Gotten by the Gator: A Fated Dates Novella

Fated Dates

by Lizzie Strong

Aurora's ex-husband got everything in the divorce—the dog, the house, the car, everything—and she's left to pick up the pieces. Crawling back home to her mother with her tail between her legs, she expecting a big, fat "I told you so" waiting for her in the small, woodsy farmland of Oklahoma. What she gets is a bottle of wine, a hug, and a drunken adventure into the woods with the mom she left behind to follow her heart. Now, she's got to figure out what's in store for her...but also, where did her shoes go? Retracing her steps the morning after is a journey, but it gets weirder when she finds her phone still intact in the middle of the woods. Even more suspiciously, there's a new app installed, something called KisMet—a dating app? Seriously? To her chagrin, it starts a cheesy game of hide-n-seek to 'help her find all she's looking for', which leads her to a cabin deep in the woods with a massive gator man standing on the front porch.

Yuri is the grumpiest gator there ever was, but he has a heart of gold, a soft touch, and a hunger for her that reminds her she's worth more than being some rich man's charity case. Aurora is an experience—a messy, still-figuring-it-out experience, but one Yuri is more than happy to play hide-n-seek with. Will she find what she's looking for in the surly but sweet gator, or is she doomed to be a hot-mess express all her life?

Gotten by the Gator is part of the Fated Dates multi-author series and a complete standalone. Want to read more tales of monsters getting matched via phone app? Get the complete series today!

Genres: Monster Romance, Novella, Monsters, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary

167 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2024

About the author

Lizzie Strong is A Monster Romance Author, where the monsters are spooky scary, and the romance is cute and cuddly. Queer Representation, Smink ;) friendly, consent heavy. A Florida swamp gremlin masquerading as a functioning human and author. The DM for a D&D podcast, previous retail and restaurant manager, constant worry wort, and romantic, Lizzie is always in between a brilliant idea and a dumb one. Inclusive books with magical nonsense, filled with monsters (you may or may not love) and mayhem. Find out more about her, the books coming out, and her nonsense at lizziestrongauthor.com

Reviews

[Grapie Deltaco · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot cuter than I was expecting but gets weird with our gator’s fluctuating confidence


CW: explicit sexual content, descriptions of past domestic abuse, brief moments of violence, brief descriptions of bullying

[Johanna 夏✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quote: “𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒, 𝒹𝑜𝓃’𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊?”
•
I didn’t know that I needed a gator-small-town-romance for my heart to go feral and laying giggling and kicking my feet on my couch 🐊🦋
Especially every time he calls her “Dollface” it does something to me 🤭
Although it is a short novella the story has a great plot with depth, they are so cute and the spice is really hot 🔥🥵 the hunting 😮‍💨🔥
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5⭐️/5
3🌶️/5
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Tropes:
🐊 small town romance
🐊 monster romance
🐊 grumpy x sunshine
🐊 age gap
🐊 magical dating app
🐊 “Dollface” 🦋
🐊 “my gator” & “my human”
🐊 plus-size fmc

[spidermse · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Figured a girl like you could use some flowers and a night off."
"Oh?" She took the flowers tentatively, her big, green eyes peeking up at me. "And what kind of girl is that?"
"Mine?"

Well I am in love with a giant gator man now. And here is why you'll love Yuri too:

1. He calls her "dollface".
2. When he learns that she likes to read he says he'll have to get a library card so he can keep up with her.
3. He chases her through the woods.
4. When he meets her shitty ex husband....well I think you can guess what happens.
5. He has a tail....and uses it.
6. He's a salt and pepper haired grump with a heart of gold.

Did Aurora make some questionable decisions in this story? Yes. But it's fiction so we can ignore the fact that stumbling through the woods alone and hungover because an app told you to is a bad idea. And hey it worked out for her in the end. Even if she never found her shoes.

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

Grumpy gator boi who needs love? Sign me up!
Yuri was such a sweetie pie and a great match for Aurora. Aurora was starting over after an emotionally abusive marriage and I swear she looked at Yuri and said bet. A woman after my own heart. Their story was messy and cozy and oh so adorable, with both of them willing to go to bat for the other.

Spice: 4/5

Triggers: discussions of past emotionally abusive marriage, divorce, discussion of attempted drowning of MC by 3rd party, discussion of past bullying of MC, social isolation, sexist comments (not by MC), animal giving birth, brief mentions of injured animals (mom is a vet)

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aurora, a down on her luck divorcée who has recently moved back to her home town, meets Yuri, a reclusive grumpy gator man, in the middle of the woods after she stumbles onto his property all thanks to a mysteriously meddlesome dating app that sends her on a scavenger hunt for her missing belongings that she lost the night before while tromping through the woods drunk off her ass.

