I loved this book! It was damn near perfect. Thank you so much to Tor for sending a copy my way of this beautiful masterpiece. I literally knew when I saw this cover and learned it was a queer read, that I needed it to be mine and boy was I right. I devoured But Not Too Bold. It was weird, it was creepy but it was also beautifully written. I could tell our arachnid, human “master” was going to fall for Daila, she is interesting and doesn’t show fear and just wants to please Anatema. And really just help her, and Anatema hasn’t had that before. I loved the gothic vibe. And the murders and mysteries. I really could just read this book over and over. I also do wish we got a full blown story here. I will totally pick up more by this author.
I’d recommend this book to the weirdos, the monster lovers and the queers.

I don't really know how to review this because I'm still not entirely sure what I read. The imagery was great. Gothic and descriptive and downright creepy. I hate spiders so that was a challenge to get though. But also I have absolutely no idea what this book was about - I had a really hard time picturing what was going on and following the plot. This is a vibes only read. Thank you tordotcom for the review copy! I need to sit on this one for a bit.

I will start by saying I am not a monster romance girl but the writing of this novella made it easy to look past the eight legged elephant in the room lol this was both atmospheric and supremely creepy/icky in the best way. I wish it was a little longer/more fleshed out but I really did enjoy it.

You ever walk into a place so stunning you almost forget to be afraid? Bold But Not Too Bold lures you in with its sumptuous, almost decadent atmosphere—the kind of house that whispers promises of grandeur, of secrets worth uncovering. It’s mesmerizing, intoxicating. But beneath the gilded beauty lies something far more sinister, something that doesn’t just lurk in the shadows—it invites you in, lets you marvel at its elegance before wrapping you in its horrors.

The creeping dread is exquisite, the kind that coils tighter with every page, refusing to let go until it’s good and ready—or until it decides you’re done for. But here’s where it stumbles: the ending. After all that delicious tension, all that mystery, I wanted more. More teeth, more revelation, more something to make the final moments hit as hard as the dread leading up to them. Instead, it left me feeling like I’d been promised a feast and given a single, tantalizing bite.

Still, if you’re craving an eerie, atmospheric read that will keep you on edge, this is one to add to your TBR—just be prepared to leave the last page wanting.

A sapphic monster romance with no smut!
Such an Interesting read
The world is based in our own reality so the parts that have to be explained have their place
A short story but an interesting read hits the points.
Took me a moment to get the visual of our monster but once it clicked it clicked!

There is an audience for this book, but I don't think it's me.

I loved how the author described spider-lady Anatema's movements. It felt so visceral and gross and bizzare in the best way.

But I'm a girly who needs the backstory, the intrigue, and this was very much a "we're staying in the moment" book. And that's understandable considering it's a novella with limited space, but gosh I'd love a prequel or a spin-off about the other Archaic Ones.

The writing was great and well-paced. Added lots of new words to my personal dictionary.

I think my main problem with this is that it just didn't pull me in. Which, again, just means I'm not the right reader. Still a fun read and it didn't take too long.

Thank you NetGalley & Tor for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

When the publisher reached out to me, I was hesitant because monster romance is not really my thing. However, when I saw The Shape of Water in the blurb, it definitely peaked my interest more. Sapphic spider romance with no spice! A little creepy, a little weird, and incredibly atmospheric.

If you’re in the mood for something unique and quick that you can read in a few hours, I recommend!

Amazing and atmospheric, the characters and world are so very real. A great gothic read that manages to be cozy despite the horror that runs throughout it. A near perfect novella

This is a novella that I would describe as a sapphic monster romance kind of but super gothic. So there’s a spider, a giant humanoid spider who is very wealthy and lives on a fancy estate in hiding and just like dracula she takes brides and if you piss her off, she eats you. Which I mean fair enough, I get it. Relatable especially today in 2025. We do have a mystery about some ancient keys she has to protect that are stolen. It’s under 100 pages so I can’t say much without giving away the entire book but it’s a weird one. Definitely a book you want to read this cold dark February, it fits the mood.

I really appreciate that Pueyo didn't underplay the grotesque, monstrous nature (physical or otherwise) of Anatema in order to justify the romance, which I see all too often in monsterfucker books. Let people love problematic giant spiders with one thousand legs and an inhuman voice! I loved the folktale-esque writing style and was pleasantly surprised at how weird the world felt without getting bogged down in too much worldbuilding.

But Not Too Bold was an intriguing short story that straddled the line between horror and romance. I enjoyed the writing; it was very atmospheric and settled you into the world very quickly. I would say though that I probably wasn't really the target audience for this novella, which is why I think other people will enjoy it more than I did. Would recommend if you're in the market for a quick sapphic monster read!

I’ve learned that I love monster horror romances, and I will not be apologizing for it. This was such an interesting and fun reading experience. If you have read Thrum by Meg Smitherman you’ll love this. The dynamic between the main characters and their love interests are very similar and not just because they’re both monsters.
I loved this novella I could not put it down. It’s a quick read, I read it in a couple of hours. The pacing was excellent. The mystery of the book feels easy to solve, but there was a nice little twist that I enjoyed. The romance had me kicking my feet. I just really enjoyed this book and need everyone to read it. Thank you netgalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

I fear this is one of the few times I'm at a disadvantage for being terrible at visualizing things while I'm reading because wtf just happened...
I like the gothic vibes though.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

In But Not Too Bold we are following Dália who is tasked with not only succeeding the last keeper of the keys of the Capricious House (after her untimely devouring) but also with a mystery to solve lest she be next on the menu. But does Anatema want to devour Dália or does she want to DEVOUR Dália?

