Some towns are built on secrets. Hollow Pines is made of them.
When city-born Nate Harrington is uprooted to the rain-soaked wilds of Hollow Pines, he expects to be the outcast. Armed only with a camera and a restless heart, he’s determined to keep his head down, survive the stares, and maybe—just maybe—find a piece of himself that wasn’t broken by the life he left behind.
But Hollow Pines isn’t just another sleepy town at the edge of nowhere. There are eyes in the forest, shadows that move where they shouldn’t, and every smile in town hides something sharp beneath. Nate knows he’s being watched—by classmates who know each other too well, by teachers who dodge innocent questions, and by a beautiful, silent boy with secrets in his bones.
Evan Callahan has spent his life holding back—his words, his grief, his true nature. As the son of the local alpha, he’s meant to be strong, stoic, and unbreakable. But the weight of his mother’s death and the legacy he never asked for threaten to crush him every day. The only thing that makes him feel alive is the quiet call of the forest…and the strange, stubborn new boy who refuses to be afraid.
Drawn together by curiosity, loneliness, and a connection that feels older than memory, Nate and Evan find themselves caught between human and wolf, outsider and heir, longing and fear. But in a town where the line between hunter and hunted is always shifting, the cost of trust might be more than either is willing to pay.
Because some secrets are hungry. Some legacies come with claws. And in Hollow Pines, falling for the wrong boy might be the most dangerous thing of all.
Perfect for fans of slow-burn queer romance, supernatural intrigue, and stories where the most dangerous monsters wear familiar faces. Step into Hollow Pines…and don’t look away.
Evernight pulled me in from the first page and never let go. It’s the kind of story that creeps into your bones and makes you feel every word. Nate and Evan aren’t just characters...they’re two broken souls orbiting each other in a town that feels alive and watching.
The writing? Absolutely gorgeous. It’s cinematic, emotional, and hauntingly intimate. Every scene feels like mist on your skin. Quiet, heavy, and full of secrets. The tension between Nate (the restless city boy) and Evan (the quiet heir with a wolf beneath his skin) builds with perfect precision. It’s slow, tender, and dangerous all at once.
This isn’t just a romance...it’s about belonging, grief, and the way some people feel like home even when everything else burns.
If you love atmospheric settings, found families tangled in old magic, and slow-burn connections that make your chest ache…this one’s for you.
Wow, at the end of this book, you have to collect yourself and find the words. It completely captivated me. It starts slowly, telling how Nate and Evan grow closer in their youth, both so vulnerable and not yet knowing where their lives will take them. Nevertheless, a strong bond develops between the two, which goes far beyond normal friendship. Their paths separate, but they never forget each other—when they meet again after six years, they have to find themselves and each other again. Nate discovers a completely different side to Evan, frightening but yet it feels so right. It feels like coming home, to a world that goes beyond normal thinking and understanding. Yes, I cried several times while reading. The story is deeply moving and incredibly well written. It is full of passion and strength. The spicy scenes are hot and very detailed 😉🔥 🌶️! I really enjoyed immersing myself in this mystical world. I think I've just arrived in my wolf shifter era 😅🐺🖤! And I can wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone!
Evernight completely swept me away, and I am so grateful to have received an ARC of this fantastic book.
This book is a perfect blend of eerie small-town atmosphere, slow-burn romance, and thrilling paranormal conflict that had me hooked from the first page.
The story follows Nate, who moves with his family to the unsettling town of Hollow Pines, where the locals' stares are anything but welcoming. As the new kid, he feels like an outsider until a chance encounter with a mysterious, silent boy named Evan changes everything. The connection between them is immediate and profound, and I loved watching their bond develop through their shared artistry, Nate with his camera and Evan with his sketches.
This is so much more than a simple shifter romance. Evan is a beautifully broken character, an alpha heir burdened by a traumatic past and responsibilities he never wanted. His and Nate's relationship is a gentle, comforting space for both of them, and the author does an incredible job making you feel every moment of their connection, their heartbreak, and their struggle to find their way back to each other years later.
The world-building is excellent. The mix of humans and wolves in Hollow Pines feels natural, and the looming threat of a war with a mysterious enemy adds a constant, gripping tension. Just when I thought I had a handle on the story, several brilliant plot twists completely recontextualized everything, raising the stakes exponentially. The last third of the book is an emotional and action-packed rollercoaster that I could not put down.
Evernight is a powerful story about finding where you belong, accepting who you are, and fighting for the ones you love. It ends on a note that is both satisfying and utterly tantalizing, leaving me with so many questions about Evan's mother, Nate's true nature, and the future of this world. I am already desperately awaiting the sequel!
Two boys. One love almost lost. A second chance to step out of the dark and into who they were always meant to be.
Love sometimes grows like a secret garden in the dark, watered only by glances and what-ifs. In Evernight by Ken Sanchez, we follow Nate and Evan, two boys caught between who they are and who the world insists they should be. Their friendship is a tightrope strung over years of longing, silence, and the chasm that insecurity loves to widen.
