Monsters in Love, Vol 1: Lost in the Labyrinth (2024)

Finding Her Minotaur - Evangeline Priest - 4 stars!

This was a steamy romance that ends on a HFN and I definitely want to read more about Karis and Bronn. Karis gets caught up in a trafficking ring with Bronn's friend and Bronn comes to rescue them. He realizes upon meeting Karis that she is his mate. Bronn is a minotaur and what ensues is some dirty monster loving with a bright future. I really loved both Bronn and Karis.

Curse of the Cyclops - Clio Evans - 2.5 - 3 stars!

Daphne gets magically trapped in a library with two cyclops who can only escape when they find their soulmate. Adam and Andrew realize Daphne is their mate and once she gives consent they'll never let her go. This ends on a HFN/HEA. This was a good novella but I just don't really care for MMF. I'm more of a MFM or MM reader. But if you're into kinky debauchery with monsters then this was a hot read that you'll most likely love.

Dark Heart - Vivienne Hart - 3 stars!

Annie inherits a manor and must decide what to do with it. However, she quickly discovers a gargoyle named Lucien has been bound to the house by a curse and his heartstone is missing. Annie and Lucien team up to save the house and hopefully free Lucien in the process. The more time they spend together the more things heat up. Pretty cute read with a HFN/HEA. Didn't love it, didn't hate it.

The Den - Atlas Rose - 4.25 stars!

This story ended on a cliffhanger and as the reader you have no idea what is happening or why. But goodness it's hot AF. Arden is at work and very sick and suddenly wolves show up claiming she's theirs and to save her, she must give in to them. Her prince is waiting for her. These males aren't really human and this is definitely toeing that line of monster/human come together. But I'm seriously intrigued and a lot confused about the way this short spicy read made me feel lol. It was a great snippet into whatever this world is and what's going to happen.

Blooded Labyrinth - S.J. Sanders - 3.75 stars!

This story is about Vicky and Asterion and ends on a HFN with many questions still to be answered. Asterion is a minotaur and has been trapped in the Labyrinth for a long time. Blood, carnage and loneliness is all he remembers now until Vicky stumbles into his world. Suddenly his blood lust turns into something more carnal and he wants Vicky as his mate. Vicky is unsure of the world she has found herself but there is no denying the connection she feels towards Asterion. This was steamy and suspenseful and left me with a lot of questions but I enjoyed it! Asterion lacks a lot of human features but he was a big teddy bear to Vicky. I enjoyed Vicky's character because she wasn't whiny or weak. I'm interested to see if Sanders will continue their story and this world.

Bespelled Brews - Elle Cross - 4.75 stars!

Declan is a future Orc prince and caught the scent of a female, an enchantress...a witch with a W...descended from the gods and their magic. Rothgar and Jalen are his chosen blood brothers. They intend to hunt, win and claim this delicious smelling woman. They find her in Bespelled Brews in the Gloaming District. Capricorn Jade (Capri) has dreams. She wants to be part of the Coventry and works hard. She doesn't form attachments. But when they all get together and have a steamy and fiery night, their connection may be more than just a one night stand. But mistakes are made and something dark and sinister is after Capri. This ends on a HFN with so many unanswered questions that I hope is explored more. I loved Capri and her men and I loved the steam and the action.

Stalking Tamara - Nova Blake - 2.5 - 3 stars!

Tamara falls into Kavi's den in the labyrinth. She is human and he is a satyr and they save each other in more ways than one. But steps must be taken for them to be together. This has a HFN ending. Kind of boring and underdeveloped but not bad.

My Veiled Pursuer - Opal Fairchild - 4.75 stars!

Echo and Xakiras were HOT. This is too short to fully understand the world but if you've read Fairchild before she creates intricate worlds that are fascinating. Echo is human and is saved by Xakiras. Xakiras is a dirty talking moth man (a sexy one) and the two of them take their initial "enemies" connection and step it up to lovers real quick. I loved this and I loved Echo and her sweet yet fiery attitude. Xakiras was a dominant alphahole in the best way. I'd really like to know more about their story and this world because there's a lot of turmoil on the horizon. This ends on a HFN and it's so good.

There were only two stories in here that I chose not to read but overall a fun monster anthology!

I love reading anthologies to find new authors, and I was thankfully succesful here. I finished ALL OF THE STORIES and wrote mini-reviews below. I gave this 3 stars because my ratings ran the gamut from five stars to zero. I warn you that this collection is 997 pages, so it is a beast in-and-of itself.

The stories vary quite a bit in tone and quality. All have one or more sexy scene between a human/human presenting female and a monster, and all at least mention a Labrynth. Most are also snippets from larger books to be published in the future, and info on where to find the finished works is included at each of the stories' ends. Some authors are more sucessful than others at making the stories feel like they actually come to any sort of stoping point.

I also picked it up on my Kindle without seeing the cover. That cover is... not pleasing to my eye, and I honestly might have passed this collection by if I had seen it first.

In book order:

- 'Finding her Minotaur' by Evangeline Priest
Sci-fi/Alien minotaurs/MF. Only complaint is that it's too short, but a full book on the couple to be published in June (and I will be reading it.) Love the hero here. The sci-fi auction gives me Ruby Dixon vibes and I'm in. Really unique use of the Labrynth. 4.5/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐? Also writes under the name Eva Priest, so I will be checking that as well.

- 'Curse of the Cyclops' by Clio Evans
Urban Fantasy/Cyclops/MMF. Felt like an outline at times. Too short and also repetative? Wild swings from paragraph to paragraph. Was this written by a teen? ⭐

- 'Darkheart' by Vivienne Hart
Fantasy/Gargoyle and Witch/MF. Very good all around. Appreciated the prestory setup. Liked the vibe and writting style. Fun characters. Needed a bit of editing/formating, not spell check only, but it didn't distract from the story. Loved the Gargoyles tv show as a kid, so this really worked for me. Creative use of a Labrynth as a hedge maze. Will read more by author, hopefully set in this town. 3.5 stars/⭐⭐⭐⭐

- 'Belfry' by Dee J. Holmes
Post Apocalypse/Demon/MF. Not really my jam, but well written. Very serious and dark. Not particuarly sexy. Some Beauty and the Beast vibes. She's named Belle and the powerful, popular, town ass that wants to force into marriage is named Jaston. Might be a spoiler to say so, but it also reminded me of the Netflix show 'Midnight Mass'. ⭐⭐⭐?

- 'The Den' by Atlas Rose
Urban Fantasy?/Literal wolves/Reverse Harem? Barely a story. Mostly, a deathly ill girl falls off the back of a running wolf, hits ground hard, is in pain and dying. Wolves force girl to ride again, and say nothing helpful or informative. Repeat for 75% of story. Ends with gang wolf rape of the heroine while they are in full-wolf form. There is no human/quasi-human form at all. Barely a plot. Really made me question the line between monster romance and straight-up beasti*al*ty. Hate to "yuck anyone's yum", but this felt yucky to read. I should have just DNF'd, but the story was about to end. This is just a weird snippet of longer book, with a description at start AND end of the story of a SUPER dark book that I would never choose to read. Zero stars. 🤢

- 'Blooded Labrynth' by S.J. Sanders
Post Apocalyptic/Minotaur/MF. Don't love the name. Serious story based heavily on the the actual Greek mythology. Gave the strongest horror vibes in the book (well, this and Belfry) Didn't like at first that she was going to mate with a lifelong cannibal, but they eventually explain how the Labrynth made him do it. Slow burn for a short story. Nothing light in this romance, which isn't my prefered vibe. Story just stops, as it is part of a longer book. ⭐⭐⭐?

