Monsters Are Real, by Shana Congrove, is a Christian paranormal romantic suspense novel about Beth Crane, a woman whose quiet life with her devoted husband, Eric, is shattered after a violent animal attack leaves her changed in ways no doctor can explain. What begins as fear in the dark slowly turns into a story about lycanthropy, trauma, faith, marriage, motherhood, and the terrifying question of whether love can hold steady when something monstrous takes root inside a person.

What stood out to me first was how personal the story feels. Beth’s voice is direct and emotional, and the book spends a lot of time inside her fear, confusion, and guilt. I could feel her trying to make sense of a body that no longer obeys her and a life that suddenly feels unsafe. Congrove leans into devotion, especially through Eric, whose love for Beth becomes one of the book’s strongest anchors. Sometimes that tenderness is sweet and grounding. Other times, it almost feels idealized, but I think that is part of the point. This is a paranormal romance as much as it’s a horror story, and the marriage at the center gives the darker elements something warm to press against.

The author also makes some bold choices with faith and the werewolf mythology. The monster is not just a creature in the woods. It becomes a symbol for anger, inherited pain, temptation, and the parts of ourselves we are afraid to face. I liked that idea. It gives the supernatural elements a more reflective edge. The pacing can be intense, with dramatic twists, emotional confrontations, and danger that keeps circling closer to home. The dialogue and emotional beats are very clear-cut, but there is sincerity here, and that sincerity matters. The book knows what it believes in: love, commitment, sacrifice, prayer, and the hope that people are not beyond saving.

I would recommend Monsters Are Real to readers who enjoy paranormal romantic suspense with Christian themes, especially those who like werewolf stories that focus as much on marriage, family, and faith as they do on fear and bloodshed. It’s best for readers who want a heartfelt supernatural story with a strong emotional core, a protective love story, and a belief that even in the darkest woods, light still has a way of finding its way through.

Pages: 242 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0H1HVQKYW