THROWING SHADE by Deborah Wilde

If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would.
 
There were so many things that drew me into this story. Miriam, for one, was fabulous. Intelligent, funny, and real (magic aside). When we meet her, we get a glimpse of her everyday life…one many of us can relate to. She’s a single mom, working a job that she doesn’t necessarily love but doesn’t hate. She’s also reached that age where she’s learned when to bit her tongue because of priorities like keeping her job so she can keep paying her mortgage and feeding her daughter and wanting to tell the jerks of the world to shove it.
 
Her internal monologue had me cracking up (maybe because it’s how I think), but so did the banter between Miri and her best friend, her daughter, her ex-husband (who is not a bad guy), and pretty much everyone she comes into contact with outside of work. 
 
I loved that she had brains. OMG! So refreshing to read about not only a smart heroine (she’s a librarian and full of random facts) but also one that has common sense. She’s loyal to a fault. 
 
The world-building was interesting, as was the different mythos being told. This story was refreshing. It was the perfect blend of something new yet old. It was also a fabulous blend of dark moments and great one-liners to lift the tone when needed. 
 
Full disclosure…this is not a paranormal romance. Yes, there is sexual tension between Miri and Laurent (the hot, broody French werewolf), but that’s not the central part of this story. This is paranormal women’s fiction. This is about Miriam’s journey, of her learning to accept her magic and learning to live the life she was meant to live. 
 
This was my first Deborah Wilde book, and I am so looking forward to the next book in this series because we all need kickass heroines like Miri in our lives.