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Monster Romance Roundtable with Maya! | S4E9
381 Plays2 months ago
Monster Romance Roundtable is back! This week we’re joined by our friend / monster romance connoisseur Maya. We take turns explaining in excruciating detail the plots of three different monster romances hand-picked by our special guest! Follow Maya @Maya_reads_spice
Major spoilers for the following monster romances: Caught By The Monster’s Trap by Mei Kaera, Wed to The Orc by Layla Fae and Bigfoot’s Bride by Candace Ayers.
Follow us on Instagarm @BringYourOwnPod
Follow Brandi @Brandos.books
Follow Kendra @Kendra.readz
Follow Kayla @Kaylas.bookshelf
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Transcript
Introduction and Special Guest Announcement
00:00:06
Speaker
Hello. Welcome to Bring Your Own, a Catch-All Bookish Moment of Time podcast. I'm I'm Kendra. And I'm Kayla. And today we are doing another Monster Romance Roundtable because it is spooky season.
Meet Maya, the Monster Romance Expert
00:00:22
Speaker
But this time we're doing it a little bit differently because we have our resident Monster Romance expert with us, Miss Maya. Hi, Maya. Hello.
00:00:33
Speaker
hey We're so excited to be here. Thank you for being here with us today. Of course. So Maya is at Maya Reads Spice on Instagram and TikTok.
Current Reads and Drinks Discussion
00:00:44
Speaker
And Maya reads a little bit of everything, but she is a big monster romance girlie. We are obsessed with Maya. We love Maya. We've gone to lots of book conventions with Maya. She is one of our bookish besties. So we're so happy you're here. Happy to be here.
00:01:00
Speaker
yeah Always happy to talk about Monster Romance. I love it. Yeah, that's exactly what's going to happen today. Maya picked out a book for each of us to read, a Monster novella, just like last time. But yeah, my these were handpicked by Maya. So we're so excited to talk about all the different ones that we read. yeah Before we jump in, though,
Kendra's Reading and Beverage Picks
00:01:22
Speaker
what are we reading? What are we drinking?
00:01:24
Speaker
Maya, do you want to go first as our special guest? um Yes, sure. I am currently drinking a polar seltzer cranberry lime. Oh, that one is so good. Very refreshing. And for reading, I'm listening to Red Fox by Karina Halley. It's book two in her experiment in terror series because it's like very much spooky vibe. So it's kind of like a good, a good thing to do right now. um And then I'm eyeball reading a little novella called Stitches by Violet Taylor and it's like in the underworld and she's like a Frankenstein's monster situation and he's like some kind of so hot skeleton man I don't really know yet so. Very on brand for the books
Kayla's Reading Journey and Recording Habits
00:02:08
Speaker
we're talking about today. Amazing. and I am currently drinking a lemon LaCroix. It's been a while since we've recorded in the afternoon so I finally get to have my lemon LaCroix back. Usually I have a coffee.
00:02:20
Speaker
And I am currently listening to Lost in Lassoed by Lila Sage, which I'm excited about that one. It's Teddy Hamilton. or not Whoa, nope, it is. Kendra's face just went. oh It is Jason Clark and Samantha Brentmore, who are two of my favorite narrators, possibly my favorite male narrator and favorite female narrator ever. so It's really fun so far. I'm only about 10% in. um But I'm, I'm hooked. And then I am ah back to physically reading First Time Caller. I took a break because I read Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone and this novella in that meantime, so I'm jumping back into First Time Caller this week.
Recording Sessions and Personal Lives
00:03:02
Speaker
I'm drinking water, which like
00:03:05
Speaker
We got to record at night again soon so I can have like some alcohol or something. Like my drink has just been, why it's been so boring. It's five o'clock somewhere, Kendra. It's okay. You can go grab something. I know, but like, but 2 p.m. you guys would have me committed. Like, I mean, I have had a beer at like 11 a.m. on this podcast before, but like, I don't know. Yeah. So what's the difference? I got to drive home after this. Okay. Okay. Um, and then,
00:03:31
Speaker
What am I reading? Okay. I am probably going to start Lost in Last Hood on audio as well. Thanks to our friends at PRH audio.
Book Recommendations and FOMO
00:03:38
Speaker
And then eyeball. I don't know. I think, I think the time has come where I will do One Dark Window, but don't hold me to it. It's just like, I think, so my, Kayla has been wanting me to read One Dark Window since literally last year. She actually told me all of the entire plot of both two books. I don't remember. Yes. Kayla, you were like, can I just tell you?
00:04:00
Speaker
I remember I was in my bedroom in Colorado and you like sent me a voice memo. And I know she hit play and she walked away. and that oh That's crazy. So yeah, she's been wanting me to read it for so long. Brandi's read it and loved it. You've read both books, right, Brandi? Yeah, I read them back to back. I also haven't watched. And I think it's like the time of year where it would be really fitting. I don't know. I look at the cover and I'm like, okay, this looks a little, not spooky, but like, if the vibe is there. It's a darker vibe. Yeah, it's okay. So don't hold me to it.
00:04:29
Speaker
I might not do it, but I was just thinking like, Oh, like what can I eyeball read next? Cause I, I've already read four books. It's beginning of October. I'm like, okay, I'm back in a groove. Maybe I keep going. Maybe not though. We'll see. Oh God. Maybe I keep going. Maybe not. You're so funny. My heart rate just went up at least 20 BPM. So we'll see what happens. Yeah. Um, okay.
00:04:50
Speaker
Well, that's great. um I also have a water. I meant to grab one of those sparkling apple ciders that I have in my fridge and I completely forgot before we started recording, but I may go grab grab it in a second. But um I'm also listening to Lost and Lost by Lila Sage. Thank you PRH audio for the free audio book. As soon as I posted that on my story, so many people messaged me like, oh my God, it's already out. And I'm like, I'm so sorry, Gorley.
Diving into Monster Smut: Maya's Love for the Genre
00:05:16
Speaker
PRH, if you have PRH. But I am physically reading Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone. I'm about 100 pages in, really loving so far. I wasn't in your updates, please.
00:05:28
Speaker
Sure. I haven't sent any updates. She literally has not sent anything. I promise you. Nothing has been said. I literally put a picture on the first page and I was like, Oh my God. Okay. Well, here's the thing. I wasn't going to start it. Like I, I wasn't going to start it yet, but I got serious phone because literally everybody, as soon as they got that book, they immediately started it. And I was like, Oh, I, and it's not because I didn't want to read it. I just was like, you know, it doesn't come out for so long. It took everyone else and not me. Oh my God.
00:05:53
Speaker
Kendra was the beginner and then literally every single other domino fell and I was like, okay, do it. Um, I just have FOMO. So now I'm reading it, but obviously I'm really loving it. So yeah. Am I a heavy red ready or not? I have, and I also have Promise Me Sunshine you go from NetGalley. So maybe you'll get the FOMO too, you know? um We'll see. Yeah. Maybe in November.
00:06:20
Speaker
Okay, there you go. Amazing. Shall we jump into talking about some monster smut? Let's do it. Yes, yes. So Maya, you are our monster romance expert. um Can you just tell us why you love this sub-genre of romance so much and like how you got into it? So I think for monster romance, one of the best things about it is that the rules are there are no rules, you know, It's a really great way to break up the monotony of reading, like rom coms, contemporary romance, dark romance, whatever. If you have like a whole niche that you stick to, I think it's fun to break that up with something else. And it helps with like reading momentum. So I don't get stuck in a slump. um I think back when I was still doing the
00:07:09
Speaker
Like the weirdest books on Kindle Unlimited series on TikTok. That was good. That's how I found like some of the first like crazy ones that I've read. Like I read, I think it was Jack by Leila Fay and it's the one with the cover with the guy with the pumpkin head. And he's like super jacked, but he has a pumpkin head. um And I read it and I was like, whoa. um Like that's different. That's, yeah that's not something I've read before. There were so many things about it that I was like, holy shit.
