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Magnetic Magic #1
Way of the Wolf
You can only escape your destiny for so long…
It’s been more than twenty years since tragedy prompted Luna Valens to walk away from her pack.
Scarred by her past, she’s done her best to lead a normal human life. Thanks to a potion that suppresses her magic, nobody around her has a clue that she’s a werewolf.
Until…
Her potion supplier disappears, her family reestablishes contact, and a mysterious werewolf with a metal detector and a penchant for calling her my lady saunters into her life.
As if all that weren’t enough, someone from her past is trying to kill her. Someone dangerous.
To survive and figure out what’s going on, Luna will have to once again embrace her power. But, after so long, will she be able to summon the wolf?
It’s been more than twenty years since tragedy prompted Luna Valens to walk away from her pack.
Scarred by her past, she’s done her best to lead a normal human life. Thanks to a potion that suppresses her magic, nobody around her has a clue that she’s a werewolf.
Until…
Her potion supplier disappears, her family reestablishes contact, and a mysterious werewolf with a metal detector and a penchant for calling her my lady saunters into her life.
As if all that weren’t enough, someone from her past is trying to kill her. Someone dangerous.
To survive and figure out what’s going on, Luna will have to once again embrace her power. But, after so long, will she be able to summon the wolf?
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 3, 2025
About the author
Lindsay Buroker
201 books6,368 followersI'm a full-time indie fantasy and science fiction author. When I'm not writing, I'm ferrying my dogs to hiking trails for adventures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
January 6, 2025
The majority of this book was slow going and I found myself fighting boredom. Plus I didn’t care for the main character, she is borderline rude throughout and comes across as a bitter divorcee who hates the world because of it. But, the end did hold an interesting twist and some encouraging possibilities.
April 28, 2026
True nature
A great start to a new series. By now, I have read enough of Lindsay Buroker's books to know the formula. The story starts slow. Building the world and introducing the characters, about halfway through, I enjoy the characters and story so much I don't want to put it down.
Luna has turned her back on her pack and her nature. Now, all alone. Her children have grown up and moved out, her ex husband has been out of the picture for a while. Enter the enigmatic Duncan. A man of mystery, old school British charm, and feral energy. When she is attacked the only person she can trust is this stranger. Why has her pack suddenly taken such an interest in Luna after 20 plus years? Luna must confront her past and get answers, whether she likes them or not.
It was a great start to this series. I am already looking forward to reading the next book. I know this is planned for three books, but if they are a good as this maybe the series can be extended.
A great start to a new series. By now, I have read enough of Lindsay Buroker's books to know the formula. The story starts slow. Building the world and introducing the characters, about halfway through, I enjoy the characters and story so much I don't want to put it down.
Luna has turned her back on her pack and her nature. Now, all alone. Her children have grown up and moved out, her ex husband has been out of the picture for a while. Enter the enigmatic Duncan. A man of mystery, old school British charm, and feral energy. When she is attacked the only person she can trust is this stranger. Why has her pack suddenly taken such an interest in Luna after 20 plus years? Luna must confront her past and get answers, whether she likes them or not.
It was a great start to this series. I am already looking forward to reading the next book. I know this is planned for three books, but if they are a good as this maybe the series can be extended.
April 14, 2025
She’s a lovely author but not a strong one. Her stories are lovely to read but again they leave you totally baffled. Unsatisfied it’s a better term.
This is a short, not particularly deep, UF that might have been a very interesting novel that wasn’t. So much potential, so much waste.
Vague world building, vague characterisation. Pity. It was half a story.
This is a short, not particularly deep, UF that might have been a very interesting novel that wasn’t. So much potential, so much waste.
Vague world building, vague characterisation. Pity. It was half a story.
March 13, 2025
Well, that happened.
I'd probably give it 2.5 stars, if half stars were a thing here. Like a C-/D+ rating, more or less. It wasn't terrible, but it didn't have anything going for it.
First problem is this: after finishing the whole book, I really have no idea what is going on. A lot of things were talked vaguely about, in a hand-wavy kind of way. Some of them in a very loaded way, as if we need to notice that they are Very Important. But like, here's the sum total of what I know from reading this book (and that's the reason this whole thing is in spoiler tags):
Luna is a 46 year old werewolf who quit being a wolf 26 years ago after she killed her boyfriend in a moment of uncontrolled wolfiness. Her mom had high hopes that she'd be the super alpha savior of wolf magic, because she was so strong. But Luna noped out of there and started taking a potion to suppress her wolf nature. She married a complete dumbass human in her quest to be normal - he abused and cheated on her (yes, it is fair to say abused when she told us that he lost his temper if anyone flirted with her so she started wearing shapeless things and closed down to not talk to anyone), and then took off with all their savings account money, including the kids' college fund (and her shithead oldest son blames her, so apples aren't falling far from the tree) - and had 2 boys with him. She lived with his abuse and cheating until, I don't know, one day she couldn't take the cheating anymore so threw his ass out when she saw him looking at photos of him with some rando. That's all the backstory, but one important point here as takeaway: she has shitty taste in men and is a stupid doormat, so her killing her supposedly innocent lover for no reason at all, just in a fit of temper (that's how she describes it), at age 20 is immediately sus.
Dude shows up and is super sketchy. Luna, of course, is interested because of the aforementioned shit taste in men. Her cousins show up out of nowhere after decades and try to kill her. Sketch dude (Duncan) helps fend them off. Other magical beastie things try to kill her. No idea why. Sketch dude finds magical cameras and a magic box hidden in her room. No idea what that's about either. But he wants it. She overhears a phone call with Sketch Dude Duncan where he's talking to her shitface ex (Chad) and it is clear that Shitface Chad hired Sketch Dude Duncan to find and steal the magic box. She kicks Duncan out. Magic box is magic, but her druid friends don't know what it is or does, and no one can open it. It is - unsurprisingly - stolen.
Luna reconnects with the family to find out hey, yo, why are you trying to kill me? Mom is dying and still wants her to be heir. Cousins attacked her because they DON'T want her to be heir, after abandoning them for decades and taking potions to completely reject their magic. And I mean, can you blame them, really? She shouldn't be heir. But she's apparently Super Powerful Wolf and has had other odd blips of magic (visions), so you know and I know that it is going to happen. And the cousins, who are frankly in the right here, are going to have to be villains. They take their next attack way over the top and apparently hire hunters to shoot at the pack. These hunters just shoot at whatever wolf they see, including mom and other members of the family. Luna snaps and murders them, which, again, well deserved. Doesn't murder the cousins who hired them, though, because Luna remains a dumbass.
And no one knows anything about the magic box, nor apparently about the magic glow-eyed things that attacked her. These are all just random things randomly happening all at the same time - Luna's family trying to kill her, her ex hiring people after literal years to steal a Magic Box that his mundane ass shouldn't know anything about, magic monsters trying to murder her for whatever reasons, and weird-ass magic cameras in the corners of her bedroom in the ceiling.
We get no actual information about any of it, and I just don't even care anymore. I don't care what the box is, or who stole it. I don't care about the her dumb family and their dumb nonsense. I don't care about Luna's absolute garbage taste in men - Chad, Duncan - and what that probably means about the young love that she killed way back when. I don't care about Duncan being all sad that Luna is mad he was lying and trying to steal from her (lol, wut? did he imagine that going differently?). And I am certainly not interested in him as a love interest. In fact, my interest level could be measured in the negative double-digits. I don't care about Luna being a 46 year old toddler who not only oddly lets everyone walk all over her, but also ran from her life for 26 years in unshakable insistence that she's a monster...and not, like, someone who obviously needs therapy (which is the reality).
