Spotlight & Giveaway: Muscles & Monsters by Ashley Bennett

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Ashley Bennett to HJ!

Hi Ashleyand welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Muscles & Monsters!

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

A cozy, spicy monster romance between a human woman baker and a gym owning wolfman.
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

“It looks like you’re having a bad day. Can I give you a hand?” he asked in a deep, rumbling voice.
“That—would be great,” I sniffled.
His body swayed back and forth slightly over my response and it was then I realized that he had a tail.
He was wagging his tail at me.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• The wolfman male main character was inspired by Legoshi from the anime Beastars.
• Atlas, the male main character, wags his tail when he’s happy.
• The book has nine spicy chapters
• I listened to the book playlist on repeat while writing the book.

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

He sees her having a difficult moment and stops to lend her a hand. It turns out that she’s the full package, and even though he tries to fight it at first, he can’t help falling for her.
She’s touched by his kind heart, and it just so happens that he’s the most handsome monster she’s ever seen. After their meet cute, she’s a woman on a mission
 

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

I was swooning writing this scene where he’s staring at her under the light of the moon.

“It’s beautiful.” She stared up at the night sky and I stared at her, admiring the way she seemed to glow under the moonlight.
“Sure is,” I said mindlessly.
Tonight was a waning crescent, the faintest sliver of silver hanging in the sky, but what I’d give to see her under the rays of the full moon.

Readers should read this book….

If they’re new to monster romance. I think it’s a great gateway into the genre.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I am working on edits for my vampire romance, Rugged Blood. My upcoming releases are Tentacles & Triathlons (Leviathan Fitness #2) on June 9th, 2026 and Mantras & Minotaurs (Leviathan Fitness #3) on September 1st, 2026.
Rugged Blood will be released in 2027.
 
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway:  A copy of MUSCLES AND MONSTERS by Ashley Bennett 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Have you ever read a monster romance? If the answer is yes, what are some of your favorites?

Excerpt from Muscles & Monsters:

I didn’t even think twice. I just grabbed Tegan’s hand and let her lead me to the dance floor. A pop song with a catchy beat pulsed through the speakers, and I swear half the town of Briar Glenn was out there dancing.
“I have no idea what I’m doing,” I shouted over the music. I swayed on my feet awkwardly, trying to find my rhythm. I didn’t dance, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell her no.
“Just start moving your body to the beat,” Tegan said, rolling her shoulders and shimmying her hips. On anyone else it would have looked innocent enough, but with her soft curves and rhythmic movements, it was seducative.
I stood there rooted to the spot, the only one on the dance floor who wasn’t dancing because I was absolutely mesmerized by her.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

REVISED AND EXPANDED PAPERBACK EDITION

A gym-owning wolven and a headstrong baker discover howl real their connection is in the first book of the beloved Leviathan Fitness series.

After a wedding cake catastrophe on the street, local baker Tegan lands in the most unexpected place—a solid wall of fur and fangs named Atlas. She’s never met anyone like him and finds herself enamored by his wolfish charm. After their sweet encounter, Atlas invites her to his gym anytime she needs his cake-lifting services.

However, Tegan is through with being a damsel in distress. She signs up for a membership with Leviathan Fitness, determined to build her strength…and if she sees the handsome wolven again, it’s a win-win scenario.

Atlas can’t believe his eyes when Tegan walks through the doors of his gym, and nearly goes snout-over-paw to offer her personal training. Shared glances over the barbell and accidental touches at the water fountain set Atlas’s heart racing in a way he swore it couldn’t again.

Primal desires emerge as Atlas and Tegan test just how much their new love can lift. Could Tegan be the unexpected mate of Atlas’s dreams?
Book Links:  Amazon | B&N | kobo
 
 

Meet the Author:

Ashley Bennett is a small-town paranormal and monster romance author from Baltimore, Maryland. She writes stories that are equal parts spice and swoon. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading webtoons, playing cozy video games, and taking care of her houseful of rescue animals.
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