Shots and Barbs

Deep Earth Dating #2

by Lily Mayne

Nuni

Look, I’m an extremely busy, handsome, charming guy. I am a paragon of physical perfection, I run a wildly successful architecture firm, and I take care of my family. I don’t have time to organise a ten-year anniversary party for my business, so it just makes sense to hire someone else to do the work.

Except as soon as I see my new event planner, Anita Chaudhary, with her dark eyes and no-nonsense attitude and sensible shoes, I decide maybe I should be involved in the process. Just, you know, for the sake of being thorough.

But mainly so I can keep butting heads with her. She’s competitive and cool-headed and infuriatingly competent, all of which I begrudgingly find attractive. And those sensible shoes of hers drive me wild.

But she’s also human. And we all know that humans and demiurgus don’t exactly mix…

Anita

Nuni var Rorik is arrogant, pompous, egotistical, vain, bullheaded… need I go on?

He’s a frat boy in an expensive suit. A know-it-all. A big, muscular demiurgus with perfect hair and flawless skin and a distractingly beautiful face. He rankles me like no one else.

But I can’t stay away from him.

Which is definitely not good. I’m his event planner, and my boss is extremely strict when it comes to… ahem… client relations.

When our barbed words and competitive needling explode into something hotter than it has any right being, my job and reputation are on the line. I can’t stand the thought of being seen as irresponsible or less than the best, but I can’t stop myself when it comes to him.

So we just have to keep it a secret.

Shots and Barbs is a MF monster/human romcom and is the second in the series Deep Earth Dating, which features a range of diverse pairings and is for an adult audience only.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Monsters, Monster Romance, M F Romance, Enemies To Lovers

517 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 5, 2024

About the author

Lily Mayne writes what she loves to read: achingly sweet yet gritty romances against unusual backdrops—dark, futuristic, dystopian and more. She currently lives in the UK with her husband and several fluffballs, who like to make a lot of noise while she’s writing.

Reviews

[buket · Rating 5 out of 5]

in my 5 stars era✨🕯️👼🏼🌝

i didn’t like Nuni when we first met him in the previous book Berries and Greed. he was rude to his brother, had a mean nickname for him and i wasn’t sure if i would like him. but i knew that i could trust Lily Mayne because she gave us the best secret-simp-frat-bro 😜🥰

he was confident, arrogant, cocky…until he met Anita 🤭 he was babbling, asking embarrassing questions like “why didn’t you answered my email”(there was nothing to answer) and he was so delusional when it comes to her😌 his ears would flutter whenever he is around her and ear flutter equals to blushing 😍 he was such a baby girl 🎀🧸🩷

they start having sex early in the book which was hate to sex 😋 and there was a little push and pull until they admit their attraction.

Lily Mayne is really creative on monster anatomy and human-monster compatibility. she shows us that sex isn’t just about penetration and they could do other things (they do get creative 😜) but they also want penetration so Nuni went to his brother Greid to ask questions since he has a human gf.

Greid thinks Nuni doesn’t like him and that he is mean. meanwhile Nuni thinks that Greid hates him and very upset about it even though he doesn’t show it. their confrontation>>>> i was waiting for this moment since the first book and honestly it made me cry🥹 i’m so glad they have a good relationship now🥰

there wasn’t any ow/om drama or third act break up which i’m surprised a little. i was anxiously waiting for a break up because they were secretly dating but it resolved quickly. and then i realized it’s the normal way, since she’s excellent at her job and they didn’t do anything wrong, what could her boss tell them? absolutely nothing 💅🏻 but if you are a 3rd act hater like me, don’t worry and enjoy‼️🫶🏼

“We can get through this. I can… I’m sure the trunk of my car is big enough, but if not, Laki will let us use their truck. They won’t say a word.”
totally random but i love that he was ready to cover up when he thought Anita murdered someone😭🤭

it’s a long book(517pages) but i read it in one sitting. stayed up all night to finish it because it was so good <333

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5 stars*

Ultra-competitive co-workers to lovers romance with non-human/human pairing and giant barbed penises?? Lily Mayne, you just know how to turn my crank.

For those of us (MEEEEE) who are huge fans of Lily Mayne's Monstrous and Folk series, the Deep Earth Dating books are an interesting change of pace. They are lighter, low angst, more humorous reads, and I really enjoy them. Especially since Lily seems to be having so much fun writing them, and though they are less intense, they still manage to bring so many feels.