Here's where I bail out in a cloud of Meh and Nope.
I'd probably give it 2.5 stars, if half stars were a thing here. Like a C-/D+ rating, more or less. It wasn't terrible, but it didn't have anything going for it.
First problem is this: after finishing the whole book, I really have no idea what is going on. A lot of things were talked vaguely about, in a hand-wavy kind of way. Some of them in a very loaded way, as if we need to notice that they are Very Important. But like, here's the sum total of what I know from reading this book (and that's the reason this whole thing is in spoiler tags):
Luna is a 46 year old werewolf who quit being a wolf 26 years ago after she killed her boyfriend in a moment of uncontrolled wolfiness. Her mom had high hopes that she'd be the super alpha savior of wolf magic, because she was so strong. But Luna noped out of there and started taking a potion to suppress her wolf nature. She married a complete dumbass human in her quest to be normal - he abused and cheated on her (yes, it is fair to say abused when she told us that he lost his temper if anyone flirted with her so she started wearing shapeless things and closed down to not talk to anyone), and then took off with all their savings account money, including the kids' college fund (and her shithead oldest son blames her, so apples aren't falling far from the tree) - and had 2 boys with him. She lived with his abuse and cheating until, I don't know, one day she couldn't take the cheating anymore so threw his ass out when she saw him looking at photos of him with some rando. That's all the backstory, but one important point here as takeaway: she has shitty taste in men and is a stupid doormat, so her killing her supposedly innocent lover for no reason at all, just in a fit of temper (that's how she describes it), at age 20 is immediately sus.
Dude shows up and is super sketchy. Luna, of course, is interested because of the aforementioned shit taste in men. Her cousins show up out of nowhere after decades and try to kill her. Sketch dude (Duncan) helps fend them off. Other magical beastie things try to kill her. No idea why. Sketch dude finds magical cameras and a magic box hidden in her room. No idea what that's about either. But he wants it. She overhears a phone call with Sketch Dude Duncan where he's talking to her shitface ex (Chad) and it is clear that Shitface Chad hired Sketch Dude Duncan to find and steal the magic box. She kicks Duncan out. Magic box is magic, but her druid friends don't know what it is or does, and no one can open it. It is - unsurprisingly - stolen.
Luna reconnects with the family to find out hey, yo, why are you trying to kill me? Mom is dying and still wants her to be heir. Cousins attacked her because they DON'T want her to be heir, after abandoning them for decades and taking potions to completely reject their magic. And I mean, can you blame them, really? She shouldn't be heir. But she's apparently Super Powerful Wolf and has had other odd blips of magic (visions), so you know and I know that it is going to happen. And the cousins, who are frankly in the right here, are going to have to be villains. They take their next attack way over the top and apparently hire hunters to shoot at the pack. These hunters just shoot at whatever wolf they see, including mom and other members of the family. Luna snaps and murders them, which, again, well deserved. Doesn't murder the cousins who hired them, though, because Luna remains a dumbass.
And no one knows anything about the magic box, nor apparently about the magic glow-eyed things that attacked her. These are all just random things randomly happening all at the same time - Luna's family trying to kill her, her ex hiring people after literal years to steal a Magic Box that his mundane ass shouldn't know anything about, magic monsters trying to murder her for whatever reasons, and weird-ass magic cameras in the corners of her bedroom in the ceiling.
We get no actual information about any of it, and I just don't even care anymore. I don't care what the box is, or who stole it. I don't care about the her dumb family and their dumb nonsense. I don't care about Luna's absolute garbage taste in men - Chad, Duncan - and what that probably means about the young love that she killed way back when. I don't care about Duncan being all sad that Luna is mad he was lying and trying to steal from her (lol, wut? did he imagine that going differently?). And I am certainly not interested in him as a love interest. In fact, my interest level could be measured in the negative double-digits. I don't care about Luna being a 46 year old toddler who not only oddly lets everyone walk all over her, but also ran from her life for 26 years in unshakable insistence that she's a monster...and not, like, someone who obviously needs therapy (which is the reality).
Here's where I bail out in a cloud of Meh and Nope.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2025
Great series starter
I wasn’t ready to reach the end of this book. I adore Luna and kind of like Duncan too. Even Bolin is starting to grow on me, and not in a mould way either.
The plot rattled along at a good pace, the characters are detailed and relatable and the writer’s voice is incredibly engaging.
I can’t wait for the next book to be released.
I wasn’t ready to reach the end of this book. I adore Luna and kind of like Duncan too. Even Bolin is starting to grow on me, and not in a mould way either.
The plot rattled along at a good pace, the characters are detailed and relatable and the writer’s voice is incredibly engaging.
I can’t wait for the next book to be released.
February 3, 2025
★½
Well, this was a bust for me, sadly. I didn't like the MC, she fell flat for me. Actually, everyone did, except maybe her intern.
Sublimate/sublimation was only used a dozen or so times, but damn if it didn't feel like it was triple that. Don't know why, but it bugged me, badly.
Spoilers comin' next, y'all ---- stop here if you haven't read it, I'm not blocking anything
There's the human/wolf split yet she's so traumatized by her wolf's past actions that she surpresses her wolf for decades? I get that it'd be traumatic b/c he was her boyfriend, but she says she sublimated (🙄) b/c she feels she "... lost her temper and killed him." She didn't lose her temper, she didn't kill him, her wolf did in the heat of the moment, which sounded like he/his wolf had a hand in, as well. Then, her mom, while trying to reassure? her, says, “If he couldn’t fend you off when your temper was raised ...", which again shouldn't be a factor. The author makes clear human and wolf are separate; when a wolf they lose most of their humanity, so why would the human's temper even be a factor in those types of situations? It wouldn't. The wolf would do what a wolf would do ("lupine tendencies") without the human's temper coming into play. Then, throw in the discrepancy of "My memory was fuzzy after all these years ... " (pg117) and "After all these years, the memory of that night remained sharp ..." (pg123) 🙄
Sadly, I doubt I'll continue with this series. There's a slight twinge of curiosity about what the ex is up to, what's behind the box and locket, what will come of the relationship btw her and Duncan, but I don't know that I can push through another installment. I had high hopes, but I likely would've DNF'd this one had it not been BOM for the group.
Well, this was a bust for me, sadly. I didn't like the MC, she fell flat for me. Actually, everyone did, except maybe her intern.
Sublimate/sublimation was only used a dozen or so times, but damn if it didn't feel like it was triple that. Don't know why, but it bugged me, badly.
Spoilers comin' next, y'all ---- stop here if you haven't read it, I'm not blocking anything
"That is the way of the wolf."
There's the human/wolf split yet she's so traumatized by her wolf's past actions that she surpresses her wolf for decades? I get that it'd be traumatic b/c he was her boyfriend, but she says she sublimated (🙄) b/c she feels she "... lost her temper and killed him." She didn't lose her temper, she didn't kill him, her wolf did in the heat of the moment, which sounded like he/his wolf had a hand in, as well. Then, her mom, while trying to reassure? her, says, “If he couldn’t fend you off when your temper was raised ...", which again shouldn't be a factor. The author makes clear human and wolf are separate; when a wolf they lose most of their humanity, so why would the human's temper even be a factor in those types of situations? It wouldn't. The wolf would do what a wolf would do ("lupine tendencies") without the human's temper coming into play. Then, throw in the discrepancy of "My memory was fuzzy after all these years ... " (pg117) and "After all these years, the memory of that night remained sharp ..." (pg123) 🙄
Sadly, I doubt I'll continue with this series. There's a slight twinge of curiosity about what the ex is up to, what's behind the box and locket, what will come of the relationship btw her and Duncan, but I don't know that I can push through another installment. I had high hopes, but I likely would've DNF'd this one had it not been BOM for the group.
