Little Song of Pain

Creature Cafe #6

by Clio Evans

Creatures of all kinds go to the Barista to find love, including the fiery Phoenix twins known as Icarus and Dalus.

Icarus claims that he wants to find a soulmate for his twin, Dalus— when really he is searching for someone that can take the heat of both of them. Someone who likes to play with fire and will let them kiss the burns.

The Barista introduces the two of them to Melody, a brilliant and sweet human who has known about monsters her entire life and has always wanted to live out her darkest fantasies.

The three of them immediately fall headfirst into a passion that could set the world on fire. Troubles are brewing around them, eager to silence their new song of love. When dark events occur, they find that their new bonds can help them rise from the ashes.

This novella has the following:

Hot MONSTER Scenes
Size difference….
Fire Play
Taboo elements
Fated Mates Love
And more ;)
The Creature Cafe Series follows the Barista and who he matchmakes. Each book will have a different monster finding their true love, tons of spicy scenes, and special *ahem* appendages.

Genres: Novella, Romance, Monster Romance, Paranormal, Monsters, Fantasy, M M F

116 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 22, 2022

Reviews

[Kristin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I draw the line at twincest.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clio is creating a magical world that I want to live in and I've never been more jealous of characters in my life! Were back again with the Barista playing matchmaker to another monster but this time it takes on a taboo relationship.

Icarus (Phoenix) is looking for a mate for his twin brother Dalus but quickly he realizes his twin's brother is also his mate. Icarus and Dalus are in fact in a taboo relationship. They both quickly mate with Melody.

Sex got so hot they legit combust!! No legit, thats how they become mates - but don't worry they are reborn ;)

Please do yourself a favor and if you have not read this amazing novella series then please do! Start at the beginning to get the full impact of all the characters.

Lastly, these breadcrumbs we get from the Barista having me foaming at the mouth. A few things are revealed that I won't spoil but one thing I will say is yes, Barista is a DOM.

the goodies:
Pyrophilia (FIRE PLAY)
Long tongues
size difference
shifted shmex
spanking
spitting
collaring
praise and degradation
bdsm

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay maybe this book was a sign I should’ve stopped here. I’m getting a little tired of these smutty monster matchmaking books! And I had to pause and be like “wait, are we… talking incest here??” (we are)

Icarus and Dalus are twins and hello Cersei/Jamie Lannister, they are lovers seeking their mate.

I’m surprised this one seems to be the fan favorite because it just didn’t do it for me. It’s hard to care about any character in these books because we don’t really get a lot of page time to “get to know them” … I think Rum (book 3) was my favorite because we got to see him on page in books 1 and 2. But here I didn’t know Icarus, Dalus, or Melody. Icarus is the broody one, Dalus is the musician, Melody is the… human.

Was I the only one not wooed by the BDSM/steam in this book?

[Bourbon, Books and Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can we open a Creature Cafe here? Barista, I am in serious need of a monster or two!
*****
Rating: 5 stars
Steam: 5 flames
Genre/Tropes: MMF / Monster Romance / Shifters / Kinky / Taboo
Triggers: Yep…has triggers read the warning
*****
Dear sweet erotica gods (and Clio)…THANK YOU!

I'd be happy to be the meat or the bread in an Icarus & Dalus sandwich... I'm not even ashamed because these two shifters are HOT both literally and figuratively and they couldn't be more perfect!

Melody was a fantastic FMC and I'm actually jealous of a fictional character (is that weird?). She was the ideal mate for these two fiery characters! This triad each brought something to their mating, filling a void within the other... completing their perfect mate puzzle to make each other complete.

BUT this book isn’t all steamy, spicy, kinky, goodness…the Barista’s plot thickens and the monsters aligned with Lucifer are getting bolder and the Barista’s storyline is heating up too…I can’t wait to see what comes of his match.

If you are looking for some steamy AF, kinky, taboo, dark and dirty monsters…with a storyline that will have you turning the pages and bugging the author for the next book…then give this book and series a read! I LOVED IT! This book/series gets ALL MY RECOMMENDATIONS!

