The Kraken's Prize

Matchmaker Monster Romance #2

by Luna Joya

A witch cursed me to roam the seas in my monstrous kraken form. For years, my crew and I have sailed in search of the key to break her spell. But this pirate has found the most valuable treasure of all…the witch’s daughter.

This pirate king Kraken unleashes in December...or earlier if the magic allows.

With vengeance curses, a sea monster masquerading as the cutest otter, and a heroine with a serious sticker-obsessed planner addiction, The Kraken’s Prize is the second book in the Matchmaker Monster Romance series. The books promise a happily ever after for each of the four friends who walk into a haunted house, not knowing that monsters are real. Or that they’ve been matched to the monsters inside.

Genres: Monster Romance, Romance, Monsters, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Audiobook, Shapeshifters

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 19, 2023

About the author

Luna Joya writes steamy romances that are "wickedly delightful" (Publishers Weekly).

The "delightfully devious" Luna writes "action-packed paranormal romantic thrillers, singing with magical power and humming with sensuality that will leave readers breathless." (InD'Tale Magazine). A survivor of traumatic brain injury with steel body parts, Luna lives in SoCal with her combat veteran husband and their two-pound terror of a rescue pup.

Reviews

[Cat H · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
Hell yeah! This was so cool. I love pirates, and this was basically a Davey Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean love story retelling.
There were even asshole monkeys and a parrot.
So fucking cool😂

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luna really solidified her spot as one of my top five monster romance authors of all time with this one.

Now we know that I’m a tentacle lover and the love interest in this book, Seb, is a deliciously possessive, cursed, kraken pirate captain/king of sorts. Seb can also shift… into a much larger kraken form, think giant squid size and he does this in the book in the best way. He’s a little rough around the edges but he really cares about Ava and the whole pirate crew.

There is so much to love about this book but the disability representation has to be the best part. Ava, our main character, was in an accident as a teenager and sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Because of her TBI, Ava has some issues with her memory but has developed a system that works for her (so many cute planners) and nobody in the book really treats her with pity. Her parents are a little overprotective but that’s more in line with the massive secret I can’t tell you about than her TBI. All she’s ever really wanted was a little adventure and boy, did she find adventure.

I really loved this book and I’m looking forward to the next ones in this series (one of the books is going to have twin gargoyles and I can’t wait).

Thank you so much to the author for the gifted eARC!

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this one so much more than the first! I felt like both the MMC and FMC were more flushed out as characters! The world building was more in depth as well!
I also enjoyed the plot better!
Loved the ending 💖

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the author said “oh my stars and sea monsters”, what a ride!
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed the deep dive into the ocean of Ava and Seb’s tentacular relationship. And I do mean alllllllll the tentacles. Oh mylanta, all the tentacles. This is one kraken who knows how to please!
I have a bit of a thing for cephalopods, so I dove right into this story.
What I found was Luna Joya’s second offering in the fated mates Matchmaker Monster Romance series, and it is truly an adventure on the high seas.
The main protagonist, Ava Frost, is a young woman with a traumatic brain injury who just wants to live her life on her terms, but her family has other plans for her. When she literally goes off the grid, her life takes a wild turn after meeting Seb, a cursed monster kraken who immediately realizes that she may be his fated mate (something he never believed existed for him until he met her) when he rescues her from what he believes is certain death. Is Seb correct? Or is Ava who she seems?
Told from the alternating viewpoints of both Ava and Seb, “The Kraken’s Prize” includes monster smut, tentacle play, discusses traumatic brain injury (which the author has first-hand experience of) from a survivor perspective, a touch-her-and-die villain hero and a happily ever after.
I have not read any books by this author before, but I am looking forward to going back to the first book in the series and reading future installments.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The excessively convenient magic with absolutely no limitations or consistency tieing up all the loose ends was easy enough to ignore in the first book because the narrative was otherwise strong.

In this one? Not so much. There wasn't a whole lot that was compelling, and in the end I wasn't sold on sleeping with the octopus man. Add the excessive magic deus ex machina, and I was super over it by the epilogue.

It was a decent palate cleanser, but it's not what I would call "good" per say. I did really appreciate the TBI rep though!! I've never read a book with a female main character explicitly stated to be suffering from complications from a TBI, and it was done nicely!! AN EXTRA STAR FOR TBI REP (sorry I'm excited; I worked in a TBI lab).

