Monster Mixer Vol. 1

Monster Mixer #1

by Robin Jo Margaret

Five stories. Four relationships. One place where they all met.
A collection of short stories centered around the Monster Mixer, a place where creatures of all kinds gather to meet in search of intimacy.
In this anthology you’ll find diverse monsters, diverse queer identities and diverse body types, for a short but spicy entertainment.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Monster Romance, Monsters, Anthologies, Paranormal, Erotica

95 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 12, 2024

About the author

Robin Jo Margaret is a pen name used by a queer disabled author from Italy for xyr adult stories centering queerness, magic and diverse bodies.

The profile picture was drawn by @/snowiisushii (instagram).

Reviews

[Wicked Fox ✨️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun reading this anthology! Each short follows a different pairing. I loved how different some of the dynamics were 🥰 Love love love the rep in this antho. It was kinky and heart-warming at the same time.

[Poppy || Monster Lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute series of short stories in a queer normative world with sex positive people. It wasn’t plot heavy, more erotica and sexual exploration in a safe environment but with the beginnings to a couple possible long term relationships. Jamie and Vance were my fave couple and I hope to see them again in the future! Their awkward vibes were on point.

Spice: 5/5

Triggers: reference to transphobia

[spidermse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every single story in this book. All the characters were fun to read and easy to love. Everyone was so body positive and supportive of each other, and there was a nice mix of different species, including humans. There was trans, gay, pansexual, polyamorous, and bisexual rep. 🙌 Also, perfect examples of consent and talking about preferences and likes before diving into spicy times!

I hope we get more short stories like these from the author in the future!

[Allyson Krause · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

I received an (ebook) ARC from the author.

I LOVED this book. It’s short but so so sweet and the spice is amazing and diverse. Basically, this is the best monster smut book you’ll ever find

[Babes Books and Brews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this 4.5 stars but am rounding it up to 5 because this was so much and so unique.
Interconnected short stories? About a monster mixer? Where monsters and humans consensually hook up? With the possibility of a shot at love? YES PLEASE! This was such a fun read and I loved how all of these short stories flow together. A sprinkle of sweetness here and there and prepare to be drowned (in the best way) by spice.

And the representation and consent communication and after-care throughout all of the stories is INCREDIBLE. The characters identify as trans man, trans woman, gay, bisexual, pansexual, and polyamorous. And we run the gamut between human, minotaur, vampire, werewolf, and other creatures big and small. ALL BEAUTIFUL.

This is a very short book so I won’t give too much away! You should be the one to experience every delicious scene as you read it.

[Sarxian (meirinasoe) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice but Jillian and Lyle is still best for me :')

[Shira · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ damn this was fun… and kinky 😮‍💨 I loved all the different types of monsters and their personalities. The sex scenes and kink were done so well truly top tier!! My only complaint is that I needed a few more pages for the last two stories. The endings felt pretty blunt and left me wanting more. Overall though wow good time!!

[Odella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monster Mixer Vol. 1 ARC Review
By: Robin Jo Margaret

Genre: Monster Romance/ Short Stories
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️ but rounded up to 5
Spice: Each story averages 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Monster Mixer Vol 1 by Robin Jo Margaret is a collection of monster romance short stories where monsters and humans meet at a monster adult club to find intimacy partners for the night. It is full of different monsters and consent between partners. It has trans, pan, bi, gay, and polyamorous representation, and it includes an autistic character. There are 5 short stories and 4 different relationships. It is packed full of delicious spice.

✨My Review: ✨
I really enjoyed this collection of monster short stories, and I really appreciated the healthy level of consent in each story. My favorite couple was Jamie and Vance because we got to see more of their relationship grow. This one was packed full of spice and has minimal plot. The spice had my jaw on the floor. The last story with the orc and the fairy had one scene that was a little too weird for me personally and there was a word used in the first story that I felt could have been taken out, but those are the only issues I had. That is where the 4.5 rating comes from. Every thing else was downright pure spice and I loved it. It delivered everything I wanted it to and I think it did a great job doing it.

I definitely recommend this one for the monster lovers out there. The collection is short and you can get through it in one sitting. I think it has some great representation and consent. There are different monsters, so there is a monster for everyone to enjoy. If you’re looking for some delicious spice and hot monsters definitely pick this one up.

