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Howling Twenties #1-3
The Howling Twenties
She is hunted by a werewolf.
He kills monsters.
And lycanthropy is contagious.
Jane Delane has always lived an unusual life, having survived a freak wolf accident and then growing up in the woods completely sequestered from 1920s society. But as her seventeenth birthday draws near, her life becomes even more unusual when her father falls ill and her brother goes missing.
When she decides to go searching for her absentee sibling, she joins leagues with a werewolf hunter named Amos Hood. Together they plunge into a world completely new to her— all the while she begins to learn of a darker one that has haunted her since childhood.
And as she continues her hunt for her brother, it soon becomes apparent that something is hunting her.
Wolf Claw, Wolf Curse, Wolf Cure, and exclusive bonus chapters.
He kills monsters.
And lycanthropy is contagious.
Jane Delane has always lived an unusual life, having survived a freak wolf accident and then growing up in the woods completely sequestered from 1920s society. But as her seventeenth birthday draws near, her life becomes even more unusual when her father falls ill and her brother goes missing.
When she decides to go searching for her absentee sibling, she joins leagues with a werewolf hunter named Amos Hood. Together they plunge into a world completely new to her— all the while she begins to learn of a darker one that has haunted her since childhood.
And as she continues her hunt for her brother, it soon becomes apparent that something is hunting her.
Wolf Claw, Wolf Curse, Wolf Cure, and exclusive bonus chapters.
356 pages, Hardcover
Published October 31, 2023
17 people want to read
About the author
Jes Drew
87 books527 followersJes Drew is the author of the Cursed Fae of Orphydice Manor Series, the Sunset at Dawn trilogy, The Samurai's Student saga, the Ninja and Hunter trilogy, the Howling Twenty trilogy, the Kristian Clark saga/The Man on the Run series, the Castaways trilogy, The Dystopian Takeover trilogy, Summers of Yesteryear series, The Clockwork Faerie Tale Novellas, the Legends of the Master Spy series, The New ESE Files series, Tales from Parallel Worlds, Genie and Serena, Accidentally on the Run, This Side of Heaven, and The Death of a Hero.
She has three degrees, including a Master of Arts in Behavioral Counseling. Also, she has about five million houseplants (and counting— the plants and not the degrees . . . unless she relapses). She is still debating if having a fae husband is worth the hassle.
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She has three degrees, including a Master of Arts in Behavioral Counseling. Also, she has about five million houseplants (and counting— the plants and not the degrees . . . unless she relapses). She is still debating if having a fae husband is worth the hassle.
Sign up to Jes' newsletter to read Entreaty of Shadows for free!
https://mailchi.mp/ddd429767392/untit...
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 13, 2024
What a fun, adventurous, suspenseful story, with family, friendship and romance! The characters are very interesting and the main characters are complex and endearing. I was drawn in from the very beginning and hated to put it down.
October 17, 2025
🐺Wolf Claw—3 Stars🐺
This was fun if a bit chaotic, lol. I love the combination of urban fantasy set in a historical time period, it’s really unique and brings about questions of how people back then would have regarded or believed in such supernatural creatures and/or powers. Admittedly there wasn’t much of that exactly in this book, as first and foremost it’s a fun YA adventure, but elements are touched on here and there, especially with churches being safe houses from werewolves and vampires and Jane’s father’s views on legends and fairy tales which I found super fascinating.
On characters I don’t really have much to say because I didn’t really get much of a feel or attachment to any of them; even though I’m in Jane’s head the whole time all I can tell you about her is that she’s spunky and loves her family and that’s basically it. We’re also told she’s a genius but based on some of the stupid decisions she made I’m a little doubtful on that, lol. Amos I have even less of an opinion on because I don’t know anything about him aside that he’s a monster hunter and wants to protect those he cares about. Though one thing I can say for both of them is that if they’d actually COMMUNICATE a lot of their issues would probably go away, but what do I know, lol. Everyone else is just okay and the villain I want to punch because what a SCUMBAG, ugh!
The plot did feel a little all over the place and, again, I wish characters would just TALK about things rather then being vague all the time, but the way the book ended has me curious as to how and where things will go. Overall a fun story with a few wonky places but shows a lot of creativity and promise for the future books. It also taught me that flashlights and backpacks existed in the 1920’s; who knew?
