The Bone King and the Starling by Elizabeth Stephens

One of my friends has been trying to get me to read Elizabeth Stephens for the longest time and after reading THE BONE KING AND THE STARLING, I clearly need to snap up her backlist because this book was soooo good. It reminded me a lot of a more violent and explicit version of Elizabeth Vaughan's WARPRIZE, with heavy dashes of a non-rapey Khal Drogo, set in an alternate Norse fantasy kingdom where mammoths roam across the ice.

The plot of this book is pretty simple. Starling is a Black thrall living in a viking community. Her mother was taken for her beauty but her father was a douche, and when she was orphaned, she basically became a slave-ward in this viking community lorded over by indolent and corrupt lords who starve their town into poverty by embezzling the lion's share for themselves. I guess they heard about Trump's trickle-down economic plan.

When Calai, the bone king, comes to the village, he is disgusted by the living conditions and the squalor. He also does not support slavery at all. I feel like if you're going to write slavery into a fantasy novel, this is the best way to do it, as it is not romanticized at all, and ends with a violent uprising against the oppressors. As soon as we get a taste of Calai's wrath, I was just sitting there kicking my feet, waiting for him to burn everything down to the ground for his lady AND BOY DID HE.

If you love hot warrior heroes, sweet heroines, and books where they're both virgins(!!!!), this book has all of that, as well as touch her and die, who did this to you?!, and "my wife."

4 out of 5 stars

What Is Dark Within Me by L.B. Black

I grabbed WHAT IS DARK WITHIN ME on impulse because of the author's Threads posts (very good marketing tbh) and I did not regret it at all. At its surface, this is a dark gothic romantasy about a woman who falls in love with the devil, but if you go down several levels, it's also about overcoming religious trauma, accepting your true self, and finding a love that is both brutal and true.

The writing in this was exceptional and felt very episodic, like I was watching a TV show in book form. I also loved the author's take on magic and the hierarchical systems that enforce it. Her writing style reminds me a lot of Freda Warrington, who is one of my favorite speculative writers. This was very slow burn and has a prickly, morally grey FMC and a villainous hero who would burn the world down for his love. There was nothing I didn't enjoy about this and I can't wait to read the next book in the series, plus everything else this author wrote. LOVE.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Swallowed by Meg Smitherman

I loved THRUM by this author, so when I found out she was writing another science-fiction horror romance, I was all over that like white on rice. SWALLOWED has a similar, eerily claustrophobic premise: a team of scientists go to an Earth-like planet to see if its conditions are compatible for human life. But something outside their camp lurks, and Jill, the botanist, can't help but wonder if it's the same thing that was responsible for the death of her mother's team on the first expedition all those years before she was born..

Meg Smitherman has a beautiful, poetic writing style and she does a great job of writing body horror that is genuinely terrifying without being overly graphic (which is a tough line to not cross). I also think her sex scenes are decent, which is always a must with smut. SWALLOWED is spicier than THRUM but I still liked THRUM better because I think it had a better atmosphere and pacing. SWALLOWED was very slow to start and while some of this is to set the stage and establish the characters, it ended up making the book feel a little unevenly paced and-- I'm so sorry-- boring.

The second half of the book nearly made up for the first. Excellent twists, genuine horror, and some fun reveals about the heroine's morally grey nature. I don't think I'd read this again but I'll definitely be recommending it to people looking for botanical horror, and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

3 to 3.5 out of 5 stars

Grave Matter by Karina Halle

This is one of the easiest five-star reviews I've ever written because GRAVE MATTER was a wild rollercoaster ride of equal parts thrills and chills from start to finish and I never wanted to get off. It's set in the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest. The heroine, Sydney, is a biologist who's been selected for an exclusive and important project working up close with fungi-- specifically a newly discovered glowing species-- at a facility owned by the reclusive Madrona Foundation.

However, as soon as she gets there, something feels off. They take away her technology and her phone, the animals in the woods don't look right and don't move right, and she keeps getting flashes of things that look a whole fucking lot like ghosts. Add to that a brooding love interest who is kinky and forbidden and a backdrop that is both lush and terrifying, and you have a recipe for a luscious dark truffle of a book that is as delicious as it is insidious.

Less is definitely more going into this book, for sure. I am SO glad I didn't read spoilers and went in cold. Halle can be a hit-or-miss author for me but her new books are all so amazing and I think this might be my new favorite of hers. Gothic is definitely a genre she does well. Can't wait to read more from her!

5 out of 5 stars

Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli

Even though ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF is not a long book, it took me several months to finish because the subject matter was so heavy. Not that I'm surprised-- this is the same author who wrote SOMEDAY, MAYBE, an ugly and raw portrayal of the isolating and destructive power of grief. I was more than expecting this book to hit well below the emotional belt... which it DOES, by the way.

Anuri is a British-Nigerian woman struggling with alcohol addiction and femdomming her loyal army of simpering paypigs on OF while also running her booming scented candle business. But she's also the stepdaughter of a successful white parenting influencer named Ophelia, who posted every single one of her most humiliating and vulnerable moments online for clicks. When she became a teenager, she'd had enough and began to push back, and then Ophelia and her father had a second daughter, Noelle, who replaced Anuri.

Anuri, watching and stalking her stepmother through screens, is seeing the same destructive patterns happen to her half-sister. And this, and the fact that her past is publicly accessible, drive her to sue Ophelia, to force her to wipe her content off the internet forever and finally bring herself peace. But Ophelia didn't get to where she was by submitting to pressure, and she's willing to fight dirty to stay in the spotlight.

This is honestly such a timely read, because the first wave of parenting influencers' kids are starting to come of age and I think it's pretty clear that their lives were not nearly as rosy as their mothers pretended. Anyone who has complained about the ethics of parent influencing is going to feel vindicated by this book because it explores literally all the horrors: the bullying from peers, the lasting emotional damage, the conflict of interest when a child's best interests prevent loss of income to the home, and, of course, how putting children online also puts them into proximity to predators and other dangerous people. 

Ophelia's whiteness adds another layer of ick to the situation because she uses her Black husband and Black daughters in a way that essentially commodifies their Blackness and their bodies, in an attempt to gain credibility and access to spheres where she really doesn't belong. By the end of the book, it's interesting to examine her as a character when all of the layers have been peeled away, because her corrosive style of influencing basically ate away at everything that really made her her, until all that was left behind were her own unresolved traumas.

ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF is not an easy read but I still liked it a lot. The characters felt like real people and I think that was part of what made it so difficult to read; it was hard to remember that I wasn't actually watching real people screw up their lives. My only qualm with the book is that I think in an effort to portray Anuri as multi-faceted, there was too much time spent on her with her friends in scenes that could feel repetitive, which did bog down the pacing. But for the most part, I think having these connections were integral in showing how Anuri was bolstered by her "village" to finally take a stand against a toxic and narcissistic parenting figure who was allowed to wield far too much power.

I can't wait to see what else this author writes. She seems to be getting better with every book and I love that for her and for me.

4 stars

Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson

What the FUCK did I just read, a memoir.

No, but seriously, the last thing I read that had me holy shitting like this was probably Ania Ahlborn's BROTHER. And BLOOM is so insidious, starting out like a cute little sapphic cottagecore romance. Ash seems like a manic pixie dreamgirl straight out of homesteader TikTok, and yet, beneath her little cottage, a dark secret lies...

I liked this book... as horrible as it was. The writing was beautiful, even poetic at times, and I think this is a masterclass on how to make two toxic, deeply fucked up and unlikable people compelling. I saw a lot of reviews about how much people hated Ro but I think that was the point; she's needy and doesn't have boundaries and a deeply flawed person, and those flaws end up being exploited in the worst way.

One of the running themes in this book is Ro ignoring Ash's red flags even though if they came from a man, they would alarm her. And she questions this multiple times, wondering if her fear and unease is internalized misogyny rearing its ugly head-- because of course, a woman could never do anything violent or terrible? Except this is, in and of itself, internalized misogyny, and it is a narrative that enables violent and predatory women to fly under the radar in a society that only sees women as victims or recipients of violence. And I think that was the ultimate goal of this book.

I don't really have much else to say because I don't want to spoil anything, but don't worry-- the kitty lives.

