Special thanks to Stacey Kennedy for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Goodreads: What the Fang? (Undead Ever After #1)
Published: 25 January 2022
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Panda Rating:

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Willa Farrington’s magic is broken. Shunned by her coven for failing to pass the Summer Solstice Rite, Willa escapes to the one place no witch belongs – Charleston, a city that belongs to vampires. Determined to embrace her new life, Willa opens Cauldron Boil Books, and unexpectedly finds some friends among the vampires…

Until one terrible night Willa ends up on the wrong side of a pair of fangs. Thankfully, her captor’s plan is ruined when Killian Constantine, the drop-dead gorgeous Warden of Charleston, shows up to save her. But just when Willa thinks she’s safe, Killian, rumored to be the most feared vampire in the city, furiously demands to know why she – a witch – telepathically called him for help.

Intent on finding answers, the two embark on a journey to unravel the mystery behind Willa’s attack and their unusual connection. As they get closer to the truth, the fiery passion between them ignites. But their forbidden romance isn’t making them many friends, and just as Willa starts to think that her entire existence is a lie, deadlier forces come out of the shadows. She will need to believe in her malfunctioning magic, trust bloodthirsty vampires, and cross her fingers that she and Killian make it out together… and that neither end up dead.

TL;DR: What the Fang? is one of those books that I would recommend picking up if you’re simply looking for a purely entertaining read—it’s one that you don’t have to think much about and can happily consume in the span of a few hours, which is what I did and it was exactly what I was looking for!

This was a fun and light paranormal romance that I really enjoyed reading! For a book that’s less than 200 pages, this had a lot going on, from a steamy ‘fated’ romance, vamp attacks and abductions, mysterious elvish powers, and witchy subterfuge. There’s also a wee dragon that loves cuddles and he was entirely too adorable with his spunky attitude and puppy-like play! 😍

The book is set in an alternate reality where vampires and witches have outed themselves and now live amongst humans, and although I don’t read a lot of PNR, I found the characterisation of vampires and witches to be familiar enough for me to not be surprised. Although many elements of the plot are quite convenient and the twists are predictable, that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the read! However, I will say that if you’re looking for extensive world-building and well-developed characters, this probably won’t be the read for you!

Willa is a witch without powers and after being banished from her coven for failing the Summer Solstice rite, she relocates to one of the three vampire-ruled cities, Charleston, to run a bookstore and live a quiet life with her pet dragon, Ambrose. Willa is sassy, a dedicated friend, and I really liked her! She experiences a lot of exciting and shocking twists and turns throughout the story, but she never lets it knock her down. There were one or two moments that I got irritated with some of the choices she made but for the most part, she was pretty sensible for someone who had her life turned upside down. 😂 I adored her two vampire besties, Finnick and Gwen, and they had me cackling with glee with their cheeky banter and sass.

Then there’s Charleston Warden, Killian, a sexy, smouldering and powerful vampire who comes in all ‘dark-knight’ like to the rescue. Amidst all the upheaval, Killian is one of the steadfast and grounding forces that keep Willa going and I really liked his presence by her side, and though he comes to her rescue (often), he doesn’t step in to make her decisions for her or tell her what to do. The romance was extremely insta-love and while I’m not one for that trope, I somehow find myself a little more forgiving with it when it comes to PNR because I know the whole “fated mates/destined lovers” is a thing. Despite the insta vibes, Willa and Killian do have great chemistry and the tension between them built up well. Also, I don’t know why I didn’t expect it but this was surprisingly steamy! 🥵

Overall, this was a fast-paced and exciting read. Many of the elements are tied up quite neatly by the end of the book but the main conflict hasn’t been resolved, so I’m definitely keen to know what’ll happen next!

Have you read What the Fang? or is it on your TBR?