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Friends with the Monsters #1
Friends with the Monsters
Gather round close, for I have a secret to tell.
Late at night, while everyone is sleeping, dreaming of white knights and fairytales. I’m making friends with the monsters.
They call to me, like finds like, right? My biggest secret, I’m the scariest monster I know.
I think I’m the bad guy.
MFMM Reverse Harem novel with adult themes not recommended for those under 18.
Late at night, while everyone is sleeping, dreaming of white knights and fairytales. I’m making friends with the monsters.
They call to me, like finds like, right? My biggest secret, I’m the scariest monster I know.
I think I’m the bad guy.
MFMM Reverse Harem novel with adult themes not recommended for those under 18.
424 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 22, 2019
5452 people are currently reading
14172 people want to read
About the author
Albany Walker
35 books2,079 followersAlbany lives in Michigan where she's happily married to her high school sweetheart. She spends most of her time juggling her four children's extracurricular activities, with her nose stuck in a book. When not reading you can find her writing her very own book boyfriends. Albany's passion is writing romance with real characters that are far from perfect, but always seem to find their own happily ever afters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,487 reviews
Want to read
October 29, 2019Not going to lie... I just added this to my TBR because I Freaking LOVE the cover. Have absolutely no idea what it's about. 😅
November 2, 2019
Well, I didn't hate it and I didn't love it.
This book was interesting enough to keep my interest in the beginning, but after awhile some of the stuff just seemed over the top. There were parts of the book that should have been more fleshed out but it seemed like the author tried to much with the extreme sex. While I love a good smut, I also love a plot line.
This book also ended with a lot of unanswered questions and I don't even know if there is going to be another book because this was supposed to be a stand alone.
This book was interesting enough to keep my interest in the beginning, but after awhile some of the stuff just seemed over the top. There were parts of the book that should have been more fleshed out but it seemed like the author tried to much with the extreme sex. While I love a good smut, I also love a plot line.
This book also ended with a lot of unanswered questions and I don't even know if there is going to be another book because this was supposed to be a stand alone.
November 2, 2021
Okay, I fucking loved this! I had such a great time reading it I'm diving into the next one asap! 😍
November 1, 2019
2½⭐︎
So. First let me say how much I love the cover of this book; it's the main reason I wanted to read it. It makes big promises about the contents found within. I was expecting things of Nightmares—what I got was Eh?
This story had so much potential to be really unique and interesting. The bones are there; the execution is lacking.
Other reviews stating the the first 60% of this book are muddled and confused with no purpose are pretty spot-on. I'm fine with some confusion and mystery in books, but this felt really self-indulgent on the writer's part. The first section of this story is almost entirely Dami in her head feeling angsty about being herself. It's a snooze.
As a character, Dami reads as being very young, and I assumed before her stated age that she was maybe 21 or 22: just old enough to get into the club she frequently hunts in. Dami is very impulsive and has very little control over herself. She's vain. She's overly confident. She waits around all day for her "Baddies" to come to her home and entertain her. She occasionally goes out to one local club to hunt and fuck. Otherwise, she does not interact with anyone ever. Somehow. She's also living off an apparently massive Trust her parents set her up with to never darken their door again.
When things go even slightly wrong, here is her list of options for how she handles it:
-She screams or yells obscenities at the person irritating her.
-She physically assaults the person irritating her.
-She starts ripping the soul out of the person irritating her.
-She screams, hurls obscenities, then stomps up the stairs, then slams her door, then thinks hateful thoughts about the person irritating her while she refuses to come out and have a conversation about the thing that was usually a willful misunderstanding on her part.
I wish some of this were hyperbole, but that's the kind of person Dami is. She is exhausting to read. Oh yes, and she's 30.
I just....
Then add on top of that none of the monsters are actually monstrous and things are off to a pretty disappointing start.
The 3 MMCs are simply OK. They all improve in their single scenes with Dami and have some steamy lines, but overall they're pretty forgettable and under-developed. Again, wasted potential. And in one part of the story, the author forgets which one she's even writing about and calls him the wrong name part-way through a scene—and no one caught this. This is how same-y they are. The backstory of their guardianship to Dami does nothing to improve their standing either. They're all 3 passive, incompetent, and unimpressive.
Add to this all of the plot points that make no sense—like how Dami attended private and boarding schools yet complains she never talked to anyone else ever and was kept in isolation her entire life...whut—and how no questions were ever answered—only more generated, and one can easily see how this was an unsatisfying read.
I was promised monsters, where are the flippin' monsters?
So. First let me say how much I love the cover of this book; it's the main reason I wanted to read it. It makes big promises about the contents found within. I was expecting things of Nightmares—what I got was Eh?
This story had so much potential to be really unique and interesting. The bones are there; the execution is lacking.
