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thiscryptidreads's reviews
26 reviews
Behold Her by Emily Antoinette
My Spice Rating - ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? Yes
5.0
๐ - 346 pages
audiobook - 14 hours and 50 minutes (contains Maneater as well which is 4 hours)
4.5 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: monster romance
POV: Duel, narrated by Jack Hesperus and Kingsley Rose
Ending: HEA
Book 1 of 2: Monsters of Moonvale
I listened to this on audiobook, the voice actors do a great job depicting several characters.
Mona and Max almost feel like fated mates with how well they fit together. Max the witch/succubus private eye who's dirty talk and possessiveness teaches Mona to love herself, her body and shine for the beauty she is while Mona helps Max let go of his past and embrace all his darker desires and shed the shame that he's tied to his succubus side.
I love all the characters, Blair and Grace are the best friends every girl needs to hype them up, talk them down from the edge when wallowing and always be there when needed no questions asked. Max's family is so loving and supportive and absolutely sweet, his parents are the most adorable love drunk couple (read their story in maneater) and his sisters love him through thick and thin and support him through his lows with humor and affection.
The way these two constantly are all over each other and doing such dark and dirty things and yet still showing prime examples of how communication, consent and safe sexual play should be. This was a joy to listen to and getting to hear Maneater as a bonus story was amazing. I loved hearing about Max's parents sexy love story.
audiobook - 14 hours and 50 minutes (contains Maneater as well which is 4 hours)
4.5 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: monster romance
POV: Duel, narrated by Jack Hesperus and Kingsley Rose
Ending: HEA
Book 1 of 2: Monsters of Moonvale
I listened to this on audiobook, the voice actors do a great job depicting several characters.
Mona and Max almost feel like fated mates with how well they fit together. Max the witch/succubus private eye who's dirty talk and possessiveness teaches Mona to love herself, her body and shine for the beauty she is while Mona helps Max let go of his past and embrace all his darker desires and shed the shame that he's tied to his succubus side.
I love all the characters, Blair and Grace are the best friends every girl needs to hype them up, talk them down from the edge when wallowing and always be there when needed no questions asked. Max's family is so loving and supportive and absolutely sweet, his parents are the most adorable love drunk couple (read their story in maneater) and his sisters love him through thick and thin and support him through his lows with humor and affection.
The way these two constantly are all over each other and doing such dark and dirty things and yet still showing prime examples of how communication, consent and safe sexual play should be. This was a joy to listen to and getting to hear Maneater as a bonus story was amazing. I loved hearing about Max's parents sexy love story.
TROPES/TAGS
Monster MMC (part witch/part succubus)
Plus-Size FMC (human)
Dark(ish) Stalker(ish) Romance
Spicy Magic Dreams
BDSM
Misunderstandings/Bad Timing
Hidden Identity
Monster MMC (part witch/part succubus)
Plus-Size FMC (human)
Dark(ish) Stalker(ish) Romance
Spicy Magic Dreams
BDSM
Misunderstandings/Bad Timing
Hidden Identity
Healing Past Trauma
Content Warnings:
voyerism
exhibitionism
CNC (consensual non-consent)
bondage
fake stalking, fake kidnapping
verbal degradation during dirty talk.
depression
pet loss/grief after losing a pet
internalized fat shame, and negative body image.
There are short references to racism and misogyny, but they arenโt central to the themes of the book. There are brief depictions of blood and violence but they arenโt prevalent throughout the story.
voyerism
exhibitionism
CNC (consensual non-consent)
bondage
fake stalking, fake kidnapping
verbal degradation during dirty talk.
depression
pet loss/grief after losing a pet
internalized fat shame, and negative body image.
There are short references to racism and misogyny, but they arenโt central to the themes of the book. There are brief depictions of blood and violence but they arenโt prevalent throughout the story.
Characters use profanity and explicit language throughout the book.
Behold Her is a high-heat paranormal romance featuring a plus-size FMC and a monster MMC that blends dark themes with humor and heart to create a spellbinding story of transformation and love.
Contains bonus novella, Maneater.
My Spice Rating - ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Grief, Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, and Body shaming
This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I went into this story expecting a totally different scenario based on the synopsis. This was a surprise mix of haunting and hallucinations that slowly fill you with dread until the very end. Several other reviews said the ending was a surprise or didn't make sense but if you pay attention to the small details I think the story wraps up very nicely and makes complete sense for the narrative they're trying to tell.
