What Is Monster Romance?

Monster romance is one of the many romance sub-genres that has exploded in recent years. You can trace the rise back to C.M. Nascota's Morning Glory Milking Farm; while it wasn't the first monster romance, it was responsible for attracting readers who had probably never considered the romantic and erotic possibilities of monsters before. And once they tried one monster romance, they couldn't get enough.

Now, a fear years on, we've got romances with lizard people, mothmen, gargoyles, cliche, scarecrows . . . the list goes on.

But what's the real draw of the sub-genre? Is it the interesting appendages (tentacles, multi-pronged peens, members that eject magical substances)? Is it the proliferation of sweet, sensitive heroes who are big and strong enough to scare all the bad guys away, but treat their love interests with tender, loving care?

It's all that and more. Because monster romance isn't just about monsters and romance.

Its stories borrow from erotica and horror, both genres known for their immersive and emotionally evocative natures.

And that's what monster romance is; a sub-genre that can elicit fear, discomfort, safety, and hope, all in a novella ostensibly about, for example, being fated mates with the gentle, kind orc from your office (I'm referencing Kate Prior's The Orc from the Office here). You come for the premise, and you stay for the feels.

Yes, there are spicy books that are just about milking or getting rammed by a really tall, buff guy with interesting appendages, but the real appeal is the reminder that good things happen when we don't segment ourselves off from each other, or assume we know everything about a person (or being) based on what they look like. That gargoyle scowling over there? He might just be your soul mate. The bogeyman lurking under your bed? He might be just the person you need by your side to weather life's ups and downs.

Now that I've waxed poetic, let's get down to definitions.

What is monster romance?

A monster romance is a paranormal or fantasy romance novel with at least one monster main character.

Examples include orcs, lake monsters, minotaurs, and krakens, but the sky is the limit when it comes to monsters. Virtually every folkloric tradition includes monsters, so when in doubt, dive into the fables and tall tales from a given culture and discover the possibilities for things that go bump in the night.

What is the difference between paranormal and fantasy monster romance?

Paranormal monster romance novels are set in worlds that closely mimic our own, but with key differences. For example, in Morning Glory Milking Farm, the heroine lives in a world with cell phones, WiFi, student debt, coffee shops, the gig economy, and a thriving pharmaceutical industry. That world also happens to include a variety of monsters, including the aforementioned minotaurs.

Fantasy monster romances, on the other hand, are set in worlds with different societal, religious, political, and even gender structures to ours. A good rule of thumb for discerning the difference between fantasy and paranormal monster romance: if you subbed out the monsters for humans in the story, would it mimic a contemporary romance?

If so, you've got yourself a paranormal monster romance.

But if subbing out monsters with humans still leaves you with a story set in a world ruled by different societal, religious, and political structures than ours, chances are you're reading a fantasy monster romance.

You'll also sometimes see the word "cozy" used to describe monster romances, regardless of what camp, paranormal or fantasy, they fall into.

What does "cozy" mean when applied to monster romance?

In this case, it's not referring to a cozy mystery. It's borrowing the term from fantasy, where "cozy" means a story without high stakes or a dramatic quest. A "cozy" monster romance is one without a lot of angst or painful internal conflict, and if there is a third-act break-up, it's solved pretty quickly. This is the type of story readers want when they feel like the world is too much, and need something to soothe their fragile soul.

The opposite of "cozy" monster romances are dark monster romances, which feature morally grey characters, traumatic emotional wounds, and a lot of angst.

Is alien romance considered monster romance?

This question is hard to answer. Some authors have started labelling alien romances, which would have been called sci-fi romance a few years ago, monster romance. Because aliens are a type of monster.

I think this trend will continue, perhaps to the point where the Amazon gods smile on us and give us a monster romance category so authors aren't forced to choose between labelling their romance as paranormal, fantasy, or by one of the tropes (alpha male, billionaire, rock star, etc.) included as category options. Until then, alien romance is still technically part of sci-fi, by virtue of the stories being set on other planets (usually) or involving extraterrestrial creatures.

Who reads monster romance?

As I mentioned at the top of this post, monster romance has universal appeal. It bridges the gap between romance readerships that wouldn't usually reach for the same books, in part because, outside of the paranormal/fantastical elements, it's got all the trappings of a classic romance story: emotional wounds, conflict, and plenty of character development.

Paranormal romance readers love the sub-genre because of the imaginative world-building that allows monsters and humans to co-exist. Shifter romance is the bread and butter of paranormal romance; monster romances are really just shifter romances without the shifting. And because the monster stays in one form, the human character has to reckon with the monster's otherness and consciously explore the shared experiences and values that unite them. 

Contemporary romance readers with a penchant for bad boys love seeing the human main characters in monster romances fall for much-maligned and misunderstood beings. It's the allure of the forbidden that appeals to these readers, and they love how the monster characters' depths are slowly revealed and explored throughout the story, showing readers that, just like bad boys, they're far more than their label. 

Dark romance readers delight in the more dangerous monster romances featuring morally grey monsters who inspire as much love and lust as they do fear. Their journeys to happily ever are often fraught with more serious themes like abuse, trauma, and kidnapping, which makes the happily ever after at the end of these monster romances more hard-won and satisfying. 

Erotic romance readers love the steaminess of the sub-genre and the passion that leaps off the page when monsters and their love interests discover each other's bodies and their particulars (see above mention of tentacles). 

What are the best monster romances to read for inspiration?

If I tried to list them all, I'd be writing this blog post until next year. So I'm offering a small selection that is by no means exhaustive. By the time this blog post is published, a flobbity jillion more of these delicious books will have come out, so read this lit, then go hunting on Amazon for more and discover the true breadth of this amazing sub-genre.

Muscles and Monsters by Ashley Bennett

Mistlefoe by Kimberly Lemming

Jack by Layla Fae

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

The Orc from the Office by Kate Prior

And now, I'm off to go read some monster romance. Just not the ones with mothmen in them. Those scare the heck out of me.

Until next post, happy reading and writing!