Struck by Eros

Holiday Hookups #2

by Kayla Grosse, Grayson Owens (Narrator), James Cassidy (Narrator)

THEO is done with Valentine’s Day. Dumped by his boyfriend on the most romantic night of the year, he finds himself at a hotel bar, ready to drown his sorrows alone with a drink… or ten.

One tiny there’s only one booth remaining, and he has to share it with a captivating stranger who calls himself “E.”

“E”—better known as EROS—has spent millennia shooting arrows for everyone else, never finding his own soulmate.

Until tonight.

One glance at Theo, and the god of love and desire this broken-hearted man is the missing half he’s waited eons for.

One shared bottle of wine.

One unforgettable night.

One divine spark that could rewrite forever.

Genres: Novella, M M Romance, Romance, Holiday, Erotica, Fantasy, Audiobook

Audible Audio

Published September 28, 2026

Reviews

[bookgalbrock 🐝✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Struck by Eros

When your boyfriend dumps you on Valentines day, of course you find the nearest bar and let the Greek Cupid screw you within an inch of your life. Why? Because all the other options suck!!


star rating: 4 stars
spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Larareads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, fun and spicy!

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cupid is Kinky!

KU Read
76 Pages
MM Paranormal Romance
Valentine's Themed
Human x God (Eros)
Fated Mates
ONS
Spicy AF

I have yet to find a Kayla Grosse book I have not enjoyed, she is becoming one of my favourite short and spicy authors. This one is cute as well as spicy and leaves you with the warm happy feels and a cheeky smile too. I hope she continues this holiday themed series cos I will devour them all!!!
Essentially this story sees Theo meeting Eros in a hotel bar and thinking he was in for a ONS with a handsome man but he gets more than he bargained for with the Greek God of love who claims him as his mate... If Theo is willing to accept it?

[Randi (randi_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Struck by Eros is a spicy novella, part of the Holiday Hookups series. It takes place on Valentine's Day after Theo is dumped by his boyfriend. Theo meets E. AKA Eros, and a one-night stand turns into more. Most of this novella takes place in the hotel room and it is wicked hot.
I was able to listen to this narrated in duet by Grayson Owens and James Cassidy, two of the best. They complimented each other very well and were absolutely perfect choices for these characters. Despite the shortness of this story and the spiciness of it, I could still feel the emotion from both narrators.

Thank you to the author and to the DNABC Street Team on Facebook for a #gifted listener copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Toia Be Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short sweet spicy read. It’s a high heat instalove story about a regular man and the god of love passion and sexual desire. Eros brings all the things he is god of to the bedroom. Even though the story is instalove you really buy it with the characters. I would love to see more of these two. I received an ARC of this book from the author

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Spicy Rating: 4🌶

Struck by Eros by Kayla Grosse
Eros & Theo

My Rating: 4☆
Holiday Hookups Book Two
MM Romance
Valentine's Day Novella - 76 Pages
God of Love & Human
One Unforgettable Night
One Night Stand
Soulmates Found
Single MMC POV (Besides Epilogue)
High Heat
Quick & Spicy
Magical Elements

I love, love MM romance. It's an addiction. I just find it so hot and yummy. One of my favorite tropes ever. This was a quick and spicy read. Very fast paced. We didn't have to wait long for yumminess. Those spice scenes were chef's kiss. Very well written. I love dirty talk. Delicious. And I love that Eros always has a belly. Definitely check it out.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

forever 🥹

Short & Sweet

Getting dumped on valentines day is crazy

Finding out your one night stand on valentines day is your fated mate is also crazy.

I would be sure Im drunk cause ain’t no way

76 pages of spicy cuteness


“I’d rather live with the heartbreak of loving you for one night and losing you, than to never love you at all.”

Awwww 🥹 Eros, ladies and gentlemen

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75☆

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Kayla Grosse's books and this was no exception! I can't believe how addictive this novella was! There was so much put into it and I loved it. Def recommend! I love greek god retellings.

[Trinity · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶/5

TW - breakup (on page, MMC and sc), alcohol consumption, underage drinking (past, mentioned)

CW - light degradation, impact play (spanking and with a metal object), edging, D/s, toys, biting, sensory deprivation (blindfold), sensory play, pain play, perceived knife play, hand necklace

Tropes - Valentine's, novella, strangers to lovers, fated mates, light fantasy, light Greek mythology

Representation - plus size MMC, MM, queer rep

Short, fun, CUTE and smutty! Just what I wanted 😈

Scale:
⭐️ - would've DNF'ed / continued out of spite
⭐️⭐️ - shit, but whatever
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - meh, could've been better
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - lit 👅
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - loved it, inject this shit into my veins 🤪

🫑 - no smut
🌶 - no point
🌶🌶 - mediocre at best
🌶🌶🌶 - standard smut, hot
🌶🌶🌶🌶 - 🥵 okay, some CW
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 - fuck me 🥵🥵 CWs / filthy with a side of filth - see Poison / Room Twenty-Two: Hide and Seek/ The Naughty List / The Naughtier List / By Command Alone: Book 1 of the Kinky ABC Anthology

TW/CW not to be repurposed by authors / publishers for website / book / content use without permission

[Aleja · Rating 4 out of 5]

MM romance | Strangers to lovers | Fated mates | Greek Mythology | Age gap | Novella | Edging | Spanking


Siento que leí esta segunda historia incluso más rápido que la anterior jajajja!