Cws: gore, body horror, violence, self harm, injury, blood, panic attacks, suicide, murder, death of a child, animal death, vomit, hallucinations, fire/ injury and death by fire, cannibalism.
You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
Cws: gore, body horror, violence, self harm, injury, blood, panic attacks, suicide, murder, death of a child, animal death, vomit, hallucinations, fire/ injury and death by fire, cannibalism.
You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Vomit, Body horror, Death, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Animal death, and Child death
Spoilers:
Does the dog (Slade) die? No. He runs off and is missing through the book and hallucinations cause Luke (his owner) to think he is dead. He is later found at the end of the book. The dog depicted in the book he mistakes Slade for was long dead and it's death is not described on page, simply apart of their hallucinations or inches of the ghosts in the woods.
Faun Over Me by B.L. Brown
2.5 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: monster romance
POV:Duel
Ending: HEA
Tropes:
Miscommunication
Friends to Lovers
90s vibes
HEA
Content warnings:
Religious Trauma
Injury (on page)
Misogyny
Anti-LGBTQ+ family member
Review:
This is described as a reluctant friend to lovers Sapphic romance, set in a summer camp in the Appalachian mountains. Cricket and Avery seem to have an instant attraction physically but spend the first half of the book emotionally charged and assuming each one hates the other until the monster stalking the camp brings them together in a steamy moment while hiding.
once they get together and start trying to pool their knowledge to save the camp their relationship is very sweet, but no one ever seems on the same page, so I feel this is more miscommunication than a reluctant friends to lover's trope. Avery is working through a lot of religious trauma while stubborn Cricket is learning to embrace the outside world and branch out from her very close-knit and cautious faun family.
I liked the mystery and feel of everything connecting and falling into place by the ending. The book starts a little slow, spending a lot of time setting up the dominos to bring Cricket and Avery together but really gets going at about the halfway point. I had a few issues with repetitive wording. Crickets cousin Bramble was simply referred to repeatedly as "my cousin" while they are off page so much, I struggled to remember their name until they were finally there as a present character.
The Appalachian lore isn't as in-depth as I expected, but there were some definite themes there with type of inhuman (monster species) characters and thoughts about growing up in the woods. "If you heard something, no, you didn't)
In total, it was a very sweet Sapphic romance.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
2.5 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: monster romance
POV:Duel
Ending: HEA
Tropes:
Miscommunication
Friends to Lovers
90s vibes
HEA
Content warnings:
Religious Trauma
Injury (on page)
Misogyny
Anti-LGBTQ+ family member
Review:
This is described as a reluctant friend to lovers Sapphic romance, set in a summer camp in the Appalachian mountains. Cricket and Avery seem to have an instant attraction physically but spend the first half of the book emotionally charged and assuming each one hates the other until the monster stalking the camp brings them together in a steamy moment while hiding.
once they get together and start trying to pool their knowledge to save the camp their relationship is very sweet, but no one ever seems on the same page, so I feel this is more miscommunication than a reluctant friends to lover's trope. Avery is working through a lot of religious trauma while stubborn Cricket is learning to embrace the outside world and branch out from her very close-knit and cautious faun family.
I liked the mystery and feel of everything connecting and falling into place by the ending. The book starts a little slow, spending a lot of time setting up the dominos to bring Cricket and Avery together but really gets going at about the halfway point. I had a few issues with repetitive wording. Crickets cousin Bramble was simply referred to repeatedly as "my cousin" while they are off page so much, I struggled to remember their name until they were finally there as a present character.
The Appalachian lore isn't as in-depth as I expected, but there were some definite themes there with type of inhuman (monster species) characters and thoughts about growing up in the woods. "If you heard something, no, you didn't)
In total, it was a very sweet Sapphic romance.
My Spice Rating - ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
Thank you to the author for my copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
Thank you to the author for my copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Finding the Troll's Heart by Lyonne Riley
adventurous
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? It's complicated
5.0
๐ - 218 pages
3.5 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: monster romance
POV: Single
Ending: HEA
Book 6 of 7: Trollkin Lovers
I loved this book! Jarโkel and Simka are an adorable grumpy/feisty pair who come together trying to stop orc raids from attacking the city for their own devices and come together along the way to realize that they were fighting for the wrong reasons and soon discover they were fated mates all along. This was such a sexy and fun read, I loved every character in this book, every single one, even Fio the mule.
