As someone who is a fan of Falon Ballard's rom coms i was really interested to see her transition into the world of romantasy.
This book has a lot of different ideas going on at one time and I think some of them worked and some of them didn't. For instance, I enjoyed the magic aspect with the different gifts at the club and wish that we had explored those aspects more. Instead we delved in length about the political aspect country which felt less interesting and like something that has been done before. I also felt like the aspects with lady M and Harold got confusing with letters. There was a lot of information dumping happening that was overwhelming as a reader. I enjoyed the romance but it unfortunately fell into the category of instalove and felt like an after thought because of all of the other events happening in the book. I am interested to see how the rest of the story unfolds and will read book 2.

This cover immediately drew me in-I mean COME ON, it's stunning. Unfortunately, the story didn't quite live up to the hype caused by the cover or the comp titles of Moulin Rouge meets Macbeth. I had a hard time connecting with the main characters, and they ended up feeling overall one-dimensional. I can't believe me, of all people, is saying this, but I honestly wish there had been less focus on the sex and more on the actual story. For example, the magic/bonded aspects of the story are kind of just glossed over, and I would have loved some more insight into how those things work in this society and the implications. Overall, I just needed some more clarification, and maybe some more emotions and heart from the main characters versus just overall lust... cause that physical attraction was DEFINITELY there.

2.5 Stars Rounded Down
Pub Date: December 2, 2025

I’m having such conflicting feelings with this one.

The world building in this book was one of the primary issues that I had. The plot line was hard to follow, and I never felt a connection to any of the characters. There is a hint of a political plot, but it wasn’t executed well enough in my opinion. The last third of the book is when it definitely picks up, which is why this one redeemed itself a bit. I do think that there is a lot of information and action in the last 100 pages, and it honestly overwhelmed me.

I do realize that this book is about a courtesan, but there was just too much focus on the “sex lessons” for me. The first half of the book is just a lot of spice, as well as these lessons, which I didn’t enjoy as much. Sometimes there are scenes with the MCs where I felt no chemistry between them other than physical attraction.

However, that being said, I appreciate the way that this book is told from the courtesan’s POV, which is less common in books. I feel like a lot of the time, they are portrayed as the enemies, or just viewed as “lesser” in general, so that was definitely an upside to this book.

Thanks to Putnam for the gifted ARC!

I love Falon’s romance books and was really excited that she was getting into the Romantasy genre as well. This is a perfect way for her romance following to dive in to a little fantasy! It’s very basic magic that doesn’t need a whole lot of world building, with a lot of focus on the romantic relationship and some fantasy world politics. This has major Moulin Rouge vibes, so if you enjoy that and also Romantasy, you have to read this one!

I fear expectations were higher than the reality for this one. The concept was immaculate, but the execution just lacked depth in every single way. I had a relatively good time reading it, but the fantasy realm couldn't decide on a time period, I didn't like the instalove of the main characters, and I felt like the epigraphs interspersed tremendously undermined any suspense we could've had surrounding Lady M and Caterine. I get trying to introduce the MacVeighs and imply certain family ties, but I though it was a bad decision to tell the reader everything as it made me think Caterine was even more "perfect" in a very unlikeable way. I liked this more than I did Falon Ballard's contemporary romances, but I would say the quality is still worse considering I constantly just had to laugh reading it at times. I was going to rate it three stars, but if I can't use halves, based on how I described the reading experience to other people, it cannot be above a 5/10 experience. Good for a slump in the sense that it was quick, but not very enjoyable for me personally.

If you combined Hunger Games with Macbeth and Moulin Rouge you get Something Wicked! I have read all of Fallon's other books and I did not know what to expect from a romantasy standpoint. I really enjoyed reading this book! There was a lot of action, mystery, tragedy and romance- I could not put it down. I am not a huge romantasy reader, but I appreciated that the world building was easy to understand.

I loved Cate and Callum and how loyal they were to the people they loved. I am already looking forward to the second book in this series! This book does have an HEA but also has a bit of a cliffhanger that gives a hint as to what will be going on in the next book!

I recommend if you love romantasy or if you enjoy an action packed drama filled romance!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

what a beginning to a new romatasy series!! i have been reading falon ballard’s books since her debut contemporary romance and to see her step into her first adult fantasy was an absolute privilege! the heat, the lore, the characters you can’t help but feel for at every turn- you best believe i ate this up!

now, my only (minuscule) complaint would be how potentially shallow their relationship was perhaps 🫣 they were fairly lust based, but they have the space in the series to develop further, here’s hoping!!

Overall, this is a fast, steamy, and easy read—perfect for anyone looking to get out of a reading slump.

For a fantasy novel, the world-building is pretty minimal, and nothing is overly complex, which makes it super accessible. The FMC is a talented courtesan with a unique gift: she can influence people’s emotions when they orgasm in her presence. The MMC needs some emotional healing, and a big chunk of the story takes place in the bedroom. Their dynamic shifts from enemies to lovers, and there are definitely plenty of spicy scenes. I found their relationship romantic and engaging, and I really enjoyed the overall vibe of the book.

There’s a bit of political intrigue sprinkled in, but it’s all easy to follow—nothing too deep or hard to grasp. While the FMC and MMC do face some challenges, everything is resolved fairly easily. In the end, it’s a fun, steamy book that’s great for passing the time, though it’s not the kind of story that’ll leave you thinking long after.

Big thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons & NetGalley for the ARC! All thoughts are my own.

Okay this is totally on me. I did NOT read the plot description otherwise I would have never requested an arc for this book. But I’ve really enjoyed some of Falon’s other light hearted romances and so when I saw the cover of this with the blurb about Macbeth and that it was her first step into romantasy, it was an instant add to the TBR. However, this book was definitely not for me, to me it felt like a fever dream written while miss girl was ovulating, dnf for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

I really enjoyed reading this book! The combination of romance, magical elements, and political intrigue makes for an incredibly interesting read. Perfect for fans of the romantasy genre— this book offers a fresh and exciting take with an engaging narrative. I’m also so so so so OBSESSED with the cover omg!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

I absolutely love Falon Ballard. I will read anything she puts out. This is a different genre then I normally read from her and I'm not sure how I feel about it. The premise was good but the instalove was somewhat rough. I am interested to read the second book even though this seemed like a rough draft. There were some sections that I feel I skimmed through.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the early copy. The above opinions are my own.

rating: 2.75★

Moulin Rouge meets Lady Macbeth is a very intriguing concept, but unfortunately it's just not executed well here.

The world building is pretty flimsy. We're introduced to the idea of the Gifted, individuals who are born with their own unique gifts, but beyond that there isn't really much explanation to them or how that magic system works. There's also the idea of Bonding between someone gifted and someone not, but that's also not fully explained. I also think only women seem to be Gifted, but that's also not really explicitly spelled out from what I remember.

The whole Moulin Rouge x Macbeth, mashup frankly was pretty messy. I thought it was kind of odd that she just straight up used Harold's name from Moulin Rouge as the bordello owner, but also he was such a barely present character for how much of a central point he was, it was very odd. I also don't really understand why anyone would think the owner of a dance hall is the best option to lead a country.

Lady M enters the picture with zero background, which is also never really explained either. One second Harold is bemoaning the financial ruin of the dance hall, and then next thing you know, he just suddenly has a girlfriend? wife? Who is suddenly now just paying for it all. She's also a pretty flat, one dimensional villain, which is really unexciting these days in fantasy.

The love story between Caterine and Callum is instalust without much depth, which was disappointing. I also feel like this is a case of an author not having fleshed out characters with interesting flaws that have me intrigued and really falling in love with them. It was just overall very meh, Callum has like five minutes of resistance to her before he goes back on his promise to himself to not… Allow himself to be vulnerable to her power lol.

I'm kind of at a loss about the world building. Why do the royals seem to just be able to run around without bodyguards / random people wandering their home? security? Why would any random person who kills the monarch get to take over? What time period is this supposed to be in/fashioned after?

Overall, this is definitely been one of my more disappointing reads this year. I think this could do with a lot more work on the worldbuilding and characters, and if she's trying to lean into romantic with the romance leading, there could definitely be more work on building that relationship in more effective ways.

an honest arc review ♡

I liked this story and hope that the author continues to write more of the sisters and Callum. The pacing felt a little too quick at times and it caused me to get confused or feel like I missed critical information. I enjoyed the romantasy element of this book though and the couple felt believable.

I am a self-admitted book worm, and I have been the majority of my life. I typically gravitate towards more suspenseful books. I have, within the past couple of years, started reading “romantasy.” Because of this, I was very excited to read this book.

