ARC Review: Wild Wicked Mate (Maple Hollow #2) by Laurie Gilmore

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Laurie Gilmore, comes a brand new small-town romance set in the quirky town of Maple Hollow!

The closer the proximity, the stronger the spark...

Phoebe and Theo have been best friends for years, never anything more, despite the sparks between them. And after ignoring her desire for so long, Fee has become adept at ignoring their connection.

Until now.

Because when Theo invites her on a road trip, Fee can’t say no. But the only thing separating them on their journey is the heated tension in the cab of his truck...

Acting on their attraction might change everything for Fee and Theo, but is it a risk they’re willing to take?

Title: Wild Wicked Mate (Maple Hollow #2)

Author: Laurie Gilmore

Publisher: Harper 360/Harper Collins

Expected Publication Date: October 20, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Harper 360/Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

To say I'm a Gilmore fan is an understatement. I really love her Dream Harbor series so it's no surprise I'm enjoying this series, as well. And I adore paranormal romance, which I don't think we see as much of these days. I tore through the first book of this series and then Gilmore left me with a cliffhanger! How dare she. So I was excited to jump into this one and see where it lead.

I will say, I loved the romance in this one. The pining, the will they/won't they, the close proximity, the sunshine/sunshine of Theo and Phoebe, the miscommunication of it all; it was all done very well. What I was disappointed in was the lack of plot related to the wolf packs and the town. I wanted to see how Lena was involved with this. Why Rafe was acting as he was. But there was barely any of this in the book. It was like Gilmore decided we didn't need to know any of that and she only focused on Theo and Fee's relationship. Don't get me wrong, I totally appreciated this and I loved seeing both their POVs for it. And the flashbacks leading up to present were a nice touch to build the relationship for us. But where was the overall advancement of the plot the books are based on? Where was the wolf pack rivalry tension? Where was the developers wanting to take over Maple Hollow and the lands surrounding it? I needed more of this as it's why the story truly exists in the first place. We do get a bit of a mystery as they try to locate Lena, but we don't get any information about why she was there or how it will impact the packs.

The character development is done very well in this book. We see more of who we met in the first book. Those characters become even more ingrained in the mind of the reader. And we see the development of characters that were just touched upon in the first book, mainly Theo and Fee since it's their story. One of my favorite parts of this series is the found family aspect of the story. Yes, there is true family, but all the friends that the characters make along the way and how those relationships become essential to their development is something I adore.

I will say there were times when the miscommunication between Theo and Fee really tried my patience and had me wanting to slap them both. They were hiding so much from each other (I know, I know, that was the point!) and I just wanted to grab them, shake them, and say, "snap out of it!""

Unfortunately, basing this book only on the relationship between Theo and Fee didn't satisfy me as much as if I had some other information about what was going on in the background. It dropped my rating by a star. This book picks up right where book 1 left off. If you have not read that book, don't read this. You'll surely be lost not having the background of the packs, the town, the general world building, and the supporting cast of characters. I still loved the writing. I still loved all the characters. The the sexy/spicy times had me sweating, a lot. I love a fated mates story.

I definitely have theories for who the next couple will be, at least the hints in the book put my brain there (though maybe Gilmore will surprise us and take a different path than what I'm hoping). I'm thinking the reasoning for keeping us in the dark about the underlying plot has to do with that story. I'm still anxious to read more in this world and hopeful Gilmore will turn the next book back to the underlying plot of the story. 

Author:

Laurie Gilmore is a #1 New York Times, Sunday Times, and Globe & Mail bestselling author who writes steamy small-town romance. Her Dream Harbor series is filled with quirky townsfolk, cozy settings, and swoon-worthy romance. The first book in the series, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, was featured on Good Morning America and was named the TikTok Shop Book of the Year 2024.

She loves finding books with the perfect balance of sweetness and spice and strives for that in her own writing. If you ever wished you lived in Stars Hollow (or that Luke and Lorelai would just get together already!) then her books are definitely for you.