Rae Bennett, a morally ambiguous college student raised by the local ax throwing gym, is doing her best to assimilate into adulthood after a tumultuous upbringing set her back in every way. Then, Fox Winter crashes into her life on an ice float in the creek. He’s a frozen corpse when she finds him, only to violently wake and take off into the woods before she can figure out what’s really going on.
She finds him again two weeks later when her sister goes missing at the rustic wedding venue run by the Winter family. Dragging Fox back into her life against his will, Rae enlists him to aid in the search for her sister. He has only one rule for their tentative new relationship—don’t go into the woods—which she flouts liberally to get to the bottom of things. With a reluctant Fox in tow, she discovers the darkest parts of the forest full of centuries old legends and dangerous secrets surrounding his family.
In the dead of winter, a twisted tradition unfurls with supernatural shifters and their arranged marriages to kidnapped humans—her sister being one of them. Rae fights to rescue her sister before the tradition is complete, all while warring with a traitorous heart that begins to fall for one of the Winter villains. Somewhere along the way, she starts fighting for more than just her sister, hoping to rescue the man she loves, as well.
But in the end, she may only be able to save one of them.
Fans of Sarah Beth Durst’s “The Lake House” and Ali Hazelwood’s “Bride” will enjoy “Winter’s Teeth” by RA Betzer.
R. A. Betzer is a fantasy and romance author, rooted in magic and the untamed. She lives in rural PA close to the Appalachian Mountains, which inspired much of her debut novel, "Winter's Teeth." When she’s not obsessively writing to the point of dehydration or religiously updating on Ao3, she can be found hiking, watching anime, or mothering her goblin cat-child.
Winter’s Teeth hit all the right notes for me. Creepy forest settings (as a diehard fan of liminal spaces, this just felt so comforting), insanely evocative and decadent wintry vibes, twisted family traditions and drama, a morally gray protagonist, and one of my favorite new ships to date.
By the time I finished Winter’s Teeth, I was so on board the ship I was not getting off again. The love interest of this story is an adorable cinnamon roll who I so just wanted to snuggle with. And the SPICE. Ya’ll, the SPICE. My jaw was on the floor. I’m not joking.
And the writing style is SO GOOD —filled with humor, fast-paced action sequences, and suspense that constantly had me on my toes. I thought I had that ending figured out, but I couldn’t be happier to be wrong. I stayed up til 3 am to finish this book, and I can’t remember the last time I did that!
I’m very grateful to have had the chance to read this book, and I cannot wait for 2026 so you all can read it too! You’re not ready for what’s coming!
I have a complicated relationship with this book. On one hand, I had a ton of fun with it. I finished it in two sittings and really enjoyed both the concept and the fast-paced narrative. The book moves at a great pace, and I really enjoyed Fox as both a love interest and a secondary main character.
Fans of Twilight, Ali Hazelwood, and crime thrillers will enjoy this book.
However, this book wasn't quite what I was told it would be, which put a bit of a damper on the experience for me. The shifters don't read "cryptid" to me at all, which is the part I was most excited about, and felt a little let down by. I still would have enjoyed this book if the word cryptid was replaced with like... creature, or monster or something of the sort, but cryptid carries a connotation and expectation that I just fear weren't met by this book.
Rae, our main character, is not particularly morally gray either? She makes some interesting decisions sure, but has a very clear moral code, which is so strong she has several panic attacks about the consequences of her actions throughout the novel. She also has quite a few monologues about how dark and twisted her mind is, without us ever seeing anything like that in her actions. It reads a little Wattpad-esque (not a bad thing! just not my personal taste).
I enjoyed the romance, especially where they ended up at the end of the novel, but it did feel just a tad insta-love for me. They go from being incredibly frustrated by each other to her having detailed inner monologues about how she wants to kiss him and how she'd be willing to die for him in like, forty pages. Once again, it's not bad! it's just not my thing.
Publishing a book is a huge accomplishment, and congratulations to the lovely RA Betzer for this huge step forward! I think if some of the pacing issues and internal dramatization moments can be smoothed over, this book could be even more incredible.
Thank you so much to the RA Betzer and Rowan Prose for allowing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!
First off, thank you to R.A. Betzer for allowing me to read the book early! I'm very grateful for the chance!
I was so intrigued by the plot of this book, cryptids and romance all while her sister is missing and we have to find her? Sign me up! But, as much as I did have a lot of fun reading the book, there were a few things that I struggled with.
The first being the cryptids, the shifters didn't feel like cryptids. There wasn't a lot of lore given about them and they didn't feel very creepy or cryptid at all. When it started being revealed I had hoped for a little more skinwalker type creepy and not shifting into normal bears and birds. Ultimately they fell a little flat for me.
I also felt that the romance was rushed, I didn't feel like there was a lot of build up or chemistry given to Fox and Rae, I loved Fox's character, and Rae was very interesting, although I couldn't figure out if she was morally gray or if she was just a girl making questionable decisions. But the relationship between them felt quick and I didn't really find myself loving them as a pair.
I also wished that we explored Arthur more, I felt like he was built up to be this big, scary antagonist, but we didn't get much of him at all. I really didn't feel the fear that I think I should've. So I wish we had gotten more of the things he's done and built up his evilness more.
Ultimately, despite the issues I had, I did have fun reading it, especially the first parts when we're at the wedding and her sister disappears and the first moments of looking for her. Those moments were exactly what I hoped for but after that, things just fell a little flat as far as the expectations I had.
Thank you again to the author for sending me the book early, I'm grateful to have gotten the chance to read your baby early!
This book had me in a total chokehold! Winter’s Teeth easily claims a spot as one of my absolute favorite reads of the year, maybe of all time.
The pacing kept me on my toes, and the plot felt original, blending a deeply atmospheric mystery with a broody cryptid romance. The world-building was flawlessly executed; you can practically feel the frostbite as you get sucked into the dark Appalachian forest in the dead of winter.
The character development stood out to me the most. I loved watching the characters gradually unravel, discovering layers of themselves alongside the reader. The romance felt realistic for the situation as the book progressed, and Rae and Fox’s dynamic was a fantastic surprise. I loved that the human FMC was both the feral one and the rock in the relationship, while the “monster” MMC plays the grumpy damsel in distress. It’s a subversion of tropes we definitely don’t see enough. I also loved watching the side characters rally around Rae despite all of her doubts.
There are some deeper themes here that really hit home. I mean, just because you belong to a family of cryptids with twisted traditions and a habit of kidnapping women, doesn’t mean you have to participate in the family business. It’s okay to doubt a toxic system after generations of being stuck in it, and (goodness forbid) actually let a woman help you break the cycle.
When the book ended, I was in total denial, frantically flipping the pages back and forth. I was utterly distraught! I desperately need this to be a multi-book series! I have been searching for a book like this for a long time. R.A. Betzer has earned their place on my auto-buy list, that’s for sure.
A huge thank you to the author for the ARC! Thank you for allowing me into your creepy cryptid world early.
Review of ARC from the author. Thank you R.A. Betzer for sending me the ebook.
Rating: 4/5 stars
-paranormal romance -morally gray - Horror - Mystery -Cryptids (shapeshifters) - Family drama - Found family - Darker themes, violence, and some gore. Know your triggers.
This book has everything I love in a story. A creepy forest setting, cryptids, winter time, some romance, some mystery, and horror elements. And I found the setting of the Winter’s cabin, Winter’s Teeth kind of cozy? Is that weird? Is it just me?
This book starts off quick, right from the get go the FMC Rae sees a guy who looks like he’s half frozen to death on an iced up creek. She risks her life to save the stranger. Fox Winter the MMC is who she saves. When he comes to Rae notices something odd about his eyes. And right then I was like “oh…what is he???” This had me hooked from the start. When it came to her Rae’s sister, Everly’s wedding and disappearance she ended up having to rely on Fox. They somehow keep running into each other.
I really enjoyed the deeper theme that just because you are born into a family, doesn’t mean you can’t make your own family. I do love stories with found family elements. And I could really feel that Rae’s friends really cared about her. The only thing that really frustrated me about Rae is how she didn’t tell her friends all weekend what was going on and some of her decisions pertaining to them.
Overall, I loved it. It was fast paced, well written, great group of characters, and fantastic setting. I definitely recommend it when it comes out in October. I hope there is a sequel, especially after that ending. I will probably be purchasing a physical copy for myself.
Again, thank you to the author for sending me the ARC.
Have you ever wished for a book that had the nostalgia of reading Twilight, but with a way darker folklore feel, where she chooses the shapeshifting creature instead? I definitely didn’t know that’s what I’d been looking for, but I sure found it in Winters Teeth.
Winters Teeth is a dark romance, fantasy/thriller. If you love the scary folklore of Appalachia or cryptids, mixed with a mystery and some dark romance, this is probably a great read for you. The way that R.A. Betzer's writing made me feel cozy and nostalgic, while also absolutely spooked had me hooked from the first page. I felt connected to the FMC through this writing style and even found myself laughing aloud in some moments. While there are some great lighthearted scenes in this book, there is most definitely a darker side as well. Horror elements, dark romance tropes, abuse, and violence are also important to this storyline. Definitely read any trigger warnings ahead of time to make sure this book is for you!
The only part of this book that I would have loved to dive into more, is the folklore horror. I think R.A. Betzer did an amazing job setting the tone of this book and weaving in some really spooky elements. I think if the setting had a bit more folklore background some of the horror moments would feel more unsettling to the reader. That being said, this was a great read and I am really looking forward to the next one!
Thank you to R.A. Betzer for providing me with an ARC copy of your book! I can’t wait to see what you write next!
*I received an advanced reader copy of this book and am leaving a review that is my own and not influenced by any outside factors*
Winter’s Teeth was such a nail biter!!! I was on the edge of my seat every chapter! Like i’m sorry but a cryptid man who hides his feelings until our FMC basically drags it all out of him? I was OBSESSED! 🤞🏼
Fox would have had me in an absolute chokehold so Rae’s feelings were entirely valid and I would have folded like a lawn chair so much faster tbh 🫡🖤
AND THERES A TWIST? Did not see it coming and those are the best books to read!
The storytelling was so immersive, I could picture myself in those woods in the dead of winter, in the diner with Fox and Rae and I could even picture myself in the luxury cabin her friends and family stayed in! The descriptions were easy to follow and the energy was charged the entire time.
Not knowing what could happen next is was kept me locked in throught the book!
I’d rate this read 9.7/10 and the only reason it isn’t a full 10 is because I could have read it for at least forty more chapters! I hadn’t even realized I made it to the end of the book when it happened 🤘🏼
So if you love:
• Cryptid Romance • Slow burns • Touch her and die vibes • A strong, independent FMC • and So. Much. YEARNING!
Then pick this gem up when it releases on Oct 6th 🖤🌲🖤🌲🖤🌲🖤🌲🖤🌲🖤🌲🖤🌲🖤🌲🖤
𝔰𝔢𝔢 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔦𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔴𝔬𝔬𝔡𝔰....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is a book I'm so incredibly grateful to have received an ARC for because it gave me EVERYTHING I was hoping for and more. The balance of tension and yearning, rage and hopelessness, all perfectly set in an immersive, unsettling forest kept me SAT.
Catch me wandering out in the woods looking for a monster to carry me away bridal style after this.
I already can't wait to reread, I could devour an entire series about these fucked up families.
This was the perfect read for a heatwave. I loved the vivid descriptions, and could easily picture myself alone in the cold, dark woods. The action sequences had me clutching my Kindle way too tightly, and that's before we even get to Rae and Fox's love story which had me by the teeth from the opening chapter. I adored how their relationship developed, and how perfectly it was timed. The first kiss was next level.
3.5/5 A little disappointed because I was excited to read this one, but the pacing was really off and felt rushed. Rae (the FMC) was a bit annoying and her friends/the extra characters didn’t add much to the story. I also was expecting more explanations of the folklore/family traditions, but there wasn’t and I think that could’ve added a lot to the plot. Just an overall okay read, but I still appreciate the chance to read an ARC of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Winter's Teeth had such a moody, foreboding sort of vibe right from the first page and sets the tone for the following mystery to unravel. I enjoyed the vibes and the tension and I loved that Jack from Titanic is quoted! While I enjoyed the story and the twists and reveals, I wish there had been more lead up with the romance, it kinda feels like it came out of nowhere. The pacing in the middle also got a bit slow for me, however it picks up again!
R.A. Betzer's winter absolutely has teeth. A fantastic blend of the bitter cold of an isolated forest with the budding warmth of new romance, it's the perfect fireside read. I love a forest that contains a multitude of creatures and secrets, and Winter's Teeth delivered plenty of both.
“Don’t go into the woods.” The woods isn’t the only place you might find a monster. Fast paced, Appalachian horror mystery, dark humour and forbidden romance. If you want to try some darker reads, this is a great book to ease you in!
I LOVE Rae so much as an FMC. They gave her a gun and not once did she disappoint me. There’s a scene involving a milkshake that had me yeaaaaarning for more between Rae and Fox 😮💨 such a good read, I can’t wait to see what happens next!