The two instantly hit it off, and what ensues is an adorably sweet but deliciously spicy fast burn monster romance that had me giggling and fanning myself.

Gotten by the Gator is an absolute perfect start to the Fated Dates series, and I’m so excited for the other books in this series!

[Biblio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this one. I'm a sucker for a gator daddy but Yuri takes the cake! I also really enjoyed how the app worked in this one. Super creative and honestly felt so magical. This short story has some darker themes that were handled perfectly and resolved beautifully. Yuri and Auroras first meeting is burned in my brain forever. Did I say I loved this one?! Perfection.

[Kat Reads Skulls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fluffy and sweet are not normally words I think of with gators, but here I am in love with another one of Lizzie’s monsters. Yuri is the curmudgeonly yet caring introvert we all dream of and Aurora’s somehow shy but fafo attitude are such a great pair. For a novella, I didn’t expect myself to get so caught up in the plot, but I’m invested in Aurora’s stumbling path to loving herself again and LOVED the ending with Anthony! He found out in the most satisfying way and it was the best way to end the book! I liked the inclusion of the app, the magical touches behind that were really cute. Pure, teeth rotting fluff with spice that somehow made it sweeter, this was the perfect book to giggle and kick my feet to after a long day

[Reid Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m kinkier than I thought? Also gator men are it for me. Yuri is sexy as hell and I want my own. Please and thank you!!

But in all seriousness, this novella is so ily, sweet and so oh so funny. Typical Lizzie Strong. I’m never disappointed.

[Oleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Тільки зараз дійшла до написання відгуку)
3,5 ⭐

Загалом, історія про дівчину, яка розійшлась з аб'юзивним колишнім і повернулась в маленьке містечко до батьків. В один вечір вона напивається, встановлює додаток для знайомст (він трошки магічний, тому він якоимось чином показує місцерозташування того, чого ти дуже хочеш) та йде вночі гуляти в ліс)) саме там вона знаходить відлюдькуватого чоловіка-алігатора, на якого вказував її додаток.

Враження від історії трошки змішане, бо ну люблю я монстр романи з любовкою та цим всім пізнанням одне одного, але тема цього додатку знайомст досить погано розкрита, бо я дупля досі не відстрелюю як то воно все працювало. До цього всього ще доєдналось, що я ніяк не змогла собі уявити цього алігатора 🥲

[Rina ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much! Aurora and Yuri are super cute together. I need my own grumpy gator with a heart of gold! This story is cozy and sweet with lots of heat. I highly recommend it!

[BatDuckie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic 🤌🏻

I absolutely loved this. Yuri is such a sweetheart. This was a perfect mix of Grumpy and sunshine trope rolled into a monster romance.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hooweeee this book is a sizzler! Yuri is a true grumpy cinnamon roll, he just needs a bit of love like we all do.

Poor Arora has been kicked to the curb by her dirtbag ex husband. Don’t question her questionable actions like running through the woods barefoot.

Honourable mentions to:
- calls her ‘Dollface’
- feeds her
- uses his tail
- primal chasing
- plus size Fmc
- healing salve is necessary

[Ra! ʕ •̀ ω •́ ʔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as an e-arc in exchange of an honest review! Thank you so much!!

Thoughts
I liked both of the main characters! Aurora is returning home after being cheated on by her horrible husband. Yuri got what he wish for but it left him as a gator / human creature living in the woods. I loved seeing a gator person(?) because that's something I haven't seen in monster romances before and it was really unique and the concept itself of wishes was fun as well. This truly felt like a fall read, especially with the small town setting! I also felt that the chemistry and mutual comfort and understanding between Aurora and Yuri was everything!
I usually don't like nicknames but I loved dollface as a one! It surprised me!

Tropes:
— Small Town
— Primal Play
— Hurt / Comfort

Horn Level: 5/5🌶️
Format: E-Arc

The Rating
I give this book a 3/5🌟 rating. This book was sweet and fun! I can't wait to read the other books in this series collaboration!

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[Kelsey Rhodes · Rating 1 out of 5]

No! Absolutely not! Some things just shouldn't be published. I probably lost what brain cells I was trying to hold onto after the 50th 'dollface'. This was so poorly written. There was no substance, which some may argue was the point. But then at least the grammar and spelling should be accurate. The FMC had no spine or personality beyond "weepy woman cheated on" and the alligator man person was very meh. I think this quote just about sums up the entire reading experience for me (while her engine roared to life, mine died a sudden and unexpected death) ...

"I felt the tingle between my thighs as my unloved engine roared to life."

[Aria Maze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wooooo Weeeee I was not expecting this. At. All.

How cute!!! Our sweet babygirl Aurora leaves an extremely toxic relationship with a man she gave her all to but didn’t even bother reciprocating to her. She is forced out and goes home with her tail between her legs to her welcoming mama. That night they drown her sorrows in wine and she wakes up to her belongings missing. That brings her (literally) to the door step of the grumpy ol gator, Yuri.

Yuri is perfection.

“Dollface” 🤭

“That’s my girl.” 🫠🫠🫠🔥🔥🔥🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

He feeds her, he gets a damn library card to keep up with her reading, and he loves carrying her. 🫠 The way he talks about her curves absolutely makes me giddy and giggly. We love plus size love!!!!

I wasn’t expecting this novella to sweep me off of my feet but it did. I loved these two and I’m so happy I got to read this ARC.

Thank you for writing for us plus sized girls. It’s such a wonderful thing seeing myself reflected and represented in the books I read. 🥹🥹

[Ruby Dalegendaryreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gator man probably one of the best MMC I read in a while and that's saying something.

Aurora, freshly divorced, went back home to heal her broken heart and quite frankly, she got nowhere to go. After a drunken night, she saw an app on her phone that led her to Yuri.

It's short, and I wanted more. I love the concept of this fated mates but through a dating app, and it's monster romance? No surprise that I love this one. It's really fun, sweet and v romantic that I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Where can I download this app? I want my own monster!

[Lia ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read for any monster lover!

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Story rating: 4.0⭐️ | Romance lvl: 5.0⭐️
Spice lvl: 3.5🌶️  | Smut frequency: 4.0⏳

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~ STORY 📝 ~

Lizzie Strong does it again and I'm in love with both MCs bc they're absolutely chaotic, absolutely adorable, and absolutely perfect with each other. 🥰

It's short, it's funny, it's heart melting and OF COURSE IT'S 🔥SPICY🔥 !

Long story short 100000% recommend for a good light read 🥰

~ SPICE 🌶️ ~

If you read "Gotten by The Gator", you're in for:

🐊 size difference
🐊 man (gator?) handling
🐊 outdoors s€x
🐊 primal play



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

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[Nastia · Rating 5 out of 5]

(full review is coming but for now...)
this book was everything i needed right now. Girl with a broken hearth whose ex-husband made her feel like she is not enough. And during her drunk-night with mother she wished for something in the magical forest...da-dum...meet gator (half gator, half man) who is a grumpy, but he knows how to treat a lady and especially he knows how to treat and eat our girls.

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

*This book was an ARC. This is my honest voluntary review*

I. Loved. This. Lizzie absolutely did it again.
I loved how Aurora and Yuri interacted, their fantastic little meet-cute, the app was hilarious, and just enjoyed every bit of this novella. Especially the scene with the tail because it wouldn't be a Lizzie story if there wasn't a bit of Monster action 👀
10/10 fully recommend 🤌

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything this book has: Small town, fated mates, plus size fmc, monster romance, age gap, grumpy mmc and more. This book is my new favorite monster romance and I can’t wait to reread it.

[Heather Combs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a quick, fun little read. It was the sort of light and fluffy romance I needed right now in my life.

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

eeeee

lizzie never misses

[Noriboo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, fastburn paranormal romance. Yuri was the sweetest gator hybrid boyfriend any person could wish for.

[Luna ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was cute but insta love and very quick into smut

[Jor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable read. Loved it

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want a quick read that will having you kicking your feet giggling one moment and needing a cold shower the next? And maybe asking the universe to send a gator fairy your way? I'm a little obsessed with the covers of the Fated Dates series so I was immediately drawn in. This is the first one I picked up to read and my first time reading one of Lizzie Strong's books. Now I need them all, both in the series and all of Lizzie Strong's books. I'm a sucker for a dating app/online dating story and the magic twist in this was unique and a lot of fun. I loved all of the characters and the small town setting. It was a perfect cryptid romance. Aurora and Yuri were perfect together and had some moments that will be living rent free in my head for the foreseeable future.

[Drew Osburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute but the ending was so rushed. could have stood to be twice as long so we could get closure on all the conflict

[Chantel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay wow this story was cute cosy and spicy my only issue is I definitely wish it was longer.

[Tab_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ 3🌶️
MOOD: lighthearted, emotional
TROPES: instalust, age gap, grump/sunshine
GENRES: contemporary, fantasy, monster

MAIN CHARACTERS: Aurora and Yuri

THE GOOD: This a cute and sweet monster romance.
THE MEH: Yuri's physical description seems inconsistent. How much of a gator is he? Is it just that he's over-critical of his appearance? I didn't think much of this until someone from out of town just calls him ugly - granted he's kind of in the shadows during this scene but no one is running away from the local cryptid.

CW: mentions of bullying, death of parents (off page), emotional abuse
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.

[Grace Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
don’t think i could’ve done a full length novel of this but this was just enough