4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars

Barbarian's Concubine by Lisa Cach

Some romance is trashy and that should be okay. I hate the idea that books aren't allowed to be cheesy and camp, that everything has to be high art. BARBARIAN'S CONCUBINE brands itself as Fifty Shades of Grey meets Game of Thrones; it knows what it is and what it's doing, and it does that well: geopolitics and slightly uncomfortable sex scenes that somehow manage to be both hot and cringe.

My favorite thing about this book is the character development of Nimia. She was very naive in the first book (and very much a victim of grooming, which made this worse). In BARBARIAN'S, she figures out that she has a right to be angry with the man who tricked her into thinking he would be her benevolent initiator; that actually, he was a prisoner and a creep. Unfortunately, escape leads her into the hands of an equally ambitious and depraved man who plans to use her for revolution. Also there's some light magic and some rather hilarious, almost culty shenanigans, and ofc, lots of Roman debauchery.

I'm kind of surprised that this book doesn't have more ratings but I think historical romance/erotica tends to be niche, and this is smut-with-plot in the vein of those old Ellora's Cave novellas, where even though a significant amount of focus is on sexual situations, there's also a lot of story, too. The slavery component, SA, and (I feel) deliberately unsexy sex scenes will be deal-breakers for some. The heroine is also hypersexual, and since I'm not, I won't comment on the accuracy of this rep. I think it does feel sensationalized at times, though.

Overall, this has a fun, pulpy vibe to it that makes it curiously addictive. I read both books in just over two days and I'm in a little bit of a reading slump right now. Definitely a 70s bodice-ripper throwback.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Slave Girl by Lisa Cach

I think I might have gotten a copy of this as a Netgalley ARC years and years ago, but now the whole series is out so I thought I'd buy all the books for fun. Lisa Cach was a bodice-ripper author for Love Spell in the 90s so it was such a fun surprise to see that she was not only still writing, she'd also turned her hand to writing spicy Roman erotica, about a half-Celt, half-Asian slave who's a prisoner to a Roman.

The writing and political intrigue in this book are really well done and even though it's a novella, I feel like the pacing is tight and doesn't feel rushed or uneven. Most of the smut is also great, too. My only qualm is that the book feels uncomfortable at times because her master (who is NOT the love interest by the way) got her when she was young, and he's been grooming her for like nine years in preparation for taking her virginity, and some of his lessons felt very icky (I think they were supposed to). Interestingly, the heroine's hypersexuality and fondness for her master feel more like a matter of survival than titillation, because when she's presented with an alternative future that offers freedom and knowledge, her disgust for him is a revelation.

I'd recommend this to people who liked Game of Thrones and Kushiel's Dart, as I feel like this book has similar vibes, only it feels less exploitative than both of those. The elements of Greek and Roman mythology and geo-politics give this more oomph than it would have had if it were just spice (not that there's anything wrong with that, just that spice for spice's sake doesn't do much for me). I'm glad that I have all of the other books in the series because SLAVE GIRL ends on a wicked cliffhanger.

4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars

Irish Vice by Alix Key

After bulldozing my way through IRISH BRUTE, I could not wait to pick up the sequel. Not just because it's one of the best mafia romances I've ever read, but also because it's a-- wait for it-- Jane Eyre retelling. And a damn good one, too, honestly. It's not exact retelling but it's one of those ones where it's close enough to the source material that I'm having a blast trying to figure out what she'll keep and what she won't.

As far as sequels go, this is one of the better ones I've read too, because not only is there intense development with the plot, the character and emotional development really takes off here, as well. There were some twists that made me gasp and cringe, Samantha learns to overcome some of her traumas to wrest control over her life, and Braiden (sort of) learns when to be soft and make compromises.

That said, this book is a LOT darker than the first. Towards the end there's a pretty graphic torture session and while I was glad it was not as visceral as it could have been, it was still hard to read. Braiden also does some of those totally outlandish sex scenes that feel like they're shock fodder for Booktok. In this case, filling her vag with ice and fucking her with a pool cue.

I still loved this book, though. It's beautifully written and so entertaining. I almost don't want to read the last book right away because it's the last one, but I NEED IT.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Irish Brute by Alix Key

An Irish mafia Jane Eyre retelling? The way I was so excited for this-- and it was so good. Samantha is a lawyer with a dark secret, and when she hears the Italian mobster who always overshadowed her childhood killing her childhood friend/cousin on the phone, she knows she's in terrible danger. Enter her client, Braiden Kelly, who takes it upon himself to offer her marriage in exchange for protection.

This has BDSM but it's all consensual and I felt like the kink and total power exchange were done really well. The Jane Eyre parallels were also brilliant and I loved how the author infused this with gothic vibes, even though it was definitely still a mafia romance. It was actually one of the better Jane retellings I've read that was a deviation from the original formula, and I thought that was super fun for me.

If you like the Underboss Insurrection series by Cate C. Wells, I think you'll really enjoy this, as it has similar vibes but with more spicy times.

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Absolutely Positively Worst Man in England, Scotland and Wales by Anne Stuart

THE ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY WORST MAN IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES is pure camp, in case you couldn't guess from the title. Anne Stuart was writing dark romances before dark romances were even really a thing, and people used to refer to her morally grey heroes as "gamma heroes," which, in the romance reader parlance, used to refer to brainy, scheming, morally ambiguous men who operated on the same continuum as a high-functioning sociopath.

She's been writing these sorts of books for decades and has it down to an artform at this point, although now that she's gone the self-publishing/small press route, I have noticed that her overusage of certain words has skyrocketed and the banter between characters has become circuitous. I'm a fan of her work so this was more amusing than annoying, but because of this I would recommend that people who are new to this author don't start with her newer books; they have, in essence, almost become endearing parodies of themselves.

THE ABSOLUTELY is about a man named Kit, who is frenemies with an old roue named George. George is engaged to an heiress named Bryony, whose freckles are basically her whole personality. Her companion is her cousin, Cecelia, a renowned beauty. Both of these girls are kidnapped by the men for nefarious purposes; George because he wants the money and Kit, simply because he's bored and figures it might be a good time. Kit is literally the worst, but his encounters with Bryony stymie him because he's unprepared for her blend of headstrong and combative innocence. A lot of this author's books follow this formula but I fucking LOVE it.

3.5 out of 5 stars

The Beauty by Aliya Whitely

Well, that was fucking disgusting (complimentary).

Mushroom horror seems to be really popular right now and the best thing about it is that, like mushrooms, every take I've read on it so far has been so unique, despite belonging to the same species. THE BEAUTY is extra bizarre because it's got queer-coding, body horror, feminine rage, and eldritch terrors. What would happen if women turned into mushrooms? What if the sex was disfiguring and weird?

WHAT THEN?????

This did not scare me so much as make me very uneasy and squeamish, although I did like what it was trying to do. THE BEAUTY is a literal dismantling of the patriarchy via literal emasculation, and in today's current political climate, there's something kind of satisfying about that. I did give the frozen mushrooms in my fridge an extra side-eye, though. Maybe I won't be eating those anytime soon...

My only dissatisfaction was actually with the ending, which felt way too abrupt. I wanted closure and I didn't really get that. I also had a lot of unanswered questions, and maybe that was the point, but I don't have to like that.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Love Flushed by Evie Mitchell

After reading and loving KNOT MY TYPE, I was super excited to dive into LOVE FLUSHED, especially since the heroine has Crohn's. I don't have Crohn's but I have a serious food intolerance that often causes me to have intestinal cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea. I have had to experience bathroom anxiety and bowel incontinence for years, due to problems with my diet, and it is the actual worst. And there's a lot of shame around talking about it, because it's gross, and people don't want to hear about it, which is why I snap up every spicy tummy book I can get my hands on. I want to support the cause.

Annie owns an eco-friendly toilet paper company inspired by her bathroom struggles, but she needs a supplier-- her current ones don't share her ethics, not when they can compromise them for a better deal. Cue Linc, the owner of a papermill and her ex-lover. After he betrayed her in the worst way, she can barely stand to be in the same room with him, but since their friends are getting married and they work in the same industry, it's hard to avoid each other. Especially when they each have something that the other needs.

