4.5 stars

In <i>This Fatal Kiss</i>, Gisela is a willful, mischievous water nymph haunting the spa town of Lesna Voda where she mysteriously drowned while on holiday with her family. Now, she wants her life back, and the river's sovereign water goblin lets slip that a kiss from a human might just do the trick. So who better to ask for help than the town exorcist, Kazik, who's had it out for her since she popped out of the river a year ago? All she has to do is keep his secret that his magic, the thing keeping dangerous spirits out of Lesna Voda, is fading, and he'll set her up with the handsome, kind, and enigmatic young man Kazik went to school with. She'll get her kiss and her life, and Kazink can stop worrying about her causing mayhem in the market. If things go according to plan.

This book was just so easy to read and enjoy, in prose, story, and character. It took a little while for me to get into it, but the magic and setting were delightfully vivid and charming, and the characters grew on me like weeds on garden tiles. The story was solid and paced well, though the ending could have been a little stronger. But I don't really fault the book for this, because it seems like a set up for a sequel.

Onto things that might snag other readers, there were some very modern turns of phrase in a few places that stood out. This didn't bother me much, as I usually give YA some leeway and I thought it actually suited Gisela's character. Another thing is the rather confusing love triangle/not love triangle that turns out to be crucial to the story. This had me scratching my head because it takes a very well-known YA romance trope and does something quite weird with it. Still, I didn't dislike it, only I was a little confused for a while.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy, whimsical, cosy YA fantasy. Bonus points that it's a nice, thorough look at Slavic folklore, which I always love. I can't wait to see what the author does next!

Thank you to Net Galley and Peachtree Teen for the ARC. This was such a cute and fast read!! I loved Gisela, Kazik, and Aleksey's characters. This book was equally parts romantic, funny, and also mysterious. I also really loved the relationship between Gisela and the other water nymphs and goblin, it was so cute and wholesome. The romantic chemistry was off the charts, I loved the banter and all the little moments, it was so cute and sweet. The world building was amazing! I also enjoyed the mystery behind Gisela's death and her quest to regain her humanity. Overall this was such a good book.

I had an absolute blast reading this book. While they're some darker scenes mixed in, most of This Fatal Kiss does read like a fun, mischievous cozy fantasy. I've actually been craving a cozy fantasy for some time, and this definitely filled that void perfectly.

There's wonderful commentary on the differences between family you're born into and found family. Gisela has both with her brother but also the water nymphs and water goblin. Since she's a human again, her relationship with both loved ones will only become more complex and great in my opinion. She's human, but she still retains some parts of her water nymph former self, so I'm wondering if that'll grow into something more. Essentially, what I'm saying is this story does not feel anywhere near done, so I NEED a sequel to be in the works.

I really enjoyed the slow burn of Gisela and Kazik. There's good chemistry between them (albeit awkwardly cute at first haha), and it only builds to a deeper bond. I'm also a sucker for the friends to lovers trope, so I knew I was going to love them from the get-go. I guessed from the beginning that Gisela would be kissed by Kazik too. I loved the comparisons in the book of the folktale the monk and the water nymph to Kazik and Gisela. Gisela is also the reason Kazik starts to treat creatures and "monsters" with more empathy, which is probably why he lost his powers in the first place, so the full circle moment of him saving her from becoming a ghost was perfect.

