Berries and Greed

                   

Title: Berries and Greed

Series: Deep Earth Dating #1

Author: Lily Mayne

Published: June 30, 2023

Pages: 564

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Greid
I may hate everyone, but you can only take being alone for so long. Sooner or later, you get desperate enough to visit a human cult that worships your species as greater beings in the hope of finding a new roommate to fill the lonely void. We’ve all been there… right?

I swear I was only looking for a roommate. Just someone to watch TV and eat dinner with. Nothing… romantic. No way. But when I see all these humans gazing at me with open adoration and blatant lust and other things that make me wildly uncomfortable, I realise what a terrible mistake this is.

Until I spot the one human woman in the group who is definitely not pleased to see me. In fact, she’s scowling at me. She looks really, really annoyed.

I’m kind of into it.

Beryl
I’m not a true follower of The Order of the Greater Beings. I don’t worship the demiurgus—the monstrous species that lives alongside humans. I definitely do not want to become a demiurgus mate.

So when one shows up at the cult’s compound—the first in the entire twenty-five years I’ve been flying under the radar here—I want to make sure he knows that I think he’s a total creep for taking advantage of worryingly adoring humans this way.

Until I realise… I don’t think that’s why he’s here. He’s kind of awkward. And anxious. And wildly out of his depth. And when he offers me the chance to finally escape the cult—to go out into the real world for the first time, to create a life for myself—all for the low, low cost of an easy, platonic friendship… I take it.

Now I’m navigating the outside world, and I’m roommates with a big, awkward demiurgus called Greid who lives in his pyjamas, watches a ridiculous amount of TV and is high most of the time. He’s also the sweetest guy I’ve ever met, and he’s funny and generous and easy to talk to.

But I’ve spent my entire life making sure I didn’t get sucked in to the cult’s fervent worship of the demiurgus—there’s no way I’m going to fall in love with him.

Right?

Berries and Greed is a MF monster/human romcom and is the first in the series Deep Earth Dating, which features a range of diverse pairings and is for an adult audience only. A full list of CWs can be found at the front of the book, but include explicit content, a non-human love interest (with non-human anatomy), an MC initially involved in a cult, recreational use of a fictional drug, and mentions of childhood neglect.

This is a romp from start to finish!!! Beryl and Greid are the most adorable people and friends and couple! They complement one another SO well and I love them!

Beryl grew up in a cult. But don't worry...she's not fully indoctrinated. This cult worships the Demiurgus that emerged from Deep Earth years ago to cohabitate the surface with humans. But Beryl knows they're just regular people, so when Greid shows up to check the cult out. She just knows that he is a creepy perv. But he's really just kind of lonely and wants companionship. Not sex. He knows way more about anatomy than the cult tells its followers and he knows that they are not compatible. 

Greid is a socially anxious stoner. His idea of a perfect day is spending a few hours making jewelry, and then spending the rest of the day smoking and snacking under a huge pile of blankets while watching trashy television. He would just like a housemate to hang out with him while he does that. Not all the time, but making friends is hard and he gets lonely sometimes! He doesn't want the creeps that look at him with adoration from the cult though. Until he meets Beryl's eyes and she looks at him with pure disdain....sign him up. 

They really do balance one another out so well. And the way that they make space for each other's quirks and are totally obsessed with each other (once they get to know one another better) is SO cute. I can't wait to read more about these Demiurgus!

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Spice: 5/5