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The Monsters Ball #2
How to Marry a Marble Marquis
Dear Miss Eastwick, On account of the unfortunate incident involving Lord Pemberly and his valet at Lady Harthington’s Ball, Her Majesty has no choice but to deem your Season a failure. With no other suitors of an appropriate station and no dowry, you are hereby ordered to attend the Monsters Ball, your last hope of securing a marriage.
Eleanor Eastwick is out of tricks. This alleged wallflower is hiding a secret, beyond the fact that her family is skint broke. If she wants to ensure the survival of her aged grandmother and younger siblings, she’ll need to leverage the only thing they have left — their good name — and land herself a rich husband. There’s only one problem she can see with her plan: she has no bloody idea what she’s doing.
Enlisting the help of the wickedy rakish Marquis of Basingstone, Eleanor embarks on a crash course in how to attract the monstrous Gentry, high society courtship, and lessons in lovemaking . . . academically, of course. It never occurs to her that her tutor may, in fact, be a perfect match. By the time her heart begins to make her aware of its preference for the sharp-tongued, winged Marquis, the Monsters Ball is upon her and she needs to put her plan into action.
~
Lord Silas Stride, the Marquis of Basingstone, has no intention of giving away his heart. It would be cruel to chain another to the fate of a half-life such as his — only coming awake at twilight, living as a silent spectator to the daytime world. He’d not punish a wife in such a fashion; could not bear to allow his progeny to exist in a world where he resided only part of the time . . . far easier to embrace the life of a confirmed bachelor, and keep his heart as stony as the rest of him.
But Silas did not count on one Eleanor Eastwick. He recognized her the moment he saw her, seeking his disreputable counsel. She had shone like a star when he knew her years earlier, and she did once again in his study, leaving him unable to deny his assistance. He could not possibly risk his heart on a delicate flower of the daytime, but a lady who was used to a life after dark . . . Silas Stride had no intention of taking a wife, but once Eleanor has left for the Monsters Ball, he cannot help but claim his own invitation, and his bride.
How To Marry A Marble Marquis is a standalone Regency Monster Romance featuring a Gargoyle/Human pairing that takes place in the shared universe of The Monsters Ball.
Eleanor Eastwick is out of tricks. This alleged wallflower is hiding a secret, beyond the fact that her family is skint broke. If she wants to ensure the survival of her aged grandmother and younger siblings, she’ll need to leverage the only thing they have left — their good name — and land herself a rich husband. There’s only one problem she can see with her plan: she has no bloody idea what she’s doing.
Enlisting the help of the wickedy rakish Marquis of Basingstone, Eleanor embarks on a crash course in how to attract the monstrous Gentry, high society courtship, and lessons in lovemaking . . . academically, of course. It never occurs to her that her tutor may, in fact, be a perfect match. By the time her heart begins to make her aware of its preference for the sharp-tongued, winged Marquis, the Monsters Ball is upon her and she needs to put her plan into action.
~
Lord Silas Stride, the Marquis of Basingstone, has no intention of giving away his heart. It would be cruel to chain another to the fate of a half-life such as his — only coming awake at twilight, living as a silent spectator to the daytime world. He’d not punish a wife in such a fashion; could not bear to allow his progeny to exist in a world where he resided only part of the time . . . far easier to embrace the life of a confirmed bachelor, and keep his heart as stony as the rest of him.
But Silas did not count on one Eleanor Eastwick. He recognized her the moment he saw her, seeking his disreputable counsel. She had shone like a star when he knew her years earlier, and she did once again in his study, leaving him unable to deny his assistance. He could not possibly risk his heart on a delicate flower of the daytime, but a lady who was used to a life after dark . . . Silas Stride had no intention of taking a wife, but once Eleanor has left for the Monsters Ball, he cannot help but claim his own invitation, and his bride.
How To Marry A Marble Marquis is a standalone Regency Monster Romance featuring a Gargoyle/Human pairing that takes place in the shared universe of The Monsters Ball.
216 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2023
584 people are currently reading
3312 people want to read
About the author
C.M. Nascosta
33 books4,590 followersC.M. Nascosta is an author and professional procrastinator from Cleveland, Ohio. As a child, she thought that living on Lake Erie meant one was eerie by nature, and her corresponding love of all things strange and unusual started young. She’s always preferred beasts to boys, the macabre to the milquetoast, the unknown darkness in the shadows to the Chad next door. She lives in a crumbling old Victorian with a scaredy-cat dachshund, where she writes nontraditional romances featuring beastly boys with equal parts heart and heat, and is waiting for the Hallmark Channel to get with the program and start a paranormal lovers series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 545 reviews
March 5, 2023
There were typos and grammar errors. Some of the plot felt contrived and tissue thin in order to drive a shaky story along.
