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Cue the singing home goods: We all know the story of “Beauty and the Beast.” A young woman is imprisoned by a monster, then finds out he’s not so bad. And with her love, he changes back into a handsome prince. (Except in the 1991 Disney animated version, he looked way better as a beast. Although who was looking at the prince when there was that library to drool over???) But what if you think that a monster might be your true love? A real, honest-to-goodness beast, with no curse that needed to be lifted or glamour to be removed. Would you want to take the time to tame them?
Halloween season is the perfect time to explore monster romances. In these five untamed romances, humans learn just what they would do — and how far they would go — with a monster. There are orcs, demons, dragons, soul eaters, and even a reanimated corpse. And they each have that certain something that makes humans say, “Hey, Goose, you big stud — take me to bed or lose me forever!” I’m not saying things aren’t going to get weird in these books. But they’re also going to be funny, sweet, romantic, and spicy. So let’s get started!
Dragon Actually (Dragon Kin) by G.A. Aiken
This is the first in the series, a very funny and very filthy medieval romp! Annwyl the Bloody is a warrior. (Which is good, because it would be hard to find work as a dentist with that name.) She trains to fight her brother’s army with a handsome soldier but it’s Fearghus the Destroyer, a dragon, who really seems to understand her. Sure, her soulmate has scales, but Annwyl is willing to take a chance. And things are about to get really hot. (Dragon humor!)
The Half-Orc’s Maiden Bride by Ruby Dixon
You might know Ruby Dixon from her Ice Planet Barbarians series — alien romance! — but she’s written plenty of other books too, like this monster romance. Lady Iolanthe of Rockmourn Keep is 30, and she’s written off the possibility of finding a good marriage match. Then, her father gives her the good news that a wealthy man want to marry her. It’s a dream come true! There’s just that tiny detail that he’s a half-orc with green skin and tusks.
Monster Match by Isabel Jordan
Lucy West is thrilled when she meets a handsome man at a speed dating event. But like with all new romances, there are always a few flaws. For instance, Viktor is actually centuries old. And made of reanimated parts. But everyone has their flaws, right? Lucy thinks she still wants to make things work (and make things work, nudge-nudge, wink-wink), but when Viktor’s past catches up with him, she’ll have to decide if she’s going to fight to be the bride of Frankenstein.
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon (Mead Mishaps) by Kimberly Lemming
Cinnamon is a spice farmer who is on her way home after having one too many meads when she runs into a demon. The demon, Fallon, chases her all the way home and then into her home, where he explains that the goddess her town worships is actually a witch: an evil witch who has enslaved demons like him and he needs Cinnamon’s help to break her spell. Cinnamon doesn’t want to go on a demon rescue mission, but Fallon is a demon and she doesn’t want to find out what will happen if she says no. So off they go on an adventure that is funny, sweet, and spicy! This was the first monster romance I read, and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It’s like an R-rated game of Dungeons & Dragons!
Soul Eater (Monstrous #1) by Lily Mayne
And last, but not least, is this m/m dark fantasy romance! It takes place in the Wastes, which is what the United States is called now that most of it has been destroyed by monsters. Danny is a poor kid who never dreamed he’d end up in the military. But here he is, part of a group trying to capture a monster known as Wyn the Soul Eater, who turns his victims into husks. And then something unusual happens: it becomes obvious that Wyn is fascinated by Danny, and something like trust begins to grow between them. Will Wyn ever let Danny see his face behind his dark hood? And what will happen to Danny if he can’t bring himself to destroy Wyn? (Just a heads up that this is a dark fantasy but, like, REALLY dark. There’s graphic sex but also graphic violence, so be ready if you decide to read it.)
That is all for me today, love lovers! I had a blast talking about kissing books with you. (Okay, at you.) If you want to hear about more romance books, or all sorts of other genres, be sure to subscribe to the All the Books! podcast. Until next time, see ya, hope you get your HEA.
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