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Monster Mate Mayhem #5

Djinn and Bare It

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A housewarming gift unleashes a djinn… but I think he’s defective.

To be honest, a big part of why I moved to a remote island was to escape my overbearing mother. She wants me to get married, settle down, and pop out some grand-trophies. I’m not opposed to the idea, but every time I swipe right, I seem to end up dating hot messes or suspiciously perfect guys. No thanks. I want a normal guy who loves to snuggle and binge watch TV until we fall asleep in each other’s arms. A guy who will make me happy. Is that too much to ask?

I hadn’t even finished unpacking before my mom’s housewarming gift was tossed onto my porch—an antique lamp. While checking for damage, I rubbed the lamp, and you’d never guess what came out. Although, the title kind of gives it away, so darn it, you already know what popped out.

It turns out, being shaken around like rice inside a maraca during shipping isn’t great for a djinn’s memory; he is only able to remember bits and pieces of his past. Not to mention that every time he uses magic to help me, I end up with another mess to clean up.

Still, there is no denying I’m attracted to him. I just need to keep my mom from meeting him, so she doesn’t start hearing wedding bells...

Monster Mate Mayhem is a series of eight standalone monster romances, each featuring a different monster and their journey to find love amidst the chaos of their lives.

178 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 14, 2024

115 people are currently reading
133 people want to read

About the author

Darci R. Acula

11 books51 followers
Darci R. Acula is Sedona Ashe's not-so-secret pen name. Sedona's books tend to focus on Reverse Harem relationships, while Darci's books feature only MF relationships.

Darci (aka Sedona) doesn’t reserve her sarcasm for her books; her poor husband can tell you that her wit, humor, and snarky attitude are just part of her daily life. While she loves writing paranormal shifter reverse harem novels, she’s a sucker for true love, twisted situations, and wacky humor.

Darci lives in a small town at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. She and her husband share their home with their three children, adorable pup, five cats, pet arctic fox, chickens, and over a hundred other reptiles. When she isn’t working, she enjoys getting away from the computer to hike, free dive, travel, study languages, and capture images of places and animals through her photography. Darci has a crazy goal of writing a million words in a year, and spending six months exploring Indonesia.

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5 stars
139 (40%)
4 stars
126 (36%)
3 stars
65 (18%)
2 stars
12 (3%)
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5 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
Profile Image for ꧁ᙏᗣᙃⱿꙆᗣ꧂.
1,215 reviews
January 4, 2026
Monster Mate Mayhem (7 books)
✅Hot Wolf in the City: A Monster Romance by Honey Phillpis -February 28, 2024 - 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
✅A Gargoyle Gripe : A Monster Romance by Sabrina Cassidy - March 30, 2024 - 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
✅Swamp Thing (You Make My Heart Sing): A Monster Romance by Ava Ross (April 30, 2024)
❌A Fretty Yeti: A Monster Romance by Ivy Tempest (May 14, 2024)❌ This short novella is included in Snow, Lights, & Monster Nights: A Monster Anthology by multiple authors
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
✅Mounting the Minotaur: A Monster Romance by Jade Waltz (June 07, 2024) - 3 ⭐⭐⭐
✅Djinn and Bare It : A Monster Romance by Darci R. Acula and Sedona Ashe (June 14, 2024) - 4 👩🦰💕🧞♂ 👱♀💞🧞♂
Both stories are lovely, but I liked the first one about Geneviev and Roam more than the second one, about the meeting of Jennie and Javat.
❌Trolling For Love: A Monster Romance by Nessie Sreil (July 15, 2024) - I THINK IT WAS NEVER MADE !?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
❌Hot Wolf in the Country: A Cozy Monster Romance (January 1st 2026) -
588 reviews
June 15, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up! I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC for this book and I’m so glad I got to read it. It’s just warm and cozy and feel-good. There are actually two stories in this. The first which is 80% of the book or so is about Genevieve “Genie” a human who moved to monster island and was gifted a djinn lamp by her mother. She and Roam have a special connection where he can hear her thoughts. He’s just shocked that she won’t make any wishes of him and is concerned for his happiness. But she also tries not to fall for him due to personal history. It was REALLY effective *heavy sarcasm*. Anyway this was just a lovely story about finding a partner who accepts and loves you for you.

Similarly, the second story features Jennie, a lonely human who wishes for a perfect Valentine’s Day and Javal the Abominable, the djinn who’s bitter and wants humans to leave him alone. She treats him like a person which confuses him and so he takes steps to stay with her. Eventually they fall for each other and then she offers to free him which he accepts. This story was a bit more brisk. I didn’t find the characters had as much chemistry.
Profile Image for PleaseGoAwayImReading.
443 reviews26 followers
July 13, 2024
This was so much fun!!

So this is more like a 2 for 1 deal. The book has two tales of ladies finding love with their respective genies. The first spotlight Genevieve and Roam, and the second has Jennie and Javal.

Both stories are cute and enjoyable. I love the fish out of water element when the genies take an expression too literally or have no idea what’s being talked about.

If you like quick, easy reads with cute characters, insta love/ attraction, fun banter, and a happy ending with a touch of spice then you will love this! So good!
Profile Image for sycokittykat - Stefanie.
1,132 reviews35 followers
June 14, 2024
One woman who specializes in falling fast meets one slightly damaged but oh so dreamy Djinn

Genevieve has terrible luck in the relationship department. She falls hard and fast and then everything ends in disaster. She finally gets tired of having to piece herself back together and decided to move to an island of the paranormal where she has found her dream job and a lovely home.

On move in day she watched as the movers unload her things and suddenly she sees a delivery truck pull up. The driver does not however get out and bring the package to her door. Nope the driver leans out and throws the package onto the lawn and as Genie goes to get it she sees the fragile stickers and figures it will be broken. Inside Genie finds herself a little antique lamp with a dent in it but it doesn't appear to be completely ruined.

The Djinn finds himself missing some memories and not even sure who he actually is though he does know what he is. Suddenly he starts to hear someone whom he is extremely interested in seeing and getting to know. When the beauty finally releases him from his lamp he is completely struck by her. She is different and while he doesn't really remember much right now he knows he has never met anyone like her before. He finds himself wanting for the first time. What shocks him the most is that this intriguing woman refuses to use any wishes.

While this appears to be a sweet instant love story you would be mistaken. It is filled with deceit, treachery and lust. The twists and turns in something so short are fantastic and leave you wondering just what will happen next. Are Genie and her Djinn going to figure out what is going on in time or will someone have a plan to burst their bubble for good? Will Genie finally find what she has always wanted or will it just be more of the same?
Profile Image for Jjs_booknook.
149 reviews
June 15, 2024
This book was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. If you’ve ever had a spicy dream about genie from Alanna this is the book for you. This book is split into 2 short stories but each one is filled with of such sweetness and humor that I was kicking my feet giggling the whole time reading.

The first of the short story’s features Genevieve or Genie. She just moved to a monster town and is such a hopeless romantic but after having her heartbroken one to many times has sworn off men. After accidentally rubbing a lamp she meets Roam, a djinn who is determined to change her mind about love and be her one and only.
The second story features Jeanie who again a hopeless romantic has had to many bad dates and her only wish is for the perfect Valentine’s Day. Making this wish while rubbing a jade vase cause the djinn Javot the abominable to awaken. Having many years dealing with people who only want him for wishes, he is a bit weary of Jeanie but quickly changes his mind when all she wants is to get to know him. Spending the perfect valentines together, loves grows but can Jeanie keep Javot?

Such a fun quick read with way too many (hilarious) djinn jokes you will not regret picking up to read!
Profile Image for Ines.
1,339 reviews46 followers
June 14, 2024
* 4.5 stars

"Djinn and Bare It" was absolute Monster Mate Mayhem... I'm already familiar with the writing style of this author through one of her other pen names, but I have to admit she even went a step further with the storyline this time. The humor, the spice, the twists, ... All of it was just a tad bit more than what I'm used to, or maybe I should say she went for it a little faster. This author has a knack for picking out paranormal species, and paint the downsides to their characteristics in a fun and bittersweet way. As a result, our Djinn is easy to fall in love with.

Even though this book is short, it wasn't that hard to fall in love with Roam and Genie from the start, and start rooting for their HEA. I'm not always a fan of instalove, but this was a fun and loving standalone, and the perfect book to read as a quick palate cleanser. There is even a nice surprise at the end of this book that I'm not going to spoil for you!

If you're looking for something fun and short that will put a smile on your face, I can definitely recommend this book!
Profile Image for Sonya.
1,322 reviews56 followers
June 15, 2024
2 stories of finding love in the least likeliest of places. The first story focuses on Genevieve who is a hopeless romantic but unlucky in love. When her mother's gifts her a housewarming gift that turns out to be a gift that keeps on giving; Genevieve's love life takes an unexpected turn.

The second story is centered around Jennie who just want to experience the perfect Valentine's Day with the right man. Little did she know that the answer to her dream would be found in a little jade antique box.

Both Genevieve and Jennie felt that true love was out of reach for them. Men have disappointed them time and time again until the day they found everything they every desire all from a Djinn who sole purpose was to please.

You want a quick read that showcases 2 different stories look no further. Genevieve and Roam will definitely heat up the pages while Jennie and Jovat will keep you smiling and saying aww.
Profile Image for Chai.
56 reviews
June 21, 2024
This is such a cozy read!

