Solan

Monsters & Mates #1

by Becca Seymour

Getting a boner for the monster who saved us shouldn’t make sense in any universe. But here we are.

When a piece of Earth gets ripped into a monstrous new world, I barely have time to panic before I’m fighting for my life—and for Jamie’s. Terrafeara isn’t just dangerous; it’s a nightmare brought to life, where humans like us are hunted, enslaved, or worse.

Then there’s Solan. A beast of a warrior with horns I want to ride, fangs I want to lick, and a body built for war—and for wrecking me. He swears he’ll protect me, but his idea of protection comes with possessive touches, growled promises, and a claim I’m not sure I can resist.

But I don’t have time for this. I have a kid to keep safe. And with monsters, mercenaries, and power-hungry rulers after us, staying alive is hard enough. The only way to survive is to trust Solan, trust the rebels, and trust this connection between us that’s stronger than fear.

Because in a world designed to break us, maybe love is the sharpest weapon of all.

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Monsters, Aliens, Monster Romance

394 pages, Paperback

Published March 10, 2025

About the author

Becca Seymour is a British/Aussie author and the #1 gay romance best seller of the True-Blue series. Known for "steamy and endearing" and "emotionally profound love stories" (InD'tale Magazine) her books have been nominated for multiple RONE Awards.

Becca has a sweet tooth for marshmallow-hearted monsters, swoon-worthy supernatural studs, and everyday guys and basketball players with hearts of gold. If you like your MM romance sweet, spicy, and occasionally action-packed, slip into stalker mode and fall hard for her True-Blue and Minnesota Eagles men—and maybe a shifter or monster two.

Monsters & Mates
Solan | Kael | Varek

Zone Defense

No Take Backs | No More Secrets | No Wrong Moves | No Backing Down


Fast Break

Rules, Schmules! | Facts, Smacts! | Regular Smegular! | Easy, Schmeasy!


True-Blue 
Let Me Show You | I’ve Got You | Becoming Us | Thinking It Over | Always For You | It’s Not You | Our First & Last | Next For Us


Outback Boys 

Stumble | Bounce | Wobble


Fangs & Felons

Thicker Than Water | Weaker Than Instinct | Brighter Than Fear | Stronger Than Fate | Softer Than Stone


Stand-Alone Contemporary

Not Used To Cute | High Alert | Realigned | Amalgamated | Under the Blazing Stars | Best Kind of Awkward | Tastes Like Sugar | Caden & Theo | Full Tilt


REVIEWS:
"WOW! Simply, Wow! A funny, steamy and endearing story that should be put into your family of books. Something that you can read over and over again when you need a pick me up." The Book Fairy Reviews

"An intense connection that smolders" - JayReads
"This book was a slow burn and I loved it." - Steamy Book Momma

"Characters to pull for, a romance to give you feels, and enough steam to keep you turning pages..." - Romantic Reads and Such

"Emotionally profound love story with many laugh aloud moments." - InD'tale Magazine

"Becca had me cracking up laughing and smiling ear to ear." - HeidiLynns BookReviews

Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A flicker of light in the shadows catches my eye. Movement follows, and then I freeze, gawping like a kangaroo who just spotted a dingo wearing a koala costume. “You and the human child—come with me if you want to live.”

When Australian firefighter/farmer Jack and his nephew Jamie are isekai'd away to a strange land, they are rescued by Solan, an Arnold Schwarzenegger aficionado with red skin, fangs and horns. Together they find a way to survive in a land filled with hazards. I think most people are going to really like this book. There's a lot of fantastic world-building and the plot moves very quickly so there's no time to get bored (in theory). The writing and editing are professionally done. My personal issue with the book, and the reason for the 3 stars is that the pacing of the book didn't work for me, a reader who is interested in a even mix between plot and character development. I wanted more time for Jack and Solan to really get to know each other and have time to explore the world around them. I know the inevitable Lily Mayne comparisons are coming anyway so I'll just say that one thing I love about Lily's writing is how vividly descriptive it is. While reading Solan I wanted to know more about everything, for example what it was like for Jack to kiss someone with fangs. Most of the time I forgot Solan wasn't human. While we get a lot of description, the plot moved at such a quick pace that I missed out on those details and cute little interactions between MCs that usually crop up in the quieter moments. I never felt like Jack or Jamie were in any genuine danger because everything rushed along and conflicts were resolved in minutes. My favourite parts of the book were when Jack and Solan were alone and got time to explore their bond.

“You’re my tether,” he murmurs, his voice low and rough like gravel smoothed by time. “No matter what happens, no matter where this road takes us—you’re my anchor. My reason.”

Overall, the book was good but I lost interest in finishing it around the 60% mark. The chemistry was there between MCs, and all the important elements for a paranormal fantasy romance were there, it just wasn't connecting for me personally and I stopped caring about how things ended. There were a lot of cool things mentioned to setup additional books in the series and I think it will be successful. It just didn't work for me personally and the book didn't feel complete. I feel like I read the depth of a novella worth of characterization in a full length book.

