Hot Button Issue

by Catrina Bell

After a surprising, new law passes restricting reproductive rights, a roller derby witch and the shifter she has a crush on must work together to plan a last minute protest.

~~~~
Good Blanca is a high-profile lawyer with a brilliant legal mind. She's everything her parents hoped she would be - impressive and successful. Bad Blanca is a beautiful mess. She dresses in fishnet tights, flirts with sexy werewolves, and just made the Hel Stars roller derby team. Oh, and she’s secretly a witch.

Thorin is her opposite in every way. The happy-go-lucky flirt struggles with supernatural aggression he can’t quite control. His attraction to Blanca makes things even more complicated.

When Blanca’s powerful client, a state senator, proposes new legislation restricting reproductive rights, the line separating the good and bad in her life becomes blurry. Derby is chaos, and soon everything goes off the rails. How far will she go to defend her values and the people she loves?

~~~~
This steamy, cozy, paranormal romance has a strong pro-choice (bodily autonomy) theme. Please be aware and read accordingly.

Genres: Romance, Paranormal Romance, Novella, Shapeshifters, Paranormal, Contemporary, Fantasy

175 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 20, 2023

Reviews

[Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews] · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 4 stars to Hot Button Issue ★ ★ ★ ★

'The thing about witches is, we like to hide in plain sight. Our coven may be secret, but our values never are. For the first time, I’m certain this is where and, more importantly, who I’m supposed to be.'

'We always start small, mijita, and they never see us coming.'

➜ Dual POV
➜ Found Family
➜ Abortive rights
➜ Opposites Attract
➜ Roller Derby Community
➜ Wholesome hustler hero
➜ Accomplished Latina heroine
➜ Interracial/interspecies romance
➜ A community rallying for an important cause

It goes without saying that I cannot call myself a reader of romance without also calling myself a supporter of women's stories, and the fundamentalism of a woman's entitlement. And as an extension, the living rights of a historically overpowered and hegemonised gender that has collectively carried the torments, subjugation and trauma histories of every female lineage since time immemorial. I also can't call myself a reader without sharing that I am staunch supporter of female autonomy; I can't consider the existential possibility of remaining alive without also harbouring a deep awareness of the difficult lives my female predecessors have lived. Of the systemic disenfranchisement that has followed. And not without acknowledging the collective inheritance of a fragmented spiritual landscape that I have and will always feel in my own body, and in my own soul. Moralistic orientation should have no place in women's healthcare. Nor should it ever be bartered in a politicised setting. We serve women when we offer them the dignity of a choice, not when we stand between a woman and her choice. Not when we take choices away. Real or fictional (and let's remember that fiction more often than not reproduces real-life histories), every heroine's story matters; to give a woman a voice or to speak from your own, becomes by expression and release, an empowering narrative. It's why I love reading female-driven stories, and novels that explore a woman's experience of life, love and romance. All that to say, I appreciate what Catrina Bell brought to the table with Hot Button Issue. And I admittedly did not expect to release a book review at a time that paralleled such a sensitive, personal and culturally current subject. For that, and before I begin this review, I acknowledge a climate that may be deeply hurting, and deeply disturbed by the current events of various culturally divisive movements, so I take great care in sharing that I remain sensitive to the undivided distress of an entire collective.

Note: I've added some additional notes on women's healthcare at the end of this review.

The Storyline : Lawyering is what Blanca Trava does best, but her professional and personal life remain respectively separable. Because nobody knows that this young successful servicewoman to the law is also a freshly minted member of the Hel Stars; a local roller derby team. Each roller derby squadron is represented by their paranormal creed, and Blanca is a member of the human division. And she may have been motivated to follow the pull of an unexplored part of herself by a charming, tattooed shifter she's little more than attracted to. Deeply hesitant of those two very different parts of her life meeting and merging, a very systematic Blanca is confronted with a development she did not see coming. When she discovers that a client is in the process of issuing a legislative bill which controls and curbs abortive rights, she's floored. The odds of preventing the motion are against her, and since her work had an unwitting hand in this regressive policy, she's determined to have a hand in its undoing. As unsettled as Blanca is, It was her aim to always fight the good fight, and feeling more than a little disturbed and disheartened, she takes it upon herself to do something. The risk to her career is great, a livelihood built in mind of a trusted reputation, and now she's being called to fight that fight in a way she didn't think she was ready for.

By my estimation Catrina Bell is a recent talent, and a readable one. And after reading a smartly titled Hot Button Issue (which wordplays a quirky double entendre) I anticipate the future writing repertoire of a debut author who has indeed impressed me. We have a well-maneuvered novella romance fully thronged with relevant, germane and creatively finagled content within a contemporary-fantasy setting. The animated cover design may have influenced my selection, but it is Catrina Bell's storytelling and equally colourful content that kept me between the pages. Although a novella format, Hot Button Issue integrates a creative world setting in a fictional, reimagined Austin Texas. There was so much that I enjoyed about this brief read, and it extends beyond its sensitive, important and timely themes of social justice and women's rights. The story forms a creative context for this social setting of paranormals, humans and other creature-folk within a modern milieu. Shifters are a relatively recent creed and as such, I enjoyed the unique backstory of the recent emergence of the shifter race particularly. The cultural stigma associated with shifter-kind, their poisoned DNA, the materialised associated attributes and the more primal drives of this toxin-created paranormal variety was original. It was very interesting, and creatively rendered. Thorin exemplifies this very well through his perspective and experience as someone who willingly made the change.

