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 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, things get a little messy.

i’ve read and loved one other book by alicia jasinska, so i was expecting to at least really enjoy this one, too. this was a lot different, but i still really loved it! the slavic folklore aspect immediately drew me in. this is something that really interests me, but i haven’t found many books that incorporate this element. i loved how many different beings (biesy, rusałki, etc.) were discussed.

in addition to the slavic folklore, i also loved the characters themselves. each one was so complex, even aleksey, who wasn’t as prominent of a character as gisela and kazik (though still important). i loved seeing their character growth and how their relationship developed.

overall, this was a fantastic book, and i highly recommend it to readers who enjoy ya fantasy.

From the cover, I knew I had to read the book, and after discovering it was a queer polyamorous story based on Slavic folklore, I was even more excited to dive in. I'm glad I had the chance to read it.

*This Fatal Kiss* is a captivating read that blends romance and mythology in a fascinating way. I was so intrigued by the plot that I spent a lot of time researching the myths and spirits mentioned, which made me take longer to finish the book, but it remains a very quick read overall.

The story follows Gisela, a nymph who seeks the help of the town’s exorcist, from the place where she died, to help her obtain a kiss that will turn her into a human so she can return to her family. The premise is fascinating and unfolds smoothly, keeping the reader engaged throughout. Although the ending leaves several questions unanswered and suggests that the story will continue, the richness of the characters and the plot have left me eager to see how everything will develop.

The characters are one of the novel’s greatest strengths. Gisela, in particular, is well-developed; her doubts about her place among the nymphs and her human family were very interesting to read. Her humor and her relationship with the exorcist are charming. Besides the romance, there's also the mystery of her own death, and oh, the revelations that come! I’m looking forward to reading what comes next.

The exorcist, Kazik, pleasantly surprised me. His family history and his relationship with spirits were fascinating to read. It’s clear he has a long journey ahead, and I particularly enjoyed his process of discovering that things might not be as he was taught.

Aleksey—oh, his flirting and appearances with the other two were very well done. I love the three of them together and their viewpoints. His role in the story is intriguing, and I’m eager to learn more about him. I truly hope the relationship among the three works out, though I’m also wary of his character; I can’t decide whether it’s safe to fully trust him or not.

The water goblin is also a character who left a lasting impression. His relationship with the nymphs is endearing, almost like the grandfather of them all. I hope the story explores more about him and his connection with the exorcist’s family in the next books.

In summary, I recommend this book to any romance lover with a taste for folklore and magic.
My final rating was 4.25

Thanks Netgalley for the arc, this was an honest review.

thank you immensely to Netgalley and Peachtree Publishing for my first ever ARC! AAAAAAAAAAA-
i so genuinely loved this book omg.
this book focuses on three characters (and all of them get a POV!):
-Gisela, a rusalka (Polish water spirit). she wants desperately to become mortal again, and to do that, she needs a mortal to kiss her (she has not been successful at that yet).
-Kazik (my favorite!!! i love him so much!!! brainrotting over this man so hard while writing this), the town exorcist. hes been trying to send Gisela to the afterlife for a while now (has not been successful at that).
-Aleksey, a boy who seems pretty normal at first but... (he has secrets).
i adored all of these characters, and the three POVs were done remarkably well! each felt very balanced and like they gave enough time to each character to make you love all of them (again though... me and Kazik. i adore him).
i also really did not know any Polish folklore until reading this!!! so that was fun
read this if you want an awesome YA fantasy romance, i very much feel like this will end up in my top ten books of the year
(i need a sequel right now oh my god i need more Kazik. my beloved)

Thank you so much Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for an eARC of this book!

This book was absolutely wonderful. With the vibes of Spirited Away (add Slavic folklore), a story reminiscent of The Little Mermaid, a grumpy/sunshine love story AND polyamory, you’re looking at the perfect storm.

In this book we follow Gisela, a rusałka with no memory of how she died, but she wishes to return to her mortal life and the only way she can do that is if she gets a mortal to kiss her. Only one tiny problem, Kazik, the town exorcist whose only goal in life seems to be upsetting Gisela’s plans. So when Gisela approaches him with the simple request that he set her up with a boy in the village, she’s surprised that he says yes.

