Monster Pucked

Pucking Monsters #2

by Clio Evans, Ashley Bennett

Celebrate the New Year the monstrous way with this new holiday hockey monster romance!
One hot chocolate crisis at a holiday dinner party, an unforgettable mistletoe kiss, and suddenly I’m falling for one of the hottest goalies in the NMHL.

Ehrokk is a sweet orc with hard muscles, a soft heart, and the kind of submissive eyes that draw me right in. As a vampire, I’ve been alive for centuries, but there’s something about him that calls to me.

After a New Year’s Eve that changes us both, we wonder if we’re fated to be together. But we lead such different lives, we aren’t sure we can make it work. Can we give true love a shot?

What you’ll find in this novella:

M/M monster romance
Silver-fox Vampire chef
Sweet Orc hockey player
D/s dynamics
Champagne flavored… you know what ;)
Knotty and naughty times

Genres: Monster Romance, M M Romance, Fantasy, Novella, Sports, Hockey, Romance

110 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 19, 2024

Reviews

[Mia S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cuter!

Following the chef and Orc hockey player, I actually liked this one more because Ehrokk is just bashfully cute and Marco as a Dom, oh yeah that was pulled off beautifully! Loved it!

[Анастасія ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ерокк та Марко такі милі😭

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something about a big boy being a sub is so perfect

[Ahren McNamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

❄️ ARC Review ❄️

I read Monster Pucked last night and now I am full blown (😏) ready for the winter! Ashley Bennett and Clio Evans are my two favorite authors (and humans) so I knew I was going to love this one and they delivered! It was so sweet and hot, the perfect combo for a cozy winter novella! Monster Pucked is a sequel to Monster Pucker, which came out last year, and is being released tomorrow! I highly recommend both stories! Here are some highlights:

- MM Vampire Chef/ Orc Hockey Star
- Kink Galore
- Daddy/Darling
- Grumpy/Sunshine Vibes
- Instalust & Fated Mates

My favorite quote is “Horny terror washed over me…” and honestly, same.

[CHORNOBROVA KAROOKA · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10

Після першої книжки це прямо вау.
Нормальний, поступовий розвиток сюжету. Здорові стосунки, сповнені підтримки, турботи та розуміння. Жодної драми, багато розмов про почуття та очікування від майбутнього. Сцени 18+ теж хороші (це монстр-романс, «хороші» - це дуже умовно🌚🌝).
Насправді дуже мила і комфортна історія з великою кількістю перчинок🌶

[Poppy || Monster Lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cozy with more spice than plot. Ehrokk was a hockey star with low self esteem and a sweet nature. Marco was a chef with a bossy personality and a soft spot for Ehrokk. They went through New Year’s Eve in a smutty way and got their HEA.

Spice: 5/5

Triggers: severe allergic reaction (they’re ok), blood

[Ra! ʕ •̀ ω •́ ʔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ Champagne flavored what?
| tropes: holiday monster romance, hockey , vampire x orc | high steam | digital

🎄Overall Thoughts🎄
I loved Monster Pucker so I was so excited for the sequel! The main characters are Ehrokk, a sweet orc hockey player and Marco, a vampire personal chef. I liked them together! They were so sweet about their feelings towards each other and wanted the other to feel comfortable and cared for. I love when the big jocks are subs! Especially when they're himbo coded like Ehrokk is.

[TeeReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I enjoyed this one *just* a touch more than Monster Pucker. This one was just as fun, but there was something about Ehrokk and Marco that just gripped me more. This story is equal parts sweet and spicy. I loved the communication between our MCs, and I really enjoyed how they were unapologetically themselves. This was pretty low angst and high spice. It's a good, simple, quick, and easy read for the holidays.