[Tiffany✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

Characters: 6
Atmosphere: 6
Writing: 6
Plot: 5
Intrigue: 4
Logic: 3
Enjoyment: 5

[Katie Cameron · Rating 2 out of 5]

look... im a curious person ok.

[Laura Burch · Rating 2 out of 5]

This…. had a lot of potential which was unmet.
The storyline was ALL👏🏻OVER👏🏻THE👏🏻PLACE👏🏻
And random plot points were just ✨dropped✨ in without any details or reason for being there.
The description of the kraken gave a biiiiiiig ick. I had to pretend I didn’t read it in order to feel any kind of turned on by Seb bc uhzzztentacles under the dick AND suction cups ON the dick? No. Thank. You. 🫣

But my biggest and most important beef with this book issssssss why didn’t we get a DP? Dude had tentacles and we didn’t get a freaking DP???? Not even a little boob play while screwing?? Robbed. We were robbed!
Anyways… on to the next book bc why the fuck not? Apparently I’m sick in the head 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Koko · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so bad! I wanted to DNF but for some reason, I pushed through. The first book was OK so I was foolishly optimistic it would improve at some point. The recent college graduate talks like an old lady, is insufferably whiney, and I was never rooting for her. I did listen to the audiobook and the voice of the reader was grating at best , unbearable at worst so that probably didn’t help how I felt about the book. The insta-love was so poorly developed. I was incredibly confused as to how we got from Ava being terrified to gyrating on the kraken’s lap. The world building was so bizarre and unclear to me. It was giving a poor man’s lazy version of DCOM Halloweentown while the whole planners and stickers of it all made it feel indistinguishable from our own world aside from the anthropomorphized animals and mythical creatures. The author focused on detailing the most unnecessary things rather than the important things. It all felt so rushed, and I’m still not clear how that final battle was won. The bad guy was stepping on the good guys chest somehow? I was deeply confused. I was very unclear as to what the MMC looked like (tentacles every where including his beard, a large schlong with suckers?, muscles, eyes, bald blue head?), but him being naked all the time with a hard on in front of his crew sounds like an HR issue that would have me mutinous with the quickness. The spice was so lackluster, and the author spent more time describing the sighs and sounds than the actual actions during the 2 spicy scenes that I was bored. And homegirl needs to buy a thesaurus because jesus was she repetitive. I think I’m allergic to the word “mate” now (or perhaps I just need an Opal Reyne palate cleanser). This must be self published because if not, fire that editor. I’m not looking for Dickensian quality writing in romance novels (though some authors are capable of delivering), but this reads like something a horny Catholic school 8th grader would write. I am truly stunned by all the people who love it, but I guess my standards are higher. Glad I read it for free from the libby app. I’d have been pissed if I spent a dime on this.

[hobbithopeful · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet, steamy, and over all too soon, The Kraken's Prize is a must for any fans of tentacle based romance.
We follow Ava, she has an overbearing mother because of her TBI, and all she wants to do is explore the world. Seb is a feared kraken pirate captain, who will stop at nothing to find the sea witch who cursed him and his crew. Of course his plans get a bit derailed when he has to save Ava's life..
This is the second book in the series, and I actually liked this more than the first! Any hang-ups or nitpicky issues I had with the first one, are non existent here. I wish it was longer because I was enjoying the characters, the story, and the relationship between Seb and Ava.
I really like the illustration inclusion at the end of all the "adorable" guardians that the girls have bonded with so far! (And a sneak peek at upcoming cuties!) I especially enjoy the new "found family" Ava has with the crew, and how they all make pictures for her to help remember. As a proud member of the cute journals and pens community, it was cool to see that included as one of her hobbies.
It is so rare to see romance, especially monster romance with disability rep, and The Kraken's Prize shows how masterfully it can be done. Seb never infantalizes her, but provides support and care, understanding that she is perfectly capable of knowing her needs and wants.
Of course there is some lovely tension between Ava and Seb, let's just say he has tentacles and knows how to use them! There's something about reading fated mates that is always so comforting, maybe the fact the person is going to stand by you no matter what. There's a reason I always save monster romance for when I'm feeling particularly down, they just always cheer me up and are so fun to read.
Perfect for fans of tentacles, monster romance, or just good books in general, I definitely recommend this book! I am so excited that with each book that comes out they keep getting better and better, I can't wait to read what Luna Joya writes next.
Thank you to the author for this ARC

