(Mostly) Human Resources

by Grace Viall

Amongst mountains as old as time, the jackalopes and ghouls are the least of your worries.

Working in Human Resources was not what Alexys had in mind when she joined Entity, the company who categorise and manage the monsters and cryptids of the world. But after her dad was killed as a Warden in the Appalachian mountains, she was filled with noble ideas of carrying on his legacy... from behind the safety of a desk.

But when one of her new Wardens, Elliot, goes missing, her chances of promotion go missing too. Determined to find him safe and sound, she marches off into the mountains to find him herself.

Because Elliot had been talking about sightings of a highly dangerous and never-recorded monster, The Hollow Walker, and she's promised herself that no Warden will ever die on her watch.

Meanwhile Nic, Director of Research and Categorisation, is not one to ignore the words 'never-recorded'. With Alexys, his work nemesis, leading the charge into the mountains, he's not going to let her have all the fun. If he can be the youngest Entity employee to discover a new monster, his name will go down in the annals of cryptozoology... and if it means spending some extra time with Alexys then he's not one to argue.

But Alexys and Nic are about to discover why the Appalachian Mountains are the last place you want to find yourself after dark.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication August 4, 2026

About the author

Having been raised on the edge of the Appalachian Mountains by a pair of bookworms, Grace Viall can usually be found in a randomly selected state park or forest gathering inspiration for her monster-filled fantasy projects. Grace is currently living in Maryland (US) with her husband and two dogs and is an avid reader and book hoarder. She grew up with a grandfather who loved to spin stories around campfires, and that love of storytelling has stayed with her as she pursues her career as an author. Grace’s hope is to give a new life to old stories but with her own special twist.

Reviews

[justine ⊹ ࣪ ˖]

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ ⊹₊

pre-read : i've been really intrigued about this book ever since i saw the author talking about it on threads. literally ran to netgalley to put in a request once it was up 🏃🏻‍♀️💨

[Beth England · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a fast-paced, gripping and easy read - this one is for you!! I read this in 24hrs, and was utterly hooked. It was a classic case of ‘‘just one more chapter”.

Alexys works in Human Resources at Entity, a company that categorises and manages the world’s cryptids. When one of the Wardens in her area goes missing, she works with Nic (a colleague from the research team) to try to find him.

This book was a combination of urban fantasy, horror, folklore and romance. The setting of the Appalachian Mountains was beautiful, and the author described everything so flawlessly. The scenery, the monsters, the folklore, everything was really easy to understand and immerse into. I really felt like I was there with the characters.

I really loved Alexys as a character. She’s determined and brave, and incredibly selfless. Nic as well really grew on me as the book progressed. Their relationship development was really lovely to read. It gives rivals-to-lovers and forced proximity vibes, and I their banter was brilliant. .

I have so many unanswered questions and I really hope a sequel is in the works?! Overall this book was a delight to read, and I had such an enjoyable time. I can’t wait to read more of this authors works in the future.

[Teagan King · Rating 5 out of 5]

My editorial review:

Cozy, and with just the right amount of adventure and romance, (Mostly) Human Resources deserves to be read with a hot cup of a tea and a snug blanket. Viall has crafted an original world ripe with magic, thrills, and dangerous creatures around every corner. I didn’t want the book to end!”

-Teagan Olivia King, author of SPIT BACK THE BONES

[Sabrina]

WHY THE FRACK DID IT TAKE ME SO LONG TO READ THIS BOOK

[ghostlypeach_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

👻 book 1/? ongoing urban fantasy seriee
🍑 slow burn romance
👻 dual POVs
🍑 forced proximity
👻 rivals to lovers
🍑 workplace romance
👻 cryptids, ghosts and monsters
🍑 Appalachian folklore

Firstly a huge thank you to Shannon HEAD OF ZEUS for sourcing this proof for me 🙏

~𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀~
Y'all I devoured this book. I'm not kidding, as soon as it arrived I dropped everything and began to read and my goodness. I couldn't put it down and didn't shut up about wanting to go back to it whenever I was busy. My friends can vouch. They've got the voice notes to prove it 🙂‍↕️

This book was such a refreshing ride with a mix of horror, romance, folklore and humour. It gave early seasons of Supernatural vibes and I ate it up 🤩

The writing was so good y'all. The way the Hollow Walker (the main cryptid) and other supernatural beings were described along with the environment of the Applachian Mountains was perfect. I found myself so immersed and freaked out numerous times (to the point where I was holding my breath!)

The romance was also fire omg. I love FMC Alexys and her backstory but also Nic and his personality. When together, the banter was so funny and so full of tension I just gahhh (insert book biting here).

I love a slow burn workplace romance and this was done so well. It's sprinkled throughout the story from the get go and develops so naturally it was just 🥹

Also the world was so interesting? I loved the blend of folklore and the author's creative liberties. Everything worked together so well and has laid out a fantastic foundation for the series.

𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹, a brilliant debut that hit so hard. I'm gutted I devoured it so quickly because I feel like I'm still reading it! One I'll absolutely be rereading especially given that ending 👀

Releasing August 6th!

[Megan Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am totally giddy with excitement over this book, and cannot wait to see what new adventures Grace sends Alexys into next!

I devoured this book!

I loved how vivid the incredible world of (Mostly) Human Resources is! I could imagine everything so clearly, I am hooked! As many of you all know, I adore cryptids! So when this book popped up about a whole organisation dedicated to searching for them, cataloguing them and controlling cryptid populations and human damage control, I was invested!

I would love to work for Entity, it is seriously my dream job! 🤣

I adore the characters and found myself relating to Alexys many times throughout the story. She’s witty, funny and (almost) fearless!
Nic is just a perfect match for her banter and I love them together so much! Their story is just *chef’s kiss*! Think x-files, meets the mummy, but with cryptids and a whole organisation built around their existence! I held my breath in some parts due to the beautifully written horror undertones! I love the mysteries, and I’m dying to read book two, I’m ready for more adventure!!

I adore how Grace has merged some magic back into our world and created a fantastic story! I really hope we see more of Alexys and Nic! This is definitely a book to add to your TBR’s!

[Laura Incollingo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so FUN!
But not fun in a empty-head way, fun in a "genuinely having a great time while reading it" way.
It is a road trip, monster hunting, forced proximity, workplace romance with the vibes of the early good Supernatural seasons.
Alexis and Nick have depth and the dual POV allowed us to get into their head and slowly peel back the layers and understanding the characters and what drives them.
The monster-hunting aspect of it was so fun! I loved the fact that neither of them are actually monster hunters and especially that Nick is a researcher! Research is fundamental!
All the tidbits and snippets of Appalachian folklore and legends were super interesting and made me want to read more.
The banter and tension and snappy lines between Alexis and Nick was fun without feeling forced or repetitive.
Such a great read!

thanks to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for sending me an Arc in exchange for my honest opinion

[Gregor Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

First I’d like to start with this not being the normal sort book I would read, and I’m probably not its target market but I still enjoyed this read.

After a few great but very dark reads, it was good to relax with something that didn’t take itself too seriously.

I loved the Appalachian setting and the concept of an organisation in place to deal with monsters and mythological creatures.

This was very much a romance before anything else, but there were still enough elements of horror and shenanigans for me to get my teeth into.

It very much feels like it could be the start of a series and its light hearted X-Files vibes could make it very successful.

[Amy Geminibookish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved it until about 80% of the way through and then I just found it ok (even though at times it was a bit slow). It was going to be a really solid 4 star until then for me. I did like the writing style and the characters, their banter and the work place setting/Appalachia setting. I did enjoy the bits with romance too. There are things I’m annoyed about but I can’t write them as it would be plot spoilers and the book doesn’t come out until August so I won’t write them in. Thank you to head of Zeus for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Faye Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Mostly) Human Resources is the first book in what definitely feels like a series. It sets up the world and the Entity company well for future books and has built a nice slow burn romance to further build on in the future. There isn't a cliffhanger at all, but it does have open plot points that will be carrying forward to the next book. I didn't always love the antagonist nature of Alexys and Nic's relationship but I did like the optimistic place where they ended the book.

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think about this book 100 times a week.

It has everything. Monsters. Rabbits. Romance. Cozy. Horror.

Viall’s prose is vivid and refreshing. And the world building is detailed without being dull. When I started this book, I could not put it down.

100/10. Will be adding this to my “annual reread” pile.

[Rachel Kitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was lucky enough to read an advance copy of MHR thanks to grace, and while reading i created miniature figurines of Alexys and Nic so i could make them kiss. i’m still playing with them and i will not stop until the series is complete.

genuinely this book is a BLAST with the best supernatural, scully and mulder x-files vibes. a spooktastic delight!!!