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Reviews From This Past Week
Bound: A MMF Gargoyle Monster Romance (Monsters & Artifacts Book 2) Kindle Edition by Trish Heinrich
Release Date: 30 September 2022
Content Notes
Sex Club
BDSM
Poly Romance
Kickass FMC
Stalking
Serial Killer
Law Enforcement MCs
Bound is a feast of emotions and sensations that Trish Heinrich has served up. I was thrilled, flushed, saddened, and elated. Sometimes I got all of those in the same reading session. If your idea of spicy romance would be at home at a Thai restaurant and crime stories make you giddy, stop what you’re doing. Get this book.
Heinrich’s Monsters and Artifact’s series is my Sexy Indiana Jones series. I absolutely loved the play with lore in Bound, just as I did in Feral, the first book in this series. Bound allows even more backstory, which I appreciated. It gave me a deeper “oh shit” moment at the climax.
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Halfway through Bound I realized this is the second book I’ve read that purposely tries to portray BDSM and is set in Seattle. Unlike Fifty Shades of Grey, Bound portrays actual BDSM dynamics so I recommend this book to reinforce what consent and boundaries actually are.
Speaking of consent and boundaries, this is a gritty crime drama almost as much as an erotic romance. Approach this story with respect to what you are actually up for. I don’t have trauma related to abusive relationships or murder so I was fine. If you can handle it then the red herring and suspense will be legitimately thrilling. If not? Then, nope.
ARC provided and voluntarily reviewed.
Tentacles & Triathlons (Leviathan Fitness Book 2) by Ashley Bennett
Release Date: 23 October 2022
Content Notes
Tentacles
Secret relationship
Coach/Trainee
Fated Mates
Light BDSM
Praise and Degradation Kink
Confidence Issues
Police MMC
Parental Trauma
Ashley Bennett proves for a second time in her Leviathan Fitness series with Tentacles and Triathlons, you don’t have to choose between spicy and sweet. This story gives you both. The tentacles are fun, too.
I don’t think a reader is required to read the first book of this series. However, Muscles and Monsters gives some great context for this world. It will better pull you into the overall events this book touches on.
That is because character development is a key focus in this book. Reece is a policeman with prejudices against monsters. I’d even call it his main antagonist. With his love interest as a kraken? It is kind of nice that the plot is relationship-focused. All the drama and tension feel very down-to-earth. Cyrus is centuries old. He’s too mature for crazy drama. It makes T and T an interesting but calm read.
A postscript! Shortly after I read this ARC, some other readers who have Latinx backgrounds (and hence appreciation for the unique sensitivities of that community), brought up some issues to the author’s attention on some details in the book. As I do not have that same background as my fellow readers, this surprised me but also made me grateful that Bennett decided to push this book’s release to October so those issues can be addressed. I am a nerd because I like to learn. So I am looking forward to seeing what Bennett and her reader community do so we can learn together from our fellow monster lovers.
ARC provided and voluntarily reviewed.
Currently Reading
Release Date: 26 September 2022
To Be Read
Release Date: 29 September 2022
Housekeeping
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