Molly and the Minotaur: A Small Town Monster Romance

Magic in Minos Falls #1

by Bea Gallo

Love is the key to unlocking the magic in Minos Falls! For most of her life, Molly Durand was told to stop believing in fairytales, and when she arrives in Minos Falls, North Carolina, she finally does. With no boyfriend, no job, and no place to live, a mysterious town in the mountains is the last place she wants to start over. So, when she’s offered her dream job managing the town’s bookstore, she accepts. Until she discovers her new boss, Leo Angelos, is a Minotaur.

Leo Angelos has been waiting for his mate to arrive for fifteen years. Not because she’s destined to be the love of his life, but because she’s the key to breaking the curse plaguing his town. He just wasn’t expecting his mate to be his newest employee.

But when monsters from Molly’s past step out of the town’s shadows, they jeopardize not only the end of the town’s curse but also her happily ever after with Leo.

Molly and the Minotaur is a Beauty and the Beast-inspired small town, monster romance with plenty of spice! It's the first book in the Magic in Minos Falls series, can be read as a stand-alone, and ends with an HEA!

Genres: Monster Romance, Fantasy, Monsters, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Small Town Romance

274 pages, Paperback

Published May 11, 2024

Reviews

[Uyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the idea of this.

I just didn’t find either of the MC likable.
I also didn’t really care for the romance. It felt like it was missing depth.

[Noriboo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully cute small town monster romance.
The sassy back and forth between Molly and Leo was adorable, and I'm curious about some of the other inhabitants in town! I'm not sure if the author is planning a series, but I'm definitely game!


I expected the breaking of the curse on the town to take more effort than Molly showing up in town and being mated to Leo. The angst surrounding the mimics trying to break into the town did make up for lack of that aspect, in my opinion.

[TaylorReads]

I had to DNF this at 68%. The pacing of their relationship was all over the place, I got a little dizzy trying to keep up. Also, how they met??? Girlllll if you don’t pull your drawers up and quit humping his chair IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN HIS BOOKSTORE??! Crazy work

[Nycole · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I’m sorry that every man in your life seems to walk out on you or treat you like garbage, but that’s not me, sweetheart. I’m going to show up for you, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to put a smile on your pretty face. Not because you’re my mate, but because you’re worth the time and the effort.”

“Molly Durand’s fairytale life shatters when her boyfriend cheats on her, leaving her jobless and homeless. She packs up and heads out without a specific destination in mind, eventually finding herself in the mysterious town of Minos Falls, North Carolina. There, she’s offered her dream job managing the town bookstore while her boss, Leo Angelos, is away. Molly is unaware that Leo has been waiting fifteen years for the one who can break the town’s curse – and she’s the one. The twist? She’s his new employee.
As monsters from Molly’s past emerge, they threaten not only the end to the towns curse but also her blossoming romance with Leo.”

I LOVE me a monster romance smut, so when @bookcase.media reached out a couple weeks ago and asked me to join in on the celebration of this book turning one, I couldn’t resist!
It was right up my alley!

What really drew me in to this story was the perfect blend of romance, fantasy, and humor.
Leo’s possessive, swoony nature that gives all the daddy vibes.
Molly’s sassiness and her ability to still believe after she’s been told to quit believing in fairytales her whole life.
I devoured their story, which is set in a town full of hidden magic. I loved the banter between them! The side characters were fantastic. I’m jumping right into book two!
I think this would be a great start for someone looking into this type of genre.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining romantic listening 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨

This kindle ebook novel is from my Kindle Unlimited account book 1 of 2

DNF I picked this novel by cover and title. The story is interesting, romantic, interesting characters, etc. But it was not right for me!

I would recommend give it a try! It may work for you! 2025 🎊😮

[brooke_and_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am such a monster romance enthusiast and this book did not disappoint.

We start with our female MC being cheated on by her boyfriend so she loads up and heads out to anywhere that’s not there. Side note she has always believed in fairytales so when she stops in a town that she didn’t see on her map, it isn’t hard to convince her that mythical creatures exist and she is actually mated to a Minotaur! I loved this story line! I can’t wait to read more from this author!