00:07:38
Speaker
um And then of course I read a lot of like paranormal romance already, Omegaverse, which is kind of like adjacent to paranormal. And so like, I think like regular paranormal books where they turn into monster romance for me is when it's like to the next level. But something about the their form or like their behavior is like extra crazy. yeah And like, there's some kind of extra element in the book that like makes it like more than just your average.
00:08:07
Speaker
vampire romance, you know? Yeah. And would you consider like a vampire romance, a monster romance book? ah Again, it like depends. so So it's like if they're if they're a vampire, but they also turn into like this monstrous beast form. Sure. Okay, if it's just a vampire, and they're just, you know, doing their thing, sucking blood and living their life, like, not really. Okay. Yeah. There's like so much variety. And I think that it gives usually the FMCs are human and it gives them a lot of like opportunity to like experience new things and open their horizons and like learn about themselves in ways that they maybe couldn't have done in regular human society.
Unique Monster Romance Discoveries
00:08:51
Speaker
Of the many, many books that you read, you usually read 200 something books a year, right usually. of Of all those, what would you say like the percentage of that is Monster Romance? I mean, I could look at my tracker right now.
00:09:04
Speaker
Uh, about 12% so far this year. Okay. Wow. That's still like hefty. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. I would be so curious to know like what your Kindle unlimited, like recommendations even look like, you know, because you, you read books. I'm like, how did you find, like, what do you even search? Like what tags are you going through? Where are you getting your recommendations? The problem is the Kindle of recommendations yeah update so much that like, if I read one monster romance, it's like kind of crazy.
00:09:34
Speaker
It'll give me a bunch of crazy things. But then if I read like a regular contemporary rom-com, like those will all go away. Um, so again, back when I was doing that series on TikTok, I kind of learned how to find things really easily, but which is basically just insert word plus erotica and then ah turn on Kindle unlimited. Yeah. I'm not even joking. I like, I found one about a chair by saying chair erotica.
00:10:01
Speaker
Like that's incredible. The limit does not exist. I'm going to test that real quick. Let's I was just going to say you said like the Kindle Rex. I was just because just because I read that one singular one, i I open it up, you know, I see my streak and immediately right there is more more like your recent book. So I've got a ton like just on here craving the Kraken. Have you read that one? I have not. Well, there you
Monster Romance Roundtable Format
00:10:23
Speaker
go. There's there's another wreck. So where Kendra?
00:10:26
Speaker
Yeah, so Maya says if you type in a word plus erotica, you will get what you're looking for in terms of this. So my word was banana. No. Oh, no. um The banana of his desire popped up. like got Chef Daddy's banana. Amazing. Yeah, a taboo erotica. ah And boys and banana book 30.
00:10:53
Speaker
romance MM novel Gay Short Stories 23. So yeah, now my KU Rex are gonna be a little all over the place for a while. Like recently viewed.
00:11:06
Speaker
Yeah. like that's Wow. Thank you for that for that hint. You're so welcome. I don't get keep. but yeah Thank you. Thank you. I was just going to share a quick little story one time. This is shortly after Simulite. I think it was shortly after Simulite. Yeah. Maya and I are friends on Storygraph. and i see i you know So we see what what people are reading. And I noticed that she's reading something that's very ah apt, very with the times. It was pounded by the pommel horse.
00:11:33
Speaker
And it so yeah this was when the Olympics was like, it just stopped or I can't remember. yeah Yeah, just finished. And so I sent that to our like group chat with like, it's like a group chat with like 12 other people that we hung out with at stimulus. And I said, Maya, please share. How did this go? Like, how how was it? So, and it was only like 30 pages. It was really short, wasn't it? Yeah, it was super short.
00:11:57
Speaker
so You know, if you're still in your pommel horse guy phase. It wasn't bad though. Okay. It wasn't bad. There you go. If you're still in your pommel horse guy phase, then go check out Pounded by the Pommel Horse. It could have been so much worse. Yes. I mean, still with the times considering he's on Dancing with the Stars right now. Exactly. Exactly. There you go.
Kendra's Pick: 'Caught by the Monster's Trap'
00:12:16
Speaker
Yeah. So topical. That's hilarious. Yeah.
00:12:22
Speaker
All right. So with the knowledge that we've just gained, um let's hop into our roundtable. So we're going to go one by one. But before each of us talks about which book we read, Maya is going to kind of describe why does she pick that book? What is her like favorite thing about that book? Why is that one sticking her head? Because we told her she could pick any monster romances that she's read. And as we've just established, she's read tons of them. But she narrowed it down to three. So who would like to go first?
00:12:50
Speaker
I would like to go first. Okay. Um, so my pick by Maya was caught by the monster's trap by May Cara Cara, something like that. And yes, Maya, why was this one of your selections? So two of my selections I actually had not read, but I've been meaning to read. Ooh.
00:13:12
Speaker
well card um So this was one of the ones I hadn't read, but I've been like, I keep seeing this. I want to read it. Um, the cover was like interesting and I don't know, it had a good rating. Like it, I was like, okay, that's all I need to know. Um, I think this one I picked because it's one of those like unclassifiable monsters.
00:13:35
Speaker
It's just like ah monster yeah asterisk generic. Like it's just a monster. You don't know what their origin is literally species is. Like they're just kind of there. Um, and, and they don't really know either. And so I just thought it was, I really enjoyed the monsters POV chapters in that one, just because like he's so well-meaning.
00:14:00
Speaker
but he doesn't really know how to communicate and there's like a language barrier and like, I don't know, he's like a compassionate person, but he also is so lonely and he doesn't want to be alone anymore in the woods by himself. So you read these ones with us, the ones that you hadn't read yet, you read. Yeah. Okay. Amazing. Oh, amazing. I love that. Wow. All right. Kind of. Yeah. Okay, so. Let's read it.
00:14:25
Speaker
Yeah. So as previously mentioned, I read caught by the monsters trap. I'm going to show you guys the cover. We'll also have the cover on our Instagram app. Bring your own pod. This is, um, can you guys see? Yeah. He's like a bluish. I love his hair. Yeah. He's like, um, like more like pale gray is how they describe him. He looks very sickly. Um, yeah. If you saw this monster walking down the street, you'd be like, that's a, that's not a human. That's a freak of nature. Um, and he feels that he knows that people look at him.
00:14:54
Speaker
and see that. So let me start from the beginning. ni He is. Yeah. Um, so it follows this girl named Grace who feels like she's just like not important at all in life. Like, um, she works a dead end job. Like you don't even know what type of job it is. You can just tell that so like monotonous and like, she doesn't care about it. And um her friends like she shows up for her friends but they don't show up for her and her family um her parents are more concerned with her little sister who's like always getting into like some sort of like trouble or adventure and like they're always just like talking to her about her little sister and they view her as like the good one the one they don't need to
00:15:35
Speaker
really like worry about or concern themselves with. And I was like, oh, that's literally like me and my siblings. yeah So um she goes on a hike one day just to, you know, get some fresh air and do something for herself. And as she's on this hike, which I'm assuming it was in Canada because she says she lives in like a province. And so she's like in the mountains of Canada. We're going to say she's in Canada. And as she's on this hike in the woods, in the mountains, she isn't paying attention and like falls into this like pit trap and like hurts her ankle and it's really deep and you quickly learn that this was a trap intentionally set by our monster and you get his point of view um he internally refers well it's written in third person but like you don't know his name and so it's just like the monster like monster which is kind of sad because it's like that's how he like
00:16:29
Speaker
you know views himself and you quickly learn that ah so he set this pit to like catch food and all this and you get his backstory which is we don't know where he came from but we do know that he was experimented on by humans in a lab for a big majority of his life. And so he can't speak. He does understand English. And he was let go out of this lab because there was another monster in the lab being experimented on that turned on the humans and slaughtered all of them. So he was able to go free. And um the minute he like gets out in society, people like, you know, he's a freakin' nature. So what do humans do when they see something they don't like? They shoot them. Oh, well, that's good.