[evelynn kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot 3.5/5⭐️
Spice 3/5🌶️
Vibes 3.5/5👏🏻
Multi-1st person POV
(ratings based on novella expectations)

This was quick and fun, which is par for the course for the Creature Cafe series. But while it's a standalone (and a fast paced one at that), the conflict that hits around the 80% mark felt a little disjointed as it's part of the overarching Creature Cafe conflict and didn't quite feel personal enough to our MCs. But, as usual, it's wrapped up fairly easily and we get our HEA. Extra, extra insta-love, kinky/taboo spice, all around enjoyable palate cleanser. :)

[Library of a Moon Child]

TRIGGER WARNING MISSING: INCEST

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clio mf Evans DON'T MISS.

The Creature Cafe series is like a warm, smutty blanket. With each new release, the world she's created becomes more and more immersive, and I genuinely feel like these characters are people I know. Clio has somehow managed to continue blending the mundane and paranormal together in such a way that magic and monsters feel like they belong in my everyday reality. And boy, I wish they did.

This latest installment is definitely more on the taboo side, featuring an MMF relationship in which the two males are twin phoenix shifters. The barista finds their true mate, and you can probably (well, maybe) guess where it goes from there. This was as hot as phoenix fire, and definitely maybe probably unlocked some new kinks for me.

Highly recommend this series for monster/paranormal lovers, and very thankful to Clio for being a creative genius.

[Grapie Deltaco · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 36%. Incest. Hard no.


CW: explicit sexual content (including BDSM), violence, incest

[Sae.Reads.Romance]

⚠️Content warning ⚠️: Incest.
This made me so so mad. I actually didn't read this book after I found out that the brothers, twin brothers, were together. There's really no justification for it too cos I saw some reviews that said it works because they're monsters and they aren't like humans so they don't do things the right way. No, it was disgusting lol. There wasn't any explicit scenes with the brothers but it was so annoying and also the weird and disgusting the way they talked about each other like ew ew ew. I skipped to the fight/action whatever because it's connected to the next books and I didn't want to be confused but there's that.

[Madison]

I may be a monster fucker but I draw the line at incest blah blah blah you know what I’m just gonna say it. I don’t care that he fucked his brother. Hot take I know, but I just read five books about knots, duds getting pregnant, tentacle porn, bull cock and electrically charged members none of which are much crazier than incest okay? Im not saying I’d fuck my sibling, but if the sexy fictional men want to do it, who am I to judge 🤷‍♀️

[Megan [At The Cottage] · Rating 2 out of 5]

MMF Erotica
Fated Mates/Twincest
Ongoing Storyline
2.5 Show Me The Sex Stars ⭐️

I really liked this at first but I became quite disappointed as time went on. This book features twin phoenix brothers, Icarus and Dalus and their fated mate, Melody. Going in, I thought this would be more of a MFM because of the twin factor only to find out that the twins are fated mates and lovers. I’m good with twincest (whoever thought I’d say that? 😂😂) and I was excited for what was to come especially when Dalus said he wanted “to fuck Melody while Icarus fucks him”. Holy hotness, I couldn’t wait but that never happened. They were all naked together and took Melody at the same time but other than mentioning the twins together, nothing like that happened.

My enjoyment of MMF is tricky because there has to be sex scenes and feelings between each of them for me to get into it. If it’s just the 2 men in the woman at the same time, it generally doesn’t work for me and this wasn’t what I was expecting when I realized the two twins had been mated for thousands of years already. On one hand, I do understand why the author didn’t have them in a sex scene because as far as I know, Amazon doesn’t sell books that have familial love in them. Those types of books are usually on Smashwords and I can understand the author not wanting to have her book banned in the middle of a series. But then, don’t tease me, the reader, with them talking about having hot kinky sex with each other while their human watches because it becomes unkind when that scene doesn’t appear. Had it appeared, I would have rated this much higher because the twins and Melody were a really good match and I really liked all the fire kink.

