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Reviews From This Past Week
The Kraken's Sacrifice by Katee Robert
Release Date: 11 October 2022
Content Notes
Tentacles
Grumpy/Sunshine
Widower
Parental Abuse
Neglect
On-Page Abortion
The Kraken’s Sacrifice reminds me what a significant and healthy role Katee Robert plays in Monster Romancelandia. She has a readership that I think is going to love this book. To me, Kraken’s greatest fault is the same as The Dragon’s Bride. The story is doing too much with too few pages. I want more!
This was a heavy read for me that sometimes left me feeling empty and sad for the FMC. Upon reflection, I realized it was because it felt like there was a lot of story being squeezed into a limited amount of pages. I needed some breathing room. The FMC needed breathing room for all the challenges she was dealt.
The rough part for me about having Catalina take emotional punch after punch is that I forgot to enjoy myself. I was sad and angry for her. This weirded me out because if you’re going to find yourself a romance trade who can take it heavily, I’m your gal. Sometimes it felt like it was all emotional gut punches and some hot sexiness to smooth it out, which made me feel empty. This is even though I could clearly read that’s not AT ALL what Robert is trying to write here.
It wasn’t until I realized I felt a similar emptiness when I read The Dragon’s Bride. It clicked. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the story. Despite everything, I truly enjoyed this and will continue to be on Robert’s Patreon for the foreseeable future.
I received an early copy of this book as a member of Katee Robert’s Patreon
I Married A Merman by Regine Abel
Release Date: 30 January 2022
Content Notes
Amazing Alien Peen
FMC with Disability
Marriage of Convienance
Fated Mates
Merman Alien
Aquatic Planet
I Married a Merman? Regine Abel could have called this I Married a Hot Cinnamon Roll. While this story feels like a departure from other installments of the Prime Mating Agency series, I personally enjoyed it.
The stakes in Merman are more personal and hardly political. I suspect this is a reason why it doesn’t seem as popular as her other books in the Prime Mating Agency series. It would be a shame for readers to sleep on it though. Abel clearly had some good, creative fun exploring human folklore and evolution with this book.
The personal stakes that bring the drama for this plot are medical, which is another interesting thing to explore as well. I’d be really intrigued by a reader who deals with chronic illness or other disabilities. For me, it felt heartwarming and satisfying to see the FMC gain resources, a community, and a home that allows her to thrive without “fixing” her.
Found by the Lake Monster: A Love Bathhouse Monster Romance by Lillian Lark
Release Date: 17 June 2022
Content Notes
Primal Play
Date Crashing
MMC in Heat
Oviposition
Monster Lover FMC
Breeding
Lillian Lark has written a monster lover’s monster romance with Found by the Lake Monster. Did I know I needed ovipositor-flavored spice when I picked up this read? No. Did I expect to see myself and every other monster romance reader or author in the FMC? No. Was I utterly delighted by it? Absolutely.
I destroyed this book in about two hours. Somehow the plot pacing allowed a natural chapter cadence but double-dog-dared me to put it down. I’m a coward so you can bet I lost that game. I only let myself fall asleep just before the Epilogue, which I read over breakfast a few hours later.
I am excited that this book further opens up the Love Bathhouse universe. Lark writes hot scenes in a full world that begs exploration. Lake Monster is just one more reason why she will always find a place in my TBR.
Currently Reading
Release Date: 29 September 2022
To Be Read
Release Date: 23 June 2022
Release Date: 21 April 2022
Release Date: 22 October 2021
Housekeeping
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