| Title | : | Muscles \u0026 Monsters (Leviathan Fitness, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 182 |
| Publication | : | First published May 27, 2022 |
After a wedding cake catastrophe, local decorator Tegan finds herself being helped by a solid wall of fur and fangs named Atlas. She’s never met anyone like him and finds herself enamored by his wolfish charm. After their sweet encounter, Atlas invites her to his gym anytime she needs his cake lifting services.
Tegan decides that instead- she wants to lift the cakes herself. She signs up for a membership with Leviathan Fitness, determined to build her strength.
Primal desires emerge as Atlas and Tegan test just how much their new love can lift— and if there are any limits to what monsters and humans can do.
Muscles & Monsters is book one in the Leviathan Fitness series. Each book will center around the gym and feature a different monster pairing.
Muscles \u0026 Monsters (Leviathan Fitness, #1) Reviews
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3 Satisfy All My Carnal Desires Stars ⭐
How could a gigantic monster be so fucking darling?
A fantastical cutesy, insta love romance. I did want to like this more. Cupcakes and Muscles? The concept was charming, and initially it was sweet especially with a smitten wolfman. I think I’m just too much of a realist to think that love escalates this quickly. Sex yes, love no!
She had me so far gone for her that it was sad. I might as well have her name tattooed on my balls.
Tegan, a baker is instantly attracted to the buff Gym owner Atlas, when he helps her with her wedding cake disaster saga. She’s all hot for him in all his furry glory and its not long before these two are combining bodily fluids and icing…
I’ve read shifter books but not a man in his wolf form the entire time. To say it was odd envisioning cunnilingus between these two is an understatement. Yet apart from that forever visual, the plot itself lacked substance. For those of you who enjoy steamy insta love novellas, you may just enjoy it.
BR with the ever-indulgent Rain who allows me to propose these books and never complains. Do I owe you another sorry? -
Didn't really enjoy the overly-cutesy sweetness of this one. Not a lot of character depth, very superficial. The H is a shifter who doesn't shift, so always in man/wolf form. The h is a baker who brings bags of frosting along for some kinky fun. Which sounds like a great idea until you remember that the H is covered in fur. Could you even imagine? Hang on a second babe, I've got something stuck in my teeth.
I'd recommend this one to fans of sweeter, low-drama monster romances, crazy fast insta-lust, some filthy talk, and those who don't mind their heroes with a permanent snout and wagging tail. (It read too much like a dog to me)
A interesting BR with Isabella. The books might not be the best, but the conversations are! 😂 -
Probably the sappiest, fictional werewolf I’ve come across. 🥹
If you’re looking for something monstrous, paranormally, that’s sweet and in parts cheesy and quite entertaining, then look no further. I just had a smile on my face.
*Trigger warnings for an emotionally abusive ex.* -
Sweet and Entertaining
A gentle but sexy romance between a plus-sized human woman and a gym bro wolf dude. Loved that she was body positive and comfortable in her skin (rather than yet another insecure plus sized heroine) and loved the cute world we're just getting to know. The writing wasn't 100% my style but definitely a book for those who don't like dark themes from their monsters but still want that hot, creative sex. -
This was so cute start to finish! Plus the chase scene was really hot. Can't wait for the next one to come out.
-
Omg I loved this so much!!! So so so sweet and cute! Hold onto your butts, the word sweet will be used over and over in this review. Atlas is a wolven and Tegan is an adorable baker who lives in an ADORABLE COTTAGE IN THE WOODS! With flowers and books and everything! She’s living my dream!
Atlas owns a gym and thanks to some lingering childhood insecurities is a gym buff…and a really sweet, sweet, sweetheart who recently had a bad breakup and lacks confidence. In the cutest way. Atlas and Tegan are so into each other from the get go, and I love that about these two.
“ “We should probably exchange phone numbers. You know, so I can harass you if you don’t show up.” My muzzle curled up in a smirk. Good thinking, Atlas. Getting to spend time with her and getting her number. I was a fucking legend. Killing this flirting shit.”
So funny and sweet, and the spice was actually extremely hot, which I didn’t expect since I have a hard time picturing Atlas. Doesn’t matter. This was ADORBS! -
I so badly wanted to love this because I NEED more monster romcoms in my life and the cover is absolutely adorable…but this was so rushed and cringey.
