<b>4/5</b>⭐
<b>Spice Rating</b> - 1.5/5🌶️
<b>Genre/Trope</b> - Adult Romantic Fantasy, Love Triangle, Enemies to Lovers

This book starts follows Khiara who is a Cerise, a kind of red haired witch witrh magical powers, whose kind and kin are considered to be a threat to the Kingdom and were hunted down in the past. The book follows her as she sets out on a revenge mission which brings her into the palace and she is forced to participate in the Culling, a Tournament to determine which maiden would be the Prince's Consort and the future Queen.

First thought, this was a pretty easy book to get into. The starting set up for the rest of the story and the magic systems well. I usually have some starting trouble with fantasies and the first 100 pages are difficult for me to focus and keep track of all the new names, characters, places and magical objects being thrown at me. But here, I breezed through. It was also well written and gets right into the thick of it. I loved the characters as well. The second half of the book is very fast paced and engaging. Also, can we talk about how pretty the cover is as well?!

But, there were a few loopholes in the book that left me scratching my head. One of them were that her initial motive was as a revenge killer/assassin. This never gets explored or called back on later on in the book. Secondly, the love triangle that is cultivated here, lacks conviction, seems rushed and comes out of nowhere when she clearly has a better rapport with one of them over the other. I also wished the part with the Culling was longer and the characters had more time to develop a bond together.

This book also has some sexual content, references and deals with some mentions of past trauma as well.

Overall, a really good Romantic Fantasy that will have you up all night flying to the end of the book. I will definitely be continuing the series, especially after that ending! Very well done.

Pick it up if you want a Romantic Fantasy that is quick, fast paced, has easy world-building and lots of action.

<i>I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for providing a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I struggled, I mean seriously struggled to finish this book. I thought I was going to love it based on the plot/synopsis. It seemed to start off great, was a disjointed, tried to get back on track and then got lost in the "culling". I lost focus so many times, I found myself having to go back and read parts, which made enjoying the book almost impossible.

Thank you Netgalley for this copy! And thank you Bailey Black :)

See my goodreads review for gifs, and full review (meaning spoilers)

Fav Quote: "Dammit, woman,"
Gotta read to understand hehe

Spicy?: 3 Chili Peppers

I had to think for a second before writing this review!
There were times I was confused or slightly bored, BUT I didn't want to stop reading! I was very interested in the plot!

Part of my confusion was that she needs to be careful of her hair color, because it represents Cerise. And being a Cerise is a no no. Yet, in the beginning she hid her hair color, but later on, she flaunts it right in front of the kingdom? Confusing!

But the plot pulled me in! This is a quick, romance/fantasy/slow burn with some spice! And boy...when that spice hit... it hit good!


We are following Khiara, and she is a Cerise (witchy vibes). She's on a mission to take down every person on her kill list! We love that ;)

I might be what the world calls a Cerise, but I am not evil. At least, I don't think I am. I mean...sure, I kill people, but only those who deserve it.

But when she gets to her last name on said list...her best friend, Ezra, gets into some trouble. Speaking of trouble, how did no one in the tavern intervene on what was happening???

Anyway, she needs to save him! To be completely honest, I don't care too much about him. The amount of time to get to know Ezra was short before his situation happened. So, I didn't bond with him.

Khiara has to enter into the culling. This will grant her access to where Ezra was taken to. I am still confused how no one was phased by what happened. And when someone she knows dies... I didn't really feel sad.
So after this happens, the culling goes on like nothing happened. This is wild to me.

Bash- I won't get into too much about who he is...but let's just say he was pulling at my heart string. "I set you free, little bird"

I read reviews before reading, and I saw some say Riot over Bash.
And at first, I didn't get it. Bash is handsome and charming! Whenever he was around Khiara, it was YES! MORE BASH!

Slowly, Riot crept in and weaved his way into my heart. At some point, I forgot about bash and wanted only Riot. I wanted Riot so badly.

"Careful what you wish for, Princess"

And let me just say...Riot definitely knows what he's doing in the bedroom


The ending REALLY pissed me off. I'm not against cliffhangers at all, but this one really bothered me.
Even so, I enjoyed the book and wanting to read the second one! Hopefully, it comes out soon!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoy this first book in a series. It was slower to start but then right as I was hooked and curious what was going to happen, next it finished …ON A CLIFFHANGER (but I do love those so I’m even more excited for the sequel). I wish the book was longer to flesh out the characters a bit more and expand on the world building a bit more. I would have liked to see the magic explored a bit more. It was just beginning to elaborate on the different elements of the magic system so I’m looking forward to see where that goes in the next book.

I loved how much of a badass the FMC was. She had been through so much and refused to tolerate any crap and protected those around her from abuse as well. I really liked seeing her stand up to the others girls and look out for Jinx (though something is definitely going on with her in those final scenes 👀).

THE ROMANCE - wooooh I LOVED how that played out. So of the two MMC in this book I’m definitely favouring one over the other. One is just too nice and charming, I’m highly suspicious. The other is just sassy and an asshole so of course I love him 😂 (can you tell I’m a Delena Stan?) I’m a huge enemies to lovers fan so this was right up my alley. I wish we had more scenes but I can’t wait to see how that continues to unfold in the next book.

This book is perfect for those who love:

➾ Romantasy
➾ A touch of Enemies to Lovers
➾ Witch in a world where magic is illegal
➾ Royal Competition (think The Selection)

Readers should check TWs before going into this because there are darker elements.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bailey Black for letting me read the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you loved the Crimson Moth then this is the perfect book for you. This book had such fast pacing which hooked me from the start. This book follows Khiara’s journey to save her friend that has been cursed but leads her to be tangled in a competition to be the princes bride. Khiara is a witch/cerise in a world where they have been hunted. It is a single POV and as a FMC she is just so funny and relatable.
It hit so many of the tropes I love:
>Witch + Witch Hunter
>Hidden History
>Multiple Love interests
>Rescue mission

This book ends on a cliffhanger which is usually expected of a series, but this one felt like it came out of the blue. But perhaps I just didn’t want this book to end. I will definitely be looking out for book 2 in this series as I feel Khiara’s journey is only just getting started.

"The Cerise" was a surprisingly really enjoyable read for me! This book had such an interesting plot and characters that kept me guessing for a lot of the book. I will agree with others who said that the start was a little slow, but my opinion is that it only feels slow when compared to the last three-quarters of the book (which felt considerably faster paced). I think we really had to get into the relationship dynamics of Khiara's love interests. I would have enjoyed more world-building possibly but I can appreciate that it's a shorter Romantasy read and thus it's easier if we learn more as the plot progresses rather than info dump at the front end. I actually liked that a lot in particular (the revealing of the world and society as Khiara experienced things and interacted with other characters).

This is a Team Riot household. If they aren't end game, I will be throwing hands. Their chemistry is out of this world (especially after reading those scenes 👀) but also the way they take care of each other. It's really sweet and sold me on them, truly. I will riot (hehe) if we don't get more Riot fr.

The cliffhanger was brutal and 100% solidified my need to read the second book. I physically/spiritually/emotionally have to know what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial & the author for sending me a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

thank you to netgallery, the author and publisher for the ARC!
this selection-esque tale of a girl with secret magic in a world of royals amidst a competition to become the queen was surprisingly enthralling.
the plot itself was slow at the start, but soon sped up. the glamorous setting of royal balls and midnight meetings revealed a world of hidden plots and intrigue, and kept me turning pages.
khiara was a character I loved rooting for. right from the beginning, her loyalty and devotion to her loved ones, as well as her tenacity and determination to survive amidst difficult odds, made her one to watch. she wasn't a perfect character, and definitely made her share of mistakes, but they just made her feel much more real and helped me sympathize with her more.
there was so much about this book that I loved, from the romance to the way the story developed, and I would definitely read the rest of this series in time!

An enjoyable and intriguing plot that is well-paced and leaves you wanting more.

This is a typical tale of kingdom in jeopardy, magic powers limited to a few, oppressive leadership and deception. However, Bailey Black has added an intriguing twist and built a believable world to escape into.

This book is romantasy lite. It’s not as fantasy as ACOTAR or Fourth Wing and is more like Once Upon a Broken Heart and Belladonna. However, it’s spicier than either of those two with some truly cringey descriptions of sex. Thankfully those scenes are short and few and don’t detract from the overall story.

At times the writing slips out of fantasy style and when I found out the author also writes contemporary romance, it made total sense.

With a cliffhanger ending, I’ve already pre-ordered the sequel as I look forward to seeing where the author takes this tale!

