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Fox Hunt
Not yet published
Expected 1 Mar 26Two hackers. Two mobs. One act of betrayal that neither can forgive.
Grant Black is an orphaned fox shifter literally raised by wolves, until he is taken into the notorious Lupi Selvaggi run by Andrea Caruso as their resident hacker. He is supposed to maintain the black market auctions and make sure the bidding system runs smoothly for the mob's lucrative trafficking ring organized in Chicago. Everything was fine… until Cyber Fox hacked her way into a Lupi Selvaggi auction and drained millions of dollars from Andrea’s account. Grant is sent on a hunt to find the elusive Cyber Fox in Las Vegas, the headquarters of a rival Irish mob called the Red Riot.
Grant learns quickly that he is a pawn and not a player in this deadly game of chess between two powerful bosses, and after making contact with Red Riot’s Lore Brennan finds he is on the wrong side of an impending war in the underground skin trade. Now he must navigate the delicate balance of surviving a grudge born of betrayal, as well as accept the feelings he has developed for Red Riot’s infamous leader.
When Lore’s dark past comes back to destroy them both, Grant must decide who he is willing to die for. Will he follow his heart, or his instinct to survive the dark underworld of shifter mobs?
Grant Black is an orphaned fox shifter literally raised by wolves, until he is taken into the notorious Lupi Selvaggi run by Andrea Caruso as their resident hacker. He is supposed to maintain the black market auctions and make sure the bidding system runs smoothly for the mob's lucrative trafficking ring organized in Chicago. Everything was fine… until Cyber Fox hacked her way into a Lupi Selvaggi auction and drained millions of dollars from Andrea’s account. Grant is sent on a hunt to find the elusive Cyber Fox in Las Vegas, the headquarters of a rival Irish mob called the Red Riot.
Grant learns quickly that he is a pawn and not a player in this deadly game of chess between two powerful bosses, and after making contact with Red Riot’s Lore Brennan finds he is on the wrong side of an impending war in the underground skin trade. Now he must navigate the delicate balance of surviving a grudge born of betrayal, as well as accept the feelings he has developed for Red Riot’s infamous leader.
When Lore’s dark past comes back to destroy them both, Grant must decide who he is willing to die for. Will he follow his heart, or his instinct to survive the dark underworld of shifter mobs?
- GenresDark RomanceRomance
336 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 1, 2026
56 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book. This is my honest review.
CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS ⚠️
Dark, brutal, and unhinged. This is a mafia shifter romance. Lore, the FMC, is a total bad ass. She is a mafia boss who is feral and extremely protective of women. Grant, the MMC, is a little all over the place for my liking. He seems naive and oblivious one minute, then over the top dominant and possessive later in the book. I wish he matched Lore's energy better. Overall, even with the slower first half of the book, I ended up enjoying the story. The second half flowed better and kept my attention. I will look into other books by this author.
CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS ⚠️
Dark, brutal, and unhinged. This is a mafia shifter romance. Lore, the FMC, is a total bad ass. She is a mafia boss who is feral and extremely protective of women. Grant, the MMC, is a little all over the place for my liking. He seems naive and oblivious one minute, then over the top dominant and possessive later in the book. I wish he matched Lore's energy better. Overall, even with the slower first half of the book, I ended up enjoying the story. The second half flowed better and kept my attention. I will look into other books by this author.
January 15, 2026
Dark, brutal, and unapologetically feral—Fox Hunt drops you into a mafia-run world where shapeshifters rule the food chain and foxes are no longer folklore, they’re currency. In this twisted hierarchy, fox shifters—especially girls—are hunted, traded, and dehumanized, reduced to an appetite for the rich and ruthless. It’s ugly. It’s intentional. And it sets the stage for one hell of a reckoning.
Because one fox escapes.
What follows is a sharp turn from victimhood to vengeance. Murphy crafts a survivor who refuses to stay prey, evolving into something far more dangerous than her captors ever anticipated. The power shift is delicious—watching the hunter become the hunted in a world that never expected a fox to bite back.