Rating: 3
Angst: 3/5
Steam: 2/5

I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an interesting start to the series! I really enjoyed the world building and the amount of detail there was in explaining what was actually happening, even though we're finding out along with the MC. I also loved how a random monster started talking with an Aussie accent 😂😂

The human MC, Jack, and his nephew Jamie really took things in their stride and I thought it was funny how Jamie justified it by saying that plenty of stuff would try to kill you in Australia so what's really the difference with a monster realm 😂

Solan was such an interesting character and the way he's learnt to speak English and understand humans was hilarious!

I definitely enjoyed the set up for the series, and I would say that this is more of an HFN than a HEA, even though the featured couple are solid in their relationship pretty early on. I'm very intrigued to see what happens with the Riftborn and the queendom, the prince and his mate, and Kael who seemed like the most laid back monster encountered so far!

I'm also looking forward to seeing more about how the bonds between monsters and their human mates work too. I really hope that eventually when Jamie is older that he gets to bond with Caly too because it already felt like they had a very strong connection even though it was just friendship/mentor.

*****

I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️

TROPES:
🔥 Monster x human
🔥 Fated Mates

“You and the human child—come with me if you want to live.” A bubble of amusement, completely inappropriate given the situation, clogs my throat. Did he really go all Arnie on me?

A rift pulls Jack and his nephew into a new monstrous world. Thankfully, Solan is there to protect them.
This was a fun read, lots of action and explanations about the world-building.
A great series starter, full of potential and an intriguing world. The romance felt a little lacking for me personally, but I’m very curious to see where Becca Seymour will take this series next.

“You didn’t choose me,” I say with a small laugh. “Fate did.” Solan’s expression softens, and his fingers trail down my arm. “Maybe. But if I could choose a thousand times over, I’d still choose you.”

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Top/bottom (one scene)
- Sentient hair/tendrils (i’m still confused about the hair tbh)
- HFN ending

[Sandy Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable introduction to a new monster world/portal story featuring g a human-monster fated pairing. Reads a bit like an introduction and not a full story, but, I had a good time in the world and recommend the read.

Human MC Jack is torn from our world when a strange natural phenomena occurs that casts him and his 12 year old nephew into a different world, one full of monstrous creatures Jack has never seen before, but that seem determined to eat them.

Meeting monster MC Solan happen fortuitously just before they are killed...but was it really fortune, or fate that brought Solan right there, right then?

So ensues a lovely fated-mates romance in an alternate world, connected to ours by rifts that seem to bump into different worlds and send small parts of each replacing parts of it, to no seeming end. The crossover of worlds has given beings in this one exposure to English, eliminating the risk of too much miscommunication. There are dangerous creatures, and dangerous rulers who would take Jack and his nephew and use them for whatever they decided, something Jack is not interested in and Solan is determined will never happen. Keeping Jack and Jamie (the nephew) safe from hard becomes the powerful Solan’s purpose...and keeping Jack and Solan together becomes both of their strongest desire as biology takes its course and binds the two irrevocably.

Solan is a cool-sounding being, huge, horned, sentient hair tentacles that can...participate in...things... And Solan has a strong moral code that will set him at odds with those he’s worked for forever, giving up his status as a famed sort of enforcer to do what’s best for Jack and Jamie. At first the connection between Solan and Jack was strong, and then it felt like it all moved kinda fast emotionally...there is a rushed sensibility to the book. I would have enjoyed more romantic conflict and tension.

There’s a journey, a rebel group, more rifts happening, a missing prince, and much mayhem, but, somehow, they stay strangely safe through it all. Oh, and, Solan has an addiction to Arnold Schwarzenegger movies with the tendency to quote from them that you may find funny or too much. I leaned to the funny side. The story is not as gritty as Lily Mayne’s monster series, so if a kindler, gentler monster situation is for you, you may enjoy this!

It does feel like the beginning of a story, an introduction, not really a complete arc even for Jack and Solan. It felt like we were just getting started on the intrigue when it ended, and I imagine there will be more couples in this world that continue the plot. I enjoyed the opening and all the fated instincts and how bonding works, that’s my jam. Love fated mates! But I also felt like something was missing, like it never dug as deep as it could, and like things were just getting interesting plot-wise when it ended. And the fact that Jamie is separated from his parents doesn’t impact him nearly enough, I kept wondering how this kid was handling that so calmly. And, for some unknown reason, the author italicized the creature-names for several of the monsters, which was irritating and distracting and seemed to have no purpose. Still, I would certainly read more stories in this world.

HFN (but this couple is forever...just, the situation remains precarious). Fated mates, monster-human pair. Portal-type setup. No cheating/sharing/others at all, one moment of OM drama that I wish had been more of a big deal. I loved that moment of tension, and for once wouldn’t have minded that character being more part of the story. Safe for me. Recommended, and I’m looking forward to the next book.

My thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for the ARC; this is my free and impartial opinion.

[NitaBee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that the blurb is giving me ‘Lily Mayne Monstrous series’ vibes.

Right from the get go, this book drags you in with action and what the hell is going on. Cos it’s all happening.

Main character Jack, Geralt the horse and Jamie, his 12 year old nephew find life as they know it rapidly changing right in front of their eyes.

Jack has a er umm …what’s the opposite of meet/ cute with otherworldly Solan.

“This… person… creature… monster—who knows what the fuck he is, though I am sure it’s male—killed the klaus-thingy, which is the reason that Jamie and I are still breathing.”

