Wolf Gone Wild

High-energy metaphysical mystery, solid contemporary supernatural worldbuilding, and a friends-to-lovers romance with instant heat simmering beneath the surface all come together deliciously in the Stay a Spell series launch from Cross (the Nightwing series), which was originally self-published in 2020. Several months into the curse that prevents metal sculptor and werewolf Mateo Cruz from shifting and instead leaves his wolf side, nicknamed Alpha, trapped in his head as a constant sex- and violence-obsessed sidekick, he seeks out the assistance of Eveleen Savoie, a hex-breaking member of New Orleans’s preeminent witch family. When Mateo discovers that Evie’s presence calms the wolf inside him so he can work, he hires her to spend a few hours each day hanging out while her family works on breaking the curse, and she agrees despite her sister’s prohibition on socializing with werewolves. Hearing Alpha’s salacious interjections about Evie in Mateo’s head despite his best attempts to keep their relationship platonic is both hot and hilarious, and the couple’s nerdy bonding over Star Wars and comic books keeps the connection interesting even before the erotic aspects emerge. Cross develops the magical Savoie family in enough detail to support the rest of the series and foreshadows just enough about the other sisters’ personal lives to spur readers to check out later installments. This is utterly enchanting. (Oct.)