This book doesn’t flinch from its darkness, but it uses it with purpose. The themes of control, survival, and reclaiming power are heavy, yet the payoff is a fierce, fiery heroine who burns the system down from the inside. If you like your mafia stories savage, your shapeshifters deadly, and your female leads unstoppable, Fox Hunt will sink its teeth in and not let go.
Thank you NetGalley
Because one fox escapes.
What follows is a sharp turn from victimhood to vengeance. Murphy crafts a survivor who refuses to stay prey, evolving into something far more dangerous than her captors ever anticipated. The power shift is delicious—watching the hunter become the hunted in a world that never expected a fox to bite back.
This book doesn’t flinch from its darkness, but it uses it with purpose. The themes of control, survival, and reclaiming power are heavy, yet the payoff is a fierce, fiery heroine who burns the system down from the inside. If you like your mafia stories savage, your shapeshifters deadly, and your female leads unstoppable, Fox Hunt will sink its teeth in and not let go.
Thank you NetGalley
January 8, 2026
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of Fox Hunt in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I decided to DNF this book at round the 40% mark after realizing completely that it wasn't quite for me. The overall premise and plotlines are incredibly interesting, and I can definitely see the appeal of the story the author is telling. However, I didn't fully connect with the way the story was delivered or the main characters. I think this book has helped me discover that fox shifter romances aren't a genre I personally enjoy.
That said, this is very much a matter of personal taste and readers who enjoy shifter romances--particularly those featuring fox shifters--may find a lot to love here. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book and I wish the author every inch of success with it.
Unfortunately, I decided to DNF this book at round the 40% mark after realizing completely that it wasn't quite for me. The overall premise and plotlines are incredibly interesting, and I can definitely see the appeal of the story the author is telling. However, I didn't fully connect with the way the story was delivered or the main characters. I think this book has helped me discover that fox shifter romances aren't a genre I personally enjoy.
That said, this is very much a matter of personal taste and readers who enjoy shifter romances--particularly those featuring fox shifters--may find a lot to love here. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book and I wish the author every inch of success with it.
January 25, 2026
I really enjoyed the elements of this book. The strong FMC, the bike gang, shifters, and action packed scenes. The FMC was unapologetic in her strength as the leader of her gang. She was fierce and a caring leader to her group. The MMC was caught up in such a confusing mix with his boss and her that there didn't seem a way out. The FMC does receive a justifiable revenge to those that hurt her and everyone she cares about.
I will say this about 40% to 60% way through seemed to drag on. The chapters seemed to have too much description and I felt like I was just pushing through. I will say though it was like that in the middle of the story things started to pick up speed towards the end. I do wish there was more of a character growth in the MMC.
I will say this about 40% to 60% way through seemed to drag on. The chapters seemed to have too much description and I felt like I was just pushing through. I will say though it was like that in the middle of the story things started to pick up speed towards the end. I do wish there was more of a character growth in the MMC.
January 25, 2026
I loved this book so much. The power Lore had was amazing. I love books with a powerful FMC and someone who’s not afraid to make her opinion known. I love the girldom-boysub trope going on. It’s one of very few books I’ve read like this and actually like it as it’s not my cup of tea, but this book makes me LOVEEE it. The deep connection of mates always makes me shiver. I also don’t read a lot of shifter books outside the normal animals so reading one about foxes was a breath of fresh air. I love this book and all its little details. Also the cam scene?? Jeez peets. Loveeddd it
January 29, 2026
I flew through this because the tension was unreal from the start. The leads had insane chemistry and the slow burn hurt exactly how I wanted it to. Sharp, intense, and just the right amount of edge. Highly recommend if enemies-to-lovers is your weakness.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC review of the Fox Hunt:
A delicious dark spicy mafia romance with fox shifters, high tension, banter and a thrilling story.
This was a very interesting and different dark romance. Maybe a bit confusing but still very entertaining.