This book was so charming the whole way through with interesting creatures and character dynamics that keep you on your toes. It was so engaging the whole time whether we’re focused on the plot or the friendships/romances that are unfurling.

There’s a few things that I think could’ve been done differently, but most of those things include spoilers so the only thing I’ll say is that I wish that we didn’t learn as much so early on as the reader. I think certain things would’ve been made better as a plot twist. It also feels like the stakes greatly diminish as the story progresses.

I also love polyamory in all forms and this book did a really good job at capturing the awkward “oh no I like two people” that most books don’t usually include due to the book being set in a queer-normative world. And while this book definitely is as well, it’s done a little differently in a way I enjoyed

Overall, a really charming book and an overall really fun read.

DNF at 17%

I was struggling to get immersed in the first 50 pages but wanted to push through so hard for the vibes. I wasn’t connecting to any of the characters, and I finally decided to put it down during the peeping Tom scene with Gisela in the men’s changing roo. At the sauna. Because when it comes down to it, that’s what it was: a peeping tom scene. I know this humor coming from women is pretty normalized in modern culture, but I am not a fan of that. I am usually not a fan of an argument that starts with “if a man did it..” but I have to use it here. If a male character had the internal monologue that Gisela had in this scene, I think it would’ve been cut from the book entirely.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for providing this eARC for an honest review.

In This Fatal Kiss, we follow Gisela, a water nymph who is desperate to return to the human world to get back to her family. In pursuit of this goal, she resorts to attempting to receive a kiss from a mortal after hearing that this is one of the ways to regain her own mortality.
Gisela's biggest challenge is Kazik, a witch, who is constantly foiling her attempts, and who has made it his goal to get rid of her before she causes any more trouble.
Gisela manages to convince him to join her in her plan, promising to never cause any more trouble if he helps her with her one wish. Gisela sets her sights on a local boy, and quickly realizes that in his attempts to play matchmaker, Kazik has taken an interest in the boy as well. The story incorporates slavic folklore and polyamory, making for a very entertaining, queer, and magical atmosphere!

I thought this book was soooooo much fun, the relationship dynamics between each of the main characters was so endearing and made this one hard to put down. This is especially true of the queer representation! I really wish I could've read something like this when I was in the target audience, I think I would've gained a lot comfort from it. Kazik and Gisela especially touched on their feelings on love, gender, and sexuality from time to time, and other characters also hinted at having queer identities.

I loved being in the mind of the third love interest and learning more about the world through his lens. I also loved seeing his inner conflict when it came to his relationships and the thing he's wanted for so long. I think his last POV could've offered just a little bit more to the story, especially if there will be a sequel, but overall really great!

What I wasn't a huge fan of was the ending. I felt that there wasn't a huge problem with the pacing through majority of the book, until you reach the last 20%, where suddenly everything starts moving very quickly. I think some things could've been taken out of from the middle to make more room for tension in the end. I still thought the way it ended was alright, but it definitely bumped my rating down.

Overall, I really enjoyed myself, I think this book will be among my favorites of 2024 and I'll probably reread in the future (especially if there ends up being a sequel!) I look forward to reading more from Alicia Jasinska.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars,

I really enjoyed this! It's whimsical and atmospheric, the fairytale vibes were great, and the characters are very likable. I wish the tension around the romance was developed a bit more between all the characters, but it was still cute and the banter was very fun to read, especially between Gisela and Kazik. Overall, it's a nice YA queer romantasy and sometimes that's all you need!

4 stars I got the arc from netgalley and i was hooked bc I was drawn to the cover and I love polyamorous relationshps.

Reading about the characters made me feel joyous esp when Gisela enjoyed being a menace to Kazik cuz thats how i love to act with my friends wkdgsjnsb.

Anyways, the second half of the book felt flat to me but I never felt disappointment reading this book. It was fun, enjoyed the relationship between Gisela, Kazik and Aleksey.

Also, no reunion with Aleksey? IM ROBBED

I adored this - I loved the atmosphere, the Slavic folklore, and the queer polyamorous relationship, and I think the lack of a concrete time period really worked for this story. The characters were hilarious and had great chemistry together. This book had me giggling, and I could not put it down.



Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for providing this ARC!

I absolutely loved this book! I will get a physical copy to reread and put on my trophy shelf.

