REVIEW: The Thorn and the Spire by Katherine McIntyre (Monstrous Cravings #1)

THE THORN AND THE SPIRE

Monstrous Cravings - Book One

by Katherine McIntyre

Release Date: November 4, 2025

Review

A very naughty and delicious Beauty and the Beast-inspired story.

It was such a captivating story.

Cillian has a reputation that at first blush is well earned. He’s stern and cold, and will deal with his foes fiercely. But damn, the man behind that facade of a wall is gorgeous and caring and has earned the loyalty of many.

Beau is lonely, with few people in his life, but he loves his job as a librarian. With only his father for family, he would do anything for him. A blessing and a curse. Because it winds him in servitude for the next 10 years, but it also earns the respect of Cillian.

These two are fire together, and the way they coax each other out of their shells was something special.

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Synopsis

One lonely demon. One curious librarian. One tale twisted by time…

Beau’s father is missing.

The trail leads to the Spires, a casino with a dangerous reputation run by Cillian Ashmore, a demon whose ruthlessness is renowned. His father landed himself a ten-year imprisonment, but Beau offers to take his place. Yet Cillian is as cold and callous as he’s rumored to be, prepared to make Beau’s time as his personal assistant hellish.

The mysteries in the upper tiers of the Spires multiply by the day, and the further Beau explores, the more questions he has. Why sometimes the rooms are empty and other times monsters lurk within. Why Cillian seems cruel yet has the friendship and loyalty of those around him.

And the more Beau discovers, the more he learns that Cillian’s cruelty is a mask he dons, that the demon has depths he’d never dreamed of. Too easily, that loathing morphs to lust and to something intense and unforgettable.

Yet Cillian’s made himself dangerous enemies, true threats lying in wait beyond the Spires, and unbeknownst to Beau, he’s running out of time…

About Katherine McIntyre

I split my time writing stories with snark and heart, working with amazing authors to edit their manuscripts into shape, and working on clients as a massage therapist.

In my free time, I’m usually going on adventures with my husband, daughter, and friends or diving into a good book and curling up with the cats. I’m an Aries-Taurus cusp–which to any astrology buffs should tell you plenty. If you’re more into Myers-Briggs, I’m an ENFJ.

I’ve always wanted to heal and help, probably why I fell into massage and teaching yoga. And that shows through in my writing too–I ended up falling for romance as my primary genre because I adore the intricacies of human relationships and watching how love and affection can really help people heal from their wounds and grow.

I’m huge into family and community, which is probably why you find either family or found-family stories in almost every one of my books. The way people come together is inspiring, and I’ve got an overflowing love for the way people take care of each other. Those relationships are just as important as the romantic ones to me, and I love highlighting them in my work.

The biggest thing you’ll probably see in my work is hope. That’s not to say I can’t write sad situations or difficulties–our lives and stories are woven with them. But that’s never going to be the takeaway from my work, how the world is broken and trying to wear you down. I’m a realist, so I’m not blind to the tragedy and sadness out there, but I want to live in the hearts of people who care, who show compassion to one another, and prove that we humans can get something right. I want to explore how even though we’ve all got the ability to fuck up, we can overcome our mistakes and rise triumphant.

So there it is, folks–that’s me.

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