He’s a vampire who never fit in. She’s a werewolf with no wolf.
He’s lonely. She’s done settling. And for once, a human dating app feels like a level playing field. Then ByChance throws them together as a “PERFECT match”… and fate immediately starts getting in the way.
But when their first date goes sideways and his “normal guy” act melts away, they’re forced to face the truth: love doesn’t care if you fit in. It cares if you’ve finally found someone who sees you.
Roxie Ray is a group of writer friends who love to write Sci Fi Alien Romance and Paranormal Romance. They love to talk, read and write this lovely genre. They hope you love their books and strive to make sure you have a steamy, wonderful experience!
I think I may not be a fan of this author. It's not that she's bad or a bad writer it just falls flat for me. It's the typical rom com with supernatural elements and if that's your thing go for it! I just felt bored for most of the story and wanted something to actually happen. I also won't lie and say I wasn't disappointed that the premise of the book wasn't leaned into. I wanted some texting conversations from when they meet on the app, get to know them along with each other rather than honestly instalove. I know usually we reserve that for fated mates who jump each other right away but as soon as they connect on their date that's it. No tension, no build up, just yup makes sense.
Both our main characters are "misfits" in someway but I had a hard time connecting that in the book. He was incredibly good looking (even if we are to take his albinoism as he does and makes him "weird"), he's rich, cultured, kind I mean I could keep going but he didn't ever really seem as odd as we are supposed to think he is. I see that he doesn't match the rest of his coven but I didn't ever read a part of the book and go "yup that's why he's weird" maybe because in my mind vampires in lit have always run the gambit of people, and it didn't really make sense that his "old way" of speaking set him apart especially since he really didn't seem all that different when talking. He also gets flack for not dressing like a Hot Topic store, but I guess again I didn't really understand that stereotype being the big deal it was for the coven/other vampires.
As for our FMC, I mean. I guess the latent shifter part would set you apart....but again....she's attractive, has a job, is fairly confident and is kind to others. And her only "flaw" is that she can't shift, so I'm back to the I guess that's enough to build this misfits lore on but is it? I also don't understand at 33 why she an outgoing kind person had no other friends. This isn't to be mean and I know they talk about separation of species etc but she talks to everyone and is friends with everyone so there isn't a barrier there, so why not make friends around you?
Then all the side characters and side stories that are left hanging even with an epilogue frustrated me. Does Carolina like Iko? What happens with the idiot brothers? Is her brother gay and is having a hard time with his family? How did her brother get in contact with the coven to start problems? They aren't friends or know each other. So many things are just dangling out there without explanation.
I was also surprised to see how many people talked up the spiciness level of this book. yes we get sex scenes but if I'm being honest I didn't really feel any tension or build up to them and I would call them obligatory sex scenes for a romance book these days versus bringing anything extra to the story.
Overall, I just struggled with the main premise of this book and I wanted something to happen. I may not be a huge fan of baseline romances but I wanted some tension, something rather than what I felt could be described as a very long walk in the park which seems fitting because they do that multiple times in this book.
Honestly, my biggest issue was the male mc. I like paranormal romance. But it’s 2026. I don’t care how long you’ve been alive you don’t need to talk like it’s 1880. Similarly to how you lose your accent the longer you’ve lived in another country I’d imagine that would happen with verbiage as time progresses but nope. Still has to talk like he lives in ancient times. He was unbearable to read.
I'd recommend this if you are in the mood for a spicy and cozy paranormal romance story about what happens when two outcasts, a lonely vampire and a shifter without an animal form decide to use a human dating app to find a connection.
Overall, I rate it 4⭐out of 5 based on the following: 🤩Enjoyment - 4; 👥Characters - 4; 📖Plot - 4; 🗺️Atmosphere - 4; and🖋️Writing - 3 with the first 3 categories being most important. Based on my review scale a 4⭐rating means I really enjoyed this, I'd recommend it, can see myself potentially rereading it, and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
What worked for me: • Rowan's generally happy personality even though he gets lonely due to being an outcast among his own kind • Naomi standing up to her brother while he was trying to scare Rowan off • The community they end up building with others like them though out the course of the book • No third act break up
This was such a cozy read. I instantly adored the characters, and loved how wholesome some aspects were. I don’t know how they managed to sneak wholesomeness in there along with the spice, but they did!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review ☺️
hmmm this kinda fell flat. i wasn’t very invested and thought the characters were like not really clicking but then all the sudden moved very fast and started using pet names out of nowhere.
Okay this was way cuter and much more wholesome than I thought it was going to be. Both of these characters are walking green flags. The great amount of spice to plot… no insane drama.
This was super sweet and I loved it. Rowan and Naomi are great and this has fabulous relationship development and found family.
It has a prolonged ending that sort of felt like an epilogue which could have done with some editing. The author starts to open the story up again near the end rather than tying everything off in a bow.
But it's really cute and it surprised me with how much I enjoyed it.
KU Read 342 Pages Paranormal Romance Modern Setting Vampire x Wolf Shifter Secrets Misfits in the paranormal World Spice
This was certainly not what I expected but I still enjoyed the story of two misfits in their own paranormal communities coming together to date without realising what each other actually were. Rowan is an albino vampire who doesn't fit in the gothic aesthetic a lot of his coven prefer and Naomi is a wolf shifter with no wolf form, shunned by her own and mocked by her family for being defective. Together the pair find and build an unlikely community and of magical creatures who live in the fringes but find happiness together. It's a really sweet story with a lot of side characters too. Not my usual style as it read more YA but still had a bit of spice too.
The premise for this is great. But it really isn't meeting my expectations unfortunately. The main characters are just so dull, and I can't feel any chemistry between them other than, 'this person is nice to me so I guess I'll fall in love with them'.
The dialogue really isn't doing anything for me either.
Bit of a missed opportunity imo, but I guess if you're after something pretty chill it will probably tick your boxes.
I’m so confused. The repetition made it incredibly slow. The idea of them meeting on the app was interesting, but it was used as a tagline at best.
I’m also confused about their appearances. Their descriptions change depending on the chapter. When she described his profile picture, it was completely different from what he looked like on the cover (he has dark blue eyes, right? A chapter ago, he said he has lavender eyes… am I missing something….)
To top it off- I went to the author’s instagram and she has nothing but AI art littered on her page… 👀
A bit long considering the lack of plot... 3.75 stars.
The blurb made this book sound pretty good. Unfortunately, I nearly stopped at 50% when the story seemed to end for a while.
Basically, Naomi is a wolf shifter who can't shift, so she's a latent shifter. Rowan is a vampire with albinism (albino). Both are outcasts from their communities due to being so different, broken, or an "abomination." They both feel lonely and didn't really have anyone in the world, and after failed attempts at relationships within their own communities, they both decided to try a human dating app, which matches them both. Neither find out the other is supernatural until about 45% in.
It seems to lull quite a bit after this. I was really close to DNF-ing, which I practically never do. I figured I'd just start skimming to see if anything else happened. I didn't skim too much before we get to a problem with Naomi's best friend, "Tweety." This situation gets the ball rolling for another plot in the book: Finding a way to connect "outcast" supernaturals so they can make new friends and be a part of a community that won't ostracize them.
The book is about 340-ish pages, which isn't too long, but despite me liking the idea of the plot (both the two main characters pretending to be human for a bit AND them creating a way for supernaturals to find connection), it just kind of fell flat in a lot of ways. It couldn't really keep my attention, despite wishing it did.
There was also one inconsistency that I couldn't help but notice; She says on their second date that chocolate messes with her stomach, (considering she's a shifter) when offered chocolate on her crepe. Meanwhile, on their FIRST date, she was raving about moose tracks ice cream which has "peanut butter cups (chocolate), streaks of fudge (chocolate), and sometimes chocolate chunks (needless to say: chocolate) in it." Again, I couldn't help but notice that point, but I'm a bit odd that way!
It's alright, but have to say I don't think I can really recommend it or would read again. Disappointing, since I REALLY do love the story overall, just not the way it was told, I guess.
This was cute and fluffy, and a nice palate cleanser. It's very Supernatural Hallmarky, with a little more spice than I expected from what I thought was a cozy, but it wasn't a huge amount, either.
I did enjoy the characters, but agree with another review I read that didn't really explain why Rowan had such a hard time, or why he hadn't reached outside of vampires before now. Like, he's rich, handsome, kind, a little bit awkward and not goth enough for the vampires (because, apparently, all the vampires in the city are exactly alike), but aside from the albinism, there's no reason why other people wouldn't find him perfectly lovely?
Same with Naomi, really. Actually, more for Naomi. Unlike Rowan, she interacts with a lot of humans through her dog-walking job, and you'd think she'd maybe have found another friend aside from Carolina at some point. One that was local and she could hang out with.
Anyway - there are a lot of weird little holes and issues with the story, but if you kind of just go into it for the vibes and don't think too deeply, then it's a fun, enjoyable little rom-com. It is very fluffy in the sense that there's no real tension in the relationship. There's a minor misunderstanding in the beginning which is easily solved, and everything is pretty smooth and easy from there.
The only drama comes from external sources - an overbearing Alpha brother and a Mean Girl vampire. They're so cliche and ridiculous, and handled in the manner of a 80s sitcom.
So, yeah, nothing deep here, but a fun and fluffy romance.
