His big romantic gesture is building her a crematorium. Yup…you read that right.

Gothic, epic, true enemies trying to maim each other, Gods influences, gory, bloody, murdery (is that a word???) soooo much murder

I find myself lost in this world full of magic realism, egos, history, darkness and fantastical characters.

One of my favorite reads this year. I’ve read probably everything from this author and I just mesh with their writing and characters.

This is a return to Moonvale monsters but even if you haven’t read any others you still good. Some characters overlap which might intrigue you enough to visit them in their own stories.

Nathan is a very sad wolfy. He’s all work and no play and it’s destroying him. He’s never been at peace with his wolf side and that’s thank to his shit family. Right now he needs a new assistant and a new start near his bff’s.

Enter Samantha. Sam is so unhappy and uncomfortable in her life, her biological needs (half succubus and witch) and this causes her to project a yolo life of the party mask. She just lost her job because of a creepo boss and has to move back in with her parents. See where this is going.

Nathan needs an assistant, Sam needs a job and maybe they really need each other.

This starts out literally with a bang. Sex club style anonymous meet cute anyone.

This has free use agreements, consensual partner sharing, lots of trial and error to successfully communicate, shifted sex, age gap but with both being long lived monster species so she’s like 38 and he’s 63. Oh and he’s her mom and dad’s best friend…awkward

These two were hot but also very fucking frustrating. They make some mistakes in navigating all their complicated feelings and their even more complicated circumstances but I just loved these two stubborn asses!

Edit: I want to add something that I don’t see often portrayed that I think some might WTF at. The relationship dynamic between Sam and her mom is a bit complicated. Sam acknowledges that being around and moving back with her parents causes a regression in her behavior especially towards her mother. She often lashes out in knee jerk (heavy on the JERK) immature ways that I think might take some by surprise given the other contents in the book. I personally like when characters are imperfect people and react in ways I don’t necessarily like or identify with. Stretches that empathy muscle 💪

But also…

Fun and hot monster times!

This was great. I loved these characters but this was especially about Ellis Carter who is queer and autistic and the people who really see him. I liked how physical his autism was described. How he navigated the world, a world not made for him or most really.

This was sweet and a slow burn but whoa I did not expect them to be so DTF once they established their interest in each other. I loved their communication about triggers, boundaries and limits. Felt real and normal.

Ellis slipping into a depression was written heartbreakingly realistic and vulnerable. Many of us have been this person or have known this person and the struggle to get through this emotion.

I left this book with the feeling that we need more awareness and allowance for the multitude of ways to exist in this world and multiple speeds in which things can happen. Quick and decisive is not the only way and the world needs a shit ton more empathy and patience. We could all be a little more Issaky.

I would 100% read more books by this author.