The Curious Incident of the Great Cookie Snackcident of 979: A Cozy, Spicy, Shadow Monster Romance

The Shades of Sanctuary #2.5

by Kass O'Shire

The Curious Incident of the Great Cookie Snackcident of 979 is a cozy, slower burn workplace romance with two MCs who connect over a shared passion for their calling. It features a demi heroine, a non-binary shadow monster, wooing with snacks, footnotes from an in world narrator, and shadow tentacle play!

Genres: Fantasy, Monster Romance, Romance, Queer, Novella, Monsters, LGBT

120 pages, Paperback

Published June 27, 2024

Reviews

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a cute read with characters that had great chemistry. I just wish it had been a little longer and that we had gotten a little more from the background story.

3.5 rounded up.

[labibliofille · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Curious Incident of the Great Cookie Snackcident of 979 by Kass O'Shire was a fantastic time! I actually laughted out loud at some of the quippy one-liners, the steamy scenes were perfection, and I loved the genuine chemistry growing between these coworkers to friends to lovers. 10/10 would recommend and would absolutely read again.

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novela ambientada en el mismo universo de "The Shades of Sanctuary". Ha estado linda, pero ni de lejos lo considero la mejor novela de esta saga. Me hubiera gustado conocer más el trasfondo de las sombras. Pero bueno, espero que los próximos libros traigan algo.

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

I’m a sucker for shadow enby MCs and Senka was adorbs. This book was a cozy slow burn workplace romance with a demi FMC who got absolute acceptance for that part of her. They were both super consent conscious and had a tender relationship. They had their silly moments, which kept the story moving forward.

Spice: 4/5

Triggers: mention of past partner pressuring for sex and demiphobia

[Margherita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute and cozy addition to the series

[monsterinthepages · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Curious Incident of the Great Cookie Snackcident of 979
RELEASE DATE: 27th June 2024

━━ † ━━

Well this was just the SWEETEST bundle of wholesomeness—and something that I’ve grown to love with Kass’s stories!

Abi & Senka were absolutely tooth-rottingly ADORABLE together and their romance was so tender and gentle. I love me some nonbinary characters and Senka was the biggest cinnamonroll that I just wanted to hug and never let go. And Abi brought in some lovely Demi representation too! Overall it was queer and it was WONDERFUL!

I also loved Senka’s shadow tentacles and tendrils and the unique spin on some intimacy that made me swoon, so thank you Kass!

If you love a short, cozy and sweet monster romance with a touch of workplace romance, a little bit of spice, adorable cinnamonrolls in love, love as a good language and a cute underlying story that delves deeper into some lore of the Shades of Sanctuary universe than I would highly recommended this novella! 5/5 stars!!

━━ † ━━

❗️I received this ARC via sign up and every part of this review is written willingly and genuinely with my own personal feelings/thoughts and is under no conditions or obligations❗️

[Christina (Christina's Book Corner) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Curious Incident of the Great Cookie Snackcident of 979 is a cozy, slower burn workplace romance with two MCs who connect over a shared passion for their calling. It features a demi heroine, a non-binary shadow monster, wooing with snacks, footnotes from an in world narrator, and shadow tentacle play!


Review: a cute spicy workplace romance with cooking and tentacles

Abi and senka work together and abi brings senka some of her moms treats

Senka is a shadow person and abi and senka have developed a friendship but when senka invites abi over to cook it developed into more and gets spicy .

[Lia ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story rating: 3.0⭐️ | Romance lvl: 3.0⭐️
Spice lvl: 2.0🌶️  | Smut frequency: 2.0⏳

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Tropes:
🦉 Demi sexual owl shifter fmc
✨ Non-binary shades
👉 Slice of life
☁️ Cozy
🧡 Friends to lovers
🕯️ Slow burn

----------------------—


This is a very short story in the Shades of Sanctuary series with additional lore about the Lady and the cutest love story between 2 of her guards. No angst, just 2 people being friends then ✨more✨ while sharing snacks. ☺️

Both MCs are super adorable (as are all Kass O'Shire MCs) and this book is the perfect if you're feeling a little hangover over the other books of that series 😉


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

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[Sanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just a very adorable little novella, which serves as a nice side story within The Shades of the Sanctuary world, as well as adding little sprinkles of lore that were really lovely to read. The main characters are both such cinnamon rolls (or cookies?) and seeing them going from new colleagues, to friends and eventually to something more, in only a few chapters was really well done. Although I wouldn't have complained if the novella was a bit longer, it didn't feel rushed either.

