What do you think?
Rate this book
Win a free print copy of this book!
14 days and 08:36:54
5 copies available
U.S. only
Fan Service
Not yet published
Expected 11 Mar 25Win a free print copy of this book!
14 days and 08:36:54
5 copies available
U.S. only
The truth is stranger than fan fiction in the next sexy paranormal rom-com from the beloved author of The Roommate.
The only place small-town outcast Alex Lawson fits in is the online fan forum she built for Arcane, a long-running werewolf detective show. Her dedication to archiving fictional supernatural lore made her Internet-famous, even if she harbors a secret disdain for the show’s star, Devin Ashwood. (Never meet your heroes—sometimes they turn out to be The Worst.)
Ever since his show went off the air, Devin and his career have spiraled, but waking up naked in the woods outside his LA home with no memory of the night before is a new low. It must have been a coincidence that the once-in-a-century Wolf Blood Moon crested last night. The claws, fangs, and howling are a little more difficult to explain away. Desperate for answers, Devin finds Alex—the closest thing to an expert that exists. If only he could convince her to stop hating his guts long enough to help....
Once he makes her an offer she can’t refuse, these reluctant allies lower their guards trying to wrangle his inner beast. Unfortunately, getting up close and personal quickly comes back to bite them.
The only place small-town outcast Alex Lawson fits in is the online fan forum she built for Arcane, a long-running werewolf detective show. Her dedication to archiving fictional supernatural lore made her Internet-famous, even if she harbors a secret disdain for the show’s star, Devin Ashwood. (Never meet your heroes—sometimes they turn out to be The Worst.)
Ever since his show went off the air, Devin and his career have spiraled, but waking up naked in the woods outside his LA home with no memory of the night before is a new low. It must have been a coincidence that the once-in-a-century Wolf Blood Moon crested last night. The claws, fangs, and howling are a little more difficult to explain away. Desperate for answers, Devin finds Alex—the closest thing to an expert that exists. If only he could convince her to stop hating his guts long enough to help....
Once he makes her an offer she can’t refuse, these reluctant allies lower their guards trying to wrangle his inner beast. Unfortunately, getting up close and personal quickly comes back to bite them.
448 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 11, 2025
About the author
Rosie Danan
5 books3,012 followersRosie Danan is the award-winning, bestselling author of The Roommate, The Intimacy Experiment, and the upcoming Do Your Worst. Her work has been optioned for film as well as translated into 9 different languages and counting. The New York Times describes her writing as "warmly funny and gorgeously sexy."
When not working on her next book, Rosie enjoys jogging slowly to fast music, petting other people’s dogs, and competing against herself in rounds of Chopped using the miscellaneous ingredients occupying her fridge.
To receive first look updates on Rosie's books as well as bimonthly musings on savoring the good stuff, looking respectfully 👀, and building a creative practice that embraces unapologetic striving, subscribe to her newsletter: https://rosiedanan.substack.com
When not working on her next book, Rosie enjoys jogging slowly to fast music, petting other people’s dogs, and competing against herself in rounds of Chopped using the miscellaneous ingredients occupying her fridge.
To receive first look updates on Rosie's books as well as bimonthly musings on savoring the good stuff, looking respectfully 👀, and building a creative practice that embraces unapologetic striving, subscribe to her newsletter: https://rosiedanan.substack.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
September 25, 2024
the entire premise of this book sounded really fun even though werewolf books aren’t necessarily my favorite thing to dive into (i am trying to change that though lol), i thought this was going to be really chaotic, silly and as a fan fiction, die hard for my fandom i love girlie i was super excited to get this one.
unfortunately i really struggled with this book and i think the biggest issue for me was the MMCs age and maturity level, i in no world could believe devin is a 42 year old man, if he was 25/26 MAYBE he would have been a little bit more likeable? i found him to kind of just be a major jerk. he was awful to Alex, he made all kinds of comments that are just unreal to me being a grown man who has once been married…
surprisingly the only thing i really had fun with was the werewolf aspect, the. tests were fun, i liked when devin’s wolf took control because he was actually likeable and fun in these moments.
alex is super bad ass and a wonderful person bc if i were her there would be no way in hell i could ever forgive devin and personally think that his reasoning for what happened was weak. i couldn’t imagine on my worst day saying something like that about anyone no matter the situation, alex really should have made him grovel for that one and for whatever reason didnt.
i really loved the roommate by rosie danan and absolutely plan to give “do your worst” a shot but unfortunately this one just didnt work for me. i may possibly try it again in audio form and see if narrators bringing the MCs to life works out better!
unfortunately i really struggled with this book and i think the biggest issue for me was the MMCs age and maturity level, i in no world could believe devin is a 42 year old man, if he was 25/26 MAYBE he would have been a little bit more likeable? i found him to kind of just be a major jerk. he was awful to Alex, he made all kinds of comments that are just unreal to me being a grown man who has once been married…
surprisingly the only thing i really had fun with was the werewolf aspect, the. tests were fun, i liked when devin’s wolf took control because he was actually likeable and fun in these moments.
alex is super bad ass and a wonderful person bc if i were her there would be no way in hell i could ever forgive devin and personally think that his reasoning for what happened was weak. i couldn’t imagine on my worst day saying something like that about anyone no matter the situation, alex really should have made him grovel for that one and for whatever reason didnt.
i really loved the roommate by rosie danan and absolutely plan to give “do your worst” a shot but unfortunately this one just didnt work for me. i may possibly try it again in audio form and see if narrators bringing the MCs to life works out better!
September 23, 2024
ali hazelwood and lana ferguson’s love child confirmed
October 17, 2024
★4.56 Stars ★ - Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This. Was. Everything.
The moment I read the description, I knew I had to have this book. I absolutely love werewolves and shifter romances in general. Something happened in my childhood (god knows what) that inexorably linked shifters with my sex drive so now it's a kink of mine. Cool!
