The cover pulled me in wanting to see what was inside. I'm sure the formatting will be better when the book is published but I had a hard time with the format. This was a unique story of Slavic folklore. It felt like it was trying to be whimsical and gothic but couldn't always keep me engaged. There sentiments that were repeated that didn't need to be.

Rating 4.5

I loved this book so much. The characters and character development were great, it was well written and the plot kept me entertained. The only thing that I'm not sure how I felt about is the epilogue.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐊𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐤 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐋𝐞ś𝐧𝐚 𝐖𝐨𝐝𝐚’𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐦?



-—--


First things first. I really liked the cover. It really gives off this fairy tale type of visual. I'd also like to include the Slavic myth premise, which was really intriguing and interesting. I've been wanting to read novels that feature Slavic Myth for a while now.

In the story, I would say it has so much potential, especially the slavic myth of a concept. It was something I really liked and was greatly anticipating. However, I felt that it wasn't captivating enough for me. I wasn't really that hooked on its storytelling. I also thought that it was way too dragging for my taste.

The characters may be fun, but I really didn't feel the connection between them in a romantic way? It was more of like budding friendship. No romantic chemistry. I did prefer the going on warming to each other in a friendship way?

The ending felt like there could have been more, so I'm thinking the author might give a sequel.

Overall, this was a pretty intriguing read, still. I think this could have been better.

Thank you, author, for the e-arc opportunity via Netgalley.
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Date Released: September 10, 2024
Date Read: September 4- September 12, 2024
Ratings: 3⭐️

3.5 ⭐

A Fatal Kiss was a solid YA novel. The story was engaging, and it dealt with topics like polyamorous love that I think is great for that age group to be exposed to. It didn't shy away from validating complicated feelings.

I really enjoy Polish folklore after reading Where the Dark Stands Still, so I thoroughly enjoyed reading another take. The story reminded me a lot of Ponyo!

My biggest complaints were the vagueness of the setting and time period. I wasn't really able to get a clear picture of the world it was set it. It at once felt like the old-world, but there were also mentions of things like phone booths, buses, and trains. And some of the language felt very modern at times. I'm find either way, but the ambiguity was really throwing me off.

I would recommend for YA audiences, but older readers may not be as engaged. I also had no idea it was not a standalone, so the fact there was unfinished business at the end caught me off guard, good to know if starting and incomplete series is a deal breaker for you.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

3.5 ⭐

I enjoyed the story and the ambiance, I felt like I was watching a Ghibli movie and loved that feeling. The story was original, but I felt the romance was a bit decadent, it didn´t feel like a slow-burn romance, it just lacked emotions.
Nonetheless, Idk if it was the edition that I got, there were some dialogues or thoughts of the MC that weren't said, it was like telepathic conversations, and in those cases, I would prefer to read those dialogues in Italic font.
Those are my only thoughts, I'm thrilled to read the next part.

Firstly, I want to give a huge thanks to the author, Alicia Jasinska, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an A R C (advanced reader copy) of This Fatal Kiss in digital format.

Charming and cozy romantasy packed full of Slavic folklore and loveable characters. I lost myself in the story of Gisela, Kazik, and Aleksey, and thought they were amazing MCs. Gisela is Miss Flirt (a water nymph) and Kazik is immediately drawn to her, and I was immediately drawn in by their banter and dynamic. There's a little bit of a Little Mermaid/Sleeping Beauty thing going on where Gisela needs a kiss from a mortal human to regain her life. Wojciech is YUCK. I loved Kazik's growth throughout the story and his chemistry with Gisela was undeniable. They have a really sweet love that made me root for them throughout all of their adventures. I really like character duos that bounce off of each other and force the other to confront different perspectives. I liked the writing style, and the world building was wonderfully done with a mix of dialogue throughout that kept me engaged. The ending is definitely a cliff-hanger and sets up another huge development.

One thing that threw me off slightly was the repetition of rejection of biphobia. While I'm hugely down with the point being made, I just felt like "You're preaching to the choir here..." a bit. But considering it being directed towards a little bit of a younger audience (14-20, I'd say), maybe these points will be well received by those who need to hear the message. Not overly graphic or spicy, so appropriate for younger teen audience.

Would recommend if you like:

- folklore/cozy fantasy
- She's cursed!
- fairy tale retellings
- romantasy
- poly/bi characters
- grumpy X sunshine
- discovering sexuality
- cliffhanger endings

3.7 /5 stars

This isn’t a standalone!?

I need the synopsis of every book to tell me whether or not it’s part of a series because I thought this was a standalone. I thought I would get a true ending here. I did not.

All that aside, I enjoyed this book. It was fun and whimsical, and I loved our precious trio. I also really enjoyed the supporting cast: the water goblin, all of Gisela’s ‘sisters’, Kazik’s cousin.

This book was essentially sunshine x grumpy x sunshine. Gisela, Kazik, and Aleksey are perfect together. I was waiting for all of them to realize how good they were together. Since this is not a standalone, I hope we get more development for all of them individually and as a trouple. The way this book ended, I'm sensing angst and potential trouble in paradise.

Since the book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger/open ending, I’m eager to see if/when they announce the sequel.

Gisela, a spirited water nymph, is trying to regain her humanity, which means she needs a human to kiss her. And Kazik, the local exorcist, is always there to thwart her plans. However, Gisela convinces Kazik to help her find a boy, get a kiss, and get out of his hair. Except Kazik ends up falling for the boy too!

This was such a fun book! The teasing banter between the main characters was great, and the little mystery plots kept the story moving.

With the Slavic folklore, the pairing of a reckless magical being with a straight-laced human, and a sweet found family, this book is a wonderful little cross between Little Thieves and Emily Wilde's. The ending definitely left room for a sequel, and I would eat up Kazik and Gisela solving little magical problems together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

i’m not sure i even have the words to say how perfect this book was. i’m a sucker for magical elements and this book had it all. you truly have no idea what’s gonna happen next until it does. i was obsessed with all the characters and the writing, this was such a perfect read. i’m praying there’s a second book because i would love to read more!!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!💖💖💖

This book is so swoon-y and romantic and whimsical and fun, like I can't remember the last time I had so much fun while reading. My very serious stoic reputation is in tatters from grinning at my phone like a goof.

(In public what's more! The embarrassment!)

The setting is straight up so wondrous and whimsical, it reminds me a lot of Ghibli movies. Not just because it's a spa town like Spirited Away, but because of the way the spirits and magical creatures are secretly living amongst the humans + the connection to nature.

The main focus is on the relationship between Gisela and Kazik. I loved how the dynamic between them grew over the course of the book, like, their enemies era is so fun to read, but the way they gradually grew closer to each other is so 🤌. The banter between them was so much fun to read, like this book could just be Gisela and Kazik talking and I would eat it up.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't talk about their relationship with Aleksey. I feel like Aleksey actually had more chemistry with Kazik than with Gisela, mainly because of, uh, major spoiler reasons, but also they just happened to spend more one-on-one time together. When all three of them are together though, their chemistry is pure FIRE 🔥🔥🔥.

Outside of the romance, each of the MCs have their own motivations and character arcs going on, all of which I found very compelling. I will not elaborate for spoiler reasons, but Gisela's is my favourite.

There is quite a lot going on in this book though. I found myself wondering how on earth the author was going to wrap everything up satisfactorily, because there was no way everything was getting resolved perfectly. Turns out I was right, because THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK OF A SERIES.

I am more than fine with getting more of this world and its characters, but I wish I had known that this was the start of a series so that I could have adjusted my expectations accordingly, because I went into this book fully believing it was a standalone.

Anyway, I adore this book so much, and I am very much looking forward to the sequel <3

This book was a lot more fun than I was expecting. I thought the tonne would be overall quite serious and I was worried that getting into the story might be a struggle but I couldn't have been more wrong.

Written for a YA audience, the story has a great flow and is very much character-focused, with fun dialogue and great development. You can immediate sense of who the main characters are, both through the way they see the world and how the other characters see them. The multi-POVs, for this reason, works brilliantly - although some chapters give a bit too much away (no spoilers).

I adored the Slavic folklore elements and how well each type of spirit was described, giving them personality rather than them simply being evil as they are often depicted in other fantasy stories I've read. This created a really rich world that I want to know more about.

There is a real ambiguity when it comes to when the story takes place but I really liked this. There were some modern elements but it still had an old world feel, creating a sense of the modern encroaching on tradition that was incredibly bitter sweet.

I really enjoyed the LGBTQ+ and polyamory representation, but sometimes I felt the explanations of gender and sexuality were a little bit heavy-handed, almost giving them a preachy element that wasn't needed. This also got a little bit repetitive.

I also feel like the book was slightly too long and there were a couple of points where the pacing really suffered. I wanted things to move a little bit faster.

I thought this was a standalone and while we got an ending, there are still questions left unanswered that suggest another book could be coming. I would love this to be the case but wanted to know to expect that going in.

I had incredibly high expectations for this book and it definitely hit the mark for me! There are so many elements that I absolutely adored and cannot stop gushing about. For one, Gisela was such a compelling character. It was so easy to empathize with her situation and root for her wholeheartedly. Her banter with every character, especially Kazik, was so entertaining to read! I was gushing way more than I would like to admit. That being said, I loved that most of the characters were openly queer and discussed important topics about gender and sexuality - including the reality of biphobia. Everything about the polyamorous couple truly stole my heart! The growth between Gisela and Kazik, and the addition of Aleksey into the mix was so much fun. In my opinion, the 'twist' (a term used loosely), was so interesting since numerous hints were dropped throughout the first half and I was eagerly waiting for the reveal. I think it was a great way to set up further characterization for such complicated individual.

Not only does 'This Fatal Kiss' include a queer, slow-burn romance, but it features such a lovely exploration of found family through the relationship between Gisela, her fellow water nymphs, and Wojciech. Through the commonality of their demise via bodies of water, they develop a kinship towards one another and the scenes that showcase their willingness to protect each other were so special.

I was under the impression that this would be a standalone, therefore, I was highly hoping for a complete resolution in the end. I felt that the story wrapped up enough to keep me satisfied, but still had a number of loose ends to eagerly await for the sequel.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

This Fatal Kiss follows Gisela, a water nymph haunting the river that runs through her town and seeking to regain her humanity by receiving a kiss from a mortal; Kazik, the local exorcist continually plagued by Gisela’s shenanigans; and Aleksey, the (seemingly) mortal boy on whom Gisela sets her sights. She ropes Kazik into playing matchmaker for her and Aleksey, arguing that returning her humanity to her is just as good as exorcising her. He agrees, begrudgingly, because she’s a pest and he has his own feelings for Aleksey to contend with. The trio fall in together, jaunting around town rescuing houses from their hauntings and trying to put together the circumstances of Gisela’s drowning the year prior, all while becoming more than a little infatuated with each other. Secrets of Aleksey’s past come to light, and Gisela’s plan goes awry, and Kazik realigns some of his ideas of good and evil.

This Fatal Kiss utilizes Slavik folklore and does not preoccupy itself with expansive worldbuilding: it’s a romantasy at its core. The POV characters are engaging and distinct, though Aleksey’s chapters read more fraught and conflicted than the others, due to the mystery surrounding him. The dynamics among the main trio are so fun, explored both as a whole and in the individual pairings, and their banter is delightful. I enjoyed the explorations of sexuality and gender and presentation: a few of the water nymphs are queer, one of those is butch (<3), and Gisela and Kazik both have their messy bisexual moments (emphasis on messy!). I didn’t love the mean and biphobic butch lesbian trope, but it was mentioned only a couple times and in passing. All that said, this was a fun and frolicking YA polyamorous romantasy with intrigue and secret identity and an open enough end to invite a sequel. I’d recommend This Fatal Kiss to teens looking for queer romance, fairy tales, and folklore.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for providing me with an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Going to start with saying i am so thankful for the pronunciation guide at the start of the book that was very helpful with some of the character names. Second the LGBTQ+ relationships in this book were so cute I like how you see the relationship develop between all three parties and it didn’t come out of nowhere or felt force. The demons/spirits in the book were also really interesting and has me interested in learning more about Slavic? Folklore specifically the water nymphs. I did think the ending was slightly predictable but I don’t mind that because it makes sense and didn’t come out of left field

I initially requested this book because of its stunning cover and intriguing synopsis, and I’m so glad I did! The banter between Gisela and Kazik was hilarious, and their dynamic was amazing to read. While I found Kazik to be the more layered character, I loved the bond he, Gisela, and Aleksey shared. I really liked the magic system in this book, and the whimsical writing brought the beautiful setting to life.

However, the pacing felt slow at times, with too many descriptions that made me skim certain parts. The ending didn’t quite deliver what the book promised, leaving things unresolved. I hope this becomes a series because it feels incomplete and would work well as a duology.

This was my first book by Alicia Jasinska and I enjoyed it! I also enjoyed learning more about slavic folklore.

thank you netgalley and peachtree teen for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

this book having a release date in september is absolutely perfect because how else would you want to transition from summer to autumn than by reading about spirits in a spa town full of magical bath houses? reminiscent of a ghibli movie, it had both the whimsical vibes and the eerie atmosphere that you’re looking for.

the three main characters, gisela, kazik and aleksey, were well fleshed out and it was easy to care for them throughout the story. the romance was slow to built but its pace felt just right to me. it wasn’t the main focus of the plot, but i was still rooting for them. even the banter between the characters and the light humor throughout the book was pleasant and left me smiling at my e-reader. i’m also a massive fan of morally grey characters and characters in their villainous era, and this too was really well executed.

having already read “the dark tide” by alicia jasinska, i knew that i was in good hands, and it did not disappoint. the writing style was beautiful and captivating. finding out that this book is taking place in the same world as “the dark tide” but in a different town was such a delight! i was thrilled to recognize the witchy island of caldella when it was mentioned. don’t be scared though, you do not need to read “the dark tide” to enjoy “this fatal kiss”.

after having read two books by alicia jasinska, i strongly believe that her biggest strength is how she describes the world building. i could almost smell the bath houses as gisela was walking through the town. i could almost feel the cold and humidity of the river. i could almost touch the old tree barks in the forest. i felt like i was there.

i will say though, i was certain going into it that this book was a standalone. i’m not so sure anymore since the ending left me with unanswered questions. and while it did not left me feeling frustrated, i’m just craving for… more. i can’t help but wonder if a sequel is in the making?

check out this fatal kiss by alicia jasinska, out on september 24th!

Once again Alicia Jasinska does her magic of weaving a tale steeped in folklore, adolescence, full of whimsy and trauma and found families. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that it is very reminiscent of Miyazaki's Spirited Away in atmosphere and vibes, but very much a queer YA narrative with a bi/pan polyamorous POV triad. And I'm delighted that those two elements are fleshed out so organically and refreshingly that none of it feels forced. While I'm intrigued by what I suspect is a larger world-building in the works with references to Caldera from the author's debut novel, I'm a little miffed at the unnecessary sequel bait ending. Pretty sure this could've been a solid standalone with a tiny bit more work on the third POV's story which is actually fascinating. Still, will probably rush to read whatever the author puts out next because so far I'm 3/3 for all her works.

For a book that deals with some heavy and dark topics, it was unbelievably charming and whimsical. I really enjoyed the story we were taken on through Gisela, Kazik, and Aleksy. It was so unique… and thought provoking.

What I loved:
- One of the best trigger warnings I’ve ever read. It provided relevance and cultural explanation.
- DOMEK. I’m obsessed with grandfather and would like a little house grandfather of my own.
- The story and characters drew me in quickly. I almost immediately had a good sense of setting, vibe, and tone.
- I loved the writing overall, it was really strong.
- The diversity. I think overall it was really well done and felt natural. There were a few instances where the explanation of liking more than one person or gender was a bit heavy-handed, but on the whole it was good!

What I felt like could use some improvement:
- Certain words felt a bit out of place. Like “awesome” and “it’s hard to human today” (in the vein of the phrase “adulting is hard”). Too modern. Kind of threw me, but it’s minor!
- We didn’t get an ending for Aleksy?! I don’t think this is the start of a series… so what happened to him? And how did that go with Gisela and Kazik?!

Thank you Net Galley for an e-ARC. I had a great time with this read and highly recommend!

I overall enjoyed this book. If I had to make one complaint, it would be that I felt the story began to drag towards the end. I don't think it needed to be as long as it was to get the author’s purpose across, and I was unaware that this book was going to be part of a series. I am unsure if a second book has been confirmed yet, but I find it unlikely there won’t eventually be a sequel considering how This Fatal Kiss concluded. All-in-all, I enjoyed this story. I liked the characters and how they each grew and changed. I always appreciate a well-done, slow-burn romance and although this one (two?) wasn’t as developed as I would have liked, I still overall enjoyed it. I look forward to what happens next in this world, and with these characters!