Book Review: Big Bad Wolf by Laurie Gilmore

Official Synopsis: Ruby Bellerose lives on the edge of the woods, in a cottage more akin to a fairy tale than modern day life. Her love life is practically non-existent, and she keeps away from the whispered gossip that travels through Maple Hollow.\

Until a chance encounter with Rafe.

As mysterious as he is brooding, Ruby is drawn to the woodsman, curious to find out about the stranger who lives deep within the woods.

But Rafe is hiding a secret. And with something lurking in the shadowy forest, will Ruby find that Rafe is her knight in shining armor, or something altogether more dangerous…

You probably have seen Laurie Gilmore's name before as the author of the popular Dream Harbor Series, one that I personally really love as a cozy fall read.

Big Bad Wolf brings the same small town vibes with a mix of paranormal romance with werewolves and magic. Ruby Bellerose and her twin sister Lena have lived in the town of Maple Hollow since since after their parents died in a car accident when they were children. The town is a little, very, odd, with a cast of nosy characters will remind anyone who loves the Dream Harbor Series, some flashbacks to characters in that series. Ruby is working hard to provide for herself and her sister, who has been suffering from a mysterious health condition that keeps her from working and seems to be slowly killing her. Ruby is headstrong, an outcast in the town, working at the local bar as hard as she can. She deals with the people she has known forever, along with a few strangers, including the newcomer Rafe.

Rafe seems to have come out of no where, coming into Maple Hollow and immediately being noticed by everyone, including Ruby. His looming presence definitely doesn't let him just blend into the crowd, and his brooding outside the bar and trying to get Ruby to let him drive her home. Rafe is a mystery to everyone, and Ruby can't seem to stay away, he also can't seem to stay away from her. When the secrets of who Rafe is, and why he is suddenly in Maple Hollow start to come to light when another pack of wolves comes into the town looking for Lena, Ruby's sister, who may actually be seeing the future. Rafe is determined to keep Ruby safe from the other pack, but he also wants to keep her safe from him. As the only human he has loved before couldn't accept what he was, and ended up dead because of it. But Ruby isn't scared, and even with her pushing and prodding Rafe can't seem to keep himself away from her.

Overall, I really like Laurie Gilmore's writing and you can definitely see that she loves a good small town romance. I liked having the paranormal elements that were in the story. It also has a cliffhanger and I'm excited to see where the next book in the trilogy goes. One thing that really rubbed me the wrong way was how much Rafe was like 'nope we can't be together' only to give in, only to start the whole process over again. I understand where his worries and feelings were coming from, but that particular plot point happened too much for my taste. I didn't mind the mates thing in this story, since it does make sense for wolves, and overall I am left wondering what can happen next and with everyone else mentioned in the story with connections to magic.

If you are looking for a slightly more stakes paranormal romance with the same cozy town vibes as Dream Harbor, this might be the fall book for you! It does have many spicy moments, but there isn't that darker element that is sometimes present in werewolf novels. this book was a great first step into fall reads for me.

I rated this book 3.5 out of 5 stars!

Big Bad Wolf comes out September 8, 2026!

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