🦉 Owl-shifter
🍪 Work romance
🦉 Non-binary rep
🍪 Sweet and spicy

All in all this novella was a nice little treat and only makes me more excited for The Rake OR The Orca Who Met His Match in a Selkie Desiring Revenge next year!

A big thank you to the author Kass O'Shire for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Michaela Carrizales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc review
Workplace romance
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

“Abi couldn’t remember a time when she had laughed so hard or so often as she did with Senka.”-cue kicking of feet

(I totally agree with Senka,in that socks are 100% feet prisons)

The Curious Incident of the Cookie Snackcidnet of 979, is full of sugary fun. Abi and Senka are the cutest cinnamon rolls around. Their dedication to their jobs and lore keeps you immersed in the Shades of Sanctuary universe.

If you enjoy cozy and sweet monster romances, you will love the friendship and relationship Abi and Senka form.


I recieved an advanced reader copy, but these thoughts and feelings are my own.

‼️*Don’t read on an empty stomach, this book will have you craving a sweet treat‼️

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review: I think I’m biased cause I’m now in love with Senka (sorry Torsten) this is a short little spicy story of two coworkers finding so much joy in each other interests and falling in love.

The spicy is *chefs kiss* we always love a new perspective on tentacle play 😉

There is respect
There is consent
There is conversation about feelings instead of pining forever and lastly but most importantly
There is playing in the kitchen!

I love the little comments Kass adds to their books after each chapters and these two sweet characters are so supportive of each other your heart will want to implode.

I can’t recommend this enough if you want a quick, spicy little reading reward to get you through the day.

[Joni (livebythemoon7) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this quick read. It was cozy, sweet, and wholesome but also a bit spicy. I loved the dynamic of the MCs and how very sweet they were with each other.

I received an advance copy. This review is honest and voluntary.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, who doesn't love a shadow daddy. Slow burn but enjoyable. I love the way the came together and we're instant friends, turned into lovers. Cute fun read just like the rest of the series.

🌶🌶 on the spice scale but still very very good!!!

[TJ Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things I didn’t know I needed: cozy fantasy with a side of raunch. This is a low stakes, no angst tale full of 🌶️ and 🍪. The author dives into the fantasy world with very little explanation of hows. I appreciate this approach. There were footnotes a plenty for those that wanted to know more but I was contented to read the story as it was presented. There is a small mystery that our two protags (an elf and a shade?) are in as they barrel headfirst into their attraction for each other. It’s wrapped up cleanly and sweetly and I find myself longing to know more. I guess I’ll visit those footnotes after all.

[aspeccharactersoftheday]

Abi from The Curious Incident of the Great Cookie Snackcident of 979 is demisexual!

https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...

[McKayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just so insanely cute, cozy, with a dash of spicy! Kass has such a way with words that every book just makes you want to curl up with hot cocoa to enjoy it. This was no different! Truly such a perfect book! I love the friends to lovers!! 🥹🖤

[niki_reads_romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

so original, sexy, and interesting

This authors work is so unique! I love that I’ve never read anything like these before, and that each one is so interesting!
Senka and Abbi had a wonderful relationship based on friendship and admiration, and seeing their friendship blossom into more was so sexy.
Though short, this story felt complete and full, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

[Jenni · Rating 2 out of 5]

came for the demi rep and shadow smex. stayed because it was so short i might as well finish it.

[SeasaltRose · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars. I’ve been excited to read this book since I learned the protagonist is demisexual. It’s pretty rare to have ace spec representation in fantasy romance so I guess maybe I was expecting too much. If I had to pick one thing I liked the least I’d choose the dialogue. The worldbuilding is extremely interesting and the best part of these books.

[May (toastyreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has got everything. It is cozy, friends to lovers, workplace romance, steamy, and features a demi-sexual heroine and a non-binary shadow monster ... What else could you possibly need??

Abi. WEEEEE I LOVE ABI. I related a lot to her, and I loved that her and Senkas love language was food. I loved the interactions with her and Senka, and how she responded to Senkas innocent but also sometimes dirty questions. Abi was a good girl indeed.

Senka. WHAT A GOOD BEAN. I want to protect them at all costs. The fact they are the ones that called a snack accident a Snackcident.... stole my heart so quickly! They are just so good, so wholesome, so full of love. Even with them being the sweetest bean, they also pulled out some of the best dirty talk (Torsten still reigns supreme but it is really close) and they really know how to use their shadow tentacles.

"“Abi,” they whispered, drawing out her name in a tease. “I’ll ask you again, do I make you nervous?” Abi shook her head, her cheek impacting the top of their head. “No, not nervous.” “Not nervous ... interesting.” Their lips brushed against the shell of Abi’s ear as they spoke, sending shivers through her. “Do I excite you then, is that what this means? Does your blood race when I touch you? Are these wee gasping breaths for me?” Abi whimpered."

P.S I am still LOVING the footnotes, they seem to be getting better and better. They really save me and answer questions I have before I have too long to wonder.

[Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐️
2.5/5🌶

* I received an ARC, and this is my honest review *

This book was really cute. I didn't want it to end. The fact that the main characters fell in love over their lunch break and their love for food, it's just too cute.

If you have read the other books in the series, you are gonna love this little novella. It fits in between the two books, and it has a bunch of easter eggs that make it that much fun to read.

It's has some spicy scenes between the main characters, some spicy cooking classes, some shadow fun. It has a bit of everything.

I finished the book so fast, I wish it was a full novella. It does have some plot, and it follows a story, but it might go a bit fast-paced.

Overall, it was a really cute and sweet book. I will for sure be making does cookies.

*Thank you so much to the author Kass O'Shire for the ARC. I really enjoyed the book*

[Ra! ʕ •̀ ω •́ ʔ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thoughts
I think me and this author's style unfortunately don't jive. This is the second book I've read and I didn't love it. I thought this one would be better as it had less of a stylistic choice in storytelling but it bored me. Abi and Senka are adorable characters and the concept of them cooking and having a crush was so cute but the story itself bored me.

Format: Ebook

The Rating
I give this book a 2/5🌟 rating. I really thought I was going to loved this (so much so I preordered it) but unfortunately i did not.

Check out my socials

[Biblio · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Kass writes it I know I'm going to love it! Senka is such a cool and unique character! Shade with all the shadow tentacles and can literally melt into you. Yes please. That's what I mean when I say I want to be close to someone lol. Abi is such a fun FMC too and an owl shifter! Eeee. I love this series and world so much. A sweet slow burn with demisexual and non-binary rep and snack bonding (my favorite).

[Anais (atrailofpages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abi watches the Lady’s slumbering place and starts a position with a new partner, a shade or shadow monster, called Senka. When they first meet, there is a “snackcident” as Senka calls it, and a friendship is born, and maybe something more.

This is a really quick and cute read. I personally love to cook and bake and I loved how these two connected over baked goods and enjoyed “cooking” together 😏

Sirin and Berne also made an appearance, which I loved! I have missed Sirin and her antics!

I just love this world the author has created and I look forward to more!

I received a gifted e-copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Gleeful Goblin Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gleeful Goblin Review: I cannot put into words how utterly charming this book is. This book and specifically this scene have now permanently added "snackcident" into my vocabulary because while I don't have a shade to cause them I too suffer from snackcidents. "Looking around, the cavern was entirely unoccupied. She was due to meet her new partner here after her lunch break, so she’d decided to eat here rather than in the break area. She’d rather not be late, and it gave her some downtime to spend with her Goddess. For years, she’d regarded the Lady as something of an older sister rather than a mother figure like most people did. She just appeared so young, but that had only made her feel more accessible to Abi growing up. She’d taken to conversing with the Lady as if she were a friend or older sister and hadn’t ever really stopped. “You’re going to be seeing a lot more of me,” Abi said, digging through her basket to discover a wrapped hand pie, a small salad, some berries, and a stack of cookies. “I’ve gotten a promotion! I’m one of your personal guards now, just like I always told you I’d be. I didn’t ask for you to intervene because that seemed like favoritism, but if you did anyway, thank you. “I’m supposed to share these cookies with co-workers, but the only other person I anticipate seeing today is my partner, who is a shade ... I suppose I can share with them, but I’m not even certain if shades eat cookies—” “Oh, we do!” said a smooth voice to her left. Abi jumped at the sound. Dropping the package of cookies, she whipped her head around to search the shadows. The darkness thickened until it coalesced into a humanoid form. Wisps of shadow rose from the shade’s shoulders and the darkness clung to them, reluctant to let go. Their eyes glowed the same color as lunula only an inch or two above Abi’s own. Like many shades, their body seemed to shift and change as she watched, one second, they’d have broad shoulders and a tiny waist, the next they’d be rounder like Abi. Upon seeing Abi’s reaction, they gasped, and their hands flew to cover their mouth. “Oh my Goddess, I didn’t mean to scare you! I’m sorry I seem to have made you have a snackcident! I forget it can be startling sometimes!” The shade, presumably her partner, floated over to Abi, forgoing the appearance of walking that some shades affected, and picked up the packet of cookies. “You must be Abi, I’m Senka.”

