FF enemies-to-lovers romance told in present tense, dual first person POV. It’s a second world setting of sorts; not a portal fantasy but humans and monsters can travel between realms, although this is not a big plot point.

This is a really fun book; the story is occasionally broken up with “commercial breaks” where the author shows different characters appearing in ads, which helps flesh out the supporting characters and is a great worldbuilding method.

I loved the way Iris and Lena’s relationship developed; their personalities are so different to their stage personas but they both struggle to move past their first impressions of one another. The characterisation is solid and consistent, and there’s definitely series potential here.

The wrestling aspect was fun too. I know I’m using that word a lot, but I love that wrestling is becoming the next big thing in sports romance. (Everything I know about sports I learned from romance novels). Daniels also touches on worker exploitation and unionisation, in a very heart-swelling and not at all shoe-horned in way.

This book is absolute fluff (complimentary) and is great if you’re looking for a palate cleanser or want to take your mind off…everything. I highly recommend it!

4.5/5 ⭐️s
🌶️🌶️ - medium spice

LOVES:
- An excellent Author’s Note with super helpful info about wrestling, what to expect, and the setting. I’ve found that I really love a thorough author’s note!
- The wrestling scenes were a lot of fun to read. Action packed!
- The human vs magical realms and how they interact with each other was pretty fascinating
- Random interjections for commercials and commentator’s POV were a great surprise. I enjoyed those little breaks in the story 😊
- There were a couple of exhibitionist scenes that were 🔥
- They stuck it to the man and it was so satisfying! I loved the climax when everything big happened 🥰 so sweet

This was so cute! Super easy read and I would definitely seek out more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the eARC 💝

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I love a monsters romance book. This is fun and flirty. It made me want to call up the characters to talk some sense into them as they obviously had feeling for one another and just couldn’t see it for themselves.

Despite the book being short, their relationship did not feel rushed. There was a progression of feelings and realization about said feeling.

The commercial breaks were great! Such a cute idea, I can imagine the fun the author had writing them.

Tropes:
- Workplace romance
- Enemies-to-lovers
- Monster romance
- WLW

This was a very unique reading experience, and I must add, delightfully refreshing. It was about monster wrestlers competing in Elite Monster Wrestling (EMW.)

The wrestling matches were scripted in advance and the fans were ravenous for their favorites. The two main characters in this came from different backgrounds and were bitter enemies who intensely disliked each other….until they didn’t. The first was Iris, a 5 1/2 ft. tall harpy. Her stage name was Athena “The Snatcher” Rainstorm. She had to fight her way up in the minor league circuit.

Her bitter enemy was Lena, a 6 1/2 ft tall Minotaur. Her stage name was Helen “Mother” Stronghorn. She’d been born, as one would say, with a silver spoon in her mouth. This is because her father was the most famous wrestler of all and she had all the support she needed to make it to the big time.

The two archnemesis were tasked to face off in the championship match. Being enemies meant that they would need to find a way to make peace in order to practice their pre-scripted routines.
How they managed to do this was an important part of the book and the road to this was fun and amusing with lines such as, “I’ve never kissed someone with a muzzle before, but I have no problem adjusting!”

Yes, there were many unique and entertaining moments in the book in addition to being the first book I’ve read with commercials for products such as Human Energy Drinks, A Puppysitter, Tough Love Action Sitters and my favorite, “Never Stand on a Swivel Chair!”

I thought several times how much fun I imagine the author had writing this. It required a lot of research and study and I am happy to have had the opportunity to read this. My thanks to Ylva Publishing and NetGalley for the arc.

This book was so much fun. A harpy villain and a sweet Minotaur wrestling rival? Yes, please. Iris and Lena had amazing chemistry!

I loved the mix of monster romance, wrestling drama, and just the right amount of heart. And the fake commercial breaks?? Hilarious. There’s even a pun about monsters drinking human energy drinks 🤣

If you’re into enemies to lovers, fun, and a soft center under all the claws and horns, Pinned by Love totally delivers.

I know next to nothing about wrestling, but this was such a cute book! The author makes it easy to follow along even if you’re a noob like me.


Also the way it was written like we’re watching a reality tv show or like professional wrestling is genius.

We could all use a little Human Energy Drink
The play on Monster energy drink, amazing 🤣

4.5/5 stars

I love monster romance and feel that there's a shortage of Sapphic romances within the genre, so whenever I come across a Sapphic monster romance I'm immediately drawn in. I'm pleased to report that Pinned by Love absolutely lived up to my expectations and is now a top recommendation within the genre for anyone wanting a fun, light-hearted read!

The main characters, Lena and Iris, are pro wrestlers who are rivals both in and out of the ring. I thought that Elaine did a really good job of making the wrestling aspects of the novel accessible to anyone without prior knowledge of it. There's a helpful glossary in the front of the book, but even without it I had no issues following along with the story.

My favourite aspect of the book was just how fun it was to read--the vibes are cheesy and camp in the absolute best way possible. I was smiling and laughing the whole time I was reading and I loved getting to know the characters. I also found the wrestling setting to be really entertaining and enjoyed the match commentary and "commercial breaks" that were sprinkled in around the main plot.