Polish folklore, a real love triangle and the grumpy x sunshine trope made This Fatal Kiss an absolute delight to read. The characters were multi-faceted and it was super interesting to read about all the different spirits, demons and magical creatures. I liked how the portrayal of non-humans shifted from "demonic beings" to just different kinds of beings with their own feelings and motives.

I also really liked how the book dealt with paganism vs church vs witchcraft and showed how flowing the lines between those can be. The topic of homosexuality in the church was also dealt with in a very sensitive way.

If I had to compare the book to other books, I would most likely choose Where the Dark stands still by A. B. Poranek beceause of the mythology, forest setting and dealing with sexuality, The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid because of the comparison between paganism and church, and No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre because of the romantic tension between the three main characters.

The ending left me wanting more and I desperately hope that Alicia Jasinska will write a sequel or at least a follow-up novella or short-story to wrap up the lose ends. Though if she doesn't, I can absolutely understand why she chose to have the book end where it ended.

The food descriptions alone had me hungry like how are they so good at making stuff sound delicious. Anyway a dive into biphobia, religious trauma and Russian folklore this book does well with questioning if humanity is only for humans. Can spirits feel and be people just like humans? Moral questions aside the little poly triad was just kind of meh to me. I didn’t really hate or like any of them more than the other and it felt natural but maybe it’s just their dynamics were a miss for me. If they had even been just a trio of friends I feel like it would have worked just as well and I would have felt the same about the dynamics between them either way. Still definitely read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the ARC!

This was such a fun, heart-warming story that gave me the same cozy feeling of reading A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft. The characters grew on me so fast that by the end of the book I didn't want to let them go yet. All that wrapped in a wonderfully paced (and convincing) enemies-to-lovers that had me truly rooting for the protagonists.

Despite the YA rating, this book addresses important and adult topics like gender identity and sexuality, different and sometimes difficult family dynamics, surviving past trauma, anxiety and depression, and the very human and natural need to form connections and feel loved.

The story jumps between the POVs of Gisela, a rusałka (Polish folklore is so cool!!) with lost memories who longs to become human again; Kazik, the local demon-hunting exorcist trying to fill the shoes of his late grandmother; and Aleksey, a charming and seemingly aloof local boy with a deeper secret, who becomes entangled with both characters. The unlikely trio become friends, and perhaps more, as the story unfolds around them. The setting is almost another character too, with beautifully described scenery and a town that feels so real you could almost close your eyes and touch it.

This was a lovely little 4.75 star read and a story that I'll definitely think about after finishing it, and I can't wait to get a physical copy once it comes out! ✨️

Probably closer to a 4.5.

When I first started reading this book, I honestly didn't expect to fall completely in love with all three of the characters. They were distinct and well fleshed out and literal perfection. I honestly think this is a book that got better as it went on. It even had me a little misty eyed at certain parts (especially as someone who entered the poly scene not long ago).

I do think the world building could have been fleshed out a bit more, but (given that the ending seems to be setting us up for a sequel) I'm really hoping we see more of that in the sequel.

This will be a book that I recommend and tell people about every chance I get because it was so good.

I loved this, and I know I'll be reading it again when it releases! I love Kazik, and Gisela, I love their interactions, and seeing their growth throughout the book is just so, so good. It's not often that I find something that ticks all my boxes - queer? poly? fantasy? rusalki???? - but this one does. There's a variety of mythological creatures, every character has their own personality and goals (you especially see this with Gisela's rusalka family), and it feels like we'll be getting a sequel.

If I have one disappointment, it's that it feels like we'll be getting a sequel. Normally I wouldn't mind that, but the ending really made me Feel It. And if I had a second disappointment, it would be that for something blurbed as "flirty, polyamorous romance," there's more hurt feelings and misunderstandings (okay, there's one. Maybe two.) than polyamorous romance, and this is the other reason I'm disappointed that the ending feels so....not ended. Give me more romance! That said, I'm still going to recommend this book to anyone who looks at me for a second too long, buy a copy, recommend a copy for my library, recommend it to libraries in the area, and maybe also buy the ebook.

Starting out with positives I really liked a lot of the banter between the characters, Gisela is wonderful and both Kazik and Aleksey were able to get in some good lines as well. I also really loved the mythology and folklore woven into the story, both the main story as well as in the background and in world building.

This brings me into some things I wish were included, I wanted more spirits and more of the bathhouses, Gisela's home, and Zuzanna. Basically I wanted more of the fantasy and world building elements, however I also wish there was a bit more editing to cut down on some repetitive bits. Additionally, while I did love the banter, there was one anachronistic bit of dialogue that made me cringe a bit, but this is very minor.

Lastly, I feel bad for human Aleksey! While the ending is open ended (if not set up for a sequel) I feel like there was little acknowledgment that human Aleksey is going through the same body-snapping trauma that human Roza did.

Overall This book was a very fun read that a sped through. While I don't usually reach for romantasy, this has encouraged me to start picking up the genre more often and will look forward to more from this author.

-Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an eARC

This was so fun to read. Gisela is such a whirlwind, I love her. And dear Kazik, he's the perfect little foil to Gisela. I wish there was even more Aleksey 💔 the ending leads me to believe there may be a sequel because I'll be heartbroken if we end it like that.

I never knew how much I needed a polyamory story until this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree for the eARC!

3.5

My favorite thing in this book is the relationships between the characters. They were all so well-developed and implemented well. Unlike some fantasies where their personalities are based off the type of creature they are, in this one, the characters actually had personalities outside of their ranks. And I loved that.

You don’t even have to worry about the ending because Alicia Jasinska was able to weave all the characters together in such a brilliant way. There were no unnecessary dramas— all just good vibes. And sometimes, you just need that pallete cleanser.

Thank you to netgalley and Publishers for gifting me this ARC in exchange for a review!

This fatal kiss is a YA slavic folklore-inspired fantasy about a water nymph, Gisela, who seeks the help of the local exorcist, Kazik, to win a kiss from a mortal that will grant her a second chance mortal life. In this mythology, water nymphs are the spirits of young girls who tragically died near bodies of water and instead of passing on to the afterlife, they turn into water nymphs, doomed to linger in the waters in which they died.

Admittedly I had a great time reading this book. The first 20% is a little slow, but the other 80% flew by. I genuinely enjoyed the love triangle, if anything it shocked me because I so rarely encounter polyam romance in books, and it was a delight to see the fluidity of almost all characters in both sexuality and gender. As a bisexual, the amount of bi panic validated me. Kazik's drunken thoughts and feelings in the Saint John festivities were ghost written by me, ifykyk. Gisela, Kazik, and The Third Person all stood out to me as characters, for different reasons each one, and I was rooting for all of them to kiss because their chemistry was just That good.

The world Alicia Jasinska builds is full of the paranormal, vengeful and benevolent spirits, magic that stems from faith and religion, or magic that stems from natural elements. I had a great time dipping my toes into this world, though I do wish it was a little better defined aside from the magical elements. I couldn't exactly place it in a specific time period which confused me a little in terms of the language that was used in juxtaposition with the scant technology mentioned, and I also needed some more backstory about the mortal world itself. Is there a map? Are all regions magical and occupied with spirits and demons? Where do the tourists come from? What is this world's history?

The character building also felt a little lackluster, I think. The main trio of characters all had clear motives and personal arcs throughout the story, but secondary characters fell flat. They only existed in the background and did not drive the plot forward in any way. I wanted a little more from them. Kazik's cousin, Zuzanna, is a prime example from this. From the story, I assume she's like a sister to him, and yet we barely see her in more than three scenes. She's not in the region because of her studies but! She had so much potential, their family's dynamic seemed to be thrown completely off due to their tumultuous past and the implications of their power and yet we barely got any glimpse of what baggage both these characters carry, when it is clear that this exact baggage drives their arc. I needed a smidge more! But maybe that's just because I really loved Kazik. I see a brooding, haunted, closed off character. I immediately have to devote my life to him.

Also, judging by the way it ended... Could there be more? Alicia, is there a potential book 2? I felt like so many plot threads were tugged but left loose by the end, like if I were writing the book I would give myself another 50 pages to resolve everything. I do hope there is more. This world (and this love triangle) could benefit from a second book.

This fatal kiss comes out Sept 24th, don't forget to preorder!

