New Release Monster Inside (Shadow Pact, #1) by River Starr and Meet the Author #Book #Romance @XpressoTours

Whatever this story is, I love it.

Monster Inside (Shadow Pact, #1) by River Starr released last week in the Adult, Paranormal, Romance genre.

Sometimes the most enchanting monsters are the ones you can’t see, only feel…

I am a survivor. For the past ten years, I’ve been forced to give every part of me to sinister vampires in a feeding community. But when I touched an ancient book and recited a spell out of sheer desperation and zero arcane knowledge, a dark entity came to me. Rescued me. Mrak helped me escape.

I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into. But Mrak has been at my side for the last three months—well, inside me, anchored to my existence and lovingly tender with his ethereal touches. It’s not quite possession, not quite a haunting. But it’s real, it’s sexy as hell, and he’s mine. Or I’m his. Either way, we’re now in this life together.

Mrak is distracting, seductive, and powerful, but he’s also keeping a secret. One that’s now put me in immense danger despite his claims he’ll do anything to protect me. Because the cops have come calling. Bodies have turned up. And despite his reassurances, I’m starting to wonder if Mrak has a hidden agenda that he’s somehow kept secret from the inside.

My life might be in my monster’s debt. My body might be his for pleasure. But my future is mine no matter how much he wants and uses my body. I’m no longer the weak woman he saved from a vampire lord, and it’s time to take my body—and my life—back.

MONSTER INSIDE is the first of a M/F paranormal monster romance duology.

AUTHOR BIO

River Starr writes books that help you escape, especially fantasy romance full of magic and supernaturals. Favorite things: coffee, wine, chocolate, and a heavy dose of books to chase away the dark… or invite delicious darkness in.

Can you tell us about the series as a whole?

Monster Inside is the first of a dark fantasy monster romance duology—that’s a mouthful! Basically, there’s a heroine who’s had a really crappy, traumatic past as a feeder in a vampire community. To escape, she accidentally summons a shadow demon that saves her, but at a cost: she must make a pact with him. At first, that’s all there is, but once she’s safe and now has to pay back her end of the bargain, things get heated. Unfortunately, Mrak, Aisling’s shadow demon monster, isn’t totally corporeal, but he might one day be. Until then, it’s a sort of one-sided physical relationship where he can touch her but she can’t return those physical affections. So while the pact between them is real, and the bond that’s formed because of it is sizzling hot, Aisling is always left wanting more—of him, of this relationship, and her future.
Monster Inside is a unique paranormal romance as it picks up there in Chapter Two, with Aisling and Mrak having already known each other for a year—at least, known as they are. There are tons of secrets between them, and plenty of firsts waiting to be had. I knew when writing Monster Inside that this wasn’t the typical set up for a paranormal romance, but Aisling and Mrak have so many personal demons (literal and figurative) to deal with before they can really come together, and Monster Inside really is that journey so that, in the sequel and conclusion to their journey, they can begin on what is hopefully more even ground.
Monster Inside is a quick read, but it’s equal parts dark and spicy and even hopeful, to some degree, as Aisling works through what’s happened to her to create a future she decides. She doesn’t always come out as the “good guy” though! And Mrak is very much a monster—but he’s her monster. I think that’s the most interesting aspect of it. Writing a world where no one is actually “good” and everyone just falls on a sort of mostly gray scale of things has been very fun and refreshing to explore. It’s darker than I normally write, but that’s also what made it different and fun for me—and hopefully for readers as well!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60476208-monster-inside

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This post is part of a tour. You can find the schedule here (http://xpressobooktours.com/2022/02/24/tour-sign-up-monster-inside-by-river-starr/).