I liked the dynamic between the two MCs. They are both out to win in all aspects of their lives, and they are always up for a challenge (*wink, wink*). I think that was an interesting switch from the first book in the series: Here, the male MC couldn't have been more different from the passive Greid. In this book, we get some epic one-upmanship sex and some incredible chemistry between Anita and Nuni. I adored it.

I think some of the tension felt a little forced, and I was happy the author didn't throw in some last minute turmoil, but I really loved this book as a whole. Honestly, is there something Lily Mayne can't write??

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[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, I find such enjoyment in the level of creativity in Lily Mayne's monster romances. The Deep Earth Dadting series has some elements I rarely read in this sub-genre. So it always makes for a surprising read.

I liked reading a story that I can't fully guess how the characters will react. I liked how creative the intimate scenes and fun times got between them. I loved the communication and conversations they have as they got closer together.

While I didn't really mesh with Nuni and I found him frustrating a few times, I did like his character arc and some conversations he had with others from a previous book. That was cool!

Anita was a fresh woman to read about. She was a badass and I loved how driven she was. I also, liked her in the bedroom. She was just the right amount of soft Domme for me.

Overall, this was a solid new entry to the series, though the first is still my favorite.

4 stars
4 on the spice scale

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

UNO DE LOS MEJORES LIBROS DEL AÑO PARA MÍ.

OBJETIVAMENTE SERÍA MÁS DE CUATRO ESTRELLAS. SIN EMBARGO, ME HA GUSTADO TANTO QUE LE SUBO A LA QUINTA. USTEDES NO SABEN EL DESARROLLO QUE HE VISTO DE ESTA AUTORA DESDE SOUL EATER. SOY LA PERSONA MÁS FELIZ DEL MUNDO.

AMANDO ESTA SAGA CON TODO MI CORAZÓN.

[Grey Story · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND

When Shots & Barbs was announced, I was excited but also anxious. I loved Berries and Greed SO MUCH that I was afraid anything else wouldn't compare. I also had some other concerns I'll address below but I needn't have been concerned because LILY MAYNE YOU FUCKING DID IT AGAIN YOU MAGICAL WRITING SORCERESS! I trusted in Lily and that was 100% the right decision. This book is FANTASTIC and I LOVED IT.

The premise of these characters written by most authors would have annoyed me too much. Arrogant, a bit conceited, seemingly self-centered and materialistic frat-bro Nuni. Competitive to a fault, driven, and a tad overbearing in the need to exert control Anita. I would have hated it. But Lily? I love it. I'm laughing, I'm having a good time, it's fun to read. How does she do it?

Well first off, some of that characterization is first impressions only and, as we dive into the story, the reader and characters Anita and Nuni realize the other is not all what they first thought. I loved that we get to learn about the characters as they learn about each other and see past some of those wrong assumptions about the other. We learn Nuni is deeply caring, not actually self-centered, and the reasons for why he works so hard and values material wealth. We learn that Anita's need for control stems from anxiety and her perfectionism is tied to a deep-seated concern over being liked or feeling like she's good enough. They realize they have overlap and come to an understanding about each other. They were a seriously good, well-balanced couple.

It's absolutely great and I loved seeing these two grow with each other. Nuni especially has a lot of character growth and we see more of the var Rorik demiurgus family, which I was super pleased with. One of my favorite parts of this book was Nuni working on his relationship with Greid. I laughed, I howled, I cried, I laughed some more, and then just couldn't stop smiling because I was so happy for them both!

Anita and Nuni's relationship has something of a rocky start given they cross a professional boundary and try to, well, not have a relationship at all at first. The development of the relationship felt well-paced with the character growth. Although they're arguably a bit insta-lust given some immediate physical attraction happens and they hook up early on, the romance is kind of a slow burn and I was HERE FOR IT. The whole romance was so sweet and I loved every bit of it. There were so many great details of little things they'd do or feel or think as their feelings for each other grew.

The whole professional boundary issue was also handled really well. I realllllly appreciated that Anita took it seriously and didn't just completely shrug and YOLO it like I've run into with other stories. She was arguably taking it TOO seriously in a way. Although they fumble their way back and forth across the professional boundary, they also set out clear boundaries (e.g., professional stuff while working, non-professional stuff is for when they're not working) and got their work done. They were still professionals and adults about it. I also really admired the way Anita ultimately handled the Big Scary Decision with Corva towards the end.