January 4, 2025
Interesting beginning
It's always intriguing to see where Lindsay Buroker's creativity has taken her, & this newest is off to a decent start
If you're looking for nonstop action-packed excitement, this isn't it; but it has a mystery, some sinister knowns & unknowns, & enough action to prove the suspense is legit. I'm definitely onboard for the rest of the ride
*** CONTENT ***
Standard naked shifter fare of unclothing before shifting or no clothes after shifting back. Nudity is normal for the pack, & while they may notice an attractive physique, it's not a big deal
Some sexual interest between 2 lead characters but nothing graphic. FYI: Buroker's books do tend to get more sexual as the series - and relationships - progress, but at least it's not the graphic porny kind
Moderate use of common swears including 2 f-bombs
No use, abuse or cursing with God's Name
(thank you!)
It's always intriguing to see where Lindsay Buroker's creativity has taken her, & this newest is off to a decent start
If you're looking for nonstop action-packed excitement, this isn't it; but it has a mystery, some sinister knowns & unknowns, & enough action to prove the suspense is legit. I'm definitely onboard for the rest of the ride
*** CONTENT ***
Standard naked shifter fare of unclothing before shifting or no clothes after shifting back. Nudity is normal for the pack, & while they may notice an attractive physique, it's not a big deal
Some sexual interest between 2 lead characters but nothing graphic. FYI: Buroker's books do tend to get more sexual as the series - and relationships - progress, but at least it's not the graphic porny kind
Moderate use of common swears including 2 f-bombs
No use, abuse or cursing with God's Name
(thank you!)
August 20, 2025
I normally enjoy Lindsay Buroker books. However, this time around the characters were very predictable. It was very difficult to connect with the lead character Luna or the male protagonist. I really finished up the story to see how the author would wrap up the ending. In a cliffhanger or something surprising. The ending was mediocre. I have no desire to continue the series.
January 20, 2026
2.5 stars rounded down. This book was not for me. I wasn't really into the writing style, the characters, or the plot. It wasn't terrible, but I didn't like it. The only reason I finished is because I'm stubborn.
January 4, 2025
A snarky, sublimated werewolf
The premise of this book seems the opposite of exciting, if not downright mundane: Luna Valens, a fortysomething divorcee, lives in a somewhat undesirable area of Seattle in a rental of an apartment complex where she is also the property manager and handywoman. Due to a tragic accident in her youth, she has been sublimating her werewolf side with a potion and has lived the bigger part of her life as a human. She has long since kicked her cheating husband to the curb and her two sons have flown the nest. As a single parent she had to skimp and save just to make ends meet. Now she is finally debt-free, but she is starting to question the long-term prospects of her job, so she is trying to save up to buy a modest property of her own in order to make provisions for her old age.
I really liked this background part, how Lindsay Buroker is able to introduce the struggles of every single parent in the US and at the same time unobtrusively combine it with a healthy dose of social criticism.
So, while Luna is simply trying to live her life and attend to the small and big issues of her tenants, things start to happen. For one, there is the gorgeous, if somewhat goofy treasure hunter who has parked his mobile home on the tenant parking lot. Before she can get rid him of him, he proves extremely useful when a small motorcycle gang appears looking to cause trouble. Then the property owners of the apartment complex foist their son – a veritable geek – on her as an intern. With the full moon approaching, Luna realizes that she is out of the sublimating potion and that her usual witch supplier has disappeared without a trace. It’s not only her werewolf magic that is in turmoil, but also her hormones, on account of the silver-pelted Duncan, who tries very hard to get into her bedroom (for all the wrong reasons, as it turns out). If that weren’t enough, some of her werewolf relatives – after over 20 years of radio silence – are trying to contact her, so her hitherto unexciting life is turned upside down and about to get very exciting…
I love that there are now these wonderful UF books out there, featuring relatable, middle-aged FMCs that have to deal with mundane problems, and at the same time they turn into the reluctant heroes of their own story. Lindsay Buroker manages once more to provide diverting reading entertainment with her usual dose of snark: I do love her author’s voice.
The premise of this book seems the opposite of exciting, if not downright mundane: Luna Valens, a fortysomething divorcee, lives in a somewhat undesirable area of Seattle in a rental of an apartment complex where she is also the property manager and handywoman. Due to a tragic accident in her youth, she has been sublimating her werewolf side with a potion and has lived the bigger part of her life as a human. She has long since kicked her cheating husband to the curb and her two sons have flown the nest. As a single parent she had to skimp and save just to make ends meet. Now she is finally debt-free, but she is starting to question the long-term prospects of her job, so she is trying to save up to buy a modest property of her own in order to make provisions for her old age.
I really liked this background part, how Lindsay Buroker is able to introduce the struggles of every single parent in the US and at the same time unobtrusively combine it with a healthy dose of social criticism.
So, while Luna is simply trying to live her life and attend to the small and big issues of her tenants, things start to happen. For one, there is the gorgeous, if somewhat goofy treasure hunter who has parked his mobile home on the tenant parking lot. Before she can get rid him of him, he proves extremely useful when a small motorcycle gang appears looking to cause trouble. Then the property owners of the apartment complex foist their son – a veritable geek – on her as an intern. With the full moon approaching, Luna realizes that she is out of the sublimating potion and that her usual witch supplier has disappeared without a trace. It’s not only her werewolf magic that is in turmoil, but also her hormones, on account of the silver-pelted Duncan, who tries very hard to get into her bedroom (for all the wrong reasons, as it turns out). If that weren’t enough, some of her werewolf relatives – after over 20 years of radio silence – are trying to contact her, so her hitherto unexciting life is turned upside down and about to get very exciting…
I love that there are now these wonderful UF books out there, featuring relatable, middle-aged FMCs that have to deal with mundane problems, and at the same time they turn into the reluctant heroes of their own story. Lindsay Buroker manages once more to provide diverting reading entertainment with her usual dose of snark: I do love her author’s voice.
January 8, 2025
Mid-life as a single wolf - authentic and relatable
Way of the Wolf is an engaging start to a new series, following Luna, a midlife woman and werewolf who has suppressed her powers for 25 years. What sets this story apart is how grounded it feels—Luna’s struggles with debt, tight budgets, and the realities of midlife choices make her journey refreshingly relatable.
This isn’t a tale of sudden wealth or insta-love; it’s a genuine story about dealing with life’s challenges and finding your footing again. With its down-to-earth tone and promise of more to come, this book is a great introduction to a series that feels authentic and real.
Way of the Wolf is an engaging start to a new series, following Luna, a midlife woman and werewolf who has suppressed her powers for 25 years. What sets this story apart is how grounded it feels—Luna’s struggles with debt, tight budgets, and the realities of midlife choices make her journey refreshingly relatable.
This isn’t a tale of sudden wealth or insta-love; it’s a genuine story about dealing with life’s challenges and finding your footing again. With its down-to-earth tone and promise of more to come, this book is a great introduction to a series that feels authentic and real.
February 11, 2025
Having enjoyed previous series by this author I was excited for this new series and got the first book in audio as I like the narrator. Sadly this book didn't quite work as well for me as I had hoped. Not sure whether it was my mood not being right or maybe I've read too many books by this author and can see all the tropes and twists coming now.
Way of the Wolf follows the point of view Luna who is born a werewolf, but after killing someone she has taken a potion to suppress the wolf so it won't happen again. Now many years later strange events are occurring, someone tries to kill her, she finds a strange artifact, a strange hot man shows up showing interest in her and Luna's life changes again. This pulls her back in the world of the paranormal.
