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The Heart of a Monster #1

Chosen by Villains

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Three brutal monsters came to my rescue. Now who's going to save me from them?

Every beat of my heart is the tick of a time bomb, reminding me to squeeze as many thrills out of life as I can. Still, the last thing I expect is a horde of nightmarish monsters descending on me in the night, eager to tear me apart.

So when three more demonic figures leap out of the shadows to defend me, my choices are trust my unexpected champions... or die. Not exactly a tough decision.

The beastly men wrench me away from my home, claiming they'll keep me safe. They say there's something special about me—something the others want to devour and they mean to protect.

My monstrous saviors are just as brutal as the creatures they fought off, damaged in ways I'll never understand. I can tell they're hiding things from me. But the more we dig into the mysteries surrounding my existence, the more I catch glimpses of tenderness beneath their vicious exteriors.

And the touch of their fangs and tentacles makes me feel so shockingly alive, it's hard to remember why I ever feared them...

Until I discover the real reason they're protecting me.

332 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 6, 2022

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About the author

Eva Chase

124 books2,906 followers
Eva Chase lives in Canada with her family. She loves stories both swoony and supernatural, and strong women and the men who appreciate them. You can visit her online at www.evachase.com.

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5 stars
811 (33%)
4 stars
790 (32%)
3 stars
594 (24%)
2 stars
164 (6%)
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60 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
Profile Image for Thais • tata.lifepages •.
488 reviews845 followers
May 7, 2022
Review 4.5 stars! 🔥

I started reading monster romances recently and it has become one of my favorite new-to-me romance subgenres 😍 Chosen by Villains combines monster romance with reverse harem, impossible not to enjoy it!

I always worry with reverse harem books that the plot would focus too much on the smut, but this was not the case here! This is a heartwarming reverse harem where the plot is just as captivating as the romance! It gets super steamy 🥵🔥 but the slow build up to it was perfection!

Eva Chase writes a sweet and caring slow burn romance between Quinn and the three monsters who are protecting her from other worse evils. Quinn is suddenly being hunted by all types of shadowkind and she has no idea why. Three shadowkinds, Crag, Lance and Torrent, capture her under the guise that they are protecting her from the rest of the monsters... Quinn is unsure if they are telling the truth or not, after all, they are monsters. Would they truly put her first if it came to it or will their claws and tentacles come out... You will have to read to find out!

The three monsters are completely different from each other, which makes each of their relationships with Quinn unique. Lance is the funny and flirtatious type, Crag is the loyal protector and Torrent is a complete mystery. His dynamic with Quinn was definitely the most interesting since they have so much in common...

Thank you so much to the author for gifting me a copy for review !
August 29, 2022
Betrayal comes in all shapes and sizes, always when you least expect it. In the end the heroine and her men learn this lesson the hard way. This has been a decent start to the series and I’m eager to see where it goes from here. Emanating like some type of magic dinner bell, the heroine unknowingly brings a slew of beasties right into her life. Luckily three monsters manage to save the day and so begins the mystery surrounding her. One thing I found lacking was more description on any and all creatures. Sometimes so many are coming at a time and getting killed off left and right it’s hard to actually visualize. The fact that they are all monsters of shadow is such a cool concept. I’m still particularly stuck on them just ‘snap’ coming into existence, no type of birth or growth cycle for them. I find this makes their history and personal backstories that much more intriguing and I’m looking forward to learning more. The heroine sort of takes to the guys and there being monsters in the world rather easily IMO. While this isn’t a insta love read, I do think things move rather fast between them all. Doesn’t mean there’ll be smooth sailing from here but I’m ready for the madness.
Profile Image for Denise.
3,128 reviews
March 30, 2022
Eva has done it again! We get another RH series starring the shadowkind. This time we have three "monsters," Torrent, Crag, and Lance. We haven't yet gotten their complete stories, but they all work for Rollick who is a particularly nasty high level shadowkind that owns a hotel in California. He assigns the three to follow a human woman. He doesn't really tell them why he is interested in her, just instructs them to keep an eye on her and jump in if other shadowkind take an interest in her. Torrent is instructed to contact Rollick to if and when that happens.

Quinn lives in Jacksonville, FL and is working on a college degree in architecture. She had a heart transparent at a young age and had no idea if and when her donor heart might give out on her. She has worked to live the life she has while she has it. She has taken to urban exploration and particularly likes sneaking into high places where she seems to feel more alive as she watches life below her high-rise perch. Quinn is determined to get her degree and to design structures that will live on after she is gone. As she is making her way home after dark one evening, she cuts through a park and suddenly feels a strange sensation in her chest. The next thing she knows she is under attack by strange creatures that seem to appear out of the shadows. Then, three larger beings appear and start fighting the smaller shadow forms. One of the three grabs her and launches into the air, flying her away from the fight.

Ready to learn what happens next? Well, grab the book and find out. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the tale will not end here. Series, you know. (There will a few old friends that show up in the book, or at least they are old friends to those of you who know about shawdowkind!)

I was given an advanced copy of this book by the author. My review is voluntary.
Profile Image for Gwen.
175 reviews26 followers
December 1, 2022
Ehh. I tend to like my heroines more badass than timid and vulnerable. And this was a bit boring. I’m not going to continue with the series

Rating: 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 2.75-3 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes: RH, monsters
Profile Image for Cat Hoffpauir.
1,567 reviews157 followers
August 12, 2022
4.5 stars.
So this was a pretty good start.
I liked the ‘monsters’, and the way they connect with Quinn.
The plot was interesting and went at a good pace.
The sex was hot and we got just enough monstrous qualities explored during it to make it that much better.

If you couldn’t tell, I’m reserving judgment until I get further into the series.
This author has been a bit hit or miss with me in the past so I don’t want to get too excited by a good start, just to get super disappointed in later books.

We’ll see how it goes.
So far, I like it.
Profile Image for Tati Alvarez.
Author 6 books162 followers
April 20, 2022
This was such a fun read with three incredible monsters. I loved each of them differently. If you are a fan of monster romances, then you’ll definitely enjoy this spicy read!
Profile Image for Alaina.
6,541 reviews214 followers
September 15, 2022
Chosen by Villains is the first book within The Heart of a Monster series. In this, you will meet Torrent, Crag, Lance, and Quinn. Now the monster - Torrent, Crag and Lance - all work for Rollick and they are all shadowland monsters. Their assignment is Quinn, and we honestly don't know much about her. Or them really.

Quinn is supposedly mortal, but I kept getting the feeling that she truly isn't. While she's out and about living her normal college life, she gets attacked by something strange. Shadow-y but strange. Well, that is until she is saved by one of the three mysterious men. Along the way, she learns that they are monsters, and the relationship between them starts to form.

Now the whole mystery sort of revolves around Quinn. Mostly because of her heart condition. Not sure how she can go on taking the number of pills she does daily, but details. It gave me lots of things to question and think about really. I still feel like we aren't getting the full story and I need to jump into the next book to find out what's really going on in the background.
Profile Image for heather staccone.
37 reviews1 follower
May 7, 2022
Not well written

I really thought it would be better I am so disappointed it took me 3x longer than a normal book to get through. I definitely won't be reading anything from this author again
Profile Image for ROMEOISNOTFUNNY.
393 reviews4 followers
May 20, 2023
Hot, hot, and many hot moments! I went straight from the "Flirting with Monsters" series to this "The Heart of a monster" - chosen by villains. Book 1 has more smutty bits than books 1 to 2 of FWM. And it's fits perfectly with the story.
Again, the world building and characters are strong. And we get a drop-in from our RH in the FWM series. I do wish there had been more. The drop was too short. Hopefully, there is more to come.

While this plot is in the shadowblood universe. It's, of course, not as intense as FWM. Our heroine is brave life and the time she has left. While FWM heroine is a badass in action and already knows of the shadow world.

These books make me crave my own monster or 4!
3.8 stars
Profile Image for Akira.
216 reviews
Read
August 19, 2022
DNF 80%

Okay yeah I gave up on this its pretty boring or at least just not the flavor I need right now
Might revisit it some other time (but probably not)
Profile Image for Maria Elena | pagesofmaria.
579 reviews219 followers
May 1, 2022
It was love at first sight with this book. I mean, look at that gorgeous cover! And I’m happy to say that the story within did not disappoint.

Let me start by saying this is the first book I read by Eva Chase, and I fell in love with her style. While I was reading, we meet some characters that smelled of crossover, and my suspicions were confirmed once I reached the end of the ebook. Indeed, this book is set in an already established world from the Flirting With Monsters series, but would I have noticed if I hadn’t guessed there was more to that cameo-ish encounter? No, and I appreciate it. I had no trouble understanding the story and the world, so you can definitely jump into this book without having read the other series. If anything, I’m now curious to read that one, too, because the characters looked really intriguing! (Also, I see on Goodreads that it’s very beloved by fans.)

It’s not every day you read a character with a heart transplant in a fantasy setting, which made Quinn stand out from other heroines in the genre. I also liked that she wasn’t entirely trusting of the three dashing monsters that just happen to save her. She questions their intentions a lot despite she quickly develops an interest in them. As for the three guys, they’re very interesting, although I feel like there’s still more we need to learn about them. My favorite is Torrent. I love him so much, in fact, that I’m having a harder time shipping Quinn with Crag and Lance. Torrent is just my type, you know? The tormented and broody leader with a secret tenderness. I’m very curious to see how the story continues, especially since I want to see some Torrent action. *wink*

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Klizbeth.
901 reviews49 followers
October 27, 2022
DNF

I don’t know what the problem is here! I’ve attempted to read this book THREE TIMES! I get a little bit farther each time, and finally stop because I’m so bored.

This book looks like it’s exactly the type of book I’d love. But for some reason it can’t keep my attention. I kept this book partly open and unfinished on my kindle for months, which is really unusual for me, and I kept attempting to finish it. But it’s just not happening.

At this point I think they’re all gonna petrify in that cabin, never leaving.

Nothing happens, they just stay in that damn cabin forever!

She occasionally calls her mom to make an excuse for being out of town, she kisses a monster once or twice. They eat cereal and ice cream. She bemoans being sick and weak. That’s it. BORING!

I know something must EVENTUALLY happen, but I can’t seem to make it to that point.

FMC also feel really really immature and childish to me. Even her mental thoughts feel juvenile. The monsters also feel really childish. They’re all really really immature and innocent in a way I can’t describe well. It’s off putting in a monster reverse harem romance.

Anyway, I’m done now. I’m not gonna try anymore. Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s the book…I dunno, but I give up.
Profile Image for Dede.
128 reviews1 follower
April 4, 2023
Good read. I can't stand Quinn. (Had the last book spoiled by a friend and I'm pissed now how the author finishes the whole series. 😑)
SPOILER⚠️ SPOILER ⚠️SPOILER ⚠️
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After all the angst hot sex ND demon transformation/fucking...Quinn turns back into a mfking human. AFTER 4 WHOLE GODDAMED BOOKS. That's the ending. She gets her faulty heart back to normal and basically has a "happy ending" on her terms. This bitch will die in a few years and her men will live on cause they're immortal. 😤 author-San....why?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for OneDayI'll.
1,399 reviews30 followers
October 27, 2022
Different

Quinn is on borrowed time anyway, but being attacked by a band of shadowy monsters probably sped up that clock. Not sure her rescue, by other shadowy monsters is an extension, either. But they're keeping her alive. For now.

Spoilers ahead.
Trigger warnings for mentions of magically coerced s*x by humans who weren't exactly willing. Really should have this in the blurb somewhere. This is becoming common enough that I'm about to abandon so called romance again because of all the freaking rape mentioned that isn't warned about.

I like inclusive stories. I'm on beta blockers for a speedy heartbeat and reading about a heroine who has to worry about her meds adds a touch of realism for me. On the other hand, that final solution is janky at best. With her condition she's subject to multiple x-rays, regular treatments and stress tests as well as other health checkups. Anytime she has to do that her essence would be immediately detected. Let alone the issue of hygiene. Plus, she has @3 years left on that heart- unless the revelation means that there is something related that preserves that heart. Because otherwise, humans anyway, can reject transplants or easily wear through them over time. And would she revert back to normal without it? Or after her next surgery? Maybe I'm asking too many questions lol. Also, I know they're on the run and have limited chance for interaction, but the bonding seems only s*xual and not really emotional. It was interesting, definitely a slightly different book, but it should be mentioned that probably reading Flirting with Monsters set should be read first. Because those characters pop up so it'd be more linear. I don't think I'll continue the series but for those looking for different, it would be an interesting diversion.
Profile Image for Audrey S.
563 reviews9 followers
May 7, 2022
*I received an ebook ARC from the author in exchange for my honest review.*

So I’ve recently fallen HARD into the monster romance genre and I could not have been more excited to see this new series coming out now from Eva Case.

We have Quinn, our heroine, a feisty young women fighting for more independence from parents who worry about her since she had a heart transplant when she was younger. Quinn still takes pills (I assume immunosuppressants?) to keep the heart transplant a success. I always love Chase’s lead characters as she doesn’t shy away from heroines who have a disability, though as I’ve never had a transplant, I cannot confirm how good the rep actually is.

Continuing onto the monsters, part of my personal appeal with monster romance is the variety of forms monsters can have. And in this RH we have three wonderfully monstrous men, Torrent ,a tentacle creature, Crag, a gargoyle, and Lance, a dragon shifter. In usual Chase fashion, Quinn does not get all her men in one go, but we do get a lot of Lance and Crag love in this

Chase subverts some tropes in a very fun way too - two examples are that Lance is decades older than Quinn but is inexperienced when it comes to s*x and Quinn also grapples with her growing attraction to the men and yet also puts emphasis on the fact that she doesnt want to treat them like adult toys, monster or no monster.

Overall, I’m very excited to see where Chase is going to take this series! I’m so ready for more monster fun!
Profile Image for Alicia.
1,732 reviews75 followers
Read
December 14, 2022
Jumping to this series because I love love love love LOVED Shattered Vow, and these are all in the same world. It is a slow burn romance, so a few kisses in this one but not much else, and it’s set in the same world as Flirting With Monsters too. There was enough information in there if you haven’t read the original series to just jump straight into this one though.
Monster romances do seem to be cropping up everywhere, and not just as hilarious parodies. This one gets a character with tentacles, which aren’t on the cover so came as a surprise. We’ll have to wait and see how those play out.
The heroine in this book had a heart transplant as a child, so she knows she’s got a limited amount of time left before it gives out, and tries to live her life to the fullest. But then she attracts the attention of some monsters, and three of them whisk her away to keep her out of trouble.
This book had a lot of potential, and I liked the idea of the MC’s health problems, but they don’t come across as fully realised. Accuracy went by the way of moving the plot forward (which makes sense, no one wants tedium) but it led to it all feeling a little bit like lip service and a convenient plot device. Maybe I’ve just read too broad a spectrum of own voice ailments and health problems in other books that are amazing at showing all those nuances and set the bar too high.
It ends with a cliff hanger, but luckily these are all out now and bingeable.
Profile Image for Sadie Forsythe.
Author 1 book279 followers
September 18, 2023
Meh. This was a pretty bland read for me. To start with, I didn't know beforehand that it is set in the same world as the Flirting With Monsters series. Maybe it's a spinoff (the characters from that series make an appearance). I don't know the specifics. I do know that there is so little worldbuilding in this book that if I hadn't read the Flirting With Monsters series in the past, I would have been lost.

I do not feel that I got to know the characters. (Not that I really needed to. The men are clones of the men from Flirting With Monsters.) I did not feel any chemistry between the lovers. I don't honestly think there was enough time for any to develop. The plot is simple and predictable. Mostly, it all simply coasted along at just good enough. Never did the book get good and grab my attention. But never did it ever get quite so bad that I decided to DNF. I was mostly just kind of bored with it. Meh, bland.

The writing and editing are fine. The cover is pretty (though I don't think it matches the tone of the book at all), and I did appreciate all of the disability rep. Honestly, this is probably a case of just not the book for me. I've liked other Chase books a lot more.
Profile Image for Chanel Johnson.
354 reviews15 followers
April 24, 2022
Anyone who follows me knows RH is my jam!

This story follows Quinn, a college student with a heart issue just trying to live her life as best she can before her time comes up. After 3 shadow monsters save her, she is taken and forced to stay with her “protectors”.

But what’s the real reason they are protecting her?

I am not a huge fan of insta-lust but I feel like it worked well in this story. For Quinn to feel comfortable with her “protectors”, we needed to feel this insta-lust.

I have not read the Flirting With Monsters series but I’m intrigued now that I know their was some character crossover!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5
🌶🌶/ 5
Profile Image for Lizzie.
194 reviews34 followers
June 11, 2023
Quinn is forced to go with 3 monster men in order to save herself from the evil that lurks on the earth.

This was a cute, why choose monster romance. I wish I would have enjoyed it more though. I enjoyed the plot and the forced proximity, but I had a hard time relating to some of our monster men or even finding them likable. I did feel like the story dragged out a little bit with a little too much inner monologue, but overall, it was a cute read and a good start to the series!

Tropes: monster romance - tentacles, dragon, and gargoyle, threesome, forced proximity, virgin mmc,

⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Profile Image for Mandi fuller.
3 reviews
December 8, 2023
Very enjoyable

I almost skipped over it because it felt more of a yt kind of book at first but it's definitely not for anyone under 18. I enjoyed the story line and the FMC was fantastic. Wasn't a baby about her situation and my most favorite thing is it wasn't drawn out about what we all know her decision will become. Toiletries many books let the MC draw out what they feel with too much undecided thoughts. Not this one and the 🔥 parts aren't that extreme but still delicious and tasteful. I hope the next book is just as good.
Profile Image for Jessica's Reads.
100 reviews10 followers
April 22, 2022
This book was given to me as an arc this is my honest opinion.

This book was good at times there were parts that were a little slow but i loved the characters and i think Lance was my favorite and Torrent too because who doesnt love a dark broody character. Spice wise it was 1.5/5 not a lot of spice but was still good when it was happening.
It is a reverse harem one female 3 guys well shadow guys.
I highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Meagan.
620 reviews17 followers
October 9, 2022
Three stars. I was really into this book when I first started reading it. Then, it got boring and a bit silly. This book could've been a lot more and it just wasn't. I wanted the book to be over with, I had twenty pages left when I put the book down and I had to force myself through it. The concept is interesting, but it's way too slow burn for me. Right now I don't have it in my mind to try to continue this series, maybe who knows.
Profile Image for Mayara Becker.
144 reviews15 followers
January 3, 2023
Curti o livro mas teve hora que fiquei confusa com tanta ação, espero que a mocinha melhore pois não teve nada ual nela (mesmo sendo fofa)
Profile Image for Caitlyn Sanders.
103 reviews
March 6, 2023
Round 2 at trying to read this book and it was a lot better than expected! Great book go get me out of my reading slump!
Profile Image for Katarina.
52 reviews
December 4, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters and the world building. The only thing I take away from this is how long the scenes felt. It may have been just me but it felt like a lot of inner monologuing made this a bit longer than it needed to be.
Profile Image for M.
247 reviews24 followers
April 29, 2022
DNF 20%

The writing is incredibly amateurish and reads like bad fanfic. The dialogue isn’t believable and the story has more plot holes than Swiss cheese. This is the third attempt to find a good book by this author and at this point I give up. Which is a shame because I love monster RH’s.
Profile Image for Emma.
47 reviews
May 14, 2022
It's not that the book was bad exactly. I just felt it was way too slow burn for me. I finished reading it and I was just really glad it was finally over. I would have liked a scene with her parents, but at this point not even the MAJOR cliffhanger will get me to read the next book.
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