Deceived by the Gargoyles

All she wanted was one emotionally available match. Instead, she got three soulmates and a surprise poly situation.

Apr 10, 2025

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Book cover for Deceived by the Gargoyles

What Is This Book About?

Grace is a witch, a librarian, and a woman with a plan. And that plan does not include becoming a pawn in the magical high-society marriage game her family keeps trying to force her into. She wants love. A real connection. Maybe even a family—one that sees her, values her, and doesn’t treat her like a stepping stone to a better bloodline.

So she does what any practical woman in a paranormal romance would do: she hires a matchmaker.

Enter Elliot. A charming, sexy gargoyle who seems to check every box Grace didn’t even know she had. He’s kind, grounded, and genuinely into her, not her last name. It feels like fate. It feels safe. He’s everything she asked for. Until she finds out he comes with two bonded partners and a very specific agenda: to welcome Grace into their already-established trio.

Suddenly, her carefully structured life plan is crumbling under the weight of three possessive gargoyles who are patient, powerful, and very interested in making her theirs. All of them. Together.

Now Grace has to decide: does she retreat back into the safety of a life she never really wanted, or does she throw the rule book out the window and step into a bond that’s messy, magical, and maybe exactly what she’s been searching for all along?

“They gave me a library. Consider me seduced.”
― Grace

Quick Facts

Title and Author: “Deceived by the Gargoyles” by Lillian Lark
HEA: Yes
Tropes: MMMF polyamory, found family, knotting, breeding kink (no pregnancy), plus-size FMC, why choose.
POV: FMC, MMC x 3
Trigger Warnings: Stalking and obsessive behavior, kidnapping, toxic family dynamics. Explicit sex including tail play, anal, sword crossing, and knotting. If the word “seed” gives you the ick—you’ve been warned.
Books in Series: 5 books as of April 2025.
Overall Story: ★★★
World Building: ★★
Character Development: ★★★★
Plot: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

My Rating System

“All the lying will be worth it in the end. Grace belongs here.” - Elliot

My Take (Minor Spoilers)

Cozy and kinky don’t usually share the same shelf, but Deceived by the Gargoyles makes it work. It has tail play, found family, and three gargoyle mates who know exactly how to take care of their woman.

My husband occasionally asks where this whole “monster romance” thing came from. And when it comes to gargoyles in particular? I simply present Exhibit A:

Case closed.

This book is sweet, spicy, and unexpectedly soft in all the best ways. Imagine curling up under a weighted blanket made of hot, emotionally available gargoyles who purr, bake, build you a literal library, and also rail you within an inch of your life. That’s the energy here.

Let’s meet the Bramblewick boys, shall we?

Alasdair is the clan leader and emotionally constipated protector type. Big. Broody. He’s never been with a woman before and falls hard for Grace. It’s so clear he doesn’t know how to say what he feels, but you sense it in every look, every gesture. He was my favorite. Watching this gruff gargoyle try to navigate his feelings while being utterly undone by a soft-spoken witch was delicious.
Broderick is the sensual artist—equal parts handyman and heartthrob. He’s emotionally intuitive, deeply caring, and very good with his hands. He grounds the group with a calm, confident energy. He’s also an incredible caretaker, and his emotional connection with both Grace and his bonded mates was so sweet.
Elliot is the flirty one, the cook, the spark. He has insecurities though. He worries about being a gargoyle—so much so, he glamours himself to look human until Grace convinces him she loves him for who he is. He’s the reason Grace ends up in this triad-turned-quartet, and watching him try to figure out when and how to tell her that he comes with not one, but two gargoyle husbands? Absolute cat-in-a-suitcase energy. Also, I liked the way his scent was described: like granite and the night sky.

And then we have Grace, a curvy witch librarian with a love for lists, planners, and being properly adored. After escaping her judgmental, toxic family, she’s trying to find love on her own terms. She signs up with a matchmaker, gets paired with Elliot, and thinks she’s finally found the one… until she discovers he’s already bonded to two others and just forgot to mention it. Oops. This is a problem for Grace and she doesn’t hold back once she figures out what’s going on.

What I appreciated most is that Grace doesn’t get swept away without questions. She wants love, yes, but she also wants respect. She wants to be seen, valued, chosen, and she refuses to settle for anything less. That emotional backbone gives this sweet, kinky story real depth. This wasn’t three hot guys circling a girl, which is what so many RH (reverse harem) novels give us. It was a fully realized poly relationship where everyone matters.

Grace also has some hang-ups she needs to work through. She has spent most of her life feeling self-conscious about her size. She’s a plus size girl and her family never stops putting her down for it. But with the Bramblewicks? That insecurity just… fades. Their strength makes her size a non-issue. Watching her go from guarded and doubtful to absolutely worshipped was deeply satisfying.

And let’s talk about the spice. This book is filthy in the best possible way. We’ve got foursomes. Sword-crossing. Tail play. Anal. Growling. Knots. Successive knotting with all three males taking turns.

But what makes it work is how it’s all wrapped up in love. The sex scenes aren’t just hot, they’re grounded in trust, affection, and the kind of emotional intimacy that makes monster romance hit hard. Each relationship feels distinct, and Lillian Lark doesn’t just build a romance between Grace and the gargoyles. She builds relationships between the males, too. Their dynamic as a unit felt just as important as the heat.

Other highlights:

Grace has book-sensing magic, and the guys literally build her a library because she deserves beautiful things.
The found family vibes are immaculate.
There’s a stalker subplot that adds tension without derailing the emotional arc.
Every POV feels genuine, and I appreciated seeing how soft these males could be.

The world-building could’ve been a touch deeper. I wanted more about the other gargoyle clans, more about how witch covens operate, and a closer look at the wider magical society. But this book isn’t about political intrigue or epic fantasy world maps. It’s about building love, safety, and a life worth living with people who make you feel adored. Plus, there are other books in this series (which I’m going to read) so I have a hunch more world-building will happen there.

If you’re into cozy monster romance with high heat, multiple possessive gargoyles, and a heroine who demands real love, this story delivers. This is comfort smut with heart, wrapped in wings and carved in stone.

“The witch intrigues me. I want to wrap her in my wings and seduce her as aptly as Broderick or Elliot can, but I’m just not wired the same way. I’m not as open with my emotions as they are. I’ve never been with a woman.” - Alasdair