[JustForkIt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cozy breeding kink played out through a Beauty and The Beast retelling. If loving a good “I want to cover you in my seed and scent” is wrong then I don’t wanna be right.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hold on because once you start this one it will be really hard to put it down. Molly is sweet believes in fairytales so much so that all her life she has heard stop believing in fairytales, get your head of the clouds so when she finds herself headed to a small town that isn’t even on the map because her pain was too much to deal with especially after being cheated on and when she gets to the small town of Mino Falls she has a feeling that it is right out of a fairytale. Leo is a sexy minotaur who owns the local bookstore notices when a human walks into his bookstore, he notices her trying to figure out what their town was about doing everything he can to protect her, but their town isn’t on the map for a reason it is cursed all its residents know and the only way to break the curse involves the very curious human. The magnetic pull between them is something crazy and as they try and figure it all out the stronger the pull between them grows but they are so different, but he can’t walk away because she is his mate he isn’t sure how to tell her and he is worried somewhat about explaining the curse to her and telling it is her who can break the curse but will she stick around, will he convince she is his mate, is it all a dream she is having considering she lives in the reality most of the time, and will our girl who has had issued with trying to find love get the happiness, the love?

[ajscenic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this romance where Molly meets Leo and chaos ensues.
Molly was sweet and disheartened whilst Leo was charming and protective.
This is a solid 4 star read.

[Odd · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ✨

A fun little read that took me a day to finish, so if you’re looking for something quick, cute, and a dash of smut, highly recommend this book.

I do enjoy the little town the author has come up with, I do wish more stuff was gone into or was more descriptive, but no major complaints.

And the only other thing that threw me off was the book store scene, it seemed a bit awkward to me, someone who seemed so down and depressed and unsure of themselves is suddenly very daring to the point of public masterbation?

I would definitely read more from this author in the future ✨


✨I was provided an ARC but the review is completely my own opinion✨

[Savanna Vandusen · Rating 4 out of 5]

All her life, Molly has been told to stop living in a fairytale. Heartbroken and alone, she wanders into a hidden town where it seems fairytales might come true. But everything is not as it seems in Minos Falls.

- small town romance
-fated mates
-Greek mythology
Beauty and the Beast inspired
Once Upon a Time vibes
- sexy minotaur?!
-🌶🌶

I feel like this book would be a perfect start for someone who is curious about monster romance.

I can't wait to see what is next for this series!

[kymagirl]

Molly (h) is drawn to the small town of Minos Falls, magically shielded from the human world and populated by mythological creatures and powerful beings, where she finds herself in a fairytale-like world far removed from her reality, marked by loss and disillusionment. Her arrival in Minos Falls, prompted by a series of unfortunate personal events, leads her to cross paths with Leo (H), the minotaur who owns the local bookstore - loved Leo catching on to what Molly was up to when he wasn't at the bookstore. The town and its inhabitants are intricately linked to a curse cast by Zeus, demanding a unique resolution that involves Molly directly, unbeknownst to her. Molly and Leo navigate their complex feelings for each other, and the challenges posed by their differences, even as he worries about revealing to her that she's his mate, much less her importance in breaking the town's curse. Leo is so sweet as he tries to balance Molly's need for independence and trying to keep her safe, even if it was from her own actions. Loved all the supporting characters too - so many future stories to be told, especially Leo's siblings and Tauro. As I've oft mentioned before, I'm not a huge fan of magic in my reads, but this one was great - just the right amount and used in a way that felt appropriate, rather than just being a fix-all. Ultra-hot and steamy minotaur-human romance with lots of action, danger, magic, mythical creature, gods, curses, prophecies, centaur erotica, and more.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

The girl who nobody wants ends up with the prize bull of the town, but its more than just romance in this little town.. It's weird Appalachian shit.

Overall reco: I think it's a worth while read if you are into the Monster romance genre. I noticed 2 errors in the book that caused some confusion but it was great after that. Enjoyable and quick.

"You've got a little drool."
"Fuck you."
"Only if you're feeling up to it."

Plot: 3/5
Spice: 3/5
Characters: 3/5

(The good)
I highly enjoyed the sass from both the FMC and MMC. They were prickly and gave as good as they got and there were some great lines and banter bits that had me kicking my feet with amusement. The plot was interesting, like.. it wasn't just 2 people who were fated mates and doing their best to get on each others nerves, there was shit going doing that was actually interesting. I guessed one of the plot reveals really early on, but that's fine. The world seemed interesting and I didn't struggle to get into it.

