Bend for Balor

Holiday Horrors

by Aiden Pierce

Beware the Evil Eye of Balor …

After my grandparents’ mysterious and tragic murder, I move back to Ireland to continue their legacy and run the family antique business. But there’s more than dusty collectibles and bittersweet memories waiting for me.

The evil eye is there, watching, the way it has since my childhood.

Legend has it that my family is descended from monster hunters. They protected Ireland from Balor, the terrifying king of the giants, with an eye that could deliver death with a single glare. The eye was supposed to be our good luck charm.

So why does everyone I love keep dying?

Turns out, there’s an ancient monster lurking within the ancient gemstone, plotting to punish me for what my family did to him centuries ago…

When Balor’s vengeance turns to heated obsession, I must bend to his will. Or break.

Bend for Balor is a monster romance novella featuring a revenge obsessed fire giant and a heroine who wriggles her way into his heart of gold. This story contains some dark themes including gore, murder and graphic sexual content. Please check the book’s front matter for the full CW/TW list.

Genres: Dark Romance, Monster Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Spicy, Monsters, Enemies To Lovers

136 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 13, 2025

About the author

Aiden Pierce is a writer of dark paranormal romance and erotic horror. Her love stories are on the spooky side and usually end up with the monster or the villain getting the girl. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their three fur babies. When she's not daydreaming about the characters that live in her head, she can be found curled up on the couch with a black coffee and a dark romance novel.

Instagram: instagram.com/aidenpierceromance
TikTik: tiktok.com/@aidenpierceromance
Amazon: amazon.com/stores/Aiden-Pierce/author...
Newsletter: mailchi.mp/b9a48cf105f9/aiden-pierce-...
Reader Group: facebook.com/groups/190582886541183

Reviews

[Lanae (findmeonsmutlane) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, at no point did I have a clue what was going to happen. This was a WILD ride.

I was intrigued. I was nervous. I was scared. I was horrified. I was turned on. It was a roller coaster of emotions.

And then the ending was so wholesomely cute, but then BAM. Insanity.

At the end of every one of these holiday novellas, I find myself absolutely enthralled and turned on, and it has me questioning my sanity every single time.

[shyra ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

fellow monster fudgers.
the greatest, most miraculous enormous size difference known to man was sent

.☘︎ ݁˖༘⋆🍀 ”he tasted dark and sweet. like rum and poison and ancient magic, laced together with smoke and lust.”

balor of the evil eye & maeve mccrum

drowning and bathed in monster cum, talk about whimsical luck!
he beat the world record for the largest everything, 8ft tall is his smallest height btw

i gulped down every last drop, i literally GULPED this whole holiday horrors series. one left to go for easter
i’m in the irish folklore spirit and read this in honor of st. patricks day!

.☘︎ ݁˖༘⋆🍀 ”ya have no choice in this, little misfortune. i am owed my vengeance, and the gods have given ya to me as payment.”

[Nicole Pugliese · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea but I’m sure it’s someone else’s.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monster Hunter turns monster f**ker…now that’s something I can get behind 😛😛😛😛

This st Patrick’s day novella is perfect for this time of year and it was a wild, good time!!

Imagine a monster king who can change the size of his body & appendages…takes a whole new meaning to “making it fit” ahhhh

I love these novellas & can’t wait to read more!!!

Type: audio
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

The vibes:
Monster romance
Holiday romance
Size different
Make it fit
Dark romance

[Ally · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you see this on my Goodreads, no you didn’t. Book club made me read it…

[klinta · Rating 4 out of 5]

the WILDEST monster romance epilogue i ever read 🛁🍀

aiden pierce said extreme size difference, “we’ll make it fit”, somno and i was there sat & seated. prey for rabbit is still my favorite of the series tho nothing can top that sexiness.

[Kade · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️
Thank you Aiden Pierce for allowing me to read this early!!

Out of the 4 others of this series that I’ve read, this one is beating Burn for Jack as my new favorite!!! AHHHH I LOVED IT SO SO MUCH!
Just the perfect amount of story and smut aplenty!!
This just proves to me if Aiden Pierce writes it? I will be reading it 💕

[Moonlit.RomanceReads ✨️ Talia · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love any of the following this is for you : orcs, giants, Irish folklore/mythology.