I’m just trying to visualise . Pearlescent horns protruding from his head, shitload of muscles on display beneath his deep red skin. Two golden eyes but no eye brows or eye lashes and he’s humanoid. Fangs.

Oh and he speaks English. He also seems to be an action / science fiction films aficionado. Or a massive Arnold Schwarzenegger fan.

The two worlds , Earth and Terrafeara- there’s been this Cosmic bang and blending of worlds . Dimensional rifts. Solan decides he will be Jack and Jamie’s bodyguard.

Sloan and Jack touch and it is literally electric . There’s this mysterious awareness humming between them now.

“This is some next-level Area 51 shit, but exchange intergalactic aliens with monsters from another dimension.”

We find out Solan can use heat manipulation.

“Being turned on at all, let alone by a monster species, is hardly what I should be focussing on. Though, maybe in this world, I’m the monster.”

There’s talk of soul mates which I’m calling it now. That electric touch was the beginning of the soul mate bond and Solan totally knows.

“For us, there’s… a bond. A mate. One person who’s like a second soul.” He clears his throat, looking down at the dye as he continues applying it to my shoulders. “When the connection forms, it’s a link deeper than anything else. Physical, biological… emotional.”

They share a hot first kiss, with forked tongue but no mention of fangs. Maybe they retract like Vampires do? There’s verbal confirmation of their bonding and apparently there’s more to complete it but for now no sexy times - they need their rest. Cos this story has an action plot component. It’s not just romance.

“Thank Christ I’m dressed. At least whatever happens next, my bare dick won’t be greeting them. Talk about a boner killer.”

🤣🤣🤣

“Sure, we keep being interrupted, and there’ve been nonstop life-and-death situations going on, caused by monsters and plants who are determined to eat us and a realm that wants to enslave us. Talk about one clusterfuck after another.”

Oh I forgot about Jamie’s horse Ridge, he is also here.

There’s a Riftborn Rebellion, rebelling against the Queendom dictatorship.

“We’re willing to support the Riftborn, but our agenda isn’t to take down the monarchy.”

Solans hair makes me think it’s like a mix of Medusa’s hair and Hades ( specifically Disney animated Hades.)

Now if you are only here for smut, you’re gonna have to patiently wait til about 70% of the book to get to the sexy times.

“Holy fucking goodness and hail to monster dick.” I can’t look away. I try. Sort of. Okay, I barely try to meet his gaze to check that his huff is one of amusement at the way I’m eye fucking his cock like it’s a trophy.”

The sex is definitely out of this world 😂

“Whatever happens next, I know one thing for sure: We’ll face it together.”

I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s well written, funny and thrilling. From the start I was there with Jack and along for the adventure, getting lost between the pages. There was chemistry between Jack and Solan but with fast paced action and adventure not a lot of time or place to explore the chemistry . Which I get, but I wished we’d had a little more romance in the story.

I’m guessing future books will be the prince and his mate, and when Jamie is older I can see him with Caly. But who knows what’s in store.

I think book two is about Kael?

[Liv - Livslibrarylabyrinth · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐���.5 stars rounded up

“Getting a boner for the monster who saved us shouldn’t make sense in any universe. But here we are.”

This book has a much heavier focus on world building than romance so may not appeal to readers looking for a pure romance book. I personally enjoyed the high stakes and the somewhat complex plot but would have loved to see more of the tension slowly build between Jack and Solan.

I really liked the Australian references and I thought there was a good mix of humour thrown in to lighten the mood in a dystopian world.

Solan himself was a unique monster and I really appreciated the detail about him. I do think there was probably too much world building for the length of the book. There were a lot of characters introduced and it was difficult to keep up.

Overall I enjoyed the book and I will definitely be reading the next one. I just hope the next one has a bit more depth to the romance side of things.

This review is based on an ARC provided by Hot Tree Publishing but all thoughts are my own

[Trip · Rating 3 out of 5]

'There's nothing like an interdimensional clusterfuck to remind you that you're only human and nothing can prepare you for shit being this insane.'

I wanted to love this book and it had a lot of potential, but was very lacking in the romance for me. The world building definitely carries this story and it's a fascinating concept, I was intrigued throughout as information is revealed.

The idea of the rift, these different worlds overlapping and getting stuck - shifting and changing constantly, what's here one moment could be gone tomorrow. Along with mention of monarchy, training facility and rebellion plot line were interesting.

However for a short read it felt very overwhelming and information overload. Almost too much focus upon the setting and plot building up, which still didn't go far as setting up series.

While I adored the family bond between Jack and Jamie, their sticking together and all the care was lovely. Sadly Solan & Jack didn't give much, they were sweet together in regards to bond but I just wasn't invested in their romance. It felt both rushed and slow all in one, it didn't know where to go just following fate so lacked connection for me.

Still there were some great scenes, fighting back to back working together, the fire, lingering looks and of course the movie references. I've not really seen the films, but they were fun and the way Solan has based his knowledge on humans from these films was hilarious.

I do wish they'd had more time together just getting to know one another, build tension from their differences and with all the chaos going on around them.

