One of my favourite series I read during my time as an ARC reader, was without a doubt the Monstrous Surprises Series by E.V. Sauvage. Each short story in this Paranormal Romance/ Paranormal Erotica series is linked to a particular holiday, and…let’s just say that they should definitely be coming up with some additional holidays, just to continue this series 😉
In the past, I’ve reviewed the five first short stories on different platforms, but now the time seems right to create a full series review here. The sixth story has been published in the meanwhile, so I’ll be adding that one too.
Attention: I will be reviewing all books of the series in this post (gradually), but as these are short stories that are linked but clearly separate, there won’t be any big spoilers.
Hallowin
Hallowin is the first short story in the Monstrous Surprises Series and is set – as you might have already guessed from the title – during the spookiest season of the year. Main character Isis is drunkenly celebrating Halloween with her two best friends, Rose and Carla, and the three of them decide to draw a summoning circle for a succubus. After all, what better way to deal with Isis’ celibacy than to summon a sexual being from another realm? What could possibly go wrong?
Halloween has never been hotter
I had such a great time reading this short story. Anytime a story starts with the sentence “It was a bad idea”, you know you are in for a good time 😉 And a good time it was. Hallowin is fast-paced, intriguing, sexy, and fun, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to dive into the next short story of the collection.
Story 2: Meowy Christmas
Meowy Christmas is the second short story in the Monstrous Surprises Series and follows one of the three friends introduced in the first story, Carla. Although she is set to marry, her fiancé grows increasingly cold towards her. In order to remedy this, Carla’s witchy friend gives her a lust potion for Christmas. And as we know from book one, what could possibly go wrong with such plans? Instead of a night of passion with her soon-to-be husband, Carla encounters a handsome thief who is trying to steal her Christmas gifts…
A story to keep you warm during the winter months
I loved this story just as much as I did part one, Hallowin. It’s easy-to-read, captivating, and hot enough to make snow melt. The dialogues are very well written, the plot is amusing, and the smut…amazing. I will never look at certain felines the same way, though :p I am such a fan of E.V. Sauvage’s writing style, I cannot wait to read more!
Story 3: Cupid/Stupid
It won’t come as a surprise that this story is focused on the third friend introduced in part one, Rose. In Cupid/Stupid, the girls decide to ironically celebrate their Galentine’s day at a pub called “Cupid”. But alcohol, archery, and a pub owner who is more devil than angel are a recipe for…sexy disasters?
“Yeah, Rose was sure of one thing, this man was not an angel, far from it. Or maybe he was an angel of vengeance, one who was coming for Rose.”
A bookish Valentine
As with the other two stories, I was impressed by the way the first chapter makes it immediately impossible to stop reading. Something in the writing style of E.V. Sauvage simply hooks you as of the very start. It’s a difficult choice to make, but I think this one is my favourite of the three stories. Most of the trigger warnings mentioned at the beginning of the book are key words I would use to look for a story, so it’s definitely my cup(id) of tea. I also really appreciated getting Cupid’s point of view in the epilogue.
The writing style is as fluent as it is hot, and once again, the story leaves me wanting for more.
PS: It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a great dedication :p I had to laugh out loud.
Story 4: Sin Patrick’s Day
The first three parts of the Monstrous Surprises Series focus on each of the three best friends introduced in book one. As of book four, the focus shifts to two sisters introduced in book two. More specifically, Sin Patrick’s Day is centred on Astrid, a Puma shifter who recently got dumped by her boyfriend. On Valentine’s Day even, can you imagine. The guy clearly has nerve, as he invites Astrid to his housewarming…the house he shares with the woman he cheated with. Astrid isn’t one to shy away from a challenge, though, and she makes a deal with a mysterious stranger: if he comes to the party with her and pretend to be her boyfriend, she will return his lucky coin…
She has done it again!
I’m obsessed each time a new Monstrous Surprise is published. E.V. Sauvage writes exactly my brand of erotica, and each of the stories hits the mark again. This one has the fake dating trope, Irish folklore, light exhibitionism, and an atmosphere that feels a bit lighter than some of the previous stories. It’s a short story, but that doesn’t make it less hot. As with the other stories, the author manages to balance plot and spice beautifully, and I loved how this story was told from switching points of view. I also loved the double portion of the supernatural we got in this one.
Story 5: Easter Hunt
Another Monstrous Surprise, another amazing main character and tale by E.V. Sauvage. As Mickaela summarizes it beautifully at the start of the novel, what’s not to like about Easter? “Chocolate, good people, so much food she was probably going to explode, and … hunting”. And now you can add “reading in-theme paranormal romance” to that list. If you haven’t checked out this series yet, hurry up and do so. Each tale is as delicious as the next, and each will leave you wanting for more. Luckily, there are now 5 stories already published! Highly recommended!
Story 6: Midsumm(on)er
Review coming soon!
Notes on the Monstrous Surprises Series
I’ve loved all of these stories! They are exactly my brand of spicy Paranormal Romance. A well-deserved four out of five gemstones for all of them:
Age Category: Mature audience
Trigger Warnings: Different for each story, included at the beginning.
Do you want to discover more?
If my review inspired you to pick up the first book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores:
Amazon.nl: Paperback Edition
Can’t get enough of these? You can also buy the entire anthology:
Amazon.nl: Paperback Anthology
Similar to this
If you are just as hooked by E.V. Sauvage’s writing as I am, you are in luck because she’s wrote several other books. I first got to know her work via the The Sound of Battle Series, which starts off with The Sound of Steel. What’s truly special about this series is that you can either opt for the Young Adult variant (the “Light” version) or the New Adult variant (the “Dark” version). I’ve read the Dark one (of course ;)) and thoroughly enjoyed it. It tells the story of two young women who are indebted to a rich merchant and who are working as his spies to earn back their freedom. One day, their master sends them to spy on visiting royalty of the neighbouring Fey kingdom, and more precisely, the twin princes. Tasha and Misha quickly get tangled in the intrigue though. Can they survive the mission and regain their freedom?
Currently, E.V. Sauvage is writing another Paranormal Romance series, and book 1, Even Angels Fall, has already been published. I, for one, cannot wait to dive in!
Looking for more steamy romances? Definitely check out the A Dark and Steamy Night anthology compiled by Meg Anne. It consists of 9 spicy romance stories belonging to different subgenres, including Contemporary, Paranormal, and Gangster romance. The stories differ in length, some being short stories, others being novellas. In total, 12 authors contributed to this bundle. Want to know what’s even better than the romance? 100% of the proceeds of this book are donated to Canine Companions, a charity that provides service dogs to those in need at no cost to them.
Last but not least, I’d also like to recommend The Forgotten Ones, part 1 of the Neverland Chronicles by Bianca Cardinal. It’s a short story inspired by Peter Pan and told in dual point-of-view. Wren’s great-aunt Wendy might have been famous but Wren hates to be mistaken for her. She’s not your average girl either, with a beautiful man haunting her dreams ever since she disappeared for a whole week while sleepwalking. Her life takes an even weirder turn when she encounters Peter who is desperately looking to bring magic back to Neverland.