NOTE: This post first appeared in the Roswell Daily Record…
On occasion authors try to be creative with their book titles to catch the eye of potential readers and signal the tone of the story . (I tend to be pretty basic with my titles I will admit.) This month I wanted to bring you some of the fun and unusual ones I’ve seen in recent months.
Howl You Doin? (Monster Bae Series Book 2) by Jacklyn Hyde features an introverted human chef and a werewolf (or Lycan) hiding among the humans. He inherits a castle, turns it into a hotel and hires her as Head Chef. What she doesn’t know going into the job is that he wants to prove humans and monsters can co-exist. The castle is creepy, the boss is overbearing and plot twists ensue. Readers enjoy the humor, the banter and the spice between the two main characters as the romance progresses. AmazonKU
Bring on the Broccoli: Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat 7 by Karenna Colcroft makes a reader immediately curious how that diet works for a werewolf. Her MM paranormal romance series follows Kyle the vegan, who maintains his dietary preferences and commits other acts of resistance against werewolf ‘rules’ after he’s changed into one, and his mate Tobias. Turns out Tobias is the Alpha of an entire pack of classic carnivores so quite a few complications arise over the books released to date. AmazonKU
How to Accidentally Become the Devil (Madelyne Danica Book 3) by Scarlett Philips asks the question what happens if the Devil loses control of his powers? The Female Main Character is the granddaughter of the demon in question and it’s up to her to save the world. It’s a “why choose” reverse harem series and readers praise the author’s sense of humor, the banter she writes and the plot twists which occur. AmazonKU
Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson starts with a determined FMC who decides to go to Scotland to check out old family tales and legends. When she arrives in the small Scottish town, what she finds is even more unbelievable than her forebears told her as a child. There’s a hunky MMC in a kilt, who’s cursed as it turns out. As the blurb states “Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.” Deemed to be a “Hallmark monster romance” and a guilty pleasure by enthusiastic readers, this story hits all the right notes. Amazon AB
Purple Scales & Coffee Tales: A Scales & Steam Novella by Rhea Fox is a short paranormal romance featuring a “Shy autistic Dragon shifter with fancy anatomy…Purple haired curvy AuDHD human barista” and a sweet and spicy romance. Readers approved of the way the two characters began as friends and evolved into the romance. There’s a plot twist which adds to the enjoyment. AmazonKU
Help! I Summoned A Sexy Chaos Demon By Accident: A Monster Romance (Match Made In Hell Book 1) by Rebel Rede pretty much lays out the plot in the title. The FMC’s attempt to make alphabet soup goes seriously awry when she starts reading the ‘nonsense words’ the letter noodles are making as they boil. Readers enjoyed the two characters and their interactions. This is part one of an intended trilogy so reviewers were a bit impatient for events to move along, which will occur in the next book. This one ends on a cliffhanger. AmazonKU
Fired by my Grumpy Dragon Boss: a steamy monster office romance (Grumpy Monster Bosses Book 3) by Ami Wright is an excellent representative of a current trend in romance to take the tropes of contemporary romantic comedy (romcom) and apply them to a paranormal situation. The results can be highly amusing and enjoyable. Here’s how the book’s burb begins: “My grumpy dragon boss doesn’t want a mate and I don’t want him either! In fact, he’s the last guy on earth I can see myself with…Worse: he fires me with no warnings for a totally stupid reason. Rude!” Obviously the two main characters are totally destined for each other, after a few trials and tribulations. This book is part of a well reviewed series which begins with Married to my Grumpy Minotaur Boss: a steamy monster office romance (Grumpy Monster Bosses Book 1). Plenty of hot spice. AmazonKU
Oh No, I Shot A Spaceship And Kissed An Alien Cyberchef: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance Short Story (At The Alien Hotel Book 3) by Kate Sinner is summed up by the first line of the blurb: “Nothing says ‘five-star hospitality’ quite like accidentally blasting an alien ship out of the sky.” The action takes place at the Alien Hotel and the FMC has to contend with the alien VIP she nearly shot, an android chef and other catastrophes along the way. Readers cite the humor, the emotional growth of the characters and of course the steamy spice scenes. AmazonKU
Another Curvy Girl and Grumpy Vamp (Just Another Girl Meets… Book 5) by Jailaa West explores the relationship challenges of a BBW who has ambition and goals and no time for romantic nonsense with a vampire even if “his clenched jaw, crimson eyes and aphrodisiac scent make me want to crawl onto his lap and live there”. The vampire is no happier – at first – to find himself falling into a relationship but of course there’s an HEA ending. Readers thought this was a worthy entry in the series and wanted more. AmazonKU
Bidding on Her Orc Boss by Evangeline Priest encompasses both the current craving for orc romance and the use of contemporary romcom tropes in paranormal romance. The FMC is a numbers cruncher who works remotely but then one day has to show up at the office. She finds out her orc boss is the man she won in a silent auction and had a steamy one night stand with. Talk about awkward! Fast paced, steamy and fun say the readers. AmazonKU
Many of the above titles are part of a series and/or in a shared universe with other authors, so if you enjoy the stories, you’ll find many more for your To Be Read list. Happy reading!
VS Additional Note: I think maybe the only title and cover I have that might fit this topic would be STAR CRUISE CHEF’S KISS but it’s not in the same clever league as the ten book titles above!
STAR CRUISE CHEF’S KISS by Veronica Scott
Five star chef Stephanie Clemmons has a contract to cater a Halloweenlike party on the planet where her cruise ship the Nebula Zephyr orbits. Little does she know the dangers of a night where alien demons walk among humans and never expects the deadliest demon of all to offer her a bargain. She has to cook a special dinner to satisfy him or spend the rest of eternity laboring in his hellscape kitchens. But as the night and the meal progress, Stephanie and the demon lord discover they both may be getting more than they bargained for, as undeniable attraction grows between them. Can an ancient Lord of the Underworld and a human chef find a way to make a new bargain for love? This story first appeared in the Celestial Seductions anthology, which is no longer available. I’ve added 6K words including an epilogue to the original story for a total of 17K words.
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