Genre: Cosy Fantasy / Paranormal
Published: 27th May, 2025
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Oh, this was fantastic! A really refreshing paranormal read, that focuses not on the journey of a paranormal being, but the mother of one, who has to juggle motherhood – including school runs and WhatsApp groups – with adjusting to her new reality in a magical town after her daughter is bitten by a werewolf.
I loved Vivian. She is so incredibly human, flawed and, in a brand-new environment, insecure and stressed. She desperately wants what’s best for her daughter, but after Aria is bitten, Vivian doesn’t know what would be best for a new werewolf. Vivian wants to fit in, and tries to do so by befriending a smug, stuck-up mother who feels like Regina George in adult paranormal form.
The characters, despite being a variety of paranormal beings, come across as very real, especially through Vivian’s eyes. And Vivian herself struggles a lot, dealing with her own guilt and putting obstacles in her own path because she feels she deserves it after what happened to Aria. I have to admit, I really disliked her husband throughout most of this, but again, it comes across as realistic, especially as he is increasingly out of the house, not witness to most of Vivian’s struggles, and doesn’t always grasp why she’s doing what she’s doing, but I think the way Rozakis resolves this really shines a different light on both characters.
Aria – the newly turned werewolf – is adorable! There were so many times I wished I could reach in and give her a big cwtch, especially as she has a tendency to turn into a werewolf when she gets stressed or upset. Like her parents, she’s doing her best in this new world, but there are social interactions and girls she wants to be friends with who, quite frankly, aren’t good or kind enough for her, and there are some truly heartbreaking moments centred around her. Her parents make plenty of mistakes, especially in regards to her ‘wolfing out’, but it’s clear they love her and are doing their best. What I really appreciated too was Vivian’s frustration – there are moments where she internally wishes things were different, where she gets annoyed at Aria and, of course, these add to her guilt, but it made her feel all the more real.
Even the antagonistic characters aren’t all bad – a couple of characters are definitely ‘mean girls’, but they’re operating within a system that is flawed and encourages bad choices.
These characters surrounding Vivian are largely paranormal, but even while being witches, werewolves, selkies and demons, they are grounded and realistic, and that’s where a lot of the charm of this book comes from. It’s the same with the relationships between different characters, and I think Rozakis does a wonderful job of infusing these every day, realistic situations with enough magic to feel escapist, while still dealing with issues a lot of people face regularly.
Reading Challenge
Musicals Reading Challenge 2026
Prompt: The Lion King – He Lives In You – Parents/Parenting
Progress: 17/24, +1 Bonus