It just all happened too fast and I don’t understand why. The level of comfortability Tegan and Atlas have with one another is something you would see after AT LEAST a month but I’m fairly confident the entire relationship gets solidified, from start to finish, within a 48 hour period. There’s no room to breathe in this story. The references to Atlas’ ex were so constant that they built up this epic villain image, only to give us a 2-dimensional mean girl.
I think the dialogue leaves a lot to be desired as well with how out of touch it feels (i.e. the “kawaii vibes” and “simp” lines) and I struggled to understand what the relationship was built on.
Also, I kept forgetting that the characters were supposed to be in their 30s. They act so much like confused high schoolers. This story would function almost exactly the same if they were 16 and it’s just distracting.
This was so…bleh
CW: explicit sexual content, recurring focus on body image issues/weight issues, recurring mention of past toxic relationship, heavy implication of threat of rape/sexual assault (brief) -
This book was so freaking cute and sweet but also hot as fuck! I mean, the constant flirting, adorable texting, but scenes so hot I had to take a few minutes to get myself together. 😮💨
While I’m not new to monster romance, sometimes I can be hesitant when it comes to reading a new book. Wolf Daddy, Atlas took how I was feeling and tossed it right out the window. He won me over from the moment he appeared on page (and it’s not just because of his knot).
Atlas is wolven gym owner and Tegan is human baker. When they meet after a wedding cake incident their love story happens full bloom. It gives off such romcom vibes but also has a lot of my favorite kinks!
• Primal Play/ Chasing, Praise, degradation, daddy kink, knotting, and mating. What more could a girl ask for!! -
Cute and romantic story.
You know it's true love when he literally wags his tail at the sight of her! That's it. That's the whole review.
The only reason I retracted one star is because I feel like the whole story was a bit rushed. There could have been a bit more dialogue, more of how they fall in love.
I don't know if I will read the other stories in the series because even though I know they're not necessarily related and can be read as single stories, I feel it would take something away in this case. -
![*˚Remnant Light ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ [Novella Phase]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1675437446i/138214273._UX200_CR0,28,200,200_.jpg)
**DNF 25%**
Cute and all but I really can't get into the story. The writing style isn't my cup of tea, too casual. The story in itself is sweet but strangely reminds me of a teenage romance book rather than adult romance. The characters are in their 30s but act like horny teenagers. I also couldn't get over how the characters described themselves. I don't like when they boast about their physique, no matter how true it is and how confident they are. I like humble souls.
Also, people who know me know how much I love strange romances, but the hero was too canine for my liking, if that makes sense. I kinda wished he had a human form or something. He acted too much like a dog and it made me cringe a little. Not a bad story but I honestly couldn't be bothered reading it all.His body swayed back and forth slightly over my response and it was then I realized that he had a tail. He was wagging his tail at me.
By wolven standards, I was definitely hot. Tall with broad shoulders. A thick, well muscled body. Soft, warm fur. Sharp teeth and claws. I was a catch.
What? I had nice quads, okay? I wanted to show those babies off.
I won't rate this because I didn't read it all but I would've probably given a 2-2.5 stars or something. I also got a refund, I thought this novella was a bit on the expensive side. -
This author’s writing style is just not for me. I found the dialog too sweet it crossed into cringy territory and there was too much packed into this short book.
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4.5/5 stars
3/5 spice
This was ADORABLE and Ashley really went for it with the spice. I devoured this, and if you're in the mood for a quick, cute, and spicy read, I highly recommend it.
Not only do we get knotting, but we also get mating bites, primal play (he hunts her on the full moon and it's chef's kiss), praise/degradation, AND a nice dash of breeding kink.
I love seeing more plus-size representation in FMCs, and I thought it was interesting that the MC was the one suffering from body image issues/dysmorphia. I feel like we don't see that perspective often enough. I loved that Tegan had overcome her own body image issues, and was able to channel her self-love to Atlas, helping him become more accepting of his own body. -
3.5 ⭐️
Thump. Thump. Thump.
This little smutty fluff fest was just what I needed this week. Super cute -
4.5 ⭐️
I screamed when I saw the cover cuz how cute it is then I screamed when I was reading it!!! If you need a light hearted book to read this is it.
Tegan is the baker who had a mini accident and dropped some of her wedding cake for a client and had Atlas mister big bad wolf help her clean it up but he isn't a bad wolf oh no he is a cinnamon roll and I swear his pov I wanted to hold him and never let him go even if with sweetness he has some dirty words for his lil human. Even if he was attracted to her he still loved helping her work out. And Tegan helped him in any way she could since he was alil shy/insecure about his image. Poor baby. We also got to meet others from the gym and I am so ready for those stories. We watched these two grow and deal with alil problems like a ex who loves to bring down Atlas and tiny bit of concern about full moon. But our couple handled it so good.
I did wish we got more Primal scenes ;)
Tiny ow drama (H ex), no cheating, slight secondary character, tiny drama, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5
Slowinsta
30h/32H
Primal play
Praise kink
Degradation
Body dysmorphia
Knotting
Daddy kink
Hea
Epilogue -
Al agarrar este libro sabía a lo que iba y por qué iba ahí.
No es nada de otro mundo, es una trama simple sin plot, que se centra en el desarrollo del romance entre dos personas (monstruo-persona).
Lo que me gusta de la relación es que no hay malentendidos, son muy abiertos a comunicarse todo el tiempo, incluso durante los momentos spicy, donde juegan con sus kinks de manera muy saludable.
Ambos personajes son muy bonitos, un poco planos, pero nada que no pueda esperarse de un libro que existe solo porque en el mundo hay furros (xd) Pero los dos son sunshine y eso me pone soft.
No hay nada de angustia, solo momentos bonitos y spicy. Y lo disfruté cada maldito segundo.
Ahora, le bajé puntos por el insta-love. Creo en la atracción y en irse a la cama con una persona solo conocerla. Pero no me gusta cuando al tercer día de conocerse, cuando vagamente han hablado, Atlas ya se refiere a Tegan como "la mujer de sus sueños" y piensa en el futuro con ella. O sea, tal vez como kink y fantasía de autocomplacencia funcione, pero cuando se dice de verdad me saca un poco.
Pudieron decir "pasaron meses yendo al gym juntos y se enamoraron" y pasar ya directamente al resto. Pero fueron tres días. No puedo.
La otra estrella es porque el hermano de Tegan aparece durante media página para decirle que no debe salir con un monstruo, porque es abominable. Él vino y se fue. Solo dijo eso. ¿Qué?
Creo que es el prota del segundo libro y, para ser sincera, empecé a leer estas historias por ese, así que tengo expectativas altas para él.
Por supuesto que voy a continuar esta serie, faltaba más. -
THE CUTEST FUCKING BOOK I HAVE READ IN YEARS!!!! MY OVARIES EXPLODED!!!
The whole “ wolf daddy” caught me off guard though. -
Gosh, this book cover is just… so ding dang cute. I’ve decided I want all monster romances to either have an old fashioned clinch cover or this super cute cartoon-y version.
I didn’t realize how short this book was while reading it, but it’s only 171 pages - so the perfect length if you’re looking for a quick monster romance, and one that’s more low angst.
Tegan is our heroine, a plus sized human baker who meets the hero - Atlas - after he helps her carry a cake. Atlas is a gym owner and wolf. So yeah, this is a monster romance with a very NOT-human hero, down to the long wolf jaw and sharp teeth.
This book had some really hot moments, and I liked the low angst nature of the book. Even when Tegan’s brother didn’t approve of her dating a wolf, he came around once and that was it - and her mom didn’t share the same views. It was nice to have a book set in a human / monster world that didn’t focus on “everyone hates them together.”
A few parts gave me pause, like the attitude of Atlas towards working out / losing weight - he obviously had some issues to work through in regards to his body image and I think it was kind of just resolved without being resolved (like, Tegan loves him so he doesn’t think about it anymore) - but I get it, because it was only 171 pages.
The other thing that made me pause was the emoji usage over text. Atlas was… kind of cringe?! But in a funny way.
Overall, this book was really sweet.
CW: prejudice, PTSD, past emotional abuse -
4.5/5 Stars
3.25/5 Spice
This. Was. Too. Freaking. PRECIOUS!! I loved every single moment of this - if cute monster romance is your thing then this is going to be for you. Trust me. This centers around a town that has now accepted all kinds of monsters into their community. Businesses owned by monsters are popping up and matings between monsters and human are also happening.
Atlas (a wolven) owns a gym called Leviathan Fitness and he runs into a beautiful, curvy and adorable baker named Tegan. Instant attraction happens and you know this because Atlas tail can't stop wagging. STOP IT RIGHT NOW IT IS THAT FUCKING CUTE. I loved Atlas. He was precious, goofy and a gym bro at the same time which gives such Cinnamon Roll Himbo vibes that made me want to cry in joy BUT trust me when I say he is very dominant. Tegan is sassy but also a sweet girl next door but a freak in the sheets as the old saying goes.
I loved this so much and can't wait to continue on in this series!
The Goodies...
non human male lead
primal
praise and degradation
daddy
knotting
ex gf drama (very brief) -
Omg, this was the sweetest and SMUTTIEST monster romance read🥵🥵🥵. Muscles and Monsters is the first book in the author’s Leviathan Fitness series. M&M follows the romance between Atlas, the wolven owner of the Leviathan Fitness gym, and Tegan, a pastry chef who owns a cake shop across the street from the gym. These two meet when Tegan drops a piece of a cake she’s loading into her van and Atlas stops to help her get cleaned up. They are attracted to each other at first sight. Tegan, who had been looking for a gym, becomes a member at Atlas’ gym and they grow closer from there!
I absolutely LOVED this book. Atlas is the sweetest hero ever and I loved seeing him fall in love with Tegan after he’d been lonely due to a bad breakup months prior. I like the way humans and monsters co-exist in this small town, too. Atlas’ wolf-ness did nothing to stop the chemistry and good times between him and Tegan 🥵🥵🥵. They were perfect for each other and the author did a great job at developing their connection within a novella.
I can’t wait to read more from this author and this series. I highly recommend this book! I find that I like monster romance when there’s a sweet element to it and I can positively say that this has been my favorite monster romance read to date!
TROPES: monster/paranormal romance (wolf-human pairing); fated mates; plus-size/curvy heroine; primal play; knotting; older H/h (in their 30s) -
it was cute at first but then it just made me cringe. idk, sorry. the dialogue was unnatural, the texting was so ridiculous, and the plot was so rushed. i think i expected this to be like morning glory milking farm but this was half the length with the same amount of story and twice the sex. just wholly unenjoyable to read and it’s a shame because it overshadowed the good parts. it actually would have been preferable if this had been 300+ pages so we could have explored the body image and disordered eating issues that were rushed past.
2/5 stars -
Esu viešai apsiskelbusi literatūrinė degradė, kuri su savo skaitymo pasirinkimais jau seniausiai pramušė ne tik dugną, bet ir visus plintusus, tad nieko nenustebinsiu su istorija apie vilko ir tortų kepėjos meilę 😚. Visgi, turiu pripažinti, kad ir kokia kvaila ši knyga bebūtų, man ji visai patiko 😭💖. TAIP, ji saldi, naivi, buka, per daug kalbanti apie vilko baklažano mazgus, bet aš galiu tai ištverti vardan pūkuotos meilės istorijos!! 😤
Jeigu ieškote lengvo, trumpo skaitalo apie raumeningą vilką, kuris dėl tortų mergaitės vizgina savo uodegą ir siūlo poruotis bei gyventi kartu amžinai vos po mėnesio draugystės – ši knyga skirta jums, romantiniai iškrypėliai 😚.
Kalbant apie literatūrinės pornografijos aspektą, šiai knygai duodu 5 baklažanus 🍆 iš 10, nes gvaltavonės su vilkais nėra mano fetišas 😬 🐺 🤷♀️. -
Ich, vor zwei Tagen, als ich noch unschuldig war und nach Rotkäppchen-Büchern gesucht habe: :-)
Das Internet: Hallöchen auch. Schon mal in einen Anime-Wolf verknallt gewesen? Nein, na, macht nichts. Wir haben da trotzdem was für dich.
Ich, beim Lesen:
Ein Furry bin ich schon mal nicht. Hätten wir das auch geklärt.
___
Queer-Rating: Keine Repräsentation.
Anxiety: MMC hat Body Dysphorie
Dieses Buch enthält: Monster/Mensch, Cinnamon-MMC, Bäckerei-Buch, Jock, dicke Protagonistin, Dirty Talk, Voyeurismus, Lebenslange Verpaarung
Alter der Protagonist*Innen: Sie 30, er ??? -
How feckin’ cute and adorable and sexy was this?!
And fun too!
I’ve been on a monster romance kick lately and this one was exactly what I wanted and needed. Someone mentioned it in a reader group I’m in, and I was drawn to the cover. Then the blurb hooked me, and then I just had to read it.
Atlas is a wolven who owns Leviathan Fitness, and after an adorable meet cute, he couldn’t help but become smitten with Tegan. They both kinda fell hard for each other.
They were all sorts of cute when they were together, and even when they were texting and flirting. And the tail wagging…gah! So effing sweet!! A big bad wolf? Nah. More like a big teddy bear... who loves emojis.