I am curious to see if a sequel or spin off is in the works because the epilogue felt 1000% like it was setting up an extension to the story. We do not get any closure whatsoever with Aleksey as a bies. Gisela only realizes Aleksey's true identity (not being human) at the end, and Kazik is never shown knowing the truth. Since this is a polyamorous story, I was surprised by this decision because there's an imbalance in this trio that's never righted. Now I understand this book was definitely geared towards Gisela and Kazik's relationship, but I think the marketing is a bit deceptive in calling this poly—especially if this is only a standalone. I'm near certain another book is coming, so I'm curious to see how Gisela and Kazik react to knews of Aleksey's truth. It's definitely a big hurdle for the three of them (most importantly Aleksey) to overcome. Gisela and Kazik did not start off great in the story being somewhat enemies, but at least they never lied to one another about their identity. Truth was always at their core, so Aleksey is going to have to work VERY hard to build back trust. One more thing—I want to know if bies Aleksey feels love for Kazik and Gisela because of human Aleksey. I would hope the sequel would follow the bies leaving Aleksey, so he is back to his human self. The actual Aleksey has never interacted with Gisela or Kazik within the last year, so he needs to go through his character growth as a bies.

Overall, this is my favorite book by Alicia, and I HOPE a sequel is in the works. I need more information about this world and these characters. I also want Gisela to go home to the witch city to see her brother and grow the world building of this book. There's a lot of promise for this book, and i'm hoping I can get more.

Thank you to Peachtree and NetGalley for the review copy!

This Fatal Kiss was such a magical read. Based on Slavic folklore, the setting of the story really pulled you in (pun intended). We follow Gisela who is a drowned girl turned water nymph and her journey to regain her humanity. She was such a loveable and fun character, which had you rooting for her the whole time. I loved the connection and banter between her and our reluctant-to-help exorcist. I will definitely be checking out Alicia Jasinska's other works. I recommend this book to anyone wanting an eerie, queer YA romantasy - perfect for an autumnal read.

Oh my god this was such a breath of fresh air. Thank you Net Galley for this wonderful arc. I had the most magical time reading this 🥹

This book had the perfect mix of romance and plot. This was also my second ever Russian folklore book and I ate. It. UP.

If you want a whimsical story with dark undertones, lighthearted banter, romance, and a character driven story? This book is for you.

This is a standalone LGBTQIA+ polyamorous romantasy following Gisela, a water nymph, trying to get a boy to willingly kiss her so that she can return back into a human.

It’s multiple POV with plenty of twists and turns. The characters are flawed but still so easy to grow attached to, and I just didn’t want to leave this world it was so brilliantly immersive. It quite literally felt like I was in a studio ghibli film. I’m obsessed to say the least.

This is also one of the few books where I actually really loved all of the love interests (yes all 3), and their relationship dynamic is just the cutest thing ever.

So so grateful to have been able to read this early 💕✨

This Fatal Kiss was everything I was hoping for and more. It takes place in a magical, isolated island filled with healing springs, witchcraft and spirits. Everything about this book was whimsical and enchanting! It truly felt like I was being transported to a different realm when I read it. It took me a while to read, literally because I was savouring every second of this spellbinding story and desperately didn't want it to end.

The love blossoming between the two main characters was so adorable and truly endearing. I love how he completely changed his view and morals regarding spirits and their intentions.

All of the characters were so unique and mysterious in their own special ways. I loved all 3 of the main characters and all of the side characters too, especially the water nymphs. I wish there was a spinoff book with detailed stories of how they all became like that. And, speaking of other books, I am beyond excited for book 2. The way book 1 ended left it so open to how the next one will go, I just can't wait to read it!

If you're looking for a cozy, cottagecore, otherworldly story to read now that it's September, I cannot recommend This Fatal Kiss enough. It has all the right Autumnal vibes, with little bits of spookiness and magic, but with a whole lot of wholesome moments and Studio Ghibli-like imagery.

Thank you to PeachTree Teen and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts are my own.

3.75, rounding up by .25 for Goodreads and NetGalley. Despite this being a lengthy novel(over 400 pages total), this was fun, and easier to get through than I expected. The three POVs of Aleksey, Kazik and Gisela were appropriately distributed throughout the story, with their own memorable personalities and secrets embedded throughout their budding romance that sometimes made me nervous to turn the page. My favorite of those three main characters was definitely Gisela, with her endless snark and her thirst for life(and sometimes vengeance). I also appreciated that while this is marketed as a polyamorous romance, and this is definitely going to be a throuple(everyone involved is attracted to each other), it wasn’t a clear-cut route for most of the story. There was some back-and-forth and even moments of jealousy, the latter thing I never see addressed in any polyamorous romance.

