Mated to the Clock Maker: A Precious Mates Novella

by Jenn Howlett

In the city of Cindermere, where monsters walk amongst mortals, Gargoyle Kavorr Harcroft is about to showcase his latest masterpiece - a breathtakingly beautiful grandfather clock. But when Leoni crosses his path, his perfectly crafted world is thrown into chaos.

A mysterious connection draws Kavorr and Leoni together, one that proves to be far more than simple attraction. They soon discover that they are mates, bound together by the threads of fate and destined to be together by the Goddess Fortuna herself.

Mated to the Clock Maker is a 13k Quick Read Novella

Genres: Romance, Monster Romance, Paranormal Romance, Novella, Monsters

58 pages, Paperback

Published June 18, 2023

About the author

Hiii~
My name is Jenn and I write books about Monsters and their partners.
Mostly orcs, but I'm trying to branch out and write about other creatures.
My stories tend to be on the fluffy side, but there are a few outliers!
Hopefully, you'll enjoy one of my book boyfriends as much as I do.

Reviews

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers

Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
% where main characters are first on page together: 29%
Cliffhanger: No, not really, though I think it could have ended more solidly (or given an epilogue)
Epilogue: No
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy in e-book form

(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from A Love Less Ordinary )


Should I read in order?
This is either stand alone or start of a series? Either way it’s fine to grab alone.

Basic plot:
The Goddess Fortuna watches over Cindermere, binding souls by matching monsters with their mates using unique stones.

Give this a try if you want:
- Monster romance
- a world of fae, gargoyle, vampire, humans
- gargoyle / human (? I think) pairing
- fated mates
- shorter story
- medium steam – 2 full scenes in a shorter page count

First line:
”There she is,” the elderly fae gentleman announced to the room, his voice oozing with cocky approval.

My thoughts:
This one is a pretty fun and quick read. And my first gargoyle hero, though I definitely have more on my to try list ;)

Kavorr is a clock maker and is known for his skill in the craft. What he truly wants, though, is to find his mate.

Leoni is trying to make a living in Cindermere after finding out her boyfriend had lived a dual life with a wife and children already. She gets a job as a maid for a party and is stunned by her first meeting with Kavorr.

So, I liked a lot about this one – I love fated mates and monster pairings. I loved that the party was Regency themed as I’m such a historical reader. Though when some random forms of the outside world came in like cell phones and cars I was like nooooo haha. I enjoyed the steam.

I do think this one was a touch slow in the beginning. And I’m fine with that – but we were left with a bit of an abrupt ending and some questions unanswered (like Kavorr’s curse – is it over? Or will it ever end?) And I wanted a bit of a more solid HEA for the couple.

Overall though an extremely pleasant way to pass an afternoon!

Cock/Hero Stats:

- hero is a gargoyle with long, sweeping horns, large wings, and claws
- he has wavy white hair (shoulder blade length) and a tail
- he suffers from a stone-flesh curse
- when a monster comes of age, they choose a stone and carve their signature into it. Goddess Fortuna finds the one whose frequency vibrates along the same thread of fate as they do and they are faded mates. They present the stone as a mating proposal.
- hero is cool like marble


Content warnings:

- brief mention of cocaine usage at prior parties by guests


Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

Safe sex? No but both are consenting
60% - kisses, oral for her
78% - hero masturbation with self tail play (interrupted)
83% - her on top, doggy style again with hero self pleasure tail play

[Miranda Sapphire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delicious, really hit the spot as a nice lil treat to keep me going through my cardio lol. Great world building for such a short piece and I thought the characters were interesting and well done even with the brevity. Also the tail play??? 🥵

Also, something I always enjoy about Jenn Howlett's prose in particular is how *crisp* it is and this one is no exception.

[Alien Peen Fiend · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had such an interesting story and take on gargoyles and was a quick and fun read! I loved both MCs they were both adorable, and the steamy scenes were 🤌🏻🥵. The gargoyle MC basically gives our FMC a pebble like a penguin and I melted on the floor. I typically don’t read insta lust/love, and like the MCs to know each other a bit more before doing the deed, but even with my personal preference I really enjoyed the story. I will also insert my humble request for a bonus epilogue- I want more of these two🤣🥹. If you don’t care so much about the two knowing each other or interacting much before they get down to the deed, and enjoy more of a build up to their meeting, with just a sweet as heck, spicy, and quick monster romance story and a side of insta love/lust, then this is absolutely for you!

[Kayden Cock · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC read review:

At first I hadn't realised this was a Novella so I was sad when I finished it so quickly. There were some great jokes (about a painting) that made me smile and laugh so much. The romance was so sweet and spicy. There is a great scene where the Clock Maker goes into the bathroom... I'll leave it at that (by far the best bit of comedy for me). The tail... oh god the tail..... I was not prepared for it and have never read something quite so beautiful and different. Jenn did an excellent job exploring new characters away from their usual expertise and it was a blessing on us all that she did otherwise we wouldn't have had that tail scene.

[kymagirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gargoyle clock maker extraordinaire Lord Kavorr (H) completes a grandfather clock unlike no other, his life’s work, and shares his creation at a social gathering in his mansion. After the event is over, Kavorr experiences sensations like he never has before when he spies a newly hired cleaning woman, Leoni (H). He realizes who she is to him, hands her his specially carved azurite mating stone and turns into his frozen form as the sun rises. Leoni finds herself drawn to him and awaits sundown to meet her supposedly fated mate. Ultra-hot and steamy gargoyle-human fated mates quickie.

[Tzippy Sheffi Elgar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet and steamy read. I loved the attraction between Kovaar, the gargoyle clock maker, who is aching for a mate and someone to love and Leoni, who is disappointed in love and works in cleaning in his house. I wish there was more of Kovarr and Leoni's story and look foreward to more work from the author.

I received an ARC from the author and voluntarily write a review

[Marian Pattechat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This steamy novella had me rooting for the main characters from the very beginning. I was immersed in the book's world in no time too, so things didn't feel rushed like they usually are in a short read. Loved it!

[Dustyn Brzezinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I got accepted for the ARC for this book I was SOOO excited. Honestly I started novella later than I should have the night I got it, and I had to make myself stop reading it and go to bed so that I wouldn't be tired and grump when my toddler woke me up the next morning. 😅 I loved it so much and didn't want it to end. The love that Kavorr shows from the very beginning is just swoon worthy. I didn't want it to end I loved them both so much. Did I mention he's a Gargoyle?! 🥵🥵 A fave monster of mine😍 and Leoni was just 🫠🫠 I loved her so much from the moment you meet her in the book. Her personality is so sweet and kind. I'm definitely going to be rereading this.

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick read where Kavorr and Leoni meet in an insta-love/mate story. Kavorr is hoping to find his mate and true love and Leoni wants love too. Its a good thing they find each other in a rather funny way. A quick yet steamy story that I enjoyed.

[Sarah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short novella that gives you enough of a glimpse into the characters world to get you intrigued.

So we have our master clock maker Kavorr hoisting a party to celebrate the completion of his magnificent clock, one he has worked on for years it seems. Now this clock maker just happens to be a gargoyle that turns to stone throughout the day. Seems all types of people and creatures are at this party but not the one he longs for, his fated mate. The only one he will wait a lifetime for. He won't need to wait that long after his heart stone starts to pulse.

Leoni is hired as part of a cleaning crew and gets a bit more than she bargained for when she feels a pull towards Kavorr. Timing isn't on their side as he turns to stone before being able to talk to her, though he does leave a lasting impression from how he has turned to stone.

They may be destined to be together but can a human and a gargoyle truly be matched so quickly. He believes in the heart stones fate but she doesn't have anything telling her she's his. Body might be willing (kinky times ahead) but how quickly can you trust and give your heart.

Short read that sets the world up nicely. I would have liked it to be a bit longer and have more character interaction before things got heated but enjoyed it all the same.

I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.

[Briana Bailon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️/ 3🌶️

A quick, short, fast novella in which Kavorr finally found his fated mate, Leoni. Another monster romance, this one centered on a gargoyle who was a specialist in making a variety of different clocks a.k.a. A clockmaker. Kavorr had always hoped for the day he would find his fated mate, and lo and behold, he found his mate after a grand party at his house.

This wasn’t too plot heavy considering it was a novella. Straight to the point, both Leoni and Kavorr instantly attracted to one another partly due to their mate bond recognizing one another, and getting together quickly. Kind of sweet, bit spicy, and showed Leoni and Kavorr enjoying being with one another as they found happiness and love together.

Don’t really know what else to say, other than it was a quick read and showed a fast romance that happened. Can’t really say I felt any connection for the characters since it was a novella therefore not much to connect with since the novella was fast paced which wasn’t bad by any means. If you’re in the mood for a quick monster romance then maybe you’d like this, but I wasn’t necessarily crazy about it, just fine.

[Mc Chanster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romantic and steamy read!

Kavorr Harcroft just wants to find his Precious Mate, the person he is meant to love and cherish from the depths of him. Leoni wants the same thing after discovering the man she cared for has a whole other life separate from her. He is a gargoyle, and she a human. Their meeting was by chance, but with Goddess Fortuna and a mating stone, their fates quickly turn in their favor.

Short, sweet and remarkably hot, Mated to the Clock Maker is the first peek into the world of Cindermere and I am very much looking forward to more!

Thank you Voracious Readers and Jenn Howlett for my copy! I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All above thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Lilith Leana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoued Mated to the Clockmaker as it is a short, and sweet novella. I enjoyed that Jenn gave us an MMC that had some unconventional preferences in bed. There is some delicious tail play involved by the Gargoyle on himself that is very unique! I can't say I have read that before, but I will say that I loved it.

This is a short novellas so don't expect to much backstory or characters getting to know each other before they dive in to bed, not that I mind lol

[Sadrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this is fun. This gargoyle romance novella sounds like it’s set in historical times but is actually set in modern times which I think made it even more fascinating. There’s also chemistry between the MCs despite it being essentially a fated mates trope with instalove. I liked how there’s mutual consent between both of them, unlike some fated mates romance that think they were automatically entitled to their fated partners.

[Rach3l · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novella. It had a lot happening in a very short amount of time. I feel like there is so much more to their story since this only spans about a day or so. It makes me curious if you will see more of these characters in the future books in the series.

Side note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review

[Racheal · Rating 1 out of 5]

While this novella started out really strong, it started to fall short and suffer once the romance came along. It went from old fashioned, historical vibes to current day romance vibes, which was conflicting and didn't make sense. Overall, this book could have used a little more attention to work out the kinks.

[Kayla P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short and sweet, everything goes perfectly and they love each other before they even know each others names! The language used is pretty odd like they’re trying to come off really smart, and for a 60 page novella I don’t think we needed that much of a description of a clock. The spice was fine but when I read a monster book I want it to be monstrous, this was fairly normal

[Danni Neeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

🚨Novella Review🚨
⭐⭐⭐💫
🌶️

🧹Novella
🧹Fated Mates
🧹Gargoyles/Fae

I liked this novella. I just wish there was a little more to it. I loved the characters Leoni and Lord Harcroft. It was a good quick read between some longer books I have been reading.

[Rayne Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kavorr Harcroft is a delightfully sexy gargoyle who I loved from the moment he appeared on the page. Despite the people around him he is a good guy, if a little lonely.
I loved this story. It was a quick, yet steamy and enjoyable read.

[Amber K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked and thought this was an interesting glimpse into this world! Kavorr and Leoni were such a good match with amazing chemistry. Very short novella, and I was sad that we didn't get to know more about the curse and clock!

[D.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and hot!
Read it if you want something quick and very spicy and don't want to waste any time getting to the good bits!

I really love Jenn's writing. It's so beautiful. The way she describes... well, everything... always leaves me a little jealous.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute but unremarkable

Insta love, zero plot, despite some decent world-building setup. Tad spicy. Hits the basic tropes of gargoyle romance. Interesting blurring of period setting.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, sexy read about a clockmaker finding his fated mate and a woman finding the love and attention she deserves.

[Bon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up at Stuff your Kindle day because I follow Jenn on IG and I looove gargoyle romance. Short, sweet, and to the point, this was very good.

[Miss Monroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short little novella that had me intrigued. Fated mates based on the Goddess and your personal precious stones. If only life were that easy huh?
I would have enjoyed having a little bit more of the story/plot and will be reading the next installment but for the novella that it is it had me engaged the entire time and was well thought out.

[Anna Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely recommend

This was a really good quick read. I didn't want it to end. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

[Maaren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and sexy read about a clockmaker gargoyle and his fated mate. If I’m honest, it was so quick that I sort of forgot what was happening but I did like the writing style.

[Sarah Hills · Rating 4 out of 5]

A niche novella, short and sweet.
A gargoyles looking for his fated mate. I've not read any books containing gargoyles before so this was a first.
It's erotic with a fair amount of sex especially for the length of the book.
Well written thought. Again as it's a novella we don't get much of an insight to the characters but that doesn't detract from the story.
This is an adults only book but an enjoyable quick read.
This book was given to me by voracious readers only for an honest review.