Overall it was an enjoyable read, just didn't give as much as I'd wanted. I am curious to read more in the series though and I'd love if there were more focus upon Solan & Jack to give them that opportunity to develop their relationship other then bond. However I'm expecting something else based on the end of this tale.


Bonded/Fated mates
Forked tongue, horns
Interspecies
Flames
Hair tentacles/tendrils

Injuries


*ARC provided by Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review*

[Bec Tyrrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely didnt know what to expect going in as this is the first book Ive read by Becca Seymour. While I enjoyed the book overall, I wouldnt say it it was for me.

Firstly, Im not a huge fan of Australian settings so I dont think I started off well in that respect, altho I did know this ahead of time and still chose to read it so thats on me. I enjoyed the world building, albeit there’s a LOT of lore dumping for about 50% of the book but the descriptions of all the alien species were really fun and unique. I liked the merge of earth with alien landscapes.

The romance aspect was cute and the spice was really good, but it did feel a bit “insta-love” while also slow burn? Its a bit hard to explain but they fell in “love” a bit too quick for my tastes, except nothing really happens between them romance or relationship wise for about 60% of the book. And Jack and Solan were a smidge too bland for my taste again.

I also didnt realize this book was the start of a series and not an same universe stand alone. So the bigger plotline isnt really wrapped up, just the romance/relationship aspect gets fully established. Probably wouldnt have picked it up if Id known and should be written somewhere that its part of an ongoing non-standalone series.

I say all of this but overall, I did think it was a good book. I genuinely think it just didnt tick the boxes for the kinds of books I really enjoy, so take my review with a grain of salt. I think if you’re after a unique, high-world building, alien romance, this might be for you! Just unfortunately wasnt for me :)

[Elizabeth D · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 I don’t usually identify myself as a mood reader, but to be fair to this book, I want to state up front that I was perhaps not entirely prepared for my reaction to a portal fantasy book that is almost all fearsome landscape, tension, unknown rules, and fear. (I think RL might be making me crave more stability and low angst.) I think I wanted more quiet moments and relationship building, but that really wasn’t the set-up here, where there was almost constant danger and a lot of running. (And to be perfectly fair, it’s not like the blurb didn’t say that, I guess I just hoped it wouldn’t be quite that unrelenting.)

That being declared, there was still a lot to like about this novel. I love Jack’s devotion to Jamie no matter what. And I’m an Arnie fan, so Solan’s rampant admiration of all his films was endlessly amusing to me. I liked the quiet moments where Solan and Jack got to experiment with their bond. I enjoyed the variety of species with different looks and abilities (although I got rather fed up with them being called monsters by Jack all the time. They’re clearly a wide variety of intelligent life forms, and “monster”, while it might have been an understandable gut reaction at the beginning, just seemed more and more insulting and mean as the book progressed).

There’s clear set up for more of the series with a rebellion to fight, but there’s lots of fierce loyalties within fated pairs that it looks like will be a hallmark of each book. The world seems to have lots of flaws, including terrible governance, but there are people who want to change that, and some strong connections that are forming, not just between bonded pairs. I’m hoping to see more of Calythra with Jamie in the future.

I’m looking forward to more in this world—I’d sure like to see everyone get their HEA!

I received an ARC from GRR. This is my honest review.

[Jessie (thatchickwithabook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen: if you ever want to deep dive into an author’s backlist for some excellent MM romance, Becca Seymour is the way to go.

Solan is an epic romance set in the backdrop of new worlds, species intermingling whilst also approaching a war for freedom, monsters, and superpowers. Straight from the get go, this book starts with one world colliding with another, and meeting Solan. From then on, it’s 271 pages of action. Somehow, BS has managed to fit an entire description of a new world, powers that be with wicked intentions, fated mates, a child mourning parents that he may or may not ever see again, alliances formed with others they’re unsure of trusting, and a fantastic plot into a less than 300 page novel. Truly excellent.

I can’t wait to read book 2 and this one isn’t even out yet!

Thank you GRR for the ARC. This review is entirely my own.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!

Where to begin on how much I loved this monster romance. The superbly crafted world building, the intriguing twisting and turning plot that kept me glued to my kindle or the wonderful Solan and Jack who I just want to be besties with. There’s plenty of action and this very enjoyable book starts off with a bang with a piece of outback Australian being ripped up and plonked into another world. Taking Jack and his property along with his nephew Jamie and their horses. Once dumped in this new and frightening world Jack and Jamie navigate the dangerous environment with the help of Solan, a humanoid monster with some understanding of Earth. So begins a a tale filled with action, drama and a slow burning romance that bubbles quietly along as Jack and Solan explore their fated mates connection. I giggled at the many references Solan made to a world famous actor and I adored young Jamie who is unbelievably resilient. It’s not a cliffhanger ending by any means but the reader is left in no doubt that there’s more to come and I can’t wait for more from this talented author.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one had me hooked right away, and I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author.

Monster x Human
Fated Mates
Monster world
Rebels
Slow burn
Size Difference

[SmarTeaPants · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[GreenwingReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love monster romance and I really wanted to love this one, but I just couldn't get into it.

The premise of Jack, his homestead, his nephew, and his sister's homestead being sucked into another world was interesting. But from the beginning, there is too much heavy and very specific description, it bogged down what should have been an action-packed plot. Opportunities of sharing description through dialogue were missed so there is a of prose during conversations. Also some unnecessary description. I don't need to know down to the specific meters how far apart everything is. Jack also annoyed me with how long he stood waffling in dangerous situations before taking action.

