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Murder in Moonburrow #1
Fake It 'Til You Mate It
When I wake up in the morgue, I know it’s time to move on…When people think of shifters, they always bring up the wolves, bears, big cats. But prey shifters exist, too; the bunnies, the hedgehogs, and my old childhood nemesis, Roxy, who was an adorable raccoon and a huge headache.
Then there’s me. Honey Morgan, one in a long line of Virginia opossums—and who has a tendency to ‘play dead’ at the worst possible moments.
For nearly my whole life, I’ve managed to live among humans who have no clue that I’m a supe. But when I get startled and drop only to wake up in the morgue, I have to admit my mother was us opossums need to be around other shifters, even if the local predators have me hissing.
Or maybe that’s just one.
Max Lobo. To the outsiders who might pass through Moonburrow, he is the scowly sheriff. To the supe residents, he is the all-powerful Alpha of the Moonshadow Pack.
To me? He’s my mate.
He doesn’t seem to recognize me as his, though, and I’m okay with that. After all, I’m too busy taking over my witchy grandmother’s old bakery. With her recipes, my sense of humor and work ethic, and my sidekick, Gus, I focus on making Dough You Believe In Magic a success.
Which probably would’ve been a lot easier if I didn’t stumble upon a dead predator outside my back door—or if it didn’t bring the Alpha repeatedly to my front one.
Thrown together with Max, I have to figure out who targeted my bakery, why it seems like I might’ve been the one they were after, and how to survive being around the Alpha as he begins to realize that I’m not just some newcomer prey bumbling around on his territory that he needs to protect… but the other half of his wolf’s soul he has to claim.
Hey. Fake it ’til you mate it, right?
Then there’s me. Honey Morgan, one in a long line of Virginia opossums—and who has a tendency to ‘play dead’ at the worst possible moments.
For nearly my whole life, I’ve managed to live among humans who have no clue that I’m a supe. But when I get startled and drop only to wake up in the morgue, I have to admit my mother was us opossums need to be around other shifters, even if the local predators have me hissing.
Or maybe that’s just one.
Max Lobo. To the outsiders who might pass through Moonburrow, he is the scowly sheriff. To the supe residents, he is the all-powerful Alpha of the Moonshadow Pack.
To me? He’s my mate.
He doesn’t seem to recognize me as his, though, and I’m okay with that. After all, I’m too busy taking over my witchy grandmother’s old bakery. With her recipes, my sense of humor and work ethic, and my sidekick, Gus, I focus on making Dough You Believe In Magic a success.
Which probably would’ve been a lot easier if I didn’t stumble upon a dead predator outside my back door—or if it didn’t bring the Alpha repeatedly to my front one.
Thrown together with Max, I have to figure out who targeted my bakery, why it seems like I might’ve been the one they were after, and how to survive being around the Alpha as he begins to realize that I’m not just some newcomer prey bumbling around on his territory that he needs to protect… but the other half of his wolf’s soul he has to claim.
Hey. Fake it ’til you mate it, right?
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 11, 2025
1680 people are currently reading
2778 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 424 reviews
May 2, 2026
Was it good? No, not really. Did it make me laugh and did I have fun reading it anyway? Yep.
November 14, 2025
Quick read… little disappointing
2.5/5 stars
I don’t typically leave reviews, but I’ve been waiting for this particular book for months. I don’t know if I hyped it up in my head and maybe was expecting too much but it left me a little disappointed. Not to say that it wasn’t good, but it feels like there was no real payoff.
I read this on kindle and there were some mistakes, usually that doesn’t bother me but this time it did take me out a bit as it was confusing and I had to reread to understand some things.
The characters aren’t really fleshed out, there’s a lot of monologuing. Honey and Max don’t really have chemistry and their interactions have no tension.
If there was maybe an insta-love descriptor I would’ve understood and expected it, but they kind of just get together and many of their feelings are not shown or implied well.
The side characters aren’t interesting, I don’t know why so many were introduced just to hold no real place in the story.
I understand what Roxy *I can’t remember her name* was supposed to be, but again she wasn’t fleshed out enough to feel anything for her or want to read her book.
The “twist/villain/murderer” plot felt thrown in. The two scenes that are supposed to be “foreshadowing,” aren’t. If this was a longer book I’d hope there’d have been more thought put into the murder plot rather than just a clumsy device to get the main characters to interact more.