The spice scenes may not be for everyone but I had a pretty good time. I enjoyed some scenes more than others but that comes down to pure personal preference. I will say that I was happy to see some different exploration going on and I was pleased with how some of them were handled.

When Lily's warnings included mention of some exhibitionism stuff, I was a bit concerned. I have a hard time with most exhibitionism in romance books I've read because it feels like authors often completely forget about consent being a thing - as in CONSENT FROM ALL PARTIES. Consent doesn't disappear because y'all are horny and get off on being in public! From what I can tell, there's really 2 ways to handle it. 1) There is merely an illusion of being in public without actually being public, such as one-way mirror/glass, windows people can't really see in, you can hear or see them but they can't hear/see you, etc. 2) All parties know what's happening and have consented, such as in a club, group, or event organized with that purpose. Thankfully, Lily's scenes are mostly on the side of illusion of public rather than actually public so it was mostly a non-issue.

I could go on and on but I'm trying to not write a dissertation on my love for Lily's writing so I'm going to fall back on the old faithful: bullet points

MORE STUFF I HELLA ENJOYED AND YOU MIGHT, TOO, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:
* Both main characters in their 30s!
* Not one but TWO bisexual women! (Anita and Corva)
* Hustin, Anita's coworker bro
* Svyn, Nuni's masseuse
* Laki, Nuni's extra chill sibling who helps Nuni work through his shit
* Lipa, Nuni's sweet, hard-working personal assistant
* Frogs! Frog facts! FROGFLAME
* Beryl and Greid (still love them!)
* The random woman sitting next to Nuni at the nail salon
* Nuni thinking of almonds as a cheat snack while Anita treats herself to something sweet by adding half of a banana to her kale smoothie
* The random old demiurgus woman on the street overhearing a conversation about hot sex and encouraging Anita to "Go for it, honey!"
* Sorin being encouraged to open a bakery
* Intimate hand-holding (the ultimate, kinkiest of filth)
* The var Rorik family
* The true demiurgus form reveal
* Treadmill competitions
* AND SO MUCH MORE

[Dara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me on Nuni after B&G: What a total douche I hate him how could he be so mean to Greid!

Me on Nuni after a few chapters of S&B: I want to hug him he must be protected and loved and someone needs to tell him he doesn't have to shoulder everything!

So Greid's grown-ass frat boy image-obsessed douche of a brother gets his own romance? I'll admit it, I was wary after how much I'd loved Berries & Greed (one of my top ten reads last year). I shouldn't have been. It took maybe two chapters from his POV to totally win me over. He's such an adorable bundle of confidence (in his work skills, in his taste, in his body) and insecurities over his intense attraction to Anita, which has him awkwardly stumbling over his words and second-guessing himself like a heroine in an early 2000s rom-com. Or a horny little bird who loves frogs...

Anita's just as driven and competitive as Nuni, but rather than drive each other to higher and more stressful limits, they act (mostly) like adults who (mostly) have their shit together and find their way from secret fuckbuddies to True Love with only a few bumps on the road.

This is a much spicier book than the slow burn of B&G. They're irresistibly drawn to each other from the start. That, uh, barb-suppressing sleeve Beryl looked at in B&G? Oh, it gets used.

And if you wanted a scene where Greid and Nuni hash things out about Nuni's bullying behavior? It's there, and I kinda teared up a bit. Must be that hay fever going around.

Overall, just a cozy warm mostly low-conflict romance between two adults who complement each other perfectly. I loved it!

[Shelby | Spicy.booknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

- MF
- Monster Lovin
- Low Angst
- Family Drama/Love
- Spicy

Nuni oh Nuni. You self obsessed, self centered frat boy. How have you become my favorite?? Nuni was such a complex character. On the surface he’s like a Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, minus the murder. Once the story moves forward, you see there is so much more and he is such a beautiful soul and so caring and thoughtful of others.
Nuni hires an event planner to organize a party for his company. Anita is assigned to his event and right off there is a huge attraction and competitiveness between the two that hits fast and hard. You would think that would be a recipe for a bad relationship but the two bring out the best in each other. The romance is just so well done. To be honest though, what stole the show for me was the family story.
I loved Greid in book one. He was so adorable and shy and so sweet. Right away in book one we see how much the family molded his personality. He was picked on, particularly by Nuni. In this book Nuni and Greid come together to deal with their issues and it was beautiful.I wish more male characters I read had this kind of depth.
I may have had some allergy issues during this.
To be fair I had a lot of allergies during this read! I have never ever teared up over a HEA but I did with this one!

[Zoe Ashwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

this made me smile

I smiled my way through this entire book (apart from the part where I had to remove my glasses to dab at my tears). Another grear Mayne book!

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first book better!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎
Character development: 🙂🥰😎
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

The Hero: Nuni - he is a demiurgus, a monster, whose ancestors came from deep under the earth’s crust. They now live alongside humans, though they are bigger, faster and stronger. Nuni owns an architectural firm and is very successful. He is one of Greid’s brothers (from Berries and Greed). Though he doesn’t think much of his stoner brother.

The heroine: Anita - she works for a demiurgus event planner. She is a serious type who always wanted the approval of others and she likes to be in control as a way to keep those feelings away.

The Story: I listened to the audiobook for the first book, Berrie’s and Greed and though there were a few things I didn’t like about it, like the fact that the demiurgus and humans are not sexually compatible, though they do other things and they do get intimate. And despite this, I loved the book so much that I immediately bought this one. I also liked the fact that Anita was of Indian heritage, which is pretty rare in romance. Though it turned out that I didn’t like this one nearly as much as the first book in the series.

I liked the fact that Nuni seemed self-assured, arrogant, and cocky, as he was portrayed in the first book. But we find out that he was a bit insecure inside, especially around Anita. He turned out to be a lovable marshmallow who you couldn’t help but like. He was like his brother Greid in that way that you just couldn’t help yourself. Though I didn’t end up liking Anita all that much and I wasn’t too fond of the narration. Anita was way too stiff and uptight, she also seemed to have a high opinion of herself and I just couldn’t connect to her character.

This audiobook was done in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Rebecca Woods and Michael Lesley. I quite liked both of these narrators in this book. Rebecca woods has a very expressive voice and I found easy to listen to in the first book, but I didn’t like her english accent in this book, she just sounded prissy to me and made Anita all the more unlikable. Michael Leslie has a nice voice that I really liked. He also was great at doing different voices for different characters.

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[Jess (scijessreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I still love this world and family, this one didn’t quite hit the same way that Berries and Greed did. Although it was nice to see the evolution of Nuni. This is one where it felt a little too long for the payoff. Always appreciate a lower-angst story, but this one needed a bit more spark (for me).

[Chloë [at the cottage] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so happy to revisit the Deep Earth Dating world. Lily has a great knack for world-building within her series and she has certainly found the recipe for creating characters that you want to root for.

Pooni Nuni was such an unlikable character in book 1, but the way Lily was able to flesh out his backstory and show his growth throughout this one made him an endearing lead. While I don't know if the juxtaposition between how Nuni handled his anxiety (Mr. highly regimented perfectionist) compared to Greid (softboi stoner) influenced me, I felt that I didn't connect with Nuni as a MMC as much as I did Greid. That's not to say he wasn't enjoyable, because he certainly was, I think that's just a personal preference of mine.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Nuni & Anita, and reading their ever-evolving competitiveness was fun. And the snark was top notch!

I bet he swaggered, as if his enormous dick was throwing him off balance.

Anita is a great FMC - strong-willed, competent, and caring. I also appreciated the IBS rep without it being a defining character trait! The way she was able to balance Nuni, and both finding equal support with one another was really enjoyable - they were a perfect match.

"Nuni, you do know they're not up there specifically worshipping you, right?"

"I know," I shot back defensively. "But it's like...I'm like the demiurgus version of that old Italian statue of a human dude. You know? The ideal or whatever. I'm probably what they're all up there imagining as the ultimate demiurgus specimen."

"This is starting to feel like I need to contact your family for an intervention."

I also really enjoyed getting to spend some more time with with extended var Rorik family, especially seeing the relationship Nuni has with Laki. Very much looking forward to their upcoming book. I'm glad that Nuni & Greid got to air their stuff, though it did seem to wrap up a little too nicely. Also really digging this trend away from 3rd act break-ups - keep it going please!

All in all, a great continuation of the series and can't wait to see where it goes next!

I received a free copy of this book from the author and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Book 1: Berries and Greed - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book 2: Shots and Barbs - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute book! As always; Lily Mayne is an auto-read author for me and I enjoy everything she creates thusfar. I love this world and I love all the siblings so much. Anita and Nuni are a very different couple than Beryl and Greid from the first book. I find it a little harder to connect with them because their mindset and their lives are so different from mine. It was still a very cute story and I loved the bonding chapter between Greid and Nuni where they discussed their past and grew closer to each other.

[Poppy || Monster Lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

The answer to the question “Can Lily Mayne make me love someone I hated in book 1?” is yes.

Nuni was quite the character and I was very concerned I wouldn’t be able to enjoy his book as much as Gried’s. But Anita was such a good match for him and we get to see enough of his sweetness that he covers with his frat boy persona to love him too. Both MCs are neurotic, competitive, and workaholics, but they meet each other where they are because they understand that mindset. The world do deep earth dating is so fun and hilarious and I’m looking forward to the next book!

Spice: 5/5

Triggers: bullying, dad walking out, discussion of poverty, discussion of childhood trauma

[Emms-hiatus(ish) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book as much as I did the first in the series. Fortunately, I really did!

Insta attraction with slow burn romance. Complex and charming main characters. Facing past familial wrong/trauma, and working to make amends. Character development and growth. Fantastic side characters. FMC with “soft top” vibes.

It won’t be for everyone. It’s slow and has that slice of life feel that the first one has. I gobbled it up. 💕

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to do this honestly. I’ve read every book Lily has written and loved them all so incredibly much but this one didn’t hit for me, the characters are the type of people that irk me, I couldn’t connect with them on any level and it really took me forever to push through this book. As someone else said, the end of the book turned around but I already disliked the characters enough it didn’t matter. To be clear I didn’t hate the writing, the writing and story are brilliant but I hated the characters so much.

[Matilda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book honestly took me by surprise with how much I loved it 🤚🏼 I thought Greid and Beryl had my heart in a tight grip, but these two snatched it up in a second. Lily Mayne has the ability to write the most sweetest stories that are filled with the most amazing characters and this book is once again a perfect example of that. Also you cannot help help but love the side characters as much as the main ones and now I will be crying in the corner waiting for Lakis book because I need them so bad 😩

Nuni is such an arrogant frat bro sunshiny character I just couldn’t help but fall in love with his cockiness and the way he balances out anitas personality was so so perfect. He’s a very extra type of personality and very competitive/ over achiever but also so awkward and sweet and it was such a perfect mess and I loved him so much 😭

Anita is just amaaazing and I absolutely loved her as well. She’s really a really hard working woman who doesn’t take shit and is able to take anything Nuni throws at her with ease and they could not be more perfect for each other. I loved how patient she was and how she understood Nuni so well that it made my heart hurt

Nuni and Anita together was a slow burn that was so good and once again Lily writes a slow burn so good that it has me giggling over the smallest things . The tension and the competitiveness between them made me absolutely die and it was something I never knew I needed, but it turned out to be one of my favorite things in this book. Anita and Nuni were both always gaslighting themselfs into thinking that they’re not actually falling in love while just falling over and over every day was just too cute 🙌🏼 At the end of the book I was tearing up over being so happy for them and that is when you know the relationship is hitting hard for you😭

Lily Mayne continues to be my favorite author and this book was once again an amazing book by her

•monster / human
•forced proximity
•workplace
•rivals to friends with benefits to lovers
•secret relationship
•size difference
•competitive mc’s

-arc provided by the author in exchange for an honest review-

[Lella · Rating 5 out of 5]

She’s baaaack. This book is Lily Mayne at her absolute best. The MMC is a frat bro on the surface, an insecure sad boy underneath (the best kind). The FMC is a workaholic who runs herself ragged trying to prove to everyone just how well she’s doing. The banter, the humour, the spicy scenes, all of it was just amazing. I loved this book and can already tell I’ll want to reread.

[Alyssa (hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"... Can you seriously not just spare another half hour to get this sorted? Do you have plans?"
Just going home and hate-masturbating furiously.

At first, I thought Nuni was insufferable. He's confident and arrogant, but as I read more and more, I discovered he's also endearing in his own way. And soon I was smitten with the guy. He's actually very sweet and thoughtful behind his cool guy facade. As for Anita, I liked her as well! She's strong and fierce - the perfect match for Nuni's energy. With every Lily Mayne book, I find that I love how the female characters are portrayed. Which is probably why I don't mind reading MF couples from her!

A reluctant smile tilted my mouth. Wow, var Rorik had no chill. It was kind of cute.

This book ended up being such a fun read! It's cute, it's funny and it's pretty steamy. I couldn't put it down and I was smiling a lot while reading. Nuni was kind of ridiculous and I loved it. I was also a big fan of Greid and Beryl's appearances. I'm glad Nuni took the opportunity to work things out with Greid.

Not that Beryl didn't still scare me a little. But maybe she'd chill now that Greid and I were good.

As always, the world building is *chef's kiss*. I just love this universe! I'm looking forward to the next stories in this series.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nuni’s the type of guy to own a Tesla

[Meredith Mouselovesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The amazing thing about Lily Mayne is her ability to write relatable characters who you absolutely fall in love with and want to find happiness. It is why the Monstrous series is one of my favorites of all time and why I adore Berries and Greed as much as I do. But what is even more amazing, is her ability to write books with characters I don’t relate to in that same deep way, that I likely would not connect with in real life, yet I still absolutely fall in love with them in the books! (For clarities sake, this is in reference to personality characteristics, rather than other aspects-I am NOT advocating for MCs who are all of the same background!)

Anita and Nuni are both competitive, detail oriented, focused, type A people who crave control. They both find a game of covert one up man ship a turn on, even before they realized they were just flirting. They both love the gym, and hate losing. And they can be fairly petty unintentionally…or intentionally. Though that is pretty funny. And while I have been known to be petty from time to time, I am pretty much the opposite of everything else described above. but I love these two just as much as their in universe opposites Beryl and Greed.

In short, Shots and Barbs was fun, it was funny, and it was as sweet as every ‘cheat day’ pastry Nuni can get his claws on. Also it was hot.

Basics
* Relationship: mw human demiurgus
* Setting: AU modern day earth
* POV: dual first person
* Series/Standalone: book 2, Deep Earth Dating; interconnected stand alones; better together!; each book has an HEA for its MCs
* Genre
* Monster romance!
* Tropes/Vibes
* Low Angst
* Competition as foreplay
* Do I want to slap him or kiss him
* Inventive intimacy for monster peen
* I’m sexy and I know it
* No one can know
* I can do anything you can better
* Spice: on page, in detail, explicit intimacy
* Content Warnings included by author.
* Of Note: MMC is very body conscious and food/diet focused; reference to difficult parental relationships-absent parent

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

First 5 star read of 2024! I absolutely loved this book! I really enjoyed book one in this series, but this really nailed it with the things I love in a romance book:

-“I hate your stupid hot face” enemies-ish to lovers
-main characters over 35
-homeboy obsessed and not afraid to show it
-mmc (not so) secretly a huge softie
-fmc who goes after what she wants
-no miscommunication or third act nonsense
-continued fun family dynamics from book 1
-just the tip 🫠
-fun toy usage #iykyk

This is also much less of a slow burn than book one, as there was a lot less world building to set up. But you could definitely still read this book without having read book 1 if you wanted to do so.

Plus this had all the hilarious moments I have come to love and expect from all of Lily’s books…and also still had some 🍑 stuff

*I received an arc of this book. All opinions are my own*

Some fave out of context semi-spoilery & 🌶️ quotes:

“That was all it was, I stubbornly decided. I was just stupidly attracted to her. Her quiet voice and dark eyes and no-nonsense attitude and sensible shoes made me really fucking horny. That’s all it is.”

“I got my first glimpse of his ass and nearly fell to my knees in thanks”

“Want to put the tip inside me?”

“Why don’t you lick it up and feed it to me?”

“Okay, I could do this. I was adventurous. I was Nuni var Rorik, damn it. A cock cage and a strap-on? Pfft, that was nothing. I’d done way kinkier stuff than this before. Like… Okay, I hadn’t.”

“Getting drunk on champagne is the classy productive way to work through it.”

“Legs all the way up to her ass, man.” (This made me CACKLE 🤣🤣🤣)

“I’m only”—“doing this”—“to shut you up.”

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Berries and Greed was my #1 read of last year so I was super excited to dive back into the Deep Earth world with Nuni and Anita’s story.

I love how Lily weaves beautiful stories about folks who truly accept and understand each other, flaws and all. That’s a major theme in both Deep Earth books and I love it.

Nuni’s character was fleshed out so well, and his growth was so well written. I wasn’t ready to like him because of how much of an asshole he was to Greid in book 1, but the journey he takes in Shots and Barbs ended up redeeming him. Anita was my absolute favorite. Level-headed, mature, and just an all out badass who gets shit done. Nuni and Anita complemented each other perfectly through their competitiveness, which was so fun.

Berries and Greed is still my favorite of the two books in the series so far because I resonated with those characters just slightly more, but Shots and Barbs is high up in my all time favorites.

[Kelspar · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5
This was so enjoyable to read. I absolutely loved the first one, and I loved this one as well!

Lily has such a way with characters, I feel like I truly know them by the end of her books, and this was no exception. Anita was great but Nuni definitely stole the show. I can't believe I loved him as much as Greid, but I did. Even tho they are very different men, (and the books have a totally different tone) you can't help but fall in love with them, they are just too sweet and have so much love to give. I hope every sibling, friend and neighbor in this world gets a book because I will read every single one!

[gio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t like Nuni in book one because he was mean to my sweetpie Greid but the author’s note convinced me to give it a try and… yeah, he is a likeable bastard, ugh. He is the funny kind of asshole and so full of himself and I love him for it now.

And Anita was just the best. She and Nuni just complete each other in the best way possible.
Cute cute cute.

I’m so excited for the other siblings books!!

[Honest Mabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

it’s good

A few parts were seriously funny.

The only issue I have is the age group. Just more dudes than someone my age says and I say a lot of dudes. If she dropped their ages a bit it would just make more sense to be but it is still good

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 out of 5 stars 🌟

All vibes, no brains, folks. Plot? Who is she? Flailview incoming!

Wow. Lily did it again. She's written a cis woman that I not only love but want to get on my knees and worship.🧎‍♀️

Anita is a 37 year old bisexual event planner with IBS. She's organized, follows the rules, works out not to lose weight but to help with her IBS, and is a total badass babe.

Nuni is a frat bro with a big ol' head on his shoulders. But with good reason. He's extremely successful and, like, super hot. He's also got a big heart (technically 2) under all that flex.

These two shouldn't work. I mean. They're technically working together on a job and DEFINITELY shouldn't be 👀👀👀 working together. Conflict of interest or what have you. But they do. They really do. They absolutely balance each other out in the best of ways.

This book is the second installment in the Deep Earth Dating series. It's hilarious, very hot (like PHEW 🔥), and so friggin sweet. I WANNA PUNCH THINGS BECAUSE CUTE AGGRESION.

If you like monsters with big peens, big egos, 2 loving hearts, women that aren't "so badass they don't need a man" realisticly written, and rivalmance to the max, you should ABSOLUTELY read this book.

You don't *have to* read Berries and Greed (book 1), but dang it. I recommend it. It's a warm hug. 🥹 (Also, pegging.)

Shoutout to wearing period stained underwear.
Shoutout to Hustin for being an awesome side character.

Thank you, Lily. 💜💜💜
Beautiful cover art is by Virginie Mechant

[DJ K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SO GOOD! I felt it dragged a bit at the middle, but that's alright. It was a most definite slow burn high heat book, which I love. A better review will be coming soon :)

[BookishAnya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an arc review but all opinions are my own.
Lily is an author that I would blindly trust with tropes and hasn’t failed me yet. I’m not typically into ‘frat boys’ and sometimes find it hard to like but I didn’t have that problem with Nunis and kinda found myself always routing for him even tho sometimes he was abit much😂. I’m an absolutely a sucker for strong and badass fmc too so it was nice to see her put Nunis in his place I feel inlove with her character immediately.
A common theme in Lilys books that I always love is how healthy the relationships are which just adds to the enjoyment.
I will say I didn’t enjoy is as much the first book, this is a slow burn but sometimes it just seemed abit too long for my liking.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶

[Kimbot the Destroyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just trust Lily Mayne at this point. I always get done with this author's books having been told a great story in a cool world. The sex is never cut and paste and it always is consistent with the characters' personalities and relationship dynamics.
Nuni is a perfect gymbro-himbo.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen, I was already psyched for Nuni's book. But when I read this man thinking to himself, deadly serious might I add, I may have been a dog when it came to the ladies, but I was a faithful dog, he'd won me over. What a bro. I love him.

I also adored Anita! I love how she got shit done, and didn't take any of Nuni's bullshit. And she was pretty ballsy too! Also, the competitiveness between these two had me in stitches. The fact that they were both so into it was so funny.

Conclusion: these two competitive, hard working, sporty people are perfect for each other and I had a blast reading about their relationship developing from rivals to (the cutest) lovers, haha.