Our hero is an ex gang member turned wholesome hustler, a reformed man of many talents. He's a shifter with a criminal past, one who has voluntarily left an unsavoury lifestyle behind him after turning his life around. Gentle bad boy Thorin was easily one of my favourite parts of this book. He was flirtatious, charming, easygoing, happy for lucky, a people person with protective instincts, (admittedly smutty), eclectic and also plagued with the polarity of the more bestial instincts of his wolf. As such, he experiences difficulty with modulating the primal drives of his current nature. His inner conflict concerning his worth, his value and the public prejudice that has reinforced a stigmatised perspective of his kind, contextualised within the insecurity of misguided early life choices, was very endearing. Self acceptance, exploration and identity is a shared theme for both Thorin and Blanca, and as opposites, they do so together. Thorin's self-esteem concerning Blanca's acceptance of him in his entirety was also rather endearing. He's a fun character, easy to love, easy to like, and a very colourful one at that. He was a wonderful compliment and an open ally to the adjacent themes and the storyline that dials into autonomy and female rights. He's the street-smart man about town to Blanca's high-powered intelligence. I loved Thorin from the offset, and he continued to grow on me like the well-nurtured plant-life he fosters. During moments that provoke Thorin's wolf as his animalistic qualities succeed his human nature, he was self aware enough to avoid imposition. The schism between his animalistic impulse and his human half was well-considered, and ultimately, a well balanced take on Thorin as a man and Thorin as a shifter. Additionally, he adored Blanca in just about every way, and he was entirely precious for it.

Moving onto our heroine, I enjoyed Blanca's characterisation as a rule follower whose personal stance regarding autonomy is challenged by a legal bill that she has little control over. I enjoyed her as a character; she seemed to live in this place of duality that set apart her rather conservative career and professional demeanour with her desire to discover a different part of herself. One that manifests through her budding and high-intensity romance with Thorin, her new title as a derby girl and the unanticipated developmental decree that aims to regulate and impede abortive rights. Remaining within her comfort zone was akin to safe refuge for Blanca, and with this far-reaching bill that's soon to pass, this disturbing turn of political aspiration behaves as a motivator to encourage an active, though surreptitious, response to a problematic development through Blanca's character. It's one thing to hold justice in your heart, and quite another to act in honour of it, and this is what Blanca navigates within the span of the story's short timeframe. Blanca's arc explores a quiet and hesitant challenge to authorised establishment, a field that has housed her entire legal practice. What I appreciated was the believable insecurity she feels about existing in both a precarious and uncomfortable position; in favour of quiet defiance and needed subversion but also fearful of the very real and tentative nature of acting in a way that poses threat to her professional position. Because protecting her legal reputation also threatens her livelihood. Her mini arc of self discovery and courage was instrumental to a short story that essentially boils down to a woman exploring a different side of herself, acting in favour of her values, moving into her power and disputing authority for a critical and exigent cause. All the while, exploring the same within the shape of a newfangled romance.

It's commendable that the author tackles as much as she does. For its well-delivered subject matter, the story does overlook some important spaces for nuance, especially concerning the reputational pushback or critical scrutiny of a lawyer who likely would have experienced some form of career pushback for her eventual visibility and participation in the resistance. For that I think the epilogue should have made more of an effort to comment to the particularities of that. In addition, it may have been an oversight to not have the epilogue adequately follow up on the current state of the legislative bill; whether the bill was reversed, renounced, abolished, still in applied progress, we really can't be sure if Blanca and her teammates are still in the process of fighting it. As aforementioned, the epilogue is rather vague in addressing this, but future books may very well pick up the theme and continue the thread. The epilogue does augment a growing future for our central couple however. The relationship between Thorin and Blanca exists in the space of a short timespan, and as such it moves rather quickly, so as one might imagine, it isn't a quite the fully fleshed out rendezvous. That being said, I believe the author establishes enough to deliver great chemistry and immersive attraction because I had no problem summoning enthusiasm for the this particular pair. With a longer write up, however, I think both protagonists would been afforded a more well-transitioned coupling. But as it stands, I enjoyed Blanca and Thorin separately as much as I enjoyed them together. I may definitely have been a tad gooey-eyed for them. ​

Of course, the narrative sports some very relevant social and cultural touches while also exploring taboo. But other than its central themes, Hot Button Issue was just a very enjoyable paranormal novella aside from that. I loved the representation of Roller Derby as a competitive sport but also as a unitive community of activists. The story oriented a group of fictional people who were forced to act only out of necessity. It was like the author fashioned a cast of paranormals and humans alike and founded them in a society and cultural setting that mirrors and explores the relevance of our contemporary day. I practically blitzed through this it was so entertaining, and that experience is a novelty for me. Feel-good, smart, smutty, ethically seditious and socially aware. I won't delve into the colourful strokes and creative textures for I hope readers enjoy the discovery as I did. Short in size, but not short on quality. Covering a critical issue in the space of women's health, those who simply support the rights of bodily autonomy, emancipation and the rights of every other living woman will enjoy this. A name worth reading and I'm excited to observe the potential traction, reaction and consensus of what may follow...

Content Warning: some swearing. The male love interest experienced a challenged upbringing, and mentions staying in a homeless shelter for some portion of his earlier life and navigating the foster system. He later explains becoming a member of a gang. Mentions some past instances of domestic violence. The heroine experiences an allergic reaction. Violence and harm during an on-page protest. Microagression. Assault of a minor. Themes, attitudes and content exploring women's rights, female autonomy and abortion. Graphic and detailed sex scenes (Praise kink/dirty talking bedroom manner). Past therapy rep.


An additional note on the topic of women's health

Just to expand on the subject of women's health, this area of healthcare is implausibly underprioritised. Shockingly so. It feels almost regressive to face the realisation and the real-life statistics that, as a developed and advanced nation, women's health is extremely under-researched. Reproductive and menopausal health alone is so underfunded. Pre-1990, medical trials, studies and research had long since excluded women from clinical trials altogether. Even now, and to borrow a recent research statistic ' only 2% of medical research funding is spent on pregnancy, childbirth, and female reproductive health. This is despite one in three women reporting a reproductive or gynaecological health problem.' The gender health gap therefore informs us of a historical bias that has minimised the real-life medical conditions and health states of every woman in its history. Women, therefore, are at the receiving end of shockingly poor health outcomes, resulting in misdiagnosis, miscommunication, medical gaslighting, shorter life expectancy, and are navigating a broken, inapt and unsuitable system that utilises a diagnostic criteria that was not made based on their anatomies. And this is not including the healthcare of impoverished nations. Our healthcare system, its fundamental procedural arrangement and its institutional form of operation exemplifies the gravity of gender age gap disparity in the UK. Its system is, quite frankly, faulty, obsolescent and negligent, complicit in the many ways women have been underserved by modern healthcare likely since its Inception. Therefore forcing women to turn to alternative and/or independent women-centred organisations they seek out themselves after having been abandoned by medical science. Women are much more likely to come away from a physician's office feeling misunderstood, misheard and completely overlooked. The UK is considered to be one of the countries that has so much to answer for where gender disparity and health inequalities are concerned, made all the more worse for ethnic minorities and female POC communities. Quoted from the Women's Health Organisation 'The UK was found to have the largest female health gap out of the G20 countries and the 12th largest globally. ' Equitable healthcare almost feels like a pipe dream and so much more needs to be done to challenge the discrepancy and actually make moves to improve female healthcare. ​It's fair to say that medical science has and continues to fail women of all age groups and backgrounds. Globally and nationally, women continue to face the challenges, ramifications and repercussions of broken systems, and a system of care that does not meet the very real needs and requirements of a dignified mode of healthcare. I can only say that I hope this is met with the urgency and exigency of its gravity.