Now, having said all this, I understand that this is first and foremost a romance book and taking it at face value it’s truthfully just alright. It’s a quick read, not much conflict, no angst, and no big emotions.
The plot sounded interesting; you don’t come across too many prey shifter books, especially opossums (which I love), but it just wasn’t executed well.
Honestly, give it a shot. Don’t take my review as a deterrent, you might like it a lot, it just wasn’t it for me, unfortunately.
2.5/5 stars
I don’t typically leave reviews, but I’ve been waiting for this particular book for months. I don’t know if I hyped it up in my head and maybe was expecting too much but it left me a little disappointed. Not to say that it wasn’t good, but it feels like there was no real payoff.
I read this on kindle and there were some mistakes, usually that doesn’t bother me but this time it did take me out a bit as it was confusing and I had to reread to understand some things.
The characters aren’t really fleshed out, there’s a lot of monologuing. Honey and Max don’t really have chemistry and their interactions have no tension.
If there was maybe an insta-love descriptor I would’ve understood and expected it, but they kind of just get together and many of their feelings are not shown or implied well.
The side characters aren’t interesting, I don’t know why so many were introduced just to hold no real place in the story.
I understand what Roxy *I can’t remember her name* was supposed to be, but again she wasn’t fleshed out enough to feel anything for her or want to read her book.
The “twist/villain/murderer” plot felt thrown in. The two scenes that are supposed to be “foreshadowing,” aren’t. If this was a longer book I’d hope there’d have been more thought put into the murder plot rather than just a clumsy device to get the main characters to interact more.
Now, having said all this, I understand that this is first and foremost a romance book and taking it at face value it’s truthfully just alright. It’s a quick read, not much conflict, no angst, and no big emotions.
The plot sounded interesting; you don’t come across too many prey shifter books, especially opossums (which I love), but it just wasn’t executed well.
Honestly, give it a shot. Don’t take my review as a deterrent, you might like it a lot, it just wasn’t it for me, unfortunately.
November 22, 2025
Cute idea, poor execution. Not enough time devoted to the relationship or the murder mystery. When the killer was finally revealed I was like “who?” Bummer.
November 14, 2025
Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK
For a quick and easy read, this one was pretty good. The premise had me dying to read it and the heroine definitely delivered the awkwardness that I was expecting. Which was a good thing and kept the story feeling light and playful. I do wish the relationship had been fleshed out more and that we got to see more of it. The book focused more on Honey than anything else and while that wasn't horrible it left me wanting more of Max. Especially since it was made such a secret that they were mates and the scene where Max finally figured it out felt so rushed and pushed to the side.
Amazon US * Amazon UK
For a quick and easy read, this one was pretty good. The premise had me dying to read it and the heroine definitely delivered the awkwardness that I was expecting. Which was a good thing and kept the story feeling light and playful. I do wish the relationship had been fleshed out more and that we got to see more of it. The book focused more on Honey than anything else and while that wasn't horrible it left me wanting more of Max. Especially since it was made such a secret that they were mates and the scene where Max finally figured it out felt so rushed and pushed to the side.
February 1, 2026
This was really cute. I loved the opossum shifter who "played dead" when she was startled. It was so unique.
I will try more by this author but I wish they got a little help with editing the story. It's a really good one but she often pops into "telling not showing" realm and we learn an important event happened because a character thinks "oh, that happened" rather than us experiencing it with them.
Safe. Dual virgins. Which is something I always appreciate when fated mates are a thing. The spice did not do it for me tho. It was written a little on the cringey side.
I will try more by this author but I wish they got a little help with editing the story. It's a really good one but she often pops into "telling not showing" realm and we learn an important event happened because a character thinks "oh, that happened" rather than us experiencing it with them.
Safe. Dual virgins. Which is something I always appreciate when fated mates are a thing. The spice did not do it for me tho. It was written a little on the cringey side.
November 13, 2025
4⭐️ 1🌶️
When I heard there was a book about a possum shifter that keeps waking up in the morgue after fainting I couldn’t download this book fast enough. I dropped everything and I mean everything to start reading immediately and I read it in one sitting.
This book was cute and funny and such a fun little escape from reality. I loved Max, Honey, and Gus. Max and Honey are fated mates but since Honey is a prey shifter she didn’t think Max, not just a wolf shifter but the alpha of the wolf pack, would be interested in her so she wore a charm to hide her scent from him. And yet Max couldn’t seem to stay away. He was protective and possessive and I was here for it!! The chapter headers where we get to see Gus’ (Honey’s opossum sidekick) were such a fun touch!