00:17:12
Speaker
um but He gets like shot at and like people are very scared of him. They view him as like, you know, something that's not good. They're violent towards him. So he finds his way into the woods and like makes a solitary life for himself. And I'm just going to describe what he looks like for our listeners. um So we've already kind of touched on his skin. It's very like grayish and pale. He has like like the body of like a really ripped man on steroids. Like that's kind of the vibe that I got like
00:17:43
Speaker
just ripped, but he has a mane of hair. So his hair starts at his hairline on his forehead and it stays attached down his back. So it's just long and black and like flowing. And he has red eyes and he walks around naked, but he has a very hairy cock. So it.
00:18:05
Speaker
ah So other than his like head, is that the only other place that there's hair? that we are described, yes. um He has a very, so he walks around naked, but like you see that he has, so it's like he has like a patch, you know, like a hair, a bush, but like his cock is big. So like, you see it. um well So Grace does. Yeah. Of course it's big. It's a monster romance. Yeah, yeah it's it's monster. So yeah. And like on the cover, I don't remember this explicitly being said in the story, but he has like pointy ears on the cover. And like Maya was saying, like he, we don't know what he is. We just know that he is not human. He's some sort of creature.
00:18:40
Speaker
um And grace so in his point of view he describes himself as the monster but grace describes him as like the creature which I thought was like a Little more like nice of her to like not take that approach of like oh, you're a monster like you're just a creature So anyways, she's in this pit now. We're back. She's in this fit. She's trapped and like the monster knows that she's trapped um and she's like tried to get out she like makes herself a rope with her clothes it doesn't work and like her ankles like swollen and And he doesn't want to like lead her out because he doesn't have the best ah relationship with humans, so he just like does not know what she's gonna do. And she's like kind of like scared of her and she's scared of him. Eventually, he starts bringing her food, though. And she he brings her food in a bucket, a bucket to alleviate herself in. And every day, he'll bring her food, he'll clean out her bucket, which I'm like, that's crazy.
00:19:31
Speaker
I'm not doing that and for anyone. yeah so And like, yeah, you learn internally that like he likes keeping her around, not only to like kind of protect himself, but also like he is lonely. So it's like, here's his interaction that like he can have. And he knows he's like keeping her there, but he doesn't want to let her go. And, uh, he can't speak. Like I said, he like he literally cannot verbalize anything, but, um, she starts talking to him and he knows how to give like yes or no answers by shaking his head, yes or no. So she starts talking to him and like um kind of just like monologues at him about her life. So she, who was feeling very lonely in her personal life starts to also find comfort in someone who's just like listening to her for the first time. So they kind of like build this like, I don't want to call it a friendship right away, but it does like die eventually like build to that. And then one day a storm comes
00:20:24
Speaker
And he has to like quickly build shelter or something like above the pit to like protect her. But she's like shivering. It's so cold. Like she's in these like disgusting clothes. And by the way, like days and days have been passing. So she's just like been in this pit. Like he bought her plants at one point to like build a garden. Like a lot has been happening. So time, and time is kind of weird in this.
00:20:46
Speaker
but a storm comes and he asked to like keep her warm because another one of his traits is that he's like just naturally super warm and like his senses are high and he can see in the dark all that so he like holds on to her in the middle of the night and like we're made aware that Yeah, in the pit. He's finna be Hit in the pit with her. And we like know at this point that like he is like attracted to her, or like at least curious about the human body, because he's like, A, he's a virgin, he's never had sex, and he's never even seen a human naked, and she sees his cock out all the time, so she's just like, what does that feel like, you know?
00:21:23
Speaker
ah So it's like yeah, it's been like raining during this storm She's like shivering where her clothes are all wet and he's like holding her and then like he falls asleep and But he's like cock like juts out in between her thighs as she's as he's like cradling her and so like naturally she's like kind of horny and so she just like kind of like rubs a little bit and She hasn't had sex in a really really really long time. So he's asleep and he's she's like rubbing herself and then eventually like she comes because like his cock is like in between her clothes that her closed thighs and
00:21:54
Speaker
And like, it just works. And then like. While he's asleep still. ah Hold on. So she thinks he's asleep and she feels kind of bad about it. But then in the next chapter, you learn that he was awake, but he was acting sleep. I know this sounds very like. You know, like contemporary romance. And so he. He comes from that, but obviously, you know, because he's a monster, he has willpower.
00:22:21
Speaker
He comes, but he doesn't, um, ejaculate. He like forces himself not to ejaculate. And I was like, king okay. Okay. You know, reminded me of Dean from the bully. Yep. Yep. Yep. yep Um, and so that happened and he like kind of never talk about it. And then something, I kind of forget how he ends up getting her out of the pit.
00:22:42
Speaker
Oh, she was about to like, she he felt like she was about to die. Cause like the storm just like really like did a number on her body. So while she's sleeping, he picks her up and then takes her to his like cabin that he has in the woods. Um, and it's like a windowless cabin, but he's like really made a life for himself out here. And it's like kind of cute, I don't know. And he like just takes care of her. And, um, but he does this thing where he like takes her shoes to her. Like when she wakes up, she can't like run away and their, this is when their friendship starts to grow. So like more days and kind of weeks pass and they like, get used to like living in this cabin together. And because she doesn't have shoes, her feet start to hurt. So he like massages her feet. And um she like it's so erotic for her that she comes again. And they like also like really never like talk about it. Yeah.
00:23:34
Speaker
yeah and I mean like I think he just has like a grace fetish like he's just like so enamored by her but and then know she does yeah she does that's what i oh then Yeah, I don't know, you know, this is grace is just grace bro, like I forgot to mention this earlier but when she was like sliding her thighs on his like cock She would describe it as like his cock touched her labia lips. Like every time. i like i Yeah. Every time the word labia was used, it was not just labia. It was labia lips.
00:24:05
Speaker
yeah The lower lips. Yeah, know lower. Yeah. So they just like hang out and like yeah after like the foot massage or whatever. And then one day they're like walking in the woods and like they've become like such good friends at this point, even though again, he still can't talk. And they come across this sign and you don't even know what's on the sign, but she quickly learns that he's illiterate. So then she like makes it her mission to teach him how to read. And this is when things between them like really pick up and he's like so smart and intelligent that he Um, again, can't speak, but learns how to read and write. And like, they just start having these like really intimate conversations. Um, a lot happened, but it was so condensed. I was going to say, oh this is already a lot in a hundred pages or something. like Oh, yeah yeah. Yeah. This is like, I would describe this, like, even though they had that moment in the pit where they like got it on, like this is a very slow burn because they don't like have penetrative sex until literally the last chapter of the book. So there is like, once he teaches her how to read and then
00:25:01
Speaker
I think she like gives him a hand job or something. And then he like, you know, comes again. It was, it was, it was hot. Like I'm not gonna lie. I was like, Oh, it's like blushing. Mind you. I'm reading this at my parents' house. I was like, Whoa. Um, what but then he like starts to feel bad. And he's like, I just feel like I'm like keeping her here when like she has a whole life elsewhere. So as she's sleeping again, he picks her up and then like takes her back to her car. And this is the part where I was like, what?
00:25:27
Speaker
because mind you, it's been like weeks, months. I don't know. We just know a long time has passed and her car is just sitting there. Like it was like out in the middle of nowhere. Kind of like she was hiking in like no man's land. Yeah. It was like no one even, you know, it was looking for her. Yeah. But then like you feel, but then that makes you leave them. Yeah. Bad for her because she checks her phone. Once she gets back on her car, she's mad at him because she's just like, why would he do this to me? And then then her parents didn't care that she was gone. Her sister. She did get fired from her job though, but she felt like she, that was like a relief for her. Cause she was like, I didn't like that job anyways. So then she quickly realizes that like she wants to be with him. Like that was the happiest she's ever been. Um, she drives back to the woods cause she like went into town for a little bit drives back and like confronts him. And she's like, why did you do that? And he's like, why did you just felt so bad? They work it out. And then they finally have sex. There was a moment where he like goes down on her and it was really hot. Like they couldn't even make it to the cabin. Like he just like,
00:26:21
Speaker
went down on her in the woods like against a tree and then they get back and then um they finally have penetrative sex and then you get to the epilogue and you learn that he like built their cabin up he added all these extra bedrooms running water a proper bathroom for her to use and they just like live out in the woods but it's man like i feel like my monster romances in the past have been like kind of like Fucking crazy. Wild. This one was like so just like sweet. and Domestic. Domestic and tender. And I thought that was really nice, especially because the conversations that the author was having surrounding like loneliness. I feel like I could like really relate to that. And like it was just like it was nice. And I'm glad that these two people found each other like. Did he ever get a name? Oh, yes. That was actually really so he does get a name. Like once he learned how to um read and write, she like asked him about she learns more about his past and he tells her that.
00:27:15
Speaker
he had a name when he was being tested on by all the humans but it was like some like K9F you know one of those like like Monsters Inc you know and so he ends up naming himself Keen and it was like really fitting and um yeah they just lived like happily ever after and I was just like really happy for Grace like because she finally found someone that like loved her and I think that's like Monster Romance is like like really good for that like the FMCs are usually like they just want someone that's gonna like accept all of them so like who of course someone who is like considered a monster like of course they're gonna accept you like yeah it was cute though yeah it can't be wilder than him yeah so it was like very tame and like very good and like under ah like a hundred pages like exactly or something like that so quick I would recommend it like it was just really sweet
00:28:00
Speaker
Yeah. So how was like the actual like writing of it? I know you said that you like enjoyed a lot of conversations that the author had around loneliness, but like sometimes, you know, I don't want to be rude, but you know, sometimes the writing is intentionally very silly or, you know, yeah you know, it wasn't bad writing. It definitely wasn't like the best in the world. Um, but like I've read way worse and yeah, I feel like I was able to get through it like really quickly too. So like yeah the story flew, like flowed. It was a repetitive at certain times, like when they were describing like the struggles that they were going through, but that was
Kayla's Pick: 'Wed to the Orc'
00:28:38
Speaker
it. Like I, I almost wish I went in knowing that it was going to be a slow of a burn. Cause at one point I was like, all right, like, let's go, let's go, let's go. But then it did make it like they were just, especially on Keene, the monster's point, like he was so intentional about like not wanting to rush things because like he was just like, he wanted to make sure that like,
00:28:58
Speaker
He was never forcing her to do something because he did know that he had the upper hand with her. So I like how that played out. Yeah. Yeah. This is why women choose the bear. Yeah. No, but like literally like, yes, yes. That's why. But yeah, maya what did he what did you think of this one? Um, I was also pleasantly surprised by how sweet it was. I feel like when I'm reading monster romance, it's either going to be like one of three things. It's going to be like off the wall, like crazy insane. It's going to be like.
00:29:27
Speaker
spicy and a bit crazy, but like maybe a little bit of humor or whatever. It's going to be like a fun read, but spicy, or it's going to be really sweet. Yeah. Like surprisingly sweet. It happens a lot. I feel like it's a similar thing that you get with like an enemies to lovers trope where it's like, because they show each other, they're like worse sides. Like they love each other because of who they are fully. yeah And that comes out a lot in Monster Romance, obviously, because it's more of a physical manifestation of that. Um,
00:29:57
Speaker
So yeah, I thought it was really sweet. I think the writing was like a little bit like, like, I think she's a bit of a new writer. Like, I think she's only written a couple novellas. So I take that with a grain of salt. Again, I've also read things that are like way worse written. If you can like follow a sentence, and it makes sense from page one to the end, like, I'm good. Yeah. Only only complaint was lady ellipse, to be honest. Yeah, literally, like that was that was it.
00:30:24
Speaker
Yep. That sounds like such a nice one, though. Yeah, yes it was sweet. Like, wow. Caught in the monster's trap, right? Yes. Amazing. hey you So I read Wed to the Orc by Leila Fay. ah This is the cover. Okay. Maya, why was this one on your list? So I had read this one before.
00:30:50
Speaker
Okay. Um, and Layla Fay is like one of my favorite monster romance writers because she does a lot of Nafellas and her writing has gotten like pretty good. Like back in the Jack days, it was okay, but it's a lot better now. Um, she wrote Jack. She's the one that wrote that one. Yep. Okay. Okay. Got it. I've been hooked ever since, but like, I think she, she just has a way of making.
00:31:15
Speaker
adding these like little details that make it like the next level of crazy that it's like, what the fuck? Um, but like also kind of like in a nice way. So it's like, it's not so shocking that you're like, that would never like happen or work. It's just like, Oh yeah, I can see that. Sure. Why not? Yeah. Like, of course his essence has anti-aging properties. Like I want it. look Um, so yeah, I just think her writing is like, it's funny and like witty and like, she doesn't really pull any punches with like conversations that the main characters have with each other. So yeah, I just think it's like, she's a really fun writer. And it's a good like, or example, you know? Yes, absolutely. Wait, quick question. Are orcs like Shrek? I know he's an ogre, ogre, but like, are they in the same family? Similar vibes, like big green dudes. Okay. Yeah. Oh, I was just gonna say, you know, like, what are the rings? Girl.
00:32:14
Speaker
Not those orcs. Different orc.
00:32:19
Speaker
All right, I'll jump in. So Wedge of the Orc by Leila Fay. This book follows our two main characters. Ina is I think how you say it's Ina. It's either Ina or Ina. She's 21. She's a very rowdy and extroverted, very poor human. And Lundark, who is our orc, he has pretty low self esteem. He's a workaholic. He's quite cranky.
00:32:45
Speaker
So this is number six in the Wed to the Monster series by Leila Fay. So this book starts off with a prologue that kind of explains why this is happening. So there was this thing that happened hundreds of years ago called The Shift, where basically Earth and humans literally like our realities collided with these monster realities. And so now everybody kind of lives in on top of each other, whatever. So there's a bunch of different kinds of monsters. And they have these arranged marriages between humans and other species that are like very rare because it's a soulmate match. You're basically matching with your mate. ah She doesn't say the mate the word mate right at the beginning, but she does use it later in the book, which I thought was interesting. So it's basically like supposed to be your exact match, genetically, romantically, all of that stuff. So Lundark is doing this exclusively to get his dick wet.
00:33:42
Speaker
So, like, when the priestess asks him, like, why are you, like, looking for your mate, he says, I require a female for my bed. That is all I will ask for her, infrequently, only when it is needed. It won't be a burden. Otherwise, she'll be free to do as she pleases as long as she does not disturb me.
00:33:58
Speaker
So he is a massive workaholic. He's like one of the leading scientists in like portal technology in this world which is like such a funny and fun part of this book to me is the fact that he's like addicted to work because he's like a leading scientist. He's a little condescending about how smart he is every once in a while but that's part of the plot. ah So yeah, he's like has no intention of being a good husband but he does have a like the intention of being like a good like provider um and he's like well since she was made for me like she will provide what i need and nothing more so he basically just wants somebody he's like oh this is what our compatibility looks like this is what i need this is what she's gonna give me
00:34:38
Speaker
Immediately upon seeing her, he's like obviously so horny because he like sees her immediately and he's like, oh my God, she's just like perfect, she's stunning, whatever. i We then kind of quickly switched to Ina's point of view where we learned that she's definitely doing this for the money. Both of her parents are dead, her sister is pregnant with her fifth child and like damn humans are really poor. But yeah, and that's like a plot point too, is that her sister like just keeps getting pregnant and like it's- By the same dad?
00:35:06
Speaker
Yeah, like there' she's like married to another human. But there's not birth control. Get off of her. Get off of her. And there's no birth control, like Maya said. Oh, no. And the husband is bad at sex, so Aida thinks that everybody's bad at sex. Double homicide. Oh, no. Yeah. She's talking about how she's like heard her sister having to like fake orgasms all the time, so she like really hopes she doesn't have to do that.
00:35:30
Speaker
But okay, Leila from Secret Wives with Mormon Wives. No, that's really what I was thinking. So she's like doing it for the money, but she also really wants to be a good wife. Like she's not like feeling sad about doing this at all. Like she's like entering into this to be like, whatever. I i mean, it's supposed to be a win for the human females as well, because this is their mate. But it is a lot of them are doing it on a necessity for money. and So she's never been kissed. She's never held hands. She's a virgin. And at the ceremony, she's like so excited to kiss him to seal the ceremony. And he's like, eh, let's go home. um So he doesn't kiss her. And they like start to head home. And Lundark immediately locks himself away to work and promises himself that he's not going to have sex with her until the sun goes down. Because he's like so obsessed with her immediately. But he's such a control freak that he's like, I cannot let my base instincts win out. like I have to wait to fuck her.
00:36:21
Speaker
So he's like lost in his thoughts. And that's when you kind of learn how how low of self-esteem he has. So he has this line where he says, I couldn't spin romantic yarns. I couldn't talk about feelings. And my idea of a gift was a book when most orc females prefer jewelry or clothing. So I know would soon find out how big of a disappointment I was. He's had like three past relationships where he's like tried to find a partner and all three of those women ended up leaving him.
00:36:47
Speaker
So he's like, I will provide for her, give her a safe and reliable life. And that is what those temple brides were after anyway. So he's basically just like, we're going to be on the same page. Aina goes snooping around while he's like locked himself away and finds a book about huming and human anatomy on his nightstand. And he's like highlighted a bunch of sections about female pleasure.
00:37:06
Speaker
ah So she's like, oh my god. Yeah, she's she's like, actually, man who learns exactly. She's actually, she was like, wow, that's actually so amazing. And like later, one dark is like, oh, she like after they have sex, he's like, oh, she doesn't even know that I just got that from a book when she like, I don't know, he's like, so he needs therapy. um But they have dinner together.
00:37:27
Speaker
And they're basically like kind of talking about what the arrangement's gonna be, but there's this like lust clouding growth of their heads. And she's like, I'll be a good wife. You'll see. Is there anything else I can do? And he's like, go to the bedroom. um So he goes and fetches something from the bedroom. And it turns out to be this like magical oil that basically like relaxes the female coochie so much that they can take orch dick. So, wow.
00:37:54
Speaker
Yeah, but he's gonna prep her the old-fashioned way as well. There's a ton of sniffing in this book. He loves smelling her poochy. I meant to say, I was trying to say pussy and coochie at the same time. He loves smelling her poochy. No, keep saying poochy. I like it. You heard it first, you guys. It's going everywhere. It fits, you know, it fits. Yeah, exactly. One Dark would say poochy.
00:38:15
Speaker
So despite never being kissed, Aina is very into the idea of like fucking this giant green orc right now. And he wants to breed her so bad. So he starts off by going down on her, which he's never done before because that's not like ah really a thing in like orc sex. And she's almost immediately coming, of course. ah So they like after she comes from being gone down on, he flips her over and whatever. and he's like putting the oil on her and she's like so aroused and she's like please I need it and then they start having sex pain and he starts purring oh like a cat like yeah so she's like what is that noise and he's like a purr it means you make me feel good what where's peach for this non-effect
00:39:04
Speaker
I don't know. But she looks so into it. They have amazing sex. Like, it's great. Of course. They're obviously like a match genetically. Wow. And that was her first time? First time. Like, she feels amazing. Like, it's great. You go, queen.
00:39:19
Speaker
ah no No comment about the like any kind of bleeding or anything, which I thought was interesting, but lots of girls break their hymens before the first time they have sex, so normal. But anyways, immediately when they're done, like literally moments after they both finish, he's like, alright, so you can go pick a room in the house, you can have any room you want. And she's like,
00:39:36
Speaker
wouldn that what I don't get to stay in here with you. And he's like, no. Oh, and so she starts to argue a little bit. because She's like very outgoing. She's like really not scared of him. And he has this thought that like one of his other orc friends was mated to a a human woman. And she was like so quiet and demure and scared of everything and like not scared of her husband, but like very just like and to me or a little girl. So he was expecting Aina to be like that. She's just really not. They get into an argument. And she looks down and he's hard. And she's like, like, surprised. And he's like, that's right, little human. You think an orc like me will be satisfied mating just once. If you stay in the bed with me, I will take you five more times tonight, every night. You will wake with my cock inside of you. Your body and your voice will be giving out by morning.
00:40:20
Speaker
So he's like, it's for your own good. And he's like, I have work to do. Yeah, he's literally like, that's my next bullet point is he's like, I can't be that distracted from work. I need my sleep. And she's like, what the fuck? And she's like, I need to become his priority. And thus begins this dynamic that takes up like the middle of the book, where he's really, really pushing her away. But she's like really determined to make the relationship work. And like his low self esteem is feeding into this like,
00:40:48
Speaker
work is the only thing he's good at. That's what he needs to focus on. If he puts time into Aina and she rejects him, he just like knows he can't handle that. So he's just whatever. It's a little bit pathetic on her end. But she like trying to like seduce him or is it something else?
00:41:03
Speaker
it's ah It's a little bit seduction. It's a lot of like, I'm going to make the house really nice. I'm going to cook a really nice dinner. I'm going to be what he wants from me. But he wants somebody who's going to like shut up and go away. And she just like is incapable of doing that. So he like freaks out at her for like a couple of little things. And finally, she's like, you know what? You're full of bullshit. And this is the sentence that says, I'm right here. I made it plain from the start. Whatever you need, I'll do it. I want to be a good wife and your actions if I'm only here to give you trouble. I'm on your side, but clearly you're not on mine.
00:41:33
Speaker
And there's this like big fight that is basically like, she's like, I'm trying and you're not. And so that's kind of the turning point where his mating instincts click in because she's starting to pull away now. And he finds out that she's like friends with a couple of like male orcs in the village and he like loses his mind and he's like, hell no. um So he starts trying and there's like little things sprinkled in that's sweet. Like he sends his since her pregnant sister like a huge pack of birth control. oh god yeah really he
00:42:05
Speaker
Wait, but if there's no birth control, where did he get it? Yeah, how does that happen? They just can't afford it. Yeah, you can't afford it. Yeah, yeah because all the humans are hella poor. Yeah. and so like He had been like they had been taking birth control and she's like, Oh, my sister really needs this like just like a one off comment and like and a package shows up at her sister's house and and he like helped her buy gardening stuff because she said she wanted to garden and so like there are like little sweet moments here and there where you can tell like obviously that he cares about her. And so he decides to like actually start to try um because she's taking up so much space in his thoughts anyways, like that he can't get any work done anyway. So he's like, why am I being miserable and not getting work done?
00:42:48
Speaker
So they decide to like try. He goes on this date with her into the village, basically like marks his territory to all the male orcs. He's like, this is my mate. And then they go and decide to have sex again. And this is when you find out because the last time they had sex, it was like from the back. So she was just all sensation, wasn't really looking anything.
00:43:09
Speaker
So this is when you find out that his dick is 16 inches long. It is ribbed, and it is dark green. Ribbed for her pleasure. Yes, exactly. This is why the oil is so important, because the human anatomy can really only take up to eight inches. There you go. Oh my god. Why is he holding up a ruler for us right now? You did not have a tape measure. Just count this sitting there. OK. OK, yeah, yeah.
00:43:35
Speaker
16 inches is crazy. That's like in her stomach. Well, that's what this magical oil is for. it's Yeah, it it feels amazing to her and it's ribbed. It is so girthy that only the head fits in her mouth. So like like picture how big that is.
00:43:57
Speaker
that she can only get like her mouth no around. She's like, my jaw clicks. Yeah. Yes. He's like, break her jaw. Is that you trying it? Kayla put a water. I tended to put a water bottle in her mouth just now.
00:44:11
Speaker
Yeah. Lundark would not be pleased, Kayla. um oh so But he's like worried he's going to break her jaw, but they're having a great time. This is when what Maya mentioned at the beginning. like You find out that his cum has anti-aging essence into it. But he makes a note that like it's not very well-studied. Ork Cum has great anti-aging power. They could bottle that up, create a business. So he comes on her base, I'm assuming? No. she She's determined to take it all down. Oh, OK.
00:44:39
Speaker
This is the very last highlight in my book for me is I gave him one last fond suckle and straighten wiped my mouth.
00:44:50
Speaker
They promised both to try and like their marriage and be partners. He says he's gonna only work six hours a day. And she's, you know, gonna make an effort to like help him bring him out of his shell and whatever. And in the epilogue, they have a little orc baby.
00:45:07
Speaker
A half human, half orc baby, or is it a full orc, or what's the? I mean, it's not a release, that's fine. I mean, definitely probably half and half, because it's half human. But she's green when she comes out, and she's like a little green baby. I just imagine it coming out. That had to hurt, I'm assuming. Yeah, I mean, that part, I was waiting for them to talk about that. I mean, she was definitely screaming, and she was in love with me. Like cussing him out, yeah. Yeah, she was not happy. Brandi, was this like, was the sex really hot?
00:45:36
Speaker
It was quite tender, to be honest. like There wasn't anything really crazy about it. It was it was definitely like smut, like especially the first time, because there wasn't a whole lot of feelings involved there. It was like baser instinct. But they were doing very human positions. And that's the thing like that is talked about in this book, is that orcs and humans when they study them, they are derived from the same species. So they have a lot of similar parts and similar, you know, like makeup. So the the sex wasn't like like the last Monster of Romance book I read was that CM Nacosta book where she was like fucking a shadow, which was a very different kind of vibe, whereas like these two are both like humanoid. Mm hmm.
00:46:19
Speaker
like bodies. So, um, it was, it was definitely like well-written and definitely spicy, but definitely nothing like I've never seen that before, you know? Okay. Yeah. Amaya, what did you enjoy about this book? I just think Layla Faye's writing is so fun to read because she makes like her characters so like real, like they're not pulling punches, especially her FMCs are like,
00:46:49
Speaker
Fuck this. Like I'm here on your team. Why aren't you trying at all? Like what am I supposed to do all day? Well, you lock yourself in your lap. Like I hate this and like talk about it. Like they communicate. And it's funny because, uh, back in the Jack days that she did a series of a couple of Novellas that were like different humanoid men with like different head things. And she had one called orc.
00:47:15
Speaker
And it was like a shorter, it was like 59 pages or something. And his cum in that one also had anti-aging properties, but like so she ends up bottling it as like a skincare product. That's what I was going to say. They got to sell it. They had to create a business. That's what I was going to say. That's so Shannon and Leila Fay's world that yeah works. yeah Wow.
00:47:40
Speaker
Yeah, it was very fun. It was about 100 pages. So it's like a very quick like, boom, boom. I like definitely think the next time I'm craving a Monster of Romance, I'll probably read one from the same series from the went to the
Next Up: 'Bigfoot's Bride' Discussion
00:47:53
Speaker
monsters. Yeah, period it's a it's like a standalone series. I think she does it with like one or two other authors. oh She has like three in there. She has one went to the ice giant. I saw that one and there was a jackpot.
00:48:08
Speaker
wild like it's oh oh even bigger um that's hilarious quite large i'm always so amazed at how much you can fit in 100 pages and yeah it's always ah it's incredible right yeah all right and the last one we have is my book but bigfoot's bride by candace airs and this is another one that you hadn't read yet right correct okay what made you want to pick this one i actually haven't read a lot of bigfoot romance It like comes up a lot in my Kindle Unlimited Rex, but I'm like, and like this just like doesn't look like it's well written. I just like don't want to deal. This one was kind of a cute cover. like I don't know. It had like a cute blurb. It was also really short. So I'm not really risking a lot here. I'm not investing too much time and energy. Yeah, exactly. Worst case scenario, I'll have a few laughs, yeah and then it'll be over. i I think that's exactly it. Definitely a few laughs.
00:49:08
Speaker
Can you show us the cover? Oh, yes, of course. Oh, my God. So the cover is just Bigfoot himself. Yeah. He just looks like a mountain man. Yeah. Just like a mountain man just with hair all over his body. That's really it. um The last monster novella episode that we did was the Christmas one. And if I did the one with the tentacles and it was an MMF romance. And I actually thought that it was like kind of well-written. It was kind of hot. This one was a little different.
00:49:37
Speaker
um so So it was 98 pages, so it was very important. First off, I also want to say that the author does provide like a pronunciation guide at the beginning of this book that I completely missed. I definitely didn't see it till after the book, um like, until I was finished with the book. So I was like totally in my head mispronouncing all of the names of the Sasquatches.
00:49:59
Speaker
incorrect Oh yeah, I did not look at that guide. I didn't see it. So we opened with this girl whose name is now Maria Garcia. Her name used to be Kiki, but because she is in witness protection right now, um she testified against a drug cartel.
00:50:16
Speaker
ah So she used to be like, I still don't fully know what she was, but she was like a celebrity businesswoman, a socialite. She's like a socialite, yeah. So she she like mentions like going to the Met at one point and being next to Sarah Jessica Parker on the red carpet. So she's currently going by Maria and she's wearing like a wig. She's like wearing a disguise, right?
00:50:40
Speaker
So we learned that her position is compromised in witness protection or something. I don't fully understand. I wasn't fully following and she has to move. She has to move locations. So then this officer shows up and she he moves her um into this van and then she gets moved into another van and it's this white van and she like looks up and all of a sudden in this van there's four other women there and she's like,
00:51:04
Speaker
what's going on, right? She's like, why am I in this van with all these other women? Okay, pause. Now we get the Sasquatch POV. And our main Sasquatch, I'm going to tell you guys how its name is spelled and how it's pronounced. Okay, it's spelled gr u f f y y de d d. Okay,
00:51:23
Speaker
ruffford Wrong. Griffith. Yeah. So the there's like double D's on all, on almost all the ends. Yeah. On almost all the ends of the names of the Sasquatches, but it's pronounced with a T H. Okay. So his name is Griffith. Yeah. Like in my head custom in like Sasquatch culture. Yeah. Right. Of course. Of course. Of course.
00:51:47
Speaker
Uh, so like in my head throughout the entire book, I was just calling him like gruff. Like I was just like nickname, even gruff, but it's apparently it's Griff, Griffith. So, so we, we meet this group of Sasquatch guys. Okay. And they're all prepping for a arrival of some human females. Okay. So we have Griffith. We have always, we have Taurus, Davis. Okay. How do you think this one is, is, uh, pronounced it's W M F F R E. William.
00:52:20
Speaker
Wrong. Boom-fray. In case you're wondering. I don't know, girl. So she was just making shit up. Rules are there are there no rules. No, yeah no, literally. Like if I'm writing about Bigfoot and Bigfoot doesn't exist, I'm going to write some names that legit do not make sense. That is so funny. Do you know how like everybody, like what your like childhood best friend, you had like a secret language that you would like to each other. This is definitely what she's doing. Exactly. Exactly. So they're preparing for all these arrival of this arrival of all these human females, they're like getting bouquets of flowers ready, right? We learned that they somehow got a mate matching algorithm, okay? So, quote, this mate matching algorithm we picked up as genius and we were able to tweak it to find specific human females, those with a high probability of being open to remaining here with us indefinitely, okay? So like, women who are like running from something, oh basically, okay? So they work with with witness production?
00:53:19
Speaker
Don't know. Well, actually you learn where we learn later where they got the mate matching algorithm and I'll explain that in a little bit. Okay. So they're like, these guys are like worried how the girls will perceive them, how they'll like them. If it's, they also worry that if it's possible because they're physically larger than the average human male, meaning their cock. Okay. When they say it's possible, they're talking about sex. Um, okay. So then the girls come in the van.
00:53:45
Speaker
Maria aka Kiki, I guess I should say it the other way around Kiki aka Maria ah learns that they're going to this place called the grotto where they're going to meet a bunch of other sasquatches and she's like oh no that's crazy that's not going to happen so then ba She's told that they're like going to this off-grid remote location with the secluded population. She's told all of these things. um ah A hidden town full of men of another race and a culture who eagerly await women to date, okay? So she's like, she's like what what the fuck is going on? Then,
00:54:17
Speaker
The girls arrive, she meets Griffith who is holding a bouquet of flowers to her, to to Kiki. He's like so excited to meet her, right? And she screams, she's so scared and she leaves, okay? She runs off. But then and we learn in Griff's POV, we learn that his cock starts stirring, okay? And boom, he found his soul stone. It's called his soul stone, okay? Starts to like vibrate. We learn what his soul stone is, okay?
00:54:44
Speaker
So yeah, it's like basically when you find your soulmate, it just means that your cock starts basically vibrating. oh wait As soon as she said the word soulstone, I was like, that's in his dick. Yeah, and it one is dick okay it's in his dick. It's actually at the tip. It's at the head. And it glows. and it Yes, it glows. We'll learn that too. Yeah, we learned a lot about the soulstone. What color? Red. red Ew! That's so Yeah, so he's like covered in hair, but no, of course his cock is going red. um So Maria Kiki, I'm just going to call her Maria for now, okay? She says and like in her head, she's like, I'm running from my life from a brutal and bloodthirsty drug cartel and the marshals stick me on a cross-cultural version of The Bachelorette. like
00:55:32
Speaker
Yeah. Anyway, she's, she's something, she's something. Um, as she runs away, they're like led on this tour. Okay. Where. They learn that if in 30 days they don't find a match, they can leave. okay um But if they leave, then they'll have their memory wiped, like men in black style. okay So they'll just have their memory wiped. There's like a commotion outside while they're having their tour. And we learned that some Sasquatches don't want humans there. um Kiki kind of feels, she starts to feel like a little bit bad about screaming now because she felt like,
00:56:05
Speaker
ah Griffith was really hurt by it and he seemed really nice, right? She's starting to feel really guilty and she's like, oh my gosh. And yeah, good. In hindsight, he was actually kind of cute. She's like, in a Chris Hemsworth meets Chewbacca kind of way, you know, she was like thinking like that kind of stuff, right?
00:56:23
Speaker
Let me see your search history, Kiki. yeah yeah i'm It's also really funny because like the entire time I was just giggling at someone the writing or like the word choices that were used in this book. like um Rock concert in my pants was used. noggin like My noggin hurts or something was in there. ah Hubba hubba. We got hubba hubba. um We got, um ah, that's the stuff. Like when somebody like sits in a hot tub, they're like, ah, that's the stuff. Yeah. So it's just like, you know, you're, you're giggling a little bit. um
00:57:00
Speaker
So, Griff is in this bar. He's like wallowing in self-pity, right? Like he is... A bar? Yeah, they have like a bar. Like he like is wallowing. He's just like really sad about like what happened. And we learned that actually that the the meat mate matching algorithm they got from the dragons. Apparently dragons exist in this universe now too. I don't know where they came from or what what have you, but we do learn that they like that that's where they got there.
00:57:29
Speaker
I think the author might have another like novella ok that's like dragons before this. Okay. Well, there you go. make it's It's a whole universe, right? um And so he's like wallowing in self pity at the bar. He's talking to his friend and he's like, you know, you should like, you know, keep trying because she's like running from something and he's like kind of determined to like figure out like what's going on and he's like, he's determined to like try and like win her over.
00:57:52
Speaker
Okay, also I want to I want to I want to say this because he's like obviously very attracted to her he says quote then BAM in walks this fierce pint sized human dream girl and suddenly it's a regular rock concert below the waist not a euphemism I swear my soul stone not only lights up it literally sings or vibrates loudly so You know, I told you the rock concert in in my pants was like a for real thing. Like it's like literally like moving. It's like singing like down below there. So. Oh, my God. My jaw is on the floor. Yeah. um So Kiki is like going for a walk around the grotto while she can't sleep one night. And she finds herself in this pool area and she learns that Griffith is there. um And in his POV, he notices his soul stone is still humming like a, quote, glowing red button.
00:58:39
Speaker
So she's just hard this whole time. Yeah, know if it sings when she's like, I think it only does when she's like near, like when she's around him. Okay, so because like as she kind of got close to the grotto is when it started happening.
00:58:54
Speaker
um So she joins him in the pool, she strips down, she's in her bronze panties now. um She joins him and she she notices obviously the ah glowing red thing in between his legs and she's like, what what is that? So he explains that they decided to try matching with humans because for every one Sasquatch woman, there's only, or every one Sasquatch woman, there is 22 men. So,
00:59:20
Speaker
So they like trying to like help keep up the population. It's also why some people, some other Sasquatches are apprehensive because they kind of want to protect their way of life, not let all these humans in, right? But they don't really have a choice. They need to somehow reproduce somehow, right? Kiki at first is not really smart and she doesn't realize um that the glowing red beacon that he talked about but as being his soul stone glowing, she didn't realize that he was like talking about her. She didn't realize that she was he he was like talking about that you are my soulmate um she does eventually uh figure it out she's like oh my god you mean me that's crazy and she agrees to court him okay she agrees to like okay i'll court you they specifically use that word court she's gonna but
01:00:04
Speaker
her make her He'll court her. okay okay sorry not doing a Sorry. My bad. My bad. That's the craziest part. So the next day he kind of like shows her around the grotto a little bit more. He shows her this place called Eden, AKA like this garden. He talks also about how they have investments in human things, hence how they can like fund a lot of their purchases. He says that they have investments in their economy, which yield us a lot of a decent amount of your currency. They have stocks, ah bonds, real estate. It's how they fund a lot of their equipment purchases and supplies that they can't produce themselves. That night, they go to a hotel, Sasquatch hotel.
01:00:43
Speaker
Griff becomes like super protective of super protective of like any Sasquatch that comes near near her. He like doesn't like it. He tells other Sasquatches to stay away. Of course, ah Griffith and Maria square dance a little bit. We also learned that Griffith has never fucked a female before. He says, I've never fucked a female. I don't know if that means he's a virgin like completely he's never done that with any other sasquatch or human or if he just means human so i'm not clear on that do you know mia were you i think he meant like anyone anyone okay i wasn't female just like a person any person
01:01:23
Speaker
okay sure being he yeah and he He says this, in his and it hit his mind, he says, it's common knowledge among our kind that the final step in bonding with our fated mate involves the transfer of genetic material from our soul stone, AKA their penis, during intercourse. It's a beautiful sacred process that, oh, who am I kidding? It's also incredibly nerve wracking when you've never actually fucked a female before. so he has to He has to pass on that genetic material through his soul stone, meaning the tip of his penis, into the other female too, you know, complete that bond, right? um I guess square dancing gets Kiki really turned on, I don't know, because they do go back to his room and they do have sex. I will say the sex was like, it wasn't like hot, as I've talked about before, like the writing in here is a little bit like,
01:02:11
Speaker
It's just like very silly. It's incredibly silly. um In fact, she says, quote, great balls of fire, his cock is enormous. um She also says that her heart does its best impression of an F1 engine. um She says, quote, we're talking a serious piece of equipment here, glowing and vibrating. It should be weird maybe, but somehow it's just insanely hot. In fact, his cock is the hottest thing I've just ever seen.
01:02:35
Speaker
I didn't turn you on Kayla. There you go. You know, I don't think so. I've read a couple other things. Yeah. And I'll say it was kind of short. Like they, they have sex. Like he, he goes down with her, et cetera, but it was just kind of short. But anyway, Kayla's more tactical stuff.
01:02:51
Speaker
yeah Yeah, that's the kind that's what I want. um So the next day, ah Kiki makes breakfast and Griff brings her coffee, which she's so excited about because like they didn't have it before, but he like, you know, ah gets that from her from the human world. ah Later that evening, they have a I've never heard this word, but apparently it is a real thing. It's called a hoot nanny.
01:03:14
Speaker
Have you guys ever heard of that? I've heard the word Hootenanny, but I couldn't define it. It's just like a party. I think it's just a party is what I is what i learned. so I hear like old people like, knock, knock, Hootenanny. I'm afraid of an old person word. I guess it could just be another version of like a hoedown. I don't know. We also learned during this party that Griff is actually 75, which is according to him.
01:03:39
Speaker
i like band Yeah, she she in her head Kiki is like, oh my gosh, I'm dating a geriatric. That's what she says. But she learns that like, actually, according to Sasquatches, that's pretty young. I guess they live to be like closer to 300 or something like that. I don't know, actually. I would probably guess like 28.
01:04:02
Speaker
ah Yeah, okay I don't recall. um So one day, ah while they're eating together, another Sasquatch named Frank, of course, this one has an incredibly normal name, comes to Maria to tell her that there was a coup amongst those in that drug cartel, and the leader was slaughtered, along with his whole family. So a previous rival faction has taken over this cartel, and there's no one left that wants Maria dead, so she's free.
01:04:29
Speaker
OK, so she's like, oh, my gosh. Yeah, exactly. supercon convenientni So she's like she's torn. Like she's like, oh, my gosh, do I leave? Do I go back to my human life? Right. Like, I don't know what I want to do. But she does decide that she's going to leave. So she waits in this van to be taken back to the human world. But then Gruff's mom is the one that's um excuse me, Griff. Griff's mom is the one that's accompanying her back to the human world to wipe her memories.
01:04:56
Speaker
Um, but Griff's mom tells her that when Sasquatch is made, they make for life. So he will never have another partner any like longer. He'll be by himself. Okay. So then Kiki is like, Oh my gosh, I don't want to go back to my like shadow lifestyle. Cause I remember she was like a.
01:05:14
Speaker
socialite person and she was just like she said she was like feeling really unfulfilled by it so she of course goes back to Gruff and you know who who when she finds him again he's like tearing his apartment up he's so upset he's like tearing his whole place up he's roaring he's screaming and then she like takes off her wig she reveals her true self as Kiki she's like you know I hope you still love me this is this is me and she he's like you're not going home and she goes what does she say I am home.
01:05:44
Speaker
i am Yeah, she says the real me the woman underneath is the woman I've been here in the grotto. So of course, she decides to stay with Griffith and the you know, the two the two live happily ever after but in the epilogue we learn that it's later revealed that Griffith was the one that like orchestrated the whole like coup and he was the one that like had all those people killed that wanted Kiki dead and so he was basically like you know
01:06:18
Speaker
doing something for her. Yeah, exactly. So he it was also because like he learned like what she was running from and he was like wanting to be protective of her and he was like hated that anybody wanted to hurt her and things like that. But like, so it was also like a little bit of a test.
01:06:34
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. So he like did that whole thing. But yeah, that was Bigfoot's Bride. Griffith and Kiki together forever. Wow.
Reflection on Monster Romance Diversity
01:06:44
Speaker
With his glowing penis all around. I don't know if it like continues to glow. That's actually a good question. Like will it glow like their whole life or what? I mean that would like light you up from inside. Oh my god you can like see it coming through your stomach.
01:07:04
Speaker
Literally and figuratively. yeah maya What was your favorite part about this one? My favorite part about this one was that Sasquatches loved to square dance. They had theme parties and they were always hoedowns of some sort.
01:07:23
Speaker
Mm hmm. That's incredible. And so there was nobody named Bigfoot. No, they said that they didn't like that. They said that they didn't like to be called Bigfoot. They preferred Sasquatch. They're like, that's a human myth or whatever. Mm hmm. Yeah, I think this author had to have been a fan of the Hannah Montana movie. Absolutely. Because they hoe down. You have like her taking off her wig. She's at home, you know, like so and I see the inspiration. I get it. One Hannah Montana fan to another, like I can see it.
Maya's Top Monster Romance Recommendations
01:07:56
Speaker
Maya, of the three that you recommended to us, since two of them are new to you, which one is your favorite of the three that we read? I'd probably say went to the orc. Okay. Wow. That's like in that sweet spot middle of like
01:08:14
Speaker
the good monster romance novellas where like on Kayla's end, it's like a little bit too crazy and weird. And then on Kendra's end, it's also like really nice and sweet. Yeah. So it's like there's a whole spectrum here. Yeah. which went out Yeah, unintentional. My if you had to recommend, I would say three, but if you can't come up with three, I would say one monster romance for anyone listening who might want to get into the genre, what would it be?
01:08:40
Speaker
Um, okay. My number one pick always and forever is going to be luxurious by collab roads. Okay. Um, it's like a human and like, kind of like a shade. So like kind of like a shadow monster and another thing. Yeah. It's like arranged marriage, like that kind of situation. So good. I think this one is like a very popular one, but.
01:09:06
Speaker
I think it's worth the reading just like to experience it. And that's morning glory milking farm. Yeah. Cause like it is one of those where it's like surprisingly sweet. Yeah. And there's just also so much come in that book so much. There's so much. There's so much. Um, I think of a third one. That one's on Oopla for anybody who has a library. Oh yeah. It is.
01:09:33
Speaker
Thanks to Brandy, I have access to Hoopla. If anybody needs an address to use, let me know. yeah maya have you Have you read a Love, Laugh, Leech? Yes. That one was my first one. That one was that was the Three Cocksman. That was a really interesting one. yeah oh I think the third one would be... like it be that It just reminded me of another series, Railed by the Easter Bunny. That one. Oh my gosh. Tracy loves that one, I think. Yeah. yeah she i but I had it in one of my videos, and then she read it. I did a video about it, and it blew up. And that whole series is actually really fun. That's what I've heard. Each one is like a different like God figure. um My favorite is Railed by the Reaper, but you have to work up to it. I've heard that writing in them is actually quite well done. It is.
01:10:27
Speaker
love that. And you've you've read the the one that was going around a while ago, the door one, right? Unhinged. Of course. Of course. If it's blowing up on TikTok, Maya's probably read it. Yeah. Yeah, that's usually how it goes.
Maya's Social Media and Engagement
01:10:44
Speaker
yeah So Maya, where can people find you? What is your at and where what platforms are you on? We mentioned at the top of the episode, but you can remind us. So I am on Instagram and TikTok. I'm on also on Goodreads, of course, and Storygraph.
01:10:58
Speaker
Um, my at is Maya underscore reads underscore space on everything. I also occasionally post really unhinge things on threads.
01:11:09
Speaker
But that's me, that's where to find me. Yeah, and I will say Maya reads literally everything like if you think literally every Monster Romance is not just like I always tell the story Maya got me into Lauren Asher like I would not have read my yeah without Maya. So like that tells you the range. um Your recommendations are truly amazing and your content is amazing. And yeah, I think you're just like one of my favorite people to follow.
01:11:35
Speaker
Oh, thank you! And just like Brandi, Maya also recently got engaged. so Yeah, congratulations! Engaged girls! Congrats to Brandy. Congrats to Maya. Wow. It's like no
Closing Remarks and Listener Engagement
01:11:50
Speaker
you. but not So everybody go follow Maya and if you enjoyed us talking about um monster romances today, we'd really appreciate a five star review. It helps us out a lot if you could rate and review and then hop over to our Instagram as well at bring your own pod where you're going to see all the covers for today's books and give us a call over here.
01:12:38
Speaker
Thanks, guys. Thank you. Bye.