I have read a few of Fallon’s previous books, so I was a bit surprised when I read the description of this book. I have to admit that the plot description definitely intrigued me. I will say that, which it did take me a few chapters to get into this book, once I got into it, I was hooked.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although it is different from Fallon’s previous books, I really liked how the characters where developed. I also liked being able to solve a bit of a mystery. I am very sad to be done with this book. I cannot wait to see what happens next in the series.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you for the opportunity to read this advanced copy!

Moulin Rouge blends with Macbeth sold me on this title. It has a really unique premise and I liked the way it was formatted— dual POV, journal excerpts, news paper clippings, etc..

However, I had some issues with the execution. There is essentially no world building so you jump right into the plot with no background information on how Gifts work, why people have them, really anything. This book is explicit but at the writing didn’t feel deep, and lacked the prose I’m looking for to juxtapose the explicit scenes. It left me feeling like the writing felt unfinished.

While I do think you are able to understand the motives behind the characters actions you don’t see any character growth. They feel the same from beginning to end.

Overall, I like the concept but didn’t like the execution.

First of all—can we take a moment to appreciate how stunning this cover is?

I absolutely loved this book! It gave off serious Moulin Rouge vibes, which I’m totally here for. The storyline was captivating, and I found myself quickly drawn to the characters. Callum and Caterine’s relationship was a definite highlight for me—I adored their dynamic and chemistry! I do wish there had been a bit more explanation around what it truly meant for them to be “bonded,” as that concept intrigued me.

Also, the inclusion of journal entries throughout the book was such a brilliant touch. They blended seamlessly with the narrative and added an extra layer of depth to the story!
Thank you NetGalley for the digitally advanced readers copy!

Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for this arc.

First of all, can we talk about how amazing the cover is? That immediately drew me in to the book. The world building was solid and the romance was fairly spicy (not super spicy). It was a lovely romantasy.

Something Wicked captivated me with its alluring cover and the enticing description that promised a blend of Moulin Rouge—one of my favorite plays—and Macbeth. However, while the story begins with great promise, the characters quickly reveal themselves to be one-dimensional. The romance that develops throughout is primarily based on lust, and the lore is either poorly explained or ignored altogether. The author doesn't sufficiently elaborate on the magic of the world and how it operates, leading to an underwhelming and disappointing experience, especially for a novel with so much potential. Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook.


Wowza! Ballard hasn’t written anything like this before, and I honestly didn’t know what to expect. If you’re looking for a romantasy pick, this is a pretty solid one.

The setting picks up right after an uprising and the fall of a monarchy. We follow Callum (former prince, now trying to become president) and Cate (a Gifted woman whose powers are strongest through intimacy—yes, you read that right). Callum has to make the impossible decision to kill his own father just to maybe have a future, and while he definitely doesn’t trust the Gifted, there’s an instant connection with Cate.

The characters felt believable overall, but I did have some issues with the dual POV. Callum and Cate sounded very similar in tone for the first half, which kind of pulled me out of it. Also, this is easily the spiciest thing Ballard has written—like, very spicy. I’m not complaining, but it felt a little too technical at times? Especially considering a big part of the setting is a sex club, it somehow managed to feel graphic without being all that emotionally charged.

There’s also this whole “bonded” thing that comes up, but it’s never really explained. Like... what does that mean? Is it a fated mate situation? Is it just a Gifted thing? Suddenly Callum and Cate are bonded and getting married, and we just kind of roll with it.

The rebellion itself, the mysterious leader (August Sotello), and the background of what the Gifted went through pre-Uprising all felt kind of vague. There are repeated details, but not a ton of depth. I did really like the journal entries from other characters—such a cool way to tie things together. I can tell this is going to be a series (I’m guessing the other sisters are next?), and I’m definitely in for more. But as a full story, this first book felt a little underdeveloped.

Something Wicked is an immensely enjoyable romantasy with impeccable Moulin Rouge with magic vibes. The Gifted of the kingdom are women with powers whose rights are severely limited: no more than 10 allowed in any one place, they must be sponsored by a man, and they are forbidden from having children. The story begins with an uprising that overthrows the monarchy. Caterine lives and works at a pleasure club where she manipulates clients' emotions during sex who finds herself helping Callum, the former king's son who is forced to kill his father if he wants to stay in power. Their chemistry is top notch and sustains the majority of the book. The story falters once the action picks up in the last act but the journey is more important than the destination in this case.