Although parts of the romance can be labeled as straight-presenting, the main characters are all distinctly queer—bisexual, to be exact—and occasionally, there are moments to deconstruct some of the biphobia they face for being attracted to the opposite gender. Usually, queer romances are labeled as queer because they happen between two people of the same gender, and while I don’t know if there’s been any biphobic discourse to trickle over into queer books that don’t fit that formula, even outside of the book world, this was topical.

While I thought the integration of Polish folklore was seamless, and appreciated the life breathed into the story by the creatures(ironically, some of them are undead), I felt that because of the vagueness of the setting, that was the only foundation it could have to sit on. Instead of the lack of a specified time period giving this story a timeless feel, it feels flimsy when it’s juxtaposed by occasional millennial slang. Sometimes, this can even make the tone feel unclear, as it draws more attention to the hijinks than some of the mystery, and it also took me out of the story. (The only indicator we have for a time period is that cars and cameras exist, and there is a single mention of “a war”, so I have to assume it takes place after one of the World Wars?)

Still, though, I loved the magic(especially the Water Nymphs and Wojcjech), the pacing of the romance, and the bits of fairytale influence. I’m interested to see how this story is continued, and how the love triangle will be affected by a couple of supernatural ethics… (Not elaborating, to avoid major spoilers!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for the ARC of this lovely novel in exchange for an honest review!
This whimsical, magical, lovely story was a pleasure to read! It was drenched in Slavic folklore which I ate up!!!
The poly romance was written well and tastefully and I think it’s a great way for people to discover how a good poly dynamic could work!
The grumpy x sunshine trope mixed in with some sassiness makes for an intriguing and wonderful read that draws you in and makes you want to keep reading!
A fun, original story that doesn’t shy away from topics that often stop a book from being considered YA. A great read overall, lots of good usage of Polish Folklore. The characters felt real and I wanted to root for them and everything they wanted.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere we got from the start of the book, it's eerie, cozy and funny.
I really vibed with the characters, i loved getting to know each character especially because their whimsical and troublemaking personalities. Gisela was such a fan main character to get to know, i really related to some of her struggles.
I liked Kazik and Gisela's dynamic from the start, they are very enjoyable together.

This one really reminded me of a Ghibli movie, the eerie and whimsy was definitely there, and some themes were really similar, definitely enjoyed them, seeing the found family and the ending felt perfect for this type of story, life continues.

It was a cute, fun and quick read. Definitely recommend picking it up if you are interested when it comes out on September 24th.

Please bear with me while I gush over how absolutely delightful this book was from beginning to end

First thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

There is so much I want to talk about I don't even know where to start

To quickly pitch this book to you: Forest/river small town infused with slavic folklore, the most whimsical and lush descriptions, lots of queerness with polyamory, most delectable banter between the characters and lots of found family ♡

The author did such a good job with this story, there is such a good blend between the lively and tender moments and the dark and serious aspects that the story touches on like the abuse that some of the girls went through and learning to see through prejudices

There was never a dull moment throughout the entire story, the intrigue was always high and even when I thought I knew what the catch was I was actually wrong.

Finally the characters, both Gisela and Kazik are so endearing yet flawed and they learn and grow so much throughout the story both with each other and with the remaining cast of characters, that are also as vivid.

With all that being said, that epilogue was absolutely insane, I need a sequel... desperately... like right now

solid 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

ok this is a good rating which I think could be improved by the next book in the series!!

there were elements I loved about this book like the folklore and the exploration into gender and sexuality, and some I didn't like, for example, how it never really felt like Aleksey liked either of them. we saw him start to questions his intentions but never see a real connection made. if anything it felt like a romance between Kazik and Gisella with Aleksey on the side. i'm hoping we explore his motivations and their relationships as a whole in the next book.

