by S. T. Gibson

Pub Date: October 7

Rating:

★★★★★

Review:

I don’t know how to start with this review because I am at a loss for words right now.

S.T. Gibson just continues to blow me away with the art they continue to put into this world.

I am so grateful for the content warnings because I was able to read this book when I was in the right headspace for these darker themes and it really made it a wonderful experience

I love the amount of representation this book has I loved everything everything about this book so let me get into my favorite parts.

I love the queer representation
I love the polyamorous representation
The spice was phenomenal and it was definitely frequent 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
The characters are so well developed🥹
The writing is atmospheric which really enhances the Gothic vibe
I’m obsessed with the cover
I loved that this book had depth to it and wild twists and turns and a lot of suspense while also having so much spice in it

I completely admire how this author manages to handle these darker themes and make them relatable or a conflict that the reader feels in some way shape or form and that isn’t “cringey”. I find a lot of darker romance, just darker books in general, tend to be overly done? If that makes sense. This one executed beautifully.

It’s also an easier read if you’re used to this author’s writing style (I initially listened to an audiobook from them and really enjoyed the writing style and that was my introduction so I’ve gotten used to this author’s way of writing and I really like it). It’s comforting now, and I found that I can truly trust this author to give the proper content warnings and also utilize these dark themes in a way that enhances a story and makes it really memorable while also adding depth and it’s just -the darkness is is done so well.

I am at a loss for words while I also want to talk about this book for the next five hours to anyone who will listen and that’s how you know that this is a five star read for me.

I will say when I initially picked this book up, I did think it was quite dark (I almost couldn’t handle it) so make sure that you are in the proper headspace to read about these themes. If you’re not doing well just give yourself a bit of time before picking this book up, but please heed the content warnings. They are done incredibly well and they are there to protect you.

I’m obsessed with how this book started and how it drew me in how the dialogue immediately showed the characters, and Eileen’s character developed over time and became very mysterious.

To avoid spoilers, I’m not going to say anything else about the plot or characters or book itself, but this one is phenomenal and if you’re a fan of Gothic erotica or just darker Gothic books in general, I think you will inhale this and love it as much as I did

Thank you Net Galley and Orbit Books (Redhook) and S.T. Gibson for this ARC! I am grateful for the opportunity to leave honest feedback voluntarily.