SPOILERS--
.
.
.
.
.
.
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What the entire synopsis cleverly leaves out is that the MMC willfully and happily has sex with married women and almost seems to get amusement from cucking other men. He beds women with impunity and has his sexual exploits regularly, if not weekly, spread across the pages of gossip rags. Having a hypersexual MMC isn't a deal breaker for me, but cheating is and I'm going to get to that in a minute.
So he makes this bargain with the FMC to teach her seduction arts, but the problem is that he's infallible. No witty repartee on her part ever stumps or even slows him down. Her refusal to have sex with him is quickly worn down because he has this irresistible sex appeal that no woman can stand against. After her defenses are dismantled relatively quickly they have sex. It's passionate it's intense it's romantic. He realizes then he's developing feelings for her. Then he goes to a brothel to get sucked off because he can't handle his own emotions. We're supposed to excuse it though because during the process he emphasizes how much he hates it, but he never actually stops it.
Then he runs away from FMC to his estate where he spends days if not weeks fucking any woman in flying distance including a married noblewoman because his fixation is literally "Emptying his balls" and how somehow doing it will solve everything.
So the gossip rag get a hold of that fact and the FMC finds out about it. Then rather than say cutting ties with him she decides the best revenge is to have even more sex with him. The sex is veiled in "I'll talk about other guys to ruin it for him." However, sometimes it works and other times he's totally fine with it which emphasizes how dumb of a plan it was to begin with.
At the end of their week he turns cold and callous and rejects her. Then she leaves for the Monster's ball feeling heartbroken because up until that day they've had a passionate week. Ten seconds later he thinks "Wait no I love her" so he follows her and tries to assassinate her chances with other men at the ball by sidling up next to her and talking about the other men's lack of worthiness.
He gets her alone, professes his love and she says GTFO! Within a few pages, in the span of a few hours in the book, she takes it all back and tells him that she loves him so they end up getting together. So then she essentially picks the devil she knows because she has feelings for this adulterous, probably syphilitic rake, and she'd rather be with him than someone she doesn't know.
TL;DR
It feels like the FMC is put in a no win situation and somehow we're supposed to cheer and say "Good for you!" for picking the guy who in a realistic world would totally keep fucking OW on the side. I didn't feel good about the ending - I just felt sad for the poor woman and I ended up hating the MMC.
SPOILERS--
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
What the entire synopsis cleverly leaves out is that the MMC willfully and happily has sex with married women and almost seems to get amusement from cucking other men. He beds women with impunity and has his sexual exploits regularly, if not weekly, spread across the pages of gossip rags. Having a hypersexual MMC isn't a deal breaker for me, but cheating is and I'm going to get to that in a minute.
So he makes this bargain with the FMC to teach her seduction arts, but the problem is that he's infallible. No witty repartee on her part ever stumps or even slows him down. Her refusal to have sex with him is quickly worn down because he has this irresistible sex appeal that no woman can stand against. After her defenses are dismantled relatively quickly they have sex. It's passionate it's intense it's romantic. He realizes then he's developing feelings for her. Then he goes to a brothel to get sucked off because he can't handle his own emotions. We're supposed to excuse it though because during the process he emphasizes how much he hates it, but he never actually stops it.
Then he runs away from FMC to his estate where he spends days if not weeks fucking any woman in flying distance including a married noblewoman because his fixation is literally "Emptying his balls" and how somehow doing it will solve everything.
So the gossip rag get a hold of that fact and the FMC finds out about it. Then rather than say cutting ties with him she decides the best revenge is to have even more sex with him. The sex is veiled in "I'll talk about other guys to ruin it for him." However, sometimes it works and other times he's totally fine with it which emphasizes how dumb of a plan it was to begin with.
At the end of their week he turns cold and callous and rejects her. Then she leaves for the Monster's ball feeling heartbroken because up until that day they've had a passionate week. Ten seconds later he thinks "Wait no I love her" so he follows her and tries to assassinate her chances with other men at the ball by sidling up next to her and talking about the other men's lack of worthiness.
He gets her alone, professes his love and she says GTFO! Within a few pages, in the span of a few hours in the book, she takes it all back and tells him that she loves him so they end up getting together. So then she essentially picks the devil she knows because she has feelings for this adulterous, probably syphilitic rake, and she'd rather be with him than someone she doesn't know.
