Fresh start. Grumpy Alpha. Chemistry that won’t quit.

Avine Bell is done dimming her sparkle for anyone. Armed with a temperamental hybrid, a lifetime of suppressed magic, and zero patience left for men, she’s starting fresh in Haven Shores—a quirky coastal town. But the moment she signs the deed to a rambling Victorian inn, she summons a grumpy Alpha to her doorstep. She’s not looking for a protector. Too bad the one who shows up looks like that—all broad shoulders, a sharp jaw, and eyes that make her forget what she was arguing about.

Theo Vance has spent years being the responsible one—protecting his pack, keeping the peace, and absolutely not looking for a mate. Then a magical shockwave from the cliffs sends his wolf into a tailspin, and suddenly he’s “inspecting wards” at the inn every other day. The stubborn, silver-streaked witch who owns the place won’t take his advice, won’t stop arguing with him, and won’t stop making his wolf howl mine every time she’s near. And when she pins him with those fierce eyes, hands on her hips? He forgets why he came.

When someone starts sabotaging the inn, Avine needs help—even if that help comes with fangs, a hero complex, and hands she can’t stop imagining on her skin. But working together means late nights, lingering touches, and fighting an attraction that threatens to consume them both. Theo knows she’s his fated mate. Avine’s just starting to trust her own magic again. Can they stop the sabotage and take a chance on forever?

Titles in the Haven Shores series include:  Hexin’ the Wolf ~ Hex on the Rocks ~ Bearly Hexed ~ Hexin’ Up a Storm ~ Candlelight Hex ~ Mane Hex ~

This story may include language, potential violence, and/or sexual content intended for an adult audience 18+.

Title:  Hexin’ the Wolf
Series:  Haven Shores #1
Author:  Milly Taiden
Published:  May 3, 2026
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Hexin’ the Wolf begins the Haven Shores series with a captivating romance full of new beginnings, accepting one’s strengths, finding the “family” who really “gets” you, and the man who would face down anything to save your life.  Yeah.  Pretty powerful beginning, and I loved everything about Avine and Theo’s romance.  There is a reason that Milly Taiden is an author that I will grab anything she’s written, and the start of Haven Shores just proves that point once again.

Avine is newly divorced from a man who constantly made her feel small, dismissed her magical abilities as unimportant, and never allowed her to be her true self.  Due to some meddling from her great-aunt, Avine has purchased a dilapidated inn, sight unseen, in Haven Shores, a small coastal supernatural community.  This is where her fresh start will come to life, leaving everything painful far behind in the rearview mirror.  She might have just a small chip on her shoulder, for she’ll never, ever allow a man to make her disappear again.  She’s not afraid to stand up for herself, perhaps too prideful right now to accept help from any male.  Yeah, Avine has issues, and her attitude stems from the marriage she finally escaped.

The moment that Avine signed the deed to the inn, a wave of supernatural energy pulsed out through the house, and through the town, announcing the changes that were instantly happening at the inn and in Avine’s life.  Theo, the local Alpha of the wolf pack, felt it just like everyone else, but he felt more…his wolf felt more and insisted that their mate was behind this magical surge.  Theo’s not looking for a mate; he’s got enough on his plate between the town, his pack, and the magic that’s messing with the protection wards around town.  Too bad fate has other plans for this couple… and they can try, but they cannot outrun fate.

I enjoyed Hexin’ the Wolf so much.  There are disturbances at the inn that will draw Avine and Theo even closer.  While attempting to solve that issue, they’ll both begin to lower their walls and acknowledge the sensual tension between them, the pull neither can deny.  They both have reasons to resist the attraction, and good reasons to finally accept what fate has handed them.  The troubles at the inn were intriguing, danger was very evident, and the source was interesting to finally track down.  We get to meet Avine’s “coven,” including Cassia, Dahlia, Junie, and Narla.  Witches who welcomed her with open arms and differing magical abilities.  I’m hoping that each of these ladies will eventually have their own story told.  We also met Beck, Theo’s beta, his second… and I really want Beck’s story.  In all, I had a great time in this new world, and I’ll happily look forward to each new story in the series.  If you love a good Paranormal Romance, then you’d love Hexin’ the Wolf.

I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

If you enjoy this author’s work, be sure to visit our Milly Taiden page for reviews of other series, or simply to discover series you might have missed.

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