There's plenty going on with the various plot lines and the beginning of the romance, but it failed to fully keep my attention. I didn't fully warm up Luna, she seemed bitter and hurt after her divorce and while I totally understood her emotions I just don't really like that trope and always struggle to get why she married that man in the first place. I also struggled with really feeling what Luna wanted from life, except buying her own complex to manage one day. With all the events that happen she just felt swept up in it all and reacting instead of fighting for what she wanted. The werewolf aspect I was very curious about, but I didn't fully like how it was handled and all the pack politics and people wanting things from Luna didn't appeal to me.
I did like the romance and the banter with Duncan. I also thought Duncan was a fun character to read about with the way he acted and joked around, but also the deeper emotions that poked through. Lindsay Buroker writes banter really well and I liked that part. Ofcourse they have some troubles to overcome before they can be together, but so far I liked the set up. There is this part later on that I saw coming as this is similar to what happened in other series. I also liked the new intern Luna has to work with and seeing them interact. I often like the relationships and friendships in Lindsay Buroker's books and this book has a promising start in that regard, but as the book starts with her without close contact it takes a while for those to come into play. I assume later books will have even more of this.
To summarize: I really wanted to enjoy this book and while there were parts I really liked it failed to fully pull me in. This might be the case of later books in the series getting better or maybe I wasn't in the right mood or read too many of this author's books that they start to feel predictable. I didn't like how everyone seemed to want something from Luna and I had trouble feeling what she really wanted and instead it felt like she was swept up in the currents and reacting to what was going on. I didn't like the pack politics and how everyone seemed to want something from her. I did like the romance and the banter between Luna and Duncan was fun to read. I also liked reading about some of the side characters and how Luna interacted with them.
Way of the Wolf follows the point of view Luna who is born a werewolf, but after killing someone she has taken a potion to suppress the wolf so it won't happen again. Now many years later strange events are occurring, someone tries to kill her, she finds a strange artifact, a strange hot man shows up showing interest in her and Luna's life changes again. This pulls her back in the world of the paranormal.
There's plenty going on with the various plot lines and the beginning of the romance, but it failed to fully keep my attention. I didn't fully warm up Luna, she seemed bitter and hurt after her divorce and while I totally understood her emotions I just don't really like that trope and always struggle to get why she married that man in the first place. I also struggled with really feeling what Luna wanted from life, except buying her own complex to manage one day. With all the events that happen she just felt swept up in it all and reacting instead of fighting for what she wanted. The werewolf aspect I was very curious about, but I didn't fully like how it was handled and all the pack politics and people wanting things from Luna didn't appeal to me.
I did like the romance and the banter with Duncan. I also thought Duncan was a fun character to read about with the way he acted and joked around, but also the deeper emotions that poked through. Lindsay Buroker writes banter really well and I liked that part. Ofcourse they have some troubles to overcome before they can be together, but so far I liked the set up. There is this part later on that I saw coming as this is similar to what happened in other series. I also liked the new intern Luna has to work with and seeing them interact. I often like the relationships and friendships in Lindsay Buroker's books and this book has a promising start in that regard, but as the book starts with her without close contact it takes a while for those to come into play. I assume later books will have even more of this.
To summarize: I really wanted to enjoy this book and while there were parts I really liked it failed to fully pull me in. This might be the case of later books in the series getting better or maybe I wasn't in the right mood or read too many of this author's books that they start to feel predictable. I didn't like how everyone seemed to want something from Luna and I had trouble feeling what she really wanted and instead it felt like she was swept up in the currents and reacting to what was going on. I didn't like the pack politics and how everyone seemed to want something from her. I did like the romance and the banter between Luna and Duncan was fun to read. I also liked reading about some of the side characters and how Luna interacted with them.
December 10, 2025
I had this in my TBR folder for a while before starting it, because I assumed it would be very similar to every other Buroker, and I'm not always in that mood.
The characters do feel very familiar. As I've said before, it's like the author has a small number of actors who play all her characters, and while they bring something new to each role, you can recognize the similarities. The (tentative) love interest this time is played by the wacky, self-regarding guy, and the narrator and protagonist is the competent, snarky but slightly insecure woman.
Considered on its own merits, it's a solid piece of work. There's a strong setup: the middle-aged protagonist, Luna, was born a werewolf, left her pack after killing her lover while shifted, and has been taking potions to suppress her change for more than half her life, but now various events are pushing her towards returning to the pack. Her mother is ill, her cousins appear to want to kill her, and there's a mysterious box with a wolf carved on it that she wants to know more about. Her potion supplier has suddenly disappeared, and a lone werewolf (the wacky self-regarding one) has turned up and is poking around for who-knows-what. Machinating somewhere in the background is her creep of an ex-husband. Their two sons, who have left home, are mentioned but play no direct role in the plot. Luna just wants to work quietly at her job managing an apartment complex and save some money for her retirement, but the dynamic situation won't let her do that.
As usual for Lindsay Buroker, there are very few editing errors, just the odd hyphen where it shouldn't be (in "one hundred" and "two hundred"), one dangling modifier, and "palette" for "palate". The characters, while very reminiscent of all her other characters, are engaging, the banter (though, again, familiar) is good as always, the setup is original, and the pacing worked well for me. I'd probably read the whole series if I could get it as a bundle and was in the right mood.
The characters do feel very familiar. As I've said before, it's like the author has a small number of actors who play all her characters, and while they bring something new to each role, you can recognize the similarities. The (tentative) love interest this time is played by the wacky, self-regarding guy, and the narrator and protagonist is the competent, snarky but slightly insecure woman.
Considered on its own merits, it's a solid piece of work. There's a strong setup: the middle-aged protagonist, Luna, was born a werewolf, left her pack after killing her lover while shifted, and has been taking potions to suppress her change for more than half her life, but now various events are pushing her towards returning to the pack. Her mother is ill, her cousins appear to want to kill her, and there's a mysterious box with a wolf carved on it that she wants to know more about. Her potion supplier has suddenly disappeared, and a lone werewolf (the wacky self-regarding one) has turned up and is poking around for who-knows-what. Machinating somewhere in the background is her creep of an ex-husband. Their two sons, who have left home, are mentioned but play no direct role in the plot. Luna just wants to work quietly at her job managing an apartment complex and save some money for her retirement, but the dynamic situation won't let her do that.
As usual for Lindsay Buroker, there are very few editing errors, just the odd hyphen where it shouldn't be (in "one hundred" and "two hundred"), one dangling modifier, and "palette" for "palate". The characters, while very reminiscent of all her other characters, are engaging, the banter (though, again, familiar) is good as always, the setup is original, and the pacing worked well for me. I'd probably read the whole series if I could get it as a bundle and was in the right mood.
November 3, 2025
Hach, ich mag ja Lindsay Burokers Sachen sehr gerne - und ich mag ja auch Werwölfe sehr gerne. Und was mir an dieser Story gefällt, ist, dass es mal nicht die "super-sexy, super jung, voll in Saft und Kraft-stehenden-Sexsymbol Werwölfe sind. Auch die Mythologie, die hinter dem Werwolfsein hier steht, ist ne interessante Variante und ich bin gespannt, wie es (mal abgesehen von der obligatorischen Lovestory) so weitergeht. Auf zu Band 2 also
February 9, 2026
I love this author’s writing! This first book of the Magnetic Magic series was engaging from the beginning. The heroine is snarky and generally annoyed with life (and especially her ex) as she finds her way back to her werewolf self, through challenges and threats to her life. There are quite a few humorous moments as well.
January 24, 2025
Ok.