This book is heavy on the vibes and I do think the conflict resolution at the end had a more obvious resolution. But I’m not mad at it. I picked this book up hoping for a fun time with lots of laughs and this book delivered on that!
When I heard there was a book about a possum shifter that keeps waking up in the morgue after fainting I couldn’t download this book fast enough. I dropped everything and I mean everything to start reading immediately and I read it in one sitting.
This book was cute and funny and such a fun little escape from reality. I loved Max, Honey, and Gus. Max and Honey are fated mates but since Honey is a prey shifter she didn’t think Max, not just a wolf shifter but the alpha of the wolf pack, would be interested in her so she wore a charm to hide her scent from him. And yet Max couldn’t seem to stay away. He was protective and possessive and I was here for it!! The chapter headers where we get to see Gus’ (Honey’s opossum sidekick) were such a fun touch!
This book is heavy on the vibes and I do think the conflict resolution at the end had a more obvious resolution. But I’m not mad at it. I picked this book up hoping for a fun time with lots of laughs and this book delivered on that!
January 7, 2026
Content warnings: murder, dead bodies, poisoning, snake bite
This was ridiculous. Fun, but ridiculous. I kind of struggled with the concept of prey shifters but I think that's because I've read the Kate Daniels series too many times where Clan Rat holds a lot of power and yet this rat shifter is quaking in his boots about having to interact with the world in general?
Anyway. I wanted the pet opossum to be less present in the story, and I expected them to spend more time in, you know, their shifted form than they did. But it was an enjoyable if ridiculous read nonetheless.
This was ridiculous. Fun, but ridiculous. I kind of struggled with the concept of prey shifters but I think that's because I've read the Kate Daniels series too many times where Clan Rat holds a lot of power and yet this rat shifter is quaking in his boots about having to interact with the world in general?
Anyway. I wanted the pet opossum to be less present in the story, and I expected them to spend more time in, you know, their shifted form than they did. But it was an enjoyable if ridiculous read nonetheless.
March 27, 2026
2⭐️
Eh I don’t have much to say either than that it was a quick short read but the inner monologue of the FMC was honestly boring so I skipped some parts.
Eh I don’t have much to say either than that it was a quick short read but the inner monologue of the FMC was honestly boring so I skipped some parts.
November 17, 2025
Opossums are one of my favourite animals and I'm always looking for more unusual shifter books. I have never seen an opossum shifter in a book before, especially not where it's one of the main characters. The writing style was good and I love the chapter headers with commentary from the actual opossum Gus. Definitely my favourite character :)
November 16, 2025
honestly not as bad as it sounds lol, definitely needed an editor and I thought it would have smut but it really didn't, still I liked the story. also I love gus and need a book in his perspective.
January 1, 2026
Max & Honey
I preordered this book because I saw a Facebook post about it & I wanted to make sure I read it as soon as it was released. The premise sounded so interesting but the execution lacked.
I loved the memos from Gus - he was my favorite character.
I didn’t like that there was no emotional build up with the MCs. I get they are fated mates & it’s insta love but they weren’t even working together until halfway through the book. They were both working towards the same goal but separately. I also wasn’t a fan of the contradiction. In one part of the story, Max can’t scent her because of the soap she’s using but towards the end, she asks Max’s brother if he was the reason he couldn’t scent her. That made no sense to me & felt like it was just thrown in. Max had also stated at the beginning when they kissed to forget it ever happened but when he recognized Honey as his mate, he said don’t make me forget again.
There are also several areas that need to be edited.
Overall, the book is okay. I wouldn’t read it again. It’s a quick read but I struggled to actually want to finish it. The story is kind of confusing & I had to reread parts several times to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. It’s not dual POV, which I feel like would have actually helped with the emotional connection issue.
I know spice levels are subjective but I would consider this a 0.5/5
I preordered this book because I saw a Facebook post about it & I wanted to make sure I read it as soon as it was released. The premise sounded so interesting but the execution lacked.
I loved the memos from Gus - he was my favorite character.
I didn’t like that there was no emotional build up with the MCs. I get they are fated mates & it’s insta love but they weren’t even working together until halfway through the book. They were both working towards the same goal but separately. I also wasn’t a fan of the contradiction. In one part of the story, Max can’t scent her because of the soap she’s using but towards the end, she asks Max’s brother if he was the reason he couldn’t scent her. That made no sense to me & felt like it was just thrown in. Max had also stated at the beginning when they kissed to forget it ever happened but when he recognized Honey as his mate, he said don’t make me forget again.