[Kate Presley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story follows Ava, a college student with a traumatic brain injury and overbearingly protective family as she enters a haunted house with her friends.
She snoops about instead of signing her waiver and finds her familiar Cy, but also finds herself stolen through a portal into a world of water and magical creatures she never thought existed.
Saved from the brainwashed merman who stole her, Ava finds herself among the pirates of the Maurauder, a ghost ship with a grumpy kraken named Seb for a captain.
Only Seb turns out to be her fated mate, and the kidnapper? A trident realm prince who believes she belongs to him.
What's more, it turns out that Ava's mother is the same sea witch who cursed Seb and his crew decades before.
Will the turmoil, secrets, and danger be too much for the fated pair, or will they find solace in each other?

There weren't as many spice scenes in this one. I think really only one/two that I can recall. I also found myself skimming at some points bc I felt I was getting too much information that I didn't think was relevant to the story or outcome. I understand that side characters have their quirks and draws, but there were points where I found myself bored by the dialouge with so many characters to keep up with. I wanted more from the couple, and less from the strategy meetings. It also felt a bit rushed to me and that there wasn't a true connection built between the two. There was so little actual getting to know each other. If there isn't connection and relationship building at least give me lots of tentacle sexy times. -___-

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was the sequel to one I found on TikTok, and is the second in a 4 part series. It focuses on Ava and Seb, a "human" who turns out to be a witch and the kraken shifter Ava's mother has cursed.

In general, it was okay, but not as good as the first one. Like the first one, the couple work together to save their kingdom from an external foe, while engaging in tropes like fated mates, sex contract, etc.

Two things about this book I loved: The kraken shifter parts. Give me all the tentacle smut. I'm here for it. I love that he could shift to a form larger than the entire pirate ship. And I loved that Ava had a traumatic brain injury and it was definitely part of her arc, and the other characters in the book supported her and made it work. Yay!

Two things I didn't like: The first might just be me, but part of Ava's "condition" aka having her magic bound, is that we're told she eats constantly and can't put on weight. Yet, we only really see her eat twice, she only eats junk food, and yet Seb gushes about her soft body and curves. Which is it? The other thing, and this is a FAR BIGGER ISSUE for me...This book was a SLOW BURN. I mean, what the flippity fuck? It's fated mates, yet there was hardly any happy happy fun times until after the 50% mark, and even then, we never saw tentacle to clitoris. SUCH a waste, if you ask me.

The fourth book in the series comes out in a few months. If I remember, I might read the third and fourth books, but probably not.

[Tiffany H · Rating 5 out of 5]

In part two of the Matchmaker Monster Romance, we're introduced to Ava, a rule-follower who also has a traumatic brain injury. Because of the tbi, she's sheltered by her parents to the point that she feels like she's suffocating. All she wants in life is to travel and experience adventure. When she finds herself dumped and fired on the same day, all she wants is some fun with her friends. Who knew she would also add 'kidnapped' to that list.
Zeb is a kraken pirate captain desperate to save his crew, but that means he has to hunt down the sea witch that cursed them. When he discovers an enemy spy in his territory trying to run away with something, the kraken scoops in to steal the prize. Once he touches her, his body refuses to allow the little witch to escape. Is she fully human? Because she reminds him an awful lot of the sea witch he's been hunting for 40 years.
This story was a great second addition. We get introduced to another world and see how the portals are affecting this side of the haunted house. I also loved how they portrayed Ava's limitations. It reminded me a lot of 50 first dates. She uses planners and reminders to help her navigate her life while not letting it hold her back. I can't wait for the next story.

[BlaireReadsTheThings · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never thought of myself as a monster romance girl, but between Ice Planet Barbarians and, now, Kraken's Prize, I think ... maybe...
Everyone tip-toes around Ava because she can't remember stuff. As in, brain injury memory loss. All she wants is to prove to her friends and family that she can take care of herself well enough to live a life of adventure. To prove herself capable, she accepts a job snooping on a high-class haunted house for a news story. She gets more than she bargains for when a cute little sea otter starts a cascade of events that throws her into a world she could have never imagined AND the arms of a pirate kraken king.
In addition to the romance and intrigue in the book, I love the pacing. I hate books that are wordy for no good reason. Joya keeps the action moving forward without wasting words. I never felt bogged down by descriptions and inner monologues and I blasted through from beginning to end. I may actually go back and read the first book of the series since it looks like this was the second. Well done.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Ava's sense of humor and the traumatic brain injury representation (as well as how she deals with her memory issues). Seb is a little too possessive for me, like to the point where no other guy can even get near Ava (even in a non sexual way), but women touching her are fine for some reason. Idk it just rubs me the wrong way when he's that controlling and has only known her for a literal day. Otherwise though it was a fun read, and I thought the plot was interesting. I would guess the other books in this series are about Val and the demon, Meg and the minotaur and or Rosemarie and the gargoyle, but I don't feel compelled to pick them up.

