Hm, I certainly worry my most feared suspicions were correct and my favorite part of reading this book might have been the cover 😔

Truthfully, I was pretty