[Sabs ✨️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

[user · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable lighthearted smutty MM monster romance. It’s short. And it has insta love, grumpy/sunshine and fated mates. I typically hate insta love. But I love it In monster romance. As a matter of fact I prefer it. Because monsters are 12 times more loyal than humans. Insta love for humans makes me believe the characters are teens experiencing puppy love and it ruins the book. But with monsters it’s believable. They love harder they’re naturally more possessive and gentle towards their partner and extremely loyal.

Anyways this was my 100th book this year and I loved it!

[Amanda Borbe]

Dare I say this is better than book 1!?! Loved a big burly orc goalie who’s also a sub, and a sexy dominate vampire chef who wants to take care of his love. The only thing this needed was a well timed “yes chef” 😉
Thanks Ashley for the ARC!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes. Just yes. I was so excited when I realized this was out. I loved the first one and this little world and was so excited to go back. This was such a cute little spicy holiday romance and of course I loved it, there was a vampire. They stole my heart and it’s alway fun seeing the big burly man get taken care of for once.

[Randinicole_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️

MM romance
daddy kink
chastity cage
vampire & an orc

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's nothing better than a spicy holiday novella....except a spicy MONSTER holiday novella- LOVED this one!

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ AGE GAP + DADDY K!NK + MM MONSTER FATED MATES...

Listen, I'm not a big fan of Age Gap romances. There, I said it. And I'll probably say it again. But I loved this?? Seriously, who am I? Idk, but this book makes all of those things work so beautifully.

I want to make it clear to everyone that I'm fully aware the only reason I loved this book is because it's MM. I abhor FM age gap romances. Argue in the comments. Or don't. But seriously, it creeps me out if there's a woman involved -the whole infantilisation of women just is so present in my mind at all times, I just can't enjoy it. Yes, sometimes even in monter romances!

This, however, so sooooo good! Marco and Ehrokk deserve to be celebrated, and this sweet novella was definitely the way to do it! I love that we get to see the protagonist of book #1 being happy and thriving, and even though I wish this book was a little longer -much like I wanted with book #1- I couldn't put it down.

This was cozy, and sweet, and everything I wanted it to be.

There's nothing I have to say negative about this, and I cannot recommend this series enough!

🌶🌶🌶 - Beware jalapeños ahead!

[Nastia · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was just something about him that felt right. Even with the blunders of our date this evening, I knew in my gut that he was right for me. We could make this work.
I hoped we could make this work.

5⭐️
What a sweet story.
In this story we are getting a champagne flavored romance between vampire and ork. Marko and Ehrokk met on a Christmas party and from this point sparks of attraction and anticipation of intimacy are flying in the air.
Have you expected to read about submissive huge orc and silver fox vampire who is craving to dominate this strong green body? I was not, but it was fun, emotional and cute.
This story is an ideal story to read for holiday vibes and adventures.

[Ryn Meagher · Rating 4 out of 5]

puck me up in the best way possible please!

This one is a gloriously decadent MM romance featuring an orc + vampire pairing that should honestly be illegal because the contrast alone deserves jail time:
Big, intimidating, green king energy
Elegant, controlled, caretaking vampire
Me? On the bench, screaming, kicking my feet
The dynamic??
✨ Submission done beautifully.
✨ Power exchanged with trust and tenderness.
✨ A vampire who adores taking care of his big scary orc like he’s precious cargo??

And listen—there’s a certain recurring element involving biting and attention to… nonstandard areas that had me blushing, sweating, and immediately running to my partner like “I NEED TO DISCUSS A BOOK FOR SCIENCE.”
Absolutely feral behavior. Zero regrets.
Unlike book one, this leans way more into:
dates, soft moments and “I miss you so much it physically hurts” separation vibes

The hockey is mostly background noise — a quick away-for-work moment that gives us yearning and mutual pining, which honestly? Adorable as puck. I didn’t miss the rink because the emotional foreplay was doing Olympic-level performance.

If you want your monster romance soft but spicy, dominant but tender, and heavy on connection, this one will score every time.

