⭐️ 1.5/5
🌶️ 3/5

For a steamy sapphic paranormal romance, the ‘romance’ was severely lacking - the main love interests barely cross paths until the 50% mark!!

Honestly, it felt that the romance was secondary to a narrative on loss and grief and while yes, there is a lot of sex in this book, almost none of it was romantic… or ‘steamy’
The book starts with the MC getting her period in the middle of receiving oral sex, at which point the guy going down on her passes out at the sight of her blood - Nothing about that screams sexy and every sexual encounter afterwards just felt uncomfortable.

I think it would be more truthful to say that this book is a quirky paranormal lit fic with feminist undertones - it’s not a paranormal romance, not really.

False advertising aside, this book just wasn’t for me - the pacing seemed off, the story was really rough around the edges and the end left a bad taste in my mouth. I can appreciate the vision, and if you enjoy lit fic you might enjoy this (? Maybe) but I myself was not a fan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
All opinions are my own.

A bit of a quirky werewolf romance novel. A touch confusing at times and I didn't really bond with the main characters but a fun light read, good to see a lack of testosterone in a werewolf novel for a change!

3.75 rounded up to 4.

I’m not sure how to describe this book but what I can say is its entertaining, has excellent humor and includes a found family element which is something I always enjoy.

I was struggling to understand the plot of this book, I felt that it was a little chaotic and I couldn't find a clear plot point. I think this is why the pacing was a little off for me, I got through the first 30% really quickly and then things started to slow down a little.

The spice was good. I found the random little scenes with strangers a little uncomfortable but when we got to the relationship with Nova and the will they/won't they plot line I was definitely enjoying it. Saying this, you do have to wait for it as it’s definitely more of a slow slow-burn.

More info on the paranormal/werewolf aspects of world would have been nice, I think the fact that one of her friends happened to be a werewolf was a little convenient but I think it worked out alright for the story in the end.

Tropes/themes - Paranormal, sapphic, found family, trauma, will they won’t they.

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I enjoyed the book as a little refresher, it wasn't the most perfectly written plot wise but I enjoyed it enough to finish it, and I'll be picking up Cat's next book

unfortunately i think im going to dnf this title for the time being. i had issues with the formatting (which would not have been a big issue!) but the disconnect in writing did not compel me to pick this up and it may just not be the book for me :(

however, if you are looking for a sapphic paranormal romance this was the perfect story to find a palette cleansing romance 💞

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy reading this book. It sounded promising but it fell flat. The plot is quite messy and weak. There were way too many random sex scenes out of nowhere, and they threw me off. The main character was a brat, and unlikeable. Autumn was the only okay character, even though I didn’t like her at the beginning very much. And there was nothing romantic in this book. It is insta-lusty and barely existant.
At least the writing was good and it was quick to read. But it was a disappointing read.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

DNF

This book was so bad I couldn't even get through chapter 2. Badly written, bad layout (no paragraphs, dialogue spaces, etc.), and no buildup whatsoever. Don't know whose POV I'm reading, don't know we're in a paranormal world, don't even know which part of the world we're supposed to be at. Nope, this ain't it, moving on.

🏳️‍🌈 A steamy sapphic romance 🏳️‍🌈
🖤 Paranormal/Supernatural 🖤
🐺 Werewolves 🐺
❤️‍🩹 Past trauma ❤️‍🩹
💝 Finding where you belong 💝

I feel like this is the beginning of a series. Impending war with the Norse Army (we know who/what you are 🤐)!!! And zi can't wait for more 💜 💜💜

This book is an absolute delight—fun, fast-paced, and full of charm! A fresh and witty take on supernatural romance with plenty of heart and humour. If you love quirky paranormal stories, this one’s a must-read!

This was a funny, dark, page turning tale of a young woman who was trying to find herself. The main character, Brodie, was struggling to come to terms with the death of her sister when they were children, navigating grief, and living independently at university as a queer woman. Brodie was well drawn and I felt embroiled in her grief and love and wanted to know how her story would pan out. The story whipped along, and was very funny in places, but also poignant.

This book is a wild ride, a steamy paranormal romance that delivers all the tension, angst, and supernatural thrills you crave! Brodie’s struggle with grief and guilt adds layers to her character, making her journey of transformation both emotional and physical all the more compelling. The connection between the two characters is irresistible and full of tension, and the question of whether this dangerous bond is love or a trap only makes it more intoxicating. If you’re a fan of sapphic steamy, angst-filled paranormal romances with a bit of danger, suspense, and sizzling chemistry, this is the perfect book to sink your teeth into!

Brodie is a first year English Lit student at the university of Edinburgh. She's just trying to make friends, do well and cope with grief when she's bitten by a werewolf in the university library - life gets confusing and overwhelming quickly from there.

I'm really struggling to rate and review this one. Overall, I'd say it's an alright read that could have been really great with a bit more editing.

The pacing felt uneven, and ironically the most disappointing parts of this paranormal romance were the paranormal and the romance. The werewolf aspect of things never really got fully explained, and more pages are spent on Brodie having disappointing hookups with strangers than on the romantic plotline and love interest.

Brodie's friendships with Autumn and Zainab, on the other hand, are great and the 'mundane' student life was really well written. Themes of grief and mental health were handled sensitively, and I found Brodie a compelling narrator (with bonus points for the 'shame goblin' inner voice.

Overall, I'm a bit disappointed. Not because it's terrible (it isn't), but because it has the potential to be so much better. It's still a solid palate cleanser.

Many thanks to Headline for the ARC via Netgalley.

“A first year university student and the werewolf that bit her begin a deadly will-they-won't-they affair in this steamy paranormal enemies-to-lovers sapphic romance.”

