Thank you NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the ARC.

I love mythology books, especially when it is outside the norm of Greek/Roman that is prevalent in the book world. I don’t know enough Slavic mythology to speak to the accuracy but the way it was presented was lovely and makes me want to look for more books in this area.

If I could give half stars this would be a 4.5 star read for me. Even not being 5 star I can safely say this is a you should read this book if YA mythology books with LGBTQIA+ representation is your thing.

The author did an amazing job building the world for the most part, I do with there was slightly more explanation of the beliefs / culture though as there were times I was a bit confused about things due to it. Her character development was well thought out, and I really grew to care about, or in some cases want to throw things at, them as I watched them flesh out more and more as the story went.

I really hope there will be a second book, because while it does sort of wrap up at the end there is so much more that needs to be explored.

I went into this book liking the cover and thought the premise sounded interesting, it then proceeded to absolutely blow me away! Yes, it’s very classic YA fantasy romance but it has enough different elements to make it a really fun and unique read. I loved the Slavic folklore, which made the town, characters and storyline beautifully whimsical. Whilst wonderfully cosy and charming at heart, this book also has an undercurrent of tragedy through the darker sides of these traditional fairytales, which adds higher stakes which hooked me in from start to finish.

4 ⭐️ After being stuck in a reading slump for the last month or so, This Fatal Kiss pulled me out of it. (Thank you Alicia Jasinska!!) This book is a YA romantasy that centers around a polyamorous relationship. The characters felt unique and fleshed out, there was a perfect amount of humor and banter, and I enjoyed getting to see the trio’s relationship grow over the course of the story. The Slavic folklore, which I was previously unfamiliar with, immediately drew me in. The imagery and world-building were also well done. Despite the abrupt ending I thoroughly enjoyed This Fatal Kiss, and I’ll be keeping my eye out for the sequel. If you’re looking for a good cozy, queer story this fall, I recommend you check this out!

- Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! -

i absolutely loved this book. i loved all the characters. it was terrific! the worldbuilding was fantastic as well. i usually hate when the time period isn’t defined but Jasinska did a great job of not making me hate it. the fact that the book ends on a cliffhanger too…GIRL! give me the next one right now! my only gripe is with the poylamorous romance. it felt like the author had a favorite pairing within the throuple. justice for my man Aleksey.

" 'You are such a nightmare.' Gisela's lips ghosted over the shell of his ear. 'You like it though.' Heaven help me, I think I do."

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Story rating: 5.0⭐️ | Romance lvl: 4.0⭐️

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Tropes:
👻 Paranormal romance
🌙 Magical ambiance, mythology & dark mysteries
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshines
🫶🏽 Polyamory
💗 Queer rep
😂 Amazing banter
🏡 Found Family

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~ STORY & PLOT 📝 ~

What to say except that I was in love with this book from page 1?

The MCs? Incredible.
The evolution of their character and relationships? Flawless.
The plots? Absolutely plotting.
The wold-building? Chef kiss

I didn't think a YA paranormal polyamory would be in the cards for me in 2024 but here it is and it was everything I could've hoped and more!

I seriously loved all the MCs, their backstory, their personalities, and how wonderful it was to see their relationships blossom.

While the romance is an important part of the book, there's also a lot at stake! I could never tell when things would go south and how they would unfold! I was soooo engrossed in their story. I can already feel the unavoidable reading slump creeping in 😂.

Also, there are so many forms of love portrayed in this book, you're really in for ALL the feelings reading it. family love, friendship, romantic love, but also grief, anger, sadness, etc... A complete ride 😂

Long story short: 100000% recommend, God, I can't wait for the next book. 💖



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This is an arc review. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced ebook copy 🙏💖

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This Fatal Kiss is a delightful treat for the senses. Not only were the food descriptions delectable, but Gisela’s personality was adorable. Her banter with Kazik kept me devouring page after page. ‘Taboo’ topics such as gender, queerness, and polyamory were put on the page simply, discussed as any other topic would be, without being considered taboo in this world, and that’s not only important, but beautiful.
I only had a few five star reads this year, and this is one of them!
Studio Ghibli vibes made this read easy and whimsical, and the name pronunciation guide helped a lot. It was fun learning more about Slavic folklore, monsters, and myths.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review ☆

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This was a fun and dreamy read! As a Polish person I was especially interested in the portrayal of Slavic folklore and I must say I was satisfied. The town of Leśna Woda was described in such a way it made me want to try one of the springs!

My favourite character ended up being Gisela, you couldn't find this lady not charming even if you didn't want to. I was also pleasantly surprised about Aleksey's true reveal, it had made the dynamic much more interesting - I can easily imagine all three characters translated into different settings and it working out still, which proves Jasinska's skill at writing romance.

This was a 3.5/5 read for me - while I did enjoy the book, I was also quite detached from the story.

Maybe it wasn't the right time for me to read it, or maybe the coziness of the story in 'This Fatal Kiss' was coming off a little bit strong? Even the more serious scenes portrayed seemed to be put through a filter. Nonetheless, as this is a YA I feel like a younger reader will react to this book more positively. I will certainly read any future works of the author, should they publish anything more.

3.5 stars

I was first drawn in by the cover of this title, and then skimmed a few quotes that highlighted the endearing banter between Kazik and Gisela, which sold me on requesting this DRC. This was a fun enough read, and I enjoyed the intermingling of modern relatability with touches of timeless folklore & whimsy.

The strengths of this title come in the form of its aesthetics, the simplicity of the writing, the touches of humor woven through the majority of the characters' personalities, and (of course) its exploration of found family. I especially liked all the variations on found family that we got to see within each of our 3 MCs' character arcs; it's so rare to see a multidimensional approach to this trope within one narrative, and Jasinska did it beautifully.

Where this read fell short for me was in the ambiguity of its plot, and the lack of cohesiveness of its subplots. Everything was way too open-ended and a tad more juvenile than expected for me personally, and that ending didn't do much to dispel the fog of the matter. Which meant that, as much as I came to appreciate the characters, I could never get well and truly invested in their journeys.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC copy of this book.

This book seemed to know exactly how to keep me reading even when I was beating a cold.

The story involves Gisela, a water nymph who wants to regain her humanity; Kazik, the towns exorcist who drives spirits away from humans; And Aleksey, a boy who happens to stumble into their paths.

The story is told in three (3) points of view: Gisela, Kazik, and Aleksey's. I've never read a story with more than two points of view but I didn't mind it because it made things easier to understand and if we didn't have all their thoughts to know the story would have had a lot of plot holes. For the first time, I couldn't choose to like only one of the main characters, they are all equally interesting and important to the story. I couldn't hate them even if I tried!

The romance in this story is slow but worth the read. I'm not a huge romance reader so I think it was just want the story needed. If we're putting labels or tropes, I think grumpy/sunshine is the best fit.

The ending suggests a continuation to the story, which makes me excited to read more of it. I'll be patiently waiting for the next book.

3.5! This follows a water nymph Gisela who is trying to get a human to kiss her so she can hopefully return to being human. Kazik has taken over as the town exorcist after his grandmother died and reluctantly agrees to help Gisela.

They had such cute banter and were both interested in the same guy. I liked how gender and sexuality was discussed in this book and each characters own journey with it.

Felt like a studio ghibli movie mixing with the fairytale aspect and the spirit world. Really good world building that would be great for a second book to further explore.

The cover is beautiful! I love the folklore! The story is original and also at the same time the author has made it modern as well. I love mermaids and I feel this book falls within that category. This will be one that I will probably get a physical copy of. Thank you for allowing me to review this ARC!

This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska conjured up warm, hazy feelings of when I was an unburdened teenager with an entire summer of opportunities unfolding before me. I may not be a magical being or dutiful exorcist like this story’s characters, but I did go on adventures, discover new things about myself, and create friendships just like they did. It was beautiful to relive that small moment in time once again through this story.

Gisela’s watery grave is a crystal palace ruled by the water goblin, Wojciech. As a water nymph, she’s created a life for herself underneath the river’s surface ever since she died a year ago, but the magical realm and her spirited friends are not enough to keep her there. Gisela is desperate to regain her humanity and return home to the family that she lost, but the only way to do that is to convince a mortal to kiss her. The task seems easy enough…if it weren’t for the fact that Gisela looks like a drowned dead girl. She begins to wreak havoc on the town of Leśna Woda, hoping to earn a kiss from someone, anyone. But her pestering earns the ire of the local exorcist, Kazik, who is hell-bent on removing her from this world.

This Fatal Kiss is a story about young love and finding acceptance. It perfectly captures the innocence of developing a crush and earning that first kiss. Jasinska does this without the story or relationships coming off as juvenile. It’s like she captured the glow of those sweet feelings and weaved them in sporadically against the backdrop of a water nymph and exorcist going on side quests together. It was incredibly heartwarming and fun. Through it all, Gisela is learning more about herself and the role she was forced to play when she was alive, while Kazik grapples with his beliefs against the hard and fast rules his grandmother instilled in him. The story doesn’t explore these feelings and themes deeply, but it does encourage us to dip our toes in and test the water enough to satisfy our curiosity.

Gisela brings so much life to the story with her flirtatious and mischievous personality. She may be a water nymph, but I pictured the earth blooming underneath her bare feet because she breathed life into every place she went. Her personality was a great juxtaposition to her being a dead person cursed to walk the earth. If she was the sun, Kazik was the moon. He is a brooding and seemingly unfriendly person, but it’s only because he’s carrying some heavy burdens. Kazik must protect Leśna Woda and carry on his grandmother’s legacy, while also struggling to create relationships and accept his sexuality. This grumpy and sunshine character duo created so much magic together, and I loved seeing how they both annoyed each other while also wearing down the walls they put up.

There are two weird parts that need to be addressed in This Fatal Kiss. The first one is Wojciech’s role. He mostly serves as a father figure to Gisela, but the story also (halfheartedly) portrays him as being a potential suitor. Even though Wojciech does take brides or lovers, the story doesn’t need to open up that weird incest-y door for Gisela. He was a great character to stand in for Gisela’s real and absent father, and it should have been left at that, even if the allusions to a relationship were mostly jokes. The good news is that this opportunity was presented, but the story doesn’t give in to the older, immortal being the love interest and luckily our teenage protagonist won’t even entertain the idea. Secondly, the story wraps up one big arc but totally leaves us hanging on another huge plot. I read an ARC, so I don’t know if the abrupt ending and loose threads can be attributed to that, but that ending doused me with a bucket of cold water. There is some serious unfinished business in this story, and I desperately want it to continue because I was denied the culmination of a huge secret being revealed and what I anticipate would be a very heated conversation between some characters.

This Fatal Kiss was a book that I stumbled upon by accident, and I am delighted by the story it turned out to be. It was like drinking a cool lemonade on a warm summer day: refreshing, sweet, and a little tart to keep things interesting.

Rating: This Fatal Kiss - 7.0/10

Thank you so much Holiday House/Peachtree/Pixel+Ink for this arc.
I unfortunately will be dnfing this book. I've been struggling with reading it.
However, this book is well written and has a unique story which I love since so many stories are retellings these days.
It might not be for me; I think a lot of people will love it.

*This Fatal Kiss* is a fresh and unique take on dark fantasy, blending themes of revenge, love that defies fate, and the exploration of sexual identity and polyamory. It pulls you into a magical world where danger and dark magic are ever-present, creating a hauntingly beautiful experience.

The world Alicia Jasinska creates is rich with atmosphere. It’s both enchanting and ominous, full of mystery and tension that keeps the reader captivated. However, I did find myself a little uncertain about the time period, which made it harder to fully picture the setting as I read.

For readers who enjoy dark, whimsical, and moody fantasy with a strong female lead and a love triangle, *This Fatal Kiss* is a perfect match.

One thing that stood out at the start of the book is the author's note, which provides background on rusalka (female water spirits/nymphs) and includes a pronunciation guide. While informative, I found this a bit overwhelming, and it made starting the book feel daunting. I had to reference it multiple times and still found myself struggling with some of the names, even after reading them aloud to myself.

The dialogue between characters occasionally felt a bit stiff, and there were moments when the writing felt off, such as descriptions like “paper so papery thin” or “the clock was tick-tick-ticking.”

That said, *This Fatal Kiss* is a dark and emotional journey about love, fate, and power. It’s an ambitious, thought-provoking tale that many fantasy lovers, especially those drawn to whimsical, LGBTQ+ themes, will find intriguing. Jasinska’s unique world and exploration of complex relationships make it a memorable read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this novel as an arc, in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
An enjoyable read in the same vein as ‘A Dark and Drowning Tide’ and ‘Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries’.
European folklore, quaint fairytale village setting, eldritch creatures, a polyamorous love triangle.
I enjoyed all the folklore elements, especially the spirits of the drowned. The only things keeping it from a four star read were the occasional anachronistic dialogue (modern/internet phrasing which was very out of place), some slightly confusing world building in places (passing mentions to buses and radios, but otherwise a fantasy/folklore setting with no real sense of a time period?) and an ending that was slightly too open for my personal tastes (possibly just due to my own expectations)

The end......... I need to know what's coming with Aleksey, Gisela and Kazik because well... I loved it.. definitly interested in the physical copy this was one of my most anticipated reads this year and I have nothing wrong to tell about it except that is ended.. I also made a proper review on my page

Set in a magical spa town with spirits from Slavic folklore, This Fatal Kiss tells the story of a rusałka (water nymph) named Gisela and her journey to become human again by obtaining a kiss from a mortal. After a botched exorcism by town exorcist Kazik, she makes a deal with him to keep the secret of his fading magic in exchange for his help with her plan to get a kiss.
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I cannot explain how obsessed I am with this book! I was always looking for my next opportunity to get back to reading it. The cover is gorgeous!! I definitely get The Little Mermaid vibes from aspects of the story. The banter was top tier (exactly what comes to mind when I think of banter), I loved seeing the trio of Gisela, Kazik and Aleksey form and that ending had me wishing for more!! I need those know what happens next for this trio.
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Multi-POV is always a mixed bag for me, but the different POVs in this story all felt interesting in their own way. I never felt bored with any POV. I especially loved Kazik’s POV exploring his crisis of faith and his desire to help (and maybe kiss) Gisela conflicting with his desire for Aleksey. Reading about his near constant bi panic was quite amusing. I also generally despise love triangles, but the implication of this triangle resulting in a triad at some point meant that I was just rooting for them all to kiss each other (and judging by the inner thoughts of each character I think they wouldn’t have minded doing just that).
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I will be running to the nearest bookstore to pick this up when it drops🏃‍♀️
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Thank you Peachtree Teen for providing this eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Confession time: I have not read any of Alicia Jasinska's previous works, but "The Midnight Girls" is a constant favorite for the students in my classroom. I've given away multiple copies of it because students get so attached! (Sponsor my classroom, Alicia! My students are obsessed!) But all that to say, I didn't have a clue what I was going to get going into "This Fatal Kiss" beyond what it said on the tin: poly romance in a Slavic folklore with a Spirited Away-esque twist. I was sold.

This Fatal Kiss is a lovely, whimsical story that manages to handle some dark topics with care that can be iffy in a young adult novel. The descriptions of the town, and the food, were so vivid, and I so hope there's a sequel to give us more time to discover the intricacies of this world that Jasinska has created. While the story centers around two major plots - solving what happened to Gisela, and getting her a kiss to turn her back into a human - those feel secondary to the developing relationship between the three leads. They all work so well together and I genuinely am so invested in seeing how it grows further in a sequel. There's a great balance between the beliefs that Kazik grew up with (that all monsters are bad and must be exorcised), the reveal of the humanity and tragedy of so many of those monsters, and the underlying darkness still present in so many of them.

I'm so excited (and hopeful) to see what comes next in this story! In the meantime, I have a few previous books of Jasinska's to work through!

Going into this book, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. I'm a huge fan of Slavic folklore in general, so that's mainly what drew me to this title (plus, the cover is absolutely gorgeous!). However, as I started reading more and getting into the novel, I found myself really enjoying it. The atmosphere and vibes are fantastic. I love the premise and the amount of folklore we have in this novel; I felt immersed in the world and lowkey want to live a quiet life in that village.

While I wasn't sure about the characters at first, as they developed over the course of the novel, I liked them more and more. I think the romance was done well, too -- lots of longing and the general belief that their love is unrequited when it isn't -- all the good stuff. However, I didn't feel like the romance was ever solidified (if that makes sense) at the novel's end. The ending was quite abrupt and clearly does point toward a sequel, but it almost feels unfinished. I think one or two more chapters would have helped resolve things a bit better.

What I didn't really enjoy was how the dialogue felt too modern at times. Some characters referenced contemporary memes(?)/"humourous" sayings from our times and it was jarring. One of the characters said something along the lines of "Be the monster girlfriend you wish to see in the world" and that just made me cringe a bit. There are a few other occurrences of this throughout the novel that took me out of the immersion since this fantasy world takes place in the past. However, it was easy enough to breeze past when a character said something like this because it wasn't overly prevalent.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next one. 4/5 stars from me!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book. I adore any stories inspired by the Slavic folklore and this one was so well done it felt like I'm listening to real story told by my grandma. I absolutely adored the characters, the world building and small details that built the whole story. The banter between Gisela and Kazik put a smile on my face. I'll definitely be looking out to read more of Jasinska's work.