As always check the content notes in the book before reading.

And Happy Monster Smashing My Cosmic Cuties!

[Ra! ʕ •̀ ω •́ ʔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this title as an ARC in exchange for a honest review. Thank you for the copy!

I loved 'In Care of Magic' so I was so excited to read more from Robin Jo Margaret!

This queer anthology centers around a popular event called the monster mixer where different humans and monster alike can shed their skins and meet other creatures with similar desires. It starts focusing on best friends Jamie and Charlotte but expands to include other tangentially connected characters and their relationships.

The Good
I loved how diverse of a cast of characters this was and how it showcases different types of relationships not just romantic monogamous ones. Each character was very different in the relationship dynamic and what they were into which made each chapter more interesting to read. Jamie and Vince were my favorite since I am such a sucker for romance! I loved their dynamic and the sweetness between them. The kink was also done very well here. I liked the language that was used and the focus on consent and boundaries in intimate moments that were written in such a natural way. It didn't take away from the hotness of any scene and showed how it's very much possible to include healthy kink into good spice.

Horn Level: 5/5🌶️
Format: Ebook

The Rating
I give this book a 4/5🌟 rating. I'll read anything this author puts out! Amazing!!

Check out my socials here for more reviews!

[Helios · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way Robin Jo Margaret brings their characters to life should be studied in a lab because when people think about monster erotica what comes to mind is good spice, magic, some clever/hot/funny interactions and a plot that can also fall into the background BUT with Robin Jo Margaret you get all of this AND excellent world-building and characters you really want to get to know. Yes tell me more about Jamie’s toys collection, tell me anything about Charlotte and will she and Harriett be something someday? Tell me about Vance’s favorite cupcake flavors and what are River special interests? Will Liam go back to the Monster Mixer and will he and Sophie help Harriett get with Charlotte? But also does Charlotte see Jackson again? And will Silas and River keep seeing each other? My honest reaction to this read is: Monster Mixer Vol. 2 when???

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

They say variety is the spice of life and the Monster Mixer has all the variety you could ask for. If you’re looking for a short, very smutty read this is for you. I loved every moment of seeing these characters come together and cum together 😉 I just have one question? Can someone DM me the application? I would like to attend!

[ariel *ੈ✩‧₊˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was super cute!!!

[DJ K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. Seeing some awesome trans rep is great, and I love spicy monsters!

[Colleen (colleenreads40) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monster Mixer is a collection of short stories by Robin Jo Margaret (and hopefully the first in more volumes to come). You can expect a variety of characters and diverse species represented (we have humans, minotaurs, vampires, demons, orcs, and fae in this volume), diverse queer identities, and a multitude of body types. There's also autistic representation. There's plenty of spice and a hint of sweetness, too!

I devoured this story. I loved the different representation, differing pairings of characters, and just how diverse the identities were. There were different body types, and the respect and care the characters showed to one another was simply beautiful to read about. If you're looking for something short, sweet, and spicy and you love diversity and representation in your book, definitely consider adding this one to your TBR.

[rachel ♡ chapterswithrae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monster Mixer was such a delight! I’ve enjoyed previous work from this author, so I was so excited to receive an ARC for this title as well. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

What I loved:
- queernormative world
- safe, sane, consensual, enthusiastic sex
- clear discussions of boundaries
- autistic representation
- prominent transgender representation (one main character and one side character
- discussion of gender identities, sexual orientation, sex
- very cozy!!!!
- fast pace felt right for the content

Overall I really enjoyed this and devoured it in a single sitting. If you’re a fan of paranormal and monster spice, this is for you!

[Shrike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hefty serving of heat and heart, Monster Mixer is a delight. Spice centered on mutual consent and respect! Characters with depth beyond their sexuality!

I absolutely adore how each character is written with so much love and attention to detail. It's clear that the author either has direct experience with many of these  identities and/or they did their research and consulted queer folks who have. I related to Jamie's joys and anxieties as a trans man more than many other transmasc characters I've read.

While I enjoyed learning about the other characters, I was most invested in Jamie and Vance. Honestly...I was pretty sad when their portion came to a close! I love these guys and I would pick up more stories about them in a heartbeat.

Thank you so much to the author and to BookSirens for a chance to check this collection out for free. I'm writing this review of my own accord.  

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings for Monster Mixer Volume 1 include: public sexual acts, sex without protection; dirty talk, body fluids, and oral and penetrative sex.
☆
☆
I beta read for this book, and then was sent an ARC copy too.
~
One thing I feel like I have to say in regard to this book is the way that the author checked several times if I would be comfortable reading it. They're aware that I identify as asexual and sometimes feel uncomfortable reading about these types of topics.
~
I think that the book was written very well, I liked the writing style. I really found the characters engaging and I could imagine these characters and what they looked like, their personalities.
~
I appreciate the opportunity to both beta read and then ARC read for this book.
•
Thank you to author Robin Jo Margaret for sending me an ARC copy of this book.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun little novella featuring scenes centered around a weekly all-(humanoid) species sex party. I thought the queerness and diversity of body types, genders, and creature types was very fun.

Overall, the writing was just okay. The dialogue was a bit awkward, and the narrative prose clunky. I was hoping to *feel* more out of this book, and while I did enjoy the erotic scenes, they didn’t excite me. My primary feeling was a bit underwhelmed, and a little awkward.

Sexual encounters don’t have to have any sort of romantic meaning, but I was hoping for more meaning to be made for each character in terms of what the encounter meant for them in the moment, whether that be fun, relief, intimacy, etc.

[Basil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to author Robin Jo Margaret for allowing me to be a part of their permanent ARC team! All opinions within this review are voluntarily given and entirely my own. Content warnings may be found at the bottom of the review!

“Five stories. Four relationships. One place where they all met.”

I’ve read and enjoyed other stories featuring clubs, parties, etc. with a similar purpose to Monster Mixer (A Long Time Dead by Samara Breger, and An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson, off the top of my head), and so I appreciated an anthology that provides a more eclectic view of a similar occasion. Monster Mixer Vol. One has excellent representation— a variety of queer identities (gay, pansexual, bisexual, trans man, trans woman), an autistic character, a polyamorous relationship, and diverse body types represented.

I did find myself left wanting when it came to River and Silas’s relationship— the ending of the anthology felt a bit abrupt, and this pairing seemed to have incredible chemistry! I would have loved a chapter for River and Silas similar to the chapter Jaime and Vance had following their initial meeting (even if their relationship dynamic is different from Jaime and Vance’s). I hope to see more of River and Silas in a future volume of Monster Mixer, though!

Also, I am generally not too keen on urban fantasy in a modern setting, and while I recognize that this is entirely a personal issue (and one that I am trying to move beyond, at that), it did impact my rating, so I felt as though I should mention it. Monster Mixer seems to take place on Earth in the near-present day, and so there are references to modern social media and modern life more generally (working office jobs, mentions of the gym) alongside the fantastical, which I am sure is the absolute dream to the right audience! And I look forward to growing more familiar with this setting in future volumes of Monster Mixer.

Content warnings from author Robin Jo Margaret:
All stories include public sexual acts, sex without protection (but a magic contraceptive is taken—don’t take their example in real life), dirty talk, lots of body fluids, and both oral and penetrative sex. In addition to those, specifically in chapter one and three, you’ll also find: pegging, size difference, body dysphoria, insecurity, overthinking. In chapter two, you’ll find: degradation, knotting, one joke about kidnapping. In chapter four: threesome, praise kink. In chapter five, you’ll find: overthinking, extreme size difference.

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story collection is absolutely fun and adorable.

This collection of smutty short stories blew me away. While definitely being erotica, there is a lot of sweetness and tenderness to these stories that made them really amazing. In every story there is care for each other, making sure that each partner is doing okay and being cared for. Consent is handled well and clearly upfront and people check in multiple times if everything still is okay. This made it be a collection where everyone is respected including me as the reader and that's totally awesome.