I love the cover and it fits the book so well!
When I started reading it took me some time to get into the book but I started loving it pretty fast! It is told from a 1st person pov which makes you connect with the MC quickly and I loved that. It was a great romantasy read and it kind of reminded me of The Selection series. The book ended with a huge cliffhanger and I'm excited to see more!

- 1st person POV
- Open door romance
- The Selection vibes

After taking a few days to process the ending, I'm finally ready to write this review. While I found myself a bit confused at the beginning, the story quickly drew me in with its action-packed start.

However, be aware that the ending leaves so many questions unanswered, it's almost torturous. I can't wait to dive into the second book!

The Cerise is romantasy book about a witch who enters a competition to become the queen. The beginning of the book was a tad confusing and took a few chapters to really get into the book, but then it really takes off. I feel like there was something for everyone in this book; a prince, a competition, mystery, a sexy guard, fighting, some spice, and magical powers.
The ending ends on a huge cliffhanger and will make you want the next book now!

Stars: 3.75/5
Spice: 2-3/5

Thank you Netgalley, Bailey Black, and Booksgosocial for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/3 stars
thank you to netgalley for a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
not sure how i feel about this one. i'm interested but the pacing and writing was a little messy. not entirely sure who the love interest really is or who i should be rooting for but the fmc is likable enough and that cliffhanger? i have no choice but to read book 2

4/5⭐
2/5🌶️

Khiara Hargrove is a Cerise. These people are killed because they are feared. On her quest to seek revenge for what has been done to her family, her friend Ezra ends up in a dungeon. The only way she can help him get out is through participating in the Culling (think the selection).

I flew through this book not only because it was short, but because there was never a dull moment. All the characters were highly likeable and there were 2 love interests. I was rooting for Bash in the beginning but Riot quickly found his way to my heart with his charming ways. Khiara is a badass & I can't wait to see who Khiara ends up with. This book ended on a cliffhanger & there are questions that are left unanswered. I'm eagerly anticipating book #2.

Thank you netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly thank you to NetGalley and Baileybbooks LLC for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I literally finished this book and I’m still internally screaming. I was hooked from the first page.

I’ve always enjoyed morally grey hero’s and our FMC character is deeply interesting. Our male leads are shrouded in mystery and the overall story is very much a tale of lies, betrayal and magic. The best way I can explain it is The Selection meets Serpent and Dove meets from Blood and Ash.

It’s face paced, has plenty of romance and found family and is super faced paced so you don’t get bored. Word of warning it’s a cliffhanger!

I cannot wait for book 2!

The first part of the book was a bit dragging for me to read but I read through because the premise was enticing enough to continue and it picked up after a while.

Most of at times I got confused, khiara constantly took a long time to get to the point and explain properly. points were forgotten completely. Like Tarrish? What happened to not knowing there was a whole town in the forbidden forest everyone has been warned away from? Why were no questions being asked?

And khiara was hyped up to be a skill assassin but we saw nothing really there is a whole gap and all she did was talk with no actions to back up. And from the start we have been told about how the king is an evil tyrant who has been hunting redheads and if they we caught on spot they would be killed heck they had killed whole villages for it, that she had to hide her hair usually yet she waltz into the king’s castle with her hair down and mouth off like he hasn’t dedicated his whole life to purge redheads? It doesn’t make sense.

I liked the relationship between the characters, and the magic which I hope would be expanded in the next book. I adore Khiara’s relationship with Riot, he acted like he didn’t care but he was quite attentive, thoughtful and protective.

I’m not a big fan of love triangles but I thought the connection between khiara and Riot’s was much intense than bash from the start, They had something between them whiles I wished the author had build up their relationship more before they got intimate. It’s probably because the scenes with bash were quite few because of his duty but either I still loved bash, he was charming and often made me smiled but I don’t see a potential between him and Khiara. I hope they become good friends though.

Now that cliffhanger, I remember thinking I don’t think I would want to continue this series but now I’m attached. I need to know more of this world and what’s going happen next. I hope she takes her time with this.

Thank you netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me this opportunity.

I was unimpressed with this first as a fantasy novel, and then as a structured novel over all. I made notes as I read specifically to not forget to bring up any here.

