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Betrayal: A Standalone Monster Romance
I killed my husband.
I killed that little brat who was next in line for the crown.
And now? Now, it’s time for the Evil Queen to reign. Unfortunately, it’s not going quite as smoothly as I planned…
Killing the princess awoke the creatures that lurk deep beneath the castle grounds. Creatures that legends have warned about for centuries. It would seem I have angered them.
Only a Maxwell is supposed to sit on the throne of The Azure Valley, and these creatures aren’t pleased that I have usurped their precious dynasty and claimed the throne for myself. Unlucky for them, I am not one to go down without a fight, and they are in for a lot more than they bargained for.
And I might be too. These creatures aren’t just looking to remove me from my throne, they seem hellbent on conquering me in every way a woman can be conquered. This wasn’t part of my plan at all, and I fear if I’m not too careful, I may just let them.
One-click now to preorder this monstrous romance in an unordered series of standalone fairy tales with a dark twist.
I killed that little brat who was next in line for the crown.
And now? Now, it’s time for the Evil Queen to reign. Unfortunately, it’s not going quite as smoothly as I planned…
Killing the princess awoke the creatures that lurk deep beneath the castle grounds. Creatures that legends have warned about for centuries. It would seem I have angered them.
Only a Maxwell is supposed to sit on the throne of The Azure Valley, and these creatures aren’t pleased that I have usurped their precious dynasty and claimed the throne for myself. Unlucky for them, I am not one to go down without a fight, and they are in for a lot more than they bargained for.
And I might be too. These creatures aren’t just looking to remove me from my throne, they seem hellbent on conquering me in every way a woman can be conquered. This wasn’t part of my plan at all, and I fear if I’m not too careful, I may just let them.
One-click now to preorder this monstrous romance in an unordered series of standalone fairy tales with a dark twist.
230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 21, 2022
28 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Jewels Arthur
34 books1,064 followersUSA Today Bestselling author, Jewels Arthur, writes steamy paranormal/fantasy RH Romances, that often feature very sassy females. Much like herself. She lives in Central Illinois with her husband, daughter, thirteen-year-old kitty, and a pup named Eevee.
Swoons are her jam. She spends all her time watching TV/movies, reading books, and listening to music that makes her swoony. When she isn't doing that she is drooling over her fictional characters or making book-related graphics.
Jewels has thousands of story ideas always flowing through her brain and she can't wait to share them all with her readers. One thing is for sure, they will all feature steam, smut, and swoons.
Swoons are her jam. She spends all her time watching TV/movies, reading books, and listening to music that makes her swoony. When she isn't doing that she is drooling over her fictional characters or making book-related graphics.
Jewels has thousands of story ideas always flowing through her brain and she can't wait to share them all with her readers. One thing is for sure, they will all feature steam, smut, and swoons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
April 29, 2022
What's not to like with this book. It not only has an evil queen and gargoyles, but it's dark, twisted, and smexy ❤️ I love the way Jewels tells a story!! This one is about an Evil queen who finds her gargoyles!! The characters are wonderful and well written and definitely have enough issues to keep you invested in them throughout the book! The plot is wonderful and well written and i couldnt put it down once i started reading it!! It definitely wasnt your usual story but i think that jist made it better ❤️ Overall this is a great book and i can't wait to read your next book!!
April 20, 2022
Morrisa (FMC) has her mind set on throne and she will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Only for a group of Gargoyles (who are entrusted with protecting the royal family line) Lachlan, Alistar, Lennox, Finlay and Niven to throw a spanner in the works for her. Steamy as hell with plenty of cheeky banter and sexy times throughout this book. A great read
April 19, 2022
A great read! I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure that Morissa undertakes, and her Gargoyles are hot! I loved the language they used, and can imagine their voices bantering back and forth in my mind.
April 25, 2022
So I am on a monster loving tour also. Do I love them all? Yes and this is one I have really enjoyed as Jewel paints a great story here. Gargoyles who help out as they are wired to help the true heir to the thrown. Morrisa is a true fighter and what do you need to get to the point you wanna be? Lots of hot gargoyles and I love the steam levels in this book. Great job and enjoyable story.
April 26, 2022
A Snow White retelling from the Evil Queen's POV. Throw in five gargoyles who only awaken to seek revenge, and you've got a really unique dark fairy tale. There's plenty of m/m between the gargoyles right from the start. And when the Queen joins in, things get even steamier!
April 20, 2022
Very D&D and also very very spicy. Jewels never fails to make me want to have a guy that is soooo out of the norm. Her book boyfriends are sweet or sassy or confident or shy. You really never know what you’re going to get next and it’s beautiful. I loved this book I love all of her books she’s just an incredible author and person!! Wonderful!!
April 21, 2022
So imagine an evil queen who wants to conquer the throne and in doing do angers the powers that protect the bloodline and so send gargoyles to conquer the evil queen but not how you would expect them to. So as I was saying imagine that then thrown in sparks, off the charts chemistry And tons of steam and you have this book! It’s a great read and I just loved it!
April 19, 2022
This book was amazing! I mean only Jewels Arthur can take a book about gargoyles and an evil queen and make it a success. The language was so fun to read that I could actually hear the gargoyles speaking in my head. It was a fantastic book and I loved it!!
April 17, 2022
Well damn queen Morrisa some may say she's evil but I think she rocked her character.
Dina omg that woman made me giggle far too much lol.
Lennox Alistar Findlay Lachlan and Niven
Holy hotness
I think I'm jealous of the queen lol.
Well done Jewels ♥️
Dina omg that woman made me giggle far too much lol.
Lennox Alistar Findlay Lachlan and Niven
Holy hotness
I think I'm jealous of the queen lol.
Well done Jewels ♥️
April 29, 2022
Sometimes it pays to be Evil!
Evil Deeds may even get rewarded. At least having 5 gargoyles worshipping you, seems pretty rewarding when they awaken a darkness in you that you never knew existed.
So, Evil can be Good
Evil Deeds may even get rewarded. At least having 5 gargoyles worshipping you, seems pretty rewarding when they awaken a darkness in you that you never knew existed.
So, Evil can be Good
May 1, 2022
I'll admit I struggled with the book to start with, the opening scenes made it quite difficult for me connect to the FMC which in turn made me almost want to quit reading it. But I'm really glad I stuck with it! I'll admit that Morrisa really grew, despite me still not feeling her actions were really justified at the start, the character growth was great! Her men were also really good, with a good range of personalities and characters. And the hot scenes are properly steamy!!!
April 22, 2022
It seems monster romance is a big thing at the moment, and one I’d not joined in, but I love to read about Gargoyles, so when read this blurb I was in two minds.
But I’m glad I did.
Gargoyles are charged with protecting the Maxwell family, so when the next in line is killed, they are awake and looking for the culprit!
Morissa is an absolutely horrible person, killing both the king (her husband) and his daughter, she assumes taking the throne for herself is going to be easy…..
Now, I didn’t want to like her (she reminded me of the character in The Huntsman movie) but the more I read, the more she grew on me.
Being told she has to find a chalice in the recesses of the castle has Morissa livid, but if she wants the throne, then off to the darkest parts of the castle she must go…..
Lachlan, Alistar, Lennox, Finlay and Niven are our sexy gargoyles. And at first they don’t take to kindly to the new Queen….
It’s cheesy, it’s a little cringey in places, but I loved it, the characters are really well thought out, the plot (a bit holey in places) had me racing through this book. And we have plenty of steam to keep you warm 😉 descriptions really helped, I had no problem imaging the terror and horror as Morissa first sets eyes on the monsters.
It’s written in the characters point of view, so whereas Morissa comes across polished, Lachlan, Alistar, Lennox, Finlay and Niven are rough and old fashioned, I liked the difference between them.
It’s a RH (reverse harem) so expect lots of sharing and for Morissa not to choose.
But if the guardians are suppose to kill Morissa, how will this work? As the plot unravels and we spend more time in the Azure Valley (well under the castle) you’ll find you, won’t you 😉
So if you like your romance a little twisted and with a monster or two (or more) then pick this one up, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed..