I really fell in love with the characters in them as well. Jamie and Vance are absolute sweethearts. I loved their meeting and the following fun they had. They both were really having a good time which was transferred to me as the reader. Their joy became my joy. And this theme of joy continued into the following short stories. Because there was such a good base of communication everyone just kept enjoying themselves, and damn did I love that. Just some uncomplicated fun for queer people is so healing. I loved how it included all kinds of people with different gender identities, different sexualities, different relationship structures and just all together a good bunch of varied people. This made every story different and good to be enjoyed.

The smut itself was also very hot and really gave me a good blush. Things were sexy, things were intense and I really felt this as a reader. The amount of smut was good balanced with the amount of more casual parts and I felt like it vibed really well like that.

Concluding I would really recommend this for any queer monster erotica lover.


Rating: 4.5 stars
I received an eARC and this was my honest review.

[Lia ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was an amazing read! 💘

----------------------—

Story rating: 5.0⭐️
Romance lvl: 2.0⭐️
Spice lvl: 4.0🌶️ 
Smut frequency: 4.5⏳

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Tropes:
No tropes per se, this book is a collection of interconnected monster erotica/ romances with:

✨ Monsters looking like monsters
✨ LGBTQIA+ rep
✨ Autistic rep
✨ Various body types reps (plus-size, slender, tall, short, muscular, etc etc...)


⬇️ See below for spice tropes ⬇️

----------------------—

~ STORIES 📝 ~

Aaah I can't wait for volume 2 of this Monster Mixer! 🥰

I had an amazing time with this: it's hot, it's sweet and the amount of care and respect is just... perfect.

This is mainly erotica (that's the reason for the romance rating, it's not a bad rating, it's just that romance is not the main thing happening. The romance actually happening is absolutely great and adorable!) but the author just knows how to write love/care without it being necessarily romantic. It's in the actions, the communications, and the way they treat each other. ✨

Also, I have to say I love a book with good reps and this one is full of them. Representation matters. ✨✊🏽


~ SPICE 🌶️ ~

If you read Monster Mixer vol.1, you'll be in for:

👉 MM, MF, and MFF explicit scenes

🌶️ exhibitionism
🌶️ size difference
🌶️ belly bulging
🌶️ dirty talk
🌶️ praise and degradation (light)
🌶️ oral
🌶️ soft dom
🌶️ pegging & anal
🌶️ use of toys




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This is an arc review. Thanks to the author for the advanced ebook copy 🙏💖

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[Yvon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never thought I'd ever be worried for a fairy to drown in cum but here I am.

The positives:
• my favorite characters were Charlotte (the baddie), Harriett (the sweetie) and Silas (the gentleman)
• the relationships' dynamics:
Jamie x Vance was really cute to see them both trying to act cool even though they were both secretly nervous.
Charlotte x Jackson a bit biased cuz im crushing on Charlotte, however Jackson feels a tad bit like an NPC (underdeveloped).
Harriett x Sophie x Liam was pretty cool, personally, im a big fan of poly relationships/threesomes which are not centered around the one man, so that was refreshing, seeing Sophie take the lead.
River x Silas was hilarious to me, that's all

The neutral:
• the species:
I felt like Charlotte (the vampire) wasnt portrayed as one? Compared to the other species who had better descriptions, there was only one comment about not being allowed to suck blood and that's it

The bad:
• my brain cant get over the asymmetrical chapters, Jamie x Vance got 2 and everyone else got only 1
• the ending was very abrupt, and not satisfying, I really wanted more from River x Silas, and a different ending
• the overall vibe was a bit too awkward, nothing wrong with a bit of awkwardness and nervousness but i think it was too much

The personal:
I need a good balance between character development-plot-sex scenes in order to fully enjoy eroticas/smut and the scale is heavy on the sex scenes side, so there were times when i felt a bit uncomfortable due to that.

TLDR: there were enjoyable parts, fun parts, a bit disappointing parts, and frustrating parts

[Kit (kit.reads.romance) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really great little read full of queer joy, spice and sweetness!

We met lots of different characters throughout these short stories, all connected in one way or another and all coming together (pun intended) at the Monster Mixer, an intimate club for Monsters and the people who love them. I adored the diversity of people, experiences and relationships we met in the book. The spice was off the charts with a whole buffet to enjoy including extreme size difference, knotting, degradation and lots more.