Melody’s bff Ella was in this one and was just as annoying as she was in her own book. I know now, had I been reading this in order, I never would have picked up book 9 so now I don’t feel so bad for DNFing it. The MMM one is still my favorite, followed by book 4 but the last book is finally out and hopefully it doesn’t disappoint because it’s the Barista’s.

”Dalus is my twin brother. We were born in the womb together and have lived together for over a thousand years. What is mine is his, and what is his is mine.” The flames disappeared, and he let go of my hands, allowing me to slump forward. “I know this is against your ways. I know that it is forbidden. But you will see me fuck him the same way I fuck you, and if you can’t handle that— then you should leave. I love him. I own him. And as fucked up as you might think it is, I’m his too.”

[Betteroffwithbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know why I’m continuously surprised by Clio’s writing. Every new book/story she writes is just as good, if not better, than the last. And this book is no exception.

The dynamic between the twins, Icarus and Dalus, was definitely not what I expected but I definitely enjoyed it. Then adding Melody in to the fold made everything all the more explosive. They all brought something to the relationship that one of the others were in need of and it made them fit so seamlessly together.

Lucifer is getting bolder in this book. While he may have been banished he is still able to pull strings and command things from wherever he is. The poor, grumpy Barista just can’t catch a break but I love getting more of him with each book.

Like with Clio’s other books, this one has a lot of different kinks and taboo elements. If you have triggers or are concerned about the content of the book be sure to check the trigger warnings at the beginning before starting. If you have no such concerns, this book is certain to please. It’s probably my favorite of the series so far.

[Alisha Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

yummy

I love me some taboo books. This was different from the others but not in a bad way. It might not be for everyone but it was for me! Off to start the next one.

[a 🔮 · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you’re going to have a vague ass “taboo elements” listed in your trigger/content warnings, maybe like ACTUALLY say what the taboo elements are in said trigger/content warning list.

I’m just going to say this, they didn’t need to be siblings, it did nothing to add to the plot. I get it you didn’t wanna repeat Dracon/Dell/Kat book tropes, but like come on make them best friends and partners/mates.

I had hoped that they called themselves “brother” as a term of endearment or like they are pack, but no. I was going to DNF this book at 40% when it was confirmed, but since I wanted to be able to review it (and I don’t review books I don’t finish) and save someone else from accidentally stumbling upon this. This would have been a good one to actually read reviews on. Hindsight is twenty twenty.

All of these high reviews/ratings mention the “taboo elements”, but don’t come out and say it’s twincest.

[Megmund]

DNF at 20%. I thought the MMF tag was a mistake, it’s not. Incest is a hard no for me. How did THAT not qualify for the long list of trigger warnings?

[Christina (Christina's Book Corner) · Rating 5 out of 5]

March 22-24

Creatures of all kinds go to the Barista to find love, including the fiery Phoenix twins known as Icarus and Dalus.

Icarus claims that he wants to find a soulmate for his twin, Dalus— when really he is searching for someone that can take the heat of both of them. Someone who likes to play with fire and will let them kiss the burns.

The Barista introduces the two of them to Melody, a brilliant and sweet human who has known about monsters her entire life and has always wanted to live out her darkest fantasies.

The three of them immediately fall headfirst into a passion that could set the world on fire. Troubles are brewing around them, eager to silence their new song of love. When dark events occur, they find that their new bonds can help them rise from the ashes.

This novella has the following:

Hot MONSTER Scenes
Size difference….
Fire Play
Taboo elements
Fated Mates Love
And more ;)


Review : I love this series this is about Melody, Dalus and icarus they are twin Phoenix's and Melody is there mates . Icarus originally went to the Barista for just Dalus but then he met Melody and felt it .Dalus and Melody go back to his place and they all have some sexy time . And icarus mates with Melody and then Dalus mates with Melody it was hot . This one has been my favorite so far of the series . Then when going to Dalus concert they all fool around and then something bad happens and icarus is taken . Dalus get him back I loved this book can't wait to read the next one .

Quotes :

“Look at how well you can take my monstrous cock, songbird. You’re a good little slut. How do you feel?

It opened immediately, and we were both met with a very sexy Dalus. He wore a black dress shirt that was unbuttoned, his lock necklace, black jeans, and boots, and he’d even lined his eyes with kohl. “Holy shit,” Melody said. “You look like every girl’s rockstar fantasy.


Was your vacation nice, at least?” I asked dryly. “Not at all. I hate the sand and didn’t realize until I tried to walk on the beach.” I snorted. “That’s unfortunate.”

[tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

yay! okay I did like this one. I thought it was interesting, other than the facts the the two MMCs were both twins and lovers, didn't love that. but the story was good and it didn't feel as rushed or anything like the last one.
I didn't think it really had a story besides spice up tbh. at least until like 80 ish percent in and then, well. a lot happened in those last few pages. which is all I'm gonna say about that because I don't want to spoil it.

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, got the twin taboo thing going on. I liked the naming for Icarus and Dalus. Melody was sweet, but yeah, I was more interested in the twins. The bad guys were a little predictable this time around. Poor Icarus. Same with the Barista not getting to enjoy his holiday.

Pairing - Icarus (pheonix), Dalus (pheonix), Melody (human)
Bad guys - Unhappy creatures

[Laura VanZant]

DNF @ 20%

NOPE

[jessasreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do these just keep getting better? I honestly don’t know what she puts in these books, but I’m desperate for the next one. I really can’t wait for the Barista’s book!

[ChaptersInCandice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barista

Twas good! Not my fav cafe creature instalment but I’m so invested in the baristas storrryy! I cant wait for it and HE BETTER PATCH THINGS UP WITH YOU KNOW WHO AFTER THE MILK INCIDENT

[S.J. Stewart]

I didn’t leave a rating for this book because I feel like it wouldn’t be fair.

This was a story between two Phoenixes and a human: Icarus, Dalus, and Melody.

The story itself was good, it dove a little more into the shared villain Lucifer and how his broken relationship with Barista has affected those he’s matched.

Why I didn’t rate it? It has a trope I often refuse to read and as such, I skimmed a lot of the spice just to follow the underlying plot. What didn’t I like? The forbidden love/incest trope. Sure, they’re monsters and don’t follow our rules, but still, the constant referring to one another as brother during their acts made it a hard thing to avoid or ignore. I get it, some people enjoy it but that made this book one that wasn’t for me in the series. Twin brothers already mated to one another looking for a third to balance them was not my cup of tea.

Still, I’m excited to move forward in the series. Barista and Trixie have left me with a craving for their story.

[Amanda Jester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Promises were made

There is no M/M in this book. They say they do. They tell her to expect it. Their first night it sounds like we're about to board the train but no. Every scene is them sharing her. We go to Paris a lot. The men just kiss. Once. The last fade to black is particularly painful- I took off an entire star for that nonsense.

[Liam Emerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok so they literally say the twins fuck but the most we get is a kiss I was kinda disappointed and yes I know incest but I don't care

[Hillary · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐️s

Hi, yes, my name’s Hillary, and I’m obsessed with a matchmaking Barista. Honestly, every part of this book with the Barista in it gets five stars from me.

The relationship in this one was interesting, but it wasn’t my fav. I loved Dalus (cinnamon roll, so obvs I love him). Melody was a little bland. Her whole personality came out in a single text message; then she felt like a robot the rest of the book. Icarus was a hard sell for me. I liked him at the beginning, hated him in the middle, and didn’t mind him at the end.

Overall, this was the first book where I wish we’d gotten more of the plot than the spice. Things for the Barista are really catching up to him now, and I just want to know more!

Spice: 5/5 🌶s


**SPOILERS**

A note about consent: I love that Clio has her characters explicitly state their desires, their hard limits, and their safe word and action. The consent in her books is amazing….but I really took issue with how Icarus mated Melody to himself. Prior to sex, Melody had a passing thought that implied she wasn’t willing to mate with the brothers yet. Both brothers recognized her hesitancy. Then, right as both he and Melody were climaxing, Icarus asks to mate her. Explicit consent can’t be given in the throws of passion like that. Especially over a life-altering decision one partner has already hesitated to agree to. I know Melody says yes, and I know she’s less than concerned afterwards, and I know Icarus feels bad for 2 milliseconds…but it doesn’t change the fact that Melody wasn’t in a state of mind that makes her capable of making such a big decision. It really threw me, and I had a hard time coming back into the enjoyment of this book.

