Monster Mash Smashdown: Beauty and the Beast (emphasis on Beast) week
Bitterburn by Ann Aguirre (2020)
Heat Factor: It’s cold in the castle but they make their own fires
Character Chemistry: Gothic with a side of romance
Plot: Beauty and the Beast, but in an ice castle, and the evil witch is still there
Overall: Slow pace, rich writing, creepy atmosphere, unique retelling
versus
His Beauty by Jack Harbon (2020)
Heat Factor: Horny AF
Character Chemistry: Beasts of a feather boink together
Plot: Beauty and the Beast, Disney .0, but with extra graphic violence
Overall: The TSR team is divided on this one
Review: Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh (2015)
Guild Hunter, Book #8
Heat Factor: This one’s a slow burn, but there is much discussion of “rutting” along the way
Character Chemistry: Naasir is looking for a mate to play secret games with and it turns out The Scholar wears two skins just like him
Plot: Naasir and Andromeda have to find the sleeping ancient Alexander before Archangel of Death Lijuan can find and kill him
Overall: This book is a ride and I enjoyed all of it.
Review: Her Wolf in the Wild by Rien Gray (2021)
Heat Factor: kissy → grinding interruptus → date night on a blanket next to the lake
Character Chemistry: understated fated mated
Plot: Woman on the run from abusive ex falls in with a pack of rogue werewolf bikers
Overall: it’s enjoyable
Monster Mash Smashdown: Books by C.M. Nascosta
Morning Glory Milking Farm
Heat Factor: Violet really wants that big bull dick (and meaty balls).
Character Chemistry: We’ve got some bossy daddy energy going on here.
Plot: Broke millennial takes pharmaceutical job “milking” (*wink*) minotaur bulls for the benefits and living wage then falls for a client.
Overall: Don’t be scared by the title or the premise. This book is *delightful*.
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Girls Weekend
Heat Factor: There’s a lot of sex (even kinky sex), but we wouldn’t call this book high heat because the plot banks the flames.
Character Chemistry: There are a lot of moving parts here (pun intended) so it’s hard to generalize.
Plot: Three friends go to an orc nudist colony for some casual hookups, two find guys and catch feelings.
Overall: Even though it’s literally a girls weekend at an orgy town, this book is so much more than “SPRING BREAK! TAKE OFF YOUR TOP!!” It’s weird. In a good way. And it might not be a genre romance?
Review: Unwritten Rules by K.D. Casey (2021)
Heat Factor: I mean, it is technically explicit sex, but it’s done in a vignette style until nearly the end, when it feels much more traditionally written
Character Chemistry: I had big feels, but it was because of Zach’s journey, not because of Zach and Eugenio together
Plot: Baseball players fall in love, but one refuses to come out and things fall apart. Until they get a second chance.
Overall: Y’all. I have just been on a whole emotional roller coaster.
