Thanks you to Netgalley and Peachtree for providing this ARC

I absolutely loved this book! I loved the use of folklore and the way the book handled the more heavier topics of gender identity and sexuality, trauma and mental health. The characters were loveable and the poly rep was amazing to see! Please tell me there will be a sequel!

I will definitely be seeking out a physical copy for the shelf!

Thank you to NetGalley and PeachTree for an early release copy of This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska.

This Fatal Kiss story is interesting, I like our characters, the water nyms gave off a found family/sisterhood vibe that I really enjoyed, The other spirits are also really interesting to read about (i forget the exact names of them) the house, fire, and air spirits are cute additions to the story. The love interests here are cute, All three of these characters would be really cute in a relationship, it wasn’t hard at all to root for them however I feel a little disappointed romance wise. This story is a M/M/F poly romance but we don’t really get any romance between all three of them in one scene, we would be following Gisela and she would be flirting with Aleskey, then follow from Aleskey perspective as he flirts with Kazik. I wanted some more cute poly romance scenes.

We do get quite a few heart warming and funny scenes in here, the plot/story definitely held my attention throughout. Some of the reveals in here I didn’t quite expect and it added a lot to the story in my opinion. I also really appreciated that on pg five before even starting the book the author had written out a list of trigger warnings which are: Fantasy Violence, Death, Drowning, Near Drowning, Abusive Relationships, A History of SA, Physical Assault, Struggles with Sexual Identity, and Suicide Ideation.

A few more things I didn’t particularly like were is that the water goblin who is said to have lived for decades mentions on more occasion about making Gisela his bride, even though she only sixteen here. The ending of the story is rather abrupt and a bit rushed, the epilogue feels more like a chapter that just wasn’t finish’s rather then a final note to the story. I would have loved to see a ending where Gisella reunited with her brother and talked with her father but perhaps we’ll get it in the second book.

A Quote I Liked: I think everyone has a side of themselves they keep from other people for fear of being rejected. It’s not just you, Everyone is putting on an act of some kind. The right person will accept every part of you.

4.5 stars

Thank you Peachtree Teen and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful blend of Slavic folklore, whimsical fantasy, and poly romance.

I truly loved this book. The world is rich and vibrant, a wonderful mix of small town and spirit world. There was such an array of spirit characters and I do kind of wish we’d got more of them simply because they were so much fun, but what we did get was great. I especially loved the Domovoy.

Gisela, Kazik and Aleksey are all fantastic main characters! I loved all three of them so much. The slow burn romance between all of them just absolutely made my heart sing. I’m really loving the amount of polyamory in fantasy I’m coming across this year.

Gisela’s whole plot tugged at my heart. Her life was upended so young and she had so much guilt about who she should be to everyone in her life. I was so glad she finally decided to take something for herself.

I loved the slow softening of both Kazik and Aleksey. I love the way these three just…loved each other, even though it went against their nature, against everything they stood for.

Alicia Jasinska is an author I’ll definitely be reading more from.

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

I can't wait to buy this book and put it on my shelf. I had high expectations after reading the description and seeing the cover, so I was really happy that this book did not disappoint.

The plot was very original, and the characters were all well-developed. Kazik was my favorite character!

It dragged a bit in the middle but then picked up again. I assumed this was a standalone, but the ending hinted at a sequel?

One of my many favorite quotes:
"What are you doing here?" "Always so hostile. Would you believe me if I said I missed you?" "You're not my type." "Shame."

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 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.