I didn't like this book as much as the first one, but it was still really, really good. I loved the way that Mitchell included Annie's chronic illness in the book and it was all just so beautifully done, and made me feel really seen. The backstory between them also made sense, and even though I'm not usually a fan of second chance, I felt like this was a pretty solid way of going about it without making one of them the bad guy. I just wished they had a little more chemistry between them. I usually love Daddy kink but I wanted more from it than what I got here. Frankie and Jay melted those pages. Linc and Annie felt barely warm.

That said, this was a very cute, short read and I'm always a huge fan of male and female friend groups that actually uplift each other. If you're looking for something sweet and somewhat low-angst (apart from the sob-sob backstory that nearly did make me cry), this is your book. 

3.5 out of 5 stars

Because the Night: A Vampire Romance by Kylie Scott

I was overjoyed when Kylie Scott offered me an ARC of her new vampire romance, BECAUSE THE NIGHT, because vampires are one of my favorite things of all time and I've been craving a good paranormal romcom to fill the void that Ali Hazelwood's BRIDE left in my soul. After powering through this book, I can safely say that BECAUSE more than filled that craving. In fact, reading it was a nostalgic hearkening back to the paranormal boom of the aughts, when I was blissing out on the Sookie Stackhouse series.

This was an absolute delight.

Skye is an ordinary human who does ordinary human things, until she ends up in the basement of a house in the Hollywood Hills where a vampire is waiting to turn her world completely upset down. One minute, she's working an underpaid job and thinking about the mounting bills, the next she's playing tour guide to her vampire "daddy" as his latest creature of the night DIY project.

This is largely an ensemble cast story with a character-driven storyline, and that makes it super easy to get into if you love books like that. I enjoyed reading it before bed because it wasn't too complex and I could just enjoy the characters bantering with each other until it was time for sleep. Henry was my favorite, with Benedict coming in as a close second. But number one in my heart was obviously Lucas: we stan a grumpy, arrogant, and slightly homicidal vampire king who's very "touch her and die." In a world full of Draculas, be a Lucas.

This book is relatively short for a novel, and when I put it down, I still wanted more. I hope there's going to be a sequel because I would happily spend more time in this world. 

Thanks to the publisher/author for sending me a copy!

4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars

She’s a Grinder by Tember Sapphire

I liked SHE'S A GRINDER even more than I did the first book in the series. The writing of the story was significantly more polished (helped by the fact that it was longer, I think, and the author had more time to develop the relationship and the characters). Also, I adored Catherine, who was a workaholic introvert after my own heart.

This is a reverse grumpy sunshine pairing with fake dating. Tijjani is a Nigerian-Canadian hockey player who needs some help with his career. Catherine needs a fake boyfriend to keep her West Indian family off of her back. It seems like a match made in heaven, except that their relationship is kind of forbidden, and when they catch feelings for each other, things could be bad if their sex life got out...

This is very spicy and I liked the power exchange elements, especially after reading Ali Hazelwood's deep-end. The representation of Nigerian and Saint Lucian cultures was also really cool, especially with the language interspersed (Tijjani calls her "princess" in Nigerian) and so many food descriptions that you will leave this book salivating. I'll definitely be checking out more from this author.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Blind Obsession by Lee Wilkinson

I bought BLIND OBSESSION because one of my trusted reviewer friends really liked it. I couldn't get around to reading it for a while but I finally did-- and guess what? I liked it, too! BLIND OBSESSION is one of those dark romance adjacent Harlequins that really do it for me, because they're a perfect blend of tension, dark feelings, and passion.

Autumn and Saul used to be childhood friends-- sort of. Except he was seven or eight years younger, so when she met him as a teenager, he was already a full-grown adult that she had a crush on. When she was eighteen, however, their relationship went awry after a big argument, which resulted in him having a car accident after he drove off in a rage. The accident left him blind-- and vengeful. And obsessive.

Hence the title.

For SOME REASON, Autumn thinks a great way of getting closure would be working for him under a different name and lying about the way she looks. But Saul is not the man she remembers and his expressions suggest that he knows more than he is letting on. But how could he possibly suspect? And what would that mean for her?

Okay, so this is ridiculous. And possibly offensive because (SPOILER EVEN THOUGH IT'S OBVIOUS), he's pretending to be blind just to fuck with her (although he was, in fact, actually blind). It was ridiculous and I love it. This is the sort of ridiculousness I eat up with a silver spoon. And as soon as I found out he planned to blackmail her into sex, I was just like, yum, yum, yum. FEED ME.

Autumn is also a hilarious heroine. She's surprisingly spiteful, in a way that I don't often see in Harlequin Presents outside of a Charlotte Lamb novella. I loved her so much, especially when she was being "unlikable." It was incredibly entertaining and really, they're both so twisted and manipulative and utterly entrenched in their own stubborn, illogical-logic, that they're actually perfect for each other. Although EW, apparently he fell in love with her when he was fifteen and tried to hide it by getting with another woman. That's such a red flag, but in an HP novel, I choose to be colorblind: all flags are green. (But girl, ew.)

The writing is also very poetic in parts too. I read another book by this author and only liked it but I put it in a Little Free Library when I was done. This one is a keeper. I will have to find and read more by this author because I just love her dark heroes. They fit her stories so well.

4.5 out of 5 stars

A Vision of Moonlight & Other Stories by Tamara Jerée

At the time of my writing this review, A VISION OF MOONLIGHT only has one rating on Amazon, which is honestly shocking to me, because this queer collection of dark fantasy and sapphic horror is evocative of authors like Tanith Lee and Poppy Z. Brite. I'm not going to go through every story in the collection but my two favorites were the high fantasy stories set in Vel. I would read a full-length novel about that elemental-based magic system and the toll it takes on the body. I also loved the emotions in these work, and how even though death and destruction of the body played such a focal role in all of these stories, the primary message seemed to be that life persists.

I recently read and enjoyed this author's sapphic werewolf romance, A WOLF STEPS IN BLOOD, and I really liked it, but I honestly think that I may have liked this more. Anthologies can be tricky because sometimes the way that the stories are curated isn't so great, or the quality vacillates wildly, but this was an incredibly cohesive collection with surreal, terrifying, and poignant stories.

This author needs to be read by more people, because my god.

4 out of 5 stars

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

I spite-purchased the special edition paperback of this book because, as per usual, people were being especially heinous to Ms. Ali Hazelwood, and even though I'm sure she spends most of her days laughing her way to the bank in between reading all of the smut she could possibly want to read (I mean, I would imagine), I was unimpressed enough with the way people were talking about the anxious and emotionally traumatized heroine and the kink rep to snap a copy of this book up like lobster claws at a cruise ship buffet.

Overall, my feelings about DEEP END are pretty positive. BRIDE is still my favorite Hazelwood book but this one is right up there, mostly because of Lukas, who is literally the perfect dreamy Book Boyfriend. I also loved Scarlett and all of her insecurities, and how she was still learning to process through all of her emotions and allow herself to cry. As someone who feels the same way, that was huge for me, and seeing that sort of representation on page meant a lot.

The kink was also beautifully done. I wouldn't call it a handbook for a real life BDSM relationship because all romances are fantasies, and everyone is different, but it was very, very clear that the author had done her research and taken care to portray what she considered a healthy, happy, normalized relationship with kink and I honestly don't think enough people are approaching the book with that kind of framework. When readers think of kink, it's often within the context of a dark romance, like FIFTY SHADES OF GREY or an even darker book, which is totally fine (I love that, personally), but seeing it in contemporary romances is great, too. That said, I wouldn't really call this book a romcom. It was heavy on the rom but pretty light on the "com." If anything, it's kind of like a more progressive version of one of those new adult romances that were so popular in the early 2010s, where the heroine was college-aged and going through it.

My biggest qualm with the book was actually with Pen. ***SPOILER, TURN AWAY NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT A SPOILER***

I do not think she should have been forgiven for what she did. Given how emotional abuse was such a trigger for Scarlett, this was an especially cruel thing for an alleged best friend to do. And I'm usually an advocate for supporting unlikable heroines, but the way that this played out was super weird. Like it wasn't actually that big of a deal. The douchey guy who kept trying to hit on Scarlett got more of a telling-off than Pen did, and I'm not sure what kind of message that sends. It's important to set boundaries with romantic partners in a power-exchange relationship to ensure that they don't really hurt us-- but why did Scarlett not have to set those same boundaries with Pen, who went out of her way to hurt her? Multiple times? And she was so manipulative, I really did think the set-up was going to be that she had some kind of personality disorder and that was why some of the other girls were so cold to her; because they recognized the behavior patterns. The endgame with Pen literally shocked me and not in a good way. 

