[ARC Review] Fated to the Gargoyle by Flora Dare

Publisher's synopsis: The gods will tear the world asunder if their treaty isn’t honored. To do so, there must be a marriage of dryad and gargoyle bloodlines.

Cybele: I hate the thought that my future is decided for me, but this is what I was raised to do. To be. A broodmare for a block of rocks. I suppose it isn’t much better for him, either. The treaty between my forest homeland and the gargoyle clan needs to be renewed or we will no longer be protected. It’s not about what we want, and it doesn’t matter if the husband they’ve picked for me wants to devour me with his kisses.

Basalt: I’ve never wanted any of this. Not being the presumptive heir to my father. Not being tied in marriage to a fragile dryad. She looks as though she would crumple at a light touch. When her hand is tied to mine, I can barely feel it.

The curse of the gargoyle - stone skin, never feeling. It matters not when you mate with another gargoyle, your rough touch is welcomed, almost required for satisfaction. But now I was about to be bound to a dryad as delicate as a spring flower.

Can a real passion bloom from the arranged marriage between a gentle flower and a heart of stone or are they destined to disappoint the gods? 

My thoughts: This was a short and sweet monster romance that I simultaneously didn't want to end and couldn't put down.

Cybele is pure and earthy, a dryad fated to marry a gargoyle in order to save both their species. Basalt is quite the opposite, stoic and at home around sleek, minimalistic designs. These two absolutely should not work together, but they are fated to be together for a reason. There is insta-lust and insta-attraction between both Cybele and Basalt, even when the other doesn't realize it. 

I loved how easily opposites attracted in this novella. A dryad, a woodsy creature most at home surrounded by plants, should not make sense with a creature whose skin is made of stone. But Dare did an excellent job at putting the focus on their personalities rather than just their species. 

While Dare packed a lot of steam into this spicy slow-burn novella, one aspect I didn't absolutely love is all the miscommunication/lack of communication. I felt like Basalt and Cybele spent most of the 90+ pages doing what they thought the other wanted, without ever actually asking the other person what they wanted or how they felt. This novella would've easily been 75% spice had the gargoyle and the dryad just sat down and talked to each other. 

Despite the lack of communication, the important thing is that Cybele and Basalt got there in the end. Dare kept the plot simple and wrapped it up nicely. I would definitely enjoy a sequel starring these two main characters, or another story set in the same world featuring characters we only met in passing. 

With intriguing characters, an interesting premise, and a good balance of steam and spice, Fated to the Gargoyle is a novella that monster romance lovers will want to check out. 

A huge thank you to the author for providing a review copy of this novella! 

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Release date: 8/12/22
Format: eARC
eARC provided via: BookSirens