**END SPOILERS**

[Marcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hot addition to the Creature Cafe series!

This one…this one right here is my favorite, hands down, of the series so far. There’s so much more suspense and the heat is hot enough to disintegrate all panties in a 5 mile radius! This is funny, action packed and spicy with just the right amount of suspense, emotion and taboo - I devoured it like a bottle of good wine on a Friday.

Dalus and Icarus are twin brothers..and phoenixes…and mates. These two are such opposites in personality and I adore how they bring each other balance - what I love is how they are with their little songbird.

I love Melody so much, she is such a sweetheart while being a spitfire and her kinks are so fun! I adore seeing her making her mates melt and I love how she cares for them.

Clio definitely ramped up the action and showed a little more of the trouble Lucifer is bringing to the Barista’s doorstep. I really enjoyed seeing more of the Barista’s personality and his longings that he’s keeping hidden. I love the extra flair of taboo that this talented author weaved in - the story is fantastic. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

[That Brazilian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Song of Pain by Clio Evans

For more reviews, follow That Brazilian Reader on Instagram.

Clio has created and has been expanding this marvellous monster universe for the past months. It's amazing how the novellas keep giving us more characters to know and more storylines to understand. Somedays I wish I lived in Clio's mind just to understand how their monster-fucking mind works. It would be a hell of a ride.

In the sixth installment of this series, we get to see Icarus, the lawyer we met on the previous book, and his twin-mate Dalus. Icarus, being Dalus' Dom, decides to fullfil his mate's needs to find a third party and asks for the Barista's help. They're introduced to Melody, a human who already know monsters since forever and is looking for her own mate... or mates, plural.

Their dynamic is really interesting, and I urge you to heed for the TW for this book because it involves twincest and Fire Play... And a little bit of violence (lol). But the best part for me was the decrease on the level of hotness in comparison with the rest of the series. Not because Clio's hotness is bad, but because the story is short and I wanted a little bit more of character and plot development... This way, I had the best of both worlds.

The book also opens some new plots for the upcoming characters that were presented on this novella. I really can't wait to see what Clio has planned for us.

[Kaly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series never fails! With each book, it just gets hotter and hotter and there's no way I can choose a favorite now. I don't know how Clio does it but I'm not complaining.

In Little Song of Pain, you get to meet Icarus, a broody phoenix shifter and ruthless lawyer, who has contacted the Barista asking him to search for a mate for his twin brother, Dalus, a singer and songwriter. Not knowing they both will get a more than perfect mate, Melody, one who will love their fire and every other k*nk😉.

The relationship(in*cest) between Icarus and Dalus was "chefs kiss" and so good. Now add in Melody and you have a spicy and k*nky sandwich. Melody proved to be such a strong and understanding human who immediately accepted both the phoenix shifters. While Icarus sometimes came off as rude and uncaring proved to be protective, possessive, and loving of both his mates. And Dalus was just an absolute sweetheart who proved to be loving, supportive, and strong, especially at the end.

Now as for the Baristas and Lucifer situation, things have become more complicated, as more monsters become allies with Lucifer and are beginning to be even bolder. I can't wait to find out what happens and to what lengths the Barista is willing to go to stop Lucifer and protect his friends. Make sure you check the list of trigger warnings before reading the book.

[Krystal (LeeLovesBooks_) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Barista does it again.
MMF with taboo elements, we also have some BD$M, fireplay, edging and more.
Also, 🍆 that grow up to 14 inches in length? Uh, YES. Oh and their tongues grow too.
Each book has me salivating for the barista’s book but I know he’s last so I’ll just enjoy the ride for now (pun intended 😉)

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was soooo much potential in this story! I really enjoyed what was there but I wanted more backstory and character from Dalus and Icarus. I loved the way Melody completed them. I also wanted a way better epilogue than that to see them okay after everything that happened.