Unfortunately, a lot of the werewolf romances out there are ABO (alpha, beta, omega for the uninitiated) and tend to be set in a world of pre-existing werewolf lore. While those romances are okay to read, I really like werewolves in the real world where the exploration of the lore is filled with more mystery and humor vs. the dark fantasy angst that ABO books tend to have. I also like more cozy camp and warm intimacy which Rosie Danan did perfectly in Fan Service.
She also did such an amazing job catering to the massive group of slightly bizarre writers and readers who create fandoms and fanfic. This book was such a clear love letter to all of us and the worlds we create and it warmed my heart to read.
Finally, holy heckin hell, Rosie Danan dialed the kinky up to 11. Degradation, submission, BDSM, a dash of masochism... my lustful heart was SCREAMING.
Much like a novelty ice cream, this book wasn't perfect. It could have used a few touch ups here and there, but that couldn't matter less to me. The joy it filled me with was worth every word.
_______________
Edit - WAIT A GODDAMN SECOND. It just occured to me that I could've (and should've) been imaging Devin as Jared Padalecki this whole time. Missed opportunity. I'll do it when the audiobook comes out
_______________
side thoughts (not main review) - i do think that devin should've been younger. not only was the age gap a little.... odd, he also didn't act 42 at all nor did alex act 34. They should've both been in their late 20s imo.
_______________
IT'S MINEEEE
Infinite thanks to Berkley Publishing for an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
_______________
i swear to god if i am not able to get my hands on an arc i might actually die. i cannot wait until march
This. Was. Everything.
The moment I read the description, I knew I had to have this book. I absolutely love werewolves and shifter romances in general. Something happened in my childhood (god knows what) that inexorably linked shifters with my sex drive so now it's a kink of mine. Cool!
Unfortunately, a lot of the werewolf romances out there are ABO (alpha, beta, omega for the uninitiated) and tend to be set in a world of pre-existing werewolf lore. While those romances are okay to read, I really like werewolves in the real world where the exploration of the lore is filled with more mystery and humor vs. the dark fantasy angst that ABO books tend to have. I also like more cozy camp and warm intimacy which Rosie Danan did perfectly in Fan Service.
She also did such an amazing job catering to the massive group of slightly bizarre writers and readers who create fandoms and fanfic. This book was such a clear love letter to all of us and the worlds we create and it warmed my heart to read.
Finally, holy heckin hell, Rosie Danan dialed the kinky up to 11. Degradation, submission, BDSM, a dash of masochism... my lustful heart was SCREAMING.
Much like a novelty ice cream, this book wasn't perfect. It could have used a few touch ups here and there, but that couldn't matter less to me. The joy it filled me with was worth every word.
_______________
Edit - WAIT A GODDAMN SECOND. It just occured to me that I could've (and should've) been imaging Devin as Jared Padalecki this whole time. Missed opportunity. I'll do it when the audiobook comes out
_______________
side thoughts (not main review) - i do think that devin should've been younger. not only was the age gap a little.... odd, he also didn't act 42 at all nor did alex act 34. They should've both been in their late 20s imo.
_______________
IT'S MINEEEE
Infinite thanks to Berkley Publishing for an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
_______________
i swear to god if i am not able to get my hands on an arc i might actually die. i cannot wait until march
October 12, 2024
Official blurb: "Wrapped inside a sparkling love letter to fandom and belonging, FAN SERVICE is by turns hilarious and sexy. A damn good time that had me feral for every page."
And I mean every damn word!!!!!!!!!
And I mean every damn word!!!!!!!!!
Want to read
June 17, 2024this is straight women’s abo tag on ao3
Want to read
July 10, 2024Why they aren't releasing this in October idk cause this would HIT during Halloween
Shelved as 'future-releases'
June 17, 2024I hope this goes full camp because that would be fabulous
November 4, 2024
thank you netgalley and berkley for the arc!!! 🐺💜
4 howling stars!!! i love rosie danan and this was soooo good. so much of a slower burn than id anticipated but oof the wait was worth it!!
the level in which i related to alex was ✨unhealthy✨ but i absolutely adored her character!!!! black cat gal through and through. i loved how devin saw right through her tough girl act (we might have tattoos and scowl a lot but i promise we're big babies!!)
devin, our paw daddy!!! who knew id want a 42 year old to ram into my asshole so badly!!! he was lowk kinda mean tho but i'm into it!! smack me around daddy😍 no seriously though he was kinda an airhead sometimes and just didn't understand why what he said hurt alex or whatever and idk it was kinda embarrassing for him at his grown age to be acting like such a douche but 💀 child actors and all. i did feel super bad for him and the way he was treated by his parents all his life, like a revolving door of money and dependency. id still bark for him .
everything in between was fantastic!!! i loved their little agreement and all the shenanigans they got into. the chase in the woods??? HOLY CRAPPPP i was panting. the submission???????????????? BARK BARK BARK
idk why this is releasing in march because this was a howling good time for october and im so glad i was able to read it!!! 💜✨🐺
4 howling stars!!! i love rosie danan and this was soooo good. so much of a slower burn than id anticipated but oof the wait was worth it!!
the level in which i related to alex was ✨unhealthy✨ but i absolutely adored her character!!!! black cat gal through and through. i loved how devin saw right through her tough girl act (we might have tattoos and scowl a lot but i promise we're big babies!!)
devin, our paw daddy!!! who knew id want a 42 year old to ram into my asshole so badly!!! he was lowk kinda mean tho but i'm into it!! smack me around daddy😍 no seriously though he was kinda an airhead sometimes and just didn't understand why what he said hurt alex or whatever and idk it was kinda embarrassing for him at his grown age to be acting like such a douche but 💀 child actors and all. i did feel super bad for him and the way he was treated by his parents all his life, like a revolving door of money and dependency. id still bark for him .
everything in between was fantastic!!! i loved their little agreement and all the shenanigans they got into. the chase in the woods??? HOLY CRAPPPP i was panting. the submission???????????????? BARK BARK BARK
idk why this is releasing in march because this was a howling good time for october and im so glad i was able to read it!!! 💜✨🐺
October 25, 2024
I probably would have enjoyed Fan Service more had I watched Teen Wolf (should I watch it?). I think that Fan Service, through Alex, perfectly represents fandom and what it’s like to be caught up in the fanfare of it all.
“Fandom was everything when you were in it and embarrassing as hell when you weren’t.”
I loved the idea behind the novel, but it was too long, particularly the ending.
Fan Service follows Alex as she helps her childhood crush and lead actor from The Arcane Files, Devin, as he becomes a werewolf. Readers get intimate insights into the show and the obsessive fandom it generated. Along with the obsessive fandom, readers also get to experience the soul crushing feelings when that love is shattered.
Alex and Devin have decent chemistry. For a novel steeped in fandom and, by extension, fanfiction, I expected there to be more angst and tension between Alex and Devin.
As mentioned previously, I thought Fan Service was too long. The final stretch of the novel plays out exactly as expected and not in a good way. I found myself skimming through some of the chapters.
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
Overall, Fan Service is an enjoyable enough novel about fandom, self-esteem, and love.
*** I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
“Fandom was everything when you were in it and embarrassing as hell when you weren’t.”
I loved the idea behind the novel, but it was too long, particularly the ending.
Fan Service follows Alex as she helps her childhood crush and lead actor from The Arcane Files, Devin, as he becomes a werewolf. Readers get intimate insights into the show and the obsessive fandom it generated. Along with the obsessive fandom, readers also get to experience the soul crushing feelings when that love is shattered.
Alex and Devin have decent chemistry. For a novel steeped in fandom and, by extension, fanfiction, I expected there to be more angst and tension between Alex and Devin.
As mentioned previously, I thought Fan Service was too long. The final stretch of the novel plays out exactly as expected and not in a good way. I found myself skimming through some of the chapters.
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
Overall, Fan Service is an enjoyable enough novel about fandom, self-esteem, and love.
*** I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 28, 2024
This book captures everything I love about a paranormal tv show on CW and makes it a romance book. I loved watching Alex and Devin work together to figure out what was going on with him and the fact that they did a lot of that at the vet clinic she worked at was comedy gold!
Devin and Alex are from all appearance very different. He is very confident with people he doesn't know but has insecurities about deeper relationships. She sort of has issues with both but has a lot of trouble with connecting with new people. I thought it was really interesting how two very different life experiences lead to similar issues and liked seeing them resolved together.
This is definitely a paranormal romance that will be very accessible to contemporary romance readers. A lot of the paranormal world building happens through the framework of a TV show and Devin is the only paranormal character. I do think paranormal romance readers will also enjoy this one assuming they enjoy a romcom.
Thanks to Berkely Romance for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Devin and Alex are from all appearance very different. He is very confident with people he doesn't know but has insecurities about deeper relationships. She sort of has issues with both but has a lot of trouble with connecting with new people. I thought it was really interesting how two very different life experiences lead to similar issues and liked seeing them resolved together.
This is definitely a paranormal romance that will be very accessible to contemporary romance readers. A lot of the paranormal world building happens through the framework of a TV show and Devin is the only paranormal character. I do think paranormal romance readers will also enjoy this one assuming they enjoy a romcom.
Thanks to Berkely Romance for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.
October 12, 2024
Fan Service is a fun paranormal romance a la Teen Wolf fans (the movie is mentioned, though I’m of the Tyler Posey MTV show era). We have our main girl Alex (34), who is a bad ass who had faced rough challenges (her mom leaving, a dad with medical issues, and being a self proclaimed weirdo) and is the former moderator of tv show fandom board. She takes (almost) no shit and is actually a tattooed softie. She also has a gap between her front teeth, which is even portrayed on the cover. I feel like that’s important to note because it’s not a trait we often see in romance books - but it’s so common in real life! Her MMC is Devin, a 42-year old (hello age gap) child star best known for his success of The Arcane Files (of which Alex is the Mod) and he’s possibly becoming a werewolf? Oh noooo, say it ain’t so 😂. The slow burn made for an enjoyable story.
Rosie Danan truly caters to the fanfic people out there and throws in a lot of niche and fun references. It was a love letter to anyone who grew up feeling weird and out of place with their interests (and has maybe since found camaraderie with fellow self proclaimed weirdos via social media). It’s like a fanfic of a fanfic.
One aspect of the story I found to be an interesting retrospective was the exploration of parasocial relationships. Granted it’s a romance, if you put yourself in Alex’s shoes of meeting and becoming involved with the celebrity you grew up loving, can you imagine?! There are a lot of moments where Alex is kinda like “oh my god what is my life” and I was like, same girl! I don’t always love the Hollywood/normal person trope but it felt really right in this story. The story definitely has its serious moments (re: parental abandonment/no-contact) and it’s balanced well with the fun, lighter parts. The early 2000s nostalgia mixed with millennial humor really enraptured me! Also knowing what we know now about what kids/teen in the movie industry have gone through (Jennette McCurdy, Drake Bell, Amanda Bynes, Ariana Grande, etc.), I think it’s important to have realistic stories portraying that growing up a child star isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Romance wise, I could’ve used a little more clear commutation, being that Alex was 34 and Devin was 42, but they also didn’t seem to have major successful relationships in their past, so I let it slide. (Also because I was truly really invested in them smashing). It blurred the line between romance/fantasy/romantasy and I wished it leaned a bit more into the romantasy for sakes of getting lost in the story and not overthinking some of the logistics. It didn’t need the world building because it’s set in modern day Florida.
Fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon’s Business or Pleasure, Lana Ferguson’s The Fake Mate, and Ali Hazelwood’s Bride, will find Fan Service as a must-read.