3,5-4 ⭐️ and a thanks to netgalley for the ARC
A delicious dark spicy mafia romance with fox shifters, high tension, banter and a thrilling story.
This was a very interesting and different dark romance. Maybe a bit confusing but still very entertaining.
3,5-4 ⭐️ and a thanks to netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I ate this shit up yessss mafia and shifter yes yes yes
January 29, 2026
Fox hunt is a primarily a mafia dark romance book with a hint of magical Element with the animal shifters.
It starts off heavy from the first page so I would suggest checking trigger warnings before reading.
Lore is everything I like to see in a Female lead she is strong, feral and unapologetically her. It was great to see roles reversed and having the MMC Grant simping over the girl.
The plot is strong and had me hooked from the beginning and while I enjoyed reading this I do wish we saw more of the shifter element in the story and how it works etc.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the Arc e-book in exchange for an honest review.
It starts off heavy from the first page so I would suggest checking trigger warnings before reading.
Lore is everything I like to see in a Female lead she is strong, feral and unapologetically her. It was great to see roles reversed and having the MMC Grant simping over the girl.
The plot is strong and had me hooked from the beginning and while I enjoyed reading this I do wish we saw more of the shifter element in the story and how it works etc.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the Arc e-book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Fox 🦊 Hunt by J.C. Murphey
Expected Publication Date: March 1, 2026
🖤 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book. This is my honest review. 🖤
First things first: this book is intense. From the very first page, I was hooked. There is no gentle introduction here you’re dropped straight into a dark, brutal world filled with auctions, violence, power imbalances, mafia politics, and high society corruption.
What truly surprised me was the combination of mafia and shifters. I’ve never seen those two elements blended together in a way that felt cohesive and well-written, but Fox Hunt manages to do exactly that.
The FMC is the standout for me. She has been through an unimaginable amount, yet she never becomes passive or weak. She’s a fighter scarred, pushed to her limits, on the verge of breaking, but she doesn’t lose herself. I love characters like that.
That said, I did have mixed feelings about the MMC. I went into this expecting a more traditionally dominant, alpha-type presence, and what I got was… different. Not bad, just not what I personally expected. I wanted more from him emotionally and energetically. This is very much a personal expectation, not a flaw in the writing, but it did affect my overall connection to the romance.
⚠️ Please check content and trigger warnings before reading.
This book does not shy away from dark themes, violence, and exploitation, and readers should go in prepared.
Overall, Fox Hunt is a gripping, dark, and emotionally charged read with clever world-building and a fierce FMC at its core. While the romance didn’t fully hit all the notes I personally wanted, the story itself is compelling and well-executed.
Expected Publication Date: March 1, 2026
🖤 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book. This is my honest review. 🖤
First things first: this book is intense. From the very first page, I was hooked. There is no gentle introduction here you’re dropped straight into a dark, brutal world filled with auctions, violence, power imbalances, mafia politics, and high society corruption.
What truly surprised me was the combination of mafia and shifters. I’ve never seen those two elements blended together in a way that felt cohesive and well-written, but Fox Hunt manages to do exactly that.
The FMC is the standout for me. She has been through an unimaginable amount, yet she never becomes passive or weak. She’s a fighter scarred, pushed to her limits, on the verge of breaking, but she doesn’t lose herself. I love characters like that.
That said, I did have mixed feelings about the MMC. I went into this expecting a more traditionally dominant, alpha-type presence, and what I got was… different. Not bad, just not what I personally expected. I wanted more from him emotionally and energetically. This is very much a personal expectation, not a flaw in the writing, but it did affect my overall connection to the romance.
⚠️ Please check content and trigger warnings before reading.
This book does not shy away from dark themes, violence, and exploitation, and readers should go in prepared.
Overall, Fox Hunt is a gripping, dark, and emotionally charged read with clever world-building and a fierce FMC at its core. While the romance didn’t fully hit all the notes I personally wanted, the story itself is compelling and well-executed.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Fox Hunt is a delicious twist on your typical mafia romance where SHE is the older mafia boss alpha, and HE is hopelessly devoted to HER.