So much humor and adorably charming…everything…had me chuckling and smiling all the way through.
I really enjoyed this well-written story with lovable characters and a storyline that kept me interested. It was steamy, but so romantic too. I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. And the chase scene? Very. Nice. *heart eyes*
Ashley Bennett was a new-to-me author and I look forward to reading more from her.
I dove right into book two (Tentacles and Triathlons) immediately after finishing this one. -
such a cute, fun read. unexpectedly good
-
This book was just too fluffy for my liking. It's a cute and steamy read, but I wanted more from both of the characters and more from the plot.
I was drawn in by the idea of the blurb, with a FMC who wants to build her strength with a supportive MMC. The plot is fitness-focused but also body positive, which I really appreciated. And I thought the FMC and MMC had great chemistry together.
While the book is incredibly fluffy, it also attempts to touch on some difficult topics. The FMC and MMC both speak about body insecurity and body image. The MMC is experiencing what sounds like an eating disorder, exacerbated by an abusive ex. Some in the town are prejudiced against monster-human integration.
I wasn't expecting the book to do a super deep and retrospective dive into these topics seeing how light and fluffy it reads. But at the same time, I wished the book would do more than just superficially brush some of these topics. I wished the book would've taken some more time to explore these topics a little more (in a fluffy way, of course!)
I think I also felt this way because there wasn't much in the way of a plot. The book is basically about the MMC and FMC instantly falling for each other. There are some opportunities for internal and external conflict but I felt that neither were well developed. It felt like a missed opportunity to have the book start to explore some topics, but not integrate them into the plot in some way.
For more of my reviews, please visit
my blog. -
"And then I met you and my stupid fucking tail hasn't stopped wagging since." - Altas
This book was so cute I smiled the entire duration of it. I was slightly worried about reading this as I am plus sized myself - however this plus sized heroine was not down on herself at all! I loved that Atlas was completely into her - soft parts and all.
Go preorder this now!
It has cake.
It has cute butt cheeks.
It has breeding.
It has frosting.
It has moonlit primal chase scenes.
It has tail wagging.
All great. -
I need to stop listening to bookstagram. Love the cover and that’s about it.
-
*4.5 stars
This was so cuteeeeee!
Tegan ends up meeting Atlas by accidentally dropping one of her wedding cake creations in front of his gym. He ends up helping her out, and the two of them really hit it off! Tegan then decides to join the gym, so she doesn't risk dropping another cake. Atlas ends up helping her train and has to force himself to keep things professional between them. Even though he wants her so badly. Anddd maybe Tegan want Atlas just as badly 😉
I loved this one! I adore monster romances and this one did not disappoint! This was the perfect blend of cute and HOT! I cannot wait to read more books in this series!!
TROPES: baking, cinnamon roll hero, cute but hot, fated mates, kindle unlimited, mating bite, meet cute, plus size rep, monsters -
god this was so cringey😭
-
“Muscles & Monsters” by Ashley Bennett
5⭐️/5⭐️
4🌶/5🌶
ETA 10/06/2022: I originally rated this 4 stars, but I feel very strongly that this is actually a 5 star book.
“I wanted to draw constellations with the freckles dotting her chest. Memorize their locations and kiss every single one.”
Tegan’s day couldn’t have started off any worse. Her assistant called out sick, she had a wedding to cater, and right before leaving for the venue she dropped part of the wedding cake. Up swoops Atlas, the ripped and handsome wolven owner of Leviathan Fitness, the gym adjacent to her bakery. Tegan is immediately smitten with Atlas, he’s polite, kind, helpful, and so incredibly sexy. Meanwhile, Atlas quickly develops a crush on Tegan. He loves her bubbly personality, and sweet disposition. The two embark on a steamy relationship, but little is known about the intricacies of a wolven/human relationship. Can their love withstand the challenges they will face?
What a cute story! Here are my thoughts:
-The story is a quick read, and is every bit as cute as the cover suggests. This is the perfect ‘feel good’ novel for those in a reading slump, or if you are curious about monster romances.
-There are lots of ‘good girl’ in the spicy scenes, so if you are a fan of the praise kink then you will enjoy this book! There is also knotting and a chase scene (I love chase scenes).
-Bennett is releasing another book in the Leviathan Fitness series, and they did a fantastic job setting up subsequent books. The side characters are intriguing enough that I wanted even more scenes with them!
