I sank his ship. Now the wolf wants to sink his teeth into me.

One uncontrollable storm. One grumpy river captain with storm-gray eyes, wave tattoos, and a growl that does dangerous things to my insides. Rafe Lupeus says I’m his mate. I say I’m a walking natural disaster who’s better off alone.

Too bad his wolf doesn’t take no for an answer. And too bad every time he looks at me like he’s already claimed me, the sky answers with lightning I can barely control.

Now some rival is digging up my ugly past, trying to break me with artifacts and old ghosts. But I’m done running. Done hiding. If the storm inside me has to come out, I’m aiming it at the man who keeps showing up—wet, shirtless, and way too calm about the fact that I might accidentally electrocute him in bed.

He says he can handle my chaos.  We’ll see if the big bad wolf can handle me.

Titles in the Shifter Mates of Hollow Oak series (connection to Hollow Oak Mates series) include:  Fetch Me a Mate ~ Panthering After You ~ License to Howl ~ Ain’t Lion, I Love You ~ Stripes Don’t Lie ~ Big Bear Energy ~ Match Made in Growl ~ Howl You Like Me Now ~

This story may contain language, violence, and/or sexual situations intended for an adult 18+ audience.

Release date: July 9, 2026

Title:  Howl You Like Me Now
Series:  Shifter Mates of Hollow Oak #8
Author:  Kala Aster and Milly Taiden
Published:  July 9, 2026
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Howl You Like Me Now is the eighth title in the Shifter Mates of Hollow Oak series, a spin-off of the Hollow Oak Mates series.  Rafe, a wolf shifter and the captain of his own river cargo ship, and Isla, a fae stormcaller who is still struggling to control her abilities, are about to meet in a perfect storm.  And one nasty piece of work will try everything in their power to destroy one and use the other for their own nefarious reasons.

I enjoyed Rafe and Isla’s romance so much.  Each of them, in their own way, is dealing with their past… especially since the past seems to have caught up with the present in a dangerous way.  Their story is full of finding acceptance, facing down a vile villain, and danger both natural and supernatural.  Isla will have to face some hard truths from her past and finally have the courage to stay.  Rafe let a past incident slide, only for that person to show up and cause even more damage to him and his mate.  As each fights the attraction and the growing bond between them, they also have to fight outside forces bent on destroying them and Hollow Oak… that’s not going to happen.

Howl You Like Me Now is an intense paranormal/shifter romance that’s well-written, emotional, and passionate, with danger lurking at every turn- the kind of danger that begins insidious and builds to a fever pitch that will either unite or destroy both this couple and this town.  I enjoyed every moment of this journey for Rafe and Isla and would highly recommend not only this story but the series to any reader who loves to fall into a well-woven world that begs you to return often.  If that sounds like your kind of paranormal/shifter romance, then you’d love this one.

I love this series.  Every new addition brings a smile to my face, and another couple to enjoy as they face danger and admit their feelings, their need for each other.  What holds this series together for me are the townsfolk of Hollow Oak.  Seeing familiar faces throughout each new story, remembering those earlier stories will always feel special to me.  And I enjoy each new aspect of the community, as this time we’ll discover a very strong river connection to this magical small town.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

If you enjoy these authors’ work, be sure to visit our Kala Aster page or our Milly Taiden page for reviews of other series, or simply to discover series you might have missed.

This title is available at Amazon