Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Loved this, and I will be reading absolutely everything this author puts out. It’s just such a fun read and all the characters are always so loveable!
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
4 🌶️
for a short story collection i really enjoyed this one!! i thought it was well-written. its a monster mixer so i expected some really steamy scenes...& this delivered!! its very thoughtful & inclusive in all its representaions. this also showed a good example of consent & open communication prior to all the juicy bits🔥 my favorite tho was anything with vance🤠i would have also loved to hear more about what happened to charlotte & jackson afterwards. so im really looking forward to more of author robin jo margaret's future works incase she decides to continue my fave characters' stories!!
for a short story collection i really enjoyed this one!! i thought it was well-written. its a monster mixer so i expected some really steamy scenes...& this delivered!! its very thoughtful & inclusive in all its representaions. this also showed a good example of consent & open communication prior to all the juicy bits🔥 my favorite tho was anything with vance🤠i would have also loved to hear more about what happened to charlotte & jackson afterwards. so im really looking forward to more of author robin jo margaret's future works incase she decides to continue my fave characters' stories!!
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thank you so much to author Robin Jo Margaret for allowing me to be a part of their permanent ARC team! All opinions within this review are voluntarily given and entirely my own.
“Five stories. Four relationships. One place where they all met.”
I’ve read and enjoyed other stories featuring clubs, parties, etc. with a similar purpose to Monster Mixer (A Long Time Dead by Samara Breger, and An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson, off the top of my head), and so I appreciated an anthology that provides a more eclectic view of a similar occasion. Monster Mixer Vol. One has excellent representation— a variety of queer identities (gay, pansexual, bisexual, trans man, trans woman), an autistic character, a polyamorous relationship, and diverse body types represented.
I did find myself left wanting when it came to River and Silas’s relationship— the ending of the anthology felt a bit abrupt, and this pairing seemed to have incredible chemistry! I would have loved a chapter for River and Silas similar to the chapter Jaime and Vance had following their initial meeting (even if their relationship dynamic is different from Jaime and Vance’s). I hope to see more of River and Silas in a future volume of Monster Mixer, though!
Also, I am generally not too keen on urban fantasy in a modern setting, and while I recognize that this is entirely a personal issue (and one that I am trying to move beyond, at that), it did impact my rating, so I felt as though I should mention it. Monster Mixer seems to take place on Earth in the near-present day, and so there are references to modern social media and modern life more generally (working office jobs, mentions of the gym) alongside the fantastical, which I am sure is the absolute dream to the right audience! And I look forward to growing more familiar with this setting in future volumes of Monster Mixer.
Content Warnings
Content warnings from author Robin Jo Margaret:
All stories include public sexual acts, sex without protection (but a magic contraceptive is taken—don’t take their example in real life), dirty talk, lots of body fluids, and both oral and penetrative sex. In addition to those, specifically in chapter one and three, you’ll also find: pegging, size difference, body dysphoria, insecurity, overthinking. In chapter two, you’ll find: degradation, knotting, one joke about kidnapping. In chapter four: threesome, praise kink. In chapter five, you’ll find: overthinking, extreme size difference.
I loved this one so damn much. This book contains multiple short stories and every single one got me hooked from the start. Monster mixer is a place where all kinds of creatures can meet for intimacy. It was so much fun to see each character as they spend their time at the monster mixer. The steam in this story was also so good! And also very inclusive for everyone involved as it features a mix of monsters and humans. As some of the main characters were friends you got to see them again in other short stories. Definitely looking forward to see more of this world.
So if you are looking for a wholesome spicy monster romance read this one is for sure one I can recommend.
Thanks to Robin Jo Margaret for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
So if you are looking for a wholesome spicy monster romance read this one is for sure one I can recommend.
Thanks to Robin Jo Margaret for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
LETS GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO THE AUTHOR BECAUSE THIS IS HOT!!!!🥵
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a fun little novella featuring scenes centered around a weekly all-(humanoid) species sex party. I thought the queerness and diversity of body types, genders, and creature types was very fun.
Overall, the writing was just okay. The dialogue was a bit awkward, and the narrative prose clunky. I was hoping to *feel* more out of this book, and while I did enjoy the erotic scenes, they didn’t excite me. My primary feeling was a bit underwhelmed, and a little awkward.
Sexual encounters don’t have to have any sort of romantic meaning, but I was hoping for more meaning to be made for each character in terms of what the encounter meant for them in the moment, whether that be fun, relief, intimacy, etc.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Monster Mixer was such a delight! I’ve enjoyed previous work from this author, so I was excited to receive an ARC for this title as well. I am voluntarily leaving this review.
What I loved:
- queernormative world
- safe, sane, consensual, enthusiastic sex
- clear discussions of boundaries
- autistic representation
- prominent transgender representation (one main character and one side character
- discussion of gender identities, sexual orientation, sex
- very cozy!!!!
- fast pace felt right for the content
Overall I really enjoyed this and devoured it in a single sitting. If you’re a fan of paranormal and monster spice, this is for you!
What I loved:
- queernormative world
- safe, sane, consensual, enthusiastic sex
- clear discussions of boundaries
- autistic representation
- prominent transgender representation (one main character and one side character
- discussion of gender identities, sexual orientation, sex
- very cozy!!!!
- fast pace felt right for the content
Overall I really enjoyed this and devoured it in a single sitting. If you’re a fan of paranormal and monster spice, this is for you!