I loved how explicit consent was at the heart of every story, with discussions beforehand and check ins throughout. It was really well presented and I thoroughly appreciated its inclusion. Another thing the characters all displayed brilliantly was a refusal to assume gender until pronouns were given. Every new character was described using singular “they” until pronouns were exchanged unless their identity was already known to the person whose POV chapter it was. I freaking loved it!

I only with the book had been slightly longer so that we could have connected with the characters a little more on an emotional level, as the brevity of the stories occasionally made that difficult. But overall I really enjoyed this read and I would definitely recommend it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Michelle Lebron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spicy, sweet, inclusive, and unique short stories. I love the inclusivity in these stories, the diversity in the characters, and the unique way of explaining them, what better than in little stories full of spice? Everyone was so positive and open to everyone without judging anyone, it was beautiful. Jamie and Vance were my favorite couple, their chemistry was so perfect, they are made for each other, and they are a beautiful couple. The examples of all the diversities were both explanatory for those who don't know the terms and so sweet to read each of them in such an understanding environment as it really should be, I just loved it. One of the best monster smut/romance short stories I've ever read.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars
Spice Rating (Again, not quality, but more-so quanity/explicit-ness?): 3/5 Stars

Okay, so I'm AuDHD and I love anthological, short stories, so I'm thrilled to have been an ARC for this. It's easy to read, and an amazing diverse palette cleanser.

This features multiple different kinds of relationships, identities, and neurodiverse & body-type representation. For anyone curious, my favorite relationships were 1 and 5. I thought the trans inclusion, different preferences, and neurodiverse characters were well-written, lovely, and a perfect mix of individuals and relationships. I absolutely cannot wait to see what the author comes up with next in future volumes, because I am ectastic with the style and idea of this. Also, I loved the spice.

[wwgrn · Rating 4 out of 5]

a monster anthology MUST HAVE!!

4 ⭐️ 4 🌶️

for a short story collection i really enjoyed this one!! i thought it was well-written. its a monster mixer so i expected some really steamy scenes...& this delivered!! its very thoughtful & inclusive in all its representaions. this also showed a good example of consent & open communication prior to all the juicy bits🔥 my favorite tho was anything with vance🤭 i would have also loved to hear more about what happened to charlotte & jackson afterwards. so im really looking forward to more of author robin jo margaret's future works incase she decides to continue my fave characters' stories!!

[Er · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume was so fantastic, I think the author peeked into my head. There was such an awesome mixture of genders and bodies and orientations, and supernatural beings and everyone was so open minded. It was beautiful. They balanced the sexiness with realism so well, and a nice dash of sweetness. I can’t wait for the second volume (and hopefully a story or two about H & C, yes??).
Also, the detailed content warning was fantastic. It was so nice to know exactly what I was getting into and that I wouldn’t have to worry about my triggers coming up. ❤️

[Candace:) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, it was knocked out of the park by Robin! I really enjoyed this interconnected short story collection. I thought it was hot, fun, quick, and I was interested from start to finish! I still haven’t read many monster romances, but Robin knows what they’re doing! The explicit scenes are so good! In every story, you’re getting smut. And I think that’s the right amount! My favorite character is Harriet and I hope to see more of her in the future!🥵 if you are a fan of monster romances, this is perfect for you.

[Wandering Seal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had fully expected this to be a hot little series of vignettes - and it totally was, with all sorts of combinations going on - but I didn't expect it to be as sweet and, at times, romantic as it was. The level of care shown between the partners was really good to see, and Jamie and Vance's second chapter was just about the cutest thing ever. So yes this story is a hot little festival of beings getting off, but it's also adorable and shows lots of different queer identities.

A very fun litte read!

[ɢʀᴇʏッ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ 4 🌶️

for a short story collection i really enjoyed this one!! i thought it was well-written. its a monster mixer so i expected some really steamy scenes...& this delivered!! its very thoughtful & inclusive in all its representaions. this also showed a good example of consent & open communication prior to all the juicy bits🔥 my favorite tho was anything with vance🤭 i would have also loved to hear more about what happened to charlotte & jackson afterwards. so im really looking forward to more of author robin jo margaret's future works incase she decides to continue my fave characters' stories!!