Grumpy/sunshine is my favorite trope and while Simka is less sunshine and more determined and firey they really work well together. Jar'kels edges soften as he comes to terms with the fact that he shouldn't hide from life just because he's getting older and Simka loves him despite his flaws. This whole series is so good, I love Lyonne Rileys world she's created, pretty much any book she hands me in this world is an insta-buy at this point. All the books can be read as standalones, and all are this wonderful mix of sweet and super steamy. Happy Reading!
Tropes & Content warnings -
Age gap
Fake dating
Virgin FMC
Painful sex
Bonded mates
Violence
Arson
Torture (off-page)
Gore (dismembered head)
Life-threatening pregnancy
Breeding
Pregnancy
Lactation play
Birth
3.5 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: monster romance
POV: Single
Ending: HEA
Book 6 of 7: Trollkin Lovers
I loved this book! Jarโkel and Simka are an adorable grumpy/feisty pair who come together trying to stop orc raids from attacking the city for their own devices and come together along the way to realize that they were fighting for the wrong reasons and soon discover they were fated mates all along. This was such a sexy and fun read, I loved every character in this book, every single one, even Fio the mule.
Grumpy/sunshine is my favorite trope and while Simka is less sunshine and more determined and firey they really work well together. Jar'kels edges soften as he comes to terms with the fact that he shouldn't hide from life just because he's getting older and Simka loves him despite his flaws. This whole series is so good, I love Lyonne Rileys world she's created, pretty much any book she hands me in this world is an insta-buy at this point. All the books can be read as standalones, and all are this wonderful mix of sweet and super steamy. Happy Reading!
Tropes & Content warnings -
Age gap
Fake dating
Virgin FMC
Painful sex
Bonded mates
Violence
Arson
Torture (off-page)
Gore (dismembered head)
Life-threatening pregnancy
Breeding
Pregnancy
Lactation play
Birth
This is a steamy, heartfelt, M/F monster romance (60k words) about a stubborn, virgin FMC and an older, grumpy, and jaded MMC. While it incorporates characters from previous stories, it can be read as a standalone. It features an age gap, fake dating, a virgin sexual encounter, and a guaranteed HEA.
My Spice Rating - ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
Thank you to the author for my copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
My Spice Rating - ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
Thank you to the author for my copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gore, War, Violence, and Torture
The Dead Take the A Train by Richard Kadrey, Cassandra Khaw
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
๐ - 393 pages
Genre: occult horror
POV: Single
Read via the Libby app
This was a vivid gory acid trip. Constantine meets American Gods vibes with a dash of Angels Wolf, Ram, and Hart.
I loved the characters they all had so much depth you wanted to know more about them with each page turn, you're endeared and invested with Julie and her friends until the end and their mysterious, magical and macabre world.
The book is a bit stuffy to read at times. Using some verbiage, I felt you might need a dictionary or Google search to make sure you were following along right. There were so many layers to the story, and each chapter Ping ponged you somewhere else so quickly it was occasionally hard to follow, so much so that the ending felt rushed and a bit cliffhangery. I was left needing more. (Hopefully a book 2 happens)
The slow burn added a nice tension that really drove the characters all the way to the end despite their being no actual romance most of the time. You want to cheer for them.
Tyler can eat a bag of dicks. (No I won't explain further)
You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
Genre: occult horror
POV: Single
Read via the Libby app
This was a vivid gory acid trip. Constantine meets American Gods vibes with a dash of Angels Wolf, Ram, and Hart.
I loved the characters they all had so much depth you wanted to know more about them with each page turn, you're endeared and invested with Julie and her friends until the end and their mysterious, magical and macabre world.
The book is a bit stuffy to read at times. Using some verbiage, I felt you might need a dictionary or Google search to make sure you were following along right. There were so many layers to the story, and each chapter Ping ponged you somewhere else so quickly it was occasionally hard to follow, so much so that the ending felt rushed and a bit cliffhangery. I was left needing more. (Hopefully a book 2 happens)
The slow burn added a nice tension that really drove the characters all the way to the end despite their being no actual romance most of the time. You want to cheer for them.
Tyler can eat a bag of dicks. (No I won't explain further)
You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Body horror
Moderate: Death, Self harm, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Addiction, Torture, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, and Vomit
Programmed for Love by Lyonne Riley
My Spice Rating - ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
Thank you to the author for my copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
emotional
hopeful
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
๐ - 156 pages
3 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: sci-fi romance
POV: Single
Ending: HEA
This was my first android romance!
Lela our human FMC works on a long-haul space freight carrier, despite being smart enough for engineering she sequesters herself to the lower levels due to performance anxiety and tends to keep to herself. She eventually develops a crush on the ship's android D-084 (or D for short) admiring his careful attention to detail and how he always seems to have his attention on her but androids can't love and worried she'd be the laughing stock of the shop for using their robot for sex she keeps her feelings to herself until eventually she finds out that there is more to D than most are aware of or appreciate. Together they try to solve some mysterious issues on the ship that could put everyone's lives at stake and the more time they spend together the closer and steamier they get.
The ending is a happy one but also a bit sad, grab your tissues because I definitely cried.
This is a super steamy sci-fi romance novella (40k words) about an android MMC, the strong, smart FMC who loves him, and their journey to discover whether an artificial intelligence can feel love.
Tropes & Content warnings -
Graphic depictions of sex
Anal play and anal sex toys
Mild violence
Bomb detonation
Life-threatening injury
3 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: sci-fi romance
POV: Single
Ending: HEA
This was my first android romance!
Lela our human FMC works on a long-haul space freight carrier, despite being smart enough for engineering she sequesters herself to the lower levels due to performance anxiety and tends to keep to herself. She eventually develops a crush on the ship's android D-084 (or D for short) admiring his careful attention to detail and how he always seems to have his attention on her but androids can't love and worried she'd be the laughing stock of the shop for using their robot for sex she keeps her feelings to herself until eventually she finds out that there is more to D than most are aware of or appreciate. Together they try to solve some mysterious issues on the ship that could put everyone's lives at stake and the more time they spend together the closer and steamier they get.
The ending is a happy one but also a bit sad, grab your tissues because I definitely cried.
This is a super steamy sci-fi romance novella (40k words) about an android MMC, the strong, smart FMC who loves him, and their journey to discover whether an artificial intelligence can feel love.
Tropes & Content warnings -
Graphic depictions of sex
Anal play and anal sex toys
Mild violence
Bomb detonation
Life-threatening injury
My Spice Rating - ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
Thank you to the author for my copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Grief, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
My Minotaur Husband by Lyonne Riley
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
๐ - 150 pages
audiobook - 3 hours and 53 minutes
4 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: monster romance
POV: Single, narrated by Leslie Burke
Ending: HEA
This is a sweet and quick Novella. I listened to it on audiobook in a single afternoon.
This is a world where humans are an endangered species and thus a rare thing to have as a partner. Celeste lives on a reservation for humans that keeps them safe. Monsters are as likely to use a human as a resource as they are to date them and all monsters wanting a human companion must submit an application and be reviewed by the human wanting a partner. They then are allowed a "trail marriage" where the pair live together and see if they are compatible. This isn't really forced proximity since Celeste has a choice to leave at any time and has her own bedroom. Theo is a gentleman about their trail arrangement and makes sure the house can accommodate her right away and immediately dotes on her. They learn what it takes to live together as a couple and how blending their lives together works, including visiting Theos sweet grandmother every week in the care facility she lives in.
This is a super steamy, low-angst, cozy monster romance novella (38k words) that features a cinnamon roll minotaur MMC, significant size difference, stretching as a primary plot point, the significant use of sex toys, and a guaranteed HEA. For a list of all tropes and content warnings, visit the author's website at LyonneRiley.com.
Tropes & Content warnings -
M/F
Size difference
Big cock
Stretching
Use of sex toys
Parental death and abandonment
Light gore and assault
My Spice Rating - ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
audiobook - 3 hours and 53 minutes
4 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: monster romance
POV: Single, narrated by Leslie Burke
Ending: HEA
This is a sweet and quick Novella. I listened to it on audiobook in a single afternoon.
This is a world where humans are an endangered species and thus a rare thing to have as a partner. Celeste lives on a reservation for humans that keeps them safe. Monsters are as likely to use a human as a resource as they are to date them and all monsters wanting a human companion must submit an application and be reviewed by the human wanting a partner. They then are allowed a "trail marriage" where the pair live together and see if they are compatible. This isn't really forced proximity since Celeste has a choice to leave at any time and has her own bedroom. Theo is a gentleman about their trail arrangement and makes sure the house can accommodate her right away and immediately dotes on her. They learn what it takes to live together as a couple and how blending their lives together works, including visiting Theos sweet grandmother every week in the care facility she lives in.
This is a super steamy, low-angst, cozy monster romance novella (38k words) that features a cinnamon roll minotaur MMC, significant size difference, stretching as a primary plot point, the significant use of sex toys, and a guaranteed HEA. For a list of all tropes and content warnings, visit the author's website at LyonneRiley.com.
Tropes & Content warnings -
M/F
Size difference
Big cock
Stretching
Use of sex toys
Parental death and abandonment
Light gore and assault
My Spice Rating - ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Abandonment, Gore, and Death of parent
Breathless: A Fish Monster Romance by Cat Wynn
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
๐ - 280 pages
3 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: monster romance (maybe a little thriller, maybe a little sci-fi)
POV: Single
Ending: HEA
I absolutely LOVED this book! As someone who reads monster romance and horror almost exclusively, this was such a great story!
I loved the tension in this book, there were so many details that added an undertone of concern or fear as you get tiny bits about what is going on in the bigger picture as you follow Jules and Mack as they go from online friends on a fish forum to a romance neither can deny despite knowing their tiny worlds have their limits.
For the first half of this book it doesn't feel like a romance, it feels like a thriller, possibly because of Jules agoraphobic personality seeing most of the world as scary, but as the plot progresses and the outside world gets involved. there are so many little but concerning things happening that make you worry for Jules then once the romance happens you almost forget about them until you realize it's not in her head and actually happening. The ending was so not what I expected considering the start of this book. What a wild ride of a story.
Tropes -
Mental health rep
Fish daddy
People becoming monsters
Fancy equipment
Fated mates
Multiple worlds
Stalker neighbor
Healthy poly rep
Fish puns
Slow burn
Self love/accepting yourself rep
Content warnings -
Stalker neighbor
Abuse of power
Toxic parent
Deep depression
Suicide attempt (on page, unsuccessful)
Bodily harm
Talk of SA (past tense, not described)
Hate speech (against monsters)
My Spice Rating - ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
Thank you to the author for my copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
3 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: monster romance (maybe a little thriller, maybe a little sci-fi)
POV: Single
Ending: HEA
I absolutely LOVED this book! As someone who reads monster romance and horror almost exclusively, this was such a great story!
I loved the tension in this book, there were so many details that added an undertone of concern or fear as you get tiny bits about what is going on in the bigger picture as you follow Jules and Mack as they go from online friends on a fish forum to a romance neither can deny despite knowing their tiny worlds have their limits.
For the first half of this book it doesn't feel like a romance, it feels like a thriller, possibly because of Jules agoraphobic personality seeing most of the world as scary, but as the plot progresses and the outside world gets involved. there are so many little but concerning things happening that make you worry for Jules then once the romance happens you almost forget about them until you realize it's not in her head and actually happening. The ending was so not what I expected considering the start of this book. What a wild ride of a story.
Tropes -
Mental health rep
Fish daddy
People becoming monsters
Fancy equipment
Fated mates
Multiple worlds
Stalker neighbor
Healthy poly rep
Fish puns
Slow burn
Self love/accepting yourself rep
Content warnings -
Stalker neighbor
Abuse of power
Toxic parent
Deep depression
Suicide attempt (on page, unsuccessful)
Bodily harm
Talk of SA (past tense, not described)
Hate speech (against monsters)
My Spice Rating - ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
Thank you to the author for my copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Mental illness
Moderate: Stalking, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, and Medical content
Jumping the Shark by Ash Raven
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
๐ - 160 pages
Super cute alien romance with some of the best representation of communication. If you like age gap, Daddy dom romance then you'll love Maxon and Odette.
This was a low stakes cozy romance read, no major conflicts happen, no middle of the book break up Odette our human FMC is all to happy to leave earth behind and Maxon our shark-like alien MMC, click from the start and work together to grow into a very sweet and wholesome couple. He takes care of her, adores her and helps her love herself more, and she helps him let go, stop putting everyone else first and learn to enjoy his retirement.
Pros - Plus sized rep, healthy couples depicted throughout the story.
Cons - none, I got nothing, this book left no crumbs.