My first complaint is the way the plot unfolds. We are introduced to our protagonist as she moves in to make a kill. She's portrayed as some kind of assassin/revenge killer, this would be a great opening except that's all it is: an opening. This is never returned to, are there really no consequences to these actions? And from there, various plot point jumps are made with no explanation. For instance, discovering Tarrish in one night - only to be across the country (?) in the capital to enter some sort of royal selection process which apparently is a huge deal and not even alluded to until over 30% through. Some plot points clearly needed to happen to move the story along, but using "a strange pull" that has no follow up explanation is not a particularly strong device.

Continuing from my previous point, there is no explanation to the geography of this world - the Forbidden Forest receives a lot of page time towards the start, only to have no significance whatsoever. Her uncle's estate is described as being from the far westerly lands, but at no point is there any extended travel.

Then some of my complaints get more specific: I personally don't know how to feel about seeing the words "hype" or "landfill" in my fantasy books, but perhaps that's me relying on a more specific register. I did feel that it took away a little from the reading experience though.

Was not impressed with the (minimal) spicy scenes in this. With all the love in the world, I have read better fanfiction - it was not in keeping with the style of the rest of the novel, our protagonist's character, and I don't feel it added to the novel. Linked to this is the cursed description of her assaulter's penis (!) right at the start of the novel, and the repeated descriptions or references to the protagonist's breasts. Was not at all convinced.

Lastly, the set-up of our love triangle-ish plotline was also not convincing. The prince kisses her after she has just been throwing her guts up, and then the guard kisses her to shock her out of a panic attack that she's having because of how she's been touched by another man - I refuse to believe that is what we want to be reading. I also feel that at that point in the story, I hadn't even realised we were portraying the guard as a love interest, so that was quite a jump!

I feel I've been really critical of this novel but I was raising my eyebrows in disbelief at every page. Clearly there is a spark of an idea here, which is lovely, but this was not a well-executed story.

absolutely loved this book i was hooked from the very beginning it was well written and the plot was so good i really loved the characters and the magic system in this was done really well i left a review on goodreads and storygraph

I DNF’d this book. Whilst the concept is promising, it could do with another couple of rounds with an editor. I did feel like I was reading something self published that needs more development.

The MC is, quite literally, a serial killer on a revenge spree. I would have loved the author to lean into that way more. Instead she feels more like an anxious teen in her thoughts and insecurities. We are told she ‘isn’t evil’ a lot instead of the reader being allowed to make their own judgement. I love a good morally grey character but the MC of this book felt like an incredibly generic romance protagonist, despite some qualities that should have made her stand out. It felt like there was a lot of untapped potential for a really interesting female lead here.

The prose is quite clunky. Unfortunately the actual writing is quite difficult to get through. It’s first person, and a lot of internal rambling and tangents happen in the main character’s head. So much of the prose could do with another once over from the author to streamline it and cut out any unnecessary details. There were also a few lines that genuinely made me cringe, such as the MC referring to her breasts as her ‘overflowing girls.’

There were a lot of plot points that felt like an easy fix to me as well. The MC is being persecuted for having red hair and can’t go out in public much because of this. Why doesn’t she just dye it? Or stain it? Even though it’s a medieval setting there has to be some solution to this that doesn’t include rubbing dust in her hair. The magic system was undefined and I felt very confused about what her actual powers were and how they worked.

The current state of the book feels more like a draft to me and I feel like it could do with some more work before being released. I do think it has some potential, it just hasn’t been realised yet.

The description of this book doesn't begin to cover all the excitement the story covers. The main character Khiara has a traumatic past and book begins with her trying to kill off the last perp on her list. Things go wrong when she and her best friend get exposed to some mood altering substance / magic and are saved by a mysterious solider. In order for Khiara to save her friend she must use her family's connections to join a big bride auction at the castle. Plus there is a slow burn love triangle AND a magician network in hiding AND poison AND magical creatures. It ends with a giant cliff hanger

While a lot happens in the book is also is super quick. I wish the book could have gone a little deeper into some story lines instead of making it all into one book. Because of the big cliff hanger I will want to read the next one, but I'm worried that too much will happen in the next one too. Besides the murdering that almost occurs in the first few chapters, it reads more like YA. I hope there is a lot more spice in the next segments.

thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’m rating this 4 stars!

It was fast paced, gripping and a wonderful read!

The characters and this world are amazing, I just fell in love with it all.

The premise sounded so unique and interesting to me, and I was not let down, especially in the second half of this book, the pace really picks up.

And the ending left me needing the next book immediately!!