Lena and Iris's relationship was well-explained and I appreciated that we were able to see exactly how their relationship had gotten to the place it is in the beginning of the book. Oftentimes shorter, more lighthearted novels don't take the time to really dive into why the characters dislike each other, instead opting to say "xyz happened in the past" and having that be the extent of it. The exploration of their reasoning behind their hatred felt very natural and I especially enjoyed that throughout the novel the same past experiences are revisited and reexamined by the characters as they progressed through their relationship (how they perceived the situation in their initial hatred vs later reflection once they have an understanding of why the other individual acted the way they did).

My only critique is that I wish the book was a little longer. It didn't necessarily feel rushed, but I would have loved to spend more time with the characters as they developed their relationship.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in Sapphic or monster romances. I'm really hoping the author decides to put out more books in this universe, because I would absolutely devour them.

Thank you to NetGalley and YVLA Publishing for giving me an ARC of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

campy, joyous fun with some cool characters. well written and something you can sink into. 5 stars. I absolutely loved it! Tysm to Ylva for the arc.

When reading the synopsis, I knew I would love this since growing up I loved watching wrestling. This is my first book by this author, and I can say that I would continue to read her books especially if they are part of this storyline. Our FMCs are both strong badass women that have been somewhat enemies. Their storylines are meant to be enemies so it made sense for them to never like each other. Now they are given assignments to hang out in order to give the performance of the lifetime. This is a short book so their attraction for each other does come fast, but it works for them. They are both just wanting companionship and friendship. They work well with each other and in the end they work together to ensure they future they want for each other.

A huge thank you to @netgalley and @ylva_publishing for the E-ARC, it in no way influences my review.

Pinned by Love by Elaine J Daniels was so good! A sapphic, monster, wrestling romance?!? YES PLEASE!

I don’t read a lot of monster romance, but I love a good sapphic love story and have recently gotten back into watching wrestling after a long hiatus (I last watched during the attitude era, so quite a long time ago!), so when I saw this on NetGalley, I just had to read it.

I thought the storyline was really well done, I loved the look at how Iris felt about being a perennial heel, how being the child of a famous wrestling star might not be all it’s cracked up to be (for Iris’ nemesis, Lena), and how there’s a reason that forced proximity is one of my favourite tropes. 😁

I thought Daniels did a really good job of writing a story about pro wrestling that would be accessible to folks who don’t know about wrestling (in addition to a helpful glossary in the front, there are a lot of explanations throughout the book that add info without it feeling teacher-y), while still making it really fun to read for those of us who do!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Thanks so much to Ylva Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good! It’s honestly all down to Kayla Faber that I’m into wrestling romances so if you’ve not read her Wrestling Girls series, that’s 100% what led me here.

And it did not disappoint. I loved this story and these characters so much. I love a good enemies to lovers story so throw in a touch of sporting rivalry and this was always gonna be a win.

Iris and Lena have SO much chemistry. Right from the start with all their arguing, I knew I was gonna enjoy their romance. The pivotal dinner moment was so well executed, and everything that followed was so lovely and fluffy.

I also really loved the whole overthrowing their awful boss plot. The uprising was well deserved.

I’d devour more books in this world if the author wanted to write them!

Looooove a sapphic romance, love a monster romance, love this combo! I think this was a fun, sweet romance and easy to read. I wish it were a little bit longer, because I could have used more time with the characters, but that's a little bit selfish on my part. Overall cute!

This was a fun quick read! I honestly picked it up on a whim and I'm glad I did. I don't know anything about wrestling beyond what I learned from Glow and I still enjoyed the plot. The commercial interludes made me laugh. The romance was just right. There are lots of muscles. I guess the only thing I really didn't like was the occasional chapters from the announcer's perspectives. With such a short book I didn't get to know those characters, so I think I would have liked to just remain in the familiar character's heads. This book could appeal to many audiences and it's such a fun and quick read why wouldn't you give it a shot! Thank you NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

SAPPHIC MOSTER ROMANCE, SAPPHIC MONSTER ROMANCE!!!

This was so cute, the WWE-inspired world worked well as a backdrop for the romance and was written so that people with no real knowledge of that world would still be able to understand it easily. It was just super fun, our main couple had good chemistry and it was an enjoyable quick read! I suspect a little bit of Rhea Ripley's influence in this, which was fun!

I really hope to see more sapphic monster romances because there's not enough!

Thank you to Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I don't typically read a lot of monster romance books and know next to nothing about wrestling, but I still really enjoyed this one! I thought the chemistry between the characters was very cute, and I appreciated that there was no third act breakup scene. I also found the wrestling aspect very fun and easy to get into despite having no previous knowledge, and the commercial breaks were an excellent addition. Overall, a very sweet book perfect for wrestling and romance fans alike, 4.3/5 stars.