Balor was adorable the way he softened for Maeve, from I will end you to you are gorgeous, pretty, I need you, I will protect you. I am glad we got to see so much of the background of Maeve's family and Balor's life before becoming basically an ornament 😂

Maeve's story had a very satisfying ending, she finally had her family around her. With a King, looking out for her and their cat ✨️

[Scarlet · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ya have no choice in this, little misfortune. I am owed my vengeance, and the gods have given ya to me as payment."
~Balor

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will make a full review but I really liked the book, it was funny, super cute, and i read it in a fun irish accent my brain made up! The last scene, hell the last two pages really threw me for a loop. I dont know if the aphantasia is helping or hindering me but I'll just include emojis so you can understand the exact emotions I went through.
🙂😮😦🤨🧐😫😭🧐😭
you'll definitely know the scene when you read it, I've never even thought about that happening and if I have a dream about it I'm not yet sure if it would be a nightmare or a sexy dream 😭
update:
this is the last in the series unfortunately I found out.
my review is that this was a fun novella that definitely keeps you on your toes. I shared the above scene with friends and they were flabbergasted over the scene. I feel like those are the best kinds of reads. Who wants to read a book about the same old things when you can read something fun and new? I dont want to spoil anything so ill leave it at that but definitely 5 stars and a great conversation starter

[ɢʀᴇʏッ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ 4.5 🌶

MCs: 𝘔𝘢𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘔𝘤𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘮♡ 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘌𝘺𝘦

"𝙔𝙖 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨, 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙚. 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙫3𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙘3, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙙𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙖 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙮𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩"

maeve moves back to ireland after her grandparents were unalived in a r0bbery, unaware that her family were powerful monster hunters back in the day. balor, king of the giants, entrapped by the McCrums for 8 centuries, hidden behind a clumsy oil painting of a pile of cats in her grandparent's old antique shop. he spent everyday unseeing but hearing everything going on. he made it his mission to think of the darkest most unspeakable ways he can enact his r3veng3 on the last McCrum alive once his curse breaks. & when that day came, he found a different 𝘉𝘌𝘛𝘛𝘌𝘙 way to accomplish his task.

o wow!! i 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙇𝙇𝙔 njoyed this very much!! its unique as i havent read much of this lore. & im a sucker for 𝙝𝙪𝙪𝙪𝙜𝙚 size difference so it made the monster smut deliciously filthier... i LOVED it♥️

"𝙎𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣. 𝙇𝙤𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙧. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙈𝙘𝘾𝙧𝙪𝙢 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧. 𝙊𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙘𝙠𝙧"

✨ 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙃𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝘴𝘦𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘚𝘛𝘈𝘕𝘋𝘈𝘓𝘖𝘕𝘌

👁️ ᴇɴᴇᴍıᴇs ᴛට ʟටᴠᴇʀs
🍀 ᴍටɴsᴛᴇʀ 𝐗 ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ
👁️ sıᴢᴇ ᴅıғғᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇ
🍀 ғᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴍᴀᴛᴇs
👁️ ᴋıᴅɴᴀᴘᴘıɴɢ
🍀 sටᴍɴට
👁️ ᴅüʙᴄටɴ
🍀 ᴅ3ɢʀᴀᴅᴀᴛıටɴ
👁️ ɢʀıᴇғ/ʟටss
🍀 ʙıᴛıɴɢ/ʙʀᴀɴᴅıɴɢ
👁️ ғᴇᴀʀ/ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴘʟᴀʏ
🍀 ᴍටɴsᴛᴇʀ💦 sටටᴛʜıɴɢ ᴘʀටᴘᴇʀᴛıᴇs

‼️ 𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨. ✔️🆃🆆/🅲🆆

[Mercy Martinez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quería que me gustara este libro pero sin duda alguna lo deteste. Lo siento. Te adoro Aiden pero esto simplemente no fue para mí.
No conecte con los personajes de Maeve y Barlor, ni con la poca trama. Y solo le doy las estrellas que tiene por cariño a la serie y por una que otra referencia a las tradiciones irlandesas.