There is a lot going on in this book, but first and foremost, make sure you check the triggers, as there are some heavy topics that may not be right for everyone.
That being said, you get a small dash of a bunch of well-loved tropes: reverse age gap, he falls first, hackers, shifters, mates, mafia, kink play, the list goes on. I genuinely loved the action scenes and felt they were so well written that I could see them playing out like a movie in my head.
The characters are likable enough, but I didn’t think there was a lot of depth and growth for either of them aside from them deciding to engage in the mate bite/bond, but even that was a little lackluster. Same with the shifter piece; I wish there had been more for that. It felt like there was so much packed into this book that there was little time to really develop the internal aspect of each character on that deeper level, which is a huge reason this book didn’t make it into the 5-star club.
I did genuinely like the story, found it well-written, and would absolutely recommend it to my friends who are into more dark romance.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book early!
There is a lot going on in this book, but first and foremost, make sure you check the triggers, as there are some heavy topics that may not be right for everyone.
That being said, you get a small dash of a bunch of well-loved tropes: reverse age gap, he falls first, hackers, shifters, mates, mafia, kink play, the list goes on. I genuinely loved the action scenes and felt they were so well written that I could see them playing out like a movie in my head.
The characters are likable enough, but I didn’t think there was a lot of depth and growth for either of them aside from them deciding to engage in the mate bite/bond, but even that was a little lackluster. Same with the shifter piece; I wish there had been more for that. It felt like there was so much packed into this book that there was little time to really develop the internal aspect of each character on that deeper level, which is a huge reason this book didn’t make it into the 5-star club.
I did genuinely like the story, found it well-written, and would absolutely recommend it to my friends who are into more dark romance.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book early!
January 27, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review 🫶
4 ⭐️
This was a really fun book and story. I was hooked and read it over a two day period, it was fast paced, action packed, and GORY! Also fox shifters, AND a female alpha? Never read a book with either, so that was exciting!
The mob aspect and tensions between them was my favorite part, and the background of our fmc was heartbreaking (definitely check trigger warnings, it is extremely dark!)
The only thing that knocked this rating down was that I enjoyed the romance between the main two characters, but that wasn’t really why I kept reading. They were good together don’t get me wrong, but it seemed like halfway through the book a switch is flipped and suddenly he’s completely all in with her, and same goes for her. It just felt really sudden, and besides telling me they are mates and can tell by scent, I just wasn’t feeling the deep connection from their interactions.
Definitely interested to read more by this author, and the future book in this series!
4 ⭐️
This was a really fun book and story. I was hooked and read it over a two day period, it was fast paced, action packed, and GORY! Also fox shifters, AND a female alpha? Never read a book with either, so that was exciting!
The mob aspect and tensions between them was my favorite part, and the background of our fmc was heartbreaking (definitely check trigger warnings, it is extremely dark!)
The only thing that knocked this rating down was that I enjoyed the romance between the main two characters, but that wasn’t really why I kept reading. They were good together don’t get me wrong, but it seemed like halfway through the book a switch is flipped and suddenly he’s completely all in with her, and same goes for her. It just felt really sudden, and besides telling me they are mates and can tell by scent, I just wasn’t feeling the deep connection from their interactions.
Definitely interested to read more by this author, and the future book in this series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Writing a little note to you in the review section has become something I look forward to most when I finish writing a book, so I hope this doesn’t seem too tacky/weird.
This book is very dear to me for many reasons. It’s my first explicit dark romance. It’s the first book I (mostly) had a solid idea what I wanted to write about and actually stuck with the original storyline. But this story is also the most meaningful for who I dedicated it to. The FMC Lore represents the embodiment of feminine rage born from being wronged by men who take what is not given. She is the anger I feel whenever I hear a story about an innocent woman being assaulted. And she is the strength I believe every survivor has inside them that will never be tarnished by such horrific acts.
This book is a battle cry for justice. And I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for taking a chance on me.
This book is very dear to me for many reasons. It’s my first explicit dark romance. It’s the first book I (mostly) had a solid idea what I wanted to write about and actually stuck with the original storyline. But this story is also the most meaningful for who I dedicated it to. The FMC Lore represents the embodiment of feminine rage born from being wronged by men who take what is not given. She is the anger I feel whenever I hear a story about an innocent woman being assaulted. And she is the strength I believe every survivor has inside them that will never be tarnished by such horrific acts.
This book is a battle cry for justice. And I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for taking a chance on me.
January 9, 2026
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of Fox Hunt in exchange for an honest review.
First I want to start by saying I typically do not enjoy shifter books HOWEVER this book is an exception. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot lines and stories. I also very much enjoyed the strong female lead and seemingly more dense male lead this story provided. It’s very refreshing to see the male/female role swap. Although I almost stopped reading around the 60% mark due to a sudden shift in the characters relationship I’m 1,000% glad I continued reading. This book has a dark theme and may be triggering to SA survivors so I highly recommend taking the trigger warnings page seriously before choosing to read this book.
I have posted this review on Instagram and will also post on Goodreads and Amazon on the release date.
First I want to start by saying I typically do not enjoy shifter books HOWEVER this book is an exception. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot lines and stories. I also very much enjoyed the strong female lead and seemingly more dense male lead this story provided. It’s very refreshing to see the male/female role swap. Although I almost stopped reading around the 60% mark due to a sudden shift in the characters relationship I’m 1,000% glad I continued reading. This book has a dark theme and may be triggering to SA survivors so I highly recommend taking the trigger warnings page seriously before choosing to read this book.
I have posted this review on Instagram and will also post on Goodreads and Amazon on the release date.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was going to give this 3.5 🌟 as the first part of the book, didn't grip me as I hoped. however the second half did pull it back so I have rounded it up to 4.
the first half seemed to take a while to build up to where it was going and was such a slow burn, half way through it took a new level and shot right up.
there was definitely potential for more, especially the mating and diving a bit more into the paranormal shifter world.. if you are new you might get a little confused. I also think there could of been more development when Grant realised about Lore being mates at the club.
however the mafia elements and the hacker elements did work well.
would definitely want to see if part 2 would divulge more.. if there is a part 2. interested in the repercussions..
thank you to netgalley for the ARC 💙
the first half seemed to take a while to build up to where it was going and was such a slow burn, half way through it took a new level and shot right up.
there was definitely potential for more, especially the mating and diving a bit more into the paranormal shifter world.. if you are new you might get a little confused. I also think there could of been more development when Grant realised about Lore being mates at the club.
however the mafia elements and the hacker elements did work well.
would definitely want to see if part 2 would divulge more.. if there is a part 2. interested in the repercussions..
thank you to netgalley for the ARC 💙
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It initially took me some time to get into this book. However, I still loved the story. Lore was definitely my favorite character. Watching Lore transform her past trauma into a source of power, was a highlight for me. Her ability to use that transformation to help others made it even more poignant. It was easy for me to relate to Lore’s inability to accept help from others. After she faced so much trauma it would have been extremely difficult to hand over control while also trusting other people. Grant's inconsistent behavior disrupted the flow of the narrative and consequently threw me off. Because of this, the initial spicy scene (which was spicy) felt a little out of place.
Lore's singular, determined focus is perfectly encapsulated in this powerful quote from the book: "Never again would I allow a man in power to take the autonomy from a woman if I knew about it."
Lore's singular, determined focus is perfectly encapsulated in this powerful quote from the book: "Never again would I allow a man in power to take the autonomy from a woman if I knew about it."
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Fox Hunt is a mafia based Dark Romance, predominantly set in Las Vegas.
Following Lore, an Alpha Fox Shifter and mob boss of Red Riot, this story centers round vigilante justice for women who are sexually abused in the hands of the different mafia groups across the world.