Nate flees their small town for Chicago, determined to reinvent himself, only to be humbled by a city that chews up dreams without apology. His return feels like a retreat, a confession stamped by failure. Yet fate, mischievous as ever, tosses Evan back into his orbit. The collision is immediate. The chemistry they once buried sparks right back to life, bright and terrifying.
But the past has sharp teeth. Old fears, old wounds, and those unnamed shadows that linger at the edges of identity threaten to drag them under again. Sanchez crafts these unseen forces with a delicate, aching suspense. It is not just the question of “Can they choose each other?” but “Can they choose themselves?”
What makes this story shine is its tenderness. The romance simmers quietly beneath layers of self-discovery. It honors the very real battles of queer youth navigating family expectations, masculinity, and authenticity. The prose feels like moonlight: soft, secretive, illuminating what has long been hidden.
Evernight asks whether love can survive the dark. Better yet, whether love can help coax someone into their own sunrise.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love the banter in this book. I really loved each and everyone of the side characters not just the main character, characters, Nate and Evan. I really loved the slow burn that took years and I thought it was a really good payoff. The chemistry between the two is just so phenomenal. I laughed and cried at so many parts and I can’t wait to read other books by this author, especially book 2 in this series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Out of 5 Stars ⭐️
🌶️ / Spice Rating ☀️
# of Pages 🌙 513 pages
Release Date 🌟 10/24/25
Format 💫 Gifted Digital Copy
Series 🌙 Wild Moon, #1
Genre/Tropes ✨ Slow burn, contemporary romance, MM, paranormal romance, supernatural romance, werewolves, witches, werewolf X human, friends to lovers, childhood friends to lovers,
Favorite Character ☀️ Evan
Favorite Line 🌟 ‘I'd fucked up at school, fucked up with friends, fucked up so completely that even my guidance counselor had suggested a “change of scenery” might be beneficial. Code for: your kid's a mess and we don't know how to fix him.’
“You're an idiot, a brooding, emotionally constipated idiot who's going to die alone surrounded by his sketches and his daddy issues.”
“I don't have daddy issues.”
“I'm starting to think you might be my personal guardian angel. Very mysterious, very brooding, excellent timing. You're like a superhero, but with better hair.”
“You two. The longing looks. The careful not-touching that somehow feels more intimate than actual touching. It's like watching the world's most polite mating dance.”
I don’t even know where to start because Evernight completely swallowed me whole. It’s eerie, emotional, and absolutely drenched in atmosphere the kind of story that makes you feel like you’ve accidentally stepped into a dream where everything is just a little too quiet… until it’s not.
We follow Nate, a city boy who’s been dragged to this damp, little town in the middle of nowhere. He’s just trying to blend in, keep to himself, and not get eaten alive. Then he meets Evan silent, broody, sketchbook-carrying heartbreak personified. And that’s it. Game over.
Their connection is slow, tender, and impossibly deep. You can feel it building in the quiet moments the unspoken words, the glances that last too long, the kind of chemistry that makes your chest ache.
There’s darkness lurking under every smile in Hollow Pines, and the author does not hold back. There are twists that had me blinking at my Kindle like “excuse me, what just happened?”
The writing is stunning. The pacing, the tension, the constant sense of something watching it’s perfectly done. It’s slow burn, it’s friends to strangers to friends to lovers, it’s yearning on steroids. And when it hits, damn It hurts.
By the end, I was emotionally compromised, and already counting down to book two. There’s mystery, heartbreak, and a love story that’s equal parts tender and tragic.
In short: Evernight is a haunting, beautiful mess of love, legacy, and claws. Hollow Pines can keep its secrets I’m never leaving.
“When did you get so wise?” I asked. “When I had to learn how to live without you and still function like a normal human being.” The honesty in his voice made my chest ache with all the time we'd lost, all the conversations we'd never had, all the ways we'd both learned to be whole without the other half of whatever we'd been together. “For what it's worth,” I said, “I never learned how to live without you. I just got really good at pretending I had.” Evan's smile was soft around the edges, sad and hopeful in equal measure. “Maybe that's something we can work on together.”
I really enjoyed this book. It was such a beautiful multi-faceted second chance romance. Great world building and wonderful characters. I loved both Evan and Nate. I found them both to be relatable, and they had their own insecurities and vulnerabilities to work through. The connection and draw between them is still there and I liked the way they communicated and opened up. As much as the story is about their relationship, it's also about the forging of their own paths for themselves beyond what is expected of them. There were some really cute and funny moments, too. I also liked the supporting characters and the setting of this world. 4 stars
This is my first book by this author. I have to say that I was impressed. I really liked his story, the characters are well developed, and it touches on themes such as selective mutism, grief, and failure.
It's a slow burn, from friends to strangers to friends to lovers.
It has the typical themes of the genre, but it puts a twist on them.
Nate and Evan made me cry, laugh, and feel anxious...
The story tells us how Nate has to move to another town because he seems to be a student who doesn't fit in anywhere. He likes photography and goes everywhere with his camera. On his first day at the new high school, he meets Evan, a somewhat lonely boy who communicates in writing because he doesn't speak. We'll find out why.
