Bored Gay Werewolf

The first half of this book is pretty great. It's an engaging look at how people can get sucked into cultish activities. The cult leader (Taylor) starts with genuinely improving Brian's life by providing structure, fitness, and belonging. It's a fun look into that whole Andrew Tate-ish scene as well. Maybe fun isn't the right word... It's a safe insight without needing to feel fully disgusted.
The second half sort of loses it a bit. It all wraps up too neatly and quickly, and Brian comes out with perfectly scripted lines, that yes, we'd LOVE to say, but I wasn't convinced. It very much felt like the voice of the author being inserted (as much as I agree with what he's saying). It affected the narrative flow. Abe's addition towards the end also felt very rushed, as was Brian's friend's immediate acceptance of his lycanthropy. I wasn't quite sure I understood the rules of the universe, and why they were so ready to accept his supernatural state.
Overall, for a first novel this is very solid and the author shows a lot of promise. I think some tightening up at the second half would have improved it a lot. Enjoyable read nonetheless!