This Fatal Kiss is a queer, YA fantasy filled with Slavic folklore and a dreamy yet eerie setting. Gisela is a water nymph who has been cursed to haunt the river running through the town in which she drowned. she wants nothing more than to return to her normal, human life…which she finds out may be possible with one kiss from a mortal. Getting this kiss may be harder than she thought, since everyone sees her as a monster, including Kazik, the spirit-hunter she’s recruited to help her, but when Kazik falls for the same person Gisela has her sights set on, Aleksey, things get a little messy.

Jasinska creates a rich and original fantasy world where spirits roam free… but so do the monsters. Throughout the story, with the multiple POVs, we start to see a bit of a mystery unfold through Aleksey’s secrets, Gisellla’s desires, and Kazik’s spiritual questioning. The concepts of gender and sexuality were explored in each character and I thought it was incredibly fun and modern for a seemingly old setting. The ending was a bit of a punch to the gut as you weren’t expecting such a cliffhanger, but it definitely makes you anticipate the next book. I might have more questions than answers but I really enjoyed this ghostly, fantasy read. This will be a new favorite for fans of Ava Reid, Allison Saft, and Kelly Andrew.

Thanks netgalley for the ARC!

I have been dying to read this forever and am so glad I got the chance. I think the book did an almost perfect job at blending a historical/regional sounding dialogue syntax with modern day slang which is soo rare, there were a few times where I was like why is there a tiktok comment in this book suddenly but it wasn't too distracting. I loved all the characters and getting to see the rotating POVs, I cried at the girlhood of it all and sisters protecting each other, and I am a little bummed at the cliffhanger ending because it really seemed like we were going to be able to wrap it all up before the book ended. It was clearly set up for a sequel so I hope I get to read that one day soon!

I received an ARC from NetGalley.
The story follows Gisela, a water nymph yearning to regain her humanity. To do so, she must kiss a human. However, Kasik, a local exorcist, is constantly interfering.
One day, when Kasik fails to exorcise Gisela, they strike a deal: she won’t tell anyone that he’s losing his magic if he helps her to get a kiss.
But their plan becomes complicated when Kasik also develops feelings for the young man Gisela desires.
I absolutely devour this book! I loved the main trio’s dynamic! I also loved the other themes and folklore of this story.
I need the sequel RIGHT NOW!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Ghibli fans (myself inculded), this one's for you! This Fatal Kiss reads like the perfect fairytale- whimsical and dark in equal parts.

The atmosphere was beautifully done! I loved the descriptions of food, forests and rivers. The modern setting and language came as a shock at first, but soon I got used to it. I definitely think that the fact that we don't know when and where everything is happening lends a sense of intrigue to the world. Alicia Jasinska seamlessly weaves in elements from Polish folklore into the story. The clash between the modern religion and the so-called pagan beings was quite well done. I also appreciate the fact that the author provided a pronunciation guide as well as trigger warnings.

The characters were well written...a lot better than the ones in several recent YA novels. Gisela and Kazik's banter was hilarious and had me reading with a wide grin on my face. I'd have loved more chapters from Aleksey's POV, though. The rusałka found family was lovely to read. Although there were many heartwarming scenes, the transition from enemies to lovers wasn't executed as well as I was expecting. However, the characters' feelings and internal conflicts felt realistic.

I wasn't expecting a cliffhanger, but I'll definitely be reading the sequel when it comes out! I think this book was definitely worth the read because of the atmosphere and mythology and I'd recommend it for fans of darkly whimsical fairytales and Studio Ghibli movies!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC.

Possibly one of my favourite reads of the year. As someone with Slavic roots, I love the representation of Slavic culture and folklore in literature. And the way the writer has incorporated the Slavic culture from the food, clothes, tales and folklore to even using the language, it was done beautifully.

