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iam 's review for:
Wriggle & Sparkle
by Megan Derr
I adored this so much, and I can already tell I'll have a bookhangover now that it's over.
Content warnings include: violence, abduction, hostage situation, protagonists kill people, sex on-page (feat. tentacles), graphically violent language, family issues, brief descriptions of pregnancy.
Wriggle & Sparkle is a collection of stories about Lynn and Anderson, a kraken and a unicorn shifter, who meet when they are partnered up to work together while they are agents at the paranormal version of the FBI. The stories follows their delevoping relationship, and for the most part of the book they are an established couple.
I loved not just the shenanigans the two get up to, from their jobs and families and what else is going on (which tends to be a lot more exciting than either of them seek out,) but also their personalities and how they worked together.
Both of them are snarky and not the easiest to get along with, but they also aren't introverted or not-people-persons. Both deal with stereotypes and common expectations based on what they are (both kraken and unicorns come with a LOT of prejudices) and on how they seem on first glance.
It was wonderful to read about how they learn to trust each other and become more and more comfortable in who they are and their interactions with each other and outsiders.
Overall it wasn't the most original or unpredictable setting, but I enjoyed it a lot thanks to it's unconventional protagonists and just how much fun it was to read along. Lynn and Anderson love each other so much and it was so lovely to see them so happy together.
Kraken's natural tendency to be genderfluid was an interesting touch, though not as explored in depth as I would have liked. Lynn does change his body between typically male and female sexual characteristics several times, particularly towards the end. He always keeps he/him pronouns (though often refers to himself with terms labelled as female like wife or mother) and it rarely is remarked upon. His twin, Leslie, is alternatingly addressed as his sister or brother depending on the story, which I assume is based on how Leslie is presenting at the moment.
I would have liked a bit more variety in the quite frequent sex scenes, though they were still quite nice, and often features Lynn shifting in his half-form.
My biggest issue was with how frequently the protagonists resolved to verbal violence. They clearly didn't mean most of what they said, but it was still a little... overwhelming, at times.
Content warnings include: violence, abduction, hostage situation, protagonists kill people, sex on-page (feat. tentacles), graphically violent language, family issues, brief descriptions of pregnancy.
Wriggle & Sparkle is a collection of stories about Lynn and Anderson, a kraken and a unicorn shifter, who meet when they are partnered up to work together while they are agents at the paranormal version of the FBI. The stories follows their delevoping relationship, and for the most part of the book they are an established couple.
I loved not just the shenanigans the two get up to, from their jobs and families and what else is going on (which tends to be a lot more exciting than either of them seek out,) but also their personalities and how they worked together.
Both of them are snarky and not the easiest to get along with, but they also aren't introverted or not-people-persons. Both deal with stereotypes and common expectations based on what they are (both kraken and unicorns come with a LOT of prejudices) and on how they seem on first glance.
It was wonderful to read about how they learn to trust each other and become more and more comfortable in who they are and their interactions with each other and outsiders.
Overall it wasn't the most original or unpredictable setting, but I enjoyed it a lot thanks to it's unconventional protagonists and just how much fun it was to read along. Lynn and Anderson love each other so much and it was so lovely to see them so happy together.
Kraken's natural tendency to be genderfluid was an interesting touch, though not as explored in depth as I would have liked. Lynn does change his body between typically male and female sexual characteristics several times, particularly towards the end. He always keeps he/him pronouns (though often refers to himself with terms labelled as female like wife or mother) and it rarely is remarked upon. His twin, Leslie, is alternatingly addressed as his sister or brother depending on the story, which I assume is based on how Leslie is presenting at the moment.
I would have liked a bit more variety in the quite frequent sex scenes, though they were still quite nice, and often features Lynn shifting in his half-form.
My biggest issue was with how frequently the protagonists resolved to verbal violence. They clearly didn't mean most of what they said, but it was still a little... overwhelming, at times.