This box was exhilarating and fantastically written. I loved the plot. It was exciting, dark with a pinch of humour. I loved that Lore gave Harley Quinn vibes.
This book had 1-2 chapters of pretty good spice which I loved. My only criticism is that was it...and we didn't see the spice until at least 50% into the book. Whilst this did make this book a 4 star, I did thoroughly enjoy this book and look forward to reading more by J C Murphey.
Thanks to the author and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC.
Star Rating: 4⭐
Spice Rating: 3🌶️
Following Lore, an Alpha Fox Shifter and mob boss of Red Riot, this story centers round vigilante justice for women who are sexually abused in the hands of the different mafia groups across the world.
This box was exhilarating and fantastically written. I loved the plot. It was exciting, dark with a pinch of humour. I loved that Lore gave Harley Quinn vibes.
This book had 1-2 chapters of pretty good spice which I loved. My only criticism is that was it...and we didn't see the spice until at least 50% into the book. Whilst this did make this book a 4 star, I did thoroughly enjoy this book and look forward to reading more by J C Murphey.
Thanks to the author and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC.
Star Rating: 4⭐
Spice Rating: 3🌶️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Thank you to J.C. Murphey for an ARC!!
Holy shit this one was a spicy fun time! We follow Grant, the beta fox-shifter hacker for the Chicago mob, and Lorelei (Lore), the alpha fox-shifter hacker and boss for the Red Riot mob in Vegas. Grant is sent by his boss, Andrea, to Vegas to broker a business deal with Lore. Once he gets there, he discovers that Lore is nothing like he expected and that Andrea didn’t have his best interests at heart when sending him into her territory. The spice in this one was incredible, especially the joint cam session! The fated mates aspect was perfectly done. I enjoyed that Lore was the alpha and Grant was the beta, as it fit her personality. The pacing was quick and there was never a dull moment through the entire book. Overall, I would definitely recommend picking this one up!
**Please check TWs if needed!!**
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Thank you to J.C. Murphey for an ARC!!
Holy shit this one was a spicy fun time! We follow Grant, the beta fox-shifter hacker for the Chicago mob, and Lorelei (Lore), the alpha fox-shifter hacker and boss for the Red Riot mob in Vegas. Grant is sent by his boss, Andrea, to Vegas to broker a business deal with Lore. Once he gets there, he discovers that Lore is nothing like he expected and that Andrea didn’t have his best interests at heart when sending him into her territory. The spice in this one was incredible, especially the joint cam session! The fated mates aspect was perfectly done. I enjoyed that Lore was the alpha and Grant was the beta, as it fit her personality. The pacing was quick and there was never a dull moment through the entire book. Overall, I would definitely recommend picking this one up!
**Please check TWs if needed!!**
January 24, 2026
This is a slow burn, reverse age gap, DARK mafia romance. This book was dark. Definitely check your TW before starting this book.
It starts off at full speed. Lore comes from a mafia family but her father sells her to a horrible man. She spent a few years with him being passed around like a party favor.
After she escapes, she takes her life back and starts going after men who participate in trafficking rings. She meets Grant who thinks he’s undercover for another mob boss.
Grant realizes that he’s not living a good life and wants to be with Lore. This is their story and how they both have issues - childhood trauma due to loss of parents, SA. They both have strong personalities but through perseverance they’re able to move forward together.
It starts off at full speed. Lore comes from a mafia family but her father sells her to a horrible man. She spent a few years with him being passed around like a party favor.
After she escapes, she takes her life back and starts going after men who participate in trafficking rings. She meets Grant who thinks he’s undercover for another mob boss.
Grant realizes that he’s not living a good life and wants to be with Lore. This is their story and how they both have issues - childhood trauma due to loss of parents, SA. They both have strong personalities but through perseverance they’re able to move forward together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Fox Hunt is a spicy, mafia, fox-shifter romance. Our FMC is a SURVIVOR!! She has been a victim, and vows to never be one again. I love her story, her ability to find family and protect those who need it without ever (truly) losing her humanity. Our MMC Grant is cunning and caring, but ultimately a little broken from his past. I love their story, and the representation of unapologetic female sex workers. The shifter component is just present in the story to give it some really interesting spice (knotting!) without being overly present and interfering with the story.
I received an ARC version of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to J.C. Murphey, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!
I received an ARC version of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to J.C. Murphey, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC gifted in exchange for review
3.25 stars
Please pay attention to the trigger warnings with this one. It is a dark mafia romance that touches on some very dark sensitive topics and includes vivid graphic descriptions of violence. Once you get past that part of it, it as a pretty decent story. The FMC is a badass and pretty unhinged, I love her. The MMC…he was a little lackluster for my tastes. The spice was decent but genuinely not the main focus here. The plot was engaging and I love the idea of a female mob boss taking down evil men, and championing sex workers. Honestly I just wish the bad guys got even worse than what happened to them, and the ending felt a little unfinished but I believe the story may continue in the next book.
3.25 stars
Please pay attention to the trigger warnings with this one. It is a dark mafia romance that touches on some very dark sensitive topics and includes vivid graphic descriptions of violence. Once you get past that part of it, it as a pretty decent story. The FMC is a badass and pretty unhinged, I love her. The MMC…he was a little lackluster for my tastes. The spice was decent but genuinely not the main focus here. The plot was engaging and I love the idea of a female mob boss taking down evil men, and championing sex workers. Honestly I just wish the bad guys got even worse than what happened to them, and the ending felt a little unfinished but I believe the story may continue in the next book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Fox Hunt seemed like a blend of romantasy and thriller. It's very gruesome and graphic, giving me visions from reading Bath Haus by P.J. Vernon. Very...smutty. But only in one chapter, really.
The first 50 pages or so, I thought I had accidentally started a book in the middle of the series - there were a lot of storylines and backstory. The idea of mates isn't new to the romantasy genre but the story jumped into mates very quickly. It almost felt rushed as we saw it happening but then they announced it mid-book.
At first, I thought that a lot of threads were just left untangled. Now seeing that it's the first of the Hunter series, I understand why a few storylines were left on a cliffhanger.
The first 50 pages or so, I thought I had accidentally started a book in the middle of the series - there were a lot of storylines and backstory. The idea of mates isn't new to the romantasy genre but the story jumped into mates very quickly. It almost felt rushed as we saw it happening but then they announced it mid-book.
At first, I thought that a lot of threads were just left untangled. Now seeing that it's the first of the Hunter series, I understand why a few storylines were left on a cliffhanger.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Arc Review
Fox Hunt by J.C. Murphey
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you J.C. Murphey (Self-Published) for providing this book for review purposes via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
⚠️PLEASE CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS!!! ⚠️
THIS BOOK... THIS BOOK IS SO VERY DARK, BRUTAL, AND UNHINGED!!
In this book we get a bada** FMC who's the unhinged Mafia queen instead of it being the guy which what.... Yes give me all the bada** females!!!!!
I thoroughly loved this book it gave me something new that I'm not used to, I'm used to reading about the FMC being the unhinged Mafia boss but, this book was pure gold and I definitely plan on rereading it multiple times!!!!!
Fox Hunt by J.C. Murphey
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you J.C. Murphey (Self-Published) for providing this book for review purposes via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
⚠️PLEASE CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS!!! ⚠️
THIS BOOK... THIS BOOK IS SO VERY DARK, BRUTAL, AND UNHINGED!!
In this book we get a bada** FMC who's the unhinged Mafia queen instead of it being the guy which what.... Yes give me all the bada** females!!!!!
I thoroughly loved this book it gave me something new that I'm not used to, I'm used to reading about the FMC being the unhinged Mafia boss but, this book was pure gold and I definitely plan on rereading it multiple times!!!!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was a dark and captivating mafia/shifter romance. Although, the shifting is EXTREMELY infrequent - I would have anticipated to see more of that.