Despite that, and the epilogue that kind of felt tacked-on, I did really enjoy this book. Hazelwood is getting better with each book she writes, in my opinion, and I love that you can see her progression with each book. BRIDE is still my favorite but now I'm even more excited for its sequel-- and for whatever this author writes that comes after or before that, too.

My pre-review of the book:

WHY AREN'T MORE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THIS???? I'M SO EXCITED

My prediction: He's a big angry shark of a man and she's a teeny tiny little minnow of a girl

She thinks he hates her but he's been obsessed with her for YEARS

Hijinks ensue

 (I guess I was kinda right?? LOL)

3.5 out of 5 stars

She's a Keeper by Tember Sapphire

SHE'S A KEEPER really is a keeper because it made me like several tropes I normally avoid at all cost (e.g. second chance, third act breakup, miscommunication). It also starts out in a really unusual way: with the hero breaking up the heroine's wedding... to another man.

From there, we go back in time and see them, first as children, and then as teens navigating their first love, and all their other firsts, together. We already know that they're going to break up but not how or why, so the saccharine sweetness of their puppy love is tinged by the bitter knowledge that it isn't going to last.

I loved that this was set in Saint Lucia and the author implemented Saint Lucian Creole (with translations!). The fact that the hero and heroine were both in sports was also fun, because it made them feel more like they were on a level playing field (hee!) and also infused it with some girl power, Bend It Like Beckham vibes.

This is a novella and I do think that affected the pacing a little. The beginning really starts off with a bang, but then it felt a little draggy in the middle. I get that the author was setting up the relationship between them, and showing why they worked, and why Lionel was the perfect boyfriend, but the flashbacks didn't always work for me. Props to Ms. Sapphire for having a twist that actually made me gasp out loud, though.

I'm launching immediately into SHE'S A GRINDER, and I can already see how much the author has polished her writing style and improved her craft from here. But still, this was fun. 

3 out of 5 stars

Lucetta by Linda Jones

I was a little hesitant to read LUCETTA because the blurb and summary made this book sound as if it were going to be exploitative plantation porn in the vein of MANDINGO, but it actually ended up surprising me in a lot of ways. Set on the fictitious Isle of Monde in the Caribbean, the heroine of this book is Lucetta, a biracial woman who is 1/4 Black. Her father is a plantation owner and his mother was his cherished mistress, and Lucetta was educated and given free rein over her father's property, even as both her parents fretted over her future and the limitations offered to her, despite her relative privilege.

After her parents die in an accident, Lucetta finds out that her father left her his name in his will. However, she cannot own the property, and must wait to see if her estranged half-brother will come to claim her beloved Melrose, or if another man might sweep it-- and her-- into his grasping fist. As Lucetta falls in love with the island's governor, the book takes a rather nuanced and delicate look at island politics, the inherent cruelty of slavery, the power of rebellion, and the inevitable sway of the elements-- hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, malaria!

LUCETTA is also very spicy for the time, featuring oral sex scenes and rather graphic penetrative sex scenes. I liked that a lot of these scenes were focused on the heroine's pleasure. The summary made it sound like she was going to be raped by her evil neighbor, but he only attempts to assault her and is punched in the face by the hero for his efforts. The hero does assault the heroine later on in the book, but he appears to be suffering from either dementia or a brain tumor, and it's clear in the narrative text that his behavior is neither acceptable nor normal. The book also holds back on slurs. The N-word is used at one point, but only quoted from an off-page villain. I believe it only happens once, and everyone reacts with distaste and disgust when they hear what the villain said, which was refreshing.

I would not call this book PC by any means and in some ways it does feel dated, but it's honestly not too offensive for one of these old pulps and I actually really enjoyed the fact that the author didn't reduce the Black characters to props or throwaway plot devices. Everyone had agency, including the heroine, and the microcosm of this Caribbean island in the middle of intense social and political change was quite well done. I'm surprised at some of the negative reviews for this book, but if you go into LUCETTA expecting one of those super rapey bodice-rippers of the 70s, this is definitely not that.

4 out of 5 stars

A Wolf Steps in Blood by Tamara Jerée

There is something so old-fashioned about this book that makes me think of the 90s grunge horror novels I used to love, by authors like Annette Curtis Klause and Kathe Koja and Tanith Lee. A WOLF STEPS IN BLOOD is a queer werewolf romance between a wolf and the blood witch who loves her. I loved the mythology, and the way that Black identity was interwoven into the story, as well as the way that sex was portrayed as this beautiful, primeval thing. Shiloh Sloane did the same thing with THEN, EARTH SWALLOWED OCEAN, and I think readers who loved the feral violence of that book will love this.

This book was more character-driven than it was focused on plot, which is not my personal preference, but works here because the characters are both interesting and complex and it's fun to see them falling in love. I was kind of hoping for more of the lore, or a twist involving the witch's blessing that made the wolves shape-changers in the first place, and also maybe reasons about why some of the wolves choose to live as wolves rather than humans. The ending was also a little abrupt and left me wanting more. I hope this author explores more of this world they built. They're very talented. 

3 to 3.5 out of 5 stars

Gothictown by Emily Carpenter

Emily Carpenter is an auto-buy author for me. At this point, I've read almost all of her books, but my favorites are EVERY SINGLE SECRET and THE WEIGHT OF LIES. Probably because they both have a distinctly gothic flavor and gothic is literally my favorite subgenre of mystery/thriller fiction. When I found out she was writing a new book called GOTHICTOWN, I was so excited. And I didn't find out through an announcement like a normal person, mind. I was going through her Goodreads bio like a total stalker, asking myself, "What's Emily up to, these days?" 

I have been tracking this book before it even had a cover.

When my begging and pleading for an ARC was rewarded, I started reading this book IMMEDIATELY. And I loved it so much because it was a laundry list of all my favorite tropes: folk horror, is the house haunted or are we actually going mad?, sinister founding families, dark legacies, hot bad guys, cursed towns, and murrrrdurrrr. I also really liked the heroine, Billie. The author struck a nice balance between showing her as a mom but also as a messy whole-ass person who sometimes messes up because she's only human. 

Also the ending? *chef's kiss* satisfying (pun intended)

I would recommend this to readers who really enjoyed the two other Emily Carpenter books I've read, as well as Starlings by Amanda Linsmeier, Roanoke Girls and The Familiar Dark by Amy Engle, and Watch the Girls by Jennifer Wolfe. The creepy small town vibes were IMMACULATE and so was the flawed FMC. If this book is indicative of the direction of Carpenter's future projects, I want on this ride.

One reading note: the prologue does kind of give you a heavy hint about what's really going on, so if you're one of those readers who prefers NO SPOILERS of ANY KIND because you prefer to guess yourself, skip the prologue and read it as an epilogue instead. You'll be more surprised.

Thanks to the publisher/author for sending me a copy!

5 out of 5 stars

The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

I have never watched The Silver Linings Playbook and had no idea what it was about, except that it was a sort of romance between two mentally ill people who are more than they appear, and that there's a very popular clip from the movie of Pat throwing a book out the window. So with those two pieces of knowledge, I dove in.

Pat is from a New Jersey town with a working class father and a stay-at-home mother. He has just returned from The Bad Place, or a psychiatric facility, and he is not 100% sure why he was sent there or how long that it's been. He thinks that his life is a movie being produced by God (a romance, specifically, it seems) and he seems to feel that it's high time he got the happy ending that is his due, specifically being reunited with his estranged wife, Nikki.

This book kind of reminded me of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, in the sense that the hero's mental illness makes him an unreliable narrator in his own story and you kind of have to sift through the pieces to figure out the reality of what's really going on. I also feel like it takes a very sensationalized look at mental illness and there's an almost childlike element to the narration, which often makes the hero feel closer to a teenager than his actual age (thirty-five).

I did ultimately like this book. I especially liked Tiffany, the love interest, who has her own problems. She's a difficult heroine and at times she almost but not quite feels like a manic pixie dreamgirl. I like that the author sidestepped this too-easy trope by giving her agency and her own backstory and some, honestly heartbreaking, motivations for behaving the way she does. That said, I'm not sure this is a book I'd recommend to everyone, as the hero is "unlikable" and does some things that are very uncomfortable and sometimes pretty cruel, even though the book provides context for why he does them. It's not a particularly happy book but it does have a happy ending and by the end, I cared about these characters a lot.

3.5 out of 5 stars

The Ideal Countess by Katherine Grant

I got this during a SYKD event and I am so glad I did because I've been seeing Katherine Grant advertising her books in my feed for ages but hadn't taken the time to pick one up. I love her writing style, it's so accessible and very Bridgerton-coded, with difficult heroines and swoon-worthy heroes. I loved that Hugh was neurodivergent coded and that Alice was kind of flighty. Even though it frustrated me how she didn't fall for the hero right away like I did, I understood that she was young and vulnerable-- who hasn't made mistakes in youth?

Definitely recommend this for readers who are looking for charming historical romances by underrated authors that have plenty of drama to keep you turning pages but not so many stakes that it becomes stressful.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Tenderly, I Am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone

This book has elements of The Six Swans, Hades x Persephone, and The Secret History, which a dash of co-dependent queer relationships and culty chthonic hijinks. The writing itself feels very 2000s fantasy, reminiscent of authors like Sherwood Smith, Maria V. Snyder, Patricia McKillip, and Juliet Marillier, so even though it's a recent work, something about it feels very wistful and nostalgic, kind of like a Hayao Miyazaki movie or an old-fashioned British boarding school.

I don't want to say too much since this book is not out yet, but the heroine, Lark, comes from a poor salt-mining family and after witnessing a ritual that she shouldn't, she ends up bargaining herself as a bride to the local swan god of the underworld. We also learn that she's been booted from her boarding school for reasons that aren't quite clear, and for also unclear reasons, she's at odds with the two beautiful rich children that her family is semi-indentured to even though they used to be childhood friends.

TENDERLY, I AM DEVOURED is a short gothic masterpiece that manages to accomplish a lot of story and depth of feeling in a limited page time. It never fully went where I expected it to go, and usually that was a good thing. There were a few characters I personally felt needed to be stabbed who were not stabbed, but hey, you win some, you lose some. At the very least, this book lived up to his coming-of-age promises and obsessive throuple.

Cut to me chasing down everything this author has written because I love the vibe.

Thanks to the author/publisher for sending me a copy! 

4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

This was like a YA version of The Walking Dead and I thought it was brilliantly done. The way the community was portrayed, the rules they had to follow for safety, and the economy that revolved around trading and bounty hunting was a really creative and interesting take on the zombie dystopian formula. Especially since, like a lot of zombie horror media, we find out that humans can be the worst monsters.

Brothers Benny and Tom really stole the show, and I liked Benny's character arc as he went from unlikable and petty boy to a teenager who was starting to become more like the adult he would one day be. His grown brother, Tom, was probably my favorite character, and like a lot of the female characters, I kind of had a bit of a crush on him.

The female characters on this book were less interesting and less fleshed out. They weren't bad, exactly, but none of them were particularly interesting and they tended to either fawn over the male characters or end up as collateral. Even The Lost Girl, the female bounty hunter, often ends up a casualty to the male gaze.

That said, this was entertaining from start to finish and I was excited to see how it would go down. Jonathan Maberry is a very talented story teller and I'm excited to read further into this series.

4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars

Knock Knock, Open Wide by Neil Sharpson

I got KNOCK KNOCK, OPEN WIDE off of the suggested reading list on Amazon for a sapphic horror novel I had really enjoyed. And I really enjoyed this one, too. I should have reviewed it when I finished it two days ago, but to be honest, I kind of wanted to dwell on it for a while because the vibes were so immaculate. This blends together Satanic horror, Irish folklore, and the creepiness of children's television shows perfectly, and it's set primarily in the 90s and 2000s, and honestly feels like it could have been written then, too. There's a major Clive Barker/Kathe Koja feel to this book that I loved.

I honestly don't want to say too much more because I don't want to spoil the book, but if you like difficult heroines, sapphic horror, creepy Celtic folklore, and dual timeline thrillers, you'll probably enjoy KNOCK KNOCK, OPEN WIDE. It was brilliantly done and I was never fully sure where it was going to go or how all of the pieces were going to connect. I was not disappointed in the slightest by the answer.

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Mistress & The Renowned by Alexis Rune

I read THE MAIDEN & THE UNSEEN pretty quickly but I plowed through this one in less than twenty-four hours. TM&TU was a low-stakes spicy romantasy featuring Hades and Persephone, but TM&TR ups the ante a lot, with very real stakes, intense character and relationship development, and a cliffhanger that feels mean.

I said in my previous review that this feels like a Greek gods version of ACOTAR (but better) and I stand by that in this book. Especially with how Hades and Persephone grew. They had instant sexual chemistry in the first book but in this one, they navigate their past hurts and try to set boundaries with each other in a way that felt both healthy and believable for their relationship.

This book didn't have as many lolzy moments as the first book because it was more serious in nature, but Persephone nicknaming Cerberus "Berry" and refusing to do it with Hades while he's watching was gold. Also loved the interactions between them and the other Greek gods (and some cameos from other pantheons!) and how the relationship between Helios and Melinoe is going.

A lot of books get slower or weaker in book two but I'm pleased to report that there's not a hint of second book syndrome with THE MISTRESS & THE RENOWNED. Great job, gang.

3.5 out of 5 stars

A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchinson

I'm honestly shocked that the ratings for A WOUNDED NAME are so low because for the right audience, I think this would be an instant favorite. I suspected I would like it from the beginning because I'm a sucker for literary retellings, and the absolutely stunning cover was promising gothic vibes that it 100% delivered on.

A WOUNDED NAME reminded me a lot of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet in the sense that it modernized the characters and setting, but kept its old-fashioned dialogue. Instead of being set in Denmark, in a cold and drafty castle, A WOUNDED NAME is set at a posh boarding school where the Danemark family serve as headmaster. After Hamlet Danemark passes, his brother, Claudius takes over and marries his late-wife, Gertrude.

Ophelia is the daughter of the Dean of Curriculum, who serves as the headmaster's righthand man. She lives in the school year-round, even during summer, which is how she's grown so close with her brother Laertes's friends, Horatio... and Dane, Hamlet's son. 

I saw a lot of reviews claiming that this book romanticized an abusive relationship but I don't think that's true. It's pretty clear in the subtext that both Ophelia and Dane are behaving destructively. Ophelia is mentally ill and has been institutionalized because she claims she can see the bean sidhe like her mother (and, like the ghosts, it's never fully certain whether what she sees are imaginary or not). She hates taking pills and Dane later encourages her not to, as he pretends to be mentally ill himself to confound and trick his and Ophelia's father figures (which begs the question: if he's that good at pretending, is it an act?).

The writing in this was so good and the toxic relationship between Dane and Ophelia was as compelling as it was repulsive. Portraying him as a manic theater kid with privileged rich boy energy was perfect, and Ophelia's naivete, desperation, and insanity were perfectly done. A WOUNDED NAME is not a happy story, but then, neither was the original, and I think if you enjoy a well-written dark academia with heavy gothic themes and a pastiche style retelling that goes for big and bold, like Baz, you'll love this.

I regret putting off reading this for so long. It was incredible and does not have nearly as many ratings as it deserves.

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Maiden & The Unseen by Alexis Rune

I was having a terrible mental health day and THE MAIDEN AND THE UNSEEN was exactly what I needed. Low-stakes Hades x Persephone smut with an office romance twist. That said, the sequel is a lot darker in tone-- I actually liked it more because of that, and how these authors expanded their relationship, but the tones are so different. This one almost feels like a romcom at times. There are moments I don't think I'll ever forget, like Hades using his shadow powers to finger Persephone at a night club, or coming all over her fancy designer sweater and then trying to fix it with DETERGENT.

Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune have a unique take on the appearance of Hades and Persephone as well, as they both have wings and horns. In fact, Hades is a lot like a bat boy (although I like him much better than Rhysand). The inclusion of side characters not often seen in the Greek pantheon was super fun, too. Minthe, as always, is a vindictive bitch, but I loved the pairing of Melinoe with Helios.

