Moon Called

Mercy Thompson is a VW mechanic who turns into a coyote, and Patricia Briggs makes that combination feel completely natural. The supernatural politics here—werewolf packs, vampire seethe hierarchies, fae reservations—are genuinely well-constructed rather than decorative worldbuilding. Mercy herself is the draw: competent, practical, funny without trying to be, and refreshingly not interested in anyone's alpha posturing. The romance with Adam barely simmers in book one (this is a long-game series), but the mystery plot moves fast and the first-person voice hooks you immediately. If you've bounced off other urban fantasy heroines, give Mercy a shot.