Other reviews stating the the first 60% of this book are muddled and confused with no purpose are pretty spot-on. I'm fine with some confusion and mystery in books, but this felt really self-indulgent on the writer's part. The first section of this story is almost entirely Dami in her head feeling angsty about being herself. It's a snooze.
As a character, Dami reads as being very young, and I assumed before her stated age that she was maybe 21 or 22: just old enough to get into the club she frequently hunts in. Dami is very impulsive and has very little control over herself. She's vain. She's overly confident. She waits around all day for her "Baddies" to come to her home and entertain her. She occasionally goes out to one local club to hunt and fuck. Otherwise, she does not interact with anyone ever. Somehow. She's also living off an apparently massive Trust her parents set her up with to never darken their door again.
When things go even slightly wrong, here is her list of options for how she handles it:
-She screams or yells obscenities at the person irritating her.
-She physically assaults the person irritating her.
-She starts ripping the soul out of the person irritating her.
-She screams, hurls obscenities, then stomps up the stairs, then slams her door, then thinks hateful thoughts about the person irritating her while she refuses to come out and have a conversation about the thing that was usually a willful misunderstanding on her part.
I wish some of this were hyperbole, but that's the kind of person Dami is. She is exhausting to read. Oh yes, and she's 30.
I just....
Then add on top of that none of the monsters are actually monstrous and things are off to a pretty disappointing start.
The 3 MMCs are simply OK. They all improve in their single scenes with Dami and have some steamy lines, but overall they're pretty forgettable and under-developed. Again, wasted potential. And in one part of the story, the author forgets which one she's even writing about and calls him the wrong name part-way through a scene—and no one caught this. This is how same-y they are. The backstory of their guardianship to Dami does nothing to improve their standing either. They're all 3 passive, incompetent, and unimpressive.
Add to this all of the plot points that make no sense—like how Dami attended private and boarding schools yet complains she never talked to anyone else ever and was kept in isolation her entire life...whut—and how no questions were ever answered—only more generated, and one can easily see how this was an unsatisfying read.
I was promised monsters, where are the flippin' monsters?
Want to read
November 2, 2019Priority read, I love the cover. It's a RH obviously it's silly to expect literary brilliance, it seems to be the kind of book that you see is what you get: Entertainment.
November 2, 2019
Not really sure how to rate this, but I'm going on enjoyment factor for me, rather than the merits of the book!
I've mostly fallen out of love with RH after an almost 2 year binge. The fact that bully romance couldn't be less appealing to me and I have no interest in Academy books means that I have a rather small pool from which to choose from, then when you also eliminate the ones that are just sex from page 11,or so badly written you want to throw it across the room, then I'm left with an even smaller pool, apart from the tried and true author's and series I've been following.
I suppose what I'm getting at is this book was none of the above and had lots of things that are just appealing to me.
I like reading about monsters. I liked the fact that the main characters weren't really good guys. They were morally ambivilant, I suppose. I really liked the random strange creatures that turned up in Demi's house, too. Demi herself was likeable (although I can understand why she might not be for others). She's a bit annoying at times, but she's not exactly had the most usual of lives, so it didn't bother me. I liked her attitude to herself as a monster. She's unapologetic, too, for what she is, and I like that in a main characters. There is very little woe is me bullshit, which is pretty refreshing for a RH heroine.
I liked all three of the guys and their emerging dynamic. I like how diverse they were in what monsters they were and I thought they were well characterised. I liked the relationship development as well and how Demi had a healthy, and again, unapologetic, attitude to sex.
However, there are issues. As I found so much of the book appealing, they didn't bother me as much as they may donithera, but they definitely exist.
The whole plot with the witches felt a bit random and undeveloped. I get why Demi gets involved, but I felt like there was a connection missing there, or not enough detail.
I also feel like the author really missed an opportunity with the world building oft he creatures. I really liked that it was mysterious and didn't info dump, but I was sold on the book from Uncle Skinny Leg's appearance and I would have liked more dark creatures and the mythology around them developed.
The ending is a bit abrupt, and I am assuming that this will be a series?
In summary, I'm glad I read it and enjoyed it, but it isn't without its issues.
I've mostly fallen out of love with RH after an almost 2 year binge. The fact that bully romance couldn't be less appealing to me and I have no interest in Academy books means that I have a rather small pool from which to choose from, then when you also eliminate the ones that are just sex from page 11,or so badly written you want to throw it across the room, then I'm left with an even smaller pool, apart from the tried and true author's and series I've been following.
I suppose what I'm getting at is this book was none of the above and had lots of things that are just appealing to me.
I like reading about monsters. I liked the fact that the main characters weren't really good guys. They were morally ambivilant, I suppose. I really liked the random strange creatures that turned up in Demi's house, too. Demi herself was likeable (although I can understand why she might not be for others). She's a bit annoying at times, but she's not exactly had the most usual of lives, so it didn't bother me. I liked her attitude to herself as a monster. She's unapologetic, too, for what she is, and I like that in a main characters. There is very little woe is me bullshit, which is pretty refreshing for a RH heroine.
I liked all three of the guys and their emerging dynamic. I like how diverse they were in what monsters they were and I thought they were well characterised. I liked the relationship development as well and how Demi had a healthy, and again, unapologetic, attitude to sex.
However, there are issues. As I found so much of the book appealing, they didn't bother me as much as they may donithera, but they definitely exist.
The whole plot with the witches felt a bit random and undeveloped. I get why Demi gets involved, but I felt like there was a connection missing there, or not enough detail.
I also feel like the author really missed an opportunity with the world building oft he creatures. I really liked that it was mysterious and didn't info dump, but I was sold on the book from Uncle Skinny Leg's appearance and I would have liked more dark creatures and the mythology around them developed.
The ending is a bit abrupt, and I am assuming that this will be a series?
In summary, I'm glad I read it and enjoyed it, but it isn't without its issues.
November 2, 2019
Excellent cover art.
Decent idea.
Subpar execution.
No monsters.
Underwhelming character development.
Equivocal plot development.
Happy it was free via KU.
Do not recommend.
1.5 stars
Decent idea.
Subpar execution.
No monsters.
Underwhelming character development.
Equivocal plot development.
Happy it was free via KU.
Do not recommend.
1.5 stars
Read
April 4, 2021Love all the guys, but like Grim the best and Gunner second. Favorite line in the book: "I will only nest spoons with you." - Grim (You'll have to read it to get it. It's adorable.)
October 29, 2019
WOW! This was so much fucking fun.
Alright so here’s the thing: I adore Albany Walker’s writing. I’ve read her work before and I enjoyed the hell out of it so once I found out that she was releasing Friends with the Monsters for Halloween I slid happily into her dms and asked for an ARC.
Listen up, my RH lovers, this book was completely fucking unique. The Grim Reaper, a lion shifter, a sin-eater, this book had so much going for it. The world was beautifully crafted and utterly fresh. This felt like an urban-fantasy but none of the content reflected anything but pure fucking supernatural goodness. It was dark and badass, fast paced and fluid.
I’m O B S E S S E D with Dami, she’s everything I adore in a heroine. She’s badass and independent, confident, comfortable with her sexuality, she takes what she wants and struggles with vulnerability but she doesn’t let her fears bring her down. She always gets back up and tries again.
I’m so excited to see where Albany takes this series because I’m INVESTED. This ended with a HFN but clearly hinted towards then next installment. I can’t wait.
If you’re a fan of PNR RH then download this baby!
Alright so here’s the thing: I adore Albany Walker’s writing. I’ve read her work before and I enjoyed the hell out of it so once I found out that she was releasing Friends with the Monsters for Halloween I slid happily into her dms and asked for an ARC.
Listen up, my RH lovers, this book was completely fucking unique. The Grim Reaper, a lion shifter, a sin-eater, this book had so much going for it. The world was beautifully crafted and utterly fresh. This felt like an urban-fantasy but none of the content reflected anything but pure fucking supernatural goodness. It was dark and badass, fast paced and fluid.
I’m O B S E S S E D with Dami, she’s everything I adore in a heroine. She’s badass and independent, confident, comfortable with her sexuality, she takes what she wants and struggles with vulnerability but she doesn’t let her fears bring her down. She always gets back up and tries again.
I’m so excited to see where Albany takes this series because I’m INVESTED. This ended with a HFN but clearly hinted towards then next installment. I can’t wait.
If you’re a fan of PNR RH then download this baby!
December 3, 2019
I liked the heroine's viciousness. That's it.
August 7, 2020
.
Great audio readers! (Vanessa Moyen and Lucas Webley)
So MFM is menage but add another M and it's RH?
Whatever.
It's a fun read/listen and I loved the characters.
The whole story peels like an onion and that was the fun part. So I won't be doing much for spoilers here.
Dami lives alone in her large Victorian mansion with only the odd friends who visit her in the night.
Until one day she wakes up to find a half dead man in her bedroom. But she isn't afraid. Why should she be?
It's a story about the supernatural and monsters. It does get a wee bit creepy with the slightest touch of horror here and there. But mostly it was humorous and sweet.
I loved it but I'm not sure if I would read the next book. I loved the way the story coyly revealed itself as I read it, and now that it's all out there... well I guess it depends what the plot is in the next one.
There isn't much tension which I was fine with.
I love the way this author deals realistically with women's emotions.
Safety is good
Great audio readers! (Vanessa Moyen and Lucas Webley)
So MFM is menage but add another M and it's RH?
Whatever.
It's a fun read/listen and I loved the characters.
The whole story peels like an onion and that was the fun part. So I won't be doing much for spoilers here.
Dami lives alone in her large Victorian mansion with only the odd friends who visit her in the night.
Until one day she wakes up to find a half dead man in her bedroom. But she isn't afraid. Why should she be?
It's a story about the supernatural and monsters. It does get a wee bit creepy with the slightest touch of horror here and there. But mostly it was humorous and sweet.
I loved it but I'm not sure if I would read the next book. I loved the way the story coyly revealed itself as I read it, and now that it's all out there... well I guess it depends what the plot is in the next one.
There isn't much tension which I was fine with.
I love the way this author deals realistically with women's emotions.
Safety is good
August 31, 2020
A little all over the place
First of all, the cover of this book is gorgeous and was absolutely a factor in my purchase. Props on that!
I really love reverse harem stories, particularly ones like this, where each character has their own unique talents. Sometimes it’s easy for the partners in a RH story to blend together.
That said – this story was both a little all over the place and a little too repetitive. The main plot wasn’t terribly compelling, the stakes weren’t made to seem that high and there wasn’t much depth to the characters themselves.
The main character Damiana, felt flat at best and it was hard to reconcile the idea that she’s experienced around people with the intense loneliness she feels ... a loneliness that made her feel incredibly naive and childish at times.
Furthermore - the world building in this story is very, very bare. I would have liked to know more about Damiana’s world and society and even just the town/city she lives on the outskirts of. Instead, we very rarely leave the bubble of her house and a club she visits occasionally.
Overall, it didn’t live up to expectations but I wouldn’t write it off completely.
First of all, the cover of this book is gorgeous and was absolutely a factor in my purchase. Props on that!
I really love reverse harem stories, particularly ones like this, where each character has their own unique talents. Sometimes it’s easy for the partners in a RH story to blend together.
That said – this story was both a little all over the place and a little too repetitive. The main plot wasn’t terribly compelling, the stakes weren’t made to seem that high and there wasn’t much depth to the characters themselves.
The main character Damiana, felt flat at best and it was hard to reconcile the idea that she’s experienced around people with the intense loneliness she feels ... a loneliness that made her feel incredibly naive and childish at times.
Furthermore - the world building in this story is very, very bare. I would have liked to know more about Damiana’s world and society and even just the town/city she lives on the outskirts of. Instead, we very rarely leave the bubble of her house and a club she visits occasionally.
Overall, it didn’t live up to expectations but I wouldn’t write it off completely.
November 1, 2022
This was such a fun why choose monster romance. The heroine lives alone in the forest, where she gets visits from her “friends”--monsters–who bring her sins to eat. She isn’t human, but she doesn’t know what she is. She’s friends with some of the strangest creatures, and I love how the author just plops us into the story, but it still wasn’t hard to follow. For instance, one of her best friends, Aeson, randomly appears in her bedroom and it’s clear she isn't human, but it takes some time to learn just what she is. Also, she’s hilariously violent and adorably tiny and I just loved that character so much.
The plot is engaging and there are quite a few twists in the storyline. That said, like with many why choose books that I read, I fell for one of the guys and tolerated the other two. It’s hard to really get to know all of the love interests in a 400-page book, but I suppose that’s what sequels are for! I’m hoping we see more of Grim in the second book, and to get to know Calix and Gunnar a little better!
The plot is engaging and there are quite a few twists in the storyline. That said, like with many why choose books that I read, I fell for one of the guys and tolerated the other two. It’s hard to really get to know all of the love interests in a 400-page book, but I suppose that’s what sequels are for! I’m hoping we see more of Grim in the second book, and to get to know Calix and Gunnar a little better!
did-not-finish
September 5, 2022The heroine: Damiana - she has seen monsters since she was two years old. She has always known she was different than the rest of her family. She doesn’t know exactly what she is, but she thinks she is a sin eater. Though she has never heard of anyone like herself. Now she lives alone in her victorian mansion out in the sticks and she attracts monsters to her home at night after dark. She feeds from them.
The Heroes: Gunnar, Grim and Caius - A Berserker, a Grim Reaper and a Lion shifter.
The Story: Dami rarely leaves her house during the day, she is a night person and various monsters visit her at night. Some show themselves and some don’t. Some she is friends with and plays cards with like the one she calls uncle skinny legs. One night she finds an injured man laying on her bedroom floor and helps him.
I had trouble getting in to the story. I don’t know why, though I did see some other reviewers that had issues with this book being boring, confusing and all over the place. I felt similar. The back story took too long and I hate it when the heroine is slutty. This one goes out to bars and gets with whomever she wants (males, females, etc…). I don’t like it when the heroine is a virgin, but I also don’t really like it when she sleeps around either. Just personal preference.