There are also several areas that need to be edited.
Overall, the book is okay. I wouldn’t read it again. It’s a quick read but I struggled to actually want to finish it. The story is kind of confusing & I had to reread parts several times to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. It’s not dual POV, which I feel like would have actually helped with the emotional connection issue.
I know spice levels are subjective but I would consider this a 0.5/5
November 15, 2025
You felt like home. Even before I knew what you were or had any thoughts about who you could be. And I told myself that was dangerous.
3.75 stars
I've had this new series on my radar for a while now because one of my favorite sub-tropes is a predator/prey shifter pairing. This story has a mate-bond between an alpha wolf shifter who is the ultimate protector and an opossum shifter who 'plays dead' at the worst times. And while I loved the predator/prey dynamic between Max and Honey, this story never fully reached its full potential for me. The romance was more tell than show for me as Honey spent the majority of the book avoiding Max and hiding their bond from him. The murder mystery was interesting but was solved way to quickly at the end to be fully enjoyed. Lastly, there were also so many spelling/grammar mistakes that it actually brought me out of the story. Overall, it was an okay story, but I don't think I will continue this series as I didn't really care for Roxy's character.
Tropes: fated mates, cozy murder mystery, protective sheriff wolf alpha, opossum bakery owner who 'plays dead', rom-com vibes, slow burn, found family, slight steam🔥
January 4, 2026
This earned stars because I loved Gus. Otherwise this wasn’t for me.
Read jailenix poratta’s review on here - I agree fully.
Read jailenix poratta’s review on here - I agree fully.
November 14, 2025
This was cute cringe cosy fluff and everything I needed. This definitely could have done with an editor as there were quite a few errors but I had a fun time reading it.
I didn’t love Roxy as a character so I don’t think I’ll be reading her story.
I didn’t love Roxy as a character so I don’t think I’ll be reading her story.
January 20, 2026
Overall Rating - 3.75⭐️
This gave me Bride/Mate vibes but make it Laurie Gilmore coded lol it was a fun read. Super short and not full of just spice. Having opossum shifters, bunny shifters, raccoon shifters was so entertaining. Honey and Roxy have a hilarious dynamic. Gus is the best little sidekick you could ask for. It’s a little of a murder mystery too. If you like shifterverse stories with small town vibes, this might be worth your time.
This gave me Bride/Mate vibes but make it Laurie Gilmore coded lol it was a fun read. Super short and not full of just spice. Having opossum shifters, bunny shifters, raccoon shifters was so entertaining. Honey and Roxy have a hilarious dynamic. Gus is the best little sidekick you could ask for. It’s a little of a murder mystery too. If you like shifterverse stories with small town vibes, this might be worth your time.
January 18, 2026
This one was fun - shifters plus cozy mystery. Really could have benefited from multiple POVs, most of this was just in the FMC's head and not enough dialogue to break that up.
November 30, 2025
I mean the main character is an opossum shifter who "dies" for a few hours when she gets scared LOL
It was cute.
It was cute.
November 16, 2025
Rating: 2.5 stars, rounded up to three
Favourite quote: “Mother died. Again. But she got better, and I’m glad. Who else will take care of Gus?“
This book had such an adorable setup that I honestly thought it would end up being a new comfort read. An opossum shifter who literally keels over at the slightest inconvenience paired with the local alpha sheriff who has to solve a murder? That is romcom gold. Honey was funny, sweet, and just the right kind of chaotic. Her whole “I play dead at everything” thing had so much comedic potential and actually delivered in the early chapters.
But once I settled into the story, the cracks began to show. The typos were everywhere and not the cute kind you can shrug off. These were the kind that pulled me out of the story again and again. Then came the repetition, which was brutal. Honey must have told me she’s an opossum shifter at least thirty times. I understood it the first time. I understood it the fifth time. By the tenth time I was ready to personally escort her to a therapist and ask why she feels compelled to announce her species every ten minutes.
The pacing also suffered because of how often lines, thoughts, and explanations were reused. Scenes that should have flowed ended up feeling a bit draggy because the book kept circling back to the same points. It made the middle portion feel more like a loop than a progression, and I found myself skimming whenever the déjà vu kicked in.
What made this even more noticeable was the imbalance in the cast. The female characters? Fabulous. Honey, Roxy, even the deer shifter who popped in for all of two seconds had personality, like Roxy was also a total highlight and easily stole every scene she was in. But the male characters struggled. Max, despite being the romantic lead, felt thinly sketched. His whole personality was “dominant wolf” and not much else. Every other male character blended together, which is a shame because the setup really could have given them more dimension.
The romance itself was cute at moments but lacked the spark I wanted. There were glimmers of genuine chemistry, but they kept getting buried under repetition, typos, and flat characterisation on the male side. It felt like a story that had all the right ingredients but needed another draft to actually mix them together properly.
All that said, the premise still makes me smile just thinking about it. I liked the bones of this book, I enjoyed Honey’s humour, and I absolutely see potential in the world. With some heavy editing and more depth for the male cast, this could have been a standout. As it is, it was an okay read with fun moments, but not one I’ll be revisiting.
Favourite quote: “Mother died. Again. But she got better, and I’m glad. Who else will take care of Gus?“
This book had such an adorable setup that I honestly thought it would end up being a new comfort read. An opossum shifter who literally keels over at the slightest inconvenience paired with the local alpha sheriff who has to solve a murder? That is romcom gold. Honey was funny, sweet, and just the right kind of chaotic. Her whole “I play dead at everything” thing had so much comedic potential and actually delivered in the early chapters.
But once I settled into the story, the cracks began to show. The typos were everywhere and not the cute kind you can shrug off. These were the kind that pulled me out of the story again and again. Then came the repetition, which was brutal. Honey must have told me she’s an opossum shifter at least thirty times. I understood it the first time. I understood it the fifth time. By the tenth time I was ready to personally escort her to a therapist and ask why she feels compelled to announce her species every ten minutes.
The pacing also suffered because of how often lines, thoughts, and explanations were reused. Scenes that should have flowed ended up feeling a bit draggy because the book kept circling back to the same points. It made the middle portion feel more like a loop than a progression, and I found myself skimming whenever the déjà vu kicked in.
What made this even more noticeable was the imbalance in the cast. The female characters? Fabulous. Honey, Roxy, even the deer shifter who popped in for all of two seconds had personality, like Roxy was also a total highlight and easily stole every scene she was in. But the male characters struggled. Max, despite being the romantic lead, felt thinly sketched. His whole personality was “dominant wolf” and not much else. Every other male character blended together, which is a shame because the setup really could have given them more dimension.
The romance itself was cute at moments but lacked the spark I wanted. There were glimmers of genuine chemistry, but they kept getting buried under repetition, typos, and flat characterisation on the male side. It felt like a story that had all the right ingredients but needed another draft to actually mix them together properly.
All that said, the premise still makes me smile just thinking about it. I liked the bones of this book, I enjoyed Honey’s humour, and I absolutely see potential in the world. With some heavy editing and more depth for the male cast, this could have been a standout. As it is, it was an okay read with fun moments, but not one I’ll be revisiting.
November 15, 2025
This was very disappointing and hard to read. I am not picky about my shifter books and I was really looking forward to one about a unique type of shifter but this one really fell flat. Max had no personality at all. The mystery fell very slapped together and so did their whole relationship. The spelling and grammar errors really got out of control as well, especially toward the end. It doesn’t seem to have been edited at all. At one point she described Gus the opossum as being orange?!?! I usually just skate past errors but I almost closed the book at that point because they had just been building up so much.
January 26, 2026
This book was super cute and had me quite literally laughing out loud! Nobody thinks about the prey shifters. I know I never do until I came across this book. I love Honey and Max and of course Roxy, but my absolute favorite character is Gus 😂
November 16, 2025
Some repetitiveness at the beginning could’ve been smoothed out, otherwise cute enough.
January 8, 2026
GUS! GUS! GUS!
Gus is my favorite. His openings are so funny.
Gus is my favorite. His openings are so funny.