‼️Content‼️
TRIGGER WARNING: a werewolf marks a young girl as his future bride/mate then telepathically and physically stalks/grooms her her whole life
Language: wench
Violence: injuries and blood (not detailed); a werewolf scars a child’s face (not detailed); fighting with weapons, teeth, and claws (not detailed); a vampire tries to bite a couple characters
Other: werewolves/vampires/other supernatural creatures/races; magic; a character has a vision like telepathic connection with a werewolf; a werewolf tries to force a character to shift into a werewolf against their will; past death of loved ones and grief over it; a character is turned into a werewolf (action not shown); a character is a monster hunter
🐺Wolf Curse—3 Stars🐺
This book felt less scattered then Wolf Claw and for being entirely set on a ship (my least favorite story AND real life location EVER—it’s just so boring!) it was surprisingly well paced and interesting, though I wanted to shake Jane into next year for her utter stupidity—for someone who’s (supposedly) a genius she makes the dumbest choices all the time! It’s simultaneously fun and aggravating, haha, argh!
I saw from a mile away who the villain’s human form was; it was so dang obvious and he outright TOLD HER he was going to try to woo her and I kept shrieking at Jane for her stupidity in talking to any guy outside of those she already knew—like, gaahhh, come ON, girl, don’t make it so easy for this creep!!! (See why I keep questioning her genuisness?) Also her loving Amos was rather sudden but I could roll with that far better then her entertaining any other guy with the attitude of she’d know if was the bad guy because reasons. Like what the heck…
Absolutely no one in this book can communicate still though—very annoying because doing so would clear up quite a few things, but hey what do I know, I’m not a genius. Or even part of this book because believe me if I was I would have slapped them all a thousand times over, lol.
Uncle Vincent is the best though; I mean, come on, who doesn’t love a grumpy vampire who secretly loves and protects his “kids” and drinks cocoa because it’s better then blood? He was awesome.
And the jokes aimed at Twilight and The Vampire Diaries? Priceless, I had to work VERY hard to not bust out laughing at those parts because my family was in the same room and that would’ve been awkward, lol.
DEFINITELY seeing the “this was the author’s first book” cracks with this series, but it’s still fun with moments of wisdom to chew on.
‼️Content‼️
TRIGGER WARNING: a werewolf marked a young girl as his future bride/mate then telepathically and physically stalks/grooms her her whole life
Violence: injuries and blood (not detailed); fighting with teeth and claws (not detailed); a character is accidentally scratched by a werewolf
Sexual: a kiss (not detailed); a mild suggestive hint
Other: werewolves/vampires/other supernatural creatures/races; magic; a character has a telepathic connection with a werewolf; a werewolf tries to force a character to shift into a werewolf against their will; characters are turned into werewolves (action not shown); characters are monster hunters
🐺Wolf Cure—3 Stars🐺
Wow, things got mentally dark for Jane in this final book and it was SO well done and written. She definitely goes down a mental spiral and the way she slowly climbs out and reconnects with how much God loves her even if she is a “monster” and her “cure” has already been won? Fantastic, my favorite parts of this book and the series as a whole, like WOW that’s some good, deep stuff!
This series as a whole is definitely using werewolves and vampires as an allegory of sorts (wrong word choice but I don’t have a better one, haha) of our sins turning us into “monsters” yet we’re still worthy of being loved by God and dang is that clear without being preachy here; I’m definitely going to have to see if I can pick out any other kernels of wisdom upon a reread, it was SO well done.
Though if Howling Twenties wasn’t already the best series title I’d seriously suggest Jes retitle it something along the lines of “The Series Where No One Can Ever Communicate” because BOY can no one, and I mean NO ONE, communicate with each other. Soooo many things could have been cleared up with a few words but noooo let’s just keep our mouths shut all the time, that’ll work out sooooo much better! (grrrr) It was so infuriating!
I definitely feel Jes hit her stride here as the mainish characters feel the most real and fleshed out then in the previous two books, though I can’t say I particularly like or connect with any of them still, except with Jane’s mental anguish as I can unfortunately relate to that. Uncle Vincent is still the best though, heehee.
Not the best series in the world (for her earlier works I’ve read so far I definitely like Castaways better) but despite that it delivers fun adventure, a cute romance, high stakes, thoughts and questions to contemplate and chew on, and a unique twist on urban fantasy with a Christian worldview. If any of that sounds good to you then I’d highly recommend this series!