EXTRA THOUGHTS: (May contain spoilers!)

1) For readers: This novella explores activism, abortive rights, and a secret legislative bill that restricts access and rights to abortion; the heroine aims to challenge this. Blanca harbours a pro-choice perspective. There is pro-choice activism and feelings that support the rights of women.

2) Personally, I do struggle with epilogue pregnancies, especially for the obvious reasons pertaining to the brevity of a shorter read. But perhaps its inclusion served as a message for a future where our couple get to have the life they want. It did feel a tad swift for such a development, but either way, I wasn't majorly opposed to it.

3) Just as I was nearing the end of this paranormal novella, Call Jane broadcasted, which was strangely serendipitous. Exploring the same subject matter of what I was reading, and of our times, the drama follows a privileged homemaker and wife, played by Elizabeth Banks. Upon the discovery of her newfound pregnancy, Joy starts to develop a life-threatening health condition. But when she and her husband sit in front of a medical board of men to petition their case, she's completely dismissed and opposed of any rights to a legal termination. She's expected to follow through with the indignity and a harmful pregnancy. Not afforded a choice, Joy turns to a covert group of all-female activists, an abortive - illegal - network that grants women, no matter their reason, the opportunity and right to a medical termination. They grant them a choice. After Joy goes through the sterile and unsentimental process of a procedure, thus begins a venture that has Joy making her way up within this organisation of unapologetic radicals and feminists. Although fictionalised, the film is fact-based as the narrative models a real-life group, The Jane Collective , that operated in the 60s and aided women in securing safe abortions, no matter the risk. I thought I'd mention this for readers who might be interested in a fictionalised drama that takes place pre roe-v-wade era.

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: First person from both hero and heroine in alternating chapters
Cliffhanger: No
Epilogue: Yes, 8 months later
Format: borrowed on Kindle Unlimited

(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from A Love Less Ordinary )

Should I read in order?
I believe this is Catrina Bell’s debut!

Basic plot:
Blanca is a lawyer by day and a roller derby witch by night with a crush on the local cafe’s werewolf shifter.

Give this a try if you want:
- Monster/paranormal feel – This is Earth with various beings – shifters, witches, humans, orcs, demons, fae
- Texas setting
- Werewolf shifter/cafe working/tattooed hero
- Lawyer/derby witch heroine that has telekinesis powers
- Medium steam – 2 full scenes in a shorter novel
- Praise kink and dirty talking hero
- Skinny dipping


Ages:
- Heroine is 30, I’d guess hero is similar? There’s a mention of him being in his early twenties years earlier.

First lines:

Knee pads and helmet? Check. I pull the tag off my brand new gear.
Cut outfit and roller skates? Check.


My thoughts:
I was so excited to read this one! Something about the cover really grabbed me (purple and orange are my favorite cover colors and a tattooed hero?? Yes please!) And I had so much fun with it.

This novel does a great job of building tension and giving some character depth in a shorter amount of pages. I think it’s hard to establish a strong relationship in shorter books but I loved it here. Our characters know each other when the book starts but they haven’t initiated anything further than friendship and I loved going through this journey with them.

Blanca has showed me I 100% need more witches in my romance life. I just loved her finding herself and her confidence in uniting both aspects of her life – her day job and who she is after hours. Her priorities are worth fighting for and I think Thorin was just the perfect match for her. Supportive and uplifting they are strong together.

Thorin was a joy as a hero. He’s protective and gentle and kind and funny and sweet and just SO DAMN ADORABLE. I will admit I love my dark, aggressive heroes that can be super dominating and maybe a bit too pushy but Thorin was just such a breath of fresh air to me – he fights against the toxic masculinity of being a shifter and doesn’t let the aggression take over. He’s hotter because of it, controlling himself to make sure his woman is comfortable and satisfied. His bedroom talk made me swoon and I am so in love with him. He’s such perfection!

Overall I adored this novel by Bell and am definitely eager to read more!

Cock/Hero Stats:

- Hero is a werewolf shifter
- To become a shifter, they consume a poisonous elixir and either live or die. If you survive you are not only human or orc or fae but a shifter too.
- Dark, clawed fingers
- Blackened veins show through your skin
- The toxin never leaves the system and in situations of anger or dominance it can flare up and cause rage and physical changes they have a hard time controlling
- Hair and muscles will begin to grow and veins turn darker.
- EVERYTHING gets bigger when he begins shifting *wink wink


Quotes/thoughts:

I adored how he was always counting her buttons! And the reference on the cover?? Swoon!

I have a little game I play every time I see her. It’s called Count the Buttons, where I imagine how many buttons it would take to undress her. Come on, it’s a fantasy, and I’m only a man. Sometimes she wears these fancy boots with nine little clasps on each foot. Those would be fun to work off. She also has this dress that goes up to her neck but the back is lined with twenty fabric-covered buttons down the spine. Delicious.
---
He’s an exotic dancer? And he’s got to be wearing padding in those briefs because...Virgen Santa! My mouth feels dry. Oh, it’s open. I snap it shut.



Content warnings:

- Mention of discrimination/racism
- Strong themes of pro-choice and pro-life politics throughout including laws restricting body autonomy
- Allergic reaction requiring a hospital visit
- Police/protest violence
Author given content warnings: pro-choice themes, microaggressions, parental pressure, allergic skin reaction, police violence, explicit sexual content, vulgar language/swearing, pregnancy

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

Safe sex? Condoms used but it does result in pregnancy even with use
49% - kisses
59% - 🔥kisses, blow job (complete), oral for her, sex on the office table (him standing/her sitting)
87% - 🔥oral for her, doggy style with anal fingering

[Lark Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has everything you would want in a book and more:

-A smart, Latina lawyer as the FMC
-A sexy, tattooed, but so sweet shifter as the MMC
-Roller derby witches
-Steamy dirty talk
-Some pretty hot sexy-time scenes
-And so much more!

While this story has all these great aspects, it also addresses some very a very serious and important pro-life theme (abortion IS healthcare). Did I mention this is a novella?! So if you're like me and have the attention span of a peanut and you have a hard time sitting down and reading a whole ass book (doesn't matter how good it is), then this book is for you! I am giving Catrina a round of applause for fitting all this action in one novella. That is not an easy feat, and she pulls it off flawlessly! If you're worried about this book being a little too heavy of a read considering the pro-choice theme, don't be. There is plenty of spice and humor in this book, it's easy to digest. I can't wait to read more of Catrina's work. Until then, I hope Blanca is okay with shared custody of Thorin because I need that sweet shifter boy in my life.

[Grey Story · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another one I wanted to love. It covers an issue I care a lot about, includes what's supposed to be a badass derby girl, and the artwork I'd seen of main male character was really hot.

Instead, I felt frustrated.

This is pretty short and the events all happen within like a week or less plus it's a novella so everything happens SO fast. That's not an issue in and of itself when done right or with the right things, pacing, etc., but there were some things in this where it really didn't work well.

For example, Blanca is super anxious about being perfect and poised and following rules - but then she breaks in to her work office in the middle of the night and fucks a guy she barely knows on the conference table. Um what? How does that make any sense?? And surely they would have security cameras? wtf?

Thorin's behavior to me was honestly more of a giant red flag and aggressive, not sweet. After he asks out Blanca, he doesn't seem to leave her alone and is constantly asking her about going out on the date she agreed to. Pretending to be a courier to deliver flowers and pastries to her workplace unannounced when she didn't tell you were she worked, has no idea you're coming, and she only agreed to go on a date with you the day before and you haven't even gone on that date yet?? That's fucking creepy.

There's no way the author was oblivious to that. Thorin is even self-aware as he gives himself a pep talk:
“It’s not stalkerish. It’s romantic,” I reassure myself, even though the nerves are setting in.

There was also so much suspension of belief here. Orcs, fae, demons, shifters, witches? Sure, fine, but the real fantasy is the concept that this character is somehow an extremely accomplished trial attorney that also works personally with a Senator crafting legislation as part of her day job. Um what? That is not how that works. Don't even get me started on her becoming a senior partner at the firm while working part-time at age thirty but also pursuing a PhD to teach about justice??? I just wanted to facepalm so hard.

Perhaps the most frustrating part of all is that this story revolves around abortion rights and a fictional bill in Texas that would outlaw abortion past 6 weeks, based on the very real legislation existing in the U.S. But at the end of this fantasy we're exploring? Do we get to live vicariously through a tale where the good guys triumph over evil? Do we get to see the horrible bill defeated unlike real life? No, the main female character is pregnant and there's no mention whatsoever about what happened with the bill. I went back to check again thinking I overlooked it somehow and can't find mention of it anywhere. What in the fuck?

[Poppy || Monster Lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was short and sweet. Blanca was a badass lawyer and derby girl and Thorin was a sunshiny baker’s assistant. There was some pining, but they moved quickly once they figured out they both were into each other. They were cute together. The sneaky abortion laws were hard to read post the end of Roe V Wade, but were handled well.

Spice: 2/5

Triggers: abortion laws, microaggressions, parental pressure, allergic skin reaction, police violence involving minor (mild injuries), taser used by police, pregnancy, gang activity (past), foster care (past)

[Romantically Inclined Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The type of romance that makes you want to get up off the couch and fight for your rights. + shifters.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much to love & enjoy about “Hot Button Issue” - I’m not sure where to start! It was fun, and as a prequel for an upcoming series, it definitely has me interested in reading the rest! Many thanks to Catrina Bell for letting me be part of the ARC team:)

✅ short but generally inspiring and feel-good read
✅ cool & original explanation behind shifters
✅ Sexy 🔥
✅ Thorin & Blanca bring out the best in each other + help each other grow, which I am always here for!!!
✅ roller derby 🛼 is cool

Blanca is a successful 30-year Latinx lawyer, the youngest to make partner at her firm, and has long been very career-oriented. But lately, it hasn’t felt like enough, and she’s been left wondering “who is it that I really am & wanna be?” Which is how she ended up reconnecting with her magic and an old witchy friend, then joining the local human roller derby team that doubles as a secret witch coven. And visiting the orc-owned bakery across the street from her firm, where she flirts with the hot criminal shifter slash former criminal turned baker, Thorin. But she’s been really careful to keep those two sides to her life and identify separate - until she finds out the work she’s been doing for her senator client has helped sneak through the passage of anti-abortion legislation. And at the same time, she and Thorin (who it turns out not just a hot piece of ass) begin a relationship.

Also, as a cis woman who lives in a state where they’ve been picking away at repo rights for like a decade with bills a lot like this book’s SB13, I wasn’t sure if it would feel “too real” for me or not. But I really admire the way Catrina Bell handled things. It was only a beginning, and there was no magical loophole or moment when things were fixed, just Blanca and the roller derby activists taking risks because they were the right thing to do, and make their voices heard.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come

[Camilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️

Wow, what a lovely PNR novella! I enjoyed this immensely, and I am looking forward to reading the next instalment in this series when it's released!

The world was so interesting, and I'm so intrigued about basically every single thing in how this world works. I adored Thorin, the hero. He was such a sweetie. The authors take on shifters and how they're made was super interesting and different from what I've read previously.

The plot revolves around abortion rights, which is a very relevant topic in many countries. For a short novella it did pack a punch and the conclusion to the plot was satisfying.

The main characters were adorable together, and I loved Blancas' growth and how she found her fiercer side.

