Djinn and Bare it by Darcy R Acula

3 Stars

A housewarming gift unleashes a djinn… but I think he’s defective.

To be honest, a big part of why I moved to a remote island was to escape my overbearing mother. She wants me to get married, settle down, and pop out some grand-trophies. I’m not opposed to the idea, but every time I swipe right, I seem to end up dating hot messes or worse: suspiciously perfect guys. No thanks. I want a normal guy who loves to snuggle and binge watch TV until we fall asleep in each other’s arms. A guy who will make me happy. Is that too much to ask?

I hadn’t even finished unpacking before my mom’s housewarming gift was tossed onto my porch—an antique lamp. While checking for damage, I rubbed the lamp, and you’d never guess what came out. Although, the title kind of gives it away, so darn it, you already know what popped out.

 

It turns out, being shaken around like rice inside a maraca during shipping isn’t great for a djinn’s memory; he is only able to remember bits and pieces of his past. Not to mention that every time he uses magic to help me, I end up with another mess to clean up.

Still, there is no denying I’m attracted to him. I just need to keep my mom from meeting him, so she doesn’t start hearing wedding bells. When someone makes a grab for the lamp and my man, I'm ready to do whatever it takes to save him.

I really enjoyed this book. It meshed well with the rest of the books in this world. It wasn’t the best of the bunch but it was good to read. I think it needed to be a longer book to flesh out some of the relationship between Genevieve and Djinn but overall it was good. Genie’s mom however can go far far away.

Book a part of Monster Mate Mayhem

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Hot Wolf in the City by Honey Phillips

3 Stars

Working 9-to-5 has never been this wild!

Desperate for a fresh start, Julie jumps at a chance to work for the boss of TalkToMe, the country’s fastest growing social network. The job's location, the enigmatic Monster Island, only adds to its appeal - she won’t be tempted to make another foolish mistake.

She didn’t expect her new boss to be the hottest, most tantalizing man she’s ever met - even if he does growl his orders and has an oddly arousing habit of sniffing her.

Derek might be a werewolf residing in the heart of Monster Island, but he sees himself as a businessman rather than a monster. Until his new assistant arrives, awakening all of his most primitive instincts.

He knows she’s human. He knows she’ll never stay. But the need to claim her is growing stronger every day…

Can Julie resist the primal allure of her werewolf boss, or can a beauty really love a beast?

Solid read. Nothing earth shattering happens. Wish there was more world building and character development as it was lacking. I wanted more history with Derek and Julie. The insta love was expected. If you’ve read her other books this lines up with them. It’s part of a multi-author series and I am curious about the other books to see if some of my issues are fleshed out.

Part of Monster Mate Mayhem

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Swamp Thing by Ava Ross

3 Stars

Amina: As part of a new monster-human integration program, I sign up for an adult version of a swamp monster pen pal. Thul lost his mate years ago, leaving him to raise his two children alone. We connect in a way I’d never envisioned I would with a monster. When things start to heat up via texts and vid-chats, we decide to take our relationship to the next level. I’ll move in with him. If it works out, we’ll make it permanent.

Monster Island is cute and quaint, and Thul is big, gorgeous, and eager to carry me off to the swamp moss to show me everything he has to offer. Only one thing’s keeping us apart. His eight-year-old son adores me, but his twelve-year-old daughter wants to toss me into the marsh—with a weight around my ankle. Can we find a way to be together?

Thul: Amina’s everything I could ever ask for in a friend, and when she ignites my mating craze, I can’t wait to claim her as my precious mate. But the swamp creature council will only sanction our mating if Amina meets my children’s approval. My son adores her, but my daughter still misses her mom and won’t stop snarling at Amina.

I’m falling for Amina, and I want to be with her forever, but will my daughter tear us apart?

Swamp Thing (You Make My Heart Sing) is part of the Monster Mate Mayhem Series. Expect a seductive swamp hero with a creative. . . (cough), tail play, size difference, a woman determined to help him form a new family, and lots of heart and humor. HEA guaranteed.

Monster Mate Mayhem is a series of standalone monster romances, each featuring a different monster and their journey to find love amidst the chaos of their lives.

Such a cute addition to the overall world. I liked seeing something completely different. This book actually highlighted the differences between Amina and Thul. I loved how slow Amina was being with Thul’s kids. They definitely needed the time and care. I question the committee getting to decide if she was allowed to stay but it all worked out.

Part of the Monster Mate Mayhem

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Gargoyle Gripe by Sabrina Cassidy

3 Stars

When your witchy family has lived on Monster Island for generations there’s certain standards to uphold.

Too bad my only claim to magic is being able to heal people through baking. A power my ex-fiancé Brad never fails to give me grief over. After he cheated and left me, I buried myself in pastries. It was better to be alone than to trust my heart to anyone else.

But when Drake, my secret crush, a tall, brooding gargoyle hot enough to stop me in my tracks, comes in for my famous banana bread, I offer to whip him up a batch quickly.

Betrayed by bread, it backfires and creates a temporary matebond between the two of us. Now we have a month of being stuck together—every time we’re more than ten feet away we pass out.

It should have been too claustrophobic having a seven-foot stoic gargoyle following my every step, but Drake is easy going, considerate, and too hot for the tiny kitchen. But my temporary mate is carrying scars from his past and getting him to open up is harder than tempering chocolate in a heat wave.

As the month continues, it’s harder to remember the “temporary” part of the matebond. My quiet life alone now seems lonely, and I can’t forget the feel of Drake’s massive wings wrapped around me.

When Brad resurfaces, demanding I help him or he’ll sabotage my floundering efforts, his threats could blow up everything I’m trying to rebuild.

Because when the month is over, I don’t think I’m going to be able to sever this temporary matebond.

Gargoyle Gripe is a sweet monster romcom about a love forged in cookie dough and bad reality TV shows.

I liked this better than Hot Wolf in the City by Honey Phillips. It felt like a complete story. I still want more world building but this time the characters felt developed. I loved Drake as he was a sweetheart and Evie was also another marshmallow character. They worked together and I want more with them and their friends.

Part of Monster Mate Mayhem

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