Reviews
The world always needs more sapphic monster love, so of course I leapt on the chance to read this novella involving a gorgon! If you’re not a fan of snakes, this may not be the romance for you, but otherwise it’s a quite fun read! As an escort, Evelyn’s used to some odd requests from her clients, but Lady Demetria’s long list may be the strangest yet. Evelyn must wear a blindfold, and Lady Demetria will remain fully veiled and gloved at all times. But she can’t help but feel like there’s something special about her, so when Lady Demetria asks her to be her live-in companion, she agrees. But starting to develop feelings for her mistress – feelings that make her want to look under the veil – may mean she has to give her up forever. “Why should she accept anything less than a life in a castle once she had the lady’s attention? Someone so otherworldly, so impossible, had chosen to shower her in affection.” Evelyn was very easy to relate to, especially the bits of her life in the castle. Demetria took me a little longer to warm up to, but from the first scene she absolutely lived up to her dominant nature with some A+ dirty talk. Considering that it’s in the title, I don’t think it’s too much of a spoiler to say that Demetria is a gorgon, and her backstory (and the tender moment when it’s revealed) was what finally made me like her. As for cons, it is a short novella, so I would’ve liked a bit more development of the romance. My other peeve was Camille and how ridiculously overprotective – to the point of cattiness – she was. Other woman (even though that’s not really what she is) jealousy is a turn off for me. Overall, though, this is a quick and enjoyable novella, and definitely recommended if you’re looking for some sapphic monster love! I received an advance review copy of this book from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Content notes: (view spoiler)[mention of past abuse, alcohol (hide spoiler)]
this is an amazing concept and cute couple that could have made for a great read had the execution not been sooooo rushed. i'm begging novella authors to slow down and find that balance to develop their characters and make the reader connect with them just a LITTLE; until then the writing's just going to come across as painfully mechanical.