January 10, 2026
Alright, this was adorable and funny. Also a cute little murder mystery. Loved it and it’s uniqueness
November 17, 2025
This book was soooo cute!! I love the whole “playing dead” thing that Honey does. It adds character. I also loved that it went away after she knew that Max would protect her from everything. Max was cute too. He was such a sweetheart. The perfect man. The standard. Ughhh! He was just too good. Then there’s Gus. I LOVED him!! I really liked the little things from him in the beginning of the chapters. Some of them really made me laugh. Roxy was an interesting character… she really added some fun to the book. She also literally solved the case. Too smart for her own good. I am pretty excited for her book. And you’re telling me that she gets with Honey’s cousin! That’s crazy! I really wonder what he’s going to be like… anyways, I can’t believe I have to wait for it to come out. I’m too impatient for this. What I’m most excited about is for Riordan’s book. I love when the MMC has a curse put in them and the only way to get rid of it is to find your mate. Or, you know, your true love. I’ve probably watched Beauty and the Beast way too many times, but that’s okay. I do really love that trope though. As for this book, I really wasn’t expecting the murderer to be who it was. I thought it would be someone that she knew better. I also felt like they didn’t really do anything. Roxy literally figured everything out. Still, it was a cute romance. Just not the mystery I was expecting. It’s definitely more romance than that. I was just expecting them to be the ones to find out who it was. Also, I expected more to done. Like, more sneaking out and looking for clues to clear her name. I still love the book though, don’t get me wrong. I’m not bashing the book. I loved most of the characters and really liked setting. I obviously love the insta love trope or I wouldn’t have read it. I love when mates fall in love fast. You want to know what else was fast? How quick this book ended. It should’ve been longer… I definitely say that about every book I love, but it’s true. Some of the scenes were so brief. Most of those I wanted to be really detailed. I also wanted her to meet Max’s parents. I love when they meet each other’s parents. I also wanted to see them spend more time together after they caught the killer. It was just so quick. Even their mating ceremony was quick. I would’ve loved seeing more cute scenes of them together. All of that out aside, it was a really amazing book. I had fun reading it and I can’t wait for the others to come out. This was just the book I needed after being in a mini slump.
December 28, 2025
Just so u know, Max Lobo is THE Alpha because u will be reminded. Several. Times.
I was asked to read this book because they saw it on TikTok and thought the concept would be cute and fun. An opossum shifter that runs a little bakery for their small town and occasionally “plays dead” when she gets scared or shocked is adorable. Then meeting the alpha sheriff and being caught up in a mystery unable to resist each other. SCANDALOUS. However, I was so disappointed that I stared up at the ceiling for several minutes wondering why I took the time to read it.
ENOUGH OF THE COMPLAINING FOR NOW
Let me tell u some of the good things about the book in case u are still thinking u will have a good time.
PROS
- Gus the opossum (Honey’s sidekick/not actual son) is adorable. At the beginning of every chapter u get a little quote of what he is thinking in the events of the chapter. (Don’t worry he is not an opossum shifter). I enjoyed these greatly.
-Roxy the raccoon shifter is Honey’s “frenemy” who is ready to blackmail someone if someone else dares tease Honey. She is also the female lead in the second book of this series.
-The concept of this book is great, It would have and could still be for u, a very cozy read.
Now onto a more in-depth reasons of why I had a lost the little brain cells I had left.
CONS
- As stated at the beginning, YOU WILL NOT FORGET THAT MAX LOBO IS THE ALPHA SHERIFF. I swear I read less of the word alpha in omegaverse reverse harems. I wish we had gotten to see more of a distinct personality than a just a protective “alpha”. It was really only Honey and Roxy that got any real characteristics.
-The mystery was boring and had no suspense. This may just be a me thing but it was a big thing that made me dislike this book. Especially the end, it was wrapped up so quick and it was a fade to black after their idea! WHERE WAS MY SUSPENSE!! “Honey this is a really risky idea that could backfire badly” but u get two sentences of the whole ordeal and then they got hands on their hips ready to interrogate. It really disappointed me.
-Max Lobo is the magical cure for Honey’s “play dead”. Through the power of the bond and his touch, Honey is always in a state of peace and tranquillity. IM SORRY?! She is literally running for her life and someone has to force her to use, as she states her “natural defense mechanism” as an opossum shifter. Yet at the beginning she “played dead” as soon as she saw a dead body. She ended up in a morgue 12 or 15 TIMES! (I don’t remember which number it was) Just give me some flaws!
Anyway, if u made it to the end, I hope u read the cons part with a sarcastic manner. It makes the whole experience better. Thank u for reading my review, I now need to find a book to give me back the years I lost.