[Llynnya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted some more monster romance in my life and this gave me what I was craving. If you like monster romance but don't enjoy the really dark angsty tones then this could be for you.

The Kraken's Prize is a portal fantasy romance with yummy monsters and a story I thoroughly enjoyed.

The cover is also wonderful ad defiantly does the story justice.

Now the wait for book 3.


Thank-you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#TheKrakensPrize #NetGalley #MonsterRomance

[Lissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I just found a new favorite author of mine! Once again, I absolutely loved this book. I am not usually one for pirate anything, but Seb and his crew were just so much fun that I had no choice but to love them. And Ava was a great heroine - I really loved that the author used her own experiences with a traumatic brain injury to give the heroine depth.

I CANNOT WAIT for the next book in the series! I love this series so much that I have purchased a hard copy of both books that are available right now. :D

[Blinky's Book Nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

✧eARC Read for an Honest Review✧

I've only read a handful of Monster Romance novels, but this one has taken the cake and then licked my fingers clean!

I enjoyed how the story flowed and all the lil twists and turns it took.

I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more of Luna's work.

Thank you to Netgalley and Luna Joya for the opportunity to read this ARC

[Letty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read book 1 in the series I couldn't wait to get my hands on book 2. Two words: Kraken pirate! Lots of magic, strong sea witch/mermaid heroine, pirates, sea monsters, cutest pets and sexy times. Luna does a great job representing TBI in the heroine. Love the way the story is going and the little cameos from 2 of the friends.

[Blissful Choas🌪️💜⚡️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captain Kraken🔥🔥🔥

Let me put it like this I finished this book I 3 hours. I absolutely love when Villains spin off get there Happy ever after and also will burn the world down for there mates. Aghhhh smut- the flirting the back and fourth banter . I fell in love with Zeb and his mate and his crew!!! Fun read would recommend to anyone

[Leigh Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swashbuckling Fun and Spice

This book was more complete than the first, improving on plotting and pacing. I love the villainous MMC and his ‘take-what-I-want’ attitude with our FMC. Her backstory and adventure were fantastic. She was spirited and the perfect match for Seb. I loved watching their relationship develop.

[Rosa Maria Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It

It was magical story that captures your attention from beginning to end? It has everything you want in a relationship with plenty of action, drama, magic, monsters, humor, love and sexy scences that are hot but not over the top with awseome characters. You won't be disappointed in reading this book and definitely a must buy.

[Bertha Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully hot and romantic love story.
But I loved more the little familiar monsters, Oggie is beautiful and Cy is so valiant and protective!
My recommendation? Read and enjoy this series if you like your Romances sweet and hot.
Chaing reading the third one in this series. Thanks a lot, Luna!
CU later!

[Gail Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh I do love me a Kraken! But a Kraken pirate? Oh lord, blow me over with a feather! Love this book so much. The portrayal of Ava was beautiful, I will not give any spoilers here, just read the book.
Another epic instalment in the monster seres. Loved it 🥰

[Lorena O'Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

This was an enjoyable read overall. I look forward to the following books on her friends. I also wouldn't mind seeing books on the rest of the crew and a book on Bertie and Aberdine and maybe one for her parents.

[Fawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

sweet

Unleash the kraken pirate on a journey of discovery, finding his mate, and breaking a long placed curse. Kraken’s prize is a fun, fast paced story that brings parts of the first story, with a follow through, and gives major hints to the next. Overall a fun read to be had.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

tentacle love

Well I can honestly say I never thought I’d enjoy a story about tentacle love but their vibe was cute and the story had intrigue on the high seas. I’m looking forward to book 3 which is gargoyles, one of my favorites !

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Piratey fun and steam

A little bit Pirates of the Caribbean, a little bit Little Mermaid, and a whole lot of steam!

Enjoyable from first word to last

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hit! Luna Joya has written another perfectly monstrous romance. Love it!!!

[Caitlin Denman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good book. Definitely recommend it