This is one of the few books I started and stopped a few times since I couldn’t get in to the story. I actually put it away and started to watch tv, then started again and put it away again for another book because I couldn’t get in to the story. This one had such a great title and cover, it just doesn’t quite live up.
The Heroes: Gunnar, Grim and Caius - A Berserker, a Grim Reaper and a Lion shifter.
The Story: Dami rarely leaves her house during the day, she is a night person and various monsters visit her at night. Some show themselves and some don’t. Some she is friends with and plays cards with like the one she calls uncle skinny legs. One night she finds an injured man laying on her bedroom floor and helps him.
I had trouble getting in to the story. I don’t know why, though I did see some other reviewers that had issues with this book being boring, confusing and all over the place. I felt similar. The back story took too long and I hate it when the heroine is slutty. This one goes out to bars and gets with whomever she wants (males, females, etc…). I don’t like it when the heroine is a virgin, but I also don’t really like it when she sleeps around either. Just personal preference.
This is one of the few books I started and stopped a few times since I couldn’t get in to the story. I actually put it away and started to watch tv, then started again and put it away again for another book because I couldn’t get in to the story. This one had such a great title and cover, it just doesn’t quite live up.
August 6, 2021
The storyline was weird. It's difficult to put into words!
A woman who's able to suck the soul out of others finds out that her fated mates are a lion shifter, the Grim Reaper and a Berserker (I have no clue what that is but he enjoys bloodshed). The guys have known that Damiana was their fated mate since her birth, but they collectively decide to stay away from her and give her the chance to seek them out and choose one of them as her fated mate.
Damiana's life has been spent talking to wandering spirits that randomly end up at her house. She indulges them with games and gossip, which initially confused the hell out of me because I kept wondering "Umm..what's going on?!".
Don't get me wrong, the book had it's funny moments with Grim being an innocent adult who was unable to grasp the meaning of "what's not cool to say out aloud" as opposed to the usual plotlines about him being this scary creature that appears to take a soul. But, the story was just that, a good enough plotline which lacked the spark that would have made me reach out for book 2 immediately. So, I'm leaving this duet unfinished.
A woman who's able to suck the soul out of others finds out that her fated mates are a lion shifter, the Grim Reaper and a Berserker (I have no clue what that is but he enjoys bloodshed). The guys have known that Damiana was their fated mate since her birth, but they collectively decide to stay away from her and give her the chance to seek them out and choose one of them as her fated mate.
Damiana's life has been spent talking to wandering spirits that randomly end up at her house. She indulges them with games and gossip, which initially confused the hell out of me because I kept wondering "Umm..what's going on?!".
Don't get me wrong, the book had it's funny moments with Grim being an innocent adult who was unable to grasp the meaning of "what's not cool to say out aloud" as opposed to the usual plotlines about him being this scary creature that appears to take a soul. But, the story was just that, a good enough plotline which lacked the spark that would have made me reach out for book 2 immediately. So, I'm leaving this duet unfinished.
January 2, 2020
Damiana doesn't know exactly what kind of supernatural she is, only that she eats sins and tends to attract other monsters into her life (as friends). One night, she finds an injured hunk of a man in her house and nurses Gunner back to health. As she tries to find out more about him, it leads her to discover that she has three guardians. Gunner ends up needing a little help with his job and the four of them get to know each other while helping him with his work issue.
I liked this setup with Damiana being a friend/protector of these monsters in her life. When they are threatened, she jumps right in to help. Her harem fits right in too. Grim is by far my favorite. Who knew Death could be so innocent and sexy? He cracked me up.
I hope that this is destined to be a series. The end did not feel finished to me. There were right in the middle of hunting down a new enemy. I hope we get at least one more book to wrap up those loose ends.
I liked this setup with Damiana being a friend/protector of these monsters in her life. When they are threatened, she jumps right in to help. Her harem fits right in too. Grim is by far my favorite. Who knew Death could be so innocent and sexy? He cracked me up.
I hope that this is destined to be a series. The end did not feel finished to me. There were right in the middle of hunting down a new enemy. I hope we get at least one more book to wrap up those loose ends.
January 8, 2020
It was interesting enough to hold my attention.. but I feel like something was missing?
Or maybe I just want another book?
Who knows!
Friends with the Monsters is a gorgeous cover. It's what drew me in and made me want to read it. Plus the title seemed catchy and I wanted to know more about it. In it, you will meet Damiana (kind of a mouthful if you ask me). Now she was an easy character to love. She is extremely protective of loved ones, stubborn, and I don't know - lovable? It didn't take long to meet her harem of beautiful men either. Each person within this group just brought a little bit of happiness into my life.
YET, I still feel like it was missing something.
Or maybe I just want another book?
Who knows!
Friends with the Monsters is a gorgeous cover. It's what drew me in and made me want to read it. Plus the title seemed catchy and I wanted to know more about it. In it, you will meet Damiana (kind of a mouthful if you ask me). Now she was an easy character to love. She is extremely protective of loved ones, stubborn, and I don't know - lovable? It didn't take long to meet her harem of beautiful men either. Each person within this group just brought a little bit of happiness into my life.
YET, I still feel like it was missing something.
November 28, 2020
Fooled by a gorgeous cover - yet again... Sadly, that was all I liked about the book.
1,5 stars. Rounded up as a favor to the cover artist who deserved to grace the cover of a better novel.
1,5 stars. Rounded up as a favor to the cover artist who deserved to grace the cover of a better novel.
November 1, 2019
Actual rating 2.5 Stars
BR with RHR
Well it certainly was a ride. I felt all the emotions while reading this but the main emotion i'm feeling now that i have finished is anger.
This book is a mass of confusion which while reading is fine but the fact that i'm more confused after finishing just boggles my mind. There were questions answered but so many things left unsaid and i dont know if i will get anymore answers cause this is a standalone! Is this a standalone? With going by title alone here on goodreads and Amazon you would assume it is but with how it ended i'm doubting.
So my spoiler filled thoughts:
Do i regret reading it?, no not really. Despite the few extra gray hairs it gave me it wasnt all bad and certainly entertaining for the most part. I liked all the guys and Dami had her moments. Will i continue if this is actually a series? Absolutely not a chance
BR with RHR
Well it certainly was a ride. I felt all the emotions while reading this but the main emotion i'm feeling now that i have finished is anger.
This book is a mass of confusion which while reading is fine but the fact that i'm more confused after finishing just boggles my mind. There were questions answered but so many things left unsaid and i dont know if i will get anymore answers cause this is a standalone! Is this a standalone? With going by title alone here on goodreads and Amazon you would assume it is but with how it ended i'm doubting.
So my spoiler filled thoughts:
Do i regret reading it?, no not really. Despite the few extra gray hairs it gave me it wasnt all bad and certainly entertaining for the most part. I liked all the guys and Dami had her moments. Will i continue if this is actually a series? Absolutely not a chance
October 8, 2019
I was lucky to read this as an ARC. I couldn’t put it down. This is so much more than Witches and shifters it’s every story you’ve ever been told. Damiana is a no nonsense strong female main character who has been alone for a long time until she finds 3 guys who are so much more. You’ve never read a book like this. I will be re-reading this again and again.
November 2, 2020
2nd time reading
I'm reading this again with a friend and even though I just read the second book, I had forgotten some things so it was nice to remember. I forgot exactly what a nemean and berserker are and if we ever met Antonio or not. I also got to see Grim again and boy do I love him. The series could just be about him and I'd happily read all the books. He's so sweet and a bit naïve, but also a badass who can kill anyone without moving a finger. I want a Grim!
This is kind of slow and after reading the sequel, I think they could have been combined to a longer book and been fine. I would have liked to learn more about Dami's monster friends and what exactly they are.
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Slow start, but definitely gets interesting
This took a bit for me to get into it. We were introduced to Dami and her men, but I wanted answers as to why she's so important and what was going on with Vanessa. By the middle, the story picks up and we start getting the steamy scenes. Grim is my favorite guy, he's so innocent and yet scary and strong too. I liked seeing Dami's relationship with the guys grow and them taking out some bad guys.
I'm reading this again with a friend and even though I just read the second book, I had forgotten some things so it was nice to remember. I forgot exactly what a nemean and berserker are and if we ever met Antonio or not. I also got to see Grim again and boy do I love him. The series could just be about him and I'd happily read all the books. He's so sweet and a bit naïve, but also a badass who can kill anyone without moving a finger. I want a Grim!
This is kind of slow and after reading the sequel, I think they could have been combined to a longer book and been fine. I would have liked to learn more about Dami's monster friends and what exactly they are.
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Slow start, but definitely gets interesting
This took a bit for me to get into it. We were introduced to Dami and her men, but I wanted answers as to why she's so important and what was going on with Vanessa. By the middle, the story picks up and we start getting the steamy scenes. Grim is my favorite guy, he's so innocent and yet scary and strong too. I liked seeing Dami's relationship with the guys grow and them taking out some bad guys.
Want to read
November 3, 2019Sounds interesting.
November 25, 2024
This was a bit of a weird one, I'm not sure yet how much I enjoyed this it was certainly unique and I definitely liked the overall concept but sometimes these grown arse immortal beings could act very boyish and it was at times a tad jarring. I love me an Alpha hero and I very much got the impression here that this spot was already filled by Dami herself.