(The bad)
So, for a book about fucking a minotaur.. it had kind of low spice. I was expecting more scenes. Some of them were pretty hot but usually my monster fucker books are like 5/5 spice and this was just 3 because of lack of scenes.
The miscommunication trope of this book pissed me off. It's not the typical trope, where they just don't understand each other. Their communication was fine (and good!) it was how they fucking drip fed the FMC information. She's supposed to be here to save this fucking village and while I understand keeping some shit hush hush, she was kept in the dark purposefully about things that didn't need to be. Like maybe it was to not overwhelm the girl the stumbled into town, but they kept saying "you are taking this surprisingly calmly" and the author kept making a note to tell us how Molly felt like she was home. So you can tell her some SHIT my guys.
Another thing. Yeah the town is cursed but like.. it sort of never really felt like we saw that? Yeah she mentions some thing but it wholly felt like a 'not big deal' and while a huge plot point kind of also felt like NOT?
It had an HEA but.. it felt like the story just kind of ended unfinished. I get that there is another book in the series but this can be read as a stand alone and I felt rather unsatisfied by the way it ended. I'm really not sure I'm going to pick up the next book.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

tropes: 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧/𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫, 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 & 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐦𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬, 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐦𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

This was a super fun read! Molly is a human, feisty, and strong willed. She discovered Mino Falls by accident after leaving her cheating boyfriend. Molly is kind of down on her luck and a little suspicious of the hospitality Mino Falls offers.

Molly is hired at the local book store while the owner is out of town. When he returns, she is shocked to discover he is a Minotaur. To be specific, he is half Minotaur/half human. She is also shocked to find out they are mates.

Leo has known about his mate since he was 15 after the town seer has a vision. He was just waiting for her to find his town. Mino Falls has a curse on it and she is supposedly the key to break it. The curse is working against the magic of the town and it is unknown how Molly will break the curse.

Leo is strong, dominant, and gives some daddy vibes. He’s a little sarcastic and I thought he was a little impatient with Molly. She handled things surprisingly well. She is hesitant about the whole mate situation and more unsure about the mating ritual. It’s actually funny because she keeps being worried it’s going to be a sacrifice.

“𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧,” 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐞𝐨.*
“𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐦 𝐈,” 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤.

Turns out it’s just a blessing by some oracles. So no biggie. The mating bond drives Leo to protect and care for Molly as you would expect! Interestingly, the only expectation of a Minotaur’s mate is 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. There is no pregnancy in this book though and not even a ton of breeding talk. There is a whole lot of talk about spanking though because Molly is a little bratty 😏 Unfortunately, it’s all just talk though. I thought the author could have followed through on it because Leo kept thinking about it.

“𝐎𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭?” 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐦𝐞. “𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.”*

Totally daddy vibes, am I right??

Overall, this book is super interesting and I really loved the storyline. I’m eager to read more about Mino Falls! There seem to be some good trope possibilities in the future: a friends to lovers for one couple and a rejected mates for another?? I’m into it!!

[Marit Prins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine life giving you a rough hand, and when you walk out on your cheating ex-boyfriend you end up in this crazy small town, living in a motel with some sort of fairy god-mother who gets you a job at the local bookstore. Which has all the books and no costumers.
So you stumble and fall into a chair with a Centaur-romance book. Sounds like a dream right?
Well Molly’s dream started out great, but then she met her boss. Imagine her surprise when he is a Minotaur, and she is his mate!
This book tells a compelling tale about a girl who has never fit in her whole life, and finds out, Minos Falls is where she should be. Destiny is calling for her, but there is also danger around the corner. In between that setting, there’s falling in love, mating, marrying, and a whole lot of sexy time.
I loved this book so much, and I thank the author very much for taking the leap and writing this.
Minos Falls is the cutest town, and the fact that is a magical town makes it even better. The characters are well thought-out and the world building is amazing.

Leo and Molly are just the cutest couple. He has been waiting for her all her life and he is swoon, and protective, but also really into her and that’s just awesome. If you are a seasoned monster romance reader, you will love this story. But also, if you are just now discovering the intrigue of a sexy monster, this is the book for you! It’s all about the romance, and the HEA and it is extremely well done. Can’t wait to see what else this author has in story for us!

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I saw Minotuar in the title for this book, I knew I had to sign up to read it instantly! I love some monster romance and this did not disappoint!

"I look like a raccoon now, don't I?" I blubber, doing my best to swipe under my eyes.
Leo shakes his head. "No, you don't, and even if you did, I like raccoons. Trash pandas are kinda of cool. And cute." 😂

This was a very cute small town monster romance. Leo and Molly are so cute together and I absolutely loved their sassiness towards eachother and the banter. Plus the spice we did get was *chef's kiss* 🥵😘

"Oh, and sweetheart?" She stops abruptly and turns back toward me. "I don't like brats either." 🥵🥵

The breeding kink in this is unreal but so hot. Leo gives me total daddy vibes and I'm not complaining!