- 'Bespelled Brews' by Elle Cross
Urban Fantasy?/Orcs/Reverse Harem. Nice content warning before story. Miscommunication tropes, but in a way that makes sense and wasn't annoying. Extra steamy sexy times. Tons of consent and talk of. I really enjoyed the heroine's friend explaining to the heros about how a woman can be too inebriated to consent. The heros thank her for the info, and then settle in to feed and sober up the heroine. It was a unique scene. Interesting inclusion of the Labrynth. Didn't mind that this was part of a larger book. I will definitely seek out more by the author. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

- 'Stalking Tamara' by Nova Blake
Urban Fantasy/Satyr/MF. Heroine is such a dummy to advance the plot. If she hates crowds that much, easily overstimulated, why is she working at a huge office? If she knows the rules of hiking, why does she half prepare? She hikes everyday, so she brings, water, food, TWO light sources, but goes off into unknown territory alone, off-trail, and tells no one where she is going? Yeah, you don't have to tell us repeatedly that you are a dummy girl, we already know. The writing is awkward too: "I could crush her skull so easily, but the only thing I wanted to crush were my lips against hers." Cringe. Ridiculous ending, drinking a mysterious vial that literally had no impact on the story, or stakes. Why was it there? So much info dump from a previous story shoved in at the end. ⭐

- 'My Veiled Pursuer' by Opal Fairchild
Sci-Fi/Mothman/MF. Not sure about what the title means. Heroine is dumber than a box of hammers, but not nearly as useful. A ditzy damsel in distress that is completely helpless, constantly screaming to draw predators, and stubbornly doing the opposite of what she's told. Really grates after a bit. It got super "yikes" when they return to the scene of the human massacre, and while standing in the gore, they immediately start talking dirty and getting horny. Eww. Worldbuilding is a bit confusing and I couldn't keep all of the alien words straight. Weakest use of the Labrynth concept. No story ending. Mothman is something I hadn't read before and was SURPRISINGLY sexy? 2.5 stars/⭐⭐⭐?

- 'The Minoan Bride' by C.M. Nacosta
Urban Fantasy/Minotaurs/MF. Looking up this author on Amazon is the whole reason I found this collection. This story was serious and really sad in parts. Not sure I like the modern bride directly comparing her situation of planning a wedding, moving to a new town, and becoming pregnant, with the plight of historical captives and slaves. There was also some confusion for me at the end. They mentioned that they were having a summer wedding, but I don't know what the date is in this world. Then they reaaaally stress that the heroine's life will be changing next week, it all starts next week... so I kinda thought that was when they were getting married? Why are they still figuring out if they need a DJ? At the end of the story, they finally say the wedding will be in 4 months... but then the heroine also repeats that there is a milking farm downtown, as if it's the first time she's brought it up. It's not. You can tell that the author spent a lot of time fleshing out this world (with details like how the Minotaur wears rubber on his hooves to avoid loud noises on marble floors), and this story is a chance to share the history that was constructed. I didn't really need this tragic background info to enjoy this world though. I recommend this author and will continue to read them. ⭐⭐⭐

I was keeping these reviews in a note in my phone as I read the collection and just pasted them in. They seem to have gotten longer as I read, lol.

Not completely sure how to categorize some of these stories, but when I say "Urban Fantasy", I mean that it is our recognizable, human world, with the addition of supernatural/paranormal creatures. These worlds have humans and "monsters" living side-by-side, sometimes with human knowledge, sometimes without.

- My review is for “My Veiled Pursuer” by Opal Fairchild

Echo is horrified when her human settlement is taken over by a dangerous species, and floored when she is rescued by a creature she’d never seen before. Echo knows she should be scared, but something about this moth man makes her feel safer than she’s ever felt. And even though she almost can’t believe it, there’s a spark there… a spark she never would’ve guessed could even exist.

Okay, so I am absolutely obsessed with the author’s writing. This story was fast paced, yes, but it wasn’t rushed either. I loved that despite all the differences between Echo and Xakiras, they still found love and trust in each other. I adored watching their relationship develop, and the steamy scenes were just *chef*s kiss* I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good monster love story!

Great variety of stories

This was a great anthology. Plenty of variety in stories each one is well crafted. Loved the gargoyle story but I didn’t dislike any of them. Look forward to the next in the series.

I bought this anthology due to C.M. Nascosta but I was hoping I’d also discover some new authors. I tried the first few pages of the other stories but either the writing style was not for me or I was bored. Oh well.