[Anya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was fantastic, I especially loved this book. The MCs were absolutely adorable and the reversal of “stereotypical” roles was explored really well.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
MM
Orc hockey player x Vampire chef
D/s
“Daddy”
Knotting, biting, 🍆 cages, and flavored 💦
Fated mates

Content warning:
This book is heavy on the D/s k1nk and exploring other k1nks
There is some 🩸 drinking
One of the mmc’s has very low self-esteem and it is a big part of the book

[Daphnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute Monster Romance

I loved this! It was cute, steamy and just made my day. I read it in one sitting and now have no clue what else to read. The orc and the vampire - an usual couple that works. Looking forward to more in this world, please and thank you!

[Tally Patton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too cute

I can't with this series. They're so sticking cute and spicy.
I love a Daddy Dom, and Marco definitely is that! This was unbelievably cute and hella spicy!

[Jess (scijessreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet and cute and fun.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little vampire/orc audio. It was short and spicy. It was a good time.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ⭐️

[T Rojo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh again instalust/fated mates. No backstories no plot. Have no clue what either of them looked like (Marco had grey hair, Erochk might have been green??) Book is 100 something pages long and “daddy” is used 60x “darling” is used 50x- I don’t think they ever called eachother by their real names.

[Stealthy Dragon 623 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this story was delicious! I love a good fated mates story, but these authors took it above and beyond. The desire for complete love, the unexpected hunger for someone, the longing over distance, hot dirty spice... we see it all! I also love how the story showed us the very real insecurities that live in our head and stop us from fully giving in to how our heart feels. I love reading Clio Evans and Ashley Bennett's stories, but together, *chefs kiss* perfection!

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ehrokk and Marco!

This is just as entertaining and as hot as book 1. I love that Ehrokk was such a big guy but wanted to be dominated . . . Hot!

4.5 stars

[Raven9308 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I made sure I was surprised on who the next book in this series of interconnected standalones would be about and I was so happy I did! I thought Marco was funny in book 1 and we didnt get to know Ehhrok much besides he got injured with Klaus lost his cool. I loved we got different creatures for this next monster romance and that it was M/M was icing on the cake!

Marco has been around awhile and knows what he wants and likes. He notices this big orc who throws out more submissive tendencies and the rest is history! I loved see Marco build him up, his confidence lacking because no one wants a teddy bear Orc who wants a Daddy (in his eyes, so much trauma you want to hug the poor orc), but he is just perfect for Marco and he reminds him every chance he gets. I loved the dates, how they adapted for each other, how they were open with what they wanted. I wanted a book without a lot of angst and this was just perfect. I smiled and laughed so much with this one, 4.5 stars from me for the story. It was light on the kink but we got a good taste of what Marco and Ehhrok get up to hahaha. I loved their gifts, loved they would push each other, but always kept each other in mind. And the cameos were fabulous from our favs from book 1. I am hoping they write more in this world, they are little golden nuggets that I love to devour and want more in my life haha.

Narration was good but it kept me from giving it a full 5 stars. I think for me, the shifting between the two narrators when it came to accents was tough. Marco has one but when Ehhrok's narrator talked it suddenly wasn't as harsh/wasnt there. It just was a little jarring for me so that's why I kept it a 4 stars. Everything else was fabulous!!

Highly recommend, cannot wait to get back into this world next year hopefully if these two put out one of these books a year (I would be so ecstatic!!). No pressure or anything hahaha

[Kristen ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

┈ Read this if you like ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈
✦ Monster Romance
✦ Holiday Romance
✦ Vampire + Orc
✦ MM Romance
✦ Fated Mates
✦ D/s Dynamic
✦ Possessive Hero

┈ MY THOUGHTS ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈
- This was short and steamy ♨
- I love Clio Evans and Ashley Bennett, so of course, I'm going to love anything they co-write together!
- I liked how this was a holiday-themed romance without being too overdone. You wouldn't even know it from the cover, which I like because sometimes holiday-themed books are overkill.
- Overall: Fun, steamy, and short.

┈ OVERVIEW ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈
⛔️ Warning - possible spoilers below ⛔️
Emojis: 🎄☕🩸🍽🏒🥅💚
Pacing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Overall:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Cover Art: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Format: eBook
POV: Dual 👥
Would I Recommend? 👍
Read Again? 👎
Setting / Location: N/A
Hero #1/MMC: Marco
〰️Characteristics: Vampire, pale skin, dark hair
〰️Occupation: Personal Chef
〰️Age: 300 Years
〰️Nickname(s): Daddy
Hero #2/MMC: Ehrokk
〰️Characteristics: Orc, green skin, brown eyes
〰️Occupation: NMHL Hockey Player - Goalie
〰️Age: N/A
〰️Nickname(s): Darling, good boy, sweet boy
H/h virgin? No
First kiss💋: 9%
First time they have sex: 56%
First time they say "I Love You": M: 87%, E: 90%
Noteworthy Chapters🔥: 4-7, 9-12
Kinks: Praise, dirty talk, toys, edging, no condom, 🍑 play, forced orgasms, knotting, bondage/restraints, spanking/impact play, breeding kink, cock cage, daddy kink, biting/marking, sub/Dom, domination, exhibitionism/public sex
OW/OM Drama? No
H/h cheat? No
Time apart? No
Did I cry? No
Ending: HEA 🥰
Standalone/Series? Yes to both
Epilogue? Yes

[Meagan Grauel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew! A very steamy, kink filled MM monster romance. You’ve got a vampire and an orc hooking up and finding their fated mate in the other. Ehrokk is an orc who is such a big guy, and has wanted to be someone’s submissive for a long time. But he’s never found someone willing to try it because he’s this big, strong hockey player. Enter Marco, a vampire who has been around for hundreds of years and hasn’t found the right someone to love and is also a dominant looking for his submissive. When the two meet, they click right away and both fumble a little bit on their first date trying to impress the other. But when they connect sexually, damn! It’s the perfect amount of kinky spice. Ehrokk gets to experience things he didn’t think would ever be open to him, and Marco finds Ehrokk is very submissive and willing to take direction. They explore cock cages, orgasm denial, edging, spanking, and some other things. Ehrokk has found his “daddy” and couldn’t be happier, but does have to overcome some self esteem issues. Marco and Ehrokk have to spend time apart due to Ehrokk’s hockey career, and they realize it’s likely more than a regular relationship and that they’re mates. In this very kinky and spice filled book, there’s no drama and a guaranteed HEA for all. It was hot as hell and Clio Evans writes damn good monster smut - I would definitely check it out!

[Agnieszka Chajmik · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoyed the first book, you will likely find this one even sweeter. Switching to an MM dynamic worked brilliantly here. The contrast between Marco, the 300-year-old Vampire chef, and Ehrokk, the 25-year-old Orc goalie, creates a fantastic age gap and Dom/sub dynamic that feels both intense and incredibly caring.

The characterisation of Ehrokk was my favourite part. It’s quite rare to see a massive Orc portrayed as bashful and eager to please, and Marco’s protective, dominant nature was the perfect match. The meet-cute was also very original—healing an allergic reaction with vampire blood is certainly one way to start a first date! The communication between them was refreshing; there were no silly misunderstandings, just two monsters falling hard for each other.

As with the first novella, my main issue is the length. At just over 100 pages, the relationship moves at a dizzying speed. I would have loved to see more of their daily lives or more scenes of them actually at the hockey rink. Also, because it is so low angst, there isn't much tension to keep you on the edge of your seat—it’s very much a comfort read rather than a dramatic one.

A wonderful, cozy-but-filthy New Year’s Eve romance. It’s perfect for anyone who loves a gentle giant trope and wants a quick, satisfying HEA.