[Neris G · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half was not it for me. I know it’s a novella so we don’t have much time for the build up, but there was no build up. & it was just a little too much with Balor’s behavior in the beginning. Had me side eyeing him. It wasn’t even the end scene that was too much and trust me THAT was a lot.

[Bria Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

another banger 🫠🤞🖤 loved this one so much!

[Jasmine]

As of now it’s a dnf, something was just off for me I think it was Balors word choice but I’m not sure. 😭 I do wanna say that even though I am not really vibing with this one I love a lot of other things Aiden Pierce has put out! Love all the other monster holiday novellas. If I end I’m finishing Bend for Balor I’ll change my review and give it a rating (don’t wanna rate it cause I’m not finished) but I’m draggingggggg myself through it.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my first giant themed monster smut book this was really cute. I enjoyed the Irish elements and folk lore mixed into the story. The dark spice was deliciously good! Over all it was a great way to mark giants of the bingo card for this year.

[Alexis Pugliese · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well ummmm this was certainly something.

[Trinity · Rating 5 out of 5]

every time. Aiden Pierce does it without fail. Spicy, romantic, man-hating, monster loving. 10/10 EVERY TIME

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little novella was wild and fun. I loved it!!

[Mommy.Reads.Smut · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you wanted a monster romance set in Ireland on St Patrick’s day this is it.

Maeve McCrum comes from a long line of monster hunters and she recently inherited her families antique shop after the murder of her grandparents. She ends up tangling with the monster in a way her ancestors never did. Short and spicy fun read.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶🌶🌶.5
Dual POV

Monster romance novella
Irish mythology
St Patrick's Day
Revenge turned romance
Forced proximity
Cat companion
Massive size difference
Age 29
Monster Lover FMC
Dubcon
Somno
Mates
Mate bite
Size prep
Smoking green
Forced Os
Copious amounts of cum
Cock ring
No 3rd act breakup
HEA

Bend for Balor is the fifth and final novella in the Holiday Horrors series, and it might actually be tied for my top spot alongside Burn for Jack, which had held the lead for me for most of the series. This St. Patrick’s–themed entry blends Irish folklore, monster romance, and some darker romance elements into a story that was genuinely easy to read and fun from beginning to end.

One thing I’ve really appreciated about this series is how creative the author gets with each holiday theme, and this one is no exception. The mix of Irish mythology with monster romance works surprisingly well, and you can tell the author was having a great time writing it. That sense of playfulness carries into the spicy scenes too, which always feel inventive and a little ridiculous in the best possible way.

Balor is the cursed king of the giants, trapped for eight centuries inside his own evil eye after being cursed by a human "monster hunter" family. Over the centuries, his trapped magic fueled the antique shop run by that same family, essentially making him the hidden source behind their entire livelihood. When the curse is finally broken, everything changes. His initial plan is simple: revenge. After eight hundred years trapped and exploited, he intends to kill the final member of the family responsible. But after observing Maeve for a while, his quest for revenge wavers. And once he realizes they’re fated mates, which is confirmed when she proves immune to his flames, his entire perspective shifts almost instantly.

Honestly, that was one of my favorite parts of the story. So many revenge-driven plots drag out that tension for as long as possible, but Balor abandons it almost immediately once he realizes what Maeve represents to him. Instead of fighting the bond, he accepts it as something almost like restitution for the centuries he endured. Whether it’s fate, forgiveness from the gods, or simply time correcting an ancient wrong, he’s ready to embrace it.

And surprisingly, Maeve is the one who resists more. Despite the obvious power imbalance at the beginning, as he’s a massive giant king and she’s a tiny human woman, Balor ultimately gives her the agency to make the final choice and accept him and their bond. Even when he finds loopholes in the deals she tries to negotiate with him, he still ensures that accepting the bond is entirely her decision. He’s willing to wait as long as she needs, which made the dynamic feel more balanced than it initially appears.

Maeve herself was really entertaining. We don’t learn a huge amount about her beyond the fact that she’s grieving the loss of her grandparents and suddenly finds herself alone while trying to run the family shop. But the detail that absolutely elevated the story for me is that Maeve is an avid monster romance reader. Watching her internal monologue try to reconcile the fact that she is literally living inside a monster romance plotline was hilarious. She’s constantly bouncing between fear, disbelief, and the realization that this giant monster king is basically the walking embodiment of everything she’s ever fantasized about. And yes, because this is monster romance, his dick size definitely becomes part of the conversation.

Balor is **big** everywhere, which naturally introduces the classic spicy monster romance microtrope of “we’ll make it fit.” Maeve’s constant awareness of their massive size difference is honestly relatable for anyone who reads this genre, because the immediate thought is always: logistically… how is this supposed to work? But this is monster romance, so of course it works out. Balor takes his time making sure it does, with plenty of preparation and a surprising amount of patience involved. I also had to laugh at the moment where he offers her a pipe to help calm her nerves and dull the discomfort. It was such an unexpectedly funny little touch that fit the tone of the story perfectly.

By the end, their relationship settles into a surprisingly sweet dynamic. Once Maeve accepts the bond, things settle into a happy new normal: she gets to keep the shop that connects her to her family, Balor’s magic stabilizes, and the two of them get to build a life together, while still enjoying all the perks that come with having a very large, very devoted giant king as a partner.

Overall, this was just a fun, spicy little monster romance novella and a perfect read for St. Patrick’s Day.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶🌶🌶.5
Dual POV

Monster romance novella
Irish mythology
St Patrick's Day
Revenge turned romance
Forced proximity
Cat companion
Massive size difference
Age 29
Monster Lover FMC
Dubcon
Somno
Mates
Mate bite
Size prep
Smoking green
Forced Os
Copious amounts of cum
Cock ring
No 3rd act breakup
HEA

Bend for Balor is the fifth and final novella in the Holiday Horrors series, and it might actually be tied for my top spot alongside Burn for Jack, which had held the lead for me for most of the series. This St. Patrick’s–themed entry blends Irish folklore, monster romance, and some darker romance elements into a story that was genuinely fun from beginning to end.

One thing I’ve really appreciated about this series is how creative the author gets with each holiday theme, and this one is no exception. The mix of Irish mythology with monster romance works surprisingly well, and you can tell the author was having a great time writing it. That sense of playfulness carries into the spicy scenes too, which always feel inventive and a little ridiculous in the best possible way.

Balor is the cursed king of the giants, trapped for eight centuries inside his own evil eye after being cursed by a human "monster hunter" family. Over the centuries, his trapped magic fueled the antique shop run by that same family, essentially making him the hidden source behind their entire livelihood. When the curse is finally broken, everything changes.

His initial plan is simple: revenge. After eight hundred years trapped and exploited, he intends to kill the final member of the family responsible. But after observing Maeve for a while, his certainty starts to waver. And once he realizes they’re fated mates, which is confirmed when she proves immune to his flames, his entire perspective shifts almost instantly.

Honestly, that was one of my favorite parts of the story.

So many revenge-driven plots drag out that tension for as long as possible, but Balor abandons it almost immediately once he realizes what Maeve represents to him. Instead of fighting the bond, he accepts it as something almost like restitution for the centuries he endured. Whether it’s fate, forgiveness from the gods, or simply time correcting an ancient wrong, he’s ready to embrace it.

And surprisingly, Maeve is the one who resists more.

Despite the obvious power imbalance at the beginning, as he’s a massive giant king and she’s a tiny human woman, Balor ultimately gives her the agency to make the final choice. Even when he finds loopholes in the deals she tries to negotiate with him, he still ensures that accepting the bond is entirely her decision. He’s willing to wait as long as she needs, which made the dynamic feel more balanced than it initially appears.

Maeve herself was really entertaining. We don’t learn a huge amount about her beyond the fact that she’s grieving the loss of her grandparents and suddenly finds herself alone while trying to run the family shop. But the detail that absolutely elevated the story for me is that Maeve is an avid monster romance reader.
Watching her internal monologue try to reconcile the fact that she is literally living inside a monster romance plotline was hilarious. She’s constantly bouncing between fear, disbelief, and the realization that this giant monster king is basically the walking embodiment of everything she’s ever fantasized about. And yes, because this is monster romance, his dick size definitely becomes part of the conversation.

Baylor is big everywhere, which naturally introduces the classic monster romance micro-trope of “we’ll make it fit.” Maeve’s constant awareness of their massive size difference is honestly relatable for anyone who reads this genre, because the immediate thought is always: logistically… how is this supposed to work? But this is monster romance, so of course it works out. Balor takes his time making sure it does, with plenty of preparation and a surprising amount of patience involved. I also had to laugh at the moment where he offers her a pipe to help calm her nerves and dull the discomfort. It was such an unexpectedly funny little touch that fit the tone of the story perfectly.

By the end, their relationship settles into a surprisingly sweet dynamic. Once Maeve accepts the bond, things settle into a happy new normal: she gets to keep the shop that connects her to her family, Balor’s magic stabilizes, and the two of them get to build a life together, while still enjoying all the perks that come with having a very large, very devoted giant king as a partner.

Overall, this was just a fun, spicy little monster romance novella and a perfect read for St. Patrick’s Day.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest ARC Review: What a wild ride of a book this was! This is the perfect novella for Saint Patricks Day or anyone who enjoys Irish monster stories. Maeve has lost the last of her family and has to return to Ireland to take over her grandparents vintage shop. When she gets to the shop it’s like nothing has changed. It feels nostalgic and healing for her to be back. Unfortunately that doesn’t last and people come looking for something that Maeve always thought was a silly fairytale. She’s shocked when faced with a giant monster full of rage and looking for revenge on her family. Balor has been cursed and stuck for way too long. He spends every moment plotting and wishing for his revenge. When he see’s Maeve for the first time as an adult he starts to feel something else. Obsession takes root and his plotting and wishing changes. Balor wants nothing more than to break the curse and be king again but he knows that won’t ever happen. His luck changes when a break in happens and Balor and Maeve find themselves at the mercy of the Gods. This was such a fun and exciting read. I love all the books in this series and this is the perfect addition. Balor and Maeve have a true enemies to lovers relationship. Witnessing the hate between them turn into lust was so entertaining. The tension between the two was incredible. Balor was brutish, crass, and smug. He is a king and human are like ants to him. His views change pretty quickly and reading him soften to his girl was so good! Maeve is feisty, grieving, and scared. She has no problem defending herself but she also is in a vulnerable head space right now. Stubbornness is for sure a part of her personality and I loved that Balor was so turned on by it. This book is not quite as dark as the others in the series but the spicy parts hit just as good. I would definitely recommend this novella for those who love monster romances with a giant monster, enemies to lovers, extreme size difference, copies amounts of fluid, dub con, somno, and Irish mythology.

[Dani-Lynn Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5 Star Rating
Multi First Person POV (Maeve & Balor)
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Age Rating: 18+

🖤 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 🖤
Oh my gawd! Pierce does not let up when it comes to her spicy holiday-themed novellas. The spice was overflowing and I could not stop myself from reading this all in one sitting! I like that I didn’t need to know much about the Balor or the Irish mythology behind it to still enjoy the plot… even though now I’m thoroughly interested in doing my own research. The only thing I hated was that I wanted more after I reached the end.

🖤 𝓹𝓵𝓸𝓽 🖤
Maeve has just lost the last of her family members, as she travels back to Ireland after inheriting the antique shop her grandparents opened. But the shop is more than it appears and suddenly she is faced with Balor, king of the giants, after he becomes freed after he’s spent centuries enslaved. If you think you know where this story is going to go, I promise you, you don’t. Without spoilers, this is a definitive must-read ands it’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. ☘️

🖤 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 🖤
Maeve is a strong fmc who has been through a depressing series of events. But even through it all, she never loses her voice. Even with the Balor, she ultimately has a say-so with her body. Balor on the other hand is supposed to be a red flag, but I couldn’t help myself from swooning over him. Even with his monstrous extremities, I was indulged in the way he treats her. I won’t even go into details about his monstrous size.

🖤 𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼 🖤
🖤 Irish Mythology
🖤 Monster Romance
🖤 Somno/DubCon
🖤 Fated Mates
🖤 Ooey-Gooey HEA

🖤 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓬𝓵𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 🖤
If you have not read any of the Holiday Horrors novellas by Aiden Pierce, you are seriously missing out on some incredible monster romance stories. Bend For Balor takes its rightful place next to Bleed for Cupid, Cry for Krampus, Burn for Jack, and Prey for Rabbit. A series you should add to your TBR immediately.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

No lie, these holiday themed books are SUPER working for me. They're a little dark (which I'm enjoying) PLUS I get to pull out my knowledge of Irish mythology with Maeve and Balor's story. Admittedly, said knowledge is rusty as heck, but I was able to follow along with delight when Balor was introduced. What can I say, this is my giddy face!

Anywho. Maeve and Balor. She's the last descendant of the bloodline who trapped Balor. Something she isn't aware of and took no part in. He's the king of a now defunct race of giants and he's NOT happy to have spent the last several hundred years trapped. He's kinda sorta plotting what he'll do to Maeve if he ever gets free, but he's also kinda sorta maybe a little obsessed with her also.

When the cultists who killed Maeve's grandparents (they REALLY want to get their hands on Balor's power) accidently break his cage, Balor thinks he's hit the jackpot. And he kind of has. I mean, he's no longer imprisoned and he can absolutely take revenge on Maeve for her family's part in trapping him. Except, umm, no. He can't. Because she's his fated mate who doesn't get burned by his fire and he's VERY UNHAPPY ABOUT THAT. Until he isn't.

Both Maeve and Balor have some baggage to get over, but after an extended say in the Otherworld, they manage to work things out. For a bloodthirsty brute, Balor is pretty careful with the fragile human who the gods have chosen for him. And Maeve? She just needs to work on the societal hangups that come with liking things with her monstrous male that normal people wouldn't understand.

GOOD STUFF ALL AROUND!

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Jen ⌇ jens.liiibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bend for Balor is the fifth and final book in the Holiday Horrors series, and I think it was a great book to end the series on!

Maeve comes from a family in Ireland that owns an antique shop. Maeve spent her younger years between the states and Ireland, but after going to the states for college, she now finds herself on her way back to Ireland to take over the family business. Maeve heard legends in her younger years of how her ancestors were monster hunters that helped protect Ireland against dangerous creatures. Her ancestors were so successful in this that they won the battle between giants and man. As a result of winning this fight, the giant kings eye that is said to contain great ancient powers was plucked from his head and given to Maeves' family as a prize. But surely the gem in her family's shop was not Balor's evil eye, the destructive eye of the king of giants, right?

My heart hurt for Maeve many times through this book. She has faced so many hardships, and she just deserves so much love... Maeve grows up a lot in this book, and Balor's character growth from beginning to end was just perfect! Bend for Balor is a great mix of smut and plot!

This book was so fun and I loved it! The idea is so unique and Aiden absolutely killed it. Aiden has been my first for many bookish things and she again was my first for monster books about giants but there's no one else I'd rather read this from first!

One of my favorite things about Bend for Balor is Gilly! Gilly is Maeves little callico cat and she is so freaking sweet! I love that she's based off of Aiden's husband's real kitty, Mable! It's just so cute and I love that Aiden included this in the story!

[Callie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aiden Pierce did it again for me! Just when I thought maybe I wouldn't like a monster romance or wouldn't like that oh boy did I get proven wrong again in this Spicy Dark Horror Monster Romance.

This Novella takes place in Ireland when Meave, our FMC, inherited her grandparents antique shop that isn't an ordinary old antique shop. I love Aiden Pierce because she writes characters who are relatable. The FMC in this is relatable in that she is stubborn and had me cracking up throughout the book. I absolutely devoured this book in one sitting. Bend for Balor had me on the edge of my seat with excitement and the tension between Meave and Balor our MMC was chefs kiss. Balor is so smug and out for revenge. Does he get his revenge? You'll have to read this novella to find out.

Whether you're looking for a seasonal St Patricks Day quick and spicy read or just enjoy Irish culture and a little Monster spice please do yourself a favor and pick this book up and read it today! So, So, So Good! Aiden Pierce nails the monster romance for sure!

Thank You Aiden Pierce for allowing me to read this amazing novella and leave my honest review of Bend for Balor. I cannot wait to read the next one in this amazing series of Monster Romances.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

🍀Irish Mythology
🍀Enemies to Lovers
🍀Fated Mates
🍀DubCon/Somno
🍀Dual POV
🍀Monster Appendages
🍀Dark Romance
🍀Massive Size Difference

[Erin Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨🔮🌞🌕🍄🌕🌞🔮✨

ARC REVIEW

Bend for Balor - Aiden Pierce

5/5⭐️

📚📚📚
Once again Aiden Pierce was able to make me wildly obsessed with another horror holiday romance! Maeve and Balor I seriously adored reading. Maeve moved back to Ireland after her grandparents passing and inheriting the family antique shop. Let’s just say the shop isn’t anything she could have imagined. Maeve is such a spit fire that left me smirking through this book. Where can I find me a Balor cause dang I just loved him! From revenge to being all for Maeve, it was a wild spicy ride. Overall without giving too much away I highly recommend picking this one up!

📚📚📚
If you like to read:
- Fast burn PNR
- Quick one sitting read
- M/F Dual POV
- Irish mythology
- Unconventional fated mates
- Monster appendages
- Somno
- Dub con
- Dark romance
- HEA
- Massive size difference
… You should definitely check this out

📚📚📚

Thank you so much for sending me a copy for an honest review in my own words. #giftedcopy

✨what’s a quick read you love to recommend? Or what’s a favorite monster of yours?

#books #booklover #smut #booknerd #bookfriend #bookish #booklovers #bookishcommunity #bookloversunite #instabook #bookporn #bookphotography #reviews #igbooks #ilovereading #smutty #bookaddiction #bookhoader #hotnsexy #fortheloveofbooks #bookrecs #yummy #givemeallthebooks #readingthepainaway #booktok #arc

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a worthy addition to the Holiday Horrors novella collection, and I flew right through it. These stories are always FUN.

Maeve returns to Ireland grieving the murders of her grandparents to take over their antique shop, but the shop is so much more than it appears. When Balor, king of the giants, is freed after centuries of enslavement, sexy revenge and shenanigans ensue.

First off, Maeve is such a fireball. She might be tiny in stature but not in spirit. She knows the shop is supposed to bring her family luck, but if that’s true, why does everyone keep dying?

And Balor is SO stinking adorable in his vengeance and pursuit of Maeve. The way he switches from “I’m gonna drown you in my semen” to “turns out you’re my fated mate thanks to the pain-in-the-ass gods” is perfection. What really nails it is his patience. He waits for her, he prepares her and he’s gonna have her, no matter how long it takes.

Read if you love:
Red headed fiery men
Size difference
Lots and lots of juicy man goo. So much.
Fomorians
Magic portals
Irish mythology
Cats
A bit of gore with your secret softie giant love story

[Nikki Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, read the trigger warnings. Your mental health is important ❤️ This is one of Aiden’s lighter works, but you still need to read them!

I literally love everything Aiden writes, but the way she described grief in the beginning of the book was absolute magic. And I mean that in the sense that the feelings and emotions of losing someone you love is so hard to explain to others who haven’t experienced it before, but she managed to capture it so perfectly.

Moving on…I’m such a sucker for fated mates, monster romance, a stubborn, fiery, smart ass FMC, and Bend for Balor has all the above. Bonus points - he falls first!

This is a novella, so you could easily read it in one sitting.

And no one does monster spice like Aiden freaking Pierce. He made Maeve a crown out of WHAT? 😜 The spice was SPICING. If I could get pregnant I’m pretty sure I’d have to name my baby Balor. Or maybe Gilly.

If you love big green monsters, massive size difference, witty banter, found family, and spice that will have you contemplating your sanity, this book is for you.

My favorite quote from the book: “When she was awake, she was a torrent of fire. Defiant and full of hate.”