The fact that the FMC is on her 40 was interesting.
The fact that the FMC is on her 40 was interesting.
January 14, 2025
3.5 stars
March 27, 2026
Lindsay Buroker is an auto-buy for me. This book is the first of a series called Magnetic Magic. I do not recommend it as a standalone.
Luna is a werewolf that killed someone she loved without meaning to do so exactly when she was in werewolf form when she was around 19. She and Raoul were lovers and thought they had a future together. Since then, out of guilt and grief, she has been taking a potion that represses her werewolf side, and she has not transformed in over 25 years.
Luna married and divorced someone who is non magical, though he, Chad, has always expressed an interest in magic. He wanted to see Luna transform, but she never would. She had two non werewolf children with him and they are now adults.
When the book opens, life is about to change for Luna. Luna is a property manager at an apartment building, and the owners send over their son to be an intern and to learn the business. Bolin is a bit of a nerd and has magical abilities. When Luna asks for his help with a few things, he is pleased to do so, though, at first, he feels the job is beneath him.
Duncan shows up at her door and she is immediately suspicious of him because of the way he acts, and he questions he has. She is also attracted to him but resists mightily. I was glad she was not a pushover. Duncan is a treasure hunter and a finder of lost objects, something that is key to the storyline.
Luna’s pack, who has ignored her for years, suddenly reinserts themselves into her life. Three of her cousins try to kill her.
Luna’s mother has cancer and wants Luna to come back to the pack and the way of the wolf. It is a reference to the traditions and cultures of being a werewolf. Luna’s mother believes that Luna is needed for the future survival of the pack.
With all of these things going on, Luna is cautious but has to make several decisions. She does so and the story ends with a lead in to the next book. I would not exactly call it a cliffhanger as a few things are revealed and settled, but the series is meant to be read in its entirety for the full storyline.
The author writes characters that are realistic. They have flaws and a good side whether they are the hero or the villain with a few exceptions.
I enjoy the vocabulary used by the author. She uses interesting words in her writing. Bolin is a spelling bee champ and enjoys talking about word origins. There is one mistake that I was surprised the author made because she likes words. Luna has two sons and the author refers to one as the youngest and the other as the oldest. Younger and older would have been correct.
I also enjoy the richness of her stories. The dialogue is often humorous.
I plan to continue to read the series.
Luna is a werewolf that killed someone she loved without meaning to do so exactly when she was in werewolf form when she was around 19. She and Raoul were lovers and thought they had a future together. Since then, out of guilt and grief, she has been taking a potion that represses her werewolf side, and she has not transformed in over 25 years.
Luna married and divorced someone who is non magical, though he, Chad, has always expressed an interest in magic. He wanted to see Luna transform, but she never would. She had two non werewolf children with him and they are now adults.
When the book opens, life is about to change for Luna. Luna is a property manager at an apartment building, and the owners send over their son to be an intern and to learn the business. Bolin is a bit of a nerd and has magical abilities. When Luna asks for his help with a few things, he is pleased to do so, though, at first, he feels the job is beneath him.
Duncan shows up at her door and she is immediately suspicious of him because of the way he acts, and he questions he has. She is also attracted to him but resists mightily. I was glad she was not a pushover. Duncan is a treasure hunter and a finder of lost objects, something that is key to the storyline.
Luna’s pack, who has ignored her for years, suddenly reinserts themselves into her life. Three of her cousins try to kill her.
Luna’s mother has cancer and wants Luna to come back to the pack and the way of the wolf. It is a reference to the traditions and cultures of being a werewolf. Luna’s mother believes that Luna is needed for the future survival of the pack.
With all of these things going on, Luna is cautious but has to make several decisions. She does so and the story ends with a lead in to the next book. I would not exactly call it a cliffhanger as a few things are revealed and settled, but the series is meant to be read in its entirety for the full storyline.
The author writes characters that are realistic. They have flaws and a good side whether they are the hero or the villain with a few exceptions.
I enjoy the vocabulary used by the author. She uses interesting words in her writing. Bolin is a spelling bee champ and enjoys talking about word origins. There is one mistake that I was surprised the author made because she likes words. Luna has two sons and the author refers to one as the youngest and the other as the oldest. Younger and older would have been correct.
I also enjoy the richness of her stories. The dialogue is often humorous.
I plan to continue to read the series.
April 19, 2026
Quick synopsis
: An older woman/werewolf manages an apartment complex. She just wants to get through the month without running out of money, not deal with her family/former pack and the odd British man who just showed up, let alone the intern pushed onto her.
Brief opinion : Of the other Buroker series I read, I wrote "The series wasn't deep and meaningful, but not everything has to be. Each book was fast-paced, had enough action to be interesting but not so much I wanted to skim, and the characters were all good from major to minor" and I mostly feel the same about this book. It was a fast read, I liked the world and the characters, and there was just enough action to be interesting, though the minor characters worked less well for me.
Plot : Luna (her werewolf-mother named her that, so... I guess the name is okay) spent a long time getting back on her feet and out of debt after her ex-husband cleaned out their bank accounts, including their sons' college funds. 20 years after that, she has a steady job managing and doing all the repair work for an apartment complex. The salary isn't good enough that she can be too comfortable though, so money is an ongoing worry.
Before she even met the man who would become her ex, Luna left the werewolf world. While a wolf, she killed the man she loved, and she never got over that. So she's been living for a couple decades as just a normal human.
One day Duncan, an older British man, shows up at her apartment complex. He seems to be oddly attracted to her. And he just happens to be a werewolf too. Can she trust him? Will her family/previous pack continue to let her live peacefully?
Editing : Surprisingly good for a self-published book! I spotted only one minor issue in the whole thing.
What I Liked/What I Didn’t Like : Even though there was in-story reason for it, I hated "Luna" as the name of a werewolf woman.
I think it might be a paranormal/urban fantasy thing, but I didn't like how quickly (and painlessly) the werewolves took their wolf shapes. Maybe Animorphs messed up my view of that, but I expected there to be bones crunching, feeling of internal organs moving, all that. ...Okay, no maybe about it, it's Animorphs's fault.
I loved that Luna is an older woman. I love her budgeting in envelopes (I know that's not original to this book, but I've never seen it used in a book before). I really liked her and Duncan feeling out things in their friendship.
As a side note, Lindsay Buroker writes so quickly! In 2025 she wrote this five-book series plus two other books.
Rating: 1-Hated / 2-Disliked / 3-Okay / 4-Liked / 5-Loved : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½ - I liked it quite a bit.
Brief opinion : Of the other Buroker series I read, I wrote "The series wasn't deep and meaningful, but not everything has to be. Each book was fast-paced, had enough action to be interesting but not so much I wanted to skim, and the characters were all good from major to minor" and I mostly feel the same about this book. It was a fast read, I liked the world and the characters, and there was just enough action to be interesting, though the minor characters worked less well for me.
Plot : Luna (her werewolf-mother named her that, so... I guess the name is okay) spent a long time getting back on her feet and out of debt after her ex-husband cleaned out their bank accounts, including their sons' college funds. 20 years after that, she has a steady job managing and doing all the repair work for an apartment complex. The salary isn't good enough that she can be too comfortable though, so money is an ongoing worry.
Before she even met the man who would become her ex, Luna left the werewolf world. While a wolf, she killed the man she loved, and she never got over that. So she's been living for a couple decades as just a normal human.
One day Duncan, an older British man, shows up at her apartment complex. He seems to be oddly attracted to her. And he just happens to be a werewolf too. Can she trust him? Will her family/previous pack continue to let her live peacefully?
Editing : Surprisingly good for a self-published book! I spotted only one minor issue in the whole thing.