When I saw this one I knew I needed to read it because it sounded super cute. Naomi is a werewolf without a wolf to shift into and Rowan is a vampire that has never fit in. When a human dating app matches them up they assume the other is a human as they have never fit in with supernatural world. Thus begins a sweet romance between them.
I've read a few books by this author collab so this one was a must because it sounded like a sweet rom-com. I ended up reading this one in just one reading session. The characters are easy to connect with you can't help cheering them on as they navigate this sweet relationship. They complement each other so well and I very much enjoyed the relationship between them. This is a sweet supernatural romance with just the right amount of story to spice. I enjoy all the cast of characters that are connected to Naomi and Rowan. It's an adorable romance and I'm excited to read more books by the author collab.
I’ve been in a weird mood this week and have dnf 4-5 books in less than 15% which I RARELY ever dnf even 1 book much less 5 in a week. So I saw this book and haven’t read a paranormal story in quite a while so I thought I would give it a try.
I liked all the characters and the inclusiveness. I think it was a cute story with just enough spice without it taking over the storyline. One of the things I’ve grown to dislike is how many authors are putting more and more spice into their books and less plot. I blame booktok for this and it’s made it really hard to find a decent book that I’m not skimming 1/3 of the entire book just because of repetitive spicy scenes.
I did feel like this book was a little slow at times and possibly longer than it needed to be but I still enjoyed it.
This book was SO STINKIN SWEET. I was dubious to begin with worrying that the FMC was going to be a bit woe is me BUT SHES NOT. SHES the complete opposite and I lover her for it. This book is so cute and cozy and about finding love in unexpected places. If you liked fangs for nothing or loving a vampire is total chaos then you’ll love this one too. Rowan and Naomi are the sweetest kind of end game, and I mean genuinely sweet. It also has a very relatable story about loving and appreciating people just the way they are.
Would I buy a trophy? Actually yeah I would.
Favourite quotes: “She looked like blasphemy and revelation below me” “She straddled the lines between divinity and damnation, and I honestly didn’t care if I fell to one side or the other as long as I was able to worship at her alter” “It wasn’t every day I got cracked like a glowstick”
This book was amazing the love that this showed was remarkable. The things they went through was horrible no one should have to go through but when they came together was just so beautiful. I also really liked when they decided to help other misfits find there happiness and confidence. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes supernatural fantasy,love.
This made me warm and fuzzy in all the right ways. Add in the supernatural and it’s just perfect. The writing style felt slightly more mature in the writing style than most of the supernatural romances I read and I liked the big words and thought out phrasing. I’m a misfit myself and loved the idea for misfits making a place for themselves to finally fit in. Thank you for this!
I loved this book so much. It was so cute and I loved the banter between Rowan and Naomi. I also love that healthy boundaries were made with toxic people. I love how Rowan and Naomi communicated so well. It was such a beautiful story building relationships where it wasn’t expected and with whom.
Es ist süß, es ist lustig, am Ende wurde es etwas langweilig aber ansonsten hat es mir sehr gut gefallen vorallem weil es überhaupt kein misscommunication Trope gab! Sie lügen und wenn es rauskommt reden sie! Ich wusste nicht das ich mich so sehr über Kommunikation in einem Buch freuen würde aber es war richtig schön
It was so hard to put this book down. If you are a fan of Roxie's books, this one will DEFINITELY NOT disappoint you.
After feeling out of place in their respective groups Rowan (vampire) and Naomi (shifter) decide to look for love in a dating app.
This story is very cute and it was what you expect from a Roxie book. It is so easy to love Rowan with his eloquent words and intelligence in his actions. Naomi isn't a typical FMC. She stands up for herself and doesn't wait for others to come and save her.
I kinda wish the book was longer and that we get more insight into the other characters like Caroline and Iko.
I am so happy I got the ARC of the book. I still would have added to my TBR for 2026.
I am definitely a sucker for a well written vampire/shifter book.
💙🐺🦇💙
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I could not put this down! You can help but fall in love with the characters and their quirks. This book made me laugh and made me cry (mostly good tears!) And gave me all the warm feels.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I’m surprised this book doesn’t have more reviews. This book is perfect if you are looking for a light fluffy read with no angst plus there no third act breakup so absolutely loved it.
3.5 ⭐️ This was super cute, but it did have a few plot holes I have questions about haha. Or at least a book 2? It would have been nice to see their texts leading up to their date too, and to know how it went with her brothers, and Caroline.. does she end up with Iko? There seemed to be a lot introduced at the end of the book, but nothing to explain it or clear it up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is the first Roxie Ray book I’ve read and I loved it! I love how different her characters are and often outside of social norm. These characters together just made sense even though they are not from the same background.