The Minoan Bride by C.M. Nascosta
This started out promising. Gwen and Madoc are engaged and she’s about to move to Cambric Creek to be with him, as well as start a new job. They’re touring a museum exhibit he curated about the first Minotaur and his tributes. Then we start getting alternating chapters with Melita, one of the Minotaur’s brides. I found this to be an interesting inclusion but ultimately it made for a very odd reading experience. Melita’s story was depressing and it doesn’t seem like she got an HEA. Men are invading the maze at the very end of her POV and she’s looking for her Minotaur husband.. It made for a startling contrast to how horny Gwen was in the present day story, especially when she and Madoc role play the bride and the Minotaur. I can see why the story wants to reinterpret the myth as all the brides being horny for the Minotaur but there’s still a big heap of dubious consent and the fact that the women were enslaved to contend with. Still, I could have potentially gotten on board had it not included all the women being there to breed and then having their babies taken from them. Those revelations are brief and the grief is barely dealt with before Melita’s story ends. Given all that, it made it hard to care about Gwen's nerves over moving and wedding planning. I also wish the story wasn’t so gender essentialist. It would have been better if we either had Gwen’s story or Melita’s. Combining them meant neither was served well by the constraints of a novella.

Characters: Gwen is a 31 year old human-presenting Minotaur with a PhD. Madoc is a Minotaur museum curator. This is set in Cambric Creek. There’s a secondary historical story featuring Melita of Korinthos and the original Minotaur, the prince of Crete.

Content notes: history of sacrificed tributes, enslaved people, imprisonment in maze, pregnant secondary characters (there to be bred), labor and delivery, babies taken from mothers, grief, Minotaur rendered mute (scars on throat), family planning discussion, on page sex, unprotected sex (pregnancy results), role play, fluids, fluid exchange, dubious consent (Minotaur’s brides are not there willingly, even if they’re not forced to have sex), public sex, belly bulge, size difference, “manhood” as euphemism, gendered insults, gender essentialism (particularly around equating gender to genitalia), ableist language

Curse of the Cyclops - Clio Evans
Not written very well and not interesting enough to make up for it. Just seems like it was pure pulp fiction/erotica. Not interested in reading more from this author.

Belfry - Dee J. Holmes
Quite liked the writing style but I got bored near the end. I tend to find action scenes tedious unless I care about the consequences or characters, and this was too short for either to be developed well.

Blooded Labyrinth - S.J. Sanders
Looks like this was expanded into a longer book, but I don't really want to read it. The characters just fell a bit flat to me, though this story is the most faithful of the anthology to the original myth.

Stalking Tamara - Nova Blake
There were approximately five seconds of what might be considered stalking in this story - fine with that, but it moved a bit too quickly and there wasn't much feeling behind either the characters or world.

My Veiled Pursuer - Opal Fairchild
This title has nothing at all to do with the story from what I can tell, but I guess that doesn't matter because I still enjoyed it. Ends on what feels like a cliffhanger, but I can't find any other books in this world on the authors GR page so 😢 Looks like they write OV though so I'll be checking those out at least.

Reviewed on book itself:
Finding her Minotaur - Evangeline Priest
Darkheart - Vivienne Hart
The Minoan Bride - C.M. Nascosta

Didn't Read:
The Den - Atlas Rose (RH and pushes the monster genre a bit too far apparently)
Bespelled Brews - Elle Cross (I don't read RH)

Monsters in Love: Lost in the Labyrinth is a fantastic collection for all the monster lovers out there!

I loved that I got to enjoy so many magical and unusual worlds. And I really liked how different all the stories were and how clever the “labyrinth” theme was presented in each of them.

Even more, I loved the variety of monsters - we have minotaurs, cyclops, gargoyles, orcs, mothman, demons and satyrs - so many creatures that will satisfy even the most demanding reader’s craving. And it was a delight to witness all the females fall for those monstrously delicious males.

Overall, I really enjoyed this anthology.

And, in the end, these are the stories I loved most:

🖤 Curse of the Cyclops by Clio Evans
“I have an appetite for obedience, Daphne. I have a thirst for seeing my lover beg. For making them ache for me. Do you understand, human?”

