Book: Taste: An MM Monster Romance by Cora Rose
Reviewed by Maggie Hayes
Rating: 4.5/5
ARC REVIEW
Taste by E.M. Lindsey & Cora Rose
⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5/5)
Cielo and Dante have the sweetest monster x human relationship I have ever read.
Cielo is quite possibly the gentlest creature to ever walk the Earth. He's sensitive, compassionate, and wants nothing more than to make the people he loves happy. He sees the good in everyone and approaches the world with an openness that could easily have made him feel naïve, but it never does. He understands betrayal and disappointment when they happen; he simply chooses not to let them harden him. Honestly, anyone who can look at a baby possum and see a perfect pet deserves the world.
Dante is a wonderful counterpart to Cielo. Having been bullied for his sexuality growing up, he has slightly sharper edges, but he's still an incredibly kind and caring person. As a sex shop owner and toy designer, he's passionate about helping the Vyastil explore pleasure and connection, and I loved watching him introduce Cielo to forms of intimacy that go beyond the physical.
What makes this romance so special is the immediate tenderness between them. From the beginning, Cielo and Dante are deeply attuned to each other's emotions, always looking for ways to support, protect, and care for one another. They're essentially dual cinnamon rolls whose greatest joy comes from making the other person happy, and it was impossible not to fall in love with them as a couple.
That said, don't mistake all that sweetness for a lack of heat. This book has plenty of spice to balance the tenderness, and Cielo and Dante are incredibly sexy together. Watching them explore both physical and emotional intimacy felt natural for their relationship, and the chemistry between them absolutely delivers.
I also appreciated how seamlessly Everest and Rathyn were woven into the story. Given how important Cielo was to the events of the first book, it felt natural that they would play such a significant role here as well. The interconnected relationships continue to make this world feel rich and lived-in.
Overall, this was a heartwarming, deeply romantic follow-up that left me even more excited to continue the series. Dante's brother Luca is up next, and I can't wait to see where the story goes from here.
Thank you to the authors and The Author Agency for providing an ARC!