Under Loch and Key: Captured by the Lake Monster Review

 

Book Source: Book Siren

Cross-Post Review: Chantie's Goodread Review

Spice Radar: 8 out of 10 (1 means little to no smut; 10 means extreme smut)

A part of a Series: No

Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance 

Under Loch and Key is a erotic novella. The type of novella with the right amount of smut with a plot line. The type to keep the reader interested until the very end. Each characters went through their fare share of struggles. If you are into that sort of thing, then grab your notebook with the TBR list and let's jump into the review. 

Under Loch and Key: Captured by the Lake Monster Review

When I first noticed Under Loch and Key: Bred by the Lake Monster by Carmen Cade, I was a bit intrigued by the term Lovecraftian. It was used as a tag. Never had I seen that word before. Two minutes and several google clicks later, I was fascinated. The tag erotic horror cemented my curiosity, and I was ready to satisfy my fascination. The list of content warnings propelled me to read the story.

For those oblivious of the term Lovecraftian, it stems from the American author H.P. Lovecraft writing. A subgenre of horror fiction and weird fiction. It involves the mythology of supernatural creatures and extraterrestrial elements. It explores beyond human phenomenon and comprehension. 

From the pictures on the net, it reminds me of the creatures in 'Pirates of the Caribbean'.

Back to the review. Lillian and Erik were the two protagonists of this erotic novella. Lillian and her best friend Tiffany visited the cabin they often did when they were younger. However, with this visit, Tiffany was no longer single. The complicated yet simple fact thrust the friends further apart. In all the chaos between two friends, Lillian met the hot Viking of a man, Erik. Their meeting could be described as ‘lust at first sight’. The interaction after got steamy. Lust poured out of the pages. Sexual acts twisted with new dreams and possibilities decorated the story.

I was a bit shocked to know this was Carmen’s first book. She did a wonderful job. I enjoyed Lillian and Erik’s story. The message embedded in their journey stayed with me. Some relationships have an end road. Others lasted longer. No dream couldn’t be accomplished regardless of the time passed. One thing, though, I wished Carmen had enlightened me on how Lillian and Tiffany’s relationship turned out. Did it end on the beach, or did they make up after? What about the monster? Did Lillian and Eric live close to its island? Did Lillian return to her home, or did they live elsewhere? 

I thought if she had included what happened with Tiffany, it would have cemented the theme I noticed in the first chapter. Either way, I loved the book. It was short and spicy with a large pepper. I rated Under Loch and Key: Bred by the Lake Monster four out of five stars. It would be my pleasure to recommend this erotic story to anyone who craves something different. Something new. If you believe the changes we never thought we needed came in the most unexpected times, then this story is for you. Sometimes when one door closes another open. 

Word of advice to the potential readers, don’t be frightened by the content warnings. The book is civil yet amazing in an unorthodox kind of way.