Little by little, they become friends, but just as they begin to develop feelings for each other, his story is cut short.
Evan has secrets he can't tell Nate.
+ i want to thank the author for the ARC. This is my voluntary and honest opinion+
First time reading this author's work and am so impressed! This is the kind of slow burn fantasy I absolutely LOVE! It's deep with dark elements but also hopeful with sweet, lighthearted moments. The broader cast of characters and facet of found family are incredibly endearing and captivating.
The fantasy aspect is so believable and a masterful piece of framework that reads like an immersive experience. Written with a perfect blend of whimsy and darkness that's engaging and mysterious.
The romance! The depth and development of Nate and Evan, as individuals and as a couple, are raw, real, vulnerable, and intense. The yearning had my heart aching, and the excitement of that yearning finally becoming a reality had my heart screaming. And when the spice hits, omg, it HITS. Gold star brand of filth, Evan is dirtyyy 🤭🫣🥵🧎🏻��️
This book completely wrecked me in the best way possible. I couldn’t pick up another book for days because I was still obsessing over everything I’d just read. The fantasy world was rich, vivid, and utterly immersive. I felt like I was living in it. And let’s talk about the slow burn between Nate and Evan. Pure perfection and definitely had me kicking my feet in the air like a school girl. Every moment between them was filled with tension, heart, and that delicious anticipation. Add in the eerie mysteries surrounding Hollow Pines and the jaw-dropping twists, and you’ve got a story that keeps you hooked from start to finish. If you’re looking for a book that will consume you, make you feel everything, and leave you wanting more this is the book for you!
This was an incredible read. The way you are immersed in the small town of Hollow Pines by getting to know Nate and Evan.Because Nate is new in this small town, you get to see the journey it takes for him individually to get used to everything and not feel like an outsider all the time. Evan’s journey is also not an easy one, as he is put with many expectations, and still mourning the loss of his mother is still there.These two really put me on a roller coaster of emotions, and the slow burn was exquisitely satisfying; it was such a nice way for their friendship and feelings to develop smoothly.Overall, Evan and Nate were able to get to my heart, and reading them was something that soothed me, and their relationship was just amazing.
Ken Sanchez is back with a new series, and there are wolves, second chances, secrets, and a love so strong it breaks all logic! Nate and Evan meet as loners in HS. Evan commands the spaces he enters, and Nate desires to fit into his new community. The talkative outcast befriends the quiet Callahan boy, and their lives will never be the same. The life they have begun to build without knowing it, comes to an abrupt end when life means one has to go and one must stay. Six years later, both boys, now men, are back in Hollow Pines, and their worlds have changed. They now understand their gravitational pull to one another, but is it enough to turn into a love for the ages?
You will absolutely fall in love in these guys and their struggles. The longing they experience with tear at your hwartstrings but the payoff is worth it!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What a moving story that took its time to introduce two compelling characters and then give their relationship time to evolve. This slow burn was well done. Nate and Evan were such a good pairing and well suited. Both a bit broken, both in search of and finding a stranger who becomes a friend and over a span of time the chemistry evolves them into more. The secondary characters were also well drawn. This story has layers that made it engaging and made me want to travel their journey with them to resolution.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
It’s all the things spooky season needs.. but like not at the same time 😂
Mystery, intrigue, secrets and hidden truths.
Evan is a quiet boy, heir to the wolf throne. And Nate is a curious human boy.
Ken Sanchez writes a twisting, turning, small town- second chance romance that grabs your attention from the jump. I love this a lot! The side characters added so much to the story line. Except Calder- he can eat A BAG!
Also- Evan mouth - it’s always the quiet ones 🥵🔥🖤🫶🏼🫶🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼
I love reading books by Ken when I want "more" from a story and this certainly delivered! Such a well written storyline with plenty of tension and twists. Fantastic characters who completely endeared themselves to me. What I especially loved was that it was not one of the usual fast paced romance shifter books as there was so much depth to the plot as well as the characters. Highly recommend.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Amazing story of Nate Harrington and Evan Callahan, classmates in the small town of Hollow Pines. Their connection is immediate, but neither wants to acknowledge. When circumstances change in town there's no denying it. Loved these characters, the storyline, the writing style and the fantasy aspect of this story. Basically it was perfect.
Sometimes we don't know what we have until we lose it and the lucky ones get a chance to fix that. This is a story of how being different can hurt even if you don't show it and when you find someone who understands you letting go is a hard option.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Oh wow, an amazing read. Im not usually into second chances or slow burn but this didnt feel like either. The pacing and story telling was just so good. The love between Nate and Evan bigger than everything else🤍 I can't wait for more!!
This is a fine, first, book in a new shifters series. We have a romance between a human boy Nate and a werewolf boy Evan. The romance between them develops slowly with the passing years. The plot was interesting.
Nate moves to hollow pines with his mom and dad just wanting to belong somewhere. He meets the silent Evan and they grow closer, until life finds them going in different paths for a time. This is a beautiful story the writing is brilliant, it’s a slow burn, it’s also deeply moving and captivating