Novellas can sometimes in my opinion be a bit shallow, which is totally understandable considering the length of a novella, but Hot Button Issue was so well balanced and had everything I needed and wanted. The plot, the characters, the emotions, the world building, side characters. Everything. Was. So. Good.

I can't wait for more Roller Derby Witches books!

[Priscilla | Books Imperfect Condition · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catrina Bell is so talented, this was a quick read with a powerful message. Bell chose the perfect title, as the play on words is so clever!

The romance was fun and the spice was just right!

Being a Latina Corpus Christi, Texas native, I just loved this novella so dang much!

*Tex Mex interjections
*familial references “Mijo and Mija” terms of endearment were my fav
*the story set in Austin and references to locations near me like Rockport, Texas

I fell in love with Blanca and Thorin’s story because these quotes are *chef’s kiss*

“He’s a maze I want to get lost in and never find my way out.” -Blanca

“There’s something magical about the way Blanca’s picture-perfect puzzle pieces fit along my jagged lines. “Te amo,” I whisper.” -Thorin

Oh and sign up for her newsletter! Lots of goodies in there to feast on!

Excited to read more from Catrina Bell!

[SpeedX · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short and very to-the-point story. The attempted to tackle a controversial topic in a few pages AND develop a relationship between our main characters, Blanca and Thorin. I feel it could have been longer to flesh out the story and build a believable connection with our lovebirds, it lacked depth.

Catrina pro-choice theme should have been given a more nuanced perspective, especially from our h given that was her stance even though that wasn't actively apparent. One of the lines that threw me was, "Of all the issues we work on, I actually enjoyed ripping apart the pro-life lobby’s proposals, redlining every legal and logical weakness." This is a line from Blanca's inner dialogue, this gave me the impression she stood on the other side of the fence and not somewhere in the middle.

Thorin is a Teddy bear, he came from a hard life and turned over a new leaf. His insecurities made him endearing, which I don't usually see in shifter males. I applaud Catrina for her attempt at balancing Thorin's sweet and dominate sides.

While I appreciate TW's, I don't like when they tell me the ending of a story. The finale is the best part. Because I knew what the ending entailed it took far longer for me to finish a book of this length than I would normally. Maybe that won't be a problem for some but for me I usually pass on a book when I've been told what will happen and when. The unknown is made known before I could discover it for myself.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[fruitbatwoman · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ***

A fun urban fantasy/romance novella that serves as a prelude for more.

It's ambitious to pack an important and relevant topic (women's reproductive rights) into a romantic, feel-good fantasy story, but the author not only succeeded but made it into an entertaining page-turner. It was clear that a lot of world-building went into the urban fantasy setting (especially into the shifters), even though there was no info dumping or exposition, and we only learned what we needed to know when we needed it. I also appreciated the trigger warnings at the beginning. The romance was hot and spicy, and I loved the dynamic between the two main characters.

All in all a short, fun read for anyone who likes their urban fantasy with a good pinch of spice, a supportive and healthy relationship, but no gore or violence.

[Ahren McNamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was a lot of things in a small amount of pages but never felt too rushed or over the top. Loved the roller derby theming throughout. Thorin is the PERFECT MMC- sexy, funny, supportive, protective- the list goes on and on. Blanca works hard and follows the rules by day and tries to connect more to herself and her purpose through derby by night. The romance is sweet and spicy. What I wasn’t expecting was how relevant it would be with current social issues. This was a great, short read and I can’t wait for the full length novel to come out!

[Jessi Eliza Portell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spicy

Short but cozy <3
Spicy 4\5
Character development was good. Plot was wonderful. My only problem with this book is the ending.

[mari (givemaribooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was super cute. I loved Thorin. He’s the most adorable cinnamon roll. My one issue with the book is that it feels like we didn’t get resolution on a lot of the threads/plots in the book, or even an update during the epilogue.

[Marian Pattechat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was HOT! It was sweet and cute as well while raising an importation social issue. Add to that an intriguing world-building, and you've got yourself a unique story that is worth re-reading. A real gem!

[Tallyho · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was messaging my friends by page 2 with the introductory description of Thorin saying, "Yes! This! I want this guy!" This story is so aggravating (the hot button issue), but the relationship is so lovely.

Also, the cover is 🥵💯🔥.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mallory Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

MUST READ

Recommend this book to all those ambitious boss bitch babes who are killing it but not sure where they fit outside of work.... (definitely guilty party here).

This was a heart warming, empowering, spicy read!

[Cas ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorin could count my buttons any day 😏

I loved everything about this — truly, the characters, the world Catrina Bell created and her take on shifters, the pace, the heat, the tropes, the incredibly important message… this was a serious treat to read and I can’t recommend it enough!

I could whine a smidge and say I wish it had been longer but that’s not because it was lacking in any way, it was perfectly paced and well fleshed out despite being a novella, the whine for more would be out of greed lol. I could live in this world with these characters, rallying beside them and being part of the coven. I love when paranormal romance is done in a modern world, especially one that reflects our own so closely; it’s so easy to lose myself in the story and pretend this is our shared reality. This story especially did that for me and I loved it, and that’s why I wish there were more. I am SO excited to see that the next Roller Derby Witches book will be a full length novel ;) Now just to have patience while I wait for it to come out.

[Nan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

A quick and (mostly) cute read. I enjoyed Thorin’s chaotic good energy. And he’s a hot shifter so points for that. I liked Blanca too, although I struggled with this “good/bad Blanca” theme. I mean, if she was a lawyer by day and then hunting men for sport by night, I could get it, but being on a roller derby team didn’t feel as necessary to keep hidden in the dark and separate from your life.

I’m also going to be a bit nit-picky about the epilogues for a second. I didn’t love that we learned Blanca still hadn’t told Thorin that she’s a witch. Yeah he knows because he figure it out, but you’re having this dudes baby and you still haven’t mentioned it? Hmmm.

Secondly, I enjoyed the pro-choice themes of this book, however it left us not knowing if they were able to make any change to the restrictive abortion ban. I have zero issue with a surprise pregnancy, but it just seemed an odd choice that there would be a surprise pregnancy in the epilogue of a book that revolves around the topic of reproductive rights while also not giving us any resolution about the outcome of the ban.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always love a roller derby book. There aren't very many, or at least I haven't found them all. But it's still exciting when I do find one.

Blanca is a lawyer and she's just made the human roller derby team in her town in Texas. She wants to keep the two parts of her life separate. Good Blanca is the lawyer. Bad Blanca is the roller derby girl. And while I sort of understand keeping the derby girl out of her professional life, it truly didn't make any sense to me why she was so concerned about the derby community finding out she's a lawyer. Roller derby, in my experience, is one of the most inclusive communities out there.

Thorin is a classic millennial with a million jobs. One of which is at a bakery where he meets Good Blanca. It's only when Blanca accepts a date with Thorin that her worlds begin to collide. I do love that Thorin helps Blanca explore her adventurous side. And I'm absolutely on board with any book that wants to protest forced births. "Not the church. Not the state. Women must decide their fate."

[Lucy Limón]

Hot Button Issue is a sexy monster romance with roller derby witches, an unbelievably fun combo. This story is all about the duality of the two MCs, which this blurb captures perfectly: "Good Blanca is a high-profile lawyer with a brilliant legal mind. She's everything her parents hoped she would be - impressive and successful. Bad Blanca is a beautiful mess. She dresses in fishnet tights, flirts with sexy werewolves, and just made the Hel Stars roller derby team. Oh, and she’s secretly a witch."

This story moves fast and delivers super satisfying and sizzling heat. Most of the conflict is external to the main love story, and there's enough of it to keep the story stakes high (addressing the hot botton issue of free choice and the fight against legislative restrictions on abortion), while also allowing me to indulge in a low-angst, positive and affirming, swoony, and super steamy romance. ♡

[Ale the feral reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️
3🌶️

God I loved this book. It was so fun to read and I looked forward to each next chapter. I’m pro-choice and I’m Latina and I love fantasy (especially how this had a modern twist) so this was perfect for me. AND IT WAS SPICY LIKE CMON SO GOOD.

Hot Button Issue takes place in a mystical version of Austin, Texas and follows the put-together lawyer/secret witch-roller derbier (is that a word?) Blanca. It also follows a flirty and fun werewolf shifter named Thorin. Even though this book was only like 160 pages, I felt the love between these two and IT WAS SO CUTE I WANTED TO CRY🥹 I don’t wanna give a lot away but these two get into roller skating, protesting anti-choice shenanigans and I ATE IT UP.

Thank you so much to Catrina for sending me this book. I am proudly placing her on my bookshelf to display and forever kicking my feet and teeheeing over Blanca and Thorin🩷

[Alien Peen Fiend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this novella put me through all the emotions in the best ways. I laughed, cried, I was mad on the characters behalf (and on our behalf, because while the MFC is dealing with the revoking of reproductive rights, so are we in America), and I had warm and fuzzies the whole time!

First- as an avid fan of horror movies and paranormal romance, I’ve seen a lot of takes of shifters and werewolves, and I have to say this was SUCH a unique take! Thorin, our MMC is a wolf shifter, and let me just say one thing: Black. Veins.🥵🥵🥵 HOTT.

Blanca, our MFC, is a lawyer, but she’s been exploring her “wild” side lately by joining a Roller Derby, and other small steps of embracing the that less conventional side of her. I REALLY resonated with her feelings of conflicting dualities in her personality: Good Blanca is an accomplished lawyer, Bad Blanca is a roller derby witch. She doesn’t know how these two identities can exist together. I FEEL THIS TO MY SOUL.

I think people with uteruses especially deal with this, because we get sooooo many conflicting standards and messages “be a lady in the streets and a freak in the sheets, but if you have consensual sex with multiple partners you are a slut.” Or you need to get a job and have a career but you also need to be super mom and have 3 kids and fuck your husband 4 times a week, but make sure you do the laundry too. And also if you don’t want kids there’s something wrong with you, and you owe it to society to have children??? FUCK ALL THAT. Don’t even get me started on the LGBTQ+ erasure and struggles. These are very old school standards, but they are still very much present problems in our society. So like I said…. I FEEL Blanca’s struggle.

Ok so OMG THORIN! This man, our MMC is the roguish himbo dom I didn’t know I need. He is confident in himself, but also he is conscious of the impacts of toxic masculinity and AVOIDS it?!? Melt. I loved how he was confident in his sexuality and his body. That was SO refreshing, to see a shifter character actively address and reject the toxically masculine standards. He was also such an alley to people with uteruses, and such an amazing supporter of Blanca. He actually made me cry in the best way, let me explain: he says all these nice supportive things to Blanca, in a dom way 😈, but he tells her she’s beautiful while she’s sucking on his cock, calling her a good girl, as well as helping her through her panic attack and overthinking? He just fucking GETS it. He said things I didn’t even know I needed to here, and there is a quote that perfectly explains it:

“Here’s the thing about high-achieving women. No matter how independent we are, how boss-babe we are, there’s often a hidden self starved for praise. The straight-A student who would do anything for another gold star. Good girl is the key. Good girl unlocks a horny, crazy beast of my own. I drop to my knees and tug his pants down, rubbing against his shaft like a cat in heat. This dirty talking shifter is about to meet a very, very good girl.”

THIS. ALL OF THIS. I have a huge praise kink, and this book filled that UP!

This was a quick, fun, HOTT read 🥵. If you vibe with everything above- then this book is for you!

[Gleeful Goblin Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Love Letter To Authenticity & Acceptance

Gleeful Goblin Review: This book is a love letter to anyone who has felt like they can't bring their whole self to the table and be accepted. Right from the start this book came at me right in the #TeamNeurospicy/LGBTQIA+ feels because of this scene: "Everything interesting about my life is hidden in plain sight because I’m not just a derby girl. I’m also a lawyer, the youngest senior partner at Baker & Shoal. The Hel Stars don’t know that. And no one in my real life knows about my new hobby. Sweat trickles down my back from the sweltering heat of a Texas summer, but I’m frozen, torn between the two sides of myself. A person can be more than one thing, I reason. Not everyone needs to know the real me. But who is the real you? A new voice inside whispers, some inner Blanca that’s emerged in the last few weeks. I kind of feel like Superman and Clark Kent—roller derby hero by night, litigator by day." For the past 15 or so years I've worked in state government service/Aging & Disability Resources/care coordination for a Medicaid insurance agency and while I love being able to do things like decode bureaucracy for people who need critical services for health that's oftentimes a pretty conservative and not embracing of self expression workplace environment just like being a lawyer I would imagine. Years of not feeling like I could bring my full and authentic self into the workplace and still be treated and viewed as a competent, professional colleague.....it wears on you. So I felt that "But who is the real you?" HARD and that's amazing because that's good writing and Relatable Content right? Same thing with being the person that your family expects you to be. As a non-binary queerdo who grew up in a fundie religious sect I remember the crushing weight of other people's expectations and perceptions Who I Am And Should Be. It was hard, lonely, and isolating and I imagine for folks whose families are people they want to connect with and feel supported by that would be amplified even more. SO A LOTTA FEELS SUPER EARLY IN THIS BOOK FOR ME IS WHAT I'M SAYIN'.

This book also did an amazing job of making references to subtle touch points like this: “Mija,” my mother whispers, pointing at a bruise on my knee. She rustles around in her bag. Before she can pull out the Vicks, I wave her away and sit up straighter, bringing my attention back with present company. I smile at my parents and Senator Rusk. The old man has been droning on about the current legislative docket, probably boring my poor dad to tears. As my most impressive client, when he heard my parents were in town, he insisted on meeting them. “Miss Trava is an invaluable asset to my team.” I notice my father’s displeasure, a fast-blinking surprise, at hearing our last name butchered. Tray-va instead of Trah-vah. It’s not that I expect every white man to roll his Rs, but he doesn’t even try to say it right. “Thank you, sir.” My smile is tight. I regret setting up this lunch. As the only child in a hardworking immigrant family, I spent my life trying to make my parents proud, but after we’re done here, I won’t see them for weeks. They’ll make the long drive home, and I’ll wish we’d spent our last meal together." I have an ex I was with for 9 years who was Afro-Latinx and I saw almost this exact scene with Vicks play out so many times with their mom over the years which made me smile just as much as I cringed at the Peak Whiteness of Senator Rusk mangling Blanca's family name.

And this book is FULL of these nuanced style of scenes! So as I worked my way through the book there were countless opportunities for me to more fully understand who Blanca is kind of at the same time that she's coming to that same understanding. She's finding out where and how she can live her values authentically in her personal and professional life which is HARD AND OFTEN RISKY especially when you experience multiple avenues of systemic oppression and bias like Blanca does. So, reading this snippet at the end of Chapter 1 that's laid the foundation for the rest of the events in the book and that brings our MCs together was so relatable to me even though my journey and lived experience is certainly not the same as Blanca's: "My petty rebellions started just a few weeks ago. First, it was a chocolate croissant with powdered sugar that got all over my nose. Thorin leaned over the counter and wiped it away. I flirted with the sexy tattooed werewolf, became a roller girl, and started practicing magic again. We always start small, mijita, and they never see us coming. My hard work was twisted into something horrifying, but I refuse to stand for it. Stopping SB13 isn’t just an opportunity for more rebellion. It’s a chance at redemption."

And now introducing the second Swoonworthy Babe in this story, Thorin. And WHAT A BABE INDEED because check this internal monologue waxing poetic about Blanca: "I glance through the front windows at the fancy fae restaurant across the street. It’s nearly empty now, but I caught a glimpse of her there during lunch rush. Blanca Laureana Trava Martínez. Yeah, I looked her up and memorized her deliciously long name after the first time she rushed in here. Frazzled but stunning, her eyes sparkled like Valorian’s Bakery was paradise on earth and I was an angel for selling her a damn croissant. I’ve been fascinated ever since. The bell over the door rings and, speak of the devil, here she comes in a white skirt-suit tailored to perfection. My growl is instinctive, so I cough to cover it and brace my arms on the counter. Get it together. She’s so cute with her short stature and round doe eyes. I probably shouldn’t say that about a badass lawyer, but a woman can be both adorable and terrifying. Duality is sexy. I’m a shifter, after all. Have I spent hours watching videos of her in court? Yes. Call me crazy, but a woman ripping a dirty cop to shreds on the stand is insanely hot. Thankfully, she’s obsessed with our croissants. If she ever stopped showing up, I might just have to track her down by scent alone. “Blanca, what a surprise.” I read that and I knew I was a goner for Thorin and that only got better/worse as we find out more about him! In his own way Thorin is just as desperate to be known, loved, and accepted for all of who he is as Blanca even if their stories and personalities are wildly different from each other. The found family and acceptance themes being so important to both these characters as points of connection made me *melt*. And I don't want to give away specifics but this book has a phenomenally unique take on shifter origin/cultural norms that I haven't seen in other books and as a devoted member of #TeamMonsterfuger that is a FEAT.

This book deftly handles human rights issues like abortion/bodily autonomy/access to healthcare so beautifully it made my heart sing because as a reader I got to see people fall in love while they are standing up for what's right and acting out of love for others around them. This book will definitely being joining my rotation of books I read when I need comfort, reassurance, and hope because it is a monster love story written from a Mr Rogers quote prompt (in the very best way): "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." 5/5 Stars

[Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

“All this honey is for me?” -Thorin
“Si” - Tana
“You’re dripping baby!” -Thorin

Lmfao 🤣 the smut scenes in this book were so awkward. I am a monster romance smut slut. But I couldn’t with this. I got the ick every time Thorin spoke. I did enjoy Tana’s character a lot. And I liked the premise of the story. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this but this book would have been better without the smut. All it needed was a cute lil love story between Thorin and Tana.

I didn’t finish the book. But I do know there’s a pregnancy epilogue. Why would a pregnancy epilogue be in a pro choice book? Especially when the main character stated she wasn’t even sure she wanted kids. I get that pro choice means you get to choose if you want to have a baby or want to get an abortion but come on. This was the perfect chance to write a love story that had a HEA that didn’t involve a baby! Women don’t need babies to be happy! If the main character made it clear from the start that she wanted them I don’t think I would mind but since she was on the fence about it makes me a lil annoyed. So I’m glad I didn’t finish. I gave up on this book at 65% right during the sex scene. I couldn’t handle it.