I absolutely adore the fact that Leo owns a bookstore 😍
He's sexy and is surrounded by books all the time, what's not to love?!
Also, the fact that this was Beauty and the Beast inspired makes me love it even more because Beauty and the Beast is a fav of mine! 🥰

This book was so great and I'm very excited to see where else this series goes!

"I'm sorry that every man in your life seems to walk out on you or treat you like garbage, but that's not me, sweetheart. I'm going to show up for you, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to put a smile on your pretty face. Not because you're my mate, but because you're worth the time and effort." 🥺🥺

Absolute perfection 😍🥰

This is an ARC review and is my honest opinion.

[Tima · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molly, the female human lead, has been told all her life that there’s no such thing as fairytales. She’s, therefore, more than a little bamboozled to end up in a location where minotaurs are apparently real. She just needs a short term job to get back on her feet and then she’ll be on her way.

Leo, the male minotaur lead, has known since he was a teen that his fated mate would be the one to break the curse on their small town. He’s shocked to find her in Molly, a temporary hire for his bookstore. But he’s not going to let her get away! Now he just needs to convince her that fated mates ARE real, that she’s his, and that she’s both exactly what he wanted and what the town needs…

This story is dual POV, and an interesting, detailed contemporary monster romance. I actually found it a bit too detailed and slow to start and nearly didn’t finish. It did pick up as it went on but I still found it a meandering read, which could be fantastic for you. I empathised with Molly’s frustration over the fated mates aspect and feeling like she had no choices. I appreciated Leo’s patience as she worked through her concerns. I did enjoy parts of the non-romance plot and am curious about the stories of a few secondary characters. I’d be willing to try another story from this author, even though this wasn’t my favourite, because the world is really interesting.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Molly and Leo’s whirlwind love story. It was sweet, emotional, suspenseful, funny and sizzling hot!! I had no idea that Minotour’s could be so sexy! And Leo is definitely super sexy!

I loved how Molly was such a relatable character. She’s not some small wallflower, but a bigger, taller girl, with bright red hair (that’s me too)! She’s got her head stuck in fairytales and has atrociously bad luck (once again – me too)! Little does she realize that the perfect little fairytale like town with unique and amazing people, are going to fall in her lap and change her life forever.

Molly and Leo’s banter was filled with sarcasm, quips, jokes and sass. These two just have such fantastic chemistry and the more time they spend together the more you realize how perfect they are for one another.

The sexual tension wafting between Molly and Leo was intense. Molly is quite the horny little bookworm (I mean who isn’t – right), but I never would have used a chair quite like she does. HMMM!! And with Leo she just can’t keep her hands to herself and these two create such delicious fire together.

This story was exciting, thrilling and captivating. It was filled with magic, mythical creatures, curses, secrets, suspense, and some very titillating moments, along with some adorable and sweet moments too.

I highly enjoyed this story and look forward to seeing what this author brings us next.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

DEB is a seer and 15 years before she had a vision of a woman who would be the mate to the minotaur, Leo. She runs to his house to wake them up and share her vision with them escpecially the son Leo.
MOLLY just caught her boyfriend in bed with another woman. She gets in her car and takes off. She sees a sign for Minos Falls and heads towards it since she needs gas. She pulls into a motel run by a woman named Deb. Deb has her check in and tells her she has a job at the local book store if she'd like it. The owner a Mr Leo Angelos, who is in Greece. So she starts to work there and at the end of the week she gets a surprise..Leo Angelos arrives back early. When she sees him she screams then faints. He calls Deb and she tells him maybe a kiss could help. No help at all!!! That woman!!!
Molly comes to and starts to ask some questions. Then he tells her that have to mate at the festival before the gods. How in the world is Leo going to get her to once again believe in fairy tales and magic since the world beat it out of her? She's the link to getting the curse on the town broken but first he has to get her to believe. Then he has to protect her from whatever threat Zeus or the gods have to oppose her. Will they win the mate game? Or will it all crash and burn?
A beautiful story of love and fairy tales.

