Tentacle Difficulties

by Lana Kole, Zoe Abrams

It took six months, an evil ex, and a brand new job for Gabi to make it to Berrysburg. But snow caps and flurries are not what await her in the height of summer in the little valley town.
Deep in the hidden lake of Berrysburg, Graham lurks as he has lurked his entire life. He’s kept his peace by keeping people at tentacle’s reach. It had worked so far, if only such a tempting tourist hadn’t set foot on his dock.
Graham only has experience with life below the water, not above, and he wants to learn how to be a normal human. Gabi wants to “get back out there,” and after her last relationship, dating a monster doesn’t seem so scary.
But the summer rays of Berrysburg reveal all is not as it seems, and Graham starts to wonder if the marine biologist's presence was fated… or fixed.
Can Graham and Gabi face the consequences of their actions and make it right, or will this be a summer fling that ends in murky waters?

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 30, 2025

About the author

With a southern twang that's all charm, Lana hails from Tennessee with her four feline roommates. If one of them isn't demanding her attention, she's most likely writing. Her stories bring life to characters who don't fit the mold, romance as sweet as it is sexy, and worlds better than this one.
Author of paranormal, sweet omegaverse, monster romance, and queer love stories with a happily ever after.

Reviews

[Kelspar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over eager and clingy tentacles are always cute, as was Graham's golden retriever energy. But unfortunately this was just okay. A bit bland and predictable, found myself skimming a lot after around 60%, it was just kinda flat and didn't hold my attention.

[my_throne_of_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! I am always in the mood for a tentacle romance and when I saw Lana was going to cowrite one I knew I was going to love it. This one did not disappoint.
It follows Gabi as she goes to the small town of Berrysburg after accepting a job. The thing is they need her to collect sample of the local lake. Hidden in that lake lives Graham as he has his whole life. When Gabi arrives he is intrigued by her and goes out to greet her. Gabi didn't know there were non human species living but she is not scared of him. Graham needs help adapting to his human form and Gabi needs to get back into dating after her last toxic relationship ended so they decided to help each other.
Graham was such a sweetheart I adored him so much. He was really looking out for Gabi and wanted the best for her! She needed him after her last relationship was a not so good one so seeing her accept his help was the best.
If you are looking for a cute, small town, steamy monster romance this one is for you!
Thanks to Lana Kole for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Roberta Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the perfect, sweetest monster romance. Graham is a gentle, sheltered guy who grew up on the outskirts of a small town, Berrysburg. If you've read Abdominal snowman, you may recognise the name. And yes, Sage and Soren do appear in this book.
Gabi is a city girl just trying to survive when her new job sends how out to retrieve samples from the most idyllic place ever. While she's there, she makes many life changing discoveries. With the support of her best friend and her practice/pretend boyfriend, she needs to make some choices as to how far she will push her own morals, and how much she is willing to risk to escape her old life.
Happily ever after guaranteed 🥰

t.w
death of parents off page (car accident, no details)
emotionally/ financially abusive ex
tentacles? (If you weren't expecting them, you may need to read the title and look at the cover more in the future 😅)

[amanda kt · Rating 4 out of 5]

With its quaint mountain lakeside setting this is a perfect sweet summer read! Despite the conflict - and a bit of a mystery to solve - it’s very low stakes between the central couple. Graham & Gabi are immediately smitten and so adorable with each other.

Gabi was impossible not to root for, even when making bad choices. The reasons were relatable - heartbreaking- and combined with her love of marine life, curious nature, and determination to protect those she cares about, it was easy to stay on her side.

He may be a cecaelia, but Graham is an absolute golden retriever. Cutest MMC ever?! A shy homebody (lake body?) he rarely interacts with humans. His eagerness to get to know Gabi through “practice” dating was so endearing, as were their mishaps along the way.

Like the first book in the series, it’s another “big corporation vs. small town” tale, with a more complex twist. And of course, tentacles.

[Tabi Leass · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly didn’t think it was possible to top the first book, but Lana Kole and Zoe Abrams really outdid themselves. This story managed to feel so much bigger while staying incredibly intimate. It was so great to see Sage and Soren again, and getting to know everyone on a deeper level made the whole experience even better.
​I especially loved seeing Gabi’s vulnerability paired with Graham’s steady understanding. That natural connection is exactly why they work so well. Beyond the romance, the plot kept me on my toes with some high stakes and a fast-paced story. And if you are here for the spice, the tentacle action is absolutely top tier.

[Amber Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

We start this book with Gabi, a fellow woman in STEM (which I much appreciated). She's friends with Sage, who we met in the first book. Gabi's life flips in an instant when she travels to Berrysburg for work, walks in on her friend getting bent over by a yeti, and then walks down to a lake and meets a cecaelia. Graham is very awkward and isolated but also he has tentacles so he won both Gabi and I over fast. The two work through some fake dating and some revenge, plus some fantastic spicy times, and get their cute little HEA.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This baby is a sweet and spicy treat!! I looooved that Gabi is both a monster romance reader and a marine biologist, giving her a special…appreciation…for Graham lol I loved their dynamic and how our cinnamon roll MMC is more than happy to be gentle and caring with affection-starved Gabi. Also did I mention there’s no third act breakup?? I can’t recommend it enough, especially if you’re like me and are looking for fun, low angst reads!

[Jeri Lynn Stuge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, likable characters, but I didn't feel the connection between the two.