I wanted to love this book. But I just didn’t. Thorin was just an ick overall. He was needy and aggressive. I don’t get all these raving reviews. He was stalkerish and creepy. He asked her out and before the date even happens he’s basically pressuring the poor girl to confess her love for him. And when she’s meeting with her friends to plan the protest. He can tell she’s exhausted. And instead of asking if she wanted to go home and rest and to the date another day he basically accuses her of not wanting to go on the date. Or not being interested in him. He’s creepy and needy. And no woman should want a man that needs that much freaking reassurance. Anyways the book was bad. Idk why the reviews are so good. Because I clearly read a completely different book than everybody else. Smut sucked, and Thorin was a massive red flag.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I think there's a bit of magic in you and me."

At its core, Catrina Bell's Hot Button Issue is about dichotomies, housed in a story about the larger struggle of abortion rights and reproductive care. Thorin and Blanca are opposites in a delightful and familiar way: he's a bad boy and she's a good girl. And while we all love a good trope, Bell manages to push beyond the surface level relationships of opposites to explore the dichotomies that exist WITHIN her two main characters. Thorin is sensitive, romantic, and insecure ("I could never live up to the guys she dates"), while Blanca is daring and bold, even if she herself doesn't always realize it. The result is a romance built between two fully realized characters who the audience can't help but root for and champion. Thorin and Blanca are equal parts adorable, admirable, and refreshingly human.

Without spoiling anything, the story itself moves at an even pace while still managing to pepper in moments of slow and serene reflection and relationship building. Thorin and Blanca are working together to create a massive anti-abortion protest, but the plot never strays too far from the two main characters. We still get to spend time with them as they work together, grow together, and of course get naughty together (and woo, those naughty scenes are HOT). And when the day of the protest finally arrives, the scene is handled with all of the fire and energy of any good climax. Bell keeps you on the edge of your seat while allowing her characters, especially Blanca, to shine.

My single critique of the book is that I want more! It's hard to fit everything into a novella and I would love to see this fleshed out into a full book because I think there's a lot more to explore with these characters and this topic. But I would recommend this to any contemporary romance fan who is looking for something new, progressive, quirky, and fun!

[Lisa-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A monster/paranormal romance about Women’s Reproductive Rights? If this isn’t your cup of tea, move right along. If you’re interested, intrigued, and a bit excited, you’re in luck and this novella is for you.

This is a spicy, steamy, insta-love story with a side of activism.

Thorin, our hero, is not just a cinnamon roll. He’s a shape shifter of all trades; baker’s assistant, courier, roller derby mascot, and exotic dancer. He even has some magical plant skills.
Blanca is an overachieving good girl with a huge heart. She crossed over the border as a young girl and has worked her way up to senior partner at the law firm with her hard work and dedication. But Blanca has a wild side yearning to break free. Her first step to embracing that side was to try out for the roller derby team. The second was to start flirting with Thorin.
Blanca isn’t a good lawyer, she a great lawyer with a Texas senator as a client. But when her hard work inadvertently allows him to draft and pass sweeping anti-choice legislation, Blanca knows it’s her responsibility to make things right. With Thorin’s love and support, she finds the strength and power to fight back.

I loved the time Catrina took to create two amazing, well-rounded, and dynamic MCs who overcame fear to embrace true love.
I appreciated how the story took on the assault on women’s rights. And that Catrina set it in Texas? Brilliant! IFYKYK. Make sure to check out the Author’s Note-it turns out that an early version of this story was part of a charity anthology with proceeds going towards the National Network of Abortion funds.
And finally, below the Author’s Note, Catrina shared her Hot Button playlist. And the surprises continued… several of the songs on her playlist are on my personal list as well! And the songs I wasn’t familiar with, they’re on my playlist now!
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[Sophie Reads Stories · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story with a hot, confident, tattooed wolf shifter who loves to bake and garden and is a complete sweetheart AND a sexy, secret witch who is a badass lawyer and a hot roller derby girl determined to protect the rights of all women in her world? How on earth could I not read that and absolutely love Bianca and Thorin’s love story?

I loved how sweet Thorin was to Bianca—the button game he played was so cute and sexy! And the way he talks about his garden and cares for his plants shows what a caring nature he has. His confidence in himself and his sexuality was very attractive, and the scene in her office?!! Oh boy! He really shines!

I feel the struggles Bianca has over the parts of herself she feels she must keep separate and secret, both in private and professionally, are something most women can relate to. How to integrate all these different people you have to be for all the different aspects of your life is a really difficult thing to learn and navigate. And I loved how the friends in Bianca’s life, especially Thorin, never pressured her into choosing a part but allowed her to realise in her own time what a complete life would look like for her.

The way Thorin and Bianca not only accepted each other for what they were, but also actively supported each other in growing as people and embracing all the different facets of themselves, was sexy as hell! And the sexy times? Those were fantastic!

The book deals with some very relevant and contemporary issues of female bodily autonomy and the state's growing involvement in it, so please read the content warnings at the beginning of the book if these are triggering issues for you.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella is the prequel to Catrina Bell's Roller Derby Witches series. In it, we meet Blanca, a smart Latina lawyer who lives in Austin. She has worked hard to get to where she is, as a partner at a prestigious law firm. She's proud of the work she does, until she discovers that her client has taken her hard work and twisted it to fit his own nefarious purposes. It's in her secret double life that the solution can be found; she's just joined the world of roller derby, and many of the members of her team are witches, like her. She and her best friend hatch a plan to draw attention to the hot button issue that her client is trying to slide through under the radar. But will her derby life collide with her professional life? Meanwhile, she's smitten with a shifter who works at a nearby bakery. How will he play into her plans? Can she tell him about both sides of herself? Can he tell her about both of his sides, too?
I loved this story. The world building is fantastic, and I just want to know more about it and the people in it. Bell has a unique and different take on shifters and how they come to be, and I really want to learn about it and see how it plays into future books. Thorin and Blanca were so cute; she's a sassy little witch and he's a huge shifter wolf. They kind of seem like opposites, but they work together so well. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
Read if you like: spicy romance, she's too good for him/he's not good enough for her, orphan/found family, alpha heroine, different worlds, opposites attract (physically)

I received a digital ARC from BookSirens and am voluntarily writing this review.