If you just read ACOTAR and want something that's slightly more condensed and has better chemistry and more smut, check these books out. This is actually what I was hoping ACOTAR would be for me, so I am delighted.

3 to 3.5 out of 5 stars

Lord of Bones by Aiden Pierce

LORD OF BONES has been chilling on my Kindle for a long time, waiting for when I got back into dark fantasy romance. Which was interesting because this was neither as dark nor as fantastical as I thought it would be. It opens up in the real world with the heroine, Rayven, robbing a grave. She's a professional grave robber in the 21st century, because apparently people are still making like it's ancient Egypt and burying themselves with their jewels. Inheritance who? Don't ask questions.

Anyway, one day, Rayven and her boyfriend rob the wrong tomb: it's the tomb of a woman who was once the unwilling consort of the Lord of Bones, a demon of the underworld who guides souls throughout the various levels (above and below). He's furious to see his ex-consort's tomb violated-- only HE is allowed to do that-- and as punishment, he kills her boyfriend and drags her down to hell to punish as he sees fit. Except he's a little too attracted to her so the punishments are sexy punishments.

However, remembering how his consort tried to get away from him (TW: unaliving herself in creative and horrific ways), he decides to give Rayven a sporting chance. If she can escape from his labyrinth and survive all the horrors in there, he will set her free. But in the meantime, there's lots of degrading and creatively painful sex to be had, so let the games begin.

This is like a very spicy cross between Beauty and the Beast and Labyrinth. I saw another reviewer saying that it feels like Labyrinth fanfiction at times and I could definitely see that: the moving hands in the walls, the oubliette, the time limit to solve the labyrinth, etc. There's also definite Beauty and the Beast elements too, as the skeleton daddy is a little possessive of his fruit trees and he has talking objects in his castle (including a teapot, although this one is no Mrs. Potts). The demonic hierarchy and humiliation sex reminded me of Harley Laroux's work, although I don't think I've ever seen a book where the hero banged the heroine with a wine bottle so he could "drink" her. When I posted about that on Bluesky, I had two people IMMEDIATELY ask me for the title. (Which I happily provided upon request.)

I honestly haven't come close to finding a book that reminded me of my Quizilla years as much as this one did. The alt-goth heroine, the compelling silliness of the plot, the smutty homages to cult classics, and the "I hope my mom doesn't see me reading this" vibes of the outrageous sex scenes gave me flashbacks to being fourteen and staying up until 5am reading Lestat smut on my laptop. I regretted nothing then and I regret nothing now. Will I read more of the series? Probably. It ends on a cliffhanger and the hero had a lot of character development. I have to see what happens at that sinister party with his brothers.

3 out of 5 stars

Serpentine Valentine by Giana Darling

SERPENTINE VALENTINE was an impulse read but I enjoyed it so much more than I ever thought I would. At its core, it is a dark sapphic romance and a revenge story, but it is also so much more than that. It has brilliant commentary on Greek mythology and classic literature, and its also a savagely vicious tale for women who have been hurt or thwarted in their pursuit of justice.

Lex is a scholarship student at Acheron University and brilliant. When one of her professors reaches out to her, she thinks it's as a friend and mentor. But then he rapes her brutally on Halloween night and the college dean sides with the professor in the interest of preserving her own reputation and the school's, leaving Lex to recover alone.

Rather than leaving, Lex forces the school to keep her on as a student with the assistance of a lawyer and, with the help of her friends, starts a vigilante group to punish the boys on campus who are benefiting from the institutional sexism of the university. But that's not enough: she wants to punish the professor and the dean. And it just so happens that the dean's young and virginal daughter is a student at the school.

SERPENTINE VALENTINE is a retelling of the Medusa myth and I thought that Giana Darling did a great job of this. But I also liked how the romance itself was so intense and surprisingly sweet. Even though Lex originally wants to destroy Luna, they end up being a healing presence for one another, making each other into stronger, better people. And like, yeah, sometimes they're a little toxic, but M/F dark romance is like that too, so if you want that, but sapphic, this your book.

The only thing I couldn't get on board with was Lex telling Luna that she tasted like pasta water "down there" when she was trying to seduce her. I'm sorry but that's not sexy. I use that to water my plants.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress

DNF @ 12%

I really did not like this at all. The writing style was perfectly fine and I thought the author had some really interesting commentary on modern art (which was part of the reason I bought this book!), but none of the characters were particularly interesting and I didn't care about any of them at all. I can forgive unlikable-- but not dull.

2 out of 5 stars

The Maid's Secret by Anita Zara

I got THE MAID'S SECRET during one of those Stuff Your Kindle events and while it's not what I normally read, I actually enjoyed it. This is an erotic novella about a young woman named Artemisia working as a maid for a wealthy woman living in Voltaire Manor: her name is Viola and she has a butler named Florian. Both are incredibly attractive and they're also fucking, so when Artemisia isn't tending to her mistress, she's obsessing over her fellow residents and watching them like a panicky bisexual voyeur, which was very entertaining.

I haven't read a lot of tentacle romance and usually it's not pleasant for me, but Anita Zara did a good job making it believably sexy. Still not my kink, but she made it work on-page. I feel like selling the mechanics of monster romance is probably one of the hardest parts. There's also a bit of a mystery atmosphere to the book, although I don't think I would actually call it a gothic, even though the author is branding it that way. There's not really enough atmosphere or suspense to really give it that haunting, creepy gothic vibe.

Speaking of branding, I am VERY confused on the "dark academia vibes" the author included in the summary, because this was not that at all. And I only bring it up because the dark academia girlies can be ruthless about upholding their aesthetic. This does not take place at a university or school, there are no studies, and none of the characters are professiorial. The most academic thing any of the characters does is sneak an extended look at a work of Japanese tentacle erotica. I have to figure that when the author says "dark academia vibes," she actually means that the book has a British uppercrust Victoriana aesthetic, which is true, but perhaps less snappy for marketing purposes.

If you're a monster romance fan and enjoy a short story that offers distinct vibes up along with the sex, you'll like THE MAID'S SECRET. It delivered on the sapphic pining, has surprisingly sensual monster sex, includes voyeurism and polyamory (two tropes I don't think I've seen in monsterotica yet), and has a fun and interesting take on aquatic monsters. I'd check out more from this author. Her Carmilla retelling looks excellent.

3 out of 5 stars

The Violent Season by Sara Walters

I'm honestly shocked that this has such low ratings because I fucking loved 90% of it. THE VIOLENT SEASON kind of reminded me of a YA version of Amy Engel's THE FAMILIAR DARK: it's set in a small dead-end town in rural Vermont that has an inordinate amount of deaths given the small population size. The heroine, Wyatt, has noticed-- like a lot of people-- that the death count rises every November. Some people think that the town of Wolf Ridge is cursed with a sickness that drives people to commit murder seasonally. After her own mother joins the death count, Wyatt becomes haunted by and obsessed with finding out her town's dark secret.

This story went in a lot of different directions and I was never really fully sure until the end whether this was going to be a slasher horror or a paranormal/occult horror. The lyrical writing and heavy angst were what sucked me into the story. You can really feel Wyatt's claustrophobia and desolation at being trapped in this potentially murderous town, and her volatile and combustive relationship with her bad boy not-quite-boyfriend would have had a teen me obsessed.

That's actually one thing I really enjoyed about this book: even though there's a love triangle, I could see the appeal of both leads (and usually I only like one). Wyatt's relationship to the other people in this book were also really well done: I liked her relationship with her dad, with her friend Quinn, and with the mean girls in her classroom (whose ringleader also mysteriously died). Did I end the book with some unanswered questions and a twist in mind that I would have liked slightly more? Yeah. But I think it was a really good horror/thriller done in an angsty and poignant tone that is hard to get right without sounding too melodramatic or whiny (this was neither), so I think that people should give this book a chance despite the shockingly low average rating, especially if they like Amy Engel's work and Scream.

4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars

My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottingham

MY DEAREST DARKEST is one of those books that I knew was going to be a five-star read from the get-go. It was basically a checklist of everything my wussy little self loves in the horror genre I can only barely bring myself to read: strong and complicated girls who are sometimes unlikable, excellent anxiety rep, coming of age stories, dark academia vibes, eldritch horrors, cults, sacrifices, liminal spaces, and creepy abandoned buildings.

Finch is delighted when she gets to audition at the prestigious Ulalume Academy, a private school for the arts. As a piano prodigy, it's her dream school. But a terrible accident on the way back from her audition steals the lives of both her parents and has her clawing her way out from a black river, half-dead, under the sinister gaze of a stag with eight eyes.

Meanwhile, Selena is enjoying her senior year as one of the pretty and popular elite, reveling in being an out-of-control bitch. But she's still stinging from breaking things off with her ex-flame, Kyra, and chafing inside from being unable to live as her authentic self.

Their stories connect because of something sinister dwelling in the tunnels beneath their school. Ulalume is built on top of something dark and ancient. Something that might be able to give them their deepest, dearest, darkest desires-- but only at a terrible cost. At first, the price seems small-- even nonexistent-- but all the girls of Ulalume very quickly realize that nothing in this world or the next is free.

So obviously I loved this book. I loved it so much I stayed up into the middle of the night reading it because I could not bear to put it down. I had to make sure that everyone was okay (that's the downside to reading horror instead of romance; there's no guarantee of an HEA). The vibes were immaculate. The romance was sweet. The dialogue was witty. The horror was fucking terrifying (will I have nightmares tonight? Probably). Did I immediately buy this author's other sapphic horror novel, THIS DELICIOUS DEATH? Most definitely. Will I recommend this book to you? Absolutely.

Kayla Cottingham, you evil genius.

5 out of 5 stars

All Tomorrow’s Photos by S.S. Genesee

This was another Stuff Your Kindle find, which is exciting because I had literally never heard of this book or this author before. ALL TOMORROW'S PHOTOS is a queer serial killer romance set in the 1970s. Maurice is a vain serial killer who murders women and then desecrates and photographs their corpses. Kenneth is a male nurse who is blind in one eye because of cataracts. When Maurice is going to his art class, he sees a picture of Kenneth where he modeled for his sister (also in the class) and thinks he's the most beautiful man he's ever seen. He begs his sister to put him in contact so he can photograph him too, which is how the romance begins... even as a detective begins to look at the mounting female bodies, circling closer and closer...

There were some things about this book I really enjoyed and some I enjoyed less so. First, the positives. The author did their own cover, I think, and they did an absolutely amazing job nailing the time period and the vibe. That goes for the slang and the set dressing in the book, too. I loved how music played such a prominent role in the story. I also liked how Maurice is both self-aware and not self-aware when it comes to his vanity. He's so arrogant but he's also a dork. I loved that.

The things I liked less were the contrast of the relationship with the violence of the murders. It felt like Maurice's character was very inconsistent, the way he behaved with Kenneth versus the way he was before. And maybe part of that is his ability to mask as a psychopath, but if so, this wasn't made clear in the narrative. And the blushing lovey-dovey relationship didn't really work for me given the knowledge of what Maurice was doing when he wasn't with Kenneth. I found myself skimming over a lot of their scenes together, which is never great in a romance. But while reading, it did kind of hit me that this has the vibes of a semi-dark yaoi from the 2000s, which also sometimes had these jarring shifts in tones, and given some of the dialogue and characterizations, I did wonder if maybe that was an inspo for this author, in which case, I'm not the target audience for this book but others definitely would be.

I'm not sorry I read this book and I thought it was a very creative and unusual dark romance premise, but I probably won't be reading further into the series.

2.5 out of 5 stars

Butterfly by Jo Brenner

I got this during a Stuff Your Kindle Day event and I'm glad I did because I don't usually read college romance or sports romance, so I'm not sure I would have picked this up otherwise and I'm glad I did because this was quite entertaining. Even though this is a dark romance, it's quite funny, and while there is dub-con that borders on non-con, it's almost... cozy. The unhinged take-no-prisoners hero and tonal dissonance reminded me a lot of my friend Kate Raven's books, so I think if you like that author, you'll like Jo Brenner.

The hero, Mason, is attracted to the heroine, Leslie, from the moment he lays eyes on her at his parents' engagement party. Unfortunately, she's his new stepsister, which means she's out of bounds. He decides to deal with this as any rational person would: by bullying her. And then sexually tormenting her. And then fucking her.

BUTTERFLY really tries to do all the things. It's a bully romance, a sports romance, a stepbrother romance, a college romance, a stalker romance (he puts security cameras in her rooms and drugs her so she'll sleep with him). There's also breeding kink, Daddy kink, and sharing. The beginning and the end feel like two different books and I do wish that maybe the bullying had been more prolonged because it was over so quickly, and I  was really enjoying how much this reminded me of L.J. Shen's VICIOUS at the start, what with the "I love her, so I'll make her my enemy" vibes.

This book also just has some truly hilarious and outlandish scenes. Like, he jerks off onto her ballet shoes and leaves them covered (literally dripping) in come, so she leaves a dead fish in his car. And then there's a scene when they're having sex and HE SINGS MULAN TO HER WHILE THEY'RE HAVING SEX.

BUTTERFLY was bizarre in the best possible way and I think I have to read more by this author.

3 to 3.5 out of 5 stars

Firethorne by Nikki J. Summers

Nikki J. Summers is a new-to-me author but I will definitely be checking out more of her work. I heard about FIRETHORNE from TikTok. A reader put it on a list of gothic dark romance novels and I really liked the title. I would say it's kind of like a cross between Cruel Intentions and Haunting Adeline. A girl named Maya Cole comes with her father to a place called Firethorne, owned by the Firethorne family, to work as a maid in their mansion. As soon as she sets out on the trip, though, she starts getting mysterious warnings to stay away. And we soon find out that the Firethorne family has sinister intentions for her, including a bet to see who can steal her virginity first.

Look, I'm a sucker for melodrama and mystery and this book had both. If I had one complaint, I would say that the first half was slightly better than the second half simply because it went in a direction that I wasn't quite expecting (and isn't one of my personal favorite plot devices). But the author made me like it and she made it work, and honestly, Damien and Lysander's characters were both so interesting and twisted that I really enjoyed seeing what they would do next.

This is an interesting modern twist on the traditional gothic format, and it's heavy on the spice, and features a dark romance hero who isn't quite as evil as some. Also ***SPOILER*** the heroine bites someone's ween off. I'm surprised more people aren't talking about that. I'm all for a female rage moment and trust me, here, the action was more than justified. Work it, girlie.

3.5 out of 5 stars

If The Fates Allow by Chloe I. Miller

IF THE FATES ALLOW was a Stuff Your Kindle Day find and I finally got around to reading this little gothic novella today. This story is set at a Florida mansion called Haven House, which is owned by the Fairweathers, a rich family whose fancy pockets are starting to grow thin. Because of this, the family patriarch, Stephen Fairweather, is trying to force his three children, Lucy, Cal, and Willa, into advantageous marriages.

Willa is supposed to marry a man named Richards, but her sister, Lucy, is writing to him instead since she's the charming one and a lifetime of chronic illness and breathing fits has made Willa self-conscious around men. But then one day, she meets a doctor named Noah who challenges her without ever making her feel like an inconvenience or a burden. And she starts to question her family's plan for her, which leads to an uncovering of some very dark secrets...

I liked this story a lot. The way it starts out, you think it's just going to be a sweet, light Victorian romance, but it ends on a surprisingly dark note. I appreciated the wintry vibes, and the "love conquers all" message of the story, couched in a surprisingly bittersweet and sinister setting. I think I own one of this author's full length novels, and while I was excited to read it before, I'm even more so now.

4 out of 5 stars

Midnight Mischief by Lyla Andrews

MIDNIGHT MISCHIEF is a smutty short story set during Halloween and features age-gap and light primal. There's not a lot to say about it, except that the author does a good job of keeping the story moving and making consent sexy and a natural part of the story. I don't think I've ever read anything by this author before but I'll definitely be reading more from her.

4 out of 5 stars

Her Soul for Revenge by Harley Laroux

I liked the first book a little more but this was still a wonderful continuation of a story I am growing to appreciate the complexities of with every new installment. Abelaum and the Liberi and their sinister death cult and eldritch god are truly the stuff of nightmares, and in addition to the spice and the horrors, I love how each book has themes of recovering from religious trauma and finding strength in adversity. Harley's female characters are flawed and have many weaknesses, but they're also incredibly strong in their varying ways, and I love that their heroes draw out this strength and cause it to burn all the more brightly, without trying to command the flame.