Theo y Eros estuvieron muy bien. No sabía qué esperar de ellos, pero me encantó lo que encontré. Es una historia súper cortita, dulce y picante al mismo tiempo🌶️.

Definitivamente me leeré cada historia corta que salga de esta serie🤭✨.

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

I feel like I flew through this second story even faster than the first one! lol.

Theo and Eros were great! I didn’t know what to expect from them, but I loved what I found. It’s a super short story, sweet and spicy all at once🌶️.

I’m definitely reading every short story that comes out in this series! 🤭✨

[Janalee Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shocker to absolutely no one: I loved another book by Kayla and I must shout about it on the internet.

This is the perfect Valentine's novella, short (tragically so, because I wanted more), sweet, and deliciously spicy. Kayla has a gift for making you instantly invested in her characters, and that happened immediately with Eros and Theo. Like... zero hesitation, full heart involvement.

I won't give anything away, but just know I adored these two with my entire soul. Their chemistry, the emotion, the heat.
I will read anything and everything Kayla writes, and if you're looking for a novella to get you fully in the loving, swoony, Valentine's Day mood... this is the one.

[Catie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love anything Kayla does but this was so spicy!!! Theo gets dumped on valentines and told he was just good in bed, so fucking rude (men suck)!!! He leaves and stumbles into a hotel bar to drink and finds way more than he thought. Eros, or E is a handsome man that just appears and they hit it off with conversation. One thing leads to another and what was just supposed to be a hook up turns into so much more.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️
5/5 🌶️

I couldn’t let February go by without reading a slutty Valentine’s Day novella. This was a perfect palate cleanser for some of the darker stuff I’ve been reading lately. I wouldn’t say this was especially kinky, but there’s some mildly kinky stuff going on and there’s basically just a sprinkle of plot happening. I was into that because I find it a nice break from reading really plot-heavy books. Plus, these two were really cute together.

I don’t really include sexual content in content warnings anymore, but they’re listed in the beginning of the book…so I guess I’ll list them here.

Oral
Face fucking
Derogatory language/light degradation/dirty talk
Sensory/impact play
Edging
Anal
Magical elements

[Anita Otten · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you do when your boyfriend dumps you on Valentine’s Day and you have nowhere to go? You go to a hotel bar to get drunk and find a hotel room to spend the night. Doing just that, Theo meets a mysterious, handsome stranger that turns his whole world upside down in just one night. But is E really who he says he is?

This is the cutest novella ever 🥹 Kayla always manages to write stories that feel… familiar somehow. Safe, and comforting. I don’t know how else to explain it. And of course, the spice is spicing!

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um… I don’t know how to feel about this one. The spice is great, which is to be expected in any of Kayla’s books, but the cheese factor maybe ruins it a bit. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right head space for cheesy. If you’re into spicy MM, it’s a must read. It’s so short that even if something bothers you a bit, it doesn’t matter.

3.75⭐️ 4/5🌶️

[Meredith Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm gonna need a tall glass of milk, because this was spicy. After a bad breakup, Theo runs into E, and he's instantly accepting an offer for one night only. But more than just appendages grow as the two men spend time together.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

a spicy, gay valentines treat!💘

Honestly one of the best novellas I’ve read. Kayla writes high heat so, so well and the plot worked incredibly within such short parameters.

Highly recommend for a hot, queer valentines romance sent from the gods💘

[Hannah Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

kayla grosse writing mm spicy valentines novella? yeah that’ll do it for me.

[EllieGraceReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love a Kayla Grosse novella🤩

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect valentines novella

[Leigh Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[madmanreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️ | 3 🌶️

A cute & spicy Valentine’s Day novella!

[what_emmareadnext · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novella! It was cute and spicy quick read and it was by Kayla was it was always going to be amazing!

[Jillian Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very spicy Valentines Day novella🥵 little plot but I liked the fact that Eros was THE Eros I love a fated mates moment

[Maricruz Nunez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The audiobook 🥵

Short one, but enjoyed it.

[Melanie · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

What a deliciously horny little novella

[Pana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super spicy! Wickedly hot, and sexy!
Get your Valentine’s Day read on early with this scorching hot read!

[kilmosnaps · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
So… I’m gonna need an entire series of these short story/novellas. Greek mythology god is REAL and finds their true love in 78-150 pages!

The first of this series was best friend’s dad dressed as Santa and getting freaky in a mall, so going from that the Greek god with MAGIC was an interesting twist.

This was short, sweet, hella spicy and filled to the brim with backstory, meet cute, character growth and the most epilogue to epilogue.

Just a another quick and delicious @Kayla Grosse | Romance Author snack. It also has one of the most gorgeous declarations of love.

‘He places one of his hands on my knee under the table and dips his head till his lips are near my ear. “To find someone for myself.”

“E,” I whisper. “Yes?” “If you’re looking for more than a night…” I trail off. He smiles. “I only want what you can give me.”

“Do you have a room?” I ask. He nods. “Would you like to see it?” “Yes, I would.”

“Put your c*ck in my mouth and use me.” “What?” “You heard me.” I freeze at his command, caught off guard by the sudden shift. I’m so used to being the submissive one, and while Eros has been topping from the bottom, I expected him to take control completely—especially after learning I like pain. I would’ve followed, gladly. But this… this is a surprise. I might crave submission, but I like to switch, too.

“Suck me harder, Eros. Show me how good of a f*ck sleeve you are for me.”

“I have plans for you, my little pain sl*t,” he licks where he just bit. “Now get on the bed before I make you.”

“I love it when you beg. I can’t wait to hear more of it. Now get up on your knees for me.”

“Open up, baby,” he purrs. “Let’s see how much you can take.”

He’s hot and heavy, and I want to scream at him to move. To take me and use me like I used him. But he holds me firm on his length. Eros loves this game of torture, I’ve learned, so I know to be patient for my next reward, even if it kills me.

“That’s it, baby. Take what I give you. Let me feed you my cock until it’s all you crave.”

“I knew you could take all of me, Theo. You were made for me.”

At this angle, he’s going to feel impossibly thick, and I just know he’s going to do exactly what I asked for. He's going to ruin me. Most likely for all other men, too.

The arrow is light in my hands, and cool to the touch. I shiver when I remember how Eros used this on me. Tortured my skin with both pleasure and pain. I couldn’t figure out what it was before, but now it all makes sense, and doesn’t at the same time.

“I’ve been around for a long time, Theo.” “How long?” The question is ridiculous, but I need to know. “Does it matter?” “I don’t know,” I say honestly. “But I’m asking you, so please tell me.”

“I know you may question it, but I’ll spend the rest of eternity convincing you that we belong together. That my heart was made to beat for you, and you alone.” “I won’t live for eternity.” “But you will, Theo. If you choose me, choose to be mine like I have chosen you, you will.”

“If it’s all too much. If you’d rather go back to your life, I will walk away. I’ll wipe your memory and you can move on with your life as if this night never happened.” I blink at him. “You’d do that for me?” “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Theo. Nothing.” “What would happen to you if I chose that? Could you forget?” He grips my hand. “I’d never do that.” “Why?” “I’d rather live with the heartbreak of loving you for one night and losing you, than to never love you at all.” I don’t stop the tears that fall from my eyes as I pull Eros to me, connecting my lips with his in a needy kiss.

He drops to his knees in front of me, not caring that the concrete floor beneath him is hard, and cold. I know because he’s been in this position many times before. He gets off on the pain of it.

[Laramie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Struck by Eros is a high spice novella by Kayla Grosse and is part of her Holiday Hookups series. I listened to the Duet Narration Audiobook, narrated by Grayson Owens and James Cassidy. It is a Valentines Day eve, one night stand turned fated mates, MM spicy short story that focuses on Theo, a human who finds himself with a stranger at a bar after his boyfriend breaks up with him. E, aka Eros, the Greek God of love, passion, and desire, happens to be at the same bar and finds himself inexplicably drawn to Theo. As they talk, one thing leads to another and they end up in E's hotel suite and the rest is one spicy, magical, and sticky evening that leads to the rest of their lives.

The story is basically mythology meets porn, and I loved it. The majority of the novella is high spice interactions between Theo and Eros, but there's absolutely a story there too and the epilogue left me wanting more of these two. I can imagine this novella turning into a full length story, although I'm not sure what the author has planned next.

The duet narration was sexy and the narrators were perfect choices for their roles. Both men sounded like they truly enjoyed their characters and the chemistry between them was not only believable, but HOT. Despite most of the story happening in the bedroom, the narrators were able to express emotions into their roles to the point that I absolutely believed the passion and caring between the two.

Overall, this novella was excellent. My only real complaint is how short it was. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for high spice, short reading/listening time, MM, and enjoys being able to suspend their imagination briefly. It absolutely should be enjoyed by those 18+, as it has mature content. It contains some situations that some readers might be sensitive to, so readers may want to check out the trigger warnings before diving into this story.

I received a LC of this duet narration audiobook thanks to the DNABC Street Team on Facebook and the authors team in exchange for my fair and honest review.