Shots and Barbs is out today! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is book two in the Deep Earth Dating series – you could possibly read it as a standalone if you don’t care about how humans and monsters came to be living side by side on Earth. The history is all explained in book one, Berries and Greed, but that doesn’t really affect the plot of this one at all.

I’ve got to be honest, after reading Berries and Greed (which I loved) I wasn’t so sure about getting Nuni’s story. He’s a peacocking frat/gym bro who wasn’t necessarily very nice to his little bro (the MMC of Berries and Greed)  historically. He meets his match in Anita, the competent workaholic event planner in charge of his firm’s anniversary party. 

They seem very different at first – he’s chatty and boastful while she’s quieter and more reserved, but they bring out the softer side of each other, along with their competitive sides. And their horny sides. The competitive nature of their relationship results in the best banter, I was genuinely laughing out loud throughout the whole thing. 

Like I said, I wasn’t so sure about Nuni at the beginning but he absolutely won me over by the end. If Thatcher Kelly is your favorite Max Monroe character but you wish he was a 7 ft tall monster you’ll love Nuni. 

It’s pretty low angst, just two type-A hotties hooking up a lot while pretending it’s just sex but obviously falling for each other. There’s also a forbidden romance edge to it since Anita shouldn’t be dating her client per her workplace’s rules.

It did feel a little long in parts but I still enjoyed it and thought it was a lot of fun!