Honest ARC Review: Wrestling fans will love this sapphic monster romance featuring enemy wrestlers that might feel more than just hate for each other. Lena and Iris are both professional wrestlers but have very different experiences in the industry. Lena grew up in the scene because of her famous wrestler dad. She is loved and cheered on by her fans and is a champion. Iris has always dreamed of being a wrestler and champion. While shes achieved her goal of being a wrestler she is a villain in the rink and booed by fans. Lena and Iris are set to wrestle in the championship match but they have never liked each other. They are ordered to spend time outside the ring so they can be friendly enough to work together. This monster romance was a nice slow burn that built over time of getting to know each other. I learned about wrestling which is pretty cool and the side characters were very endearing. This was a sweet enemies to lovers romance that had a happy and rewarding ending. Check this book out if you enjoy sapphic love, monster romance, secret relationship, a little exhibitionism, and funny commercial breaks.

Brilliant!

Iris and Lena are through and through rivals in Elite Monster Wrestling. Iris is the biggest villain in that world as her wrestling persona but in reality she is a more sensitive soul, as Lena soon discovers when they are forced to spend time together as orders to get along better come from the powers of the wrestling federation. Feelings develop between them that come with big consequences.

There is definitely something fun and fresh about this story! With monster wrestling, emotional connections, and fun commercials it really had a sense of the showmanship and eccentricness of pro wrestling. There were a whole cast of characters and perspectives but Iris and Lena were the main focus. When they stopped putting up a wall to one another they discovered connection and admiration for one another that led them to a path of happiness with one another but my heart broke for both of them in knowing because their wrestling personas and careers deemed that what was shared couldn’t be public.

It took such strength from them both to want their happiness and relationship more than their careers. They took risks and chances but I admired all of it because it broke the mold and ensured their freedom but also that of their colleagues in wrestling. It was amazing all they went through and how love could change that unfaltered dedication to a system of control, so they could regain their freedom.

This is a great read, lots of fun, and packed with action and emotion to keep you on the edge of your seat!

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Pinned by Love was delightful to read. It’s very clearly a love letter to wrestling in a queer monster romance form. It’s camp in the best way (seriously, there are cheesy ‘commercial’ breaks for everything from stools to action figures sprinkled throughout the novella that had me grinning with the silliness of them.) As someone who wasn’t into wrestling, the lingo wasn’t too hard to get into and I think the author kept it simple enough to encourage newcomers while giving long time wrestling fans a wink-wink, nudge-nudge I would imagine they would appreciate.

Lena and Iris were a fun couple to read. The tension between the villain and the hero in wrestling is always sweet and it’s played up wonderfully here. Not to mention when the tension finally blows up and Lena and Iris admit their growing feelings for each other - their steamy scenes are incredibly hot.

If you want a campy good time with a nice dash of spice, you are in for some fun with Pinned by Love.

*I received an eARC from NetGalley & Ylva Publishing. All opinions are my own*

The story follows Iris and Lena - two rivals in the Elite Monster Wrestling world. Iris is the cursed villain - a Harpy who’s determined to finally win the championship. Lena is the wrestling worlds sweetheart - a Minotaur who’s dad is a famous wrestler. When they are forced to spend time together, they learn there’s more to their rival than meets the eye. Their chemistry is off the charts, but that’s just part of the act, right?

Let me start by saying this was such a FUN and flirty read. I know nothing about wrestling so I was little nervous on how I would like it, but this author made this such a unique ride! The characters and wrestling terms were easy to follow along with and I never felt confused. PLUS - this book has COMMERCIAL BREAKS! Probably one of my favorite parts of the book because I have never heard of that! Little PSA for my girls who like smut - one thing Elaine knows how to do is write a steamy scene. Oof. 🥵🌶️

Once again she knocked it out of the park. Elaine will forever be an instant buy author for me!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

“Nothing in the realms compares to being in love with Lena. Not even winning gold.”

First, I want to thank Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for allowing me to read this book ahead of release.

This was the first paranormal romance I have ever read and I loved it so much! But not even alternative universes are safe from the horrors of straight men 😔
This novel takes place in an alternative universe, where all kinds of monsters live like humans do in this world. Sometimes humans somehow end up in this alternative universe, and one of the humans started a wrestling entertainment company. The two main characters are both wrestlers, with one of them being a heel and the other being a babyface, so they are basically rivals.

I personally have never watched wrestling before (except for Rhea Ripley edits, if that counts) but the author did a great job of explaining all the terms and describing the matches.
The writing of the story felt really immersive and the emotions the characters felt were portrayed in a way that made the story feel real. The story is written from the main characters’ POV, alternating between Iris and Lena. Because of this, the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters were so obvious (in a good way) that I was screaming at my kindle for them to kiss by 20%.

The romance in this was so good, I was giggling and kicking my feet the entire time. And the spice???? Hot.
The only thing that I would criticise is that the relationship felt a bit rushed. I feel like this could have easily been 50 pages longer.

That is also the reason why this is not a five star read for me. I loved it so much, that I wish there would have been more of it! I think that the character development could have been dragged out a little more. Other than that, this was amazing and I will definitely be rereading this!

I will be posting about this book soon on my Instagram channel.