This fatal kiss is a spellbinding YA fantasy that intertwines Slavic folklore, a polyamorous love story, and a richly atmospheric setting. The story follows Gisela, a rusalki (water nymph) longing to regain her humanity. She forms a pact with Kazik, a grumpy exorcist, to win the heart of Aleksey, a boy harboring secrets of his own.

The novel's enchanting world is reminiscent of *Spirited Away*, filled with vivid descriptions of mystical creatures and a charming town that feels alive. The queer, polyamorous romance between Gisela, Kazik, and Aleksey is beautifully developed, with a slow-burn dynamic that feels both authentic and heartwarming. The tension and humor in Gisela and Kazik’s relationship, combined with Aleksey’s mysterious allure, make the love triangle compelling.

[Book Title] also touches on themes of religious trauma and biphobia, adding depth and representation that is both meaningful and rare in YA literature. The novel’s few drawbacks include occasional repetition of plot points and an open-ended conclusion that might leave some readers wanting more.

Overall, this book is a magical and immersive read, perfect for fans of myth-based tales and heartfelt romance.

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

This Fatal Kiss, by Alicia Jasinska
★★☆☆☆
416 Pages
3rd person, dual character POV
Content Warning: drowning, violence, abusive relationship, sexual assault, suicide ideation, questioning sexual identity.


First off, I want to thank the author for the Author's Note full of triggers. It's rare that authors give you that warning at the beginning, letting you know what's ahead. However, I found this list to be incomplete, which was a real shame.
I would add – history of depression, mentions of death, rape, self-harm (digging nails in to calm a panic attack) and questioning gender identity.

~

DNF'd at 15% (page 67)

Honestly, I contemplated DNF'ing this at 9%, but my policy is to give a book this long around 10-20% to convince me to keep going, so I persisted. I gave it until 15% because I badly wanted to enjoy it, but the story never really took off.

For me, this is one of those stories that has so much potential but never reached it.

The concept was intriguing and had great potential, it just never felt realised. Maybe because I just finished a similar folklore book I loved, but this one fell flat in comparison. The story meandered along, promising things that it just didn't deliver, becoming slow and bland.

In terms of characters, there are really only 2 main characters who matter – at the point where I stopped – which are Gisela and Kazik. Though, by reading the blurb and other reviews, this is a poly romance so there is a third character, though I can't say whether he has a POV or not.

Gisela is the main character IMO. She occupied 80% of the POV that I read. She's a water nympth, or rusałki. In the book, they're described as:
“Rusałki were maidens who had met untimely and violent ends. They were cursed to haunt the waterways in which they'd drowned, bound to live as restless spirits, unless one of two things happened.
The first was if their death was avenged.”
The description makes Gisela's future journey sound interesting, but for me she was a selfish, vain young girl with only one thing on her mind. I found her insipid at times, flighty and superficial. Even beyond her desire to become human again – accomplished if a human kissed her – all she could think about was how attractive everyone was: Yulia, Kazik and Aleksey. She didn't even hesitate to think about how best to manipulate others to get her own way.

Kazik was, to me, the only interesting character so far. He's been burdened with a heavy weight of responsibility from his family of witches/exorcists and Gisela does nothing but cause trouble. I can see why he'd be annoyed with her.

All of the nymphs felt one-dimensional. There wasn't one (yet) who felt smart, brave or strong, and when anyone did risk sounding that way, they were quickly described as being manly, butch or it was implied they were trans/questioning their gender. Gisela herself is always identified as she/her throughout the book, yet when it's mentioned that Yulia sees herself as a man rather than a woman, suddenly it's mentioned that Gisela doesn't feel strongly about her gender identity, either way. It's implied that she'd non-binary, but she 'lets' others call her female because it's 'easier'. It felt like a lazy way to be LGBT-inclusive or to somehow make the poly relationship that followed more likely or acceptable. It never felt genuine or natural to the character.

I also felt like the language didn't feel natural to the world, either. The world that was built was floral and folklorish, with a historical fantasy twist, but the language was quite modern and jarring to read.

Overall, the book had too many issues – the language, the character inconsistencies, a plot lacking direction, a conflicting concept, and unrealised potential – that I just couldn't get into it. It felt boring, like it was going nowhere very, very slowly.

Unfortunately, if it couldn't grab me by 15%, that wasn't likely to change.