TL;DR
It feels like the FMC is put in a no win situation and somehow we're supposed to cheer and say "Good for you!" for picking the guy who in a realistic world would totally keep fucking OW on the side. I didn't feel good about the ending - I just felt sad for the poor woman and I ended up hating the MMC.
February 28, 2023
“How am I supposed to live in the daytime world, Silas? Things are so much prettier at night.”
I LOVED this regency monster romance. The disdain, the lessons, the banter. The little moth nickname made me melt. This book was historical romance perfection, humorous and sexy and full of gorgeous dresses and tea and an audacious gossip tattler.
Silas & Eleanor are a treasure and I’ll be re reading this book many times this year!
Don’t miss this beginning to Nascosta’s new historical series, Talons & Temptations. Drop whatever else you’re reading to start this, it’ll consume you too!
I LOVED this regency monster romance. The disdain, the lessons, the banter. The little moth nickname made me melt. This book was historical romance perfection, humorous and sexy and full of gorgeous dresses and tea and an audacious gossip tattler.
Silas & Eleanor are a treasure and I’ll be re reading this book many times this year!
Don’t miss this beginning to Nascosta’s new historical series, Talons & Temptations. Drop whatever else you’re reading to start this, it’ll consume you too!
March 5, 2023
Loooooved this. It's like if Bridgerton had monsters in it.
I'm such a sucker for "teach me how to be good at sex" tropes where the rake falls for the h he's teaching.
Gargoyles might also be one of my favorite monsters now I know you can have fun with them in their solid form. Just trust me, it was hot.
If you want a spicy little regency romp with monsters and what will be an expanded universe with other sexy monsters and their human companions then you should definitely check this out.
I'm such a sucker for "teach me how to be good at sex" tropes where the rake falls for the h he's teaching.
Gargoyles might also be one of my favorite monsters now I know you can have fun with them in their solid form. Just trust me, it was hot.
If you want a spicy little regency romp with monsters and what will be an expanded universe with other sexy monsters and their human companions then you should definitely check this out.
March 21, 2023
Well, as both a certified monsterfucker and a historical romance addict, I wanted to love this. And I wasn't really going into this thinking I'd write a whole analytical review, but here we are.
The cover and blurb make this sound a lot classier than it is, and I was expecting something a little more on par with average Regency romances, just with, like, gargoyle dick.
But nahhh. Aside from Silas' aesthetic beauty, I found him repulsive as a character. He wears a cravat and that is the extent of his gentlemanly aspect. Between scenes with Eleanor, he goes out to fuck anything and anyone in society who wears a wedding band, as a method to get the heroine out of his head? Or something? I won't call it cheating, as they're not in an established relationship at this point, but this behavior was...Eh. He compares other women's lovemaking sounds to Eleanor's singing voice, unflatteringly. Like...what? So it just came across as misogynistic and bad behavior, IDK.
The whole book was altogether more crude and distasteful in its prose than I expected, and I'm now worried if this is Nascosta's work or if all the other Monster's Ball installments will be like this. Even Morning Glory Milking Farm had its softer, cozier moments, and this was just an off-putting contrast.
The sex scenes were decent I guess, with claws and knotting, but I need to like my characters. Bleh. I was "out of it" by the halfway mark but finished since it's fairly short.
The mothman valet and other mothpeople servants made for charming imagery, at least. Imagine them in liddle waistcoats and top hats...
The cover and blurb make this sound a lot classier than it is, and I was expecting something a little more on par with average Regency romances, just with, like, gargoyle dick.
But nahhh. Aside from Silas' aesthetic beauty, I found him repulsive as a character. He wears a cravat and that is the extent of his gentlemanly aspect. Between scenes with Eleanor, he goes out to fuck anything and anyone in society who wears a wedding band, as a method to get the heroine out of his head? Or something? I won't call it cheating, as they're not in an established relationship at this point, but this behavior was...Eh. He compares other women's lovemaking sounds to Eleanor's singing voice, unflatteringly. Like...what? So it just came across as misogynistic and bad behavior, IDK.
The whole book was altogether more crude and distasteful in its prose than I expected, and I'm now worried if this is Nascosta's work or if all the other Monster's Ball installments will be like this. Even Morning Glory Milking Farm had its softer, cozier moments, and this was just an off-putting contrast.
