yes, but I also finished this book feeling unexpectedly happy with the way Daphne and Fraser were together. A werewolf and a human needing to join forces in order to find a dangerous magical artifact sounded interesting, but even more so with Daphne needed to pose as Fraser mate in order to go to his village. This story was a mix of lighthearted, humorous, lovable characters, a wide range of magical/ supernatural creatures, and an intriguing plot line. Daphne had always been a bit of a bookworm and for that I adored her, but I also enjoyed seeing her grow into her confidence both mentally and emotionally. Daphne went from being sometimes sassy to downright bringing Fraser to his knees, I mean, Fraser would do anything Daphne said lol. Fraser was such a grumpy protective werewolf that I could overlook his unusual word choice for Daphne’s female anatomy haha. I liked the idea of there being a secret organization that dealt with the magical artifacts and getting to see some of the dynamics within Fraser’s pack. I loved the grumpy/ sunshine romance with the added monster romance was all the more intriguing. I got my monster romance itch scratched and now I’m curious to read even more stories especially for the Halloween season!