T
The Secret Librarian
April 19, 2026
Verified Purchase
PoV: dual, 1st person
Genre: paranormal romance, MM
Tropes / tags: neighbours to lovers, humour, found family
I picked this one up while being home with a cold, as I was in the mood for something sweet and fun - and this one definitely delivered! Seeing a hellhound finding new homes for the ‘stray humans’ he found being held captive while he was hunting rotten souls was strangely endearing (and often hilarious).
Dex and Toby’s story was super entertaining, and I really enjoyed the banter, found family and suspense. Shannon Mae had me giggling way too much throughout the story, especially at Dex, who was convinced that he was great at acting human while actively failing epically at it. And him accidentally setting the bed on fire because he couldn’t control his hellhound after his first time with Toby? So hot!
How to Flirt with a Hellhound had the perfect combination of humour, sweetness and steam - and even though I wasn’t sure about the tail at first, it totally worked here!
This is the first book I have read by this author and it was fantastic.
I loved the 2 MCs and all the side characters. This was sweet, funny, and steamy. I loved the cluelessness of Dex about human ways. I loved how Toby got lost in his stories and imagination.
These two were perfect for each other. I’m looking forward to the next book! I’m really hoping Sebbie gets his book soon too!!
I
Insatiable Succubooks
October 1, 2024
Verified Purchase
Delightfully fun, sweet and hellhound hot!
This was just a pure delight! Making golden retriever energy into supernatural hot is pretty much the best thing to ever happen to fantasy imo, and this is the best I've yet to find!
Dex and Toby are both adorable and hilarious and all of the secondary characters were loveable. The world building was complete enough to feel effortless and real, like this could happen to anyone lucky enough XD
The author was absolutely truthful when she said the darker elements happen 90% off page, and what we do see is pretty tame. I'm really squeamish so I appreciate getting the interrogator tail wagging hellhound without having to suffer through reading the actual torment part of his job description!
Super fun read, one of my favorites of the year so far. I know I'll go back to more than once and I can't wait for the next book! I definitely recommend this one. 10/10, no notes, would read again and again.
This is a delightfully quirky, very well-written, and sweetly entertaining story with interesting characters and an excellent use of supernatural elements.
I was recommended this story after devouring Alice Winters catalog and I am so glad it came across my screen. The author is indeed talented and should be a recommended read. I look forward to exploring more work from Shannon Mae in the coming weeks.
Do yourself a favor and read this one (though I do wish I’d read the “Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures” series first simply to have the back story of Dexter’s meeting with Cassius and his mate; it’s not necessary because the author does a good job of establishing the foundation you need from that story, but it sounds like a great read so I’m going back to it before I begin Quinton and Liam’s story).
This book just made my heart happy. It was actually a very light and fluffy novel (for the most part). The humor was paramount here, and I just enjoyed how adorable and awkward Toby was. Dex was a perfect fit with his protectiveness and amusing views of humans.
There was not a lot in the way of relationship development in this book. These two went from 0 to 60 in about a minute, it seemed like, but it was absolutely amusing and adorable, and I enjoyed it. This pacing did fit in the story, and although I wish this book was longer so there could be further development, the book was super fun and I absolutely cannot wait for more books to come out in this series!!!
Tropes Include:
MM Love Interests
Dual POV
Human x Hellhound
Neighbors-to-Lovers
Found Family
Stalker (not MMCs)
Protective/Possessive Hellhound
Cute/Clueless Human Writer
Medium Spice
Low Angst
HEA