FS was definitely spicy and teetering the line of more AO3 type of spice scenes. That said, I personally felt like there could’ve been a bit more spice and even more tension. I’d say it’s probably about a 2.5 🌶️ though rounding up to 3 is fair.
I would 1000% read another book set in this universe and anything else Rosie Danan writes. I need more paranormal romance in my life.
I also highly recommend imagining an older Tyler Posey (or Dylan O’Brien for the Stiles girlies) as Devin for a fun reading experience.
Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Rosie Danan truly caters to the fanfic people out there and throws in a lot of niche and fun references. It was a love letter to anyone who grew up feeling weird and out of place with their interests (and has maybe since found camaraderie with fellow self proclaimed weirdos via social media). It’s like a fanfic of a fanfic.
One aspect of the story I found to be an interesting retrospective was the exploration of parasocial relationships. Granted it’s a romance, if you put yourself in Alex’s shoes of meeting and becoming involved with the celebrity you grew up loving, can you imagine?! There are a lot of moments where Alex is kinda like “oh my god what is my life” and I was like, same girl! I don’t always love the Hollywood/normal person trope but it felt really right in this story. The story definitely has its serious moments (re: parental abandonment/no-contact) and it’s balanced well with the fun, lighter parts. The early 2000s nostalgia mixed with millennial humor really enraptured me! Also knowing what we know now about what kids/teen in the movie industry have gone through (Jennette McCurdy, Drake Bell, Amanda Bynes, Ariana Grande, etc.), I think it’s important to have realistic stories portraying that growing up a child star isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Romance wise, I could’ve used a little more clear commutation, being that Alex was 34 and Devin was 42, but they also didn’t seem to have major successful relationships in their past, so I let it slide. (Also because I was truly really invested in them smashing). It blurred the line between romance/fantasy/romantasy and I wished it leaned a bit more into the romantasy for sakes of getting lost in the story and not overthinking some of the logistics. It didn’t need the world building because it’s set in modern day Florida.
Fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon’s Business or Pleasure, Lana Ferguson’s The Fake Mate, and Ali Hazelwood’s Bride, will find Fan Service as a must-read.
FS was definitely spicy and teetering the line of more AO3 type of spice scenes. That said, I personally felt like there could’ve been a bit more spice and even more tension. I’d say it’s probably about a 2.5 🌶️ though rounding up to 3 is fair.
I would 1000% read another book set in this universe and anything else Rosie Danan writes. I need more paranormal romance in my life.
I also highly recommend imagining an older Tyler Posey (or Dylan O’Brien for the Stiles girlies) as Devin for a fun reading experience.
Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
September 26, 2024
I loved the characters, the fandom, the amazing growth arcs, the absolutely to-the-max swoonfest that was the romance. Absolutely incredible.
From the pacing to the obstacles to the emotional barriers, this book has so much balance. I couldn’t stop reading (and didn’t want to).
Give me more, Rosie! You’re a master of the genre. I need whatever else is in your brain lol.
From the pacing to the obstacles to the emotional barriers, this book has so much balance. I couldn’t stop reading (and didn’t want to).
Give me more, Rosie! You’re a master of the genre. I need whatever else is in your brain lol.
October 6, 2024
Thank you Berkeley and NetGalley for the arc! Five stars! As a long-suffering Supernatural fan, this book was like a healing salve. I have never felt more seen by a romance novel. So many authors try to translate the fandom experience into their books and miss the mark completely, but you can tell Rosie Danan has LIVED IT.
Such a good balance of romance, spice and story. Just fun all the way through, as usual. Loved it!
Such a good balance of romance, spice and story. Just fun all the way through, as usual. Loved it!
Want to read
September 12, 2024UM YES WEREWOLF ROMANCE FROM THE AUTHOR OF Do Your Worst?!?! I adored that book and I CANNOT wait for this one!
October 14, 2024
"I don't know if it was the moon or fate or the universe that made me a werewolf, but baby, you made me human."
BIGGGG thank you to NetGalley and Berkly romance for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!!
Fan Service was the PERFECT paranormal read I didn’t know I needed for spooky season!! It was a love letter to fans everywhere, and I couldn’t have felt more seen while reading.
THE PLOT
Our FMC Alex lives and breathes The Arcane Files, a detective show where the main character is also a werewolf. However, after an embarrassing encounter with her long-time crush and TAF star Devin Ashwood, Alex buries her obsession for the show and star. So imagine her surprise when she gets an email years later from none other than Devin, explaining a black-out drunk night where he had…claws?
Alex reluctantly agrees to work together with Devin to try to understand what’s happening to him, but it doesn’t take long for all of those old feelings to come floating back to the surface.
This was such a funky, creative plot and I ate up every page! The cover caught my initial attention, and I’ve never hit the “Request” button harder than I did after reading blurb for Fan Service. Just the lore itself on The Arcane Files took me back to my Supernatural days, and I loved all the little shenanigans Devin and Alex got up to throughout the book. The ending completely shattered me and I spent the last two chapters so stressed! Don’t you just love a book that truly makes you feel something?
THE WRITING
Sometimes the writing made me forget Devin is in his 40s, but I’ll be honest and say I didn’t find it that big of a deal. There was an odd millennial/gen-z type mix of humor being used, and I kinda liked it. Both Devin and Alex tended to monologue a lot, but I liked their different descriptions of each other as the book went on.
THE CHARACTERS
Alex
Alex, you are me and I am you.
To say I feel for Alex would be an understatement. Every time she talked about her deepest insecurities of letting people in, or her fear of abandonment, or that feeling of not fitting in anywhere, I felt a little pang in my heart. She was the ultimate nerdy fangirl (she just like me fr) and I loved learning about the community center that she cherished so much.
Devin
DEVIN ASHWOOD THE MAN THAT YOU ARE!!!
The things I would let this 42 year old man do to me…but I digress.
