Over October to November I read the Scared Sexy Novella series, which featured a series of short stories by notable romance and romantasy authors: Ali Hazelwood, Christina Lauren, Katee Robert, Ruby Dixon, J.T. Geissinger and Kimberley Lemming.
- Thoughts overall
- 1. Hot for Slayer – Ali Hazelwood
- 2. Falling – Christina Lauren
- 3. Spicy Little Curses – J.T Geissinger
- 4. Space Vampire – Ruby Dixon
- 5. Beautiful Nightmare – Katee Robert
- 6. My Boyfriends are All Monsters – Kimberley Lemming
Thoughts overall
This is a fun mini-series and a great way to try out different authors, I liked how they didn’t go for stereotypical supernatural creatures in all the stories. Some of them were a bit more fun than others but they are so short, you don’t exactly regret the time you’ve spent reading them!
1. Hot for Slayer – Ali Hazelwood
As a vampire, Ethel’s only constant has been a Slayer, whose followed her through the centuries. So when a fight between them leaves him with amnesia, Ethel can’t bring herself to leave him there. Unwisely, she takes him back to her apartment and manages to convince him that she is allergic to sunlight. Ethel is shocked to find that she is crushing on her Slayer but what will she do when his memories return?
My review
I liked it, it was a fun take on the vampire myth, I liked how Ethel was both granny vibes and young feeling. The romantic tension was good and there were some funny moments while she was still pretending to be human.
2. Falling – Christina Lauren
Usually when Brigan seduces a human, they become completely spell bound by his Siren gifts but suddenly, at this random party there’s this gorgeous girl with her mediocre situationship, who manages to resist his allure – or at least keep her mind even while finding him alluring. After a mind-melting ‘session’ in a guest room at the party, Cat finds herself wanting to know more about the mysterious stranger who reeled her in but when she follows him outside, he’s shocked that she had her thoughts together enough to even do so. Surprisingly open to the idea of the Supernatural, Cat just wants to find out more about him but it’s been centuries since Brigan even had a conversation with a human and why would she even want to know him more?
My review
This novella is hot and heavy in the beginning and then really slows down after she follows him to ask more questions. It was a short, fun read but definitely not as high quality as I might have expected from an author I like as much as Christina Lauren
3. Spicy Little Curses – J.T Geissinger
This story starts when a sceptical journalist walks into a tattoo pallor in New Orleans and meets a surprisingly attractive but also surprisingly grumpy tattoo artist, with undeniably supernatural tattoos. The second Dax feels the little spark of romance between them he sets out to chase Petra away, in an attempt to save her from his family’s curse. Except, he underestimated Petra’s stubbornness and the depth of that instant connection. So they set out to find a way to save her from the curse, all while ignoring their growing attraction towards one another.
My review
Maybe it’s the Vampire Diaries/ Originals lover in me but I love a supernatural story set in New Orleans with all that rich history behind it. I liked this romance and their banter, the only thing I didn’t like was the forced cutesey nicknames for each other. This was definitely more plot with a romance story than some of the others in the series.
4. Space Vampire – Ruby Dixon
Dana is nothing but a pet to her alien owners, so she’s not entirely shocked when they leave her behind after evacuating. Vlad is the thing they evacuated to escape from but after his blood lust has faded, he’s left curious about the skinny human wandering around. They are both the product of exploitation by the aliens on the base, but Dana is smarter than the aliens gave her credit for, she’s able to figure out the security controls on the ship and get a damaged escape pod up and running. She’s surprised at how attractive she finds this modified being and she’s not even afraid when his need for blood returns, somehow knowing he cares more about keeping her safe. Can they escape to a planet with limited sunlight together? Is that something crazy to want?
My review
I liked this story, I liked how Dana is kind of accepting of the cards life dealt her but also a badass who robs the whole base blind and fucks with the rooms of the different aliens the second she gets the chance. There’s plenty of spice in this one but their relationship develops really naturally for such a short novella.
5. Beautiful Nightmare – Katee Robert
A nervous sleep paralysis demon in training goes on her first solo mission, except, not only is her human not all that scared, he’s actually a little curious… perhaps even a little lustful. When the energy from his lustful emotions replenishes her energy stores enough to make her teacher believe she was successful, Gemma believes she’s temporarily safe from being sent the place the ineffective demons go. When she goes back to torment him again she finds a note from the human indicating he is very much not frightened of her and she tries something drastic to make him frightened that breaks a very important demon code… this makes Gemma’s mentor watch her a little more closely and figure out that she’s not feeding on the human’s fear at all.
My review
An awkward, misfit demon and a forbidden romance, what’s not to love? This is an enjoyable little snap shot into Katee Robert’s writing style and her twist on demons.
6. My Boyfriends are All Monsters – Kimberley Lemming
Whilst on a hike with her dick boyfriend and his girl ‘best friend’, Lucy gets left behind and finds herself reflecting on why she always ends up with such terrible guys. When she finds an old well she thoughtlessly tosses in a coin and makes a wish, which unknowingly get the attention of an ancient forest spirit. It’s been so long since the Spirit had any worshippers, it’s determined to keep her in his forest and he does this somewhat misguidely by presenting her with a series of stunningly handsome men, based on magazine litter he has found in his forest. He tries to fulfil her wish and entice her to stay but Lucy is immediately suspicions by of these gorgeous men and the picture perfect village they all reside in. Can the Spirit get her stay? Has Lucy just found another monster boyfriend?
My review
I like Kimberley Lemming’s writing style it’s fun and lighthearted and this story is exactly the same. It’s a unique concept and I found all the handsome men the spirit conjures really funny, plus how the main character reacts later when she finds out he can change his body into anything she wants is low-key hilarious.
Antonia Bernardin 