The sex scenes were decent I guess, with claws and knotting, but I need to like my characters. Bleh. I was "out of it" by the halfway mark but finished since it's fairly short.
The mothman valet and other mothpeople servants made for charming imagery, at least. Imagine them in liddle waistcoats and top hats...
April 26, 2023
DNF at 9%.
I love a semi-historical fantasy romance. I was excited by the idea of my beloved regency romances being connected with monsters.
But this sucks pretty quickly. This “hero” sleeps around with married women. Not cool.
And since reading reviews, I know he also cheats on the heroine, pressures her into having sex, and acts like a jerk… I’m stopping now.
I love a semi-historical fantasy romance. I was excited by the idea of my beloved regency romances being connected with monsters.
But this sucks pretty quickly. This “hero” sleeps around with married women. Not cool.
And since reading reviews, I know he also cheats on the heroine, pressures her into having sex, and acts like a jerk… I’m stopping now.
June 30, 2023
dnf.
The MMC makes me uncomfortable; no for me.
The MMC makes me uncomfortable; no for me.
March 13, 2023
This may have read a bit like Bridgerton spoof, but honestly I liked it so much more than the Bridgerton books. It had this air of 'humans have always been the same level of horny, everything back then was a farce and play pretend anyways' that I adore in regency pieces and so few employ it. The 'oh, no I could never, sir? What kind of woman do you take me for?' said in a loud voice, followed by a whispered, 'unless you can get me off in 7 minutes of less, because that's all the time I have to spare' vibe is everything I want in horny regency books.
Also, yes, Silas may have been a manwhore, and Eleanor might have flip-flopped a bit between 'I wished he could see how much I love him' and 'I'll mention other monster dicks while he fucks me' for my taste. But they are indeed a perfect match.
Also, yes, Silas may have been a manwhore, and Eleanor might have flip-flopped a bit between 'I wished he could see how much I love him' and 'I'll mention other monster dicks while he fucks me' for my taste. But they are indeed a perfect match.
dnf
March 30, 2023DNF 25%
Might try picking this up at another time--but atm I'm just not feeling reading from the POV of this kind of male lead. (Like I don't care to read about him having sex with some random woman, how so-and-so doesn't have a gag reflex, how he wants to get his balls drained by some other man's wife, or how he's thinking about trying it on with some prostitutes. Okay yeah it's before he starts...whatever he is doing with the h, but I just kinda found him douchey?)
Just not my cup of tea. Maybe if I kept reading I would eventually like these two's journey...but for now I just find him annoying instead of tantalizing and don't want to continue.
Might try picking this up at another time--but atm I'm just not feeling reading from the POV of this kind of male lead. (Like I don't care to read about him having sex with some random woman, how so-and-so doesn't have a gag reflex, how he wants to get his balls drained by some other man's wife, or how he's thinking about trying it on with some prostitutes. Okay yeah it's before he starts...whatever he is doing with the h, but I just kinda found him douchey?)
Just not my cup of tea. Maybe if I kept reading I would eventually like these two's journey...but for now I just find him annoying instead of tantalizing and don't want to continue.
September 10, 2024
Reread review: still love these idiots. Favorite CM Nascosta’s book for me hands down. Love it forever
Freaking amazing.
I’ve been looking for this exact book.
The regency/historical era with smut and fantasy all in one delicious package.
This is the book.
I’m pretty sure this book just put me in a slump.
Guess I’ll just reread forever.
Freaking amazing.
I’ve been looking for this exact book.
The regency/historical era with smut and fantasy all in one delicious package.
This is the book.
I’m pretty sure this book just put me in a slump.
Guess I’ll just reread forever.
March 3, 2023
3 - 3.5 stars!
Eleanor has been disgraced and will no longer be able to find a husband due to the ruin of her reputation that was all a misunderstanding. Her only choice is to attend the Monsters Ball and hopefully catch the eye of a monster that will propose marriage and safety. However, Eleanor knows very little of seduction techniques so she enlists the help of a Gargoyle - the infamous Silas Stride. Being a Marquis has given him the experience in life to teach Eleanor all about seduction and companionship.
Silas is happy to help the beautiful Eleanor and wants nothing more than to get under her skirts and show her pleasure. But he also never intends on taking a wife/mate or building a life with a woman when he turns to stone during the day. The more time he spends with Eleanor though makes him see life through a different lens and when the time comes to part, he makes a grave error in letting her go.
Will Silas and Eleanor find their way back to each other? Duh....
How to Marry a Marble Marquis was delightful and the banter was AMAZING. This story could have done with a little less description and telling and more showing but I suppose it makes sense in a historical romance. I was not a fan of Silas and his rakish ways but his character growth was impressively written. He was an asshole at times but you couldn't help but love him too. Eleanor was sweet but wasn't shy and I really liked that about her. She wanted a better life for herself and her sisters and it was admirable what her end goal was. The world building and back stories were, at times, a little confusing but the relationship between Silas and Eleanor was beautifully written. They developed such a delicious push/pull that created a smutty experience for the two of them.
Overall, a smutty and engaging regency monster romance with a yummy grovel and a HEA to top it all off. On to the next book in this series!
Eleanor has been disgraced and will no longer be able to find a husband due to the ruin of her reputation that was all a misunderstanding. Her only choice is to attend the Monsters Ball and hopefully catch the eye of a monster that will propose marriage and safety. However, Eleanor knows very little of seduction techniques so she enlists the help of a Gargoyle - the infamous Silas Stride. Being a Marquis has given him the experience in life to teach Eleanor all about seduction and companionship.
Silas is happy to help the beautiful Eleanor and wants nothing more than to get under her skirts and show her pleasure. But he also never intends on taking a wife/mate or building a life with a woman when he turns to stone during the day. The more time he spends with Eleanor though makes him see life through a different lens and when the time comes to part, he makes a grave error in letting her go.
Will Silas and Eleanor find their way back to each other? Duh....
How to Marry a Marble Marquis was delightful and the banter was AMAZING. This story could have done with a little less description and telling and more showing but I suppose it makes sense in a historical romance. I was not a fan of Silas and his rakish ways but his character growth was impressively written. He was an asshole at times but you couldn't help but love him too. Eleanor was sweet but wasn't shy and I really liked that about her. She wanted a better life for herself and her sisters and it was admirable what her end goal was. The world building and back stories were, at times, a little confusing but the relationship between Silas and Eleanor was beautifully written. They developed such a delicious push/pull that created a smutty experience for the two of them.
Overall, a smutty and engaging regency monster romance with a yummy grovel and a HEA to top it all off. On to the next book in this series!
"I will never deserve to have a woman as fine as you at my side. But if you give me another chance, little moth, I will spend every night of the rest of my life showing you that I can be worthy of your heart. I will cherish you for the rest of my days. Come home with me, Eleanor. Be my wife, and let me spend the rest of my life showing you that I can be a man who deserves you.”
February 28, 2023
Oh my. This was such a fantastic way to start the Monsters Ball series of books. The tension between the main characters, the regency setting, and the high level of heat were just perfect!
March 23, 2023
1.25/5 stars! I'm really sad to be writing this review, but I have enjoyed a lot of stories by this author. But this book missed the mark entirely. If I wasn't so against Dnf'ing, I would have given up on this book before the halfway point. It is very clear that the author has never written regency romance and I'm a little concerned that they may have never read one either. Regency romance is a lovely genre and it relies on women both accepting support from men in a male-driven time in history and also having their own autonomy and strength. The FMC had none of that. Her solution to finding out the MMC was sleeping his way through all the women in town literally within minutes of sleeping with her is to "get revenge by continuing to sleep with him." It was gross and super off-putting. And again, MMC can be tempted by other women in regency romance, go to the brothel before backing out because their heart isn't in it, etc. But you almost NEVER see them actually complete sleeping with someone other than the FMC after they've been intimate, let alone doing so steadily for weeks just to "empty his balls when he can't get the FMC out of his mind." Like it was honestly gross. I have enjoyed almost everything else by this author, but it is clear her heart wasn't in it and this wasn't the genre for her.
March 14, 2023
Needed a better grovel
In all honesty, I do not enjoy the rake trope but I do like this author so I thought I’d give this book a try. The writing was done well, with a few grammatical and spelling errors. I thought the world was interesting - a shared regency world of monsters. Eleanor was a well rounded MC, but Silas just… I hated him. I don’t think a rake’s ways can be changed that quickly and I don’t think the grovel was sufficient.
Spice: 5/5
Triggers: author lists triggers at start of book
In all honesty, I do not enjoy the rake trope but I do like this author so I thought I’d give this book a try. The writing was done well, with a few grammatical and spelling errors. I thought the world was interesting - a shared regency world of monsters. Eleanor was a well rounded MC, but Silas just… I hated him. I don’t think a rake’s ways can be changed that quickly and I don’t think the grovel was sufficient.
Spice: 5/5
Triggers: author lists triggers at start of book
March 1, 2023
Everything about this book is just *chef's kiss.* From the moment Eleanor and Silas first met one another, I had a feeling that this book would top as one of my favourites of all time and boooooy I was RIGHT. Their chemistry is off the charts and had me in a chokehold with just how beautifully written it is. The banter and lessons are also one of the many reasons why I love this book.
I highly recommend this regency monster romance! RUN and don't walk so you don't miss out on this spectacular book from C.M. Nascosta!
I highly recommend this regency monster romance! RUN and don't walk so you don't miss out on this spectacular book from C.M. Nascosta!
April 5, 2023
Fantastic Read!!!
Phew... such a wonderful read and filled with humour and tons of emotion! So loved this new story from the very talented C.M. Nascosta. So worth the wait and so enjoyed!!
As we know, Silas is a gargoyle, a player in life with no intention to settle. We learn of Eleanor's background and the two come to meet. There was plenty of heat as their story progresses with Silas realising there was a purpose to his future, his growing affection towards Eleanor as they spent more and more time together. I loved their conversations; banter and even Silas's spirited sister Maris. A fantastic afternoon read and look forward to more from this author and the rest of The Monsters Ball collection. :)
I did receive a copy of this book and as I love this authors works, only too happy to review. I had sldo pre ordered. :) I can see this being re read many times, just so different yet so great.
Phew... such a wonderful read and filled with humour and tons of emotion! So loved this new story from the very talented C.M. Nascosta. So worth the wait and so enjoyed!!
As we know, Silas is a gargoyle, a player in life with no intention to settle. We learn of Eleanor's background and the two come to meet. There was plenty of heat as their story progresses with Silas realising there was a purpose to his future, his growing affection towards Eleanor as they spent more and more time together. I loved their conversations; banter and even Silas's spirited sister Maris. A fantastic afternoon read and look forward to more from this author and the rest of The Monsters Ball collection. :)
I did receive a copy of this book and as I love this authors works, only too happy to review. I had sldo pre ordered. :) I can see this being re read many times, just so different yet so great.
March 10, 2023
2.5/5 ⭐️s
This was (mostly) a mess.
I liked the premise. The “teach me” trope is always interesting…But damn, this just didn’t deliver for me.
To start, it could’ve benefited from a good editing because it was wordy as hell. We spent so much time in Silas’ head as he had incredibly inane conversations with himself, and it bored me to tears. Most of the story also lacked cohesiveness and felt extremely clunky. We got abrupt transitions, murky timelines, and bizarre flashbacks that would’ve served better being told sequentially.
As far as the characters, Silas was an ass for a huge chunk of this book, and I gladly could’ve done with Eleanor making him grovel much more than she did. I did like Eleanor herself though (once she grew a backbone).
But their romance was lacking chemistry for most of this book. The spice felt bland and loveless, and their banter often fell flat. I didn’t warm up to them until they were at the ball, and since that’s the end of the book, it felt like too little too late. Also, I was promised Somnophilia and really expected more than the two throw away paragraphs we got of that in the epilogue. Meh.
Spice: 2/5 🌶️s
This was (mostly) a mess.
I liked the premise. The “teach me” trope is always interesting…But damn, this just didn’t deliver for me.
To start, it could’ve benefited from a good editing because it was wordy as hell. We spent so much time in Silas’ head as he had incredibly inane conversations with himself, and it bored me to tears. Most of the story also lacked cohesiveness and felt extremely clunky. We got abrupt transitions, murky timelines, and bizarre flashbacks that would’ve served better being told sequentially.
As far as the characters, Silas was an ass for a huge chunk of this book, and I gladly could’ve done with Eleanor making him grovel much more than she did. I did like Eleanor herself though (once she grew a backbone).
But their romance was lacking chemistry for most of this book. The spice felt bland and loveless, and their banter often fell flat. I didn’t warm up to them until they were at the ball, and since that’s the end of the book, it felt like too little too late. Also, I was promised Somnophilia and really expected more than the two throw away paragraphs we got of that in the epilogue. Meh.
Spice: 2/5 🌶️s
April 5, 2024
3 stars ✨
Regency. Monster. Smut.
If I never have to read the words ‘pussy flower’ ever again it will be too soon 💀💀💀
Regency. Monster. Smut.