This all centres around Damiana and it's told from her POV. She's a thirty-year-old Sin Eater who lives a lonely existence smack bang in the middle of nowhere. Her only companions are the monsters who have befriended her over the years. Discovering she has three appointed guardians turned fated mates is unexpected. They for the most part have kept their distance watching and Protecting her from afar. We have Grim who at times assisted Dami from the shadows feeding her to keep her from starving, he's death himself and comes complete with the robe and scythe. Calix is a Nemean a beautiful majestic lion shifter. Gunnar is a Berserker once human and turned by witches and it's he that breaks the agreed covenant meaning when he inadvertently reveals himself all three men now come barreling into Dami's hemisphere expecting her to choose and all determined to claim her.
This was unusual and unique it's a reverse harem and has a massive vein of humour running throughout. Dami is quite the character but her life experiences some directly caused by her guardian's disattention have left her jaded and with some extremely high walls.
This had banter and sexiness combined. There's also a mystery in regards to witches and magic being siphoned from charmed ones which Dami is determined to put a stop to. I did like how capable our girl was and that she didn't take any shit from anyone including her new mates, but I also wish we got to know these mates and their origins and backstory in much more depth than we did. Also, I think the world-building itself was rather weak. I'll probably read the next one as I'm intrigued to see how this all plays out.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
September 21, 2020
3.5 Stars
I have mixed feelings about this book and given the awesome cover I thought the sick freak inside of me would be appeased. The first half I was really involved and interested but it just tapered off. Having finished I’m not sure really what the point was of it all aside from her meeting her mates, mates, some who’d known about her since she was born and come find her at 30. The relationship development between them all does span the entirety of the book and I can appreciate the alone time the heroine had to bond with each (3) of her men. I really loved that she’s a Sin Eater, I mean how Fu*Kim cool is that? She’s also friends with monsters as the title notes and I got mildly confused early on as there’s so many name drops but I do have a small attention span so 🤷🏼♀️😂
My biggest problem having finished is the end. The book until recently didn’t even have a guaranteed followup novel and so the end just has me so pissed, confused and lost. They find out there this evil male witch, helping out this bitch witch vanessa who owns a local club basically suck up power from others. She takes herself out of the picture which was a let down. The action was extremely lacking. And then they go to this guys house, get stuck in some traps and just leave. What was the point of even going? Like were they really hoping to just break into this guys house and take him out? What took the cake for me was they just gave up. I just don’t get how it ends with them saying they’ll catch him next time, when he messes up?!?! Going into the next one, hopefully things will make more sense for me there!
I have mixed feelings about this book and given the awesome cover I thought the sick freak inside of me would be appeased. The first half I was really involved and interested but it just tapered off. Having finished I’m not sure really what the point was of it all aside from her meeting her mates, mates, some who’d known about her since she was born and come find her at 30. The relationship development between them all does span the entirety of the book and I can appreciate the alone time the heroine had to bond with each (3) of her men. I really loved that she’s a Sin Eater, I mean how Fu*Kim cool is that? She’s also friends with monsters as the title notes and I got mildly confused early on as there’s so many name drops but I do have a small attention span so 🤷🏼♀️😂
My biggest problem having finished is the end. The book until recently didn’t even have a guaranteed followup novel and so the end just has me so pissed, confused and lost. They find out there this evil male witch, helping out this bitch witch vanessa who owns a local club basically suck up power from others. She takes herself out of the picture which was a let down. The action was extremely lacking. And then they go to this guys house, get stuck in some traps and just leave. What was the point of even going? Like were they really hoping to just break into this guys house and take him out? What took the cake for me was they just gave up. I just don’t get how it ends with them saying they’ll catch him next time, when he messes up?!?! Going into the next one, hopefully things will make more sense for me there!
November 1, 2020
Ugh, what did I just read?! I rounded up to 1.5 stars for the cover art, and because I’ve never given 1 star to a book (it just feels mean when someone has put time and effort and love into a book) but just UGH! Honestly, I just didn’t care about any of the characters and the storyline went nowhere for me 😔
March 4, 2022
4.7 stars.
I loved this. All the monsters are creepy and yet still so cool and almost sweet to Dami. It was fun to see them interact.
Then there’s the relationships blooming between Gunnar, Grim, Calix and Dami. It’s so hard for Dami to trust with her abandonment issues after how her family treated her as a child. And then how the guys went about protecting her throughout her life, too.
It’s so satisfying seeing her trust in them grow little by little as they continue to keep their promises.
And the sex.
It’s hot and passionate, and so loving it almost hurts her, definitely makes her panic a bit.
It’s hot. And the dirty talk is sexy as hell.
I love it.
I can’t wait to see what happens in the second book.
I can’t wait to find out more about what Dami is.
I can’t wait for group scenes
I can’t wait to find out more about the witch that’s fucking things up, about how they take him down.
I’m also just super excited to get more time with her ‘baddies’, the monsters she’s claimed as family.
So good!
I loved this. All the monsters are creepy and yet still so cool and almost sweet to Dami. It was fun to see them interact.
Then there’s the relationships blooming between Gunnar, Grim, Calix and Dami. It’s so hard for Dami to trust with her abandonment issues after how her family treated her as a child. And then how the guys went about protecting her throughout her life, too.
It’s so satisfying seeing her trust in them grow little by little as they continue to keep their promises.
And the sex.
It’s hot and passionate, and so loving it almost hurts her, definitely makes her panic a bit.
It’s hot. And the dirty talk is sexy as hell.
I love it.
I can’t wait to see what happens in the second book.
I can’t wait to find out more about what Dami is.
I can’t wait for group scenes
I can’t wait to find out more about the witch that’s fucking things up, about how they take him down.
I’m also just super excited to get more time with her ‘baddies’, the monsters she’s claimed as family.
So good!
March 18, 2020
3.5 stars!
December 6, 2020
Meh.... This felt like a weak attempt at an Anita Blake story.
October 27, 2020
So this book had a super interesting concept.
Damiana is a sin eater. She doesn't eat real food because she survives off eating the sins off of bad people. She was born like this into a regular human family. She wasn't suppose to come into this side of herself until she was an adult so her family abandoned her when she was young. They wanted nothing to do with her. So she made friends with the monsters that would come and visit her when she was young. She calls them her baddies. They're literal monsters. Nightmares that most others would be terrified of.
Eventually these three men come crashing into her life. They lay it down on her that they're her guardians; her mates. She takes a while to accept this. (which ended up getting super old real quick) And while the guys were all super sweet and whatever, they were also pushy as hell. Which made me understand Dami's hesitance. (but still it got old, fast)
The reason this book is only receiving a three star from me is because the actual storyline didn't start until halfway through the book. Which was way too long in my opinion. I'm going to read the second book. But only because the last half of the book got interesting and I feel I'm already invested. And also, because I'm reading this with one of my best book buddies, Aly! :D
Damiana is a sin eater. She doesn't eat real food because she survives off eating the sins off of bad people. She was born like this into a regular human family. She wasn't suppose to come into this side of herself until she was an adult so her family abandoned her when she was young. They wanted nothing to do with her. So she made friends with the monsters that would come and visit her when she was young. She calls them her baddies. They're literal monsters. Nightmares that most others would be terrified of.
Eventually these three men come crashing into her life. They lay it down on her that they're her guardians; her mates. She takes a while to accept this. (which ended up getting super old real quick) And while the guys were all super sweet and whatever, they were also pushy as hell. Which made me understand Dami's hesitance. (but still it got old, fast)
The reason this book is only receiving a three star from me is because the actual storyline didn't start until halfway through the book. Which was way too long in my opinion. I'm going to read the second book. But only because the last half of the book got interesting and I feel I'm already invested. And also, because I'm reading this with one of my best book buddies, Aly! :D
September 26, 2021
I struggle to even call this a RH. Yes there are three guys that want her, but they all spend the majority of the book trying to make her to choose between them. And don’t even get me started on the smut. It’s obvious Dami wants to have sex with them, but all of them are like “I won’t have sex with you until you promised to be with me and love me forever” There were no sex scenes until after the 75% mark and ugh, They definitely were not to my satisfaction.
HONESTLY THIS WAS PRETTY DISAPPOINTING. IF I GAVE POINT RATINGS THIS WOULD DEFINITELY BE CLOSER TO A 2.5. THE IDEA FOR THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING, BUT THE FOLLOW THROUGH WAS NOT THERE. WHILE THIS IS A RH, I WAS THE MOST EXCITED FOR THE ANGEL OF DEATH’S CHARACTER, AND YES HE WAS MY FAVORITE, BUT HIS CHARACTERS WAS A PRETTY FLAT (WHICH SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE OTHER CHARACTERS IF THIS WAS MY FAVORITE).
I was thinking about reading book two but i probably won’t. I don’t care about Dami or her monster friends. I don’t care about any of her fates mates and the millions of questions left unanswered. So much potential wasted 😪
HONESTLY THIS WAS PRETTY DISAPPOINTING. IF I GAVE POINT RATINGS THIS WOULD DEFINITELY BE CLOSER TO A 2.5. THE IDEA FOR THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING, BUT THE FOLLOW THROUGH WAS NOT THERE. WHILE THIS IS A RH, I WAS THE MOST EXCITED FOR THE ANGEL OF DEATH’S CHARACTER, AND YES HE WAS MY FAVORITE, BUT HIS CHARACTERS WAS A PRETTY FLAT (WHICH SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE OTHER CHARACTERS IF THIS WAS MY FAVORITE).
I was thinking about reading book two but i probably won’t. I don’t care about Dami or her monster friends. I don’t care about any of her fates mates and the millions of questions left unanswered. So much potential wasted 😪
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