Monstrous Intent: Mischief and Monsters Book 1, Alice Winters

This is why I read this author's work. I've come to know, love, and expect the shenanigans, the ridiculousness, the scowly grumpy character, the outlandishly silly partner, the interesting side characters, the unexpected animal companions, the creatures either causing or attempting to fix the mayhem and danger... Everything was here and I would be disappointed if it were missing.

So yes, expect some things that feel extremely familiar if you're a repeat reader, but don't let that stop you from finding the unique bits that make this story its own. For instance, where else has this author written about chimeras in this way? What other author has used this take on not just what they might look like, but their "family" dynamic that's unique to this storyline? I loved picturing these creatures in my mind as they were described here and I feel both mesmerized and horrified by what the humans in this world might be experiencing as the story progresses.

Declan is my ideal growly grump with a personal crisis of what they actually want and the eye-opening moments that are only possible because of the other MC. And with all of Lake's utter ridiculousness it's hard not to live for Declan's super small and reluctant grins. Lake's got all his own issues with where he comes from, what and how much he's hiding, what his hopes and dreams are, and his own moments of revelation as Declan makes him see beyond the fight to live his own way. They are a fantastic team and Declan's delayed reaction to Lake's unilateral choice was utter perfection. It was unexpected because it wasn't formulaic or cliched. That was an absolute highlight of the reading experience.

So to say I'm a fan and that I'm totally invested is an understatement at this point. I truly cannot wait to find out what the body on the slab means for them all, who's going to run the show after the parade's events, and how much more trouble Lake will get Declan into.

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Declan

It’s really hard to pretend like life is normal when you’re staring a monster in the eyes, though he’s both tempting and irritating in his human form. I put my days as a hunter behind me, unable to cope with the death and pain anymore, to become an upstanding citizen and for what? To assist Lake, a man who claims he’s not a monster but keeps talking about me like I’m edible and–even worse–wants to woo me? Between my old organization trying to pull me in and Lake proving that things aren’t quite what they seem, I’m dragged back into this world of fighting the things that humans fear the most.

Lake

The human is exquisite. The first moment he told me he was going to hunt me down, I felt my heart burst. He’s beautiful, sassy, angry, and going to be mine (even if he thinks he can refuse my charms). But what Declan doesn’t know about me is that there’s a reason I’m hiding as a human among monster hunters. And while he definitely doesn’t know why, he’s willing to work with me because the people around us strangely want Declan and me dead at the end of this (I mean, who would want to kill us? We’re amazing).

But honestly… what’s more fun than dragging a hunter off to the dark side?

Warning: This is a chaotic monster and a chaotic human. Stuff happens. People die (but they were bad, so it doesn’t matter, right?) and there’s plenty of humor alongside a budding romance.

Single and Ready to Jingle, Piper Rayne

With no recourse but to be thrown together to make things work Mackenzie makes the most of Andrew's predicament after a rather disastrous meet-insult instead of a blind date of the meet-cute variety.  Coercing a grinch to participate in Christmas activities to save his pride and possible promotion is just icing on the cake for the holiday-loving elf.  This is absolutely not a recipe for disaster, is it?  More than likely it's the attraction of a forever with their complete opposites that neither of them are willing to admit to...

I have to admit, however, that I was prepared to be annoyed by Mackenzie.  Often I find holiday-loving characters go over the top and are the types of people even those of us who love the same holiday go out of our way to avoid.  But in the case of Kenzie I found myself drawn to her, her indomitable spirit, her brightness and positivity.  She wasn't over the top and she most certainly wasn't annoying or pushy either.  Unless it was for the right grump that needed the push.

It was Andrew that I was more annoyed with on occasion though.  He was unnecessarily secretive and the justifications were thin and more or less ridiculous.  His need for transparency once things started progressing completely mocked his own need for secrecy when the hesitations were his own.  But when he began coming out of his shell and reluctantly enjoyed the things Kenzie planned for them, when he started to thaw and find joy through her eyes and revel in her just being her, that was when I joined his team.

The big conflict moment that came wasn't entirely unexpected, but it felt like a juvenile write-in rather than something truly organic to the story.  What I will say for the moment was that the circumstances allowed the hurt to be less deep and severe, something that made the big gesture sufficiently appropriate for an apology.  The fallout from the moment was hurtful, for sure, but there were other elements that allowed it to not be truly devastating.  And then the epilogue was a short, sweet moment that really wrapped things up pretty well for being a quick read overall.

This was far better than I hoped for and has swayed me more in favor of this author, who I haven't read much from.  It could have gone the way of formulaic and cliche but it didn't cross that line and I was thoroughly delighted throughout the couple hour read time it took to enjoy Andrew and Mackenzie's story.

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