If I never have to read the words ‘pussy flower’ ever again it will be too soon 💀💀💀
Read
July 25, 2024DNF sorry
March 4, 2023
Was it two worlds? YES...Was it the best of both worlds? NO...at least not for me
The idea behind the story itself seemed brilliant at first; however the execution... not my cup of tea.☕️ It could be that I forgot how Historical Romance works, but the bad boy energy of Silas in combination to the sudden forgiveness of Eleanor, and his change of heart after what felt like a slowburn romance has a peculiar structure. But the story was beautifully written and innovating
Tags:
Paranormal MMC👻🧚🏼♂️🧙🏼♂️
Gargoyle/Human🧛 💕 ⌛
Historical-Monster Romance⚔️🏰🐲
Learning intimacy💁👌😍
Interesting anatomy🦴🍆✨
Knotting 🥜🍆💦
Bad boy good girl energy👩❤️👨👥💀
Praising🍒😵💫
Standalone👤🤩 🥳
The idea behind the story itself seemed brilliant at first; however the execution... not my cup of tea.☕️ It could be that I forgot how Historical Romance works, but the bad boy energy of Silas in combination to the sudden forgiveness of Eleanor, and his change of heart after what felt like a slowburn romance has a peculiar structure. But the story was beautifully written and innovating
Tags:
Paranormal MMC👻🧚🏼♂️🧙🏼♂️
Gargoyle/Human🧛 💕 ⌛
Historical-Monster Romance⚔️🏰🐲
Learning intimacy💁👌😍
Interesting anatomy🦴🍆✨
Knotting 🥜🍆💦
Bad boy good girl energy👩❤️👨👥💀
Praising🍒😵💫
Standalone👤🤩 🥳
December 22, 2025
Book club hate read for October and honestly didn’t want to put this online as proof I’ve read this but really want an accurate number to document how many books I read in 2025
March 3, 2023
CM Nacosta is a fully magical being.
Monster + HisRo = genre baby of my dreams.
In all seriousness though, this took my two favorite sub-genre’s in romance and made a monster Regency baby and I devoured it whole. CM’s attention to detail was so well done. Marble Marquis read like a love letter to old school HisRo’s in it’s plot, character background, and relationship development. The unrepentant rake (who’s REALLY a rake), that doesn’t want to marry or fall in love, giving sex lessons to an impoverished, gently bred lady so she can make a match to save her younger sisters is straight out of an Old School HR. Add in Silas being a gargoyle (who really turns to stone!) with monsterly appetites and appendages and I was in hog Heaven.
My favorite trope is “I don’t need her. I’m going to keep being a rake because this isn’t love. Oh shit why am I FEELING things.” Silas delivered this to perfection. Down to the strange chest feelings that add extra umph every time. And I think his character development was spot on. I’m always annoyed when the rake stops….raking? just because he laid eyeballs on the FMC once. Silas is a real deal, sleep with all the Ton wives scoundrel that has to go through real introspection to realize he’s in love and only wants Eleanor. Immaculate.
And Eleanor was a delight. She’s enamored with Silas once she gets past the initial hostility but, man, when Silas screws up, she makes him WORK to get her back, honey. And it’s so subtle and done in these little statements there, little move here, that you feel him having this “oh shit” moment in slow-mo.
Fully. Magical. Being. The banging times were banging and the sweet moments were precious. I loved this with my whole heart.
CW: parental death (off-page, historical, briefly mentioned), knotting, somnophilia, MMC that sleeps with other women on page (briefly described, no great detail, recalled after the fact, before he and the FMC are actually together, monogamous after he realizes he’s in love with her.), brief mention of suicidal ideation.
Monster + HisRo = genre baby of my dreams.
In all seriousness though, this took my two favorite sub-genre’s in romance and made a monster Regency baby and I devoured it whole. CM’s attention to detail was so well done. Marble Marquis read like a love letter to old school HisRo’s in it’s plot, character background, and relationship development. The unrepentant rake (who’s REALLY a rake), that doesn’t want to marry or fall in love, giving sex lessons to an impoverished, gently bred lady so she can make a match to save her younger sisters is straight out of an Old School HR. Add in Silas being a gargoyle (who really turns to stone!) with monsterly appetites and appendages and I was in hog Heaven.
My favorite trope is “I don’t need her. I’m going to keep being a rake because this isn’t love. Oh shit why am I FEELING things.” Silas delivered this to perfection. Down to the strange chest feelings that add extra umph every time. And I think his character development was spot on. I’m always annoyed when the rake stops….raking? just because he laid eyeballs on the FMC once. Silas is a real deal, sleep with all the Ton wives scoundrel that has to go through real introspection to realize he’s in love and only wants Eleanor. Immaculate.
