Meetings with the Minotaur (Love at Labyrinth Solutions Book 1)

Oh, my stars. Mr. Wardell, you fabulous & filthy man! Full disclosure: I am a huge M.A. Wardell fan and have recommended his books to friends, family, and total strangers. When I saw a physical copy of one of his novels in a bookstore, I clapped my hands and squealed like I had something to do with the situation. What I’m saying is, I was predisposed to be into this monster romance before I read it. And, like all of M.A. Wardell’s books, this story is filled with interesting characters with complex inner lives struggling to find their place and their best selves in an often confusing world. The fact that 90% of these characters are mythical creatures is both not the point and totally the point. Jamie Torres is a human toiling in the mailroom at Labyrinth Solutions. He’s trying to climb the corporate ladder, working alongside orcs named Greg who work in IT and ogres named Phil who are accountants. You know, normal office stuff in a normal city. Crownpoint is a city with a Community Outreach Initiative - a collaboration of monsters and humans in the schools, neighborhoods, and boardrooms, “A little chaotic, always interesting, and exactly the kind of collaboration that makes [Jamie] excited to show up every day.” An unexpected temporary promotion has him in the Executive wing, where he struggles with his career ambitions, imposter syndrome, and a heavy crush on the charismatic CEO - Magnus Trainor. Magnus, the titular minotaur, is also struggling. He has created his…

I love this book so much! This is my first book from the author. I need to read all of his other work now. I’m now invested in Labyrinth Solutions. Jamie got a chance to move up from the mail room in the basement. His goal is be in the creative department someday. Vanessa who is charge of that is without an assistant, so this his chance to make a good impression. She is also away from work, like not coming in, he needs to do what she says. Magnus, CEO of Labyrinth Solutions, has a big meeting coming up and needs to get things ready for it. He comes to find Vanessa and in her place is Jamie. Read it, you won’t regret it, it’s loads of fun!

This is the first time I’ve ever read M.A. Wardell and the first time I’ve ever read a monster romance. I enjoyed it. I like workplace humor, messy awkward work drama, and also love stories, so this was great. I like the buildout of the world of Crownpoint and also Labyrinth Solutions as a company. On characters: Jamie and Magnus were both likable as individual characters. I was happy to see them together but I didn’t really get that urge to really root for them the way I do when reading romance, mostly because there didn’t seem to be a really clear articulation of why they were into each other to begin with and what made them fall in love. I think if there was a clearer sense of what was behind why both of them were not with anyone (we know with Magnus, not Jamie) and what they see in each other then we get real connection. I get that it’s a novella and there’s only so much that can be done but then I think maybe considering how to pick up in the middle of their story and not try and do the full meet cute is best given the limited time. Also loved all the minor characters especially Amara, Greg, and others. On spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️: This was probably the spiciest book I’ve ever read. I appreciated that the author used those scenes to display true attraction between the characters even though it is a fantastical circumstance. That being said, the gallons of Minotaur semen and whole thing about size just went on and on. I would have liked more variation in what their…

“Meeting with the Minotaur” is a quick and sweet/spicy paranormal romance featuring Magnus, a Minotaur, and Jamie, a human, who is looking for his big break within the company. Jamie is adorable, he’s really motivated to be good at his job, and all he needs is a chance. I loved that Magnus saw him for who he was. Someone who loved doing more, and he even respected Magnus strange hours. These two are just really cute, and while there is a little bit of drama, it’s mostly an adorable book for vibes that hits all the right notes! But that’s nothing new, I feel like Wardell is one of those authors that can write anything and I will just eat it up! I feel like this is exactly what I’m in the mood for, paranormal workplace romance, steamy, cute, fun with adorable characters. Jamie clearly thinks that his boss is all sorts of hot, but he’d never look at Jamie twice. So when a new opportunity arises for him to stand out, Jamie ends up working very closely with Magnus. Magnus has noticed Jamie once or twice, but once they start working together, Magnus can’t stop resisting the pull he has towards Jamie. The human is everything he ever dreamed of: beautiful, kind, and very competent in his job. But Jamie probably bit more than he could chew with this new task and somehow the dream could end very easily for him. Jamie and Magnus are really fun! I swear the scenes with the bucket were amazing. I’m very happy that Wardell is currently writing paranormal, especially office romance,…

Love all Matt’s work but this is now a favorite. An uncomplicated story with tons of spice (my absolute jam) and the s** is such a part of the MCs’ development that every hot scene feels key to the story. A great entree to monster romance if you’re newer to the genre. Light on lore, no background needed.