🦋
But I’m glad I did.
Gargoyles are charged with protecting the Maxwell family, so when the next in line is killed, they are awake and looking for the culprit!
Morissa is an absolutely horrible person, killing both the king (her husband) and his daughter, she assumes taking the throne for herself is going to be easy…..
Now, I didn’t want to like her (she reminded me of the character in The Huntsman movie) but the more I read, the more she grew on me.
Being told she has to find a chalice in the recesses of the castle has Morissa livid, but if she wants the throne, then off to the darkest parts of the castle she must go…..
Lachlan, Alistar, Lennox, Finlay and Niven are our sexy gargoyles. And at first they don’t take to kindly to the new Queen….
It’s cheesy, it’s a little cringey in places, but I loved it, the characters are really well thought out, the plot (a bit holey in places) had me racing through this book. And we have plenty of steam to keep you warm 😉 descriptions really helped, I had no problem imaging the terror and horror as Morissa first sets eyes on the monsters.
It’s written in the characters point of view, so whereas Morissa comes across polished, Lachlan, Alistar, Lennox, Finlay and Niven are rough and old fashioned, I liked the difference between them.
It’s a RH (reverse harem) so expect lots of sharing and for Morissa not to choose.
But if the guardians are suppose to kill Morissa, how will this work? As the plot unravels and we spend more time in the Azure Valley (well under the castle) you’ll find you, won’t you 😉
So if you like your romance a little twisted and with a monster or two (or more) then pick this one up, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed..
🦋
May 1, 2022
Okay, so looking at the cover and reading the blurb here, I wasn't really sure I was ready to be into this book. It felt a little too kitchy for me, trying a little too hard to be out of box, maybe looking too far to spark something 'different' in the PNR genre....I don't really know what the author was thinking, but it didn't speak too highly to me until I started reading it. Being as I usually enjoy Ms. Arthur's books, I gave it a shot out of brand loyalty. I have to say, the story is well-written and has characters that I found myself liking despite myself. I don't always go in for the "evil queen is always bad' mentality so I can like a b*tch character if it's done well and with a purpose, as it was here. The gargoyle men as smexy as all get out and stony in all the best ways. All in all, if you're hunting for something out of the box and like a little bad in your day, this is a good read for your buck.
April 22, 2022
3.5 Stars Rounded Up
Morrisa has killed her step daughter and husband to become queen. But now she must face the challenge of finding the chalice to appease the kingdom's people. What she doesn't know is the monsters that lurk around, and know she killed the king.
I am in love with this story. I loved the plot and how invested I became in Morrisa's journey. Her goal to be queen (the evil queen) was a great change of pace, and I loved her relationships with her monsters. The steam was great and the author didn't skimp on any of it.
I could not stand the way the monsters spoke. It was old English sounding, and it was not fun to read. I would have rather the author made them more modern sounding, like every other character in the story. Whenever they spoke, it was painful to read, and took me out of the story multiple times.
Morrisa has killed her step daughter and husband to become queen. But now she must face the challenge of finding the chalice to appease the kingdom's people. What she doesn't know is the monsters that lurk around, and know she killed the king.
I am in love with this story. I loved the plot and how invested I became in Morrisa's journey. Her goal to be queen (the evil queen) was a great change of pace, and I loved her relationships with her monsters. The steam was great and the author didn't skimp on any of it.
I could not stand the way the monsters spoke. It was old English sounding, and it was not fun to read. I would have rather the author made them more modern sounding, like every other character in the story. Whenever they spoke, it was painful to read, and took me out of the story multiple times.
April 30, 2022
Morrisa killed King Ajax and his daughter Princess Aleah so she can become the evil queen of the valley. To take the role of queen she must travel through the crypts to get the chalice, this is a quest she must make alone. She does not expect to find and become attached to the gargoyle guardians Finlay, Lennox, Niven, Alistar and Lachlan that reside in the tunnels and only arise when the king is slain to kill the murderer. The scenes were spicy and I loved learning more about these characters. I can't wait to read the next book in the series! I received this ARC from the author for an honest review.
April 30, 2022
Gargoyles, who must follow a witches pact to protect the Maxwell line of royalty, are a unique feature of Jewels Arthur’s, Betrayal.
But this is not your average fantasy read. Nope, not at all. This is a gargoyle RH paranormal romance.
If you have read Jewels Arthur before, you know that the steam level is HIGH! You also know she has an intricate imagination, and willingly breaks the rules with her characters.
Queen Morrisa is not a character that you fall in love with, or even really like. But you may be jealous of her by the end of the story. The Gargoyles? You may have ALL kinds of feelings for them!
But this is not your average fantasy read. Nope, not at all. This is a gargoyle RH paranormal romance.
If you have read Jewels Arthur before, you know that the steam level is HIGH! You also know she has an intricate imagination, and willingly breaks the rules with her characters.
Queen Morrisa is not a character that you fall in love with, or even really like. But you may be jealous of her by the end of the story. The Gargoyles? You may have ALL kinds of feelings for them!
October 25, 2022
ooooh Love Me Some Evil Queen!
Evil Queen who is unapologetic, and Gargoyles cursed to obey some stupid old witches…baby I was soooooold! Love the writing and the commitment to the slang/lilt of the gargoyles speech, which can take you out of the story if you are not careful to read it just right. lol Characters were phenomenal, da s e x was on.point. And sosososo dirty! ESPECIALLY the dirty talking! Omg! Off the charts HOOOT
Great writing, wish we had gotten even more world building, ugh I want more of these characters—-and ya. True villains who don’t need to do that whole redemption thing are 101% golden.
Evil Queen who is unapologetic, and Gargoyles cursed to obey some stupid old witches…baby I was soooooold! Love the writing and the commitment to the slang/lilt of the gargoyles speech, which can take you out of the story if you are not careful to read it just right. lol Characters were phenomenal, da s e x was on.point. And sosososo dirty! ESPECIALLY the dirty talking! Omg! Off the charts HOOOT
Great writing, wish we had gotten even more world building, ugh I want more of these characters—-and ya. True villains who don’t need to do that whole redemption thing are 101% golden.
April 22, 2022
What’s a little murder between relatives? I mean an evil queen has to have a start somewhere, yeah? Morissa’s made her bid to rule, alone, but now she has to prove herself worthy. Undertaking the quest to secure her throne and rule, Morissa isn’t ready for the guardians that know her secret. Tempted by feelings she’s never had and enticed by the possibilities that lay before her, what will Morissa do? Will the guardians emend her rule before it truly starts? This book is filled with banter and so. Much. More!
April 23, 2022
Amazing this book had me hooked from start to finish.
It follows Morissa, who kills her husband who is king and his daughter so she can become queen. Before she can get her throne she has a quest to do, to get a chalice from in the dungeon which only a true queen or king can get. But her killing the king has awoken 5 gargoyles who's job is to kill her, however they decide to help her on a quest instead! She becomes attracted to them and them her, I will not say much else as I don't want to ruin the ending.
But this was such a great book, with a good ending and plenty of steam!
It follows Morissa, who kills her husband who is king and his daughter so she can become queen. Before she can get her throne she has a quest to do, to get a chalice from in the dungeon which only a true queen or king can get. But her killing the king has awoken 5 gargoyles who's job is to kill her, however they decide to help her on a quest instead! She becomes attracted to them and them her, I will not say much else as I don't want to ruin the ending.
But this was such a great book, with a good ending and plenty of steam!
April 23, 2022
Evil queen and gargoyles
One final step in securing the throne all Morrisa has to do is find a chalice but that mean getting past the gargoyles. Living with only one purpose the gargoyles are wondering if life is more than than that.
This book is spoken with alot of Ye, ta etc when they talk. It added a authentic feel for me which I loved but I know it might not me some people's thing. We learned alot about Morrisa past and what led her to her predicament. The gargoyles definitely spoke their mind that's for sure and the m/m was definitely a major plus for me😉
One final step in securing the throne all Morrisa has to do is find a chalice but that mean getting past the gargoyles. Living with only one purpose the gargoyles are wondering if life is more than than that.