All jokes aside, I have never wanted to wrap an MMC in a hug more than Devin Ashwood. I think his backstory hit me frighteningly hard especially now that all these child celebrities, like Jeanette McCurdy for example, are coming out and vocalizing the things they went through working in the industry as children. Learning about his parents' mistreatment and where his feeling of never being enough came from absolutely broke me. Under the surface, Devin is just the sweetest guy who wants to be loved as much as he loves others, and I loved him and Alex together.
Rowen
Rowen was the cutest little side character, and I loved their interactions with both Alex and Devin. The scene between them and Devin where Devin then made his own pronoun pin was literally THE CUTEST SCENE EVER!!
Isaac
We must protect this man with everything we’ve got!! Everything Alex felt for her dad, I feel for my own, so that hit especially hard. The scene of Isaac and Devin cleaning out the gutters was my absolute favorite, and I loved how supportive Isaac was of Devin and Alex.
Seth
Seth was probably in about a total of 5% of the book, but I don’t care he deserves his own section!! He was such a little cutie patootie. I’m glad he kept pushing Alex to be friends because she absolutely needed it. The scene where he’s in the dunk tank and he’s getting bullied had me so heated. Also protect this man with everything we’ve got!!
CONCLUSION
All in all, I thought this was such a fun book!! Very sad to see it end. I honestly can’t recommend it enough, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy in March!!
BIGGGG thank you to NetGalley and Berkly romance for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!!
Fan Service was the PERFECT paranormal read I didn’t know I needed for spooky season!! It was a love letter to fans everywhere, and I couldn’t have felt more seen while reading.
THE PLOT
Our FMC Alex lives and breathes The Arcane Files, a detective show where the main character is also a werewolf. However, after an embarrassing encounter with her long-time crush and TAF star Devin Ashwood, Alex buries her obsession for the show and star. So imagine her surprise when she gets an email years later from none other than Devin, explaining a black-out drunk night where he had…claws?
Alex reluctantly agrees to work together with Devin to try to understand what’s happening to him, but it doesn’t take long for all of those old feelings to come floating back to the surface.
This was such a funky, creative plot and I ate up every page! The cover caught my initial attention, and I’ve never hit the “Request” button harder than I did after reading blurb for Fan Service. Just the lore itself on The Arcane Files took me back to my Supernatural days, and I loved all the little shenanigans Devin and Alex got up to throughout the book. The ending completely shattered me and I spent the last two chapters so stressed! Don’t you just love a book that truly makes you feel something?
THE WRITING
Sometimes the writing made me forget Devin is in his 40s, but I’ll be honest and say I didn’t find it that big of a deal. There was an odd millennial/gen-z type mix of humor being used, and I kinda liked it. Both Devin and Alex tended to monologue a lot, but I liked their different descriptions of each other as the book went on.
THE CHARACTERS
Alex
Alex, you are me and I am you.
To say I feel for Alex would be an understatement. Every time she talked about her deepest insecurities of letting people in, or her fear of abandonment, or that feeling of not fitting in anywhere, I felt a little pang in my heart. She was the ultimate nerdy fangirl (she just like me fr) and I loved learning about the community center that she cherished so much.
Devin
DEVIN ASHWOOD THE MAN THAT YOU ARE!!!
The things I would let this 42 year old man do to me…but I digress.
All jokes aside, I have never wanted to wrap an MMC in a hug more than Devin Ashwood. I think his backstory hit me frighteningly hard especially now that all these child celebrities, like Jeanette McCurdy for example, are coming out and vocalizing the things they went through working in the industry as children. Learning about his parents' mistreatment and where his feeling of never being enough came from absolutely broke me. Under the surface, Devin is just the sweetest guy who wants to be loved as much as he loves others, and I loved him and Alex together.
Rowen
Rowen was the cutest little side character, and I loved their interactions with both Alex and Devin. The scene between them and Devin where Devin then made his own pronoun pin was literally THE CUTEST SCENE EVER!!
Isaac
We must protect this man with everything we’ve got!! Everything Alex felt for her dad, I feel for my own, so that hit especially hard. The scene of Isaac and Devin cleaning out the gutters was my absolute favorite, and I loved how supportive Isaac was of Devin and Alex.
Seth
Seth was probably in about a total of 5% of the book, but I don’t care he deserves his own section!! He was such a little cutie patootie. I’m glad he kept pushing Alex to be friends because she absolutely needed it. The scene where he’s in the dunk tank and he’s getting bullied had me so heated. Also protect this man with everything we’ve got!!
CONCLUSION
All in all, I thought this was such a fun book!! Very sad to see it end. I honestly can’t recommend it enough, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy in March!!
October 18, 2024
Thank you to Rosie Danan and Berkley for this ARC!
Oh my GODDDDDDDD this book was written for me. I am obsessed. I can't stop thinking about it. I haven't had a book make me feel the way this one did in such a long time. I genuinely smiled so much reading this book (I don't usually do this but I genuinely had a smile plastered to my face the whole time).
Quick plot summary: Alex is a vet tech and she was a huge fan of The Arcane Files, a werewolf tv, show when she was a teenager and she had a massive crush on Devin Ashwood, the star. But one day she had a bad interaction with him and she vows to hold a grudge against him. Fast forward a bunch of years in the future, Devin suddenly makes the news when he shows up in public with fangs and claws and all the werewolfy features. Weird! Not knowing what to do, he searches up his symptoms and is directed to a fan site run by "the mod" (I wonder who that could be). And the rest is history!
Alex was SUCH a realistic character. A complete nerd/fangirl who's forced to live in the real world and who is plagued by her childhood crush. So real. I saw so much of myself in her and seeing her learn to accept love after everything she had experienced was so refreshing. When she said, "it was searing to be seen" I GASPED. She really was written for us.