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

[Fay J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess I first fell in love with monsters reading about the Greek and Roman gods as a child. I didn't know the words for it then but I always found them petty and dispassionate and generally was always on the side with the monsters. The gods here play their own part in crushing the future of so many.
I totally lost my heart to Molly and Leo. The burden that it must have been to find out so young that while he does have a mate out there Leo cannot do anything to find her, she has to come to him and she's destined to save the town. He was trying so hard to be gentle, give her time to adjust and be so kind to her when he first meets her despite it making him desperate that she is finaly with him. Total cinnamon roll. Molly has always wanted to believe that there was magic in this world and given how it has treated her thus far, her ability to hold on to that is testament to her wonderful heart. She does her best not to judge on first appearances and goes all in to help.
The world building was wonderful, you could picture the whole place as well as the main characters. They are so well written that you fancy you could know someone like that, aside from the extra species side of it all. I especially loved Deb though. On the whole I adored Minos Falls and I really hope that there will be another book soon.

[Sharon McMaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

FMC is Molly and she has no job, no boyfriend and is currently homeless so she is trying to escape everything that is going wrong in her life. Somehow she ends up in Minos Falls which is this quaint fairy tale type town. She gets hired on at the local bookstore but when the owner shows up after being out of town she realizes he is half Minotaur and her mate!

MMC is Leo and he has waited his whole life to meet his mate but also the person destined to break the town curse. But he is away from town when Molly arrives so I really enjoyed when he realizes his temp employee is none other than his mate. He is so patient when he is explaining what mates are and giving her some time to adjust but his urge to protect her and claim her was still spicy.

But there is danger also around the corner so there were some twist and turns to also navigate. This book was super cute and hit me with a Beauty & the Beast feel but also with some paranormal/fated mates thrown in with a curse. This was very well written and would be a great starter book for someone that is not quite sure if monster romance is their jam. I really enjoyed it and personally loved the banter back and forth with Molly & Leo

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ellie (On a break, mostly rereading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly and the Minotaur is a standalone small town monster (fantasy) romance by Bea Gallo. This was a fascinating read and I loved it. It was like Greek mythology meets Beauty and the Beast.

The minotaurs have been cursed by Zeus, and so they live in a magically concealed small town in the middle of nowhere USA. As a result the magical beings with them are also affected by the curse and beings are losing their powers. But there was a prophecy about the woman who will come and break the curse. This is the fated mating of the human woman, Molly, and minotaur, Leonidas. The journey towards mating is not simple and that is the whole fun of the book.

This was a fun world that developed around Leo and Molly, with a whole heap of other characters that we got a peek in on. I really am hoping that this will become a series, because I have so many questions.

Anyone with a passing interest in ancient Greek myths will likely find it enjoyable, but if you're into precise detail from myth to story, this might be a harder one to swallow as the world built does not follow the Greek myths strictly.

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

[Gleeful Goblin Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gleeful Goblin Review: I snort laughed at the author's note because I had a HUGE Greek mythology phase and still love retellings. However, I think that it's a good note and reminder for folks to temper their expectations: "If you’re an expert in Greek mythology, or even history, then this might not be the book for you. Nothing in this story is historically or canonically accurate."

I totally love this setting, it gives me very Haven Ever After by Hazel Mack vibes which is one of my favorite small town paranormal romance series. The innkeeper Deb stole my heart from the jump and I reacted very similarly to Molly because when you're desperate for love and acceptance, especially from a mother figure if you get it out of nowhere it just breaks your walls down. So, when Molly is struggling to accept her new reality while also being accepted by her new found family including a handfasting to her mate, this story had me melted like putty in the author's hands. I regret nothing, read this book IMMEDIATELY if you love steamy times in fantasy towns with a dash of Greek mythology for flavor. 5/5 Stars.

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

[Vallene Boddington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whimsical greek myths meets small town mystery. The title just the drew me in and it didn't dissapoint.
Molly MFC ends up in a small town with no future on the horizon. A kindly motel owner Deb gets her settle with a place to stay and a job. But Minos Falls isn't what it seems. With the sudden return of her new boss, Leo things take on a fairytale wonder. As much as I enjoyed the story, characters and world, it feels it needs a little more. Or I just want more. Leo is possessive, nurturing and stubborn. Molly is naive but not overly, sassy and stubborn. They are a great duo. The twist on mythology was the intriguing and created great drama.

Trope:
Fated mate. Cursed. Small town. Greek mythology. Found family. Close proximity. Possessive MMC.
Quotes:
“Don’t do that,” she murmurs. “Do what, sweetheart?”“Try to cheer me up. Let me swim in my feels, Leo.” I lean forward to press a soft, chaste kiss on her cheek. “Whatever you want, little human, as long as you stay in the shallow end.”

“No matter what happens, you’re not alone anymore. You’re mine, sweetheart. All mine, and if you think I’ll ever walk away from you, you’re wrong.”

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly and the Minotaur is a charming small town monster romance with a sprinkling of intrigue and suspense that heralds in the story of Molly Durand who used to believe in fairy tales, until life’s harsh realities taught her otherwise.
The town of Minos Falls, NC lives under a curse and unbeknownst to Molly she will soon become a catalyst to its salvation.
After a break up with her live in boyfriend, and now on the road, low on fuel Molly takes a turn off into Minos Falls where fear and trepidation will fade into a feeling of coming home.
A magical, spicy, romantic adventure unfolds with her hiring as manager to the local bookstore. The owner Leo Angelos is away on business so they haven’t met in person and when he returns unexpectedly Molly receives the shock of her life, he is a Minotaur!
Maybe those fairytales are real after all?
This was an engaging story full of nicely written prose, likable characters, mystery, fated mates, surprises, and is a wonderful read.

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

[Rebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells a compelling tale about a girl who has never quite fit in until she discovers Minos Falls, the place where she truly belongs. Destiny is calling her, but danger lurks around every corner. Amidst this backdrop, there’s falling in love, mating, marrying, and plenty of steamy moments. Molly and Leo's story is captivating, making this a must-read!

The book is full of twists and turns, keeping you on your toes. It gives off a "Beauty & the Beast" vibe, infused with paranormal elements and a fated mates theme. The writing is excellent, making it a perfect introduction for those unsure if monster romance is their genre.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the delightful banter between Molly and Leo. Minos Falls is an enchanting town, and its magical essence adds to the charm. The characters are well-developed, and the world-building is impressive. This charming monster romance is a gem, and I eagerly hope for more stories about the residents of Minos Falls.

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

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by this author and would definitely read more of there books. It combines a play on Beauty and the Beast tossed with some Greek Mythology. You have Molly who happens to stumble into a small North Carolina town called Minos Falls after what seems like her life crumbling all in one day. After coming into town she find a Inn ran by a lady named Deb who helps her with a room and getting a job at the towns local bookstore ran by Leo who happens to be a minotaur. Molly suddenly discovers she is Leo's mate and the "cure" to breaking the curse placed on Minos Falls by Zeus. Molly's spunky stubborn pair very well with Leo's overprotective caring stubborn to make a wonderful couple. Molly may have been told all her life to stop believing in fairy tales because they don't exist she proved them wrong fairy tales do exist and she found hers.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sheree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly is a disillusioned human female who has spent her life being told to not to believe in fairytales. After her boyfriend cheats on her, she packs up her life and moves to the small town of Minos Falls where she has been offered her dream job. In the town that isn’t found on a map, mystical creatures exist, trapped by a curse. Leo, is a minotaur who has been waiting for his mate to arrive, knowing she is the key to breaking the curse.

The banter between the two is fantastic. Leo is protective and supportive of Molly, especially when her past shows up. He doesn’t know how to tell her she is his fated mate, let alone the details of the curse. I enjoyed the rest of the town’s inhabitants, hopefully the author has plans to visit this world in the future. I would love to read more set in the charming town. This was a solid, enjoyable read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Heather Button · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good out there sorta romance. What could be better than a minotaur?! A minotaur in a cursed town that needs to find his fated mate to break the curse. That's what!

Molly has always believed in fairy tales, even though life hasn't been very kind to her. She still believes in true love when she catches her boyfriend in the act of cheating on her. It's actually how she ends up making her way to Minos Falls and staying. A very helpful inn owner/seer knows exactly who Molly is and makes sure to get her a job at the town bookstore owned by none other than Leo, her mate. The two are destined to be together, even though Molly doesn't know it. Together will they be able to break the town curse?

Read this if you like:
✅ Some monster smut
✅ Fated mates
✅ Magic and mythical creatures

I went into this expecting a lighthearted, romantic romp of a good time and I was not disappointed. Now I might have to get my hands on the second book in this series!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Jane Night]

I DNF'd this book at 68 pages.
I think this book could definitely work for other people, but it did not work for me.
I really was expecting more romance, but at least in the early book, there was more lust than love. I didn't like the way Leo talks to Molly and I didn't like how everyone just pulls Molly in without telling her anything and expects her to do all this weird stuff and she doesn't push back hardly at all.
I didn't like Molly or Leo though to be fair, Leo hadn't been in the book long when I started reading.
I also felt like the early book was going roller coaster fast and I needed to slow things down and connect more with the characters and the world to really care about what was happening.

I do think the writing itself was fine and the book is SOOOOOO pretty. Like, just gorgeous.
I just wish it had worked for me.