Lore is such a badass FMC, she gives Dexter vibes, but for human traffickers. I also have to appreciate that she can be reasonable.
Grant? Well, the spice was spicy and he becomes a bit of a cinnamon roll, but aside from that, he seems to have lost some of his prior personality once he caught a whiff of Lore.
The trauma/past experience of the FMC is heavy, please check the Trigger Warnings before diving in!
I hope we see a sequel with her sister, Lyre, in the future!
3.75/5 Stars
Received as a NetGalley eARC.
Lore is such a badass FMC, she gives Dexter vibes, but for human traffickers. I also have to appreciate that she can be reasonable.
Grant? Well, the spice was spicy and he becomes a bit of a cinnamon roll, but aside from that, he seems to have lost some of his prior personality once he caught a whiff of Lore.
The trauma/past experience of the FMC is heavy, please check the Trigger Warnings before diving in!
I hope we see a sequel with her sister, Lyre, in the future!
3.75/5 Stars
Received as a NetGalley eARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Fox Hunt was absolutely perfect. While I’ve read many books featuring a strong, badass MMC, it’s far rarer to find a story where the FMC is the morally grey mafia boss—and completely steals the show.
I was hooked from the very beginning. The MMC is impressive in his own right, but the FMC truly shines and carries the story with her strength, intelligence, and presence. She is unapologetically powerful, and it made the dynamic incredibly compelling.
I didn’t want this book to end at all. I’m excited to continue the series and learn more about her siblings, but Lore and Grant will always hold a special place in my heart. An unforgettable mafia romance that I highly recommend.
I was hooked from the very beginning. The MMC is impressive in his own right, but the FMC truly shines and carries the story with her strength, intelligence, and presence. She is unapologetically powerful, and it made the dynamic incredibly compelling.
I didn’t want this book to end at all. I’m excited to continue the series and learn more about her siblings, but Lore and Grant will always hold a special place in my heart. An unforgettable mafia romance that I highly recommend.
January 12, 2026
Fox Hunt was amazing. The FMC is an absolute badass. She is unhinged in the best way, powerful, and unapologetic. A mafia boss woman who fiercely stands up for sex workers? Say less. She was perfection. I loved the MMC too, but I wanted a little more umph from him to truly match her energy. Still, a gripping, empowering read. Please be sure to check your trigger warnings as there are detailed scenes of violence
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book was a wild ride. I loved the whole shifter idea asking with the mafia. That was a really cool idea. The twists and turns really pulled me in and kept me reading. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong. The story was well written. The description was great. And I loved the characters. It was dark and really good. I’m glad I was about to grab this off NetGalley and read it. I’ve never read this author before. But I intend in reading more from them.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lore embodies everything i look for in a strong FMC. She gives of a vibe of a cross between Tate James Kit Davenport and Hades characters. Grant the MMC didn't really stick out as a much character to me. Parts of the book seemed rushed and aspects of Grant's character appeared to be inconsistent at time.
Noteworthy Tropes & Triggers
- Masked men/women
- Rival Mobs
- Fated Mates
- Knife Play
- Sex Trafficking
- Fox and Wolf Shifter
Noteworthy Tropes & Triggers
- Masked men/women
- Rival Mobs
- Fated Mates
- Knife Play
- Sex Trafficking
- Fox and Wolf Shifter
Review of advance copy received from Author
While the book was very edgy and addresses a difficult topic, it still flowed very well. The FMC is definitely not someone to mess around with. Can't wait to see more of this family in the series. It would be great for this to be a trilogy rather than a duet, but no need for a spoiler alert. Get your copy now and find out why. Happy reading!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
When I read this and was told it’s a Harley Quinn and lights out mix. I didn’t believe it at first, but boy was I wrong. I’m not a big fan of shifters, but I really did like this. Plus having a crazy FMC is top tier, I don’t like shy and timid. I want a badass woman!!!
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