The story itself is so whimsical and magical you find yourself easily immersed in the world and characters. The world is set beautifully and is rich and vibrant with a sprinkle of mystery.

Gisela must be one of my favourite female characters, her personality is hilarious and she is so fun. I feel like books need more characters like this. I loved the dynamic between the trio and their relationship was written beautifully.

I really hope there is a sequel as it was an open ending with a promise for more.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: 4.75/5

An absolutely fantastic book with beautiful atmospheric writing, this had me hooked from the start to finish. I adored the characters, and their romance was so wonderfully written. The ending leaves room for a sequel, which I'm greatly anticipating.

Thank you to NetGalley for proving me this Arc.

This was such a fun read. I love stories that involve mythology especially with water nymphs. The main characters were easy to connect with and I love how they bantered with each other. I normally tend not to like 3e person pov but I really enjoyed it in this book. Also this was my first poly/ love triangle book. It’s definitely nee to me but I’m open to reading more books like this. At times the writing felt a bit repetitive, like I was constantly reminded that she is a water nymph and he is an exorcist. Overal this was a really good book I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

This was a cute and cozy YA polyamory romantasy steeped in Slavic folklore and set in a spa town that made me constantly think on the real life Czech town of Karlovy Vary. It gave off the vibe of “you know what The Winternight Trilogy needs? More cutesie, less stressie with some anxiety teens.” 🤣

But seriously though, I loved the wonderful list of Slavic folkloric creatures that were in this. I really liked that the author also put a glossary with pronunciation guides in here too because as much as I almost killed myself trying to learn Polish, there’s still a lot of room for it to grow. 🇵🇱

The story follows the POVs of primarily Gisela, a rusałka desperate to regain her humanity, and Kazik, the local grumpy exorcist who is constantly being teased by the former. The third POV, Aleksey, is spaced out here and there and I did find myself wishing there was more than maybe a handful of his chapters. The other two were just adorbale together as they begrudgingly join forces. Their banter was so funny to me as they try and horrendously fail to stay platonic with each other. They really reminded me why I loved the grumpy/sunshine trope in the first place. ☺️

As much as I did enjoy the setting and cast of quirky characters, I did find Gisela’s one-track mindedness to be an echo of what she dislikes so much in her father. Like come on girl, how could you not see that in yourself? Also the ending left me with more questions than answers and kind of felt like it abruptly ended. As far as I know, this is a standalone, and so I feel as if the reader is made to figure out the last bits themselves instead of being shown it. 😕

But all in all, I still had a great time reading this, and would recommend this to those who want a similar Slavic folklore vibe to The Winternight Trilogy. Big thank you goes to Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest review, and to the author, Jasinka, for writing such a cute love story between enemies. ❤️

Publication date: September 24!

Overall: 4/5 ⭐️

This Fatal Kiss was overall a very enjoyable read. I love the folklore of the book, and the setting of the magical spa village. I wish we could have had more of Kazik's work involved in the story. He is mentioned as exorcising demons, etc, and is mentioned performing rituals, but they are not described to us in detail. The language of the book doesn't quite match the setting.

I only give it 3 stars instead of 4 due to the ending. The ending felt rushed to me, and it feels like the cliff hanger at the end could have just been resolved in this book instead.

Overall, an enjoyable read, and I will definitely read the sequel. The cover art is gorgeous.

Thanks so much to Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink and Netgalley for the arc!

I really enjoyed this slavic folklore, queer polyamorous romance filled with whimsical, fantasical world building. I was immediatly sucked into this world by the rich folklore atmosphere.The banter between all the characters was PERFECT! I really can´t wait to read more of this.

The ending unfortunatly really fell flat for me. It was just too rushed and nothing was wrapped up probably. (given that everything will be more nuanced and cleared up in the second book) I do feel like you could have wrapped book one and still have a story to follow for book two.

Nonetheless a really fun and quick read! Definitely recommend!