And Eleanor was a delight. She’s enamored with Silas once she gets past the initial hostility but, man, when Silas screws up, she makes him WORK to get her back, honey. And it’s so subtle and done in these little statements there, little move here, that you feel him having this “oh shit” moment in slow-mo.
Fully. Magical. Being. The banging times were banging and the sweet moments were precious. I loved this with my whole heart.
CW: parental death (off-page, historical, briefly mentioned), knotting, somnophilia, MMC that sleeps with other women on page (briefly described, no great detail, recalled after the fact, before he and the FMC are actually together, monogamous after he realizes he’s in love with her.), brief mention of suicidal ideation.
May 19, 2023
Excellent!
I love C.M. Nascosta! Unsurprisingly, the first book in the monster ball series takes you through the game of emotions: humor, sadness, anger, passion, and love! This is the love story between Eleanor and Silas a gargoyle, a Marquis, and a notorious London rake! As a lover of regency romance, I am here to tell you there is nothing more delicious than a reformed rake.
I totally recommend this book!
The Monsters Ball series is a multi-author work! So, I will be reading through the books in the series and recommending (or not) individual books as I read them. But, so far so good!
I love C.M. Nascosta! Unsurprisingly, the first book in the monster ball series takes you through the game of emotions: humor, sadness, anger, passion, and love! This is the love story between Eleanor and Silas a gargoyle, a Marquis, and a notorious London rake! As a lover of regency romance, I am here to tell you there is nothing more delicious than a reformed rake.
I totally recommend this book!
The Monsters Ball series is a multi-author work! So, I will be reading through the books in the series and recommending (or not) individual books as I read them. But, so far so good!
August 14, 2024
So, I just DNF'd How to Marry a Marble Marquis by C.M. Nascosta, and I’m kind of on the fence about it. The whole "monster" aspect was interesting, I guess, but the "hero" was a real jerk most of the time. Honestly, I kept hoping the heroine would just tell him off more often!
I didn’t really buy that they were in love, which made all the super-spicy scenes feel more tawdry than anything. I usually enjoy some good dirty talk, but this just didn’t hit the mark for me. It's a unique story, but it wasn't quite what I was hoping for.
I didn’t really buy that they were in love, which made all the super-spicy scenes feel more tawdry than anything. I usually enjoy some good dirty talk, but this just didn’t hit the mark for me. It's a unique story, but it wasn't quite what I was hoping for.
April 6, 2023
I came, I saw, I quietly slipped out the back door with a to-go drink because this was dumb.
April 9, 2024
It’s Bridgerton with monsters and knotting, need I go on? Haha
I personally, struggle with some of the word choices used in the spicy scenes, but other than that, this was super fun!!
I personally, struggle with some of the word choices used in the spicy scenes, but other than that, this was super fun!!
December 20, 2024
Booing. Hissing. Throwing tomatoes. This was so baddd. Silas is irredeemably awful to Eleanor, and he doesn't even have to grovel for forgiveness...she just folds within a few hours and decides she might as well marry him because the other eligible bachelors -could- be worse
did-not-finish
October 9, 2024DNF @ 34%.
I love historical romances, monster romances AND the ‘sex lessons’ trope, so I’m devastated that this didn’t work for me.
The pacing felt off — definitely slow in the beginning, despite the premise.
I also couldn’t get into the audiobook, although one of the narrators (Justine Eyre) can be hit-or-miss personally.
I’ve seen positive reviews though, so YMMV.
I love historical romances, monster romances AND the ‘sex lessons’ trope, so I’m devastated that this didn’t work for me.
The pacing felt off — definitely slow in the beginning, despite the premise.
I also couldn’t get into the audiobook, although one of the narrators (Justine Eyre) can be hit-or-miss personally.
I’ve seen positive reviews though, so YMMV.
November 17, 2024
DNF in chapter 3 because I don't like the way the protags talk to each other.
October 18, 2024
right in front of my salad???
February 1, 2025
I would like to give it like a 2.5 or a 3 but it just wasn’t as fun and flirty as the other book I’ve read by this author. Still very spicy, especially the last scene. The plot was basically Bridgerton season 1 but with a gargoyle. I really, really dislike the reader of this audiobook. I’m pretty sure she’s the same narrator who read To Ravish a Rogue by the same author, but her voice just sounds constantly strained or like she’s faking a British accent. It makes me dislike the female POV chapters and wait impatiently for the male reader.
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