Reviewed by Roberta

TITLE: How To Love A Monster

AUTHOR: Lyssa Dering

PUBLISHER: Disobedient Publications, LLC

LENGTH: 50,000 words

RELEASE DATE: August 15th 2017

BLURB:

Dying at the hands of government goons was always going to happen. Waking up in a dark and twisted afterlife? Not the plan. 

Seraphim has the superhuman ability to control his own brain.Or at least, he used to, before his government-mandated brain surgery. The surgery killed him, but life isn’t over yet. He’s just woken up, shivering and alone, in the rain-soaked alleyway of a city he doesn’t recognize.

Fiend is a childhood monster. Dreamed up by Seraphim’s friend Wish, he was imprisoned in Wish’s subconscious until the birth of Wish City, a place for people with superhuman abilities to take refuge after death. Now Fiend is free—and in charge—and he’s on the hunt for anyone with abilities once they cross over.

Eager to play with his new toy, Fiend quickly makes contact with Seraphim. Lost and injured, Seraphim lets Fiend slither into his heart. But under the aching pleasure the two find with each other is a hunger that can’t be denied, and lurking in the shadows of the neon city are truths neither man nor monster is ready to face.

How to Love a Monster is a gay erotic horror romance featuring twisted and kinky M/M sex, a diabolical love interest, and an HEA ending.

REVIEW:

Well, this book was intriguing when I read the blurb and I really was intrigued.  When the chance came for the review…I was all about it.

This book was so different from what I thought and that was a surprise.  To have this main character who had special powers and to know that the government went after these specials and run tests on them and kill them…well…it was heartbreaking.

Sera is pushed into Wish City…a place that his friend Wish created for all specials to go to when they died…as they all knew they would if the government found them.  To have been on the run from the government and finding others like you who had special abilities. Sera is there in Wish City and he’s looking for Wish…instead he’s taken into this Love Den and yeah…sexy times ensue…however…he’s got another issue coming that he doesn’t know about…Fiend.  When they meet and Sera is taken to Fiend’s home…well…that’s when things start to happen.  Sera is taken by how this adorably, weird guy who seems to like scaring him and then at other times…seems so darn sweet to him.  Sera is in for some rude awakenings as well as some surprises.

Fiend…when you get to know him and how he came to be and what his life entails…well…I started to empathize with him.  He’s fighting for his survival. I guess that made me understand where he was coming from.  Fiend isn’t all bad and yet, he’s not all good. He does what he does and then he meets Sera and things start to change for him and to him.  I like that this character wasn’t all one thing and that his evolving feelings for Sera help change him.

The author did a wonderful job on describing Wish City and pulling you into the story. I have to say that this was a pleasant surprise to truly see the story and how these characters lived. To see thru their eyes and go thru their adventure…I enjoyed that.  There were some sexy times as well as these characters falling for each other.  I loved seeing them struggle with their growing feelings for each other as well as having to deal with the secrets and lies.

Overall, this story was really well done and I enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed seeing this world and how it was created.  How it all came to be and why it came to be. This book has trigger warnings and I really suggest you actually listen to them. There are so many themes that run thru this story…love, hate, fear, safety, etc…I couldn’t just seem to focus on one. I was all over the place on how I was feeling and what was going on.

RATING:

BUY LINK:

Amazon