This was so lush and atmospheric and WEIRD and I really loved every moment of it. My only criticism was it could have been longer and honestly???? hornier.

This was such a fascinating book. I loved the incorporation of tarantulas in the every day lived of the people of the house. It was interesting to see how they adapted and used the to their advantage. I also loved that they kept some of them as pets. I own a pet store so it was double fun for me to recognize the different spider species that I have had in my shop. I liked the characters and thought that they were interesting, Dalia was enduring enough for the had she was dealt. Anatema was absolutely delightful and horrifying all at once. The plot and story line was not what I expected and the ending I really didn't envision. All in all I loved this book. Pueyo has delivered a deliciously unhinged and lyrical book that I will definitely be revisiting in the future.

Thank you to TOR and Hache Pueyo for this ARC!

Do you ever read a book and then realize everyone else loved it, leaving you wondering if you even read the same story because you absolutely hated it? Yeah... that’s exactly how I feel about this book.

🕷️What did you love the most?
Maybe monster romances aren’t for me? At least this one wasn’t. The only things I genuinely enjoyed were the ambiance and the fact that this book was super short (128 pages, to be exact). The atmosphere was deliciously creepy, cramped, and dark. I devoured that part.

The rest? It felt like a bizarre fever dream. The mystery started strong but fizzled out, leaving me confused and disconnected.

🕷️What to expect:
Ancient spider lady 🕸️
Sacrificial brides 🩸
Locked-room mystery with eerie vibes 🔐

🕷️How was the romance?
I honestly don’t even know how to describe it. Was there even a romance? Or was it more about fulfilling a role you were trained for? There was zero relationship development.

If you’re confused reading this, welcome to my world. 🌀

🕷️Do you recommend this book?
Look, I’m definitely an outlier here because it seems like everyone else loved this weird, quirky novel. The concept was fascinating, but the execution fell completely flat for me. If you're into experimental romances and unsettling vibes, maybe you'll have better luck than I did. 📖

But Not Too Bold is so odd, and so beautiful and so compelling. It's oddly, beautifully-compelling.

I am almost at a loss for words. It felt at times like I didn't understand it, but I did, at the same time. The themes, the descriptions, the gorgeous characterizations, it felt instinctual, though I can't necessarily explain it coherently. In fact, this is much less of a coherent narrative style than I tend to enjoy, but I fell in love with the writing instantly, so just decided to roll with it and I'm so glad I did!

This is a Queer Fantasy Horror novella, of which I shall say nothing of the plot. It's only 112-pages and well-worth the read. The synopsis lays out everything you need to know going in, but even with that, I feel you'll still be surprised at the depths to which this story will take you. It felt like falling down a dark, whimsical, dangerous rabbit hole, from which there's no escape.

I loved the main character, Dália. There was something so relatable about her. I was also surprised at how intrigued I was by the mystery that Dália is trying to solve. More than that, I was shocked by the emotional impact this little story has. How is it possible to pack this much punch into such a small space?

Somehow, Pueyo succeeded in doing just that. The conclusion was gorgeous. My only small gripes would be that there were a couple of details I felt weren't adequately fleshed out, and also, I wish this were a little longer.

Overall though, I am so pleased with this. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Fantasy Horror, or stories that feel like modern folklore. Also, a bonus if you are looking for Queer, or female-centered dark fiction.

This novella starts out with the keeper of the keys of Capricious House dead, and now Dalia, the old keeper's protegee, must take over. Her job is to lock and unlock little drawers that the Lady of the house keeps her memories locked in. The owner of the house, Anatema, is a humanoid spider who continues to look for human brides, but always ends up eating them and taking their memories. Dalia is stuck though as the prior keeper of keys was killed as Anatema thought she was stealing from her, so Dalia must lock herself in with Anatema to determine if she was wrong about who the thief was. The rest of the novella follows Dalia as she tries to figure out who the thief is while getting to know Anatema.

I thought this was an interesting concept and wish it would have been more of a novel rather than a novella, so that the author could have developed everything more. There were many cool aspects like how everyone had a spider, the brides and their memories, but it all needed to be flushed out more. I did like that it was a sapphic monster romance book - didn't really seem like a horror book though, more like a mystery/thriller.

"Be bold, but not too bold.

Open this and be ready to be enchanted.

A mansion but not like others. There are monsters in this world - Archaic ones - and they are not like us and, yet, this one wants to be near us. It took a minute for me to fall into the rhythm of the story. The Key Keeper, the memories, the brides - it all took a chapter or two to wrap my head around. And then i was completely entranced. Who was this Dalia and how did she know all these little things? I loved getting to know those in the house as she investigated and I giggled at the wonders in the end. What a great story. I loved it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Absolutely beautiful! A seamless blend of fantasy, horror, and Gothic romance. I loved Dália, Anatema, and the crackling tension between them. Gorgeous evocative worldbuilding, vivid visuals, and striking themes make this one you should not miss.