4 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: Sci-Fi/monster romance
POV: Duel
Ending: HEA
sexy tropes - age gap, 2 ๐, Dd/lg, mating frenzy, alien abduction. insta-love
My Spice Rating - ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
Thank you to the author for my copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
Super cute alien romance with some of the best representation of communication. If you like age gap, Daddy dom romance then you'll love Maxon and Odette.
This was a low stakes cozy romance read, no major conflicts happen, no middle of the book break up Odette our human FMC is all to happy to leave earth behind and Maxon our shark-like alien MMC, click from the start and work together to grow into a very sweet and wholesome couple. He takes care of her, adores her and helps her love herself more, and she helps him let go, stop putting everyone else first and learn to enjoy his retirement.
Pros - Plus sized rep, healthy couples depicted throughout the story.
Cons - none, I got nothing, this book left no crumbs.
4 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: Sci-Fi/monster romance
POV: Duel
Ending: HEA
sexy tropes - age gap, 2 ๐, Dd/lg, mating frenzy, alien abduction. insta-love
My Spice Rating - ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
Thank you to the author for my copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Space for More by Emily Antoinette
First off I have no read space for love (Spire Station #1) this was still able to be read as a standalone and was totally enjoyable.
This was such a sweet book, the relationship and plot are very fast paced, happening mostly in the events of a single week but there was still so much self-reflection, work and love from all the characters it was such an enjoyable read, I might have teared up a few times. The Author includes guides in the front for pronunciation, triggers and so much helpful info it was so amazing to see it all so clearly organized. This was a take on Alien fated mates which explains how quickly everyone get's involved.
I really loved Mezli as a character, she's fun and bubbly and sticks up for her friends but still has her own issues. She's take charge without being perceived as a mean girl. Overall, I think she was my favorite. Phelix was a very close second because how often do you get to see a male character with body issues, who isn't always in charge, who's depicted as being able to cry and be in his feelings when alone. The alien race and nobility he and Mezli are a part of are known for being very closed off and hiding their emotions but even, so they actively look for body language and try and read one another and part of their story is seeing him being allowed to show more and it being seen as a good thing which is so refreshing. Emily writes poly, plus sized characters so well, in no way did their dynamic ever feel forced or not enough. It was so sweet I was so happy for them while reading even their parents are rooting for them and I just love that.
Pros - Plus sized rep, poly rep, healthy couples depicted throughout the story. No shame involved for anyone in any stage of their personal journey.
Cons - none, I got nothing, this book left no crumbs.
4 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: romantasy/monster romance
POV: Multi
Ending: HEA
sexy tropes - knotting, 2 ๐, polyamory, public sex, MFF, FF, MF
My Spice Rating - ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
First off I have no read space for love (Spire Station #1) this was still able to be read as a standalone and was totally enjoyable.
This was such a sweet book, the relationship and plot are very fast paced, happening mostly in the events of a single week but there was still so much self-reflection, work and love from all the characters it was such an enjoyable read, I might have teared up a few times. The Author includes guides in the front for pronunciation, triggers and so much helpful info it was so amazing to see it all so clearly organized. This was a take on Alien fated mates which explains how quickly everyone get's involved.
I really loved Mezli as a character, she's fun and bubbly and sticks up for her friends but still has her own issues. She's take charge without being perceived as a mean girl. Overall, I think she was my favorite. Phelix was a very close second because how often do you get to see a male character with body issues, who isn't always in charge, who's depicted as being able to cry and be in his feelings when alone. The alien race and nobility he and Mezli are a part of are known for being very closed off and hiding their emotions but even, so they actively look for body language and try and read one another and part of their story is seeing him being allowed to show more and it being seen as a good thing which is so refreshing. Emily writes poly, plus sized characters so well, in no way did their dynamic ever feel forced or not enough. It was so sweet I was so happy for them while reading even their parents are rooting for them and I just love that.
Pros - Plus sized rep, poly rep, healthy couples depicted throughout the story. No shame involved for anyone in any stage of their personal journey.
Cons - none, I got nothing, this book left no crumbs.
4 chili peppers ๐ถ๏ธ on the spice scale.
Genre: romantasy/monster romance
POV: Multi
Ending: HEA
sexy tropes - knotting, 2 ๐, polyamory, public sex, MFF, FF, MF
My Spice Rating - ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
1 ๐ถ๏ธ- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming and Sexual content