What I Liked/What I Didn’t Like : Even though there was in-story reason for it, I hated "Luna" as the name of a werewolf woman.
I think it might be a paranormal/urban fantasy thing, but I didn't like how quickly (and painlessly) the werewolves took their wolf shapes. Maybe Animorphs messed up my view of that, but I expected there to be bones crunching, feeling of internal organs moving, all that. ...Okay, no maybe about it, it's Animorphs's fault.
I loved that Luna is an older woman. I love her budgeting in envelopes (I know that's not original to this book, but I've never seen it used in a book before). I really liked her and Duncan feeling out things in their friendship.
As a side note, Lindsay Buroker writes so quickly! In 2025 she wrote this five-book series plus two other books.
Rating: 1-Hated / 2-Disliked / 3-Okay / 4-Liked / 5-Loved : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½ - I liked it quite a bit.
June 2, 2025
a winner and Luna is a great character
Rating: 4.25⭐️
I’m constantly on the lookout for a strong FMC and storylines that are outside of the popular types and novel trends I’m seeing everywhere these days.
Lindsay Buroker is among those authors (ones I’m just now discovering) who are writing about older female characters that have been through challenges in their lives, divorces, losses, dysfunctional families and relationships. Lost jobs or in situations where they’re often making do with the economy , their skill sets, and getting by as best they can. Some have kids , young or in the case of the FMC here, two older sons who are living elsewhere.
In other words, female characters who are extremely relatable and relevant for many readers.
Luna Valens is a 45 yrs old divorced woman, with 2 grown children ,who’s been the Property Manager of the Sylvan Serenity Housing in Seattle, Washington for over 20 years. She’s also a werewolf who hasn’t shifted for 25 years. On purpose.
The novel opens with Luna carrying a toilet across the parking lot of the building complex where she’s getting ready to replace a renter’s toilet herself. The scene immediately gives the reader a full picture of who Luna is, tough, aware, dry observations about her own life and the way she is aging. Even the dull senses she’s has due to the fact she’s been drugging the shifter aspect of herself into non existence.
Buroker lends the character authenticity even as she’s giving us a mystery about the woman lugging the heavy weight around the parking lot with a lot more ease than any human can handle. It brought me instantly into the story and Luna Valen’s character.
For me the female characters are the best part of the story. Luna, her mother, who’s absolutely fierce, the idea of packs as a matriarchal line, are all amazing storylines.
Duncan, the werewolf treasure hunter, is a little more problematic as a character. His continued use of “My Lady” , while explained later, is something I find annoying. He just doesn’t have the same energy as Luna does.
But Bolin the intern does, he’s amazing. I’d love to see him as a full non romantic player here . From his intriguing history to his personality, he’s fantastic.
Definitely moving forward with the series and this terrific character.
A winner.
“Book cover by Deranged Doctor Design”
Magnetic Magic :
Way of the Wolf #1
Relics of the Wolf #2
Kin of the Wolf #3
Quest of the Wolf #4
Curse of the Wolf-July 11,2025
Rating: 4.25⭐️
I’m constantly on the lookout for a strong FMC and storylines that are outside of the popular types and novel trends I’m seeing everywhere these days.
Lindsay Buroker is among those authors (ones I’m just now discovering) who are writing about older female characters that have been through challenges in their lives, divorces, losses, dysfunctional families and relationships. Lost jobs or in situations where they’re often making do with the economy , their skill sets, and getting by as best they can. Some have kids , young or in the case of the FMC here, two older sons who are living elsewhere.
In other words, female characters who are extremely relatable and relevant for many readers.
Luna Valens is a 45 yrs old divorced woman, with 2 grown children ,who’s been the Property Manager of the Sylvan Serenity Housing in Seattle, Washington for over 20 years. She’s also a werewolf who hasn’t shifted for 25 years. On purpose.
The novel opens with Luna carrying a toilet across the parking lot of the building complex where she’s getting ready to replace a renter’s toilet herself. The scene immediately gives the reader a full picture of who Luna is, tough, aware, dry observations about her own life and the way she is aging. Even the dull senses she’s has due to the fact she’s been drugging the shifter aspect of herself into non existence.
Buroker lends the character authenticity even as she’s giving us a mystery about the woman lugging the heavy weight around the parking lot with a lot more ease than any human can handle. It brought me instantly into the story and Luna Valen’s character.
For me the female characters are the best part of the story. Luna, her mother, who’s absolutely fierce, the idea of packs as a matriarchal line, are all amazing storylines.
Duncan, the werewolf treasure hunter, is a little more problematic as a character. His continued use of “My Lady” , while explained later, is something I find annoying. He just doesn’t have the same energy as Luna does.
But Bolin the intern does, he’s amazing. I’d love to see him as a full non romantic player here . From his intriguing history to his personality, he’s fantastic.
Definitely moving forward with the series and this terrific character.
A winner.
“Book cover by Deranged Doctor Design”
Magnetic Magic :
Way of the Wolf #1
Relics of the Wolf #2
Kin of the Wolf #3
Quest of the Wolf #4
Curse of the Wolf-July 11,2025
April 26, 2026
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
I didn't like anyone and think the MC is an idiot of a doormat with bad taste in men.
Read other low ratings for better info -- basic below. (Lot of pain, sorry if it's not making sense.)
First time read the author's work?: No
Will you be reading more?: No - this series -- other series maybe
Would you recommend?: No - this series -- other series yes.
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
I didn't like anyone and think the MC is an idiot of a doormat with bad taste in men.
Read other low ratings for better info -- basic below. (Lot of pain, sorry if it's not making sense.)
First time read the author's work?: No
Will you be reading more?: No - this series -- other series maybe
Would you recommend?: No - this series -- other series yes.
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
January 28, 2025
(3.5 Stars)
It's a fun time for reading since many authors are starting to write urban fiction with older women in mind. This is the case with Lindsay Buroker's new series, "Magnetic Magic." "Way of the Wolf" is the first installment and introduces us to the main character, Luna Valens. She is a 43 year old woman whose youngest son left a year prior for the armed forces. Her ex husband, Chad is a cheating loser who she happily kicked out of her apartment and her life. Luna is a werewolf who left her pack over two decades ago. She has her reasons for departing but her pack now considers her a traitor. She currently is the manager of an Apartment complex, Sylvan Properties that sits on five acres and the one thing she doesn't tolerate is uninvited strangers.
All that is about to change when a mysterious man, Duncan Calderwood, with an English accent shows up on the property next to hers with a metal detector. If that is not enough, the owners of the Sylvan Properties has sent that son, Bolin Sylvan, to work as an apprentice under Luna. On his first day on the premised Luna is attacked by a motorcycle gang. Luckily, Duncan and Bolin help her get the matter under control.
In the midst of all of this chaos, Duncan alerts Luna that someone has stored some magical artifacts in her home and has been spying on her. To make matters worse, the tenant/alchemist who has been providing Luna with a potion to dampen her werewolf nature has suddenly gone missing. Something is amidst and it is Luna's best interest to find out why. She might even have to do the one thing she doesn't want to do and that is reconnect with her old pack.
In all honesty, I enjoyed this read; but, I am on the fence as to whether or not I truly like Luna or not. She did however, grow on me a little throughout the read. I definitely liked Duncan even though he is a bit cagey and I also liked Bolin. I have pre-ordered the second book in this series and feel that it will give me a better feel as to whether or not I am going to enjoy this series. Here's hoping!
