Tag: Backyard Goblin Gods

I read a book: Grot (Backyard Goblin Gods #3), by Roxy Collins

Posted on by Traumadoll

Grot, by Roxy Collins is the third installment of the Backyard Goblin Gods series. We got a hint of this book’s main characters in the previous volume that had me wondering about the woman with two suitors.

Jessica is different from our previous heroines in that she is one of the Chosen Ones from a first family. These are humans who keep the gobelin/human agreement alive by teaching their daughters about gobelins and Underhill and their destiny to offer themselves as potential mates to the gobelins when the crust opens. Jess isn’t really interested in that life and is convinced that she is the least desirable of her sisters, therefore doesn’t really have to worry about being chosen. She is hopeful that she can go through with the ceremony, not be chosen, and then go on with her life with her mother finally off her back. Instead, she finds herself being pursued by two gobelins who are determined to win her favor. And her life is made more chaotic with the disappearance of her sister. She needs to make sure her sister is safe and sound before she can even think about her predicament.

Grot, like all of the gobelins we’ve met so far, is complicated but amazing. He is the cinnamon roll monster romance hero I crave. He’s utterly dedicated to doing everything he can to help Jess find her sister and ultimately win her over. He knows she is his fated mate but he humors his brother’s challenge and competes in this mating quest. After all, there can be only one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This series just keeps getting better. I love the way we get more and more gobelin lore as the story progresses. Can’t wait to see who’s next. I love that we get more character detail. And I love that each couple shows a different perspective. This is my favorite book in the series yet.

Big thanks to Roxy Collins and Booksprout for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. You can buy Grot, by Roxy Collins on Amazon for a couple bucks or read it as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription.

I read a book: Grouch (Backyard Goblin Gods #2), by Roxy Collins

Posted on by Traumadoll

Grouch, by Roxy Collins is the second book in the Backyard Goblin Gods series. We met the two main characters, Drew and Grouch, in the first book. To be honest, I didn’t expect Drew to be the next one to make an offering but I was pleasantly surprised.

There is a lot to love about this book. I found Drew’s character to be far more fleshed out than Cassie’s was in the first book. The reader really gets to know Drew and understand her motives behind her offering to Underhill. Unlike Cassie, Drew knows what she is doing when she drops a gold ring into the crack in the crust. She understands the implication of her actions and does so with a plan. While she does seem to understand some of the gobelin tradition, she is not in it to find a mate. She has a lot of stuff to work through and the reader is along for the ride. And Grouch, despite his name, is delightful. His initial reaction upon meeting her is less than dignified, but he dials it back immediately and though he knows she is his fated mate, he respects her boundaries and follows her lead. He is also fighting his own demons and they find they have a lot of common ground.

I have noticed in other reviews that there is not a lot of love for Drew. People love a strong independent female lead until she proves that she truly is strong and independent. I actually really liked the fact that she didn’t fall all over Grouch right away. She was on a mission and was determined to see it through. She knew what she didn’t want (a relationship/mate) and didn’t really warm up to the idea until she’d nearly completed her mission.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me. Collins addresses a lot of the issues I had with the first book by creating stronger characters with solid arcs. The main characters grow to know and care about each other before the big frenzy, which is something that is often missing in a fated mate story. There are some loose ends (what happened to Drew’s aversion to sex?), but overall a satisfying story. I am looking forward to the third book, Grot, coming to Kindle Unlimited on February 19, 2023.

Big thanks to Roxy Collins and BookSirens for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. You can buy Grouch, by Roxy Collins on Amazon for a couple bucks or read it as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription. It’s Valentine’s Day. Treat yo self.

I read a book: Grunge (Backyard Goblin Gods #1), by Roxy Collins

Posted on by Traumadoll

When I started this book and first third was dominated by the biker gang stuff, I nearly put it down and moved on. I’m not interested in the usual romance tropes with all human characters. I chose this book because I’ve never read a goblin romance before, and the man on the cover is green. I like green. Bring on the goblin lore. If the goblins are humans, meh. Fortunately Grungu was introduced before I got bored of reading about bikers harassing Cassie and her siblings. Don’t get me wrong. Cassie is great character. She’s a badass who does what needs to be done to take care of the ones she loves. Her life and her story leading up to her meeting Grungu are what makes her the badass she is. But I’m here for the goblin aspect and this book delivers.

Before I go on, let me list a few possible content warnings. Skip to the next paragraph if you don’t want them or are worried about spoilers. Consider yourself spoiler warned. So. Content warnings include: attempted rape, gang violence, guns, biting, oral sex on a sleeping person. If any of these things are not for you, pass on this one. I will also say that the attempted rapist is punished. Continuing on.

Cassie Wild finds herself caring for her siblings after her mom ditches town, leaving her to deal with her debt to the Iron Goblins. The head of the MC decides she’s not paying off the debt fast enough and puts her to work at the club’s strip club. She begrudgingly goes to work (not that she has a choice) and things immediately get worse for her. And then she accidentally sends an offering to the gobelins who live in a magical place underground and things start to look up.

Grungu aka Grunge is the leader of the gobelin horde living in a magical underground world called Underhill. Every 20 or so years, the crust opens and the gobelins have the opportunity to seek a human mate. They need humans to procreate and the leader of the horde must find his mate before any of his clan can attempt to find theirs. We learn that there is a history between humans and gobelins that is passed down the generations. Unfortunately it seems the humans are no longer keeping their end of the deal because Cassie doesn’t even know gobelins exist. Not only do they exist, but they’re the opposite of what the humans have always been told. They are fierce warriors, but they’re also cinnamon rolls who would do anything for their clan and especially for their mates.

This book is full of twists and turns. Sometimes it feels a little all over the place, but it all comes together nicely. And spice is close to the levels I like in my monster romance. I’m looking forward to seeing where Collins takes this series. If the path to the surface is only open for about a month, that doesn’t leave a lot of time for many gobelins to find their mates. It will either be a short series or there will be time skips. I’m okay with either.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me. There is room for improvement. I would love more details about the deal between humans and gobelins. What happened with the Iron Goblins? Will the twins be safe without Cassie? Will the gobelins be more welcoming to Cassie after all that happened? Overall I really enjoyed this one and immediately picked up the next book in the series.

Big thanks to Roxy Collins and BookSirens for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. You can buy Grunge (Backyard Goblin Gods #1), by Roxy Collins on Amazon for a couple bucks or read it as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription.