I had loved Jasinska’s previous books so it comes to no surprise that This Fatal Kiss also stole my heart. Fallowing a mermaid and a boy who seeks to banish from his life the two are bound by their love for the same boy. This poly Russian mermaid novel was not something I had on my 2024 bingo card but I adored this novel; I would love for this world to be explored more in a spin off.

Loved the fairytale and folklore intertwined with humans, it was done super well and I felt like I was part of the story the entire time. The characters were so engaging to read and I loved Gisela, Kazik and Aleksey the entire time (they can do no wrong in my eyes). I also loved the discussions of sexuality and how it's seems to be easily part of the story without making it the entire thing, something that I love to read in novels these days. The fact that this was left open-ended makes me wonder if there is to be another book or two and I really hope we get to see these characters again!!

Okay, so I started this around two days ago, but didn't really fully start to read it until around yesterday. And I'm already 33% in. I literally can't get enough of it. I've tried to read one chapter, then move on to another ARC (that's my system while reading multiple ARCs) but I keep coming back to this one. It's not too complicated, yet it's also not boring in any way. I'll definitely want to purchase the finished book, once it's published.

Thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher, Peachtree Teen for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a polyamorist romance that has a lot of good representation. I loved the fairytale vibes of this book. It did a really good at setting a cottage core atmosphere. This story had spirits, good and evil, a witch and a water nymph.

I overall really enjoyed it! After reading this I realize that I am not personally into polyamory stories. It's just not for me. Besides my personal preference, the only critique I have is that I found that the modern technology that was put in this setting didn't work. It took me out of the story whenever it mentions buses or computers. This story just felt cottage core/medieval times so having the modern day technology was very weird.

I did really enjoy this and I am looking forward to the next one!

3.5 stars. The atmosphere was whimsical with a touch of horror, and I loved the Slavic folklore elements. It all felt very familiar and heartwarming. There was quite a large cast of memorable side characters ranging from rusalki to goblins to different kinds of demons and I fell in love with more than a few of them.

The book has a polyamorous relationship between three queer teenagers grappling with their sexualities at its core and I really liked how all the bonds between them developed. It’s a love triangle where all parties are actually into each other. I’ve seen it done only once before in YA fantasy and I have to say I’m a fan, as a hater of traditional love triangles where two guys are fighting over the girl.

Gisela was cute, loud and a little annoying in an endearing way, but she still had some depths we slowly discovered. Kazik grew on me so much from the obnoxiously self-righteous asshole he looked like in the beginning and eventually became my favorite character. The other male love interest was intriguing but there was an aspect of his story I was very uncomfortable with, so we’ll see where it goes if the book gets a sequel.

The language was mostly neutral so that it could fit into any decade but sometimes there was a brief sentence that sounded so jarringly modern it could’ve come straight from TikTok which really threw me for a loop. The humor was also more often than not a miss for me.

The ending was a clear setup for a second book, but it did end a little abruptly and without some of the emotional resolution I was hoping for.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read the book early in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and PeachTree Teen for the advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars

I had so much fun with this whimsical story full of magic and inspired by Polish folktales.

This is a tale of a water nymph wanting to become human.
As a sixteen year old girl, Gisela drowned in mysterious circumstances. Her violent demise and her unfinished business didn't allow her spirit to rest, instead she became something else. A water nymph. There's a tale, however, of water spirits becoming human again. If only they are kissed by a mortal. Gisela wants to see her family again, she wants to come back to take care of her little brother, so she hunts and tries to get her kiss. And in doing so, she's constantly messing around and making an enemy out of the town's exorcist, Kazik. But when a deal is made between them, one where Kazik promises her to help her regain her humanity, Gisela has her eyes on a handsome young man that catches Kazik's eye too.

This story is full of spirits, demons, and magic. And it's about love and compassion and empathy. It's a fairy tale rooted in Slavic folklore. And most importantly, it's a really fun book.

One of the things I liked the most about this story was the setting. Lésna Woda is a beautiful town, it's a tourist stop full of hot springs and magical waters. It's a place removed from time. We never know when the story is taking place. The town celebrates all types of pagan and religious festivities, honoring nature and spirits, yet there's still some mentions of war and technology. Few, but there are. So there's always a feeling of timelessness.

I liked the setting and I liked the ambience, however the dialogue does feel out of place sometimes. The characters read very much like your typical contemporary YA protagonists. There's banter and conversations that break a little the illusion of this magical town. Personally, I enjoyed it, but I could understand people not liking that.

The romance is a very important element in the story. Gisele needs her kiss to come back to life, I don't want to give away too much of the story but there are hints very early on of polyamorous romance. I think the dynamics were well written, however it does feel like one pairing was more developed. I was actually waiting for one character to be more involved in the story at the end, but the book ends with many unresolved plotlines. I don't know if Jasinska is planning to write a sequel, but I must say, though I was having much fun reading the last chapters, the way this book ends feels so underwhelming. There's just too much that feels incomplete and this is a long book, over four hundred pages, and there were parts that could've been edited out.

With all of that said, I really enjoyed This Fatal Kiss. It was refreshing to read a YA fantasy with other types of magical 'creatures' and spirits other than fae and vampires. I loved the fairy tale vibe, and I was really invested in the friendship and romance of the main cast.
I just wish the ending would have been different. Because there was no hint before of the story continuing on a sequel, it felt quite rushed. And one character's arc suffered because of this.

Thank you again for gifting me this arc I absolutely adored it. This author is now an instant buy for me. This book is nothing like I’ve ever read before. It’s been days now since I read it and I can’t stop thinking about it. Beautiful dark fairytale/folklore vibes with lgbt+ themes. As a queer fantasy reader/reviewer this is my perfect book. The love I have for the main characters Gisela and Kazik is unmeasurable. The entire book I wish I could have just jumped into page and joined them on their days. I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful cover. Stayed for the incredible, yet heart breaking, queer water nymphs. I’m encouraging everyone to pick up this book when it comes out. I cried when it ended and so sad it’s over. I hope we get more of their stories. Thank you once again Alicia and Publishers for gifting me this beautiful story to read during pride. These are my babies fr.

I was immediately untouched by the premise of this book. I love folklore and make it poly? Give it to me now!

After reading it however, I just found it okay. The writing wasn’t anything amazing, annd in fact felt a quite clunky and very surface level. The info dumping was quite juvenile even for a YA book. The setting and folklore wasn’t as immersive and whimsical as I would have liked it (or expected it to be). I did like that the setting time period was a bit ambiguous though, since it lent to the story feeling a bit more timeless but the writing brought you out of that by making it feel modern so it kind of left you confused. The gender and sexuality rep was nice. The main 2 characters were very fun and i really liked their chemistry, but Aleksey didn’t have much of a personality tbh so I didn’t find why the 2 other characters were so obsessed with him outside of his looks. I think the plot could have been a bit stronger, because I have a hard time believing more water nymphs haven’t received kisses before and turned human again, so I didn’t understand why Gisela and the water goblin there so unsure if the kids would even work.


I don’t think I’ll continue with the series but I did enjoy reading it nonetheless.

If you like queer romantasy… READ THIS BOOK!

Gisela is a water nymph, an undead creature forced to haunt the earth after her passing, who learns that if only she can get a kiss from a mortal, she might be able to come alive again. She enlists the help of Kazik, a spirit hunter witch, as a matchmaker.

I’ll be honest, I absolutely adored this story, a lot more than I originally thought I would. There’s such a great blend of mythology, fantasy, romance, and just plain fun. I absolutely loved the relationship between the main characters and how they interacted with each other.

The ending does seem to suggest a series and man I NEED THE NEXT ONE!

Big thanks to Netgalley, Peachtree Teen, and the author Alicia Jasinska for allowing me to read an e-arc of this novel.

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*



Review

Likes:

Gets already exciting at page 15 (hide and seek scene)

The plot twists wasn't predictable and a pretty good one.

I liked the characters chemistry, especially the one with Wojcieh and Gisela. He dearly cares about her and his character was like a caring old grandfather who would secretly give you more candy than you are allowed to eat when you were younger. And her friend Yulia who acts most of the time like a know-it-all and seems to not be so attached to anyone, was about to cry with Gisela together, telling her to stop, showing that she has more empathy than one thinks from the first impression and is a true friend. And also the other characters, especially how the polyamorous bond was made.

The plot was great too and the ending also hinted a bit that there might come a sequel. Or it was just an open ending. But there were still things left unresolved, so I hope there will be a sequel.

Dislikes:

Writing was good but there were moments that caught me of guard. Specially adjectives like describing a voice as 'delicious' or using that modern word 'side-eye'

I didn't like when Tamara decided over another life and Wojcieh accepted it as the same person decided over Tamara's life. 'Cause from what I heard she decided to do it on her own and that the other one didn't force her or anything, so why was Wojcieh accepting such a ruthless and brutal behaviour? (I know it has to do so they can move to the afterlife, but she could have changed her feelings without doing such an act)

The plot twist about how Gisela died was predictable as we get to know it while there were more than enough hints were already dropped. It was too much focused on, so as a reader I knew that something was off with her dead, especially when she said she couldn't remember how she died. It's always like that.

End note/Final thoughts:

Thank you for the advanced reader copy of This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska.



Started the book: 25. June 2024
Finished the book: 25. June 2024
Wrote the review: 25. June 2024

The cover and premise caught my attention right away. Full of Slavic folklore, we get demos, nymphs, spirits, goblins and more!It follows Gisela, a water nymph who wishes to go back to being a human, but for that she need to be kiss by a human. She enlists the help of the town exorcist Kazik, who agrees since he just wants to get rid of Gisela and keep her from causing trouble and also divulging his magic is failing. Enter Aleksey who has secrets of his own, the boy Gisela likes and that Kazik is also attracted to. The three start spending all their time together and form a connection that is hard to ignore.

The town that the story is set in is known for its bath houses so it remind me lot of Spirited Away, which I love, but with a darker twist I would say a la Grimm fairytales. One my favorite parts was the fight at the end, I liked that the other nymphs came to Gisela’s aid. This might the first story I have finished with a polyamory relationship and I think it was done very well considering that it is also a YA story. It felt like Kazik and Gisela had the strongest connection of the three though, the relationship with Aleksey felt underdeveloped. But the ending suggests there’s more to the story so we’re probably gonna get more of him in the next book if there’s one. It was a fantastic read.

Thank You to NetGalley and Holiday House/Peachtree/Pixel+Ink for the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

I received an ARC by NetGalley from in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely amazing. I love stories inspired by folklore and this book is inspired by Slavic folklore which is a refreshing change from your typical western fantasy.
This is definitely a cozy fantasy that you can read in one sitting. The cover is also stunning and reflects the vibes of the story.
While there is talk of murder and danger, it’s low stakes and still lighthearted.
I love poly romances, and here they all fall in love with each other without there being (an annoying) love triangle.
The “plot twist” was predictable but not in a way that made me lose interest, instead I was looking forward for the characters figuring it out.
The story leaves us with an open ending, so I hope there will be a sequel.

The only reason why this wasn’t a 5 Star book for me was because it was not quite clear at what time this story takes place. Many people still know all the stories about the magical creatures living there and their grandparents still believed in them. The current generation doesn’t take them as seriously and many are now Christian, so I thought it was a historical setting, but then Kazik is annoyed by the tourists and the clicking of their cameras, which kind of threw me off.

My first polyamorous read did not disappointed me!! What a charming, whimsical and fun YA book.

I loved that the world building was inspired by Slavic folklore but I wish the writing wasn’t so dense, I felt that some things could be more simplified but that was just a detail for me. The romance was so good too, even if it was a little predictable I enjoyed all the time.

If you want a sweet and super cozy book I highly recommend this one 🤍

This book broke my heart, and not in the way it was supposed to.
Because it was so disappointing!
2-5/3 stars
I'll say it: it seems like folklore written by Disney Channel.
The style is the main issue, it felt like so many times they were saying the wrong things in the wrong moment, the dialogue felt forces and WAY too stupid/silly situations when they were not supposed to happen!
The setting is absolutely vague, non-specific, you can't understand the time and place. It's a 'polish village' (insert whatever) in 'ancient times' where people and mythical creatures speak like GenZs.
It needed a massive editing, because there are many good things that get lost in the middle of not so well executed ones.

I thought this was a very sweet and interesting story that I would reccomend easily for others to enjoy. It was different to other PNR- type stories. Very enjoyable

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄
🧝🏻‍♀️ Folklore
☀ Grumpy/Sunshine
△ Love Triangles

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓
Gisela is a water nymph who dreams of becoming a human again — all she needs if for a mortal to grant her a kiss. After finding out the local exorcist, Kazik, is struggling with his powers, she agrees to keep his secret in exchange for him playing matchmaker. Gisela quickly sets her sights on Aleksey, but he already has a past connection with Kazik. As the three become closer, more complications arise and Gisela’s very existence is at risk.

𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒
This was such a cute and whimsical read. This felt like a Little Mermaid retelling, but focused on Slavic folklore and had even more magical elements. My one complaint is that this was marketed as a queer, polyamorous romance, but it was really just a love triangle for the majority of the book. It was definitely set up to have a sequel, so we may see the relationship develop in later books. Overall, I gave this a 4/5⭐.

I enjoyed pretty much everything about this story and I’ll admit I couldn’t put the book down! It took me a while to get into it at first because I’ve been in a reading slump for months, but after some chapters I started devouring it.

Even though there was a tiny amount of predictability, this story never became boring to me. I was always thinking about what could be happening next and I’ll have to admit I found myself giggling, blushing and even gasping at various times: the banter between Kazik and Gisela, the way the characters interacted with each other, the amount of times I wished I could witness those scenes in real life or watch those same scenes as if they were in a movie!

There were moments beautifully written in which I could honestly imagine the whole thing as if it were right in front of my eyes. Some parts were pretty poetic, too. As someone who isn’t a native English speaker, I actually had the opportunity to learn some new words which was a bonus!

Overall, I’d suggest reading this novel if you like cozy and slightly mysterious romantic reads, focused on “feelings” rather than “adventure”. If you care more about the characters rather than the action, this is definitely the book for you!

FYI: there are three different POVs. The story is written in past simple tenses with a third person narrator. I’d say the reading level for non-native English speakers would probably be at least B2/Pre-advanced.

4.5 Stars
I had such a fun time reading this book. As someone Slavic, it was so nice to see a book with Slavic mythology and creatures. The cover is beautiful and the story inside is even prettier. It was the perfect blend of romance and world-building. By the time the book ended, I felt like I perfectly picture the town. The beginning was a bit slow because the characters and setting were being introduced. However, the payoff was worth it because I felt even more immersed in the story. I was tearing up by the end, and I can't wait for everyone to read it.

I can't wait to get a copy when it comes out!
-Thank you Net Galley and Peach Tree Teen for the ARC.

This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska is a wonderfully cozy, whimsical fantasy book perfect for enjoyers of the enemies to lovers trope, magical towns, queer stories, mermaid-adjacent characters, and fairytales.

Though this book is releasing in September, I couldn't help but start this novel almost as soon as I got the email notification saying I was approved for this ARC. And I'm happy to say I do not regret that decision.

This book was a fun YA fantasy focused on a young water nymph, an exorcist, and the boy they both fall for. It was fun, relatively low stakes for the most part, funny, and had some good banter between characters. The novel had a few twists/reveals that seemed like they were supposed to be shocking, but I felt like they were easy to see from fairly early on.

Regardless, I enjoyed reading this novel a lot and don't really have any complaints about it. I do think that the book could have possibly been a bit longer though, as the end felt kind of incomplete, even if the author did want the end to be more open. I'm personally hoping the way things ended just means that we'll get a sequel or a companion novella or something.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this story in advance!

I love a good fairytale retelling, especially a mermaid one. “This Fatal Kiss” had me hooked from the very beginning, and I found myself so captivated by the story and its characters. This was a retelling of “The Little Mermaid” but with Russian folktale elements, and I thought that it was well-executed in terms of a fairytale retelling. I loved the relationship between Kazik and Gisela, and I thought their dialogue was so fun and flirty. Gisela and Kazik are also great characters, I loved reading from each of their POVs. The folktale elements were handled well, and readers will learn a lot about Russian/Balkan mythical creatures. I wish that there had been some more world-development, because I was thinking that this story was set in a more traditional, historical village, but then the author would mention that there were radios and teams in the setting, and the fashion that the girls wore seemed more modern. I’m fine with more of a mixed-world setting, but I think that needs to be explained more by the author. The ending also didn’t really tie up any loose ends, but I’m just hoping that means we’ll get a sequel to this story. Finally, I really liked how the polyamorous love story was treated. I’ve never seen polyamory handled in a YA novel, and I thought that the author did a great job in creating characters who were not only pansexual-coded, but also polyamorous (which, in my opinion, is always the best way to handle a love triangle). Overall, I thought this was a great retelling of The Little Mermaid, and I can’t wait to start recommending it!