Even with all the action, there was a lot left unanswered. What happened to Jack's other horse? His cows? Since there's power of a kind in Terrafeara, can they get their vehicles to work? Maybe those were answered somewhere, but I found myself skimming and might have missed it.

Jamie was a cute kid and probably my favorite character. The relationship between him and Jack was great. Still, I couldn't quite connect with his character because while he was scared, but still calm and in control, he never really asked about his parents and never got emotional over them. Never asked how they were going to get home or if they could at least get back to their houses to try to salvage anything. He was really accepting of the whole thing. Even with his horse, he acted attached, but when the horse takes off, he doesn't seem upset even after things calm down.

Solan would have been a great character if his entire personality wasn't Arnold Schwarzenegger movie characters. It was cute at first, but it got old fast and never went away. Solan is exposed to English in several ways, not just those movies. His obsession with Arnold was over the top and distracting. I found myself slightly dreading his dialogue in the early chapters which is not what you want for a main character.

I did like the romance between him and Jack (fated mates aside). They seemed to genuinely be into each other and both are nice guys. I loved Solan's determination to protect and provide for Jack and Jamie from the moment they met.

The fated mates plotline seemed totally unnecessary and like too much to put on this story. It didn't fit. The idea of your fated mate being in an entirely different world that you may never come into contact with doesn't make sense.

Overall, it's an interesting premise to a series and I could see how readers could get really into this world. I'm curious to see what happens with the prince and the other humans who have popped up, but I'm on the fence if I'm invested enough to want to continue with the series.

[Demian Grimm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becca Seymour’s Solan is the first book in her Monsters & Mates series, introducing us to a world where humans find themselves stranded in a dangerous alien realm…and end up with unexpected “monster” mates.
This first book follows Jack and his nephew Jamie, who are pulled from the Australian outback into the dangerous world of Terrafeara. Right away, they find themselves in danger but are quickly rescued by Solan, an alien warrior who helps them survive and understand this strange new place. As Jack and Solan spend more time together they grow closer and their bond deepens, forming a strong connection amidst all the chaos.

For me, the mix of action, adventure, humour, and romance makes this a fun and fast-paced read. I really loved the world-building. It’s rich in detail yet seamlessly woven into the story, so we discover it alongside the characters without feeling overwhelmed. Solan is an intriguing character, and I would have loved more insight into him. But with the single POV (Jack’s), there’s only so much we get to see. That said, I would have loved more insight into Jack as well. The characters are all wonderful and interesting, but they could have been developed further.

While there’s plenty of excitement, and I loved the relationship between Jack and Solan, the fast pace leaves little room for quieter moments between them. Their connection is strong, but I wanted to see more of them truly getting to know each other beyond the constant danger. Because of this, the romance for me doesn’t feel entirely fleshed out. It reads as a HFN rather than a fully developed love story, which wouldn’t be an issue, except this isn’t a setup for a direct continuation of their relationship in the next book. That left the ending feeling a bit unfinished to me.

Also, the different alien species inhabiting Terrafeara are fascinating and I’m looking forward to learn more about them, but Jack’s continued use of the word “monsters” gets frustrating and insulting, especially once he realizes how it affects Solan.

All that said, Solan is an engaging start to the series with plenty of potential. The fast pace keeps things exciting, even if the romance takes a backseat to the action, and there are enough unanswered questions to make me curious about what’s coming next. I’m looking forward to seeing how the overarching plot unfolds and what’s in store for all the characters introduced.

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my unbiased review.

[Taylin Clavelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for Love Bytes – 4.5 hearts.
Physically somewhere, yet mentally adrift, Jack can see a storm on the horizon. Then, within minutes, the world as he knew it had changed. His nephew, Jamie and their horses, were the only familiar things. With their lives on the line, a horned humanoid comes to their rescue – Solan, who learned the English language from Arnie movies.
It takes imagination to create a new world—and this one’s a doozy. It took me a bit to get into it, but that aspect gave me the same confusion that Jack was experiencing, which all added to the connection with the characters. By the end, I was a fan of the characters and their journey and looked forward to book two. This is also a tale where anything could happen because who knows what slice of a world will appear from where.
The story is told in the first person, with 96% from Jack’s viewpoint and an iddy bit from Solan’s. The copy I received for review was not the final one, so I will not comment on any technical issues. Worldbuilding is somewhat of a medley as the world of Terrafeara comprises slices of other worlds from across the universe. Yet, as already mentioned, life is confusing, but only in the early stages while Jack and Jamie come to terms with where they are. Understandably, many questions are asked, and much information is divulged.
This story is a terrific concept with potentially endless scenarios, which makes future reading exciting. Back on earth, Jack was a firefighter from Australia. On Terrafeara, Solan is a hunter/protector who has extra duties. I loved how Jack comes to terms, then owns, the situation he and his nephew Jamie have found themselves in. Oh, and the spice – oh damn, what tendrils can do!! Solan is a bear of a man with a heart just as large.
This book outlines the new world, some (though not all) species within it, and the budding mystery of what happens and why. This story doesn’t get full marks because there is a bonus scene from Sloan’s viewpoint at the end, which, in my view, is superfluous. It is the retelling of an earlier scene, but how it was initially written was so good that it didn’t need expansion.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for
Love Bytes.

[Clara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing World Building

This book introduces a new world and many different species in a bit of a wizard of oz way. Jack, one of the main MMCs basically finds his home suddenly in a different world and immediately has to fight for his and his nephew’s safety.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book, the world building is impressive and the plot super interesting. I enjoyed Jack and his nephew Jamie’s dynamic and though I can’t say Solan is my favorite character, he was at least interesting.

The romance is very fated mates / insta lust heavy but I did appreciate that though the desire for more is there, they did have a bit of a slow burn due to the dangerous circumstances of how they met and the desire to find somewhere safe to be before doing anything particularly spicy.

The unique species in this book are pretty endless. It was a bit hard by the end to keep track of everyone but it was interesting to at least hear about them. I almost gave this book three stars though for the lack of detail and consistency with the various species, especially Solan. His anatomy is super interesting but there were so many scenes written where you almost forget he’s not human. More details were needed to point out their differences because he’s so interesting, it felt disappointing he was often described almost human.

I’m definitely betting now that eventually Jamie and Carly will be mates. I like the added detail of him still needing quite a few years to mature and grow up so their relationship is for now one of friendship.

I’m looking forward to the next book and learning more about these worlds playing bumper cars.

Tropes: Fated Mates, Other Species, Innate Abilities / Magic-esque, Size Difference, Insta-Lust
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Spice: 🌶️ 1/5
Relationship: MM

[Siobhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Solan, the first book in the Monsters & Mates series, is a story that grabbed my attention because of how strange it sounded. I have recently found when I am in a bit of a reading rut, my best bet it to dive into something slightly outside of my comfort zone that promises mayhem. Hence, Solan caught my attention. Add in the fact that I have enjoyed Becca Seymour’s novellas in the Candy Hearts anthologies, and I went in with high hopes.

Unfortunately, I struggled with Solan from the start. While there was a lot of description to allow for vivid imagining, I found it to be very repetitive. The constant reminders of what colours things were and of where things were located distracted from my enjoyment of the story. I would not have minded so much if it had been spread across the story as reminders for those who jump in and out of reading, but the same information was repeated multiple times on a single page, which really distracted me. Thus, while I appreciated the attempt at world building, it did not work for me. Nevertheless, I continued to work through the story in the hope of being gripped enough to overlook this aspect. Instead, I found something new that did not work for me. The constant Arnold Schwarzenegger references. A couple would have been amusing. However, there were far too many, which made them tedious and distracted from the story.

All in all, I am labelling this a case of ‘it is me, not the book’, as I clearly was not the right reader for this story. I am sure many will enjoy this quick read, yet it did not work for me.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!!

This was a wild ride! It was a sci-fi romance between Jack, an outback Aussie human and Solan, a Pyronoxian alien whose strength was manipulating fire. They were both stranded in a new and terrifying world called Terrafeara due to a rift merger, a phenomenon that tore parts of their worlds away and replaced it with parts of Terrafeara—complete with alien monsters.

Jack wasn’t at Terrafeara alone. At the time of the rift, he grabbed his nephew, alone at home, and the two, along with their horses, food and what ammunition they could carry, escaped a humongous beast intent on destroying them. It was only the timely arrival of Solan that saved their lives as nothing Jack tried had any effect on the beast.

The book had a lot of tension due to the danger involved in simply trying to survive and keep his nephew safe but it was also interspersed with bits of humor from Solan’s obsession with a certain 80s actor’s action movies and his grasp of the English language learned from said movies that he’d found from a prior rift.

This may not be everyone’s cup of tea due to the sci-fi aspect but I loved it, ‘course I’m a big Star Trek fan so I thought it was perfect. I’ll be honest, a lot of it did focus on the alien aspect but a lot of it also focused on the bonding of the fated mates and the romantic parts were sweet and steamy and oh so good! If sci-fi is something you enjoy, you’ll love it; I do so to me, it’s an easy 4.5 stars!

I received a copy of this book for free but am voluntarily reviewing it.

[Kats · Rating 4 out of 5]

🔥 Fated Mates
👾 Different Worlds … Literally
🔥 Aussie Cowboy x Fire Monster
👾 Rescue Romance
🔥 "Mine" Vibes
👾 Arnie Fixation
🔥 Forced Proximity
👾 Opposites Attract
🔥 Alpha Character

"Getting a boner for the monster who saved us shouldn’t make sense in any universe. But here we are."

Jack and his nephew Jamie are trust into a foreign world when a rift occurs, resulting in Jack's farm being relocated to an alien world. Enter Solan, the intriguing fire monster who appears out of nowhere and promises to protect them from hostile alien creatures. As the danger to Jack and Jamie increases, with a royal ruler who seeks to capture them, they turn to a group of rebels for sanctuary. They encounter the royal Prince, who has been missing and has his own reasons for wanting freedom.

Solan is an interesting character, his obsession with Arnold Schwarzenegger movies was hilarious, so many things related back to an Arnie movie and how it informed Solan's view of Earth. I wanted a bit more romance with Solan and Jack, understandably there is constant action so their alone time is limited but the romance felt a bit rushed. Jamie is such a strong kid, I really liked him and his growing bond with Caly.

I'm a sucker for a book set in Australia, even if it does get magicked to another world pretty quickly. The Aussie references and language are so good.

There are so many intriguing characters and different races, I want to know more about them all. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series to find out what happens next!

[Scatteredashes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly enjoyed the world building in this new series by Becca Seymour. We get a couple of humans thrown into a new world with a bond building between one of them and their alien savior. Jack and his nephew, Jamie, are pulled into a new world when the section of Earth they're on is "rifted" into another. Turns out that this has happened multiple times and now there's a fair amount of different species in this new (to them) world along with a native species who likes to decide the fate of those accidentally find themselves in a whole new place. Solan comes to their rescue and it's clear to him that there's a definitely tie between him and Jack. It's a nicely paced story with a bit of action, some well written main (and side) characters, and a bit of fated mates woven in. Solan gives Jack space to get used to the idea of being his fated mate on top of all the other changes he's been dealt. I loved how even though it is a fated mate bond, these two were able to spend some time together and it felt that Jack got to understand what was going on before jumping into this relationship. This is a slow burn for sure, but that doesn't mean that there isn't tension between these two or that it's not spicy once the bond has been cemented.

I can't wait to see more from this universe! It's from Jack's POV but I felt that we always knew what Solan was feeling. I think I may know who's story is next but there's a couple of side characters I hope we get to see more of!

[Delibes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s talk about this absolute crazy and yet perfect piece of literature! I’m true honoured that I’m able to read that book before it’s released! I started 2 days ago and I needed like 10 pages to realise that that book is absolutely great.
Jack, a Aussi farmer finds himself, his home and his nephew in a complete foreign world after a traumatic rift rips him out of earth. First thing first he’s able to take Jamie, his nephew with him. On the route the met a monster that wants to snack them and a monster, Solan, Jack wants to lick like a lollipop.
I’m stunned about the world @authorbeccaseymour created and the people in this world as well. I was hooked! Didn’t want to stop reading. Sure i needed some time to acclimate with her writing because I’ve never read a book from Becca Seymour before but after that I was really caught by the storyline, the world and the characters. More than everything I’m absolutely happy that little Jamie wasn’t just a sidekick, no he’s THE sidekick. In my opinion he almost steals the show 😂🫣 but well the lovestory of the main characters is and isn’t the main story in this book, the spice is fantastic. Not too much and not too less. Also the characters evolve during the story a lot. And then when it got really exciting the books ends. Now I probably have to wait a loooooong time for the second one. Oh and thanks to the wonderful @authorlouisam for recommending this book.

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You’re my tether," he murmurs, his voice low and rough like gravel smoothed by time. "No matter what happens, no matter where this road takes us— you’re my anchor. My reason."

Solan is book 1 in the new Monsters & Mates series by Becca Seymour, which is based on the premise of rifts pulling pieces of different worlds into a monstrous world called Terrafeara. This is human Jack and monster Solan's story.

Jack and his nephew Jamie are pulled into Terrafeara from outback Australia, where they are confronted by terrifying monsters and rescued by an equally terrifying Solan. Except he's not, when he's your fated mate.

What To Expect:

🖤MM PNR
🖤Monster x human
🖤Slowwww burn
🖤Fated mates
🖤Steamy times
🖤"Mine"
🖤HFN

Loved the world-building and the humour, and I'm looking forward to book 2 in the series, Kael.

3.75 stars rounded up

[Andrea Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised the hell out of me in the best way. The world-building? So fucking cool. Like, hello? Dimensional tear that slaps our MC and his nephew into a full-on warzone with rebel monsters, scary politics, and thirst traps with claws? Inject that right into my bloodstream.

Let’s talk about Jack. He’s funny, grounded, and devoted to his kid in a way that made me swoon. But the real star of this monsterfucking circus is Solan. Big, protective, possessive alien with horns made for holding and a growl that says “you’re mine” in like twelve languages, most of them grunted. Yum.

Also? The Schwarzenegger obsession. I thought it would be weird but it was hilarious and adorable. That whole “learning English through 90s action movies” bit made the communication gaps feel cute and chaotic instead of cringey, and I loved every second.

The chemistry between Solan and Jack? Slow-burn spicy with some possessive dirty talk and so much pent-up heat. I wanted just a little more spice (ok fine, I wanted to be wrecked), but what we got was delicious and well-earned. I’ll allow it. For now.

Also, can we talk about Jamie and Caly? That’s a baby monster romance brewing right there. If that doesn’t become a thing in future books (when Jamie is older, duh), I’m organizing a my own rebellion.

[Megan McGrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack & Solan
😳😳😳
This story gripped me from the first chapter and I couldn't stop until I'd devoured it all! I'm already so invested in this series, and I have NO clue how I'll be able to wait for the next installment. 😆🤷

Jack is a strong and stalwart man determined to keep his equally strong and brave young nephew safe. Though he doesn't fully understand what he's feeling when they all first meet, he instinctively knows they can follow Solan and be protected. Solan is a powerful being that knows Jack is his mate and future, and takes his responsibility as protector very seriously. He's also hilariously funny when adding in every possible popular Arnold Schwarzenegger movie/quote reference. The reveal of his thoughts on that is entertaining, to say the least.

The way this story and its main plot unfolds is incredible! There is so much detail, so many potential storylines to take going forward, and so much intense and thrilling drama and adventure. Each new part of the world and its inhabitants is so clear and well-defined. My imagination could beautifully follow the flow of the story clearly in my head, even with all the complexities in the details, action, and even defining the rough and new terrains as they wandered the lands. Each time a 'shift' occurred, it was exciting to wonder what kind of interaction the crew could find next.

I dove into this book only familiar with Becca's contemporary work (so far), and I am so incredibly happy that I did! This adventure is already a memorable one, and I know I'll have fun re-reading this before the next installment is ready.

I received an advance copy of this book and am volunteering my honest review.

[369Pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️
Jack and his nephew Jamie get teleported to another world. There they meet Solan, a big red monstrous (sexy) guy with horns, who is set on protecting them from all the crazy dangers of this new world. Jack feels a strange sensation when he touches Solan, but he’s got bigger fish to fry!

This book has:
-monster / human
-size difference
-fated mates
-fun world building
-protective fire monster

This book was hit and miss for me! I did really think it was very unique, and the world building was cool. Definitely creative there. I also liked some things about the writing style. The book is fast paced, but still descriptive without being too wordy. That’s difficult to achieve, and I commend the author for this 👍

The characters and romance were just fine for me in this one. For some reason I had a hard time finding their chemistry or dynamic interesting. It felt like it just relied on their fated mates bond.

The book is cool! Definitely has a lot of interesting elements. The characters just didn’t really do it for me, unfortunately.

This book ends on a HFN, and there is a second book that focuses on different characters!

[Xanthe · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent first book in this new series by Becca Seymour. A monster/sci-fi story that has Jack and his nephew, Jamie, finding themselves stranded on an unknown world when a rift transplants their small homes from the Australian outback to this scary place filled with creatures eager to hunt you. Their saviour comes in the shape of Solan, rescuing them from certain death but still leading them into the unknown.
This is a great world that the author has created and built up. The story does move at a fast pace so there is still a lot to learn about it. The fated mates bond between Jack and Solan also kicks in with immediate effect but Jack is understandably wary about this, having just crashed into this world with an intense, monstrous looking person giving him all the feels of a perfect partner, but is also the master hunter and defender, who will protect both Jack and Jamie with his dying breath. Though, we do hope it doesn't come to that.
What I'm really interested in finding more out about is the series story arc that has to do with the queen of the planet they are now on and how people are treated there. We've now met the rebel group but things get very interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing how that all unfolds.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.

[Guardian.angel54 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic first book in a new series and I was completely captivated from the start.

A tear in the very fabric of the universe has ripped Jack, his young nephew, Jamie, and their rural Australian homesteads from the Earth they know and landed them in a place straight out of a sci-fi novel. Only this place is real - as are the dangerous creatures that inhabit it. Just when they are being attacked by a nightmare come to life, a savior appears to rescue them! A large, horned, red skinned savior who spouts Arnold Schwarzenegger movie quotes and believes that Jack is his fated mates! From that point on, the author weaves a gritty but addictive story about survival, family, unexpected bonds and rebellion. I was totally pulled in by the fantastic world building and the complex characters, and I honestly didn't want it to end. I'm so looking forward to seeing where the author takes us in future books and you can bet I'll be along for the ride! MM monster stories are definitely my jam and "Solan" is right up there with the best of them. I highly recommend this book - 5/5*

[Shana W · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entertaining page-turner is well written and has brilliant world building.  There is non-stop action from beginning to end, as well as humour, romance, spice, and adventure. The variety of aliens that have ended up on Terrafeara are so well described and so interesting. I couldn't help but imagine, as I read the story, if I would survive such a bizarre and disorienting experience - being torn from one's world in a matter of minutes and ending up in such an alien environment. I admired Jack and Jamie's strength and resilience as they navigated the dangers of this strange new world, although they were lucky to do so with such a strong protector as Solan.  I liked the slight twist on how one is bound to one's fated mate. I also felt badly for Jamie, a brave child who ends up separated from his parents with little chance of returning to them. I can't wait to learn more about this world, its inhabitants, and its future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Anne Barwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book in this new series. I’m a huge fan of fish out of water stories, and this hits that trope perfectly with Jack and his nephew dropped into a new and terrifying world. I loved that appearances can be deceptive, and that some of the ‘monsters’ are not the bad guys.

I liked that Jack’s Australian and the references that go with that. Solan teaching himself English by watching Arnie movies is hilarious, and his mistaken view about who Arnie is, which leads to a lot of fun banter. I loved Jack and Solan’s connection, and how that works, especially with Solan’s abilities.

The world building is fabulous, and obviously well thought out. The suspected reasoning behind the rifts is intriguing and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all pans out as the series progresses. I loved the politics with the Queen’s agenda, and the Rebels’ aim being not as obvious as it first seems.

I liked that Jamie is capable, despite his age, and I hope by the end of the series – when he’s older – that he’ll get his own book, and conclusion to the series.