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The Selkie's Secretary
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 8, 2026
*********** ARC review ****************
The moment I picked up The Selkie’s Secretary, I knew I was in trouble, the “just one more chapter” kind that somehow turns into 2 a.m. far too quickly. This book completely swept me away with its charm, humor, and magic, along with a cast of characters I didn’t want to leave behind.
What stands out most is how effortlessly it blends cozy urban fantasy with romantic comedy while still carrying real emotional depth. The selkie lore felt fresh and enchanting, and every scene had a whimsical quality without ever losing its grounding. Those quieter, heartfelt moments made it easy to become deeply attached to both the characters and their journeys.
The chemistry between the characters is undeniable, and the banter is sharp, witty, and genuinely fun. It’s the kind of book that keeps a smile on your face the entire time, with moments that are as endearing as they are memorable.
Adding to that is a subtle thriller subplot that weaves through the story, raising the stakes just enough to keep everything feeling dynamic and compelling without losing its cozy core.
More than anything, this is a comforting, immersive read one that feels both light and meaningful at the same time. It’s whimsical, romantic, and quietly addictive.
If you’re a fan of cozy fantasy with humor, heart, and characters that linger long after the final page, The Selkie’s Secretary is absolutely worth picking up.
The moment I picked up The Selkie’s Secretary, I knew I was in trouble, the “just one more chapter” kind that somehow turns into 2 a.m. far too quickly. This book completely swept me away with its charm, humor, and magic, along with a cast of characters I didn’t want to leave behind.
What stands out most is how effortlessly it blends cozy urban fantasy with romantic comedy while still carrying real emotional depth. The selkie lore felt fresh and enchanting, and every scene had a whimsical quality without ever losing its grounding. Those quieter, heartfelt moments made it easy to become deeply attached to both the characters and their journeys.
The chemistry between the characters is undeniable, and the banter is sharp, witty, and genuinely fun. It’s the kind of book that keeps a smile on your face the entire time, with moments that are as endearing as they are memorable.
Adding to that is a subtle thriller subplot that weaves through the story, raising the stakes just enough to keep everything feeling dynamic and compelling without losing its cozy core.
More than anything, this is a comforting, immersive read one that feels both light and meaningful at the same time. It’s whimsical, romantic, and quietly addictive.
If you’re a fan of cozy fantasy with humor, heart, and characters that linger long after the final page, The Selkie’s Secretary is absolutely worth picking up.
Review of advance copy received from Author
What happens when a feisty pixie with a sharp tongue becomes the assistant to the most feared "shark" in the corporate world?
Let’s talk about this book because… wow! I got completely obsessed with the dynamic between Piper and Caspian. I love a FMC with personality, and Piper—a purple-haired pixie who isn't afraid to speak her mind—is officially my spirit animal. And Caspian… well, he’s the epitome of the 'grumpy' hero who is only soft for her. The workplace setting mixed with this fantasy world of selkies and magical mafias is so fresh. I loved how the tension builds until you just can't put the book down. It’s funny, sexy, and has that urban fantasy edge that hooks you from page one.
Why you will love this book:
The Grumpy x Sunshine Dynamic: The tension between the serious, controlling Caspian and the sarcastic, brave Piper is both explosive and heartwarming.
Unique World-Building: Novak crafts a modern world where mythological creatures like gargoyles, orcs, elves, and selkies navigate office life and skyscrapers.
Perfect Balance: The story offers hilarious workplace banter alongside moments of deep emotional vulnerability and a suspenseful plot that keeps the stakes high.
Let’s talk about this book because… wow! I got completely obsessed with the dynamic between Piper and Caspian. I love a FMC with personality, and Piper—a purple-haired pixie who isn't afraid to speak her mind—is officially my spirit animal. And Caspian… well, he’s the epitome of the 'grumpy' hero who is only soft for her. The workplace setting mixed with this fantasy world of selkies and magical mafias is so fresh. I loved how the tension builds until you just can't put the book down. It’s funny, sexy, and has that urban fantasy edge that hooks you from page one.
Why you will love this book:
The Grumpy x Sunshine Dynamic: The tension between the serious, controlling Caspian and the sarcastic, brave Piper is both explosive and heartwarming.
Unique World-Building: Novak crafts a modern world where mythological creatures like gargoyles, orcs, elves, and selkies navigate office life and skyscrapers.
Perfect Balance: The story offers hilarious workplace banter alongside moments of deep emotional vulnerability and a suspenseful plot that keeps the stakes high.
Review of advance copy received from Author
~ARC Review~
This book is beautiful.
It is funny and clever and full of heart. I have always been a big fan of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams and Novak has that same spark. Witty and impossible to put down, and there was more than one moment where I actually laughed out loud. Scaring my dog in the process, whoops!
It made me cry in a few places too. Novak writes with incredible empathy and insight, showing characters that are flawed in the realest of ways, but no less loveable for it.
Tropes include! Office romance, morally grey MMC, small but mighty FMC, touch her and 💀, Billionaire, forced proximity. The paperback is clocking in at 380+ pages and the e-book is around 360+.
Whether you are looking for a bright, snappy romcom with an urban fantasy twist, or want something that will sit in the back of your mind for months, this is definitely the book for you. I truly feel like I was privy to an early glimpse of a rare piece of magic, and I hope Novak becomes a household name.
This book is beautiful.
It is funny and clever and full of heart. I have always been a big fan of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams and Novak has that same spark. Witty and impossible to put down, and there was more than one moment where I actually laughed out loud. Scaring my dog in the process, whoops!
It made me cry in a few places too. Novak writes with incredible empathy and insight, showing characters that are flawed in the realest of ways, but no less loveable for it.
Tropes include! Office romance, morally grey MMC, small but mighty FMC, touch her and 💀, Billionaire, forced proximity. The paperback is clocking in at 380+ pages and the e-book is around 360+.
Whether you are looking for a bright, snappy romcom with an urban fantasy twist, or want something that will sit in the back of your mind for months, this is definitely the book for you. I truly feel like I was privy to an early glimpse of a rare piece of magic, and I hope Novak becomes a household name.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The story is intense from the very first page; it had me completely glued to the book. Even though I can be a slow reader due to focus struggles, I had no such problems here.
The plot is intense, hilarious, sweet, and a bit tragic. Even though 80% of the books I’ve read lately contain some level of spice, I loved that it didn’t feel forced here. It was present but not explicit, so both fans and non-fans of spice can enjoy it.
This is a great read if you enjoy tropes such as forced proximity, office romance, grumpy x sunshine and slow burn (that burn was so slow, trust me, even I was basically raging at the MMC).
I am so happy to have had the pleasure of being an ARC reader for this story. Thank you so much for this opportunity!
The plot is intense, hilarious, sweet, and a bit tragic. Even though 80% of the books I’ve read lately contain some level of spice, I loved that it didn’t feel forced here. It was present but not explicit, so both fans and non-fans of spice can enjoy it.
This is a great read if you enjoy tropes such as forced proximity, office romance, grumpy x sunshine and slow burn (that burn was so slow, trust me, even I was basically raging at the MMC).
I am so happy to have had the pleasure of being an ARC reader for this story. Thank you so much for this opportunity!
Review of advance copy received from Author
It's been a long time since I had this much fun reading a book, thank you to the author for giving me an advance copy to review!
I'm not here for plot summaries, you can get that elsewhere.
The vibes: Fun, sweet, wicked smart, sneaky stakes
The pace: Breakneck
The soundtrack: Enthusiastic ragtime
The men: Nontoxic, excellent swimmers
The women: Fierce, smarter than you
The romance: Adorable, spicy iced tea, the perfect amount of sunlight, white-ink tattoo, glitter
The spice: Perfection in quantity and quality, exactly in-keeping with the overall tone of the book
The world: Enchanting
The sequels: On my TBR
I'm not here for plot summaries, you can get that elsewhere.
The vibes: Fun, sweet, wicked smart, sneaky stakes
The pace: Breakneck
The soundtrack: Enthusiastic ragtime
The men: Nontoxic, excellent swimmers
The women: Fierce, smarter than you
The romance: Adorable, spicy iced tea, the perfect amount of sunlight, white-ink tattoo, glitter
The spice: Perfection in quantity and quality, exactly in-keeping with the overall tone of the book
The world: Enchanting
The sequels: On my TBR
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to the author for the ARC!!!
Loved this book—5 stars. 💛
I love a good billionaire boss x employee romance, and this one was such a fun read. I really appreciated that it was more of a low-stakes romance while still having emotional depth. The modern setting mixed with mythical/fantasy characters made it even better—Piper is a scrappy pixie and Caspian is a grumpy selkie, which made their dynamic even more entertaining.
Piper and Caspian’s dynamic was honestly amazing. Their banter stayed consistent throughout the entire book, which I loved, because I feel like sometimes once characters get together, all the fun teasing disappears. That definitely wasn’t the case here.
The characters felt really believable and real to me. This was true grumpy x sunshine done right—Piper was a ball of joy the entire time, and Caspian was genuinely grumpy, moody, and absolutely feral. I was screaming. Piper is scrappy, talks back, and holds her own, which I always appreciate in an FMC.
It also had a bit of a found family feel because of the ensemble cast. Everyone had a lot of personality and felt really distinct in their own way, which made the whole story feel fuller. I laughed out loud a lot while reading.
The spice was definitely on the lower side, but it was done really well and fit the story. I also appreciated how the author touched on heavier topics like racism, grief, death, and mental health struggles tied to injury in a way that felt meaningful without becoming overwhelming.
The ending had a bit of a tone shift since things got more serious, but I think it flowed well. It did feel a little abrupt, though it also leaves the door open for more, which I actually liked.
Overall, I had a great time with this one and I really hope we get to see more of these characters in the future.
Loved this book—5 stars. 💛
I love a good billionaire boss x employee romance, and this one was such a fun read. I really appreciated that it was more of a low-stakes romance while still having emotional depth. The modern setting mixed with mythical/fantasy characters made it even better—Piper is a scrappy pixie and Caspian is a grumpy selkie, which made their dynamic even more entertaining.
Piper and Caspian’s dynamic was honestly amazing. Their banter stayed consistent throughout the entire book, which I loved, because I feel like sometimes once characters get together, all the fun teasing disappears. That definitely wasn’t the case here.
The characters felt really believable and real to me. This was true grumpy x sunshine done right—Piper was a ball of joy the entire time, and Caspian was genuinely grumpy, moody, and absolutely feral. I was screaming. Piper is scrappy, talks back, and holds her own, which I always appreciate in an FMC.
It also had a bit of a found family feel because of the ensemble cast. Everyone had a lot of personality and felt really distinct in their own way, which made the whole story feel fuller. I laughed out loud a lot while reading.
The spice was definitely on the lower side, but it was done really well and fit the story. I also appreciated how the author touched on heavier topics like racism, grief, death, and mental health struggles tied to injury in a way that felt meaningful without becoming overwhelming.
The ending had a bit of a tone shift since things got more serious, but I think it flowed well. It did feel a little abrupt, though it also leaves the door open for more, which I actually liked.
Overall, I had a great time with this one and I really hope we get to see more of these characters in the future.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews