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Muscles and Monsters: The must-read sweet and spicy, small-town monster romance for 2026 (Leviathan Fitness Book 1)
Not yet published
Expected 19 Feb 26'Quite simply the cosy monster romance of my dreams' B.K. BORISON, Sunday Times bestselling author of Good Spirits
A gym-owning wolven and a headstrong baker discover howl real their connection is in this sweet and spicy monster romance.
After a wedding cake catastrophe on the street, local baker Tegan lands in the most unexpected place-a solid wall of fur and fangs named Atlas. She's never met anyone like him and finds herself enamored by his wolfish charm. After their sweet encounter, Atlas invites her to his gym anytime she needs his cake-lifting services.
However, Tegan is through with being a damsel in distress. She signs up for a membership with Leviathan Fitness, determined to build her strength...and if she sees the handsome wolven again, it's a win-win scenario.
Atlas can't believe his eyes when Tegan walks through the doors of his gym, and nearly goes snout-over-paw to offer her personal training. Shared glances over the barbell and accidental touches at the water fountain set Atlas's heart racing in a way he swore it couldn't again.
Primal desires emerge as Atlas and Tegan test just how much their new love can lift. Could Tegan be the unexpected mate of Atlas's dreams?
REVISED AND EXPANDED PAPERBACK EDITION
A gym-owning wolven and a headstrong baker discover howl real their connection is in this sweet and spicy monster romance.
After a wedding cake catastrophe on the street, local baker Tegan lands in the most unexpected place-a solid wall of fur and fangs named Atlas. She's never met anyone like him and finds herself enamored by his wolfish charm. After their sweet encounter, Atlas invites her to his gym anytime she needs his cake-lifting services.
However, Tegan is through with being a damsel in distress. She signs up for a membership with Leviathan Fitness, determined to build her strength...and if she sees the handsome wolven again, it's a win-win scenario.
Atlas can't believe his eyes when Tegan walks through the doors of his gym, and nearly goes snout-over-paw to offer her personal training. Shared glances over the barbell and accidental touches at the water fountain set Atlas's heart racing in a way he swore it couldn't again.
Primal desires emerge as Atlas and Tegan test just how much their new love can lift. Could Tegan be the unexpected mate of Atlas's dreams?
REVISED AND EXPANDED PAPERBACK EDITION
Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 19, 2026
7 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Bennett
37 books1,302 followersAshley Bennett is a small-town paranormal and monster romance author from Baltimore, Maryland. She writes stories that are equal parts spice and swoon. When she's not writing, you can find her reading webtoons, playing cozy video games, and taking care of her houseful of rescue animals.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 13, 2025
4.5 ✨
Thank you Berkley for the eARC in exchange for a review!
I didn't read the indie publication of this so I'm not sure how the expanded edition holds up to the indie BUT this was such a delight! If I love anything it's a small monster town romance and I cannot wait to read more in this series. Their meet cute was adorable & I loved that Tegan was a bakery owner/cake decorator (from a former cake decorator.) Atlas is the sweetest wolf boy (daddy). Muscles & Monsters was pretty spice heavy for anyone who likes to know that ahead of time!
Thank you Berkley for the eARC in exchange for a review!
I didn't read the indie publication of this so I'm not sure how the expanded edition holds up to the indie BUT this was such a delight! If I love anything it's a small monster town romance and I cannot wait to read more in this series. Their meet cute was adorable & I loved that Tegan was a bakery owner/cake decorator (from a former cake decorator.) Atlas is the sweetest wolf boy (daddy). Muscles & Monsters was pretty spice heavy for anyone who likes to know that ahead of time!
November 18, 2025
I was so excited when Ashley announced that this book was picked up by a publisher and that she was going to add more to the original version of the story. Let me tell you she did not disappoint! I always wanted more of these characters and more is what we got. I love Tegan and Atlas, they are so adorable!
Atlas owns a gym in Briar Glenn and Tegan owns a bakery. Their meet cute is one of my favorites. Tegan is trying to load a wedding cake into the back of her SUV and just isn’t quite strong enough but then Atlas is there to help her. But not before she drops the cake. It’s cute you just have to read it. This whole book is cute and cozy and I couldn’t get enough of all the characters in the book. Well except for one but you will see who I’m talking about when read. Let’s just say she isn’t a nice person and I’m glad we done see too much of her.
If you love sweet, cozy and spicy monster romances you will love this one. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something with low angst and lots of spice. 😊
Atlas owns a gym in Briar Glenn and Tegan owns a bakery. Their meet cute is one of my favorites. Tegan is trying to load a wedding cake into the back of her SUV and just isn’t quite strong enough but then Atlas is there to help her. But not before she drops the cake. It’s cute you just have to read it. This whole book is cute and cozy and I couldn’t get enough of all the characters in the book. Well except for one but you will see who I’m talking about when read. Let’s just say she isn’t a nice person and I’m glad we done see too much of her.
If you love sweet, cozy and spicy monster romances you will love this one. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something with low angst and lots of spice. 😊
November 2, 2025
Thank you to Berkley, Netgalley and the author for an advanced copy of this book.
Thump, thump, thump... That's Atlas and Teagan making their way into your heart.
Monster lovers and Small Town romance girlies rejoice, we've got a winner for all of us. Muscles and Monsters is a fluffy, spicy and absolutely delightful romance that follows our Wolf Daddy Altas, the wolven with happy tail wags and a soft spot for sweets and Teagan, our cutie human baker.
They are such a cute duo. It's a sunshine x sunshine meet cute over a cake mishap and I absolutely ate it up. I originally read this series as an indie book and I absolutely adore this expanded version.
The extra scenes make their love story especially cute without losing any of our spicy monster fun. I love how Ashley touches on male restrictive diets and exercise routines, something that I've rarely seen rep of in books. I'm dying to get my hands on the next books.
Thump, thump, thump... That's Atlas and Teagan making their way into your heart.
Monster lovers and Small Town romance girlies rejoice, we've got a winner for all of us. Muscles and Monsters is a fluffy, spicy and absolutely delightful romance that follows our Wolf Daddy Altas, the wolven with happy tail wags and a soft spot for sweets and Teagan, our cutie human baker.
They are such a cute duo. It's a sunshine x sunshine meet cute over a cake mishap and I absolutely ate it up. I originally read this series as an indie book and I absolutely adore this expanded version.
The extra scenes make their love story especially cute without losing any of our spicy monster fun. I love how Ashley touches on male restrictive diets and exercise routines, something that I've rarely seen rep of in books. I'm dying to get my hands on the next books.
November 20, 2025
4.50 ⭐️ Thank you NetGalley, Ashley Bennett, and Berkley for the ARC of this book!
I had such a fun time revisiting Muscles and Monsters, Briar Glenn and the cast of characters that live there!
Being able to read about Teagan and Atlas made my heart just ✨Thump Thump Thump✨ out of my chest! Their love story is just as sweet as the cakes and pastries from Teagan’s family bakery! An interspecies relationship, the romance, the pining, THE SPICE, and everything about this was just *chefs kiss* 😍 I will forever and always love Teagan and Atlas and their story and I’m so incredibly excited to read the other revised and expanded books from the Briar Glenn series! 🐺💪🏼🏋️💕👩🏼🍳🍰
I had such a fun time revisiting Muscles and Monsters, Briar Glenn and the cast of characters that live there!
Being able to read about Teagan and Atlas made my heart just ✨Thump Thump Thump✨ out of my chest! Their love story is just as sweet as the cakes and pastries from Teagan’s family bakery! An interspecies relationship, the romance, the pining, THE SPICE, and everything about this was just *chefs kiss* 😍 I will forever and always love Teagan and Atlas and their story and I’m so incredibly excited to read the other revised and expanded books from the Briar Glenn series! 🐺💪🏼🏋️💕👩🏼🍳🍰
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews