In full disclosure, I ended up DNF'ing this book around 45% of the way through when it became clear it just wasn't a good match for me. However, this does not mean it wasn't a good book.

In Feast While You Can, Angelina, a long-time resident of small town Cadenze, becomes literally haunted by the evil darkness at the bottom of a cave. In the meantime, her brother's ex-girlfriend returns to town, reigniting feelings between her and Angelina.

Here are some aspects I enjoyed: first, the atmosphere. The writing definitely had me on edge and tense as any good horror book should. Cadenze and its denizens felt eerie and on the edge of unsettling. I also enjoyed the queer romance aspects of this - it felt like a true queering of the horror novel, rather than just a horror novel with some queer characters thrown in for fun.

Ultimately, the major problem is that I don't like horror novels... and that's on me, not on the authors. I also think I wasn't really in the headspace to read something complicated. However, I could see several people in my queer book club enjoying this, and it would definitely spark conversation - I'd consider picking it back up again to read it with a group to help me dissect it! (And maybe to talk me through the scary parts.)

<b>Legit horror with layers of societal meaning</b>

The story is a bit slow to begin with, but after the 50% mark, things get weird fast and don't let up. The horror situations are legit scary and will mess with you. The fear of not having control or being followed or being attacked by a trusted friend ... it's all too much!

My one bit of criticism is that I had no idea which country or what time period this book was set in. I had to do some research online to find the answer: Italy in the 1990s. With that info, stuff makes more sense.

I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Story: 4 stars
Character Development: 4 stars
Writing: 3 stars

i had no idea what was going to happen next (or honestly some of what was happening then) while i was reading it, and that was great. 4.5 stars, rounded up. tysm for the arc.

Feast While You Can is such a unique novel and is difficult to classify. It has folk horror elements integrated with an enemies-to-lovers / forbidden love LGBTQIA+ romance. Set in a remote mountain town called Cadenze in what is vaguely reminiscent of Italy (no specific country is ever stated), it’s about a young woman named Angelina and the ancient evil that attaches itself to her. The only thing that can repel the entity is proximity to Jagvi, her brother’s ex-girlfriend. But Jagvi’s touch is the one thing Angelina can never, ever have.

At turns unsettling, sexy, and poignant, Feast While You Can kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last. Not at a single point did I have a solid idea of where the plot was going. Most straightforward horror novels (and romance novels) follow some basic rules, narratively speaking. But this book seemed to have no rules, its unpredictability surprising me at every turn. The monster here feels completely fresh; I don’t think I’ve read about anything quite like it before, and I loved the uncertainty of never knowing when or how it would appear.

There’s lots of interesting commentary about race, sexuality, identity, family, generational trauma, and desire. I loved the setting of Cadenze – a shabby town that, outside of peak tourist season, lies dormant in the shadow of three mountains. It’s a place that relishes a slower and simpler way of life, refusing to acknowledge the myths and legends about a monster lurking at its borders. And I loved Angelina’s love for this place that hasn’t always loved her back, but has gradually come to accept her. Angelina and Jagvi are complicated and relatable characters, and their chemistry emanates from the page. Their sexual tension kept me engaged just as much as the monster did; Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta struck a perfect balance here between horror and hotness.

Feast While You Can really is like nothing I’ve read before. It’s a fascinating blend of horror and romance that tackles heavy topics in resonant and unique ways, and I think it’s going to stick with me for a long time. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the complimentary reading opportunity.

i fear i'm going to have an unpopular opinion on this one.

first off: MAJOR WARNINGS FOR ANIMAL TORTURE/DEATH. there's also body horror and outing, possession, and a bunch of other lesser triggers. had i known that this book had a dog in it, i wouldn't have picked it up. if i know that by reading about a dog in a horror book to automatically expect animal torture/violence/death then perhaps it's time to retire the bad cliche.

this book is about angelina, also known as the sicco girl in small town cadenze. her entire family resides there, including her brother who she desperately wants to be close to and her mom, who is more interested in being parented by her children than parenting her children.

where there's a small town and a fixture of a family, there's history and there's tall tales. the sicco family specifically carries one about something lurking in the sicco family caves. something dark, something evil. so naturally, after one night hanging out in the caves with her family plus jagvi, her brother's ex-girlfriend that angelina outed when she was in high school, something evil follows angelina out of the cave.

i can't fault this book entirely. this book was a great dissection of how alienated you can feel as a queer person in a small town - the bullying, the hate, the neglect. angelina is relatively accepted because for one, she's fairly closeted, but she's also enshrined in the protection of her family's notoriety in town as well as her lighter skin. jagvi, with her darker skin, and having been outed as a lesbian that had the audacity to cheat on a guy beloved to the town, foils angelina's experience exactly by showing just how abusive people can be, by wanting to love where you come from while also wanting to escape it so that you're able to live a life.

i was fine with the overall story, but the gratuitous animal violence/death was massively unnecessary to me. there were similar other things that gave me the ick - angelina doesn't like to be called "angel" which is a taunting moniker that jagvi dubbed her in high school. so naturally, jagvi called her angel the whole. freaking. book. despite angelina requesting that she not. another thing that was weird - there were approximately five references to jagvi's pointy tits. what does this even mean? this was weird and excessive.

despite those things, i think that most people will enjoy this one. the body horror of being followed by an unknowable entity, being controlled by it, by your family disbelieving you, etc. was very well done. despite jagvi's antagonistic "angel"s every 13 seconds, i did like the way the relationship flourished between jagvi and angelina, but due to the rest i'm not able to rate this book higher.

Fantastic! I loved this story! It was engaging and entertaining. Downloaded on review from Katee Robert and was not disappointed!

From enemies to lovers to victims? back to lovers paired with the have to be in close proximity to each other to survive trope but x100 this book was AMAZING and fulfilled my hunger. 10/10

Feast While You Can is smoldering, deep, passionate, startling, dark, and incandescent. It defies resting easily in a single genre.
I enjoyed the lore, the insular small town, the MC determined to be loved and make her town better, and the handsome woman who affected her balance.

This strange, hot, disturbing novel drew me into the extended Sicco clan and its secrets, involving me in battles of loyalties, and the shadows between accepted reality and the supernatural.

Although the beginning felt slow, I was hooked by the compelling characters and cheering for them all the way. The challenges of being mixed race and of coming out in a small, bigoted town are handled well. The sensuality and intimate scenes are excellent. And the bonds and wounds of family weave through it all.

Most of the time the book felt like romantic supernatural suspense. Once the horror kicks in, it’s intense and gratifying. Recommended for readers who appreciate #ownvoices, LGBTQ+, supernatural, occult, romantic suspense, and for patient horror readers.
Warning below the asterisks, skip if you prefer to avoid spoilers.



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Animal suffering and harm are big icks for me. It isn't gratuitous, but it’s extended and intense. It diminished my enjoyment of the book.

My thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the eARC via NetGalley for consideration.Thank you, Grand Central Publishing for the eARC via NetGalley.

I'll add the TikTok link soon.

I think I would have liked this more if it didn't feel so YA. The characters were older but the writing felt young and it threw me off. I also just couldn't get into the story even though i loved what it was going for.

This story was not what I was expecting at all. It was definitely slower than I anticipated.

The main character, Angelina drove me a little insane. The family had tons of drama. Insert a monster.

I think this will appeal to certain readers. However, it was just okay for me.

Queer. and quaintly chilling, this book splashes an uneasy mix of horror and romance on the wall to see what sticks. (And boy, does it stick with you.) The genre-blending enthusiasts like myself will enjoy sinking their teeth into this delightful new tale perfect for late night-reading.

Feast While You Can tackles the monsters known to us—say, judgement that lurks in small towns—and slays those we’re blissfully unaware of … the ones lurking just out of view, creeping in from the outside. There’s some spice, some possessed dog antics—what’s not to love?

This book was kindly sent to me as an e-arc by @grandcentralpub via NetGalley. I’m so glad they reached out to me because this may have been one I may have overlooked with all the amazing horror titles out there. But I’m here to put it on your radar!

The book follows Angelina Sicco as she has a generational curse (a demon hungry for someone’s future) latch on to her. It all starts when a former love interest rolls back into the small town of Cadenze. Angelina goes to a party by the legendary caves that supposedly house a monster in one of the pits. After the party is over, the demon makes itself known. And it’s planning to stick around until it’s done feasting.

While this book did have some horror elements, it focuses a lot on the romance as well. Some scenes even got a bit spicy 🌶️ as well so just be aware of that before going in.

I really enjoyed the folklore elements mixed in with a bit of some family/generational trauma. Plus the demon talking through the dog was CREEPY. There was also a fantastic amount of representation in this book

Thanks to NetGalley, the Publisher and Author for an ARC of this work in exchange for my review.

Feast While You Can by Onjuli Datta, Mikaella Clements is dark, atmospheric horror and queer romance. It is a captivating work that explores themes of identity, passion, and small-town life.

The way the characters and the romance progress together with the horror element was an interesting concept. It was an unsettling yet heartwarming love story that drew me in completely.

Freaking perfect spooky read during Autumn. I wasn’t truly knowing what to expect when I first started but I’m pleased that I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

This is a book that doesn't really fit as neatly into its categories as much as some readers and no doubt marketing teams would hope, but the writing and the fact that the authors are actually trying to do something interesting with the concepts--and are skilled enough writers to execute that, if not perfectly, at least again interestingly--makes the whole thing a cut above. I don't think this is as commercial as nor will it necessarily appeal to everyone who loved their first book, but I would still recommend to anyone who thinks it sounds remotely up their alley based on the description (horror, sapphic romance, family dynamics, small town Italy in the nineties, whatever).

What a wild, sexy read! Perfect for October, this queer, horror romance was just what I needed. I was unsettled and unable to predict what happened next!

What a delicious and devious read. An unknown small town and a vague time period; myths have as strong a place in the town as its living inhabitants. The town is a haven to some, a prison to others. And as we are shot through the volatile mystery with our epic FMCs, we are forced to evaluate the price of a future earned and a future burdened.

This was such a sexy and spooky journey. I was absolutely riveted, locked into this story as it leads readers deeper and deeper into the haunted cave that echoes back. Unapologetically queer, this slow burn forbidden romance (older brother’s ex-gf) is raw, dangerous, thrilling, and sweeping.

As someone who does not read spooky books (certified scaredy cat), I couldn’t deny Clements’ and Datta’s compelling world building, complex and vibrant characters, and fearless scares. This one is not for the faint of heart! You’ll definitely learn something about yourself reading this.

What an exciting entry for queer horror romances. I’m overjoyed!

3.5⭐️
This storyline is something unique and different. It is a blend of horror and queer romance. Set in a small town where some characters face homophobia and racism.
Navigating identity, desire and survival from a monster in a pit that will feed on your life.
The romance is intriguing but it overshadowed the horror elements I would have liked more of.
I enjoyed this story with how different it is and had fun with it.

I was initially really intrigued by this book: it had everything I was looking for especially with it being spooky season. But it was so boring and drawn out, with the ‘spookiness’ having no real build up.

I couldn’t stand the main character, and it felt like she was written by a man who has no idea of what a lesbian is. The family drama and messiness really takes away from the thrilling aspects, and left me wanting everyone to just shut up already.

Apparently this book is set in the 90’s but i would have had no idea, given there is really no mention of this and it appears like a modern day story. The pacing was off, the writing was bland, and I couldn’t wait for it to be over.

DNF

The spooky, queer novel that dreams are made of! This was eerie without being too over the top, perfect for many kinds of readers.