I was asked to read this book because they saw it on TikTok and thought the concept would be cute and fun. An opossum shifter that runs a little bakery for their small town and occasionally “plays dead” when she gets scared or shocked is adorable. Then meeting the alpha sheriff and being caught up in a mystery unable to resist each other. SCANDALOUS. However, I was so disappointed that I stared up at the ceiling for several minutes wondering why I took the time to read it.
ENOUGH OF THE COMPLAINING FOR NOW
Let me tell u some of the good things about the book in case u are still thinking u will have a good time.
PROS
- Gus the opossum (Honey’s sidekick/not actual son) is adorable. At the beginning of every chapter u get a little quote of what he is thinking in the events of the chapter. (Don’t worry he is not an opossum shifter). I enjoyed these greatly.
-Roxy the raccoon shifter is Honey’s “frenemy” who is ready to blackmail someone if someone else dares tease Honey. She is also the female lead in the second book of this series.
-The concept of this book is great, It would have and could still be for u, a very cozy read.
Now onto a more in-depth reasons of why I had a lost the little brain cells I had left.
CONS
- As stated at the beginning, YOU WILL NOT FORGET THAT MAX LOBO IS THE ALPHA SHERIFF. I swear I read less of the word alpha in omegaverse reverse harems. I wish we had gotten to see more of a distinct personality than a just a protective “alpha”. It was really only Honey and Roxy that got any real characteristics.
-The mystery was boring and had no suspense. This may just be a me thing but it was a big thing that made me dislike this book. Especially the end, it was wrapped up so quick and it was a fade to black after their idea! WHERE WAS MY SUSPENSE!! “Honey this is a really risky idea that could backfire badly” but u get two sentences of the whole ordeal and then they got hands on their hips ready to interrogate. It really disappointed me.
-Max Lobo is the magical cure for Honey’s “play dead”. Through the power of the bond and his touch, Honey is always in a state of peace and tranquillity. IM SORRY?! She is literally running for her life and someone has to force her to use, as she states her “natural defense mechanism” as an opossum shifter. Yet at the beginning she “played dead” as soon as she saw a dead body. She ended up in a morgue 12 or 15 TIMES! (I don’t remember which number it was) Just give me some flaws!
Anyway, if u made it to the end, I hope u read the cons part with a sarcastic manner. It makes the whole experience better. Thank u for reading my review, I now need to find a book to give me back the years I lost.
January 8, 2026
2.5 but I can't give it a three.
spoilers.
I think my problem with this book is it's full of "almost". We almost feel a connection to the main character but she falls a little flat, we don't really get to know her as much as we get listed facts. listed facts about opposums, listed facts about family, and eventually it seems a check box of what mates do. I wanted to like her but we didn't get much to go on.
We almost get a back and forth? But this falls super flat too. they don't really banter, there isn't really longing, and there isn't really a reason they aren't together that didn't then fall apart in two seconds.
We also almost get a male character but he has even less detail than the main character. his brother is cursed, he's the alpha of his clan and we get no more depth than that. We don't even get insight into his feelings on prey versus predators.
Then the bad guy. I mean. I guess? I see where she went with it but it's such an oddly flimsy connection especially since she didn't even notice the wolf almost in her shop. So I think that just fell super flat. I mean I'm hoping there is some connection to the bunny and the prey circle eventually because that would make more sense than the crazy wolf just lost it, and that is the story.
overall, I was not expecting a masterpiece. I didn't think it would be too much more than a romcom dressed up in supernatural clothing, but I suppose I was hoping? Idk.
spoilers.
I think my problem with this book is it's full of "almost". We almost feel a connection to the main character but she falls a little flat, we don't really get to know her as much as we get listed facts. listed facts about opposums, listed facts about family, and eventually it seems a check box of what mates do. I wanted to like her but we didn't get much to go on.
We almost get a back and forth? But this falls super flat too. they don't really banter, there isn't really longing, and there isn't really a reason they aren't together that didn't then fall apart in two seconds.
We also almost get a male character but he has even less detail than the main character. his brother is cursed, he's the alpha of his clan and we get no more depth than that. We don't even get insight into his feelings on prey versus predators.
Then the bad guy. I mean. I guess? I see where she went with it but it's such an oddly flimsy connection especially since she didn't even notice the wolf almost in her shop. So I think that just fell super flat. I mean I'm hoping there is some connection to the bunny and the prey circle eventually because that would make more sense than the crazy wolf just lost it, and that is the story.
overall, I was not expecting a masterpiece. I didn't think it would be too much more than a romcom dressed up in supernatural clothing, but I suppose I was hoping? Idk.