Juniper is a very different heroine than Raelynn. Rae was like an alt-goth Disney princess; quietly enduring and inherently good, but very much a damsel in distress (although she learns to save herself eventually). Juniper, on the other hand, is a menacing tornado of a girl. After the people she called friends tried to sacrifice her and betrayed her and her family in the worst possible way, she's ready for blood, and will do anything to get it, even sell her soul to a demon.

The chemistry between Juniper and Zane was great, almost as good as Rae and Leon (although they're such different characters, it's hard to compare). I feel like Leon has more of a protective, paternalistic role towards Rae, whereas Juniper and Zane feel more like equals-- in and out of the bedroom. I also really loved Zane's malicious playfulness and dry sense of humor. All of the best one-liners in this book were his. The violence level is upped a lot, too. Book one wasn't exactly a charming walk in the park, but this book has the leads banging on top of a freshly killed corpse and slaughtering infernal behemoths.

HER SOUL FOR REVENGE was a dark delight and I can't wait to read the last installment (even though I don't think I'm ready for this series to end yet-- when is their next book coming out again?? SOON?).

3.5 to 4 out of 5 stars

The Magpie Lord by K.J. Charles

Why didn't I read this sooner? THE MAGPIE LORD is a glorious supernatural gothic, featuring Lucien Vaudrey, the lord of a sinister and corrupt legacy, and Stephen, a magical enforcer. They meet when Lucien's manservant, Merrick, goes out to fetch a magician to save him from a curse that is trying to drive him to kill himself. Even after he finds the cause, what the magician unravels turns out to be far more complex and depraved than either of them ever banked on.

This book basically ticked all of my boxes: enemies to lovers, sexual tension, sinister houses, family curses, dark secrets, and evil magicks. I've read other books by K.J. Charles before but I honestly think that this is one of her best. I devoured it in just a couple hours and couldn't put it down. Parts of this book reminded me of old school bodice-rippers from the 1970s, which is basically one of the highest compliments I can pay a book.

I waffled between 4 and 5 stars, and I think ultimately I'm giving it 4.5 rounded up because this felt like a queer Ilona Andrews book, or like an M/M version of Grace Callaway's ABIGAIL JONES.

4.5 out of 5 stars

How to Get a Girlfriend (When You're a Terrifying Monster) by Marie Cardno

HOW TO GET A GIRLFRIEND WHEN YOU'RE A TERRIFYING MONSTER was an impulse buy. I love that it starts out in a liminal space occupied by a monster known as the Endless. The monster heroine, Trillin, is a shape-shifting shard that chipped off of the whole. She's developed both a sense of consciousness and irony, and knows that if the Endless finds her again, it will devour her.

Luckily, its attention is occupied by a portal that keeps opening in their realm. The portal is opened by an Australian witch named Sian, who is working with her professor. They're studying portals and Sian is fascinated by the Endless. When she meets Sian, she is enchanted, especially when Sian saves her from being eaten by another "shard."

This was short and cute. The writing was great and I liked the dry humor and the introduction of a pet cat-bunny-tentacle creature named Bunny. I wish there had been more depth to the world-building and more chemistry between the MCs, but if you're looking for a short, sweet sapphic monster romance, you will probably really enjoy this.

2.5 to 3 out of 5 stars

Lavender House by Lev A.C. Rosen

I've seen a lot of books comparing themselves to Knives Out but a lot of the time, what they just mean is that it's a locked room mystery. Knives Out has a very specific vibe and tone, and when those vibes aren't there in a book, the comparison falls way short. Out of the dozens and dozens of comps I've read, only two books have really nailed the Knives Out vibe: Rachel Hawkins's THE HEIRESS... and this book, LAVENDER HOUSE.

From start to finish, I adored LAVENDER HOUSE. The hero, Evander Mills, used to be a cop. But it's the 1950s and people still regard homosexuality as a criminal act. When he's caught at a gay club by his now-ex colleagues, he's booted off the force and essentially turned into a pariah. When we meet him, he's drowning his sorrows in a bar, which is how he's approached by Pearl.

Pearl is the secret wife of a soap making magnate, Irene, who just died suspiciously. Pearl thinks it was murder, but she can't quite bring herself to face the truth, because in her house-- Lavender House-- she and her found family have created a safe progressive haven that protects them from the homophobia of the outside world. She and her wife were the matriarchs, and then their gay son lived in secret with his boyfriend, Cliff, and his "beard": Margo, and her girlfriend, Elsie.

Even their staff are gay!

Evander is fascinated by the dynamics of Lavender House and part of him wants the murder to have come from outside the house as well. Because he's already haunted by the demons of having turned against his own people for self-gain, and the knowledge that nobody can be trusted kind of cements the grim feelings he already has about the world: that maybe, everyone is in it for themselves and you can't trust anyone.

The film noir vibes of LAVENDER HOUSE were everything. I've read Rosen's YA and loved it, and he brings the same energy to the table with this adult novel. Evander is morally grey and sometimes unlikable, but all of his decisions make sense. I also adored how this book is so steeped in San Francisco Bay Area history. It was fascinating to see this little glimpse into what San Francisco was like in the 50s. He clearly did so much research and I felt like he really brought the setting to life.

I'm already reading book two in the series.

5 out of 5 stars

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Holy shit, I want to live in this world. LEGENDS & LATTES is one of those TikTok books that deserves all of the hype. I loved Viv, the grizzled and world-weary adventurer orc who is tired of bounty-hunting and just wants to open a gnomish coffee shop. I loved Tandri, the succubus; Amity, the direcat (I want a direcat!); Cal the hob; and Thimble, the rattkin. This is probably the most likable crew of characters I've encountered outside of a Terry Pratchett novel, and even though this book advertises itself as having low stakes, I was still very concerned for all of their various well-beings.

I think it's hard to do cozy books well because the tension has to be replaced by something, and that something is usually character-driven, and if the author isn't good at writing compelling characterization, the book kind of falls flat. But this whole book was like playing Dungeons and Dragons over tea and crumpets with an enthusiastic and kind-hearted dungeon master who is gleefully reading off his character sheet while rolling nat 20 after nat 20.

I loved this book so much and read through it in a single day, which was a mistake, because after it was over, I still wanted more. I was so desperate for more cozy fantasy content that I immediately went out and bought a book called TIL DEATH DO US BARD that was comping itself to this one, because apparently I'm not ready to let go of my cozy queer fantasy wanderlust yet.

5 out of 5 stars

Ash by Malinda Lo

I am honestly shocked that so many of the top reviews for this book are tepid at best and negative at worst, because I thought this was a beautiful, vivid, melancholy story-- there's something about pre-2000s YA fantasy. I think being written before the proliferation of the internet meant that they could be more experimental, and less at the mercy of appealing to the demands of the algorithm. They feel remote, isolated, and hopeful; islands onto themselves. I love that about them.

ASH is a Cinderella retelling about Aisling, a girl who lives on the edge of the wood with her mother and father. Her father is upright and traditional but her mother has pagan beliefs and believes in the faeries (and her father loves her so much that he indulges this). When her mother dies and her father remarries, Ash is heartbroken, especially when her new stepmother and stepsisters seem to want little to do with her, leaving her to grieve on her own in the woods.

I don't want to say too much, but this is a queer awakening as much as it is a story about bargains, different kinds of love, and the power of illusions. The way that Lo writes is both simple and ornate, and I adored the way that she wove magic into the "real world," to the point where everything feels like a shimmering illusion and you find yourself questioning what is and isn't real.

At times, this story feels almost gothic (the scenes where Ash sleeps on her mother's grave), and there is such powerful imagery in ASH. It's definitely a book that came out well before its time (I mean, a sapphic YA Cindrella story in 2009??), and it's aged so well. Especially with how Ash has a more complicated relationship with her stepsisters that goes beyond "slutty, gold-digging bitches = bad." I'm glad to see it getting a second wind, because I honestly think anyone who loved ELLA ENCHANTED will love this.

And yes, she saves herself in this one.

4.5 to 5 out of 5 stars