I utterly adore Senka because of their personality and in equal measure I would want to BE Senka if I had the opportunity. As a gender ambivalent gremlin myself the description of shades just made soul deep sense to me and was so fun to see in fiction I love: "Senka uses they/them pronouns, as do many shades. The malleable nature of their bodies means that they don’t have a biological sex. While many identify more strongly with one gender, and fashion their bodies and pronouns accordingly, the majority prefer to use non-binary pronouns and allow their forms to shift as they feel. Shade physiology is fascinating. Their forms can be entirely permeable or corporeal as needed. Though they spend most of their time in a transitional state, they can become either phase or any step in between." This description is dope and I love everything about it.

Abi is likewise a delight and I loved reading about an owl shifter! As someone who loved reading the Animorphs series as a kid.....and an adult...the way that the author discusses shifting and how residents who are shifters use that ability is totally engrossing. Speaking of totally engrossing, I don't know what magic the author did here to make a short novella have phenomenal friend based bonding/slow burn feeling romance vibes but WOW. I felt like before anything even slightly steamy happened that these two were firm and loving friends which again just speaks to my soul as someone who identifies as demi. So when I read this section I'm not gonna lie it was through some happy misted eyes: "Abi nodded, her cheeks starting to hurt from smiling so much. “I can take a while to warm up to people, I’ve found. It seems to take a bit longer for me than other people. I’m sorry if it was confusing.” Senka caught her chin with their hand, staring into her eyes. “We can take as long as we need, for everything. The only people concerned with our schedule are the two of us, and frankly, I don’t see it as waiting. I’m happy to savor every stage with you. Pining for you was extremely pleasurable torture, and I’m confident I’ll love every phase of our relationship. There’s no need to stress or feel pressured, I don’t.” SWOON. Add this book to your collection immediately and enjoy these two adorkable weirdos as much as I did. 5/5 Stars

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 4.5
Spice 🌶🌶
Single POV (until epilogue)

Cozy fantasy romance
Monster novella
Workplace romance
Forced proximity
Friends to lovers
Demi FMC
Non-binary MC
Bond over food
Tentacle play
HEA

I adored The Curious Incident of the Great Cookie Snackcident of 979! Kass O’Shire has such a gift for blending cozy charm with the soft edges of gaslight fantasy, and this novella was no exception. Set in the same world as her Shades of Sanctuary series, it gave me everything I wanted: warmth, whimsy, and a slow-burn romance that felt both intimate and quietly magical.

The story follows Abi, a demi-human FMC, and Senka, a shade who can shift shape and gender at will. Their dynamic was such a joy to read. I loved watching them bond over food, especially since Senka doesn’t need to eat but chooses to as a form of social connection and curiosity. That small detail said so much about Senka’s character and added a wonderful layer of emotional depth to their growing relationship.

What really struck me was how their connection unfolded as both a sweet, tender friendship and a gentle romance. O’Shire captured that soft, trusting progression beautifully, balancing affection and attraction in a way that felt genuine and earned. At the same time, the novella managed to delve deeper into the lore of the Sanctuary universe, expanding the world’s texture without losing the cozy focus on the characters.

I also appreciated how naturally Senka accepted Abi’s demi identity. The way they recognized and respected the significance of Abi’s gift of desire was tender and powerful. O’Shire handled that aspect with such sensitivity and authenticity.

And yes, I have to mention the shadow tentacles. They were hot, in that perfect, fantasy-tinged way that fits the tone of the story. Rather than feeling gratuitous, those moments deepened the intimacy and highlighted the trust between the characters.

Overall, this novella felt like curling up with a mug of something warm in a world that’s both familiar and filled with quiet magic. It’s a sweet, cozy, and heartfelt addition to O’Shire’s expanding universe, and I can’t wait to see what corner of Sanctuary she explores next.

[Maria F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tendrils, and tentacles, and shadows… oh my!! 😍

The Curious Incident of the Great Cookie Snackcident of 979 is a cozy low-angst gaslamp novella taking place in the Shades of the Sanctuary world.