🖤 Darkheart by Vivienne Hart
“You are my home. We have just found each other and there is no way I will leave you.”

🖤 Bespelled Brews by Elle Cross
“The pleasure is mine. As the night is still young, the pleasure could also be yours.”

🖤 My Veiled Pursuer by Opal Fairchild
“The lust you have unleashed inside me is a river overflowing.”

DNF @ 56%
Another monster anthology, but where the last one was very erotic/smut influenced, Monsters in Love was more balanced. (Some were smutty, some were sweet, etc.) I had a tougher time getting into this one. There’re two more books coming out, and I was confused on whether these will be ongoing stories or will feature different authors. I don’t like reading anything that is going to drop off and push me to buy/find another book for the ending…. that’s too much work. So, I automatically skipped anything that sounded like it would be continued. I started 6 stories but was only able to finish two of them and threw in the towel at 56%.

CURSE OF THE CYCLOPS by Clio Evans
This story has the following: Size differences, fated mates, MMF threesomes, monster love, praise kinks, sub/dom dynamics, tons of org*sms, and more.

Daphne has just learned about a secret magical library in her college and decides to check it out. She soon finds herself trapped with two sexy cyclops (Adam and Andrew) and learns they are her mates and she is the key to escaping the library. There wasn’t a ton going on, they’re pretty much fighting their way through a labyrinth and fooling around at the check points, but it entertained me to keep going. The smut fizzled out a bit for me. I found Andrew felt more bossy less dom, and there wasn’t really a threesome. We’re told that Adam and Andrew have been having sex, but they don’t really do anything together. They pretty much just take turns with Daphne.

BELFRY by Dee J. Holmes

Isabelle (Belle) is living in a cult-like society with her little sister and her crazy mom. All she wants is to leave the son town and marry her sweetheart, Thomas. Just when they’re set to announce their engagement, the crooked bishop sets up his family (so she can marry his captain) and they’re exiled to the underground which is full of demons and certain death. After a year of heartbreak, her sis ends up exiled as well, and Belle follows her down below. This one is low smut (I think only one scene) and has major Beauty and the Beast vibes going on. Belle and the wannabe om is Jaston- one letter off from Gaston

This review is for My Veiled Pursuer, which is part of the Monsters in Love anthology.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
STEAM: 🔥🔥🔥.5

Echo is in trouble. Her camp has been attacked, and she has now retreated to the woods alone. When she gets herself into even more trouble, a giant mothman comes to her rescue. Is Xaviras a friend or another dangerous creature?

There is so much world-building, chemistry, and spice packed into a tiny novella, and Opal Fairchild does a remarkable job of not overwhelming readers with details. I love the action scenes almost as much as the steamy moments between Echo and Xaviras. Opal leaves you at the edge of your seat, wondering what is going to happen next.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Opal Fairchild for providing an ARC. **

Review is for Curse of the Cyclops by Clio Evans & My Veiled Pursuer by Opal Fairchild

Curse of the Cyclops - Clio Evans is my benchmark for all things monster and her foray into this Cyclops short story has solidified the fact that she is my monster queen! Pure and simple. Adam and Andrew our two Cyclops have been trapped in the library labyrinth for 50 years waiting for their mate to find them and release them... when Daphne comes along everything is going to change! If you love monsters...then you need to read this short story! Hot, steamy, and just WOW! I need more of this please! (MMF)

My Veiled Pursuer - Relatively new author Opal Fairchild dips her toe into the monster genre with her moth man inspired short story. A fantastic story with steam, great characters, and a engaging plot! When Echo's camp is attacked, all she can think of is to run and hide, but there are more monsters out there than her camp's attackers. Xakiras, our handsome and protective moth man is going to find his mate and there will be nothing he won't do to protect her (and pleasure her too)!
An exciting, unique monster tale that I didn't want to end.

✨Review of Monsters in Love: Vol. 1 Lost in the Labyrinth
✨Rating: overall 3.75⭐️4.75🔥

✨Thoughts: another wonderful anthology to add to the shelves. These stories are a magical escape into various worlds where humans fall for dark, dangerous, and possessive creatures. Featuring 8 stories, these dark paranormal monster romances feature creatures from cyclopses to orcs to Minotaurs!

my favorite stories included:
🌿Curse of the Cyclops by @clioevansauthor (4.5⭐️4.5🔥)
🌿Bespelled Brews by Elle Cross (4⭐️4🔥)
🌿The Minoan Bride by @cmnascosta (4⭐️4.5🔥)

✨Genre/Tropes: dark romance, monster romance, paranormal, erotica, anthology
TW/CWs: vary for each story, check each before reading… but may include size differences, assault, graphic scenes, kink/bdsm, group activities

All in all, I REALLY enjoyed this mix of authors and their stories. Most of them kept my interest and will certainly have me grabbing the next anthology that comes out. Plus, I got to follow a couple new authors!

I’m curious about the Bespelled Brews story. There were questions left unanswered and… no real resolution to a fairly serious issue… and the story just kind of dropped off and left me hanging. Ending author notes didn’t specify if the rest would be in the next Monsters in Love anthology. I hope it does because I got pretty caught up in that one. At least with the others that had a cliffhanger I knew it would continue on in the next book so my patience can hold out for the rest of the tale… but no confirmation on Bespelled Brews?

This book was an impressive tome indeed: 1000 pages, ten “stories” that were basically full length novellas—all filled with romantic steamy smutty monster romance and plenty of spice.

I liked each of the stories for different reasons but my favorites were Finding Her Minotaur, Curse of the Cyclops, and the Minoan Bride—look, I like what I like, okay, and certain monsters make me get with the tingles. Those are two of them.

All in all, despite its size, this was a great read and I’m super duper excited for the release of the next two volumes.

Overall 4.5/5 rounded up to 5 based on enjoyment.

Review of The Minoan Bride by CM Nascosta

This was a novella based in the Cambric Creek universe featuring characters we haven’t seen before. This story featured a Gwen and Madoc, a young Minotaur couple as well as a Minoan Bride from the Greek Myths. I thought this was a really fun concept and I really wish either couple would have gotten a a longer story.

I’ve received an ARC for Opal’s Fairchild My Veiled Pursuer, and I absolutely love it. It’s a mix between monster romance and sci-fi, the interactions of the couple before becoming a couple are funny and adorable (he thinks she is hideous lol), and the spice is chefs kiss. I specially enjoyed Xakiras dirty mouth. Love it. 🥰

Some of the stories were really excellent, I liked the first three and especially the very last one. C.M. Nascosta outdid herself as always, she was the reason I bought this anthology and it was so worth it. Some of the stories weren't to my taste, but it was a varied group with something for everyone (interested in monster loving of course).

This was a great teaser. I found some really good authors that I will follow. Love the monsters.

I'm torn about a star rating for this collection. Averaged out it would be less than 4 but more than 3. The most consistent reason for that is because almost every single story in this collection was not what I would call 'complete'. MANY of them ended with a note akin to, "see more of their story in this full length book coming out later!". It felt a little like a bait and switch. I did enjoy many of the stories though and was intrigued with the world building. It was a great way to read a bunch of new to me authors, many of whom I would be open to reading more from.

Someone on Amazon called this the Norton Anthology of monster smut and I would say that is accurate. Not every story was a banger for me but the good ones were REALLY good! So glad I also snapped up Vol. 2 😏

ARC review for the story Finding Her Minotaur by Evangeline Priest

This was my first read from Priest and I absolutely enjoyed it.

Karis has moved into the city only to find out that she has been abandoned by her friends. Little does she know that this will be the LEAST of her problems. After helping a woman who is being accosted by a stranger, they both end up being knocked out and kidnapped. Cue Bronn, who is a bodyguard for the unknown woman, noting that she is missing and heading out to find out where she has gone. The two meet during the rescue, but there are several twists that are revealed throughout this time. We do get a HFN, but not without a little struggle first.

Bronn and Karis are absolutely magical and I'm so excited for the next part of their story. If you like monster romance and short reads, definitely check it out!

✨ARC review for the story My Veiled Pursuer by Opal Fairchild ✨

This was such a good story. I loved the description of the world and how it seemed, in my mind at least, to be beautiful yet dangerous. More importantly, I loved Xakira. Never have I read a mothman monster romance but after this one, I need more. I can’t wait to read what happens next in this world that Opal has created.

One of my favorite spicy quotes from the story: ““You are to stand here and allow me to devour you. If you so much as move, I will make you regret it.”

🌶🌶🌶.5/5

This is an arc review for Opal Fairchild’s - My Veiled Pursuer.

Totally obsessed from the second I started reading - never thought I’d be hot for a Mothman but here we are 😍

Xakiras is exactly the man I’d want to find me in the woods of an alien planet and save me from multiple attempts on my life while also claiming me as his 😍 I mean what more can anyone ask for

I can’t wait to read the rest of the anthology!

UPDATE: now that the whole anthology has been released and I’ve read it - I’m pretty much obsessed with every story. Each one has its own sexy monster and bad ass heroine and I can’t wait for more!

Overall, this probably averages out to two stars. Some stories were better than others, but I’m not sure this “monster” genre is for me because I didn’t super love any of them.

"Finding Her Minotaur" - Evangeline Priest
Lots of unanswered questions in this one. It’s a prequel to a new series. Even though it may answer my questions, I probably won’t read it.

"Curse of the Cyclops" - Clio Evans
This one did nothing for me. Woman goes to a magic library attended to by two Cyclops slaves (matchmaking dragon enslaves them). The three are mates and her magic puss* saves them. Also, one is a dom. Sigh.

"Darkheart" - Vivienne Hart
Hmm. It was kind of interesting up until the gargoyle with long talons finger bangs the heroine. :-/

I don’t know how many more of these I’m going to make it through.

"Belfry" - Dee J. Holmes
Well, this was definitely different. Not unexpected, but different. A lot of questions are left unanswered, but I didn’t hate it.

"The Den" - Atlas Rose
This is not a complete story. It’s the prequel/prologue/whatever for the first book in a series. It involves “wolves” (seems they’re hell hounds, but she thinks of them as wolves) f*cking a human female who may become more/other by f*cking the wolves (read the first book in the new series to find out!).

"Blooded Labyrinth" - S.J. Sanders
Interesting, but drags in parts. I guess it technically ends as “happy in this moment”. They’ve had sex and are safe together, but still in danger and it’s incomplete. There’s an “expansion” coming later.

"Bespelled Brews" - Elle Cross
This was ridiculous. He spiked her drink with dhara seeds (somehow confirm compatibility) then recorded them all having sex without consent and posted it on “orc net”. None of that ever gets talked about/resolved, but it’s ok because they save her from her crazy mentor who’s trying to suck her into the labyrinth (which is not explained at all) and she gets into Coventry. This was bad - least favorite of all stories.

"Stalking Tamara" - Nova Blake
I don’t know about this. Tamara goes on a work retreat and can’t take the noise of her coworkers at a shared meal the first day so runs off hiking in the woods without a map. It rains, gets dark, and something chases her resulting in her falling into a labyrinth. A satyr, Kavi, saves her from a spiny wolf and she saves the satyr from dying from the spiny wolf’s venom. They f*ck. She gives up her normal life with live in his labyrinth with him.

"My Veiled Pursuer" - Opal Fairchild
This was the most original story of the bunch. A human heroine and a mothman hero who get it on. He has wings, four arms, white eyes, and a frilled and pointy green dick that produces its own wetness (it extrudes from a pouch). Also, he has a long blue tongue he can vibrate. And, his sem*n is numbing. There are monster trees, humanoid scorpions, killer owls, and some kind of firefly servants on a bioluminescent world. It was interesting, but some of descriptions were contradictory and the actions of some characters were not smart, and I think I probably won’t look for follow up books because of that.

"The Minoan Bride" - C.M. Nascosta
I bought this anthology for this author's story. I first read her "Morning Glory Milking Farm" and really liked it, but I haven't enjoyed her other stories as much. I feel like I don't really know what's going on in a lot of them. For this one, it's a minotaur couple viewing an exhibit the hero curated regarding minotaur history. It switches back and forth between present day (the minotaur couple) and the past (the first minotaur in the labyrinth) as they walk through the exhibit. It's a little bit weird/confusing and I don't know if I'll continue with this author.

4 stars ⭐️

I read My Veiled Pursuer by Opal Fairchild. I love Xakiras. I want my own gentle, caring, deliciously hot mothman.

I would love for Opal to expand this story outside of the anthology. Beautiful monster romance.

4.5⭐️
My Veiled Pursuer by Opal Fairchild
All I can say is where can I find myself a mothman 🥵 this story was giving everything it was supposed to give and then some! I can’t wait to see what Opal has in store for this universe!!

Read: April 2, 2022
Rating: for them all, 3,5 Stars

This contains multiple short stories :

- Finding Her Minotaur by Evangeline Priest
3 Stars. ✨ was okay, not earth shattering or anything.

- Curse Of The Cyclops by Clio Evans
4 Stars ✨ liked it more, cool setting, don't read many cyclops books.

- Darkheart by Vivienne Hart
5 Stars ✨ loved it, so cute, will read more from this author.

- Belfry by Dee.J.Holmes
4 Stars ✨ liked the setting of story and was quite original, the ending was sweet, reminded me a bit of Esmeralda and Quasimodo.

- The Den by Atlas Rose
2,5 Stars ✨ meh, not terrible or anything but not my thing.

- Blooded Labyrinth by S.J.Sanders
2,5 Stars✨ was okay, but I've read way better books/stories by her than this

- Bespelled Brews by Elle Cross
3 Stars ✨ liked it but the ending was not really an ending and didn't solve anything, it felt too abrupt and imo not even a hfn.

- Stalking Tamara by Nova Blake
2,5 Stars ✨ Stalking Tamara by Nova Blake- felt kind of draggy but also like a one shot?

- My Veiled Pursuer by Opal Fairchild
3 Stars ✨ I liked some stuff of this story, other not so much, it felt longer then it was.

- The Minoan Bride by C.M.Nacosta
4 Stars ✨ This has the contemporary part, which is cute and the past part which is done really well. I liked this one.

I think this is the first anthology I've ever read where I've only skipped one story, and the only reason I skipped it was because there was question over an unclear content warning. (Which, I wish authors would be better about, especially in anthologies...)

Needless to say I enjoyed this one! I can't wait for the second installment coming out next month. The authors featured were the monsterf*cker-writers world equivalent of a star-studded cast -- some really great names were included. I appreciated that all of them were either completed short stories or HFN with more to come later, something that isn't common in anthologies either.

My favorites were Finding Her Minotaur by Evangeline Priest (5/5, cannot wait for the full-length version of this), Curse of the Cyclops by Clio Evans (5/5, please give me more sexy male librarians), and The Minoan Bride by C.M. Nascosta (5/5, everything she writes is so emotional but also so erotic). Honorable mentions: Blooded Labyrinth by S. J. Sanders (4/5, so vivid) and My Veiled Pursuer by Opal Fairchild (4/5 we stan a mothman).

I'm going to nitpick, but I wish there was more uniforminity in the author forewards. Some had descriptions of the story/CW and others didn't. My preference is to have them for each story, but just the fact that it wasn't uniform in this antholoy made this tidbit stick out.

Still, if you love monster romance, you'll have a good time with this one ;) My personal faves were Curse of the Cyclops by Clio Evans, Bespelled Brews by Elle Cross, and The Minoan Bride by CM Nascosta.

Enjoy!

Cool cover, mixed bag of stories. I'll be honest I didn't read them all. I started a few, didn't like them and moved on to others. I didn't finish a single one. Maybe there are a few gems in here?
That's the problem with anthologies, no way of knowing if the stories are of the same quality or not.

Out of this collection, I really liked "Dark Heart" by Vivienne Hart; "Belfry" by Dee J Holmes; and "Blooded Labyrinth" by SJ Sanders. The others were meh and I didn't read one of them at all.