Devin. Ohhhhh Devin. I love him so much and I wish he was real because I would 100% be in love with him. His chapters had the FUNNIEST narration (see: "Devin swallowed. AO3 had recently introduced him to the concept of Fated Mates."). And his character arc was amazing! Seeing his viewpoints, priorities, and perspectives change as time passed was so good and made me really appreciate his character.
I 10000000% recommend this book to pretty much anyone and I really want everyone to read it when it comes out so I have so many people to talk to about it.
Oh my GODDDDDDDD this book was written for me. I am obsessed. I can't stop thinking about it. I haven't had a book make me feel the way this one did in such a long time. I genuinely smiled so much reading this book (I don't usually do this but I genuinely had a smile plastered to my face the whole time).
Quick plot summary: Alex is a vet tech and she was a huge fan of The Arcane Files, a werewolf tv, show when she was a teenager and she had a massive crush on Devin Ashwood, the star. But one day she had a bad interaction with him and she vows to hold a grudge against him. Fast forward a bunch of years in the future, Devin suddenly makes the news when he shows up in public with fangs and claws and all the werewolfy features. Weird! Not knowing what to do, he searches up his symptoms and is directed to a fan site run by "the mod" (I wonder who that could be). And the rest is history!
Alex was SUCH a realistic character. A complete nerd/fangirl who's forced to live in the real world and who is plagued by her childhood crush. So real. I saw so much of myself in her and seeing her learn to accept love after everything she had experienced was so refreshing. When she said, "it was searing to be seen" I GASPED. She really was written for us.
Devin. Ohhhhh Devin. I love him so much and I wish he was real because I would 100% be in love with him. His chapters had the FUNNIEST narration (see: "Devin swallowed. AO3 had recently introduced him to the concept of Fated Mates."). And his character arc was amazing! Seeing his viewpoints, priorities, and perspectives change as time passed was so good and made me really appreciate his character.
I 10000000% recommend this book to pretty much anyone and I really want everyone to read it when it comes out so I have so many people to talk to about it.
November 11, 2024
I was a huge fan of Twilight, Teenwolf and Vampire Diaries so I was excited to read this book as soon as I saw it on NetGalley. I was and still am a huge fangirl as well so I could relate a lot to the main character, Alex. I too have many internet friends and was chronically online growing up as well. Although I could relate to Alex on some aspects of life I wasn’t a huge fan of her or Devin. They lacked chemistry in my opinion which ultimately had me not really caring if they got together or not. You could tell that Devin was attracted to her in his wolf form but I didn’t see chemistry outside of that. Give this a read if you love werewolves, fandoms, and fanfics.
September 22, 2024
i think the foundations of the entire book threw me off.
he's a famous actor who's 42 and she's 34? they met when she was 17? she was obsessed with him when she was 15?
but then also he's kinda sucks as a person... wdym he knows nothing about periods. he's 42??? he's had a wife??
and also... this is set in Florida and they were out having sex on the forest floor 😭 they wouldve been murked by mosquitos and other insects, snakes, reptiles.
this book should've leaned into the concept more or gotten a better blend between the two but it felt like it was stuck in a liminal space between realistic and fantasy
he's a famous actor who's 42 and she's 34? they met when she was 17? she was obsessed with him when she was 15?
but then also he's kinda sucks as a person... wdym he knows nothing about periods. he's 42??? he's had a wife??
and also... this is set in Florida and they were out having sex on the forest floor 😭 they wouldve been murked by mosquitos and other insects, snakes, reptiles.
this book should've leaned into the concept more or gotten a better blend between the two but it felt like it was stuck in a liminal space between realistic and fantasy
October 10, 2024
I read Do Your Worst last year, and thought it was a fun and enjoyable read so I was excited to give this book a go but unfortunately it did not deliver for me.
The premise sounded fun and entertaining and I found the FMC likable and relatable. She was the “weird” girl in high school and leaned into that role. Her “weird” was just her liking things that the popular girls didn’t like. She was pale (same girl) and was gothic. Honestly, I wish I had the balls in high school to lean into my emo side but I didn’t.
I liked her approach to handling the MMC and how she has gone through her fair share of abandonment and struggles but has a heart of gold and just wants to help all humans and animals. She is the star in this book and truly carried the story.
I found the plot to just fall flat and not make sense at times. I struggled to get to 70% and just skimmed until the end.
The premise sounded fun and entertaining and I found the FMC likable and relatable. She was the “weird” girl in high school and leaned into that role. Her “weird” was just her liking things that the popular girls didn’t like. She was pale (same girl) and was gothic. Honestly, I wish I had the balls in high school to lean into my emo side but I didn’t.
I liked her approach to handling the MMC and how she has gone through her fair share of abandonment and struggles but has a heart of gold and just wants to help all humans and animals. She is the star in this book and truly carried the story.
I found the plot to just fall flat and not make sense at times. I struggled to get to 70% and just skimmed until the end.
October 2, 2024
A fun and imaginative thought exercise: what if the former star of a cult supernatural show developed the powers of his character? That’s (maybe) what happens to Devin, who wakes up one morning nude and unsure of what happened during the full moon. His confusion and panic leads him to Alex, who used to run a fan site for his show and now loathes him. Mostly. Kind of. It’s complicated.
This was different than I expected, and a lot more serious in parts, but still a very entertaining read. Alex is a badass.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.
This was different than I expected, and a lot more serious in parts, but still a very entertaining read. Alex is a badass.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.
October 2, 2024
I’m absolutely obsessed with this book cover but I wouldn’t really say that the book was great. It was honestly really mid and I wouldn’t even say it’s a romance. If it is a romance, it’s an incredibly slow burn romance that makes it unbelievably hard to believe that the characters would fall in love with each other. It a great homage to fandom and the character growth throughout the book was great but everything else was just kind of meh.
I also absolutely hated what she did with Devin‘s character and wish that he got to fight back against those who abused him.
I also absolutely hated what she did with Devin‘s character and wish that he got to fight back against those who abused him.
