I absolutely loved this book, it was so hard to put down. It was such an easy read with everything I needed!

My favourite Rosie Danan book yet! I really raced through this, unable to tear myself away from Devin and Alex and all the werewolf drama. Their relationship is developed really well over time, with Alex having to overcome past hurt in order to help Devin control the wild magic that's overtaken him. I loved how this was so fandom centric and brought in a lot of lore from The Arcane Files, a fictional show where Devin played a werewolf, and even some fanfic. Devin and Jess's emotions were portrayed really well throughout, and both characters crafted into something almost real that meant I connected with them and was also super invested in their story. These two were made braver by each other, and it was great to see how those changes manifested. This book is a really fun and wild ride, though we also see not only character flaws but also a look into small town dynamics, the impact of fame, and other stickier topics. And, if you've read any of Rosie's books before, you'll know to expect a lot of open door spice and whew, did this one deliver! There's plenty of plot and character development to balance out the steamy scenes, which I really appreciated, and overall I loved being along for the ride and wish I wasn't waving goodbye to Jess and Devin so soon!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

As a long time ao3 user, shaped by teenage years on tumblr and hours of my life trying to find a way to watch Teen Wolf in the UK without Sky, I knew this one would be for me since Rosie announced it. I had high expectations and I was not disappointed. Not only is it sexy, it’s so full of heart. This is truly a love letter to fans and fandom, so there might be references go over the heads of readers who aren’t familiar with the world of deep fandom, but I felt so seen in the best way. The girls that get it get it, and Rosie gets it.

A classic Rosie Danan novel. Full of fun moments and spicy scenes with a paranormal twist. I absolutely loved every second of it and would recommend to those who are fans of “bride”.

Thank you so much net galley and Little Brown Book Group for this ARC.

This was a quirky, fun read and definitely gave an early 2000's romcom feel!

The book was VERY easy to read, and the whole premise was fun and original - I've never read anything like this before!

The only reason I didn't rate it higher was there were a few "cringe aspects" to the book (even though I know they were intentionally, I still couldn't cope).

Mainly the MMC being a big man baby, and how he acted/ spoke to the FMC at his big age of 42!! ( I cant comprehend that he was married before).

Then also the barking!!! AHHHH! I nearly DNF'ed at that point!!

I adored this. I loved how flawed both Alex and Devin are but that we get to see why they have those particular personality traits and the walls they’ve built to avoid being hurt. I loved watching the two of them open up to each other and allowing themselves to be vulnerable, and the character growth we get through that. I especially loved Devin getting to see what real love and friendship looks like through the people Alex has allowed into her life.
It is funny and hot throughout with tender moments bringing that realness to this fantastical story. The spicy scenes are impeccable ( I will be thinking about the scenes in the cabin for A WHILE) and the chemistry between the 2 of them was palpable.
The writing is lush and I can’t wait to see what Rosie comes up with next.

Thank you NetGalley and little brown book group uk for approving me to read this ARC!

This was my first time reading a Rosie Danan book and I really enjoyed it 🫶

My favourite character is our MFC as I relate to her on so many levels… from being obsessed with fanfics from a young age and being an outcast in most social settings I’ve been in! Alex really made me feel seen.

I liked the concept of big actor in a small town and falling for the outcast it’s very Y/N coded 🤣

I really like side characters but they were all just perfect from Jade (Devin’s agent) to Issac (Alex’s dad), side character have the same if not more impact on a book then the main characters in my opinion!

I really enjoyed the pacing and writing and managed to get through the book really quickly ☺️

I think the only downside to this book was the werewolf part… now don’t get me wrong I loved it when he was all protective and in “wolf mode”, I just didn’t enjoy how it was incorporated into the plot, I think I would of preferred the take of Devin having been a werewolf years before meeting Alex, it may have created a different dynamic.

Some parts are a little cringey but that is just the fantasy side of things and I am used to more higher levels of fantasy!

The romance however was perfect and the duo felt very special with their own stories🫶

DNF @25% I kept hoping this would get better for me but I could only get through a few pages at a time before putting it down. I really disliked the MMC, and the pacing just felt too slow.

rosie danan is a must and never amaze to make me love her characters or books.
this was no exepction

To be clear, I'm in love with you too." Even though Alex said it first, saying it back still felt like jumping off the edge of a cliff.
She snapped her head up. "You do?"
He nodded solemnly. "Devin Ashwood is in love with you."
Alex scowled. "You are not as cute as you think you are."

Fan Service was fun! I enjoyed the wolf trope and the general premise of the story, and the trials were fun to read.

I liked Alex's character, the balance between fangirl and disliking Devin was well written. Her character growth and learning to open herself up to people was well written.

Devin was quite immature and didn't act his age at all, I understand the child actor explanation but at times he was just rude and spoke to Alex terribly. The third act conflict could've been used to show his character growth but instead, any progress he had made vanished.

Overall I enjoyed my time reading it and the story feels like one big love letter to fandoms which was lovely to read!

Every time i am reading one of her books is so effortlessly beautiful and well written that i never want to finish it.
And reading a celebrity romance with a dash of paranormal?? Slay the house boots down it was 10/10.
Funny, emotional, slow burning, it had everything you could want from a romance book. And our Alex is actually pretty relatable and i love her so so much.
Now, darling Devin Ashwood grew on me. I was pretty reserved in the beginning since i didn’t know if he ll end up being a jerk or if he s just misunderstood, AND HE WAS EVERYTHING AND MORE, such a book boyfriend, he is right there on the top of the book boyfriends.
And those spicy scenes….they were spicin real good 🌶️🙂‍↕️
Perfection

This is out on the 11th of march, not long now, be sure to read this is amazing
Thank you to the publisher for the arcEvery time i am reading one of her books is so effortlessly beautiful and well written that i never want to finish it.
And reading a celebrity romance with a dash of paranormal?? Slay the house boots down it was 10/10.
Funny, emotional, slow burning, it had everything you could want from a romance book. And our Alex is actually pretty relatable and i love her so so much.
Now, darling Devin Ashwood grew on me. I was pretty reserved in the beginning since i didn’t know if he ll end up being a jerk or if he s just misunderstood, AND HE WAS EVERYTHING AND MORE, such a book boyfriend, he is right there on the top of the book boyfriends.
And those spicy scenes….they were spicin real good 🌶️🙂‍↕️
Perfection

This is out on the 11th of march, not long now, be sure to read this is amazing
Thank you to the publisher for the arc

I recieved an Advanced Reader Copy of this book early in exchange for an honest review, so I would like to thank Netgalley and the Brown Book Group for the ARC! All opinions are my own. There will be spoilers towards the end of this review.

I did not go into this book expecting it to be a 5 star read but oh my god, Fan Service was like a nostalgic love letter to fandom culture and it felt oddly familiar. Rosie Danaan does a fantastic job not only setting up the characters, their bonds both with each other and others but also developing a secondary world for the show the MMC Devin Ashwood starred in and that the FMC, Alex Lawson, was a superfan of. She manages to create not only a contemporary romance world but also the supernatural one and merge them in a way that makes sense.

I think a major part of why I loved this book so much was because I felt like I could relate to the FMC in terms of obsession with a fandom, finding familiarity in it and comfort. This book very much gave me fanfiction vibes and I mean that in terms of highest respect. Fanfiction authors not only love their own works but you can always tell that they love the body of work they are adapting from, which is something I don't always feel with traditionally published books. But Fan Service? Rosie Danaan managed to write a book where it felt like she truly loved the worlds and characters she created to the point of being a fan of it herself.

Throughout my updates on this book I kept comparing it to the TV show Teen Wolf because, as a teenager, that was my comfort fandom. I was like Alex, though not as intellegent enough to create what was essentially the fandom bible but I devoured every detail I could, every theory, kept an eye on every cast event picture and news article. I would read fanfic after fanfic about the characters, devouring both the fanon, the canon, the fix-it fics, the AU's, everything. Reading this book truly gave me a similar sense of comfort that I had during that time in my life.

The book also reminded me of Supernatural, with comparisons between Devin's on-screen characters queerbaited romance with his vampire co-star (the Destiel flashbacks, oh my god), and I very much got a sense of Dean Winchester in how Devin Ashwood was written. Devin was a complex male character and I loved that he loved his show so much, even if it made him seem sad and pathetic to the public. It's nice to see a MMC who is actually passionate about something, who cares about a project or a job. His backstory and him slowly gaining relationships that aren't dependent on him paying them was so good to see slowly add up. I was so happy to see him find relief in rejection from the role of Colby and finally being free of Hollywood in the end.

Alex was also a very relatable character and I think she will be for a lot of readers. She is most, if not all of us. She found comfort in fandom, in attaching herself so solidly to something (in this case a TV show) to take away from the pain of her own personal situation. Alex becomes what is essentially the god of the fandom aka "The Mod" after her mother leaves her and her father, facing pity and ostracization from her small town, and dedicates her teenage years to keeping an informative and up-to-date archive (wikia/fandom site) for The Arcane Files, which is essentially a Supernatural and Teen Wolf inspired show meets X-Files/Grim from what I gathered. It's interesting to see that after an initial meeting with Devin at a meet and greet where he insults her, not realising she'd returned, that she doesn't reject the fandom entirely. She could have easily left the archive out of date and leave the fandom in the dust but she's already grown her roots in the fandom, making friends and making it her safe space that she doesn't stop updating it until the show ends. We see these friendships she's forged, her two primary friends being internet ones, throughout the book and it's a lovely show of internet friendships being treated as real friendships.

I truly loved this book and I will be purchasing a physical copy upon release because I know I'll be rereading at some point.

I’ve been a huge fan since The Roommate was released and Danan became an auto-buy author for me. I knew it needed to read their newest release.

I really enjoyed this story and a person who had the same fandom/obsessive love experience from their teen years and this was a really fun way to revisit this part of my life.

Devin was hit and miss for me though. He treated Alex horrendously throughout the majority of the book and I couldn’t get on board with it. You can see his ARC and how we go beneath the surface, but Jesus he could be harsh.

Alex was a great character and I really enjoyed her character. She brought the needed depth to this book and her character is what made the book for me.

‘Fan Service’ by Rosie Danan is an entertaining, spicy and gripping paranormal romance starring ageing heartthrob Devin and a superfan who learnt at seventeen never to meet her heroes, Alex. After over a decade of nourishing hatred for Devin, even alongside joyful continued obsession with his show ‘The Arcane Files’, Alex is surprised when he contacts her out of the blue for assistance with an unusual problem…

I definitely felt the chemistry between Alex and Devin, and really enjoyed the slow burning passion in the first half of the book. Both characters were well-developed, with their own insecurities and problems, and I was rooting for them as they grew closer. My chronic illness heart melted when he cared for her on a bad day after she explained about her endometriosis - and though I can obviously relate far less to his whole being-a-werewolf problem, the way she helped him to was equally sweet and swoony!

The celebration of lore and fanfiction was great to read, and the fantasy elements were interesting, giving the story an intriguing edge, though I’d have actually liked more of the paranormal vibes.

Overall, this was a four star read for me - and I loved the epilogue interview for so many reasons… the perfect ending!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Little Brown Book Group UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

🐺 Fan Service 🐺
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫

“I’d rather be wild than whipped.”

This is an arc review and this book releases March 11th.

Fan Service is a paranormal contemporary romcom that follows Alex, a small town outcast who finds her place in an online fan forum she built for "Arcane," a cult classic werewolf detective show. Alex becomes internet famous for her dedication to writing about the show's supernatural lore, despite disliking the show's star, Devin Ashwood. Devin's career spirals after the show ends, and he hits a new low when he wakes up naked in the woods outside his home with no memory of the night before. Desperate for answers, Devin hunts down Alex, the closest thing to an expert on werewolf lore. Despite their initial animosity, they become reluctant allies as they try to manage Devin's inner beast.

An ode to fan girls and fandoms everywhere this was laugh out loud hilarious, full of pop culture references, humour, grumpy x sunshine romance, spice and paranormal delights, basically every box ticked for me there. I read this at the same time me and my husband are re watching Buffy and it tied in so perfectly with the 90s nostalgia vibes. I loved loved loved Alex and the fact she was so far from the typical FMC in a romance, she was relatable and wonderful and I truly was rooting for her and Devin to have a happily ever after. Honestly if you’re looking for a laugh out loud paranormal romance look no further than getting this on release day.

#

This was a ridiculously fun book to read! It’s silly and enjoyable, while also being heart breaking and real.

I have not felt the emotions of suddenly turning into a werewolf, but felt lonely, felt excluded, felt lost. The author Rosie, did a great job of making you feel connected to Alex and Devin. They felt like genuine people, flaws and all. I was rooting for them and their romance throughout.

This feels like a love letter to fanfiction of the 90s and 00s. I really wanted it to be longer so I could saviour it more.

Totally going to re-read when published!

REVIEW
cw: mentions of child abandonment, childhood bullying, drug use, parental emotional abuse, queerphobia, bullying, sexual harassment, anxiety, endometriosis

Thirty-four-year-old Alex Lawson has always been an outcast in her small Floridian town. In her teens she found solace online, becoming the moderator for the online fan forum she created for her favourite supernatural show, The Arcane Files. After meeting the star, Devin Ashwood, as an awkward teen (and not having the best experience), she's harboured a disdain for him ever since.
Forty-two-year-old Devin Ashwood's career and personal life have flatlined since The Arcane Files was cancelled. But, waking up naked, filthy, and with claws and fangs in the woods after a once-in-a-century Wolf Blood Moon crested, with zero memory of how he got there is a new low. Desperate for answers, Devin finds Alex - the closest thing to an expert that exists. If only he could convince her to stop hating his guts long enough to help...

Well, I LOVED this book so much. In a lot of ways, it felt like it had been written just for me. Oh, how the prologue spoke to me on a cellular level. As a complete and utter nerd, the description of falling down the rabbit hole into fandom was SO perfectly written, as were the lasting friendships made along the way. I loved Alex immediately, not only for her fandom obsession but also because of her allyship. I loved how protective she was of Rowen, a non-binary teen who, like Alex, had experienced small-town bigotry. I also loved her best friends, Cam and Eliza immediately. Their group chats felt so authentically fangirly, in the best way. The theme of medical debt was well-written and, as always, made me infuriated as a Brit.
Even though Devin initially came across as the stereotypical self-involved actor, you couldn't help but root for him, despite the knowledge of what Alex had previously overheard. His loneliness was palpable, and his complete discombobulation early on was hilariously written, and I just wanted to hug him. The first meeting between him and Alex in the present day was HILARIOUSLY awkward in a way that only someone who has spent wayyy too much time *ahem* writing headcanons themselves could understand. The lie detector was also brilliantly conceived. Devin's 'Hollywood' preciousness was so well-written and very, VERY funny. But I also loved his self-awareness of his status and, even though it was perceived as obnoxious early on by Alex, written in Devin's POV it was kind of adorkable. Meanwhile, the recollections of Devin's youth in television were heartbreaking, and sadly, all too realistic. Just like Alex, I was angry on Devin's behalf so many times because of his lack of childhood and the harassment he received. While Alex's memory from the con was awful, I liked the fact that we got to see the other side of the interaction later on, from Devin's headspace, and that Alex was intelligent enough to recognise how parasocial relationships aren’t always innocent. I've witnessed my fair share of uncomfortable convention moments, and it's important to remember that the 'talent' are real people, with their own real-life problems. I loved the realisation that they'd both been hurt in different ways and that Devin also took accountability for his part. I found the parallels between Devin and Lou, the retired racehorse beautifully observed.
I loved the slow burn and I ADORED the journey Alex and Devin went on, as well as the building chemistry and sizzling tension. Their banter was very, very funny, and there were so many hilarious one-liners, but my heart ached for Alex because of the miscommunication, especially every single time Devin put his foot in his mouth while trying to downplay his attraction. Still, I loved her comebacks. Chapter sixteen was so wonderfully raw and primal. As for the following chapters, I loved Devin's realisation that it wasn’t just his Wolf that was interested, and the scenes with Taylor made me giggle. I loved all of the trials, and all of the Wolf/Devin interplay felt so natural and was wonderfully observed, but especially those near the end. Devin's attempt to woo Alex was adorable. But I think the thing I loved the most was all of the small acts of kindness he showed Alex and the community she was so protective of. It was wonderful to see the development of his character. The intimacy was incendiary, but also SO beautifully written. But... My heart broke for Alex whenever Devin's footinthemouthitis kicked in (which was far too often), but especially when she made an effort for him before the flight. I was begging him to say out loud what he was thinking.
While the majority of the story was played out almost exclusively between Alex and Devin, there were some charming supporting characters. I loved Isaac, Alex's father, and how he grew to care about Devin. I also loved Seth, Alex's colleague. He was a sweetheart. But I HATED the way both Alex and Seth were treated by people in the town, especially Pete. He was utterly vile. Still, I admired how Devin put him in his place. I loved the Wiki entries throughout, and the narrative around how fandoms, however seemingly innocent they may start, can grow quite overbearing and even toxic at times, was so well-written. Eliza and Cam were awesome, but my heart ached that Alex couldn’t tell them about Devin. The ensuing conflict made sense, and I felt for all of the parties, in different ways. Chapter twenty-seven absolutely broke my heart, but chapter twenty-nine felt cathartic. As for the ending? It was so, so beautifully perfect, and SO them. Meanwhile, the epilogue was EVERYTHING.
This was such a love letter to fandom culture and is now one of my ALL-TIME favourites. Utter perfection.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ (i'd give more if I could)
Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥

*Thanks to the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. Fan Service is published on 11th March in the UK*

Favourite Quotes: (there WERE ninety-seven!)

It had taken a global pandemic to make Devin realize how completely unlovable he was as himself.

Alex didn’t actually believe she had much to offer Rowen in the way of life advice, as evidenced by *gestures helplessly at whole life.* But as long as the Florida legislature was determined to put queer and trans kids through hell, Alex wanted at least one of them to feel less unwanted in this town than she had.

What was he supposed to say? Lately, every time someone hurts my feelings, I lose control and whip out my dick? They’d send someone to arrest him.

Devin grunted. F**k. He was hard in Ben Affleck’s favorite coffee chain.

That was the trouble with fandom. Spend enough time thinking about a fictional character and you started to believe that your version of them was real. That they belonged to you in some small, private way.

“There’s an entire tag on AO3 labeled ‘no beta we die like my boner whenever Colby kisses Juliette.' "

The idea of having hurt her made him so sick his vision wobbled.

Separating what the wolf wanted from what he wanted was an intimidating prospect. Devin had trained himself almost his entire life to repress his desires.

Maybe werewolves were abnormally horny? It would certainly explain some of the fanfic.

Devin often observed normal families when he had the chance, trying to collect pieces of what it meant to be loved so that he could better play a son in future roles.

What could he say? Hello, sir, sorry you found me loitering on your property but something above your garage smells really good and I’m pretty sure I want to eat and/ or f**k it?
This was why other people wrote his lines.

She made him feel like a kid, ready to pull her pigtails and push her down in the sandbox. Devin blamed the wolf for the instinct to play fight. To tussle.

He had a feeling Alex had given up a lot more than meat to take care of her dad over the years. And sure, Devin had sacrificed plenty for his parents. Birthday parties, graduation ceremonies, several million dollars. But not by choice.

Thanks to his ego, Alex was now living her very own version of She’s All That. Except in this case, the popular guy didn’t even pretend he found her f**kable.

She was trying to protect him, Devin realized, blinking against the shock of it. His parents, his team, everyone else in his life would have agreed “the show must go on” and f**k the cost, but here was Alex, trying to save him from himself. Devin didn’t know how to process someone telling him that his well-being mattered more than his career. It felt impossible. And like a gift.

Oh god. Oh no. Since when was he aroused by emotional intimacy?

Devin literally grew up with people taking money from him, but it turned out that giving it away felt different.
His insides went all warm and gooey, like a half‑baked cookie.

Watching him be sweet sent a pang through Alex. At fifteen, she’d thought him unimpeachably benevolent. At thirty, hopelessly self‑centered. She was beginning to suspect reality was somewhere in the middle.
He was human, even if he was a werewolf.

“Are people calling you a zaddy?” Alex slapped her hand over her mouth the second the words fell out.

“I couldn’t be a hero for you when you were seventeen. Let me give it a shot now.” He unbuttoned and then unzipped his jeans.
Holy sh*t.
“Besides,” he said, low, right against her ear, “if anyone here gets to see you in your f**king underwear, it’s gonna be me.”

He took great, greedy gulps of her scent. Like she’d long denied him something he needed to survive.

“You smell . . .” he began, then mumbled, “like you were made for me.”

“I could bend you in half before you could blink.”
“I’m trying to get you to.” Alex groaned. “Will you please shut up and kiss me?”
“Yeah?” He pulled back to check her face. “Oh, thank f**k.”

He made her so hot. His earnestness and his grin and the way he was so proud of himself for pleasing her. Despite all her better instincts, Alex liked him. So much. She could admit it now, in the dark, silently to herself, only after he’d pinned her thighs to the ground.

Devin ducked his chin so his hair fell into his eyes, hiding them from Alex’s view. “I always wished I knew what it felt like to be normal.” His voice was rough and almost a whisper. “I guess now I’ll never know.”

She covered his mouth with her palm, which, yeah, did not have the impact she thought it would. He took a big slutty inhale and then had to stop so he didn’t go half‑chub within ten feet of a bunch of grandmas.

In some ways, he liked when the wolf took the wheel on his emotions. Those impulses were always clear, strong, singular. Devin’s own feelings? They were murkier and harder to pull apart.

It had been easy, these past couple of weeks, to pretend any sense of attraction he felt toward Alex came from somewhere inside him that was feral, other, wrong. But this feeling? This dizzy desperation? There was no denying that it was all him.

"I always think it’s a good sign when an animal likes someone.”
Alex couldn’t help thinking about Devin saying his wolf wanted to be around her.

“You know I’d f**k you until you cried if you let me.”
Alex closed her eyes, leaned into it.
“So go ahead,” he said, mouth against her skin. “Put me on my knees and make me edge myself for hours. Suck my d*ck until I’m begging. Maybe, when you get really needy, you’ll decide to ride me. But just so we’re on the same page, when you come— the second that pretty c*nt starts to flutter— I’m gonna f**king know.”

Clearly, this woman was afraid of her feelings. Well, tough nuts, honey, because he was gonna woo the sh*t out of her. There was something between them. Something good. He was gonna be romantic as f**k until she saw him as more than a passing amusement. Because Alex made him want to be someone real.

Devin could deny himself almost anything, but the beacon of Alex’s pleasure was impossible to resist—his fangs dropped.
God damnit.

"I knew how to act like a child but not how to actually be one.”

The truth was, Devin Ashwood didn’t measure up to her expectations. He was more, in every sense of the word. Flawed in ways she never imagined, perfect in ways she didn’t anticipate.

Every minute without Alex made him more anxious. It was like at some point, while Devin was obsessing over the moon, she had become his sun.

What could she say? Fandom was everything when you were in it and embarrassing as hell when you weren’t.

Devin Ashwood was selfish and shallow, but even as a werewolf, he was more human than the people he trusted.

CAM: he might be a slightly delusional prima donna but he’s also our little meow meow.

ELIZA: #blackcat/ goldenretriever #Enemies-to-lovers #Agegap 300K Rated E

"...It was like you were calling me. Like I was summoned. Finding you, getting back to you, was . . . essential.”

"...while it’s true that you’re one hundred percent a stone‑cold weirdo, I am so f**king into it.”
“What?” Alex said, half laugh, half croak.
“You’re scary”— he kissed her brow—“ and mean”— the underside of her chin—“ and obsessive”— the tip of her nose. “And I cannot get enough of you.”

So this is what it feels like to belong to someone.

This was a really fun read. Funny in parts, heartbreaking in others. Devin was a goofy, anxiety ridden, messy but weirdly loveable leading man. This unexpected change he goes through and the journey it takes him to find his place and purpose was great. Alex was the perfect grumpy, foil to him. She projected this stay away image, understandable given her history, but underneath it total lovely marshmallow with a big heart. The connection between Alex and Devin was great, loss of tension and energy and really great chemistry that made you want these two messy characters to just get out of their own way and work it out. Throw in the supernatural elements and this turned out to be a really enjoyable read for me. 4 ⭐️

This book sums up what it is to be a person who grew up with an obsessive crush on a fictional character - but our main character gets to live the dream!

The story follows Alex Lawson, the hardcore fan and moderator of a werewolf TV drama and forum who meets her young self’s crush turned enemy and the star of said TV show under very strange circumstances.

This was such an easy read and an easy 5 stars. The pace was brilliant, storyline was engaging, super funny, spicy and just a joy to read. It is a love letter to fanfiction and everything my younger self would have wanted in life.

Sometimes there are books or films that you feel on an almost spiritual level. This really fits that mould, for me at least. I imagine it won't be for everyone, but I had SO much fun reading Fan Service. In a way, it reminded me of Galaxy Quest, in that it is very funny about fandom in a way that's not always complementary but is never less than fond. This is for everyone who remembers (and mourns) LiveJournal; who migrated to tumblr during the Great Exodus and remembers the chaos before AO3 of fandom-specific archives and sites and message boards.

If I were to elevator-pitch this book, it would be Galaxy Quest, but instead of Star Trek make it SPN, and make the blorbo from your shows a former teen hearthrob turned SFF lead and part of a major queerbait ship. And make the Justin Long character a former fandom mod and this story's love interest.

The MMC, Devin, is gloriously lacking in self-awareness, which might make him a little unsympathetic for some, but I feel like if you read his PoV as being very tongue in cheek (on a Doylian level) it will land as intended. Ultimately his backstory is pretty awful, and the author shows his journey as a process of growing and facing up to his baggage; he is called out on his behaviour, and finding peace with himself is not just subtext but the literal theme of the story. Alex, the FMC, is a great foil for Devin: not only is she able to help him through his trials (literally and figuratively), but she has her own journey to make. While Devin is (unwittingly) a catalyst for some of her own issues, her trauma has deeper roots and has led her to fairly aggressively isolate herself from her community. It's great to see this from both sides: there are plenty of legitimate reasons for Alex to feel like she doesn't belong, but we also see that she's somewhat complicit in things. It's great to see her open up to real-life friendships and relationships, although I loved the group chat between Alex and her online friends from the now-dormant The Arcane Files fandom.

I feel like the audience for this one might be like the best niche fandoms: small but fiercely loyal. But I had a total blast reading and already know plenty of friends who will devour this, too.