Our main characters, Abi (the demi sexual female guard and owl shifter) and Senka (a non-binary shadow monster) are partnered together at work and bond over meal breaks and tasty snacks 🍪(awwwww🥹). I adored the gentle friendship and tender romance that grows between the pair! Being a novella we have a short, but oh-so-sweet 🍪 and spicy 🌶️, story which expands very nicely on plot lines from a previous Shades of the Sanctuary novel. I really loved having a blend of new and old characters.

What I love most about the writing in this series is the effortless way that banter (in this case very cute banter) morphs into chemistry and sexual heat. I giggled so much!!!! The amount of spice in this book was just right for me to get a nice balance between plot and spice.

I would recommend reading A Polar Expedition and Other Stimulating Research Opportunities before this one so that you will recognize a few other characters here and understand events leading up to our Great Snackcident. Let’s be real, I love all the characters in The Sanctuary so I would recommend reading them anyway!!!

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Will I reread? Yes!!
Would I recommend? Yes (if you like spice and monsters)

*A big thank you to Kass O’Shire for the advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review!*

[Jacinta Kruger-Barnard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read a book that used pronouns for those who are non-binary or gener fluid, so this was a little harder to read in terms of understanding when "they" and "their" was being used to refer to Sekna or when it was being used to refer to the collective or group of people.
This is absolutely nothing against the writing. In fact, I think this takes a lot more work, to get your story to make sense when using these pronouns. It takes more creativity in my opinion.

I hope this story is a taste of a bigger story we might see with Abi and Senka. I'd love to know more about the Lady and if Senka and Abi are able to have children or if they face the difficult topic of not even wanting children.

The world being built in these books is so lovely, it is marvelous to learn more about it with each book.

This story is still well written and I still love the world and the characters, I just struggled to full immerse myself in the story. The characters are interesting and diverse and leave you wanting to get to know them throughout the story. I find myself wanting to know more about what the Lady looks like and her size. I don't remember her ever being described.
All that aside, this book is really sweet and reminds me of the tenderness and love you get when loving someone unconditionally. Still a good story even though it didn't capture me in the same way others have.

Kass is an absolute gem of an author to bring so much diversity to their stories and still allow it to flow without it feeling forced or out of place.

[Ash (so there’s this book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Spice: 3.5/5🌶️
ARC REVIEW: PUB DATE IS JUNE 27, 2024

*This novella takes place between the events in A Polar Expedition and other Stimulating Research Opportunities and On The Care and Keeping of Orcs.

Tropes & Themes: shifter x shadow monster, demisexual and non-binary representation, co-worker romance, friends to lovers, shadow tentacles, and Sanctuary lore galore!

Spoiler-free summary:
Abi is honored and excited to be working with her new partner, Senka, a shade that was created for the sole purpose of protecting their Lady. As they get to know one another and form a beautiful friendship, an adorable romance blooms.

Thoughts:
This was such a cute novella!
I absolutely adore Abi and Senka! Their relationship was so sweet and I adored how Senka was able to meld into Abi’s body for a super sexy “learning to cook” scene.

And I mean come on, how adorable is it that they fell in love during their meal breaks 🥹

What really knocked this out of the park for me was all of the lore we got about this world. I really appreciate all the little extra nuggets! While this takes places, chronologically, between books one and two, this felt like the perfect refresher for the characters in book three!

If you love this world, this is a must read, and if you haven’t read Kass’s Shades of Sanctuary series, I highly recommend you do so!!

[fern.does.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg yall I got this ARC and it was so cute.
I had no idea what to expect from this book since I wanted to go in blind and I'm glad I did!
Senka is a shade whose duty is to protect the Lady. they were so sweet and bubbly and funny I couldn't help but love them! I will say that when we had that first cooking scene and Senka flipped that switch oml. I about died. I think I melted all the way into the earth. it's rare that I get flustered while reading but Senka had me blushing 🤭
And Abi was so cute! She was nice and I loved how brave she could be when it came to protecting the Lady.
I loved the representation of being demi in this book and being nonbinary! it was done so well it's clear Kass took great care with it.
the intimate moments between Senka and Abi were so different than anything I've ever read about. I think the Shade anatomy is so cool and how they can go from corporeal to permeable. that was super interesting to get used to. it made each scene feel more intimate and meaningful. I loved it.
I also always have to mention the footnotes Kass does. it's just so unique and I love feeling like I'm reading someone's journal rather than just a regular book!
this was overall so good. I cannot wait to see what more is done with the discoveries made in this book!