Given to the Gargoyle

Monstrous Deals #2

by Ami Wright

Would you make a deal to dance for a grumpy gargoyle? I’ve got big dreams of a career on the stage. Unfortunately dreams don’t pay the bills. Working as an exotic dancer for a mysterious monster client sure beats being groped by some of the sleezy humans I’ve danced for. Performing alone on a rooftop for a statue sounds strange, sure. Then the statue comes alive and turns into a huge, sweet protective gargoyle. My dance frees William from his rocky prison, but he tells me if I don’t stop, he’ll have no choice, but to claim me forever. Beneath the rough, stony exterior, my powerful gargoyle mate has a tender heart. But he’s holding back. How can I convince him that he’s worthy? Will he still love me when he realizes how much trouble I am?

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Monster Romance, Fantasy, Monsters, Paranormal Romance, Novella

194 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2023

About the author

Ami Wright is a romance author who loves history, food, travel, trashy TV and smutty books. She loves writing science fiction romance with time travelling Romans, feisty cat people and plenty of spice!

Ami lives in Australia with her partner and two kids. If she ever gets any spare time between working, writing and mothering, she reads, cooks, watches history documentaries and dreams of the days when international travel becomes a reality again!

Reviews

[buket]

dnf around %33

it's beyond stupid i can't continue 😐

i LOOOOVE insta love/lust i'm living for those alien/monster books where they look at each other one time and instantly fall in love 😌 but this?????? NOPE. so insta? if that make sense idk

thank you Christina for jinxing my good strike 😒😒(kidding, love u💖)

[omega’s rights activist · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my fav of the seven I read so far

[Peppa]

Dnfed after 40%. This just isn’t for me … kinda boring and I don’t like the characters

[Luna ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

»Sweetheart, once I have you, there's no going back. You will be mine. Until I crumble into dust.«

★ ★ ★

❥ 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒆
She was lovely but kinda naive and fell instantly for William although she didn‘t know him.

❥ 𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒎
Naww such a sweetie. Really liked him.

✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
Another comfy, fluffy monster romance book.
I read the whole story in one sitting cause it‘s short and the writing style is fluent and easy to read.
We follow the story of Jessie and the gargoyle William. They have good tension and I liked them together. Gargoyles fascinate me and I love reading books about them. This was insta love what‘s a little unrealistic. Jessie comes to dance for William and tries to wake him and falls for him quickly - that’s not relatable.
Still I liked this book and it kept me entertained.
Again an amazing cover!!

𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes, fluffy gargoyle romance.

𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓
plot: 2/5
spice: 4/5
humor: 4/5
couple/tension: 4/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬
possessive and protective hero, instant attraction, forced proximity, monster romance, paranormal romance, gargoyle x human, mates, arrangement/deal, fluff

𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲
ages: Jessie is around 25 and William is very old
cheating: no
sharing: no
kinks: no

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Deal with a Demon ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 Given to the Gargoyle ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#3 Treasured by the Troll ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#4 Mastering the Minotaur ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#5 Bound by the Basilisk ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#6 Used by the Unicorn [skipped]
#7 Worshipped by the Werewolf ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Randa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another sizzling Monstrous Deals story that knocked it out of the park!! Read it for the smut and stay for the sweet, possessive gargoyle that will do anything for his fated mate🖤

I loved Jessie’s comfort with her sexuality and badass vibes overall. William had the perfect amount of touch her and die trope going on while being a lovable cinnamon roll MMC. 😍

4.5 ⭐️! Thank you, Ami for the ARC

[Poppy || Monster Lover · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This book was a cute whirlwind romance with an aspiring actress and present day stripper performing for a broody gargoyle. William was the king of pushing people away, but did have a nice little growth arc with that. Jessie was confident, lonely, and in dire financial straits, a good partner for someone who would make her his world. I didn’t rate 4 stars because I thought it was odd Sethos didn’t thoroughly consider something for a major plot point.

Spice: 5/5

Triggers: SA (spitting on clothed pussy while FMC is performing), home invasion, attempted SA, stalking, cyberstalking, poverty, discussion of parents cutting off child, mention of purity culture religious intervention

[Diana Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stars: 5
FMC: Jessie
MMC(s): William
Tropes: Monster escort service, stripper FMC, only her dance can wake him, sex positive FMC, found family, bodyguard, touch her and perish, knotting, the sm*t is the plot
> Reviewer add: Possessive MMC, Hard as Stone (yes, I snickered), French slang, Voyeurism, Exhibitionism
Perspective: Dual, First
Plot or character driven: Character
Spicy scenes breakdown:
> Present? Yes
> Detailed? Yes
> Multiple, with only one character? No.
> Multiple, with both/multiple characters? Yes.
> Personal favorite? When she manages to break his petrified state.
> State of the joystick? Humanesque.
> Anything else to note? Ami continues her reign as Queen.
Burn speed: Fast.
Can this be read as a stand-alone: Yes.
Re-Readability: Yes.
Content/Trigger Warnings/Enticements: See author’s website. Peril, threat of SA (interrupted by MMC).

I received an advanced reader copy of this book, and this is my voluntary, honest review.

“I wonder what would happen to a prince who needed to be woken if a princess gave him a kiss.”

William is hired as a bodyguard, but he’s slowly becoming petrified because he’s a gargoyle. Until someone gets a rise out of him – enter Jessie.

This was a diamond sitting on my kindle and when I kept failing to maintain any sort of concentration on anything else, I pulled this up so I could read it. Can we say psyched? In no way ever was I disappointed in this. William is sweet and protective, and a little possessive, Jessie is confident and amazing, and together they’re just smokin’ hot. I love them.

I love this whole series. I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE. AHHH!

[Meghan Summers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Highly recommend sharing headphones with a friend and cringing and laughing at this book together. So bad it was funny.

[✨ Just Another Bookwyrm ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Top notch narration once again👌

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

God this book was a mess. The plot was bad at best, but mainly the language for pussy/cunt made me want to vomit. Ended up having to skim through the spice scenes so I didn’t have to read anymore descriptors like channel/sheath/cunny/passage. Such a bummer because the first book in the series was actually pretty good! This one was just YIKES 😬

[Bon · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a self-professed gargoyle romance connoisseur...
Nah. This wasn't it The writing was juvenile, the spicy scenes downright cringeworthy, and the most creative parts were, unfortunately, the colorful religious swearing of the gargoyle lmao.

[♾️ · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only thing i really liked was maurice the werewolf lol

[☾⋆⁺ Nurse After Dark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buddy Read - April 2024

I laugh again. What else can I do? In the light of day, my fears seem even more ridiculous. Of course, the statue didn’t come to life

While not quite as bit of a hit as Deal with a Demon was, there were definitely enjoyable moments in this second installment in the Monstrous Deals series! Overall, I do really like the gargoyle lore/worldbuilding the author is giving us, though I didn't fully connect with these particular characters. I'm certain this was book-specific, and definitely plan to read on to book 3!

I don’t want you to get... tied up with a beast like me,” I say finally.
She snorts, and I’m amazed again at how she goes so swiftly from crying to laughing. “What? You think you got a magic dick or something? Like I’ll get addicted?”

I think part of what I didn't connect with was that this pairing was more sweet than spicy - despite the FMC's spicy attitude! I expected it to be more of the same heat from book 1, and we all know that expectations are the curse of readers everywhere. I guess that's on me =)

We plan to read Treasured by the Troll in May! I'm excited to continue with this series!

[Between pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how the main character was portrayed: as a thief and under a hot curse, not a penny to his name. It's refreshing to find such a male character, unlike the mainstream male characters portrayed in most books where they're extremely wealthy. William's feeling of hopelessness and uselessness for not providing for his mate is gut-wrenching. This Gargoyle will do anything right for his Jessie.

It all started with a dance from a distance, then escalated to a rooftop lap dance. There's no better way to awaken the Gargoyle than with a sexy dance, with Jessie's female weapon on full display.

Ami created this story much like a contemporary dance. It was choreographed with high heat, low angst, undeniable erotic play, and the protective possessiveness of William. The climax of it all left me with emotional resonance.

[Taboo and Tentacles · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars!

This was a fun, fast paced, easy read monster romance. 🥰

William, our gargoyle MMC, is super sweet yet super possessive. His backstory and how he came to be was super intriguing.

Jessie, our human FMC, was a very likeable & very relatable character. I loved her determination & motivation to make her dreams come true.

Whilst the story was filled to the brim with spice, the plot had me turning page after page. I was super invested in William & Jessie’s story!

Now onto the third book in the series.. 🥳

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

She has been hired to dance on a rooftop for a stone gargoyle which seems strange to her. Although she prefers it to some of the clubs she has danced in before. She is shocked when the gargoyle comes alive and it seems he likes her. What is going to happen? How will life be for them both? See just how the tale come along

[Natasha Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again I know these books are insane and really shouldn’t work but I really liked this one as well!!! As bizarre as it is it makes me wanna meet someone from the Monster App!!
It definitely is worth the 4⭐️, it’d give it 3.75🌶️(which I personally see as high for a short read!)
Was a really fun, enjoyable, spicy, fast read!
I’d highly recommend especially in the lead up to Halloween season!!

[Migeldy Mauri · Rating 5 out of 5]

why's so spicy 👹

Ami needs to start making these books longer 150 ish pages it's not enough 😫
William was the sweetest gargoyle ever.

[Linnie Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, while very spicy, was also so sweet. I felt so much for the gargoyle MMC. He is soft, he's sweet and he is perfect. I loved him and the way he was written 🥹🥹

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Tiffany Rivera-Bogart · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my opinion not as good as the first book. Still a quick read.

[Zariareads · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fml was booring and the plot sometimes felt weird. It didn’t make me interested to the story.
Liked the gargoyle though😊

[Cristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be the sweetest saddest story ever. This sexy slow burn story will blow your mind and leave you wanting more. This is the second book in the Monstrous Deals series. If you loved the first you'll definitely love this. Cuddle up, get cozy and enjoy this romantic read.

Slowly day after day William is fighting to survive a curse but failing miserably. Eventually he will be completley petrified. Unbeknownst to him he has somewhat of a guardian angel with ulterior motives who persuades a human female to come and perform on stage at the local theater. What she stirs in William is only something dreams are made of. Could this possibly be real? Both of their lives are going to change irrevocably. 🔥💜🔥

[Meagan Grauel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I just couldn’t get into this book. I think I didn’t like how passive/unsure the MMC was.

I don’t even have a lot to say either way about what I liked and disliked about this book. I still like the series and I’m going to keep reading. I just don’t have much to say this time around.

If you started reading and like the Monstrous Deals series, maybe skip this one? I’m not sure. I don’t feel like I wasted my time reading it, but it isn’t one I’m likely recommending.

[Evelyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I never want to hear or read the word cunny in my life ever again.

[Nevena · Rating 5 out of 5]