Did Not Finish
January 30, 2026DNF 52%. The concept for this book was lovely. Unfortunately the execution was not great. The writing is not working for me. It just feels odd. Like the random time skip between Honey waking up in the morgue and then suddenly she has been running the bakery for 2 months. We didn't even get the scene where Honey realized Max was her mate all we got was hearing her think about it later. Then she has that snafu with the honesty cupcakes and we don't get a scene with her and Max talking about it. We get a description of the conversation from Honey's thoughts. We get to hear a ton about how exactly Honey is bribing Gus to stay safe in her apartment but no real reason is offered as to why Honey has to be in protective custody after she gets the poisoned tea. That just didn't really make any logical sense especially since their relationship was so underdeveloped.
It was really just a lot of stuff like that that I did not really like. So much inner monologue and info dumping in Honey's thoughts. While I did not hate Honey as a character it did get quite tedious after a while. I liked Gus a lot his little entries for each chapter were very cute. Max while very flat seemed like a decent character. Roxy was just obnoxious.
All in all not a terrible book but I probably won't pick it back up.
It was really just a lot of stuff like that that I did not really like. So much inner monologue and info dumping in Honey's thoughts. While I did not hate Honey as a character it did get quite tedious after a while. I liked Gus a lot his little entries for each chapter were very cute. Max while very flat seemed like a decent character. Roxy was just obnoxious.
All in all not a terrible book but I probably won't pick it back up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2025
"Meh..." A bit of mystery, a LITTLE romance, a bit of fun
My favourite part of this story was actually Gus' commentary at the beginning of each chapter (Gus is her pet / "son" opossum). Some of them were pretty funny and cute.
I liked Honey's character. She was independent and overall an enjoyable character to read about, though perhaps nothing too out of the ordinary. (Not that this is a bad thing, but down the road when I read other books, she'll likely become pretty forgettable.)
Sheriff / Alpha Max Lobo is a bit similar. A decent character, but nothing really stands out about him.
This isn't a BAD book by any means, it's just... nothing special. Not one I'd think to recommend unless someone is specifically looking for an opossum shifter.
My favourite part of this story was actually Gus' commentary at the beginning of each chapter (Gus is her pet / "son" opossum). Some of them were pretty funny and cute.
I liked Honey's character. She was independent and overall an enjoyable character to read about, though perhaps nothing too out of the ordinary. (Not that this is a bad thing, but down the road when I read other books, she'll likely become pretty forgettable.)
Sheriff / Alpha Max Lobo is a bit similar. A decent character, but nothing really stands out about him.
This isn't a BAD book by any means, it's just... nothing special. Not one I'd think to recommend unless someone is specifically looking for an opossum shifter.
January 17, 2026
Fake It Til You Make It by Sarah Spade is a shifter romance with cozy mystery vibes. Honey, an opossum shifter, agrees to temporarily run her grandmother’s bakery to avoid being forced back to her hometown. Not long after arriving, she discovers her mate is Max—the town sheriff. The catch? He’s a wolf shifter, and their pairing isn’t exactly simple.
This was such a cute read. I enjoyed the characters, and Gus—her literal opossum sidekick—was an absolute highlight. The story flowed well and kept my interest throughout. I’ve already added the next book to my TBR.
This was such a cute read. I enjoyed the characters, and Gus—her literal opossum sidekick—was an absolute highlight. The story flowed well and kept my interest throughout. I’ve already added the next book to my TBR.
January 8, 2026
Just so cheesy and bad
I knew this was going to be bad and read it anyways. But there was a cute possum on the cover that made me click on it and then the amazon synopsis made me laugh at how many tropes they fit in one sentence:
"A possum shifter wakes up in a morgue and moves to a supernatural town, where she runs a magical bakery and discovers her mate is an Alpha wolf sheriff while investing a murder."
It was just as bad as I thought it was going to be. Honestly this felt like some high schoolers weird AU zootopia fanfic.
I knew this was going to be bad and read it anyways. But there was a cute possum on the cover that made me click on it and then the amazon synopsis made me laugh at how many tropes they fit in one sentence:
"A possum shifter wakes up in a morgue and moves to a supernatural town, where she runs a magical bakery and discovers her mate is an Alpha wolf sheriff while investing a murder."
It was just as bad as I thought it was going to be. Honestly this felt like some high schoolers weird AU zootopia fanfic.
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