Also, he’s a merman. Just in case that wasn’t clear. 😉
‼️Content‼️
TRIGGER WARNING: a werewolf marked a young girl as his future bride/mate then telepathically and physically stalks/grooms her her whole life
Violence: injuries and blood (not detailed); fighting with weapons, teeth, and claws (not detailed); a character is bitten by a vampire (not shown)
Sexual: kissing (not detailed)
Other: werewolves/vampires/other supernatural creatures/races; magic; characters have a telepathic connection with each other; characters are monster hunters; an enchanted forest
This was fun if a bit chaotic, lol. I love the combination of urban fantasy set in a historical time period, it’s really unique and brings about questions of how people back then would have regarded or believed in such supernatural creatures and/or powers. Admittedly there wasn’t much of that exactly in this book, as first and foremost it’s a fun YA adventure, but elements are touched on here and there, especially with churches being safe houses from werewolves and vampires and Jane’s father’s views on legends and fairy tales which I found super fascinating.
On characters I don’t really have much to say because I didn’t really get much of a feel or attachment to any of them; even though I’m in Jane’s head the whole time all I can tell you about her is that she’s spunky and loves her family and that’s basically it. We’re also told she’s a genius but based on some of the stupid decisions she made I’m a little doubtful on that, lol. Amos I have even less of an opinion on because I don’t know anything about him aside that he’s a monster hunter and wants to protect those he cares about. Though one thing I can say for both of them is that if they’d actually COMMUNICATE a lot of their issues would probably go away, but what do I know, lol. Everyone else is just okay and the villain I want to punch because what a SCUMBAG, ugh!
The plot did feel a little all over the place and, again, I wish characters would just TALK about things rather then being vague all the time, but the way the book ended has me curious as to how and where things will go. Overall a fun story with a few wonky places but shows a lot of creativity and promise for the future books. It also taught me that flashlights and backpacks existed in the 1920’s; who knew?
‼️Content‼️
TRIGGER WARNING: a werewolf marks a young girl as his future bride/mate then telepathically and physically stalks/grooms her her whole life
Language: wench
Violence: injuries and blood (not detailed); a werewolf scars a child’s face (not detailed); fighting with weapons, teeth, and claws (not detailed); a vampire tries to bite a couple characters
Other: werewolves/vampires/other supernatural creatures/races; magic; a character has a vision like telepathic connection with a werewolf; a werewolf tries to force a character to shift into a werewolf against their will; past death of loved ones and grief over it; a character is turned into a werewolf (action not shown); a character is a monster hunter
🐺Wolf Curse—3 Stars🐺
This book felt less scattered then Wolf Claw and for being entirely set on a ship (my least favorite story AND real life location EVER—it’s just so boring!) it was surprisingly well paced and interesting, though I wanted to shake Jane into next year for her utter stupidity—for someone who’s (supposedly) a genius she makes the dumbest choices all the time! It’s simultaneously fun and aggravating, haha, argh!
I saw from a mile away who the villain’s human form was; it was so dang obvious and he outright TOLD HER he was going to try to woo her and I kept shrieking at Jane for her stupidity in talking to any guy outside of those she already knew—like, gaahhh, come ON, girl, don’t make it so easy for this creep!!! (See why I keep questioning her genuisness?) Also her loving Amos was rather sudden but I could roll with that far better then her entertaining any other guy with the attitude of she’d know if was the bad guy because reasons. Like what the heck…
Absolutely no one in this book can communicate still though—very annoying because doing so would clear up quite a few things, but hey what do I know, I’m not a genius. Or even part of this book because believe me if I was I would have slapped them all a thousand times over, lol.
Uncle Vincent is the best though; I mean, come on, who doesn’t love a grumpy vampire who secretly loves and protects his “kids” and drinks cocoa because it’s better then blood? He was awesome.
And the jokes aimed at Twilight and The Vampire Diaries? Priceless, I had to work VERY hard to not bust out laughing at those parts because my family was in the same room and that would’ve been awkward, lol.
DEFINITELY seeing the “this was the author’s first book” cracks with this series, but it’s still fun with moments of wisdom to chew on.
‼️Content‼️
TRIGGER WARNING: a werewolf marked a young girl as his future bride/mate then telepathically and physically stalks/grooms her her whole life
Violence: injuries and blood (not detailed); fighting with teeth and claws (not detailed); a character is accidentally scratched by a werewolf
Sexual: a kiss (not detailed); a mild suggestive hint
Other: werewolves/vampires/other supernatural creatures/races; magic; a character has a telepathic connection with a werewolf; a werewolf tries to force a character to shift into a werewolf against their will; characters are turned into werewolves (action not shown); characters are monster hunters
🐺Wolf Cure—3 Stars🐺
Wow, things got mentally dark for Jane in this final book and it was SO well done and written. She definitely goes down a mental spiral and the way she slowly climbs out and reconnects with how much God loves her even if she is a “monster” and her “cure” has already been won? Fantastic, my favorite parts of this book and the series as a whole, like WOW that’s some good, deep stuff!
This series as a whole is definitely using werewolves and vampires as an allegory of sorts (wrong word choice but I don’t have a better one, haha) of our sins turning us into “monsters” yet we’re still worthy of being loved by God and dang is that clear without being preachy here; I’m definitely going to have to see if I can pick out any other kernels of wisdom upon a reread, it was SO well done.
Though if Howling Twenties wasn’t already the best series title I’d seriously suggest Jes retitle it something along the lines of “The Series Where No One Can Ever Communicate” because BOY can no one, and I mean NO ONE, communicate with each other. Soooo many things could have been cleared up with a few words but noooo let’s just keep our mouths shut all the time, that’ll work out sooooo much better! (grrrr) It was so infuriating!
I definitely feel Jes hit her stride here as the mainish characters feel the most real and fleshed out then in the previous two books, though I can’t say I particularly like or connect with any of them still, except with Jane’s mental anguish as I can unfortunately relate to that. Uncle Vincent is still the best though, heehee.
Not the best series in the world (for her earlier works I’ve read so far I definitely like Castaways better) but despite that it delivers fun adventure, a cute romance, high stakes, thoughts and questions to contemplate and chew on, and a unique twist on urban fantasy with a Christian worldview. If any of that sounds good to you then I’d highly recommend this series!
Also, he’s a merman. Just in case that wasn’t clear. 😉
‼️Content‼️
TRIGGER WARNING: a werewolf marked a young girl as his future bride/mate then telepathically and physically stalks/grooms her her whole life
Violence: injuries and blood (not detailed); fighting with weapons, teeth, and claws (not detailed); a character is bitten by a vampire (not shown)
Sexual: kissing (not detailed)
Other: werewolves/vampires/other supernatural creatures/races; magic; characters have a telepathic connection with each other; characters are monster hunters; an enchanted forest
November 6, 2023
I never thought a book with werewolves, vampires, merpeople, faeires, sirens and banshees would work, but this one really does!
Having to leave her isolated existence with her Father and brother in the woods to search for her missing brother in 1920's society, Jane Delane joins two werewolf hunters, Amos and Debra Hood, "the Hoods". Jane finds herself being hunted by a werewolf that unbeknownst to her, bit her when she was younger. This werewolf can communicate with Jane in her mind and vows to turn her into a full werewolf on her 17th birthday which is looming.
Jane experiences so much emotional turmoil, from trying to deny a love interest, fighting with the fact that she may turn into a werewolf and the fact that her Mother abandoned her when she was younger.
This book touches on so many myths and legends, that wouldn't normally be seen together; faeries that poof out glitter, monster hunters that use silver spoons and hybrids vampire, this was so much fun to read.
I like that whenever Amos spoke, you could really tell that it was the 1920's, because when they were, in the forest, or deep in chat with the werewolf, its easy to forget what time period they were in (Even though the title of the book helps remind you!).
I would have liked more detailed descriptions of the boat and forest to help me visualise where jane and her group were, but I truly loved reading this book from start to finish.
Having to leave her isolated existence with her Father and brother in the woods to search for her missing brother in 1920's society, Jane Delane joins two werewolf hunters, Amos and Debra Hood, "the Hoods". Jane finds herself being hunted by a werewolf that unbeknownst to her, bit her when she was younger. This werewolf can communicate with Jane in her mind and vows to turn her into a full werewolf on her 17th birthday which is looming.
Jane experiences so much emotional turmoil, from trying to deny a love interest, fighting with the fact that she may turn into a werewolf and the fact that her Mother abandoned her when she was younger.
This book touches on so many myths and legends, that wouldn't normally be seen together; faeries that poof out glitter, monster hunters that use silver spoons and hybrids vampire, this was so much fun to read.
I like that whenever Amos spoke, you could really tell that it was the 1920's, because when they were, in the forest, or deep in chat with the werewolf, its easy to forget what time period they were in (Even though the title of the book helps remind you!).
I would have liked more detailed descriptions of the boat and forest to help me visualise where jane and her group were, but I truly loved reading this book from start to finish.
Read
November 2, 2023The thing I loved most about the story is how the theme of Christianity is such an integral part of the characters' development. They had good conversations about how lycanthropy and vampirism intersected with their faith and came to terms with the existence of supernatural creatures in a Christian worldview. Jane's dedication to her brother was heartwarming, and Amos was a sweetheart.
Setting a supernatural story of this nature in the 1920s made the story stand out from others in the genre.
I do feel like the author was trying to include too many literary, supernatural, and mythic stories into the worldbuilding (Romeo and Juliet, Peter Pan, Dracula, Merlin, Triton) and it felt a bit unnecessary. Another reader might adore that sort of thing, though, so it could very well be a personal preference. Overall, this was a fun and entertaining read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Setting a supernatural story of this nature in the 1920s made the story stand out from others in the genre.
I do feel like the author was trying to include too many literary, supernatural, and mythic stories into the worldbuilding (Romeo and Juliet, Peter Pan, Dracula, Merlin, Triton) and it felt a bit unnecessary. Another reader might adore that sort of thing, though, so it could very well be a personal preference. Overall, this was a fun and entertaining read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 3, 2024
I appreciated reading all three of the Howling Twenties books in one volume. Each shorter story connects well with the others to deliver a complete full-length novel. While there’s a lot of fun paranormal creature theories, a few Twilight jokes, and a bit of Twenties fashion and culture, there’s also a meaningful message. In a way, the lycanthropy represents the flesh, or sin nature, that each of us wars against daily. Jane battles her inner demons throughout the book, both mental and physical, and discovers a Biblical truth that sets her free. I loved the simple yet satisfying conclusion and enjoyed the playful antics along the way.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy clean slow burn romance. If you love romcoms, paranormal creatures, and thought-provoking themes, you’ll enjoy this light-hearted adventure and its energetic cast of characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy clean slow burn romance. If you love romcoms, paranormal creatures, and thought-provoking themes, you’ll enjoy this light-hearted adventure and its energetic cast of characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 5, 2023
The Howling Twenties is The Complete Series by Jes Drew. I enjoyed this romantic paranormal fantasy. I thought that the story progressed in each story as the author built the story to an exciting ending. Plus the Epilogue promised a tease for another book. Werewolf mixing with excellent characters make an interesting story. I thought the story was an interesting book. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
November 21, 2023
Even though The Howling Twenties was nothing like the other werewolves stories that read, it was a light, pleasant work that that attempted to link and explain some ideas in this field as well as bringing something fresh, unexpected to the table.
I would have enjoyed some more action and maybe a deeper character analysis that would have made the book more interesting from my point of view.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I would have enjoyed some more action and maybe a deeper character analysis that would have made the book more interesting from my point of view.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 7, 2024
This book is a good time all around with characters you’ll root for and occasionally shake your head at, a clean romance (two kisses, handholding, dancing), an odd collection of myths that work, Christian vibes.
I flew through all three books because even though I did not see much of the genius Jane was supposed to be she was still a delight and Amos and Thomas 😍
The books could use another round of edits (or ten), but that’s the only complaint.
⭐️4
💧8
I flew through all three books because even though I did not see much of the genius Jane was supposed to be she was still a delight and Amos and Thomas 😍
The books could use another round of edits (or ten), but that’s the only complaint.
⭐️4
💧8
November 15, 2023
This book was actually way more entertaining than I had imagined. Im so greatful to have been given the opertunity to recieve an Advanced Reader Copy of this book because it was absolutely so amazing! Falling for the good guy is something I havent seen in one of these types of books before and I loved it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2025
The first two books of the series were very intriguing, and kept me interested. The third book seemed to come a bit out of left field, with a darker vibe, more religious representation and subliminal messaging, and it seemed like plot twists more or less contrived to wrap everything up but without much believability. It was almost too easy?
April 13, 2024
I loved how this series takes place in the 1920s combining paranormal elements and romance. The characters are lovely and I really enjoyed this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 18, 2023
I love this new cover, plus there's a flash fiction and an alternative epilogue.
March 2, 2024
This book was such a fun and different take on werewolves and different myths most people know and love. The characters all had such big and colorful personalities it was so fun to read
October 30, 2025
This was different to my usual reads, but I truly enjoyed it.
We get lots of different creatures, a historical setting and great lore. There were lots of references to other supernatural beings, grief, inner battles, romance and fantastic elements that made this book stand out.
Not my normal cup of tea, but it was a nice read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
We get lots of different creatures, a historical setting and great lore. There were lots of references to other supernatural beings, grief, inner battles, romance and fantastic elements that made this book stand out.
Not my normal cup of tea, but it was a nice read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews