Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
A debut slow-burn work-nemesis romance set in a world where cryptids and monsters are a part of life . . . and someone has to do the paperwork.
Working in human resources was not what Alexys had in mind when she joined Entity, the private company that categorizes and manages the world’s cryptids. But after her dad was killed on the job as a Warden in the Appalachian Mountains, she was filled with noble ideas of carrying on his legacy . . . from the safety of a desk. Alexys dreams of climbing the corporate ladder while managing the Appalachian Wardens and sparring with Nic, the frustrating (and annoyingly attractive) Director of Research and Cataloging.
When one of Alexys’s new Wardens goes missing after inquiring about a mysterious and highly dangerous monster, her chances of promotion disappear along with him. Determined to save her career—and to shield the Warden’s family from the trauma she experienced after losing her father on the job—she marches off into the monster-infested wilderness to find him herself.
Meanwhile, Nic, with ambitions of becoming the youngest Entity employee to discover a new monster, follows Alexys on her hunt. But the work nemeses are about to discover why the Appalachian Mountains are the last place you want to find yourself after dark. Among mountains older than bones, the jackalopes and ghouls are the least of their worries . . .
My Review
Full disclosure: I went to college in Appalachia, and I can personally confirm that those mountains are genuinely, specifically spooky in a way that is hard to explain to people who haven’t experienced it. So a horror paranormal romance set there? I was immediately on board! The setting is an absolute highlight of this book, and the author uses it really well.
(Mostly) Human Resources follows Alexys, an HR manager at Entity, a private company that categorizes and manages the world’s cryptids. When a new Warden goes missing, she marches off into the monster-infested wilderness to find him herself, which brings her into the orbit of Nic, her frustrating and annoyingly attractive work nemesis. The cryptid lore is so fun and well developed, the writing style is genuinely creepy, and the slow burn between Alexys and Nic is exactly the right pace. I loved that this book just shows the very beginning of their relationship blossoming rather than rushing to smash them together. The bickering is fun, though I do think it took a little too long for them to start transitioning from rivals to something warmer.
My main frustration was Alexys herself. She’s clearly excellent at her HR job, but she runs into a field assignment spectacularly ill-prepared and then seems to repeat the same mistakes without really learning from them. I also wished that Elliot, the missing Warden she goes after, had a more established relationship with Alexys before his disappearance. As a brand new employee, it was a little hard to believe she’d charge into the wilderness for him specifically. That said, this is clearly a series with room to grow, and I’m genuinely hopeful that Alexys levels up her street smarts in the next book. A fun, quick, creepy read that I finished in two days, and I’m looking forward to the next in the series!
THE GOOD:
- The Appalachian setting is atmospheric, specific, and genuinely spooky
- The cryptid lore is creative and really well developed
- The slow burn between Alexys and Nic is exactly the right pace
- Parts of this book are legitimately creepy
- A quick, fun, compelling read
- Strong X-Files energy throughout
THE NOT-AS-GOOD:
- Alexys makes the same mistakes repeatedly without seeming to learn from them
- Elliot needed a more established relationship with Alexys to make her mission feel truly motivated
- The transition from work rivals to something warmer took a little too long
- I don’t think Nic was actually that annoying as a work rival? I think he was a little bit of a know-it-all, but seemed pretty good at his job
THE NEUTRAL:
- This is clearly book one of a series with a lot of room to grow, so manage expectations accordingly
- The romance is just beginning here, so if you want a fully resolved slow burn, you may need to wait for future installments
OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐.5
(Mostly) Human Resources is a fun, creepy, quick paranormal romance with a genuinely spooky Appalachian setting, great cryptid lore, and a slow burn worth sticking around for.
PERFECT FOR:
- Fans of the X-Files and paranormal workplace settings
- Readers who love a slow burn work nemesis romance
- Anyone obsessed with cryptids and monster lore
- Fans of Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe
- Readers who appreciate genuinely atmospheric, creepy settings