It's a fun time for reading since many authors are starting to write urban fiction with older women in mind. This is the case with Lindsay Buroker's new series, "Magnetic Magic." "Way of the Wolf" is the first installment and introduces us to the main character, Luna Valens. She is a 43 year old woman whose youngest son left a year prior for the armed forces. Her ex husband, Chad is a cheating loser who she happily kicked out of her apartment and her life. Luna is a werewolf who left her pack over two decades ago. She has her reasons for departing but her pack now considers her a traitor. She currently is the manager of an Apartment complex, Sylvan Properties that sits on five acres and the one thing she doesn't tolerate is uninvited strangers.
All that is about to change when a mysterious man, Duncan Calderwood, with an English accent shows up on the property next to hers with a metal detector. If that is not enough, the owners of the Sylvan Properties has sent that son, Bolin Sylvan, to work as an apprentice under Luna. On his first day on the premised Luna is attacked by a motorcycle gang. Luckily, Duncan and Bolin help her get the matter under control.
In the midst of all of this chaos, Duncan alerts Luna that someone has stored some magical artifacts in her home and has been spying on her. To make matters worse, the tenant/alchemist who has been providing Luna with a potion to dampen her werewolf nature has suddenly gone missing. Something is amidst and it is Luna's best interest to find out why. She might even have to do the one thing she doesn't want to do and that is reconnect with her old pack.
In all honesty, I enjoyed this read; but, I am on the fence as to whether or not I truly like Luna or not. She did however, grow on me a little throughout the read. I definitely liked Duncan even though he is a bit cagey and I also liked Bolin. I have pre-ordered the second book in this series and feel that it will give me a better feel as to whether or not I am going to enjoy this series. Here's hoping!
March 13, 2025
2.5/ 3 stars? Spoilers
I wasn't a big fan of this book. The writing style itself isn't bad per say but something about it feels off. It doesn't flow together well and is simultaneously trying to hard and lazy with repetitive slang/vocabulary.
I found the characters hard to relate to and off putting, and the story just wasn't that interesting until the end.
Duncan in particular confuses me. One minute he's a 50yr old pretending he's a 15 yr old cootie hating, DND DM, then next he's a a serious adult with a savior complex and actual depth to his character. I'll find I hate his character style and behavior I've minute and the next second he's tolerable. The problem is that the author wrote him not as a complex character but as a bipolar dual character that she smashed together last minute in hopes to make him different from other male leads.
The main character herself I find more relatable, I'm not sure if it's because she's all that interesting or if I just simply like the attitude problem our MFC has but I thought she was more developed.
Bolin is another character that I'm not sure about. One minute I feel like he may have some depth to him and the next I realize he's just a way for the author to incorporate her spelling bee trivia on us.
The story didn't actually grab my attention until we were at the 55% mark. And some of the lead up/ questions were answered in one scene or interaction. Like the FMC finding out everything by overhearing a phone call or her mother demanding answers and getting them simply because she threatened to kick out a pack member. That felt a bit lazy too me. Where's the mystery? The interaction? You're not making your reader think or engage with the book when you spoon feed them.
It doesn't feel like the characters or story were well thought out and instead she had an idea and slapped it together real quick before publishing the book.
With all that being said, it is short and fast paced so I'll probably read the second book but if the series goes beyond a trilogy I'm bailing out.
I wasn't a big fan of this book. The writing style itself isn't bad per say but something about it feels off. It doesn't flow together well and is simultaneously trying to hard and lazy with repetitive slang/vocabulary.
I found the characters hard to relate to and off putting, and the story just wasn't that interesting until the end.
Duncan in particular confuses me. One minute he's a 50yr old pretending he's a 15 yr old cootie hating, DND DM, then next he's a a serious adult with a savior complex and actual depth to his character. I'll find I hate his character style and behavior I've minute and the next second he's tolerable. The problem is that the author wrote him not as a complex character but as a bipolar dual character that she smashed together last minute in hopes to make him different from other male leads.
The main character herself I find more relatable, I'm not sure if it's because she's all that interesting or if I just simply like the attitude problem our MFC has but I thought she was more developed.
Bolin is another character that I'm not sure about. One minute I feel like he may have some depth to him and the next I realize he's just a way for the author to incorporate her spelling bee trivia on us.
The story didn't actually grab my attention until we were at the 55% mark. And some of the lead up/ questions were answered in one scene or interaction. Like the FMC finding out everything by overhearing a phone call or her mother demanding answers and getting them simply because she threatened to kick out a pack member. That felt a bit lazy too me. Where's the mystery? The interaction? You're not making your reader think or engage with the book when you spoon feed them.
It doesn't feel like the characters or story were well thought out and instead she had an idea and slapped it together real quick before publishing the book.
With all that being said, it is short and fast paced so I'll probably read the second book but if the series goes beyond a trilogy I'm bailing out.
January 14, 2025
I have recently been really disappointed with something I was reading, and needed to find a new book series. I have previously liked some Lindsay Buroker books pretty well, and this one was advertised to me in an email from Amazon, so I figured I could at least try the sample. I liked the sample well enough to check it out on KU, so I did.
The way werewolves work in this is so different from what I am used to, but I decided not to mind it. I am capable of adapting my expectations to those presented within the context of a book I am reading, instead of expecting what isn't there just because it is what I am used to.
This felt like it ended prematurely, but not badly. It feels like we get cut off before when I expected, due to questions raised during the plot. I guess some questions are answered, but not as much as I would have expected before the book ended.
I liked the main character in this. She felt very grounded and relatable. Duncan seems like a fun weirdo, so he was interesting too. I even started to like Bolin a fair amount. If the cost of entry to read this series is just a slot of my available options for KU, with the level of enjoyment I got from this, I will definitely check out the next one. I don't know that I enjoyed it enough to purchase my own permanent copy, but I certainly don't regret reading it. Also, this book really liked the vocabulary word "sublimate". Which was an interesting one for me. Sublimation in science was the only definition I had known for the word. I suppose I shouldn't be upset for this book improving my vocabulary understanding with the word. But it was starting to feel a little Drinking Game-y how often it was used in this book, as if the author had no other word(s) to use in it's place.
The way werewolves work in this is so different from what I am used to, but I decided not to mind it. I am capable of adapting my expectations to those presented within the context of a book I am reading, instead of expecting what isn't there just because it is what I am used to.
This felt like it ended prematurely, but not badly. It feels like we get cut off before when I expected, due to questions raised during the plot. I guess some questions are answered, but not as much as I would have expected before the book ended.
I liked the main character in this. She felt very grounded and relatable. Duncan seems like a fun weirdo, so he was interesting too. I even started to like Bolin a fair amount. If the cost of entry to read this series is just a slot of my available options for KU, with the level of enjoyment I got from this, I will definitely check out the next one. I don't know that I enjoyed it enough to purchase my own permanent copy, but I certainly don't regret reading it. Also, this book really liked the vocabulary word "sublimate". Which was an interesting one for me. Sublimation in science was the only definition I had known for the word. I suppose I shouldn't be upset for this book improving my vocabulary understanding with the word. But it was starting to feel a little Drinking Game-y how often it was used in this book, as if the author had no other word(s) to use in it's place.
January 25, 2026
What a refreshening book. I loved that the main characters weren’t teenagers, and also the real danger from the werewolf aspect. I mean people do die….
We got a very bitter 46 year old werewolf fmc (named Luna) who has come out of a very bad divorce and has been left to raise her 2 kids without any savings and alone. Not only that but because she has some trauma with control issues with her wolf self she has been taking a potion basically to make her human to protect her once husband and kids. This has caused her family pack to see her as a traitor because locking away her wolf self (specially since she was a very promising werewolf with a lot of potential) feels like her shunning them. So she is basically alone, no ally in sight!
The story starts with her in her maintenance job in an apartment complex and then the mmc walks in. We get to meet Duncan our 50 year old lone wolf metal detector (yes you read that right) mmc. He lives in a portable van and has a YouTube channel! I fount this very funny and original. Basically his job is retrieving lost stuff sometimes mundane sometimes magical. And while he does have a secret agenda of himself he seems to like Luna and attempts to break her bitter shell off through flirting. He is failing badly poor guy! There is something that happens around 85% of the book with Duncan that I didn’t like and hurt Luna badly. I hope we get some explanation or groveling on book 2.
The rest of the story is stuff happening around Luna like drama and politics within the pack, magical objects here and there, an ex that wants something, a hunt gone wrong…
Anyways this was a very fast read,the book is short and it makes you want to read more.
We got a very bitter 46 year old werewolf fmc (named Luna) who has come out of a very bad divorce and has been left to raise her 2 kids without any savings and alone. Not only that but because she has some trauma with control issues with her wolf self she has been taking a potion basically to make her human to protect her once husband and kids. This has caused her family pack to see her as a traitor because locking away her wolf self (specially since she was a very promising werewolf with a lot of potential) feels like her shunning them. So she is basically alone, no ally in sight!
The story starts with her in her maintenance job in an apartment complex and then the mmc walks in. We get to meet Duncan our 50 year old lone wolf metal detector (yes you read that right) mmc. He lives in a portable van and has a YouTube channel! I fount this very funny and original. Basically his job is retrieving lost stuff sometimes mundane sometimes magical. And while he does have a secret agenda of himself he seems to like Luna and attempts to break her bitter shell off through flirting. He is failing badly poor guy! There is something that happens around 85% of the book with Duncan that I didn’t like and hurt Luna badly. I hope we get some explanation or groveling on book 2.
The rest of the story is stuff happening around Luna like drama and politics within the pack, magical objects here and there, an ex that wants something, a hunt gone wrong…
Anyways this was a very fast read,the book is short and it makes you want to read more.
February 8, 2025
It’s been more than twenty years since tragedy prompted Luna Valens to walk away from her pack.
Scarred by her past, she’s done her best to lead a normal human life. Thanks to a potion that suppresses her magic, nobody around her has a clue that she’s a werewolf.
Until…
Her potion supplier disappears, her family reestablishes contact, and a mysterious werewolf with a metal detector and a penchant for calling her my lady saunters into her life.
As if all that weren’t enough, someone from her past is trying to kill her. Someone dangerous.
To survive and figure out what’s going on, Luna will have to once again embrace her power. But, after so long, will she be able to summon the wolf?
Luna denied her shift and what she was , wanting to oass as human, marrying a poor choice, raising kids.
But you can't escape the past and now she must embrace who and what she is if she is to find answers and more importantly survive.
Scarred by her past, she’s done her best to lead a normal human life. Thanks to a potion that suppresses her magic, nobody around her has a clue that she’s a werewolf.
Until…
Her potion supplier disappears, her family reestablishes contact, and a mysterious werewolf with a metal detector and a penchant for calling her my lady saunters into her life.
As if all that weren’t enough, someone from her past is trying to kill her. Someone dangerous.
To survive and figure out what’s going on, Luna will have to once again embrace her power. But, after so long, will she be able to summon the wolf?
Luna denied her shift and what she was , wanting to oass as human, marrying a poor choice, raising kids.
But you can't escape the past and now she must embrace who and what she is if she is to find answers and more importantly survive.
February 9, 2025
Quick read
Nothing fancy here.
Your typical middle-aged divorcee with a lack luster "troubled" past and spiteful attitude that tells you all you need to know about why she's in the lonely state she's in.
This one has kids, but you don't meet them.
Twenty-five years is a little long to not move past the trauma Luna had. Especially given what she was. She gave into the calling much too easily for a Twenty-five year hiatus.
Nothing really happens in this book. It's very transparent, so you're not surprised by any events that take place.
I did like Duncan and his quirky personality. But they kind of moved really quickly.
The pack names were ridiculous. I'm from the area, so it was easy to picture where things were taking place. Shoreline is a shit hole, though. Seattle, too, for that matter. Monroe area seems werewolf worthy, but certainly not Shoreline.
Anyway, it's not great but it's not terrible. And it's quick.
Nothing fancy here.
Your typical middle-aged divorcee with a lack luster "troubled" past and spiteful attitude that tells you all you need to know about why she's in the lonely state she's in.
This one has kids, but you don't meet them.
Twenty-five years is a little long to not move past the trauma Luna had. Especially given what she was. She gave into the calling much too easily for a Twenty-five year hiatus.
Nothing really happens in this book. It's very transparent, so you're not surprised by any events that take place.
I did like Duncan and his quirky personality. But they kind of moved really quickly.
The pack names were ridiculous. I'm from the area, so it was easy to picture where things were taking place. Shoreline is a shit hole, though. Seattle, too, for that matter. Monroe area seems werewolf worthy, but certainly not Shoreline.
Anyway, it's not great but it's not terrible. And it's quick.
June 30, 2025
This book has an interesting start. Luna is a wolf shifter who, due to a traumatic event, hasn’t shifted for over 25 years. Her ability to ignore the desire to shift is aided by magical potions. She is also estranged from her family
While working as a property manager/handman for an apartment complex she comes across wolf shifter Duncan, who is checking out her property with a metal detector. He is charming but suspicious. Luna also has a new intern, the son of the building owners, who is possibly a druid but still learning.
After a magical artifact is discovered hidden in her apartment and she is attacked by members of her old pack.
There is a bit of action, mystery, snarky characters, shifters, druids, possible other supernaturals, and humour.
Like most of Lindsay Brokers’ books, this is an easy reading, fairly quick read. The description of the Pacific Northwest is perfect. The characters all have a bit of a snarky edge, that make this a fun read.
While working as a property manager/handman for an apartment complex she comes across wolf shifter Duncan, who is checking out her property with a metal detector. He is charming but suspicious. Luna also has a new intern, the son of the building owners, who is possibly a druid but still learning.
After a magical artifact is discovered hidden in her apartment and she is attacked by members of her old pack.
There is a bit of action, mystery, snarky characters, shifters, druids, possible other supernaturals, and humour.
Like most of Lindsay Brokers’ books, this is an easy reading, fairly quick read. The description of the Pacific Northwest is perfect. The characters all have a bit of a snarky edge, that make this a fun read.
January 11, 2025
Lyndsay Buroker is back with Way of the Wolf (Magnetic Magic, Book 1), the start of an entirely new series, and that’s wonderful news indeed. Set in a new modern fantasy world, she’s created yet another complex and fascinating character in Luna Valens, its lead. This book is really a set up for the series, but it’s still wonderfully written and full of action, fun snark and, yes, the potential for some romance. Buroker has had werewolves as significant characters before, of course, but this is her first series focused on them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, with its “happily enough for now” ending - and easily rate it as 5 stars even though I fully anticipate that future books in the series will be even better. I most definitely strongly recommend this book and am very much looking forward to book 2.
January 14, 2025
Why was this story better than I had expected? You tell me! I am not really a lover of vampires or shifters. I can accept the possibility of them though, and I think that counts more than anything else. This story is about a woman in her middle age as far as humans go and she had been using potions to remain as human as possible for over 30 years, instead of accepting her lupine heritage. Her pack or at least a potion of it suddenly decided she needed to die, so one of them could assume the leadership of the pack, but things did not work out as planned. The characters are vivid, the plot is easily followed, and the premise started out to be her finding another alchemist to provide the potion to stop turning into a wolf, but it morphed into something else as the story progressed. I definitely recommend this book.
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