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My Review:Title: Lights, Camera...Monsters
Author: Lila Dubois
Series: Monsters in Hollywood #1
Published by: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: February 12, 2008
Format: Kindle Book
Pages: 216
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Erotica
Potential Triggers: View Spoiler »
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2020 Beat the Backlist Challenge, Lenoreo's 2020 Fraterfest Readathon, Lenoreo's COYER Quarantine Edition
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks
My rating:
Blurb:When monsters need a makeover, they head for the one place that can make it happen. Hollywood. Luke is desperate to save his people. A lifetime of sneaking in to human houses and watching movies has convinced him that if he can make a great movie about monsters, humanity will change its opinion of them. With his friends at his side, all in shiny new human bodies, Luke heads for Tinsel Town.
A rising Hollywood producer, all-business Lena knows a good story when she sees it. Luke? He-s just another amateur who wants to get famous. But Luke-s too gorgeous to pass up. And there-s something vulnerable about him that leads her to throw caution to the wind and invite him to dinner.
One night of incredible sex later, Lena wakes up next to the surprise of her life. She-s sleeping next to a monster. Literally.
Appearances aside, she finds herself wanting to help Luke save his people. But they've got more to worry about than just human prejudice.
Some of the monsters would rather stay in the closet-and to make them all stay there, they-re willing to kill.
Warning, this title contains the following: multiple orgasms, spanking, misuse of kitchen utensils and sex with monsters.
3.75 stars — You know what? I was mostly pleasantly surprised by this one! I mean, it’s basically a monster erotica…I guess I had pretty low expectations. But I love me a shy sweet guy, and strangely, that’s what I got in Luke. Well, shy meets super fucking dominant in bed, but that works too.
Also side note: I read the original 2008 version titled Lights, Camera…Monsters, not the updated Dial M for Monster version.
As far as the plot goes, I did find it kinda hard to believe that this group of intelligent women genuinely bought into the idea that making a movie or tv series about the monsters would help convince humanity that they exist. I mean, is it just me, or wouldn’t that just make everyone believe it’s good special effects? Then again, I am a skeptical person by nature.
You know what I was pleasantly surprised by on the other hand? Lena’s genuine terror at Luke’s monstrous appearance. And that it wasn’t just the first time when she wasn’t expecting it. Even when she knew it was Luke in there, her natural reaction was still a healthy dose of fear…you know, like reasonable. It made it so that we got to see her work through her fear in a slow and believable manner. It was just kind of refreshing in the paranormal world…but then again maybe I’m just reading the wrong books. *snort*
The other thing I strangely enjoyed is that while Luke was handsome in his human form, he was super weird and not necessarily sexy in his monster form. So many times I feel like they dull that part down — but Lena noted all sorts of weird physical traits about him that…well, they’re not super sexy to me. It made it so that her acceptance of his monstrous form was actually admirable and helped to sell their feelings for one another.
As for the steamy scenes? They were pretty solid. Definitely delved into some kink, and it was interesting to see Lena be afraid of being judged, and Luke being just accepting.
I will note that there was a questionable consent scene. It does get sort of called out in the context, but if you have no tolerance for it *at all*, I would be cautious/skip.
There were some little bits of Lena’s attitude that 2020 Lenore was less than happy with, but nothing too overt or toxic.
I think Luke was what made this book for me in the end. He was sweet, considerate, and just genuinely wanted to be accepted. I would definitely consider checking out another book in the series in the future, just to see what Henry and Michael are like and see what happens with the movie stuff.
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