🔥 “Sweetheart, once I have you, there’s no going back. You will be mine. Until I crumble into dust.”
~~~
William is one huge, strong and gruff gargoyle. But there is more to him than his rough, grumpy and stony facade. Because William is also fiercely protective, respectful and considerate - one monstrously irresistible cinnamon roll. And he might be made of stone, but his heart is so sweet and soft. I couldn’t help but adore every single thing about him! Unfortunately, William is in the process of petrification and getting rid of his curse seems next to impossible. Until a beautiful human dancer appears onto his rooftop.

Jessie is such a kind and good woman. Even more, she’s strong, resilient and so feisty. And she’s always dreamed of acting. But the only job she could find was for an exotic dancer. Even though things hadn’t worked so far the way she wanted, I loved Jessie’s determination to make it on her own and continue pursuing her goals. This lovely Australian is such a wonderful woman and I loved her so, so much!

I absolutely adored everything that happened between Jessie and William! Jessie is hired for an unusual dancing job via Monstrous Deals. And from the moment William sees her, he’s smitten with the tiny dancer. And very soon Jessie realizes that the statue she’s dancing in front of is more than just plain stone. I adored those two together! William might not believe he deserves redemption and love, but I loved that Jessie showed him that he more than deserves forgiveness. Even more, I loved how accepting she was of his monstrous nature and his past. And I adored William for giving her the choice to make the decision to be with him on her own. I also loved how well he treated her and that he always came to her rescue when she needed it. William and Jessie were so perfect for each other. And when they couldn’t keep their hands off one another, the passionate moments they shared were off-the-charts hot. Yup, the smut is the plot. And, ohhh, what a plot! I was all in for every naughty and knotty moment and I just couldn’t get enough!

In addition, the storyline was fantastic! I’m loving Monstrous Deals more and more with each new story. It’s such a wonderful, respectful and safe space for everyone. Even more, I couldn’t help but love Maurice - the always helpful bartender with goofy t-shirts, too! And with the danger lurking in the shadows, I was glued to the pages till the very end.

Overall, the story is another incredible, sweet, naughty and fun addition to the series!

I couldn’t put it down and absolutely loved every single page of it!

[Abbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Info:Given to the Gargoyle
Series Info:Book Two of Monstrous Deals
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️*
Spice Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
PoV: Dual
Ending: HEA
Genre: Monster/Paranormal Romance
Re-readability: YES

⛔️Triggers:⛔️ Brief Violence (not descriptive), explicit sex scenes, assault with bodily fluid (spit), stalking, almost SA’d

Content/Tropes/Kinks: Fated Mates, Found Family, Monsters, Sweet Alpha energy, Protective mate, Growly MMC, Gargoyle “Curse”, Monster Escort Services, MMC has low confidence in himself, FMC shows him he’s loveable, Bodyguard vibes, minor slut shaming (by the FMC), “Good girl” use

Monster Content: Big Monster Peen, Size Difference, Knotting, Fated Mates

Summary: Jessie signs up for Monstrous Deals so that she can hopefully move out into her own place. The first night she doesn’t know who she’s dancing for but the gargoyle perched on the rough above the glass ceiling won’t forget her soon. William is in the process of turning to stone, and he’s happy to finally fade, that is until he sees Jessie take the stage at the Grand Theater, alone, and dance.
But Jessie’s job as an exotic dancer comes with it’s safety concerns, so it’s a good thing that William is a gargoyle, and therefore protective by nature.
*I wanted to explain why this story didn’t receive a 5 star rating, because this issue is with me. In Jessie’s work she is hired for a private party with humans, where she is overpowered a bit and ends up being spit on. Luckily William shows up in time to stop everything. Jessie doesn’t allow him to kill the man who did it. That man ends up stalking her, sending threatening messages/flowers and placing a tracker in her purse to follow her back to her place. William again arrives just in time, the man is only just unzipping his pants. As a survivor of SA the fact that it even got that close was a bit too much for me to read, PLUS there were no content warnings at the beginning of the book. Which is why I’ve included them in my trigger warnings for the book. But this won’t trigger everyone so I wanted to explain why it received only four stars.

❤️ Love Note: I read smut almost exclusively, so prepare yourself for my spicy shelves 😋 I am annoyed by closed door/fade-to-black spice, so if I read the book and recommend it, count on there being spice. Words are their own source of magic, be kind.

[The.strawberry.bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

📖Book Review📖

Given To The Gargoyle

I read the first book in this series and really enjoyed it.

I loved this book, the spice was on point and I liked the relationship between William and Jessie. William was OBSESSED with Jessie, and that’s just how we want our men to be 😉 but also Jessie was equally obsessed with William. You could definitely see the love between the two of them. The chapters were short which is always a positive in a book for me, I really enjoy Ami’s writing style, im always addicted from the start and the storyline just flows. Also it was fast paced.

I really felt for Jessie with how she just wanted unconditional love, seeing her go for what she wanted and not care what others thought about her or what she did for a job was nice and refreshing.

You could see how much William and Jessie adored and cared for eachother, William would have burnt the world down to keep Jessie safe and vise versa.

Also I felt for William with him not feeling good enough, I’ve felt that and it’s not a nice feeling. But I liked how Jessie made him feel like he was good enough for her an in the end he started to believe that.

i don’t usually read monster romances but this one I really enjoyed and will definitely be continuing the series.

If you are looking for plot in this book then you won’t find much of it, there is some plot but there is way more spice. I loved it and it’s a monster romance so perfect for Halloween. A good little spicy palette cleanser between larger reads.

Tropes

😈Monster romance
😍Insta love
💃Stripper/dancer FMC
😴Only her dance can wake him
🍆Sex positive FMC
🏡Found family
💥Touch her and 💀
🪢Knotting
🌶️Lots of spice
💪🏻Possessive MMC
👀Voyeurism
💋Exhibitionism
🩷Age gap
😘Fated mates
📖Novella
🏢Workplace romance
😈Gargoyle x Dancer

Content warnings

Mentions of:

✖️Explicit language
✖️Graphic sexual content/ adult content
✖️Includes sex work
✖️A scene in which the FMC is assaulted while engaging in sex work.
✖️Low level violence.

4⭐️
4🌶️

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun premise, spunky main character, Hot smut (which is the only reason this earned that 3rd star from me), but then the end kinda ruined it for me. I got 74% of the way through and couldn't finish. Why, you may ask? Here, let me tell you!

Ok, girl + gargoyle - misunderstandings, slowly accepting each other, smut, emotions and challenging future plans, more smut. Generally a good recipe for a light and sexy read. But the FMC's profession is dancing, even though she dreams of being an actor on stage. But it's good money and she likes it. Until, and here where there are some spoilers, one gig goes poorly, the MMC rescues her, they get closer and trust each other more, etc etc. But that's not the end of the plotline. She receives truly disturbing text messages, gifts and threats from what sounds like a violent, slut-shaming stalker (or average online incel) and it's pretty awful. She's paranoid, gets rescued once when it wasn't really necessary, and she thinks it's not necessary anymore. I just know she's going to get attacked and the MMC has to come in and save her again. Maybe there's a twist and her newfound confidence/acting success gives her the hutzpah to save herself.

But regardless, it will clearly show how a monstrous male can be kinder and more humane than a terrible human one. And in the middle, she has to undergo trauma! Like, she can't learn a lesson until she's undergone these awful situations/attention? If you're into what's under the spoilers, or at least don't mind, you'll enjoy the sexy smut in the books. If you aren't into that? I kinda recommend just skipping this whole book altogether.

[Raven9308 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went through and binged listened to this series and I had a lot of ups and downs, not gonna lie. This wasn't my favorite of the audiobooks thus far, but it wasn't my least favorite either. I would give this a 3.5 stars but I rounded down because I didnt connect with the story or audio as much as I would have liked. I did like things, but I wasn't enthralled as I was with some of the other stories in this series.

I like the different creatures in this world, gargoyles are some of my favorites because they are usually so stoic and serious but the biggest teddy bears and cinnamon rolls haha. I felt bad for this one with his curse but I liked how things ended for him and his love. I liked the FMC as well, felt for her with her safety in jeopardy and how things ended up. I was kinda shocked how she went from nothing to an instant star, for me that kicked me out of the storyline since the progression was so sudden. I understand the jump may have been needed but I think it could have been smoother and had some help getting there, if that makes sense.

I liked the chemistry between these two, thought it was funny once she realized he wasn't just a statue haha. Narration was good in a lot of parts but some felt off. The accents and tones weren't consistent between the narrators when doing all the various characters. I would give the narration a 3-3.5 and the story 3.5-4 so again rounded down to a 3 since this was the audiobook. Already finished up through 5 so despite that I was still enjoying the audio and wanted to keep going in the series.