RLbooks (on a break)'s Reviews > Live, Laugh, Lurk

3.5 stars rounded up

I read Live, Laugh, Lurk when it was originally included in an anthology some time ago and I've been waiting for the author to rerelease it on its own, so I was pretty happy to get to snuggle in a blanket and read this cozy mothman romance with extra added. This is character-focused, low stakes, and sweet. No big plot or any villains, unless mysteriously appearing frogs are villainous (they're not).

Lilith's (h) new to town and is there to manage a nursery that her uncle bought, even though she prefers the city to the quieter college town that she's ended up in. Her rental unit is in a building with a presence she can sense and hear at times, but it takes her time to realize that she's noticing a somewhat awkward mothman neighbor. Alistair (H) is preciously adorable once you get to know him. He's got an intimidating physical appearance but is a sweetheart who loves lamps and plants. The two have a couple of interesting encounters around town/the building and strike up a friendship until their mutual attraction eventually becomes more.

Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om dram and I don't recall either of their histories being addressed, but I had the impression that H was likely inexperienced.

I loved all the little moments in this book like Lilith first appreciating Alistair's love of plants, Patrick the frog constantly breaking into her apartment, her love of the way that Alistair smells, and the two of them doing yoga and her admiring his booty. There are some clunkier sections since we're in Lilith's head a good bit and it does take forever for them to cross the friendship line. But the actual crossing of the line was funny and hot. Mothman equipment is, uh, substantial. I did wish that there was more than the one scene however, even if only a shorter other scene.

I also would have liked more fleshing out of both characters' backgrounds with this being expanded a bit. We do get some info on both, including seeing her parents and meeting his best friends, there just could have been more. Seeing Alistair's friends though was esp fun, having read their stories already. This is a fantasy world that's connected to the human world and some other races and dynamics are mentioned but the world building isn't heavy. Most of the book is just Lilith and Alistair.

The ending is HFN with them living together and planning to babysit for his best friend. It's a cute moment and they're talking about the future so I was happy with where we leave them off. I'm hoping maybe the author will continue to write in this world, it's a fun one!