October 6, 2024
Arc review: 5 ⭐️
Ok so I think this book was written for me? Like just me. Personally. Thank you Rosie for writing me my special exclusive dedicated to me book.
For the rest of you out there that are lucky enough to read MY book, I think you’ll love it too. ESPECIALLY if you ever were in a fandom and have spent (maybe a little too much) time on a wiki.
To take a line directly from the book:
“ #blackcat/goldenretriever #enemies-to-lovers #agegap 300k rated E “
If you understood that- this is your official sign to read this book.
Ok so I think this book was written for me? Like just me. Personally. Thank you Rosie for writing me my special exclusive dedicated to me book.
For the rest of you out there that are lucky enough to read MY book, I think you’ll love it too. ESPECIALLY if you ever were in a fandom and have spent (maybe a little too much) time on a wiki.
To take a line directly from the book:
“ #blackcat/goldenretriever #enemies-to-lovers #agegap 300k rated E “
If you understood that- this is your official sign to read this book.
October 18, 2024
I loved Fan Service. The main characters were fun and funny. A sort of love at second sight. The magic in the story was great. The characters had depth but that balanced with searing sexy banter and wolfy sniffing. Danan has become a can’t miss author!!!!! I have the best reading hangover :). Thank you to NetGalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.
November 8, 2024
This was such a fun read. I appreciated how crazy the werewolf situation was and how the author ran with it. It was a unique take on the trope and I laughed from beginning to end. I give Fan Service 5/5 stars for being very entertaining.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to review Fan Service by Rosie Danan
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to review Fan Service by Rosie Danan
November 2, 2024
Thought I’d hate it in the beginning but was funny and ended up loving the weirdo characters
November 12, 2024
Some weird narrative choices but I didn’t mind the wolf stuff 😝 RTC
October 10, 2024
”whatever’s happened to me, whatever i am now, i want you more than any human ever could.” ₊ ⊹
my thoughts┊this was pretty good! if you’re still wanting something reminiscent of bride by ali hazelwood or the fake mate by lana ferguson, this should definitely be on your radar!
the concept of this was pretty fun, and it kind of reminded me a smidge of one of my favorite books, spoiler alert by olivia dade. essentially, an older actor who used to be the main lead in a teen wolf-esque show randomly starts turning into a werewolf, and recruits the help of a woman who used the run this elaborate website dedicated to the show. it was definitely unique, and i really liked the progression of the story! there was a lot of development in both characters, and the emotional aspect really struck my heart.
i did have some irks with this, though. firstly, the writing in this felt kind of weird? i don’t really know how to describe it besides the fact that it felt like it was geared towards millennials with the humor aspects. the jokes were kind of a miss, and a lot of word choices the author made just struck me as weird. i don’t remember feeling this way about any of the other books i’ve read by her, so that made it stick out to me a little more. secondly, i didn’t really like devin’s character much. he did have some decent development, and i did end up liking him a smidge, but idk. some of the thoughts he had or comments he made just rubbed me the wrong way. he was also incredibly immature, and i found it hard to believe that he was supposed to be in his forties. i think this story could’ve worked just as well with him being closer to alex’s age. thirdly, i wish the whole werewolf thing had been explored more. it felt like there was no real rhyme or reason or explanation or anything behind it; it was just something that happened and there was no real depth to the why.
overall, there were some moments that made me struggle to read this, but there were also a lot of aspects i really enjoyed. i was initially gonna rate this a 2.5, but i did like the ending a lot more than i was expecting, so i feel good leaving it with 3 stars.
huge thank you to netgalley and berkley publishing group for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!
my thoughts┊this was pretty good! if you’re still wanting something reminiscent of bride by ali hazelwood or the fake mate by lana ferguson, this should definitely be on your radar!
the concept of this was pretty fun, and it kind of reminded me a smidge of one of my favorite books, spoiler alert by olivia dade. essentially, an older actor who used to be the main lead in a teen wolf-esque show randomly starts turning into a werewolf, and recruits the help of a woman who used the run this elaborate website dedicated to the show. it was definitely unique, and i really liked the progression of the story! there was a lot of development in both characters, and the emotional aspect really struck my heart.
i did have some irks with this, though. firstly, the writing in this felt kind of weird? i don’t really know how to describe it besides the fact that it felt like it was geared towards millennials with the humor aspects. the jokes were kind of a miss, and a lot of word choices the author made just struck me as weird. i don’t remember feeling this way about any of the other books i’ve read by her, so that made it stick out to me a little more. secondly, i didn’t really like devin’s character much. he did have some decent development, and i did end up liking him a smidge, but idk. some of the thoughts he had or comments he made just rubbed me the wrong way. he was also incredibly immature, and i found it hard to believe that he was supposed to be in his forties. i think this story could’ve worked just as well with him being closer to alex’s age. thirdly, i wish the whole werewolf thing had been explored more. it felt like there was no real rhyme or reason or explanation or anything behind it; it was just something that happened and there was no real depth to the why.
overall, there were some moments that made me struggle to read this, but there were also a lot of aspects i really enjoyed. i was initially gonna rate this a 2.5, but i did like the ending a lot more than i was expecting, so i feel good leaving it with 3 stars.
huge thank you to netgalley and berkley publishing group for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!
September 26, 2024
I have to confess that I was initially less than thrilled when Rosie Danan, one of my current favorite contemporary romance authors, made the switch to writing paranormal romance with her last book, to the extent that I didn't pick it up--which I immediately remedied after reading this one--although to be fair that was also because I'm not particularly into ghost stories or Scottish romance and the copy for that one made it sound like both those things, but anyway, I'm here now to tell you how wrong I was! I should have trusted the author more because FAN SERVICE is delightful. The concept here was so fun that I decided to give it a try on the strength of that plus her past books, and it was everything I hoped it would be. (As another reviewer says below, imagine Tyler Posey actually turning into a werewolf in his early 40s and then having to figure out what to do, to which I would add imagine Tyler Posey is also in the body of Jensen Ackles and the show in question is more like Teen Wolf meets Supernatural meets the X-Files, except in this reality the werewolf lore turning out to be real actually saves Tyler Posey from appearing in the reunion movie, an ending anyone who's actually seen Teen Wolf: The Movie might appreciate for the true HEA it is... but I digress.)
I also loved that the book didn't get hung up on any kind of worldbuilding any more than it needed to, which was absolutely the right decision for a story like this because the self-referential meta aspect of the lore being based on a supposedly made-up fictional tv show that then turns out to be based on a supposedly true but never-explained supernatural reality of exactly the kind such a show would make up is so deliberately clever. Anyway, the concept was great, the characters were great, the way the culture and experience of fandom were integrated was great, and I loved it! I'm now fully a convert to Rosie Danan writing paranormal romance and can't wait for the next one!
I also loved that the book didn't get hung up on any kind of worldbuilding any more than it needed to, which was absolutely the right decision for a story like this because the self-referential meta aspect of the lore being based on a supposedly made-up fictional tv show that then turns out to be based on a supposedly true but never-explained supernatural reality of exactly the kind such a show would make up is so deliberately clever. Anyway, the concept was great, the characters were great, the way the culture and experience of fandom were integrated was great, and I loved it! I'm now fully a convert to Rosie Danan writing paranormal romance and can't wait for the next one!
October 18, 2024
LOVE! This is a book for all the fandom people; the ones that had that one pairing that wasn't canon but they would ship until the end of time. And the ones that can understand that jargon haha.
Devin is such a dick throughout the beginning, and even a bit after, but I think that character made so much sense with him being a child star. I do appreciate how much his character grows by the end of the book, and I really adored his discovery over what actually mattered to him, and how he wants his life to look. Also, he definitely had a dirty mouth. Wow.
Alex is the character that I think a lot of fandom people will relate to, even if they weren't as overt in their 'freakiness'. There is something so easy and nostalgic about being that obsessed with a show or book series when you are a teen, to the point that it becomes most of your personality. When Devin unknowingly crushed her as a teen, and her rebellion was to basically make fun of him for 15 years, I could see it and understand. The reality of knowing that an actor is a person outside of their character is sometimes such a blurred line, and as Alex falls for Devin and sees the difference, I think it is all the more sweet.
All of that being said, this is 100% a hilarious paranormal romance. Basically imagine Tyler Posey actually turning into a werewolf in his early 40s and then having to figure out what to do. The trials that Alex and Devin devise were perfection, and the way it brought them closer was my favourite part. I love Rosie Danan books and I am so happy that this one lived up to all of my expectations
Devin is such a dick throughout the beginning, and even a bit after, but I think that character made so much sense with him being a child star. I do appreciate how much his character grows by the end of the book, and I really adored his discovery over what actually mattered to him, and how he wants his life to look. Also, he definitely had a dirty mouth. Wow.
Alex is the character that I think a lot of fandom people will relate to, even if they weren't as overt in their 'freakiness'. There is something so easy and nostalgic about being that obsessed with a show or book series when you are a teen, to the point that it becomes most of your personality. When Devin unknowingly crushed her as a teen, and her rebellion was to basically make fun of him for 15 years, I could see it and understand. The reality of knowing that an actor is a person outside of their character is sometimes such a blurred line, and as Alex falls for Devin and sees the difference, I think it is all the more sweet.
All of that being said, this is 100% a hilarious paranormal romance. Basically imagine Tyler Posey actually turning into a werewolf in his early 40s and then having to figure out what to do. The trials that Alex and Devin devise were perfection, and the way it brought them closer was my favourite part. I love Rosie Danan books and I am so happy that this one lived up to all of my expectations
October 23, 2024
I have to admit before this book I wasn’t the biggest fan of Rosie Danan books. I’ve read most of her work and found them to be a bit overhyped on social media. However, Rosie won me over with “Fan Service” Plus I’m so glad I read this in October because this book met all of my spooky season needs! While also being a perfect love letter to fandoms and fan culture. If you are a fan of Ali Hazelwood “Bride” & Lana Ferguson “The Fake Mate” then “Fan Service” is right up your alley!
My favorite thing about this book has to be our MFC Alex. I love that we finally got a MFC that wasn’t your stereotypical blonde bombshell. Instead Alex is a tattooed, pierced black cat gal through and through. Plus throughout the story she’s constantly seen as the town weirdo and I’ve never related to something more.
Then of course we have our MMC Devin. I will admit I struggled with him for a bit. Because in the beginning he was 100% an asshole. However, once we learn his backstory you can’t help but fall in love with him and just want to give him a big hug.
Devin & Alex together was electric. I loved watching their agreement blossom into more. Plus the spice between the two of them 🥵😉the woods chase scene 🥵😉 and the submission trail 🥵😉
Overall, I highly recommend “Fan Service” when it comes out next March. Can’t wait to pre-order my own physical copy! Lastly big thank you NetGalley and Berkly for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!!
My favorite thing about this book has to be our MFC Alex. I love that we finally got a MFC that wasn’t your stereotypical blonde bombshell. Instead Alex is a tattooed, pierced black cat gal through and through. Plus throughout the story she’s constantly seen as the town weirdo and I’ve never related to something more.
Then of course we have our MMC Devin. I will admit I struggled with him for a bit. Because in the beginning he was 100% an asshole. However, once we learn his backstory you can’t help but fall in love with him and just want to give him a big hug.
Devin & Alex together was electric. I loved watching their agreement blossom into more. Plus the spice between the two of them 🥵😉the woods chase scene 🥵😉 and the submission trail 🥵😉
Overall, I highly recommend “Fan Service” when it comes out next March. Can’t wait to pre-order my own physical copy! Lastly big thank you NetGalley and Berkly for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews