The Gargoyle from General Management is the third installment of the Claws & Cubicles series by Kate Prior. I have been looking forward to this one ever since I read book two and Janice mentioned she didn’t think Gwen was human. I have been dying to know what she is, and now I know.
While you can read this book as a standalone, I recommend reading the first two books first. They are fantastic, and the character reprisals will have more impact if you know their stories. You can read my mini review for Love, Laugh, Lich, and my review for The Orc from the Office is coming next week.
✨I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.✨
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The Gargoyle from General Management by Kate Prior
🥭🥭🥭🥭.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
(you can find my rating and spice system here)
POV & Tense: Single POV, first person, present tense
Genre: MF Monster Romance
Tropes/Themes: Office Romance, Antisocial Siren, Stern Brunch Daddy Gargoyle, Corporate Retreat, Team-Building Exercises, Idiots to Lovers, Sexual Feeding Frenzy, Public / Semi-Public Sex, Gold Stars for Performance, NSFW Art
Synopsis:
Siren Gwen doesn’t see why she has to go on the corporate retreat. She’s from Monster Resources, not a part of the team. And it’s her yearly feeding cycle. To make matters worse, a handsome, put-together gargoyle keeps running into her at her most embarrassing moments, whether it’s the TSA agent displaying her vibrator or getting sloppy drunk at the meet and greet. She should avoid him at all costs, but her primal needs won’t be denied.
My Review:
First up, I was so thrilled to receive an Advance Reader Copy. I love this series so much, and The Gargoyle from General Management is a great addition.
Characters
I love Gwen. It took me a smidge to warm up to her because she’s guarded and not as feisty as Janice (from book two), but once I did, I thought she was fantastic. She’s extremely relatable — all of us at our most insecure. In book two, she struck me as no-nonsense, competent, and good at her job. So it’s interesting to see behind the scenes and realize she suffers from a serious case of imposter syndrome. It’s clear she cares about those around her, but she believes she’s sloppy and not goal-oriented, and she undermines herself at every opportunity.
Kate Prior’s interpretation of siren lore is fabulous. Gwen doesn’t have a tail, but once a year she must feed off the sexual energy of others. Traditionally, sirens lure people in with the power of their voice, but Gwen can’t carry a tune. She’s also very self-conscious about being a siren and doesn’t want anyone to know lest they think badly of her.
Vladyr Grotesce is the leading man we all need. He may look immaculate, like those at the top of the corporate food chain, but he’s kind and understanding. He sees Gwen’s potential and remains tender and approachable even when she’s at her most guarded. I adore how expressive he is with his twitching tail and powerful wings.
Snowball Effect of Embarrassment
There are many humorous moments between Gwen and Vladyr, from their airport meet-cute with her runaway luggage to Gwen going into heat at the most inopportune times in public places. It’s a snowball effect that keeps building until they cannot ignore their feelings. I especially loved the team-building exercises that gave them plenty of opportunity to touch and tease right in front of their colleagues.
Gold Stars for Performance
One of my favorite themes throughout was the gold star stickers. Gwen is very performance-oriented, mostly fixating on how (in her opinion) she doesn’t measure up. But she wants to know she’s a good girl and she most definitely wants Vladyr’s gold star stickers. I could relate so hard to this. I like gold star stickers—I want all the gold star stickers!
NSFW Art
In each of her books, Kate includes character art that she’s made. These drawings are a highlight for me. Towards the end (~94%) there is some lovely NSFW art of Vladyr and Gwen (so keep that in mind if reading on the bus). I love all the little details with the clouds, stars, and moon (and of course the mcs).
Final Thoughts:
Change is hard when you’re set in your ways, but sometimes things happen that force that change. And that is what this corporate retreat is about. Underneath the heat and hilarity is a touching story of self-acceptance and learning to open up and let others in. They just might surprise you.
At the end is an excerpt from the next book, which appears to be from the ghostly Randall’s POV (he’s from book one). I can’t wait to see what comes next.
The Gargoyle from General Management by Kate Prior (Claws & Cubicles Book 3)
Author Stalking (but not in a creepy way):
Kate Prior is an artist and author of many spicy romance books (monster and historical).
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