Brodie was an average university student trying to make it though the grief (and guilt) of her sister’s death. Until one night she’s bitten by a werewolf when studying in the library.

The romance was meh - it didn’t really start
until 50% of the way through, so I wasn’t invested in their relationship at all. Not really a will they won’t they if the romantic lead isn’t in most of the book. Spent a good chunk of the first half confused because it seemed to be setting up a different character.

Overall this wasn’t for me, it was really chaotic and jumped around too much for me to follow and be invested in the plot. The characters were unlikable, especially the FMC, so I found myself skipping through the pages as I wasn’t really invested in her story.

The author touches on some serious themes so definitely check the trigger warnings before reading.

ARC copy provided by Headline & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I Kissed a Werewolf and I Liked It is an enjoyable paranormal romance that felt very queer normative in the best way.

This story felt very familiar and it was interesting to recognise so much of the uni campus, wider parts of Edinburgh and beyond. I do think the author may have started to pander to a more American audience at times but it wasn’t enough to pull me out of the story.

I really loved the academic aspect and felt Cat Hepburn’s writing style shone in those sections. I adore paranormal romances, but the paranormal aspects weren’t as well written as the other elements. I sadly found these parts of the book to be pretty weak at times. I struggled to fully understand the motivations of Nova and Brodie throughout and didn’t find their relationship believable outwith the werewolf element.

Overall, this is a fun and easy read and think it will appeal to lovers of queer normative worlds and those starting to explore the paranormal romance genre.

3.75 out of 5.
In this book we follow Brodie who is a first year university student in Edinburgh, throwing herself into her studies to try and distract herself from her sisters death many years ago. However this quickly goes wrong when Brodie is attacked by a werewolf whilst studying in the library.
I really enjoyed the university/academic setting as it was at a nice background level rather than being a fully academic novel and of course the Edinburgh setting was gorgeous.
Within the story Brodie refers to her 'shame goblin' which is a voice in her head making her doubt everything and I really resonated with this as someone that suffers with severe anxiety myself, so it was nice to have that representation.
I did find the last ten percent or so of this book a bit too convenient and lacking in descriptions - we are given statements of this happened and then this and this very conveniently resolved itself with very little description as to how or why things happened which I felt let the book down a little bit.
I think if you are a fan of fake mate, room mate is a vampire etc you will probably enjoy this book as it falls into a similar category of being paranormal but not too complicated/intense.

The first 40% or so of this book I was invested in where this story was going. I thought I was headed into a funny werewolf romp just waiting to begin. Until I wasn't...

I don't really understand what happened from that point on - and where this story decided to go, just felt rushed and almost as if the author got a bit confused as to what this book was going to be. Romance? Fantasy? Spicy?

Near the end, I thought there must be another book and that this would perhaps become a series, but then the whole build-up was over, and nothing had even happened!

This could have been an excellently executed paranormal romance, but sadly, after the initial intrigue, this one fell flat.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book via Netgalley.

I wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't for me

I wanted to read this book because I adore Edinburgh, am a huge fan of romance novels, and occasionally like paranormal romances. However, I thought this book was a bit all over the place. I understand we're meant to be perhaps as confused as the main character regarding her transformation, but the characters felt quite flat.

Thank you Wildlfire and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I enjoyed this but I wouldn't say it was a stand out read for me, I'd recommend to those who want to dip their toes into the spicy genre but are tentative about it? On the lighter side, more cutesy and cosy (in my opinion), the characters were great and I flew through this

“Since I can remember, I’ve loved reading. Who wants real life when you can live in a different world?”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

What you’ll find in this book:
- Paranormal Romance
- Sapphic Romance
- Hidden Identities
- Will They Won’t They
- She’s a Hot Mess
- Traumatic Pasts
- Found Family
- Werewolves
- Stereotypical Uni Life
- She Gets Bitten in the Libraries Romance Section

This book is complete chaos (and I mean that in a good way), somehow balancing between being light and not taking itself too seriously, while at the same tackling some serious situations having that heavier air about it. In all honesty it felt like this book was trying to capture the essence of stereotypical university student life and it does do that in an effective manner that works alongside the paranormal aspect and Brodie’s traumatic past. Having said all that I really enjoyed the book, and in all honesty wanting to know who the werewolf is that bit Brodie was a massive driving factor for me, I NEEDED to know.

What starts off as seemingly being a fairly straightforward story, begins to twist and turn more and more as the story progresses providing some reveals that I didn’t see coming but worked so well to provide a different dynamic. We begin our story getting to know Brodie and her backstory, and what brought her to Edinburgh university to study English Literature. You get the sense for how Brodie blames herself for the tragedy in her past, and that she doesn’t fully have a true sense of who she is. As the book goes on with all the crazy situations Brodie finds herself in when thrust into the world of the paranormal after being bitten by what turns out to be a werewolf in the university libraries romance section. We follow Brodie as she tries to navigate who she is an what she wants, all while trying to keep her head above water when it comes to her course and university life. Like I mentioned previously the question throughout most of the story becomes who is the werewolf that bit Brodie, and what is holding Brodie back from embracing her true self?

Brodie is a hot mess, especially at the beginning. I honestly can’t say I would handle the bananas situations she finds herself in much better, but she certainly creates unbridled chaos for herself as she tries to work everything out. The found family dynamic between her closest friends provides the strong relationships that are a thread through the story and again a key part of typical university life. The “will they won’t they” back and forth is wonderfully frustrating, and works alongside the characters and their personalities to provide an entertaining paranormal sapphic romance.

I really wanted to like this book and I was looking forward to reading it, but once I started I really struggled with it. It wasn't what I expected, but I'm sure other people will love it.