This book is spoken with alot of Ye, ta etc when they talk. It added a authentic feel for me which I loved but I know it might not me some people's thing. We learned alot about Morrisa past and what led her to her predicament. The gargoyles definitely spoke their mind that's for sure and the m/m was definitely a major plus for me😉
May 1, 2022
I love this dark twist with the evil queen. For once she gets her story told and boy is it steamy. Morrisa is queen and well she just killed the king and her stepdaughter. Definitely not the way a fairytale usually starts. But to prove she is the rightful ruler she has a quest to fulfill in the dark dungeon. And there are plenty of dangerous creatures down there. The story does have plenty of adventure and danger but what it has the most is some insanely hot scenes. The males in them are quite unique and I love how they speak. So get ready for some hotness.
May 8, 2022
"This book was epic! We had an Evil Queen and gargoyles what else can we ask for?! Morrisa definitely was a unique FMC. She set her eyes on the throne and was willing to do everything. At first the story was a little slowly so I couldn't read it as fast as I thought but a couple more chapters and boom things were out of control with certain gargoyles. It was sexy of course but loved that it was more focused on creating some sort of bond and understanding between all of them. This monsters series of standalones continue to be amazing! Can't wait for the next addition!"
April 24, 2022
A really enjoyable dark and sexy tale with a evil queen, murder and a quest that will lead Morrisa on a journey filled with monster's deep in the dark and dangerous dungeons. With Gargoyles that will make Morrisa question everything she thought was forbidden and find comfort in four Scottish Gargoyles all with there own quirks and personalities who will rock her world. And boy did it have plenty of sexy times and MM that would make you blush as mush as Morrisa and I loved every minute of it.
April 26, 2022
I hate when the bad guy wins. That is what I felt for most of the book with Morissa. I didn't want her to find love and happiness. She killed her family. That is not how life goes in a romance book. But did the twist towards the end make everything right.
Morissa finds herself being forced down into the dungeons to find a chalice to become queen after her husband and step daughter are murdered. While down there she meets the gargoyles that are cursed to protect the Maxwell line. Will they help her or kill her?
Morissa finds herself being forced down into the dungeons to find a chalice to become queen after her husband and step daughter are murdered. While down there she meets the gargoyles that are cursed to protect the Maxwell line. Will they help her or kill her?
April 22, 2022
Jewels Arthur gives us a sexy standalone rh read in this book! The story of Morrisa and her 5 gargoyles is lovingly written with complex characters and plot twists that keep you turning pages throughout. The twists and turns of this book make it sure to become a favourite. I loved reading this story as I have everything I've read by this author. Don't miss out on this book!!
April 23, 2022
Excellent stand-alone monster romance. Not all main characters are sparkling white heroes. These sure aren’t. But the plot is top notch and the characters are diverse and engaging. I loved the full accent she gave to the monsters it gave an added twist to them. Super steamy with plenty of mm. Definitely recommend.
April 23, 2022
This author really knows how to do it! This is not a princess meets her "Monster" Heroes type of book. The Queen is evil She did terrible things and the me monsters want to finish her! Now that's more like I like it! If course tourture can came in many ways and maybe the Queen is evil enough to like it and even love it! I know I loved this book.
April 25, 2022
This was a great story about an evil queen that has to prove that she’s going to earn her place on the throne. Her gargoyles are working for her but start having thoughts about all this! When they come together it’s a super hot storyline! The characters are great as yiu read this adventure! I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
April 30, 2022
I felt like I was reading someone else’s work! This feels like it was a step away from Jewels comfort until you get to the smutty parts lol then you know it’s our girl lol. This book has so many twist and for a while I thought I would break my kindle but omg what a story! Jewels did it again. A must read from our girl.
May 2, 2022
My Wonderful Jewels does it again! A twisty,Dark and steamy book with a witty and sarcastic Queen and when she finds her Gargoyles...whew!! If you love Monster romance and and humor with steamy love story this book is AWESOME! Jewels story telling, character development and world building is perfection! Five stars all day!!🥰
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews