Miranda's Monster Madness | Rock Solid Love

For many readers who are now fans of paranormal romance or fantasy, they - like my husband and sister-in-law - were fans of the cartoon show Gargoyles. I admit that I never watched it. As I got older, I did read one or two books with gargoyle characters and was intrigued. I will discuss romances featuring gargoyle heroes that range from rom-com, suspense, sweet, spicy, and everything in between.

For readers looking for a paranormal rom-com vibe with a side of gargoyles, Ava Ross and Honey Phillips have books that might hit the spot. EXTRA VIRGIN GARGOYLE by Honey Phillips is part of the Monster Between the Sheets series that takes place in Screaming Woods – a town populated with people who were transformed into a variety of monsters. Angie is a normal human transplanted to Screaming Woods because of an inherited bookstore. She initially feels a slight chill because the townspeople are somewhat cautious about an outsider in their midst. Books are the thing that led to a side job working for a gargoyle named Alastair. He is instantly smitten, and their unexpected courtship has a definite Disney Beauty and the Beast vibe. The biggest hurdle to overcome is Alastair’s reluctance to get involved with a normal human over fears of being rejected and hurt.

GARGOYLES JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN by Ava Ross is part of the multi-author series set in Monsterville, USA. It’s similar to the Monster Between the Sheets series, except in this series most of the monsters were born that way. This has a “marriage of convenience” trope because Violet needs to marry in order to fulfill terms of an inheritance. The twist is that Violet has also had a crush on Goreg for a while. With the responsibilities of her elderly Uncle Bub and kid sister living with her, along with the new responsibility of her inherited B&B, Violet doesn’t really have time to go out and find love. The condition of her inheritance sort of pushes her to be bold in a way she otherwise wouldn’t be. Goreg is a total sweetie. What Violet doesn’t know is that Goreg has been crushing on her from afar as well. Circumstances give them both an opportunity to overcome their shyness. The way their romance develops is adorable, and Goreg’s brothers are great for a little comic relief and to act as cupids (at least in their own minds).

THE GARGOYLE FROM GENERAL MANAGEMENT is the third installment in Kate Prior’s entertaining Claws and Cubicles series about office romance drama, with a monster twist. I highly recommend this series to anybody who has toiled in an office and wants a good laugh. Gwen is an HR manager. The job can be draining, but keeping the fact that she’s a siren secret from her boss and co-workers adds another layer of stress. It’s not that her company discriminates against sirens, but some members of the paranormal community make some unflattering and unfair assumptions about her. As somebody who also has more on-the-job training than education, she also feels a bit insecure and uncertain of how she’d be received at work if her siren status came out. For these reasons, she generally prefers to work remotely rather than interact with staff in person. That changes when she’s pressured to attend a conference with her fellow employees. While there, she meets the newest employee – Vladyr Grotesce. Vlad is also a sexy gargoyle in an expensive suit. They have a great meet-cute, followed by a series of amusing (though often embarrassing for Gwen) erotic encounters before they eventually give in to their mutual attraction. Vladyr is not as uptight as one might first assume. Because of his history, he's more open to trying new things and engaging more with others. With Vlad, Gwen finds the kind of acceptance she’s always wanted, and he encourages her and builds up her self-confidence.

For historical romances fans, there’s HOW TO MARRY A MARBLE MARQUIS by CM Nascosta, part of the Monsters Ball series featuring stories written by a variety of authors. For some, being sent to The Monsters Ball is a punishment, but for others it’s a treat and an avenue to find true love. Miss Eleanor Eastwick reminds me a little of Lisa Kleypas’ beloved character Lillian Bowman. Eleanor is on a mission to marry a wealthy monster to help her family. Rather than a wilting flower, she is pragmatic and resourceful. Lord Silas Stride, the Marquis of Basingstone is tall, dark, broody, and devilishly handsome. He’s also a gargoyle. Though he's extremely attracted to Eleanor, he has insecurities about being a gargoyle. Being a gargoyle means that being essentially frozen during the day, and he doesn’t want to burden a partner with that. I love CM Nascosta’s books, and she fills HOW TO MARRY A MARQUIS with all the secret trysts, longing looks, and societal shenanigans that romance readers adore.

DECEIVED BY THE GARGOYLES by Lillian Lark features a polyamorous relationship. The story starts out with a witch named Grace going to the Love Bathhouse for some matchmaking. She’s looking for love and a sense of family. What she winds up getting is more of both things than she ever expected. She initially seeks a more traditional relationship with only one person. However, when she meets the charismatic Elliott Bramblewick, he is very persuasive. For readers who might not read stories with polyamorous relationships, I’ll say that while there are some spicy scenes in DECEIVED BY THE GARGOYLES, the focus is mostly on the characters and relationships rather than sex. Everybody is uber loving, respectful of boundaries, and protective of each other. Each of the gargoyles have very different and distinct personalities, and everybody in the relationship is encouraging and brings out the best in each other. While the bulk of the story focuses on how the relationships evolve, Grace does have a stalker that adds an element of danger to the story and heightens the gargoyles’ protective instincts.

ROCK HARD GARGOYLE by Maggie Mayhem is the first book in her Possessive Monsters series. When Shelby first runs into Grayson – literally – it’s at a wedding. Both are there to do a job. Her with clothing for the bridal party, and him as security. A tiny misunderstanding on Grayson’s part causes an awkward first meeting, but immediately tries to make up for it. Grayson may be big, strong, and no nonsense when it comes to his job, but he falls for Shelby super-fast, and he is also sweet and tries not to overwhelm her. She winds up being a target of a rogue wizard group who don’t like humans and paranormals mixing. However, the group has no qualms about using human women, like Shelby, who have latent magic in order to bring about the reality they want. This story has a lot of action and suspense, but also sweet and sexy moments between Shelby and Grayson. I also like the supporting characters who are friends or family to Shelby and Grayson. They add some humor, as well as serve to flesh out the main characters.