Two stories in one book. These are insta-love fast burn stories and there were only a few books I’ve read with insta-love that I liked and this made it to that list!
I’m glad I picked this up. I’ll be honest I was putting reading this aside because I saw it was short (finished it in two hrs) And there were only a number of short reads that satisfied me as I found them lacking of some sort. But I saw the ARC for this and decided to give it a try. Glad I did!

The Djinn’s and characters are lovable! And their personality. I also like the side character Flo 😅
Lovin the wittiness and their lines.
And would you believe there’s spice? Yep. Left me wanting more 🌶️

In conclusion, this is a great read if you want or looking for something quick and light! Highly recommend!


Spice rating: 2/5 🌶️

ARC read. Honest review left voluntarily
Profile Image for Laurel.
477 reviews3 followers
June 20, 2024
I wish for a Djinn!

Get ready for some great laughs, great story, and some of our wishes to read come true! I devoured this book in one day, and there is a bonus book at the end. Loved this quick and fun read. This is perfect if you need a laugh and pick me up on love at first sight.
This is told from a multi POV of the fmc and the mc, which made getting to fall in love with them so much more. You got almost all the concepts from each of their perspectives which made for such an enjoyable read. The only down side is the book seemed to end really fast after such a huge twist. However, the mini novella at the end that tied into the book was a really nice touch and made up for it in a way.
450 reviews15 followers
June 27, 2024
This was a fun story to read. Genevieve is a human who has moved to Monster Island and has given up on love. When she gets a housewarming present from her mother, her life completely changes. Roam is a djinn and is released by Genevieve. He shows his appreciation in so many fun ways.

This cute story is full of banter and humor. It also has a side of spice. It was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon. There is also another short story attached with another djinn and his lucky human.
Profile Image for Booksfordays40.
292 reviews4 followers
June 28, 2024
I always find these reads cute and palette cleansers. One can read them in pretty much one sitting. I haven’t read too many with a Djinn in them- a bit different than a genie, so that was interesting to read. A cute and steamy read. Our FMC, Genie (really…heh…) stumbles upon an old lamp and unknowingly unleashes Roam, a djinn. Roam is immediately smitten, and together through some pretty action packed trials, find their happily ever after. Monsters exist in this world, and Genie is specifically going to work for a monster marketing firm. All in all, a cute read to pick up!
Profile Image for Megan.
161 reviews3 followers
June 28, 2024
Overall Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5

I absolutely loved this book! I’ve been reading more monster type romance and this book was just perfect! I just loved how the story progressed between Genie and Roam! It was a little fast in the love department but when you know you know.

Spicy Rating
🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of 5

Love that he could manipulate his body to please her 🥵 I think that’s the first time I’ve read something like that and it was fantastic! The chemistry between these too was off the charts!


I can’t wait to read more from this author! ❤️❤️❤️
Profile Image for Ashleigh Carter.
787 reviews9 followers
June 14, 2024
Darci is an absolutely hysterical writer. I have read two by this author (under two pen names), and each time they’re full of laugh out loud banter, jokes, and similes. To start, our MMC is a Djinn who, because it’s been awhile since he’s been in the world, takes things quite literally. Euphemisms are completely over his head, a la Drax. But beyond that is a super sweet, fast love story. And, as a bonus, a short story romance behind this one. That was a great surprise!
82 reviews1 follower
June 14, 2024
It starts off with Genevieve moving and of course checking out the hot movers. She gets a package that’s kicked into her yard thinking it’s an odd present from her mom she gets an interesting surprise instead! She messes with the lamp and ends up getting a Dijinn (don’t call him a genie), who takes everything literal and doesn’t understand euphemisms. You get a funny little love story that captures you in for an interesting ride
Profile Image for Between The Sheets Books.
170 reviews3 followers
June 14, 2024
So I enjoyed this one more than I have anticipated. What can I say? Right book, right time? Or just a mood reader response, who knows.

I would classify this as a quick monster rom-com. It’s short and sweet (but didn’t lack spice) and had me giggling. I needed something light after my last few books and this hit the spot perfectly.

If you’re in the need for you are looking for something similar I highly recommend checking this one out!
Profile Image for Donna.
2,118 reviews29 followers
June 21, 2024
Genevieve Moved to escape more heartbreak and swore off all men. She is given an unusual gift by her mother but it arrived with possible damage. The box contained a lamp hat contained a Djinn. Genie was ogling the delivery guys but once she met Roam it was all about the big purple guy. Unfortunately the movers and her new neighbour wanted Roam for themselves. The culprits paid a high price but Roam and Genie get a long and connected life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1,156 reviews2 followers
June 23, 2024
This is a wonderful story. I love the world that the author has created. The characters are so loveable and heart connectable. The plot was a very interesting one. I really enjoyed the character development. Watching the characters grace and change was beautiful. I have to admit I cried. Laughing I can kinda expect from books but I don’t cry easy. This is a wonderful book and I can’t wait Tod see more from this author.
Profile Image for Kaitlyn Raasveld.
273 reviews2 followers
June 29, 2024
Another successful book down! I love the monster mates series. They’re always os unique and intriguing and of course bring the spicy goodness into the light. This definitely is not the type of book you read in public. I loved the theme and djinns are awesome to me so this was a particularly good book. I like that they have struggles but still come together in the end and everything ends happily. Love love love.
Profile Image for Michelle.
1,619 reviews3 followers
January 31, 2025
DNF 18%
Didn't care for Genevieve, she came off as a very wishy-washy character. Touch him, don't touch, feel guilty but yet not. On one page she thinks she needs to keep the walls around her heart up. Then on the very next page says she's falling faster than I'd ever fallen before. Also I found the use the ! to be excessive. Also the names for the postal delivery service and a social media site felt lazy.
854 reviews4 followers
June 13, 2024
Too cute! Genevieve just started a new job on an island. She did not know anyone and on moving day her mom sent her a present. This present was a lamp. Genevieve opened the box while the movers were still moving furniture and boxes into her new home. Genevieve rubbed the lamp, once the movers were gone and out came a djinn named Roam. Must read for the rest.
Profile Image for Kristin Fricke.
8 reviews1 follower
June 13, 2024
This was truly a 5 star read. I was hooked within the first few pages and could not put it down. The banter between all the characters was amazing, and the FMC was so relatable. The twist had me shocked. If you're looking for a fun, quick read that keeps a smile on your face, this is the read for you!!
Profile Image for L KQ.
5,611 reviews21 followers
June 16, 2024
Love for the Djinn

Two djinns's find love with humans and go through some obstacles to get there. The first, main story was about Genevieve and Roam while the second bonus story was about Jeanie and Javal. Well written and a dash of paranormal fun really made these stories fun and exciting to read.

I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily leave this review.
Profile Image for Angelina Drake.
133 reviews
June 16, 2024
This book is amazing! The way poor Roam tries to figure out what she means and gets not even close to the meaning is the best. “Heavy petting” is one of the best examples. You are definitely not gonna regret reading this book. It is funny with some nice steamy parts. Recommend this book to everyone and as with all the rest of her works, you will not be disappointed.
Profile Image for Christina.
145 reviews1 follower
June 17, 2024
Y'all!!! This is the cutest rom/com paranormal romance I've read in a long time. If you love an MMC who is obsessed with the FMC and an FMC who still has a life outside the relationship, this is definitely a great choice for you. This is an easy and fun read that was the perfect pallet cleanser! Loved it ❤️ (arc review)
Profile Image for Megan.
112 reviews16 followers
June 17, 2024
A nice addition to the world. I enjoyed the Djinn in this book and was rooting for him to have his 'I'm a real boy!' moment. The ending came out of nowhere, but the rest was good. I enjoyed her breakdown at the end; it was very moving!

Read if you like a little bit of magic in your spice, monster f@€£ing, and or antiques.
16.7k reviews156 followers
June 20, 2024
She escaped to the island to get away from her interfering mother and things are about to get interesting. She will be given a lamp which she tries to clean and a genie appears. Everything he tries to do,to help her gives her a bigger mess to clean up. Will it ever go right? How will she get on? Follow her to find out
Profile Image for Jane litherland.
4,156 reviews76 followers
June 29, 2024
Brilliant! Fun reading , it’s a really good book , go take a look! I could not put it down . Good writing style. What else would you do with an old lamp but rub it! Only she is Genie / Genevieve and the Djinn is in the defective? Lamp…Witty fun and romantic. I’m leaving my review voluntarily in my own words.
Profile Image for MoonLit Inksights.
80 reviews5 followers
July 10, 2024
Great for a cute, quick read that lifts your spirits with the comedy and guaranteed HEA. It was honestly a nice break from plot heavy, angsty, emotional books. I think it would be great for coming off a book hangover and could be a good palate cleanser. You can reset back to a HEA with some humor and mild spice with characters that are instantly lovable.
Profile Image for Robin Ann.
1,402 reviews3 followers
February 18, 2025
Genies all Around

I enjoyed both stories. This was my first foray into paranormal stories of Djinns and they were a little different. Finding their females that didn't want wishes for themselves and not being selfish was not what I expected. I smiled as they fell in love and achieved their HEA.
277 reviews
July 7, 2025
Unexpected

I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy Djinn and Bare it but it was definitely worth the read. Djinn is definitely a species I hadn't read about before and I enjoyed trying something new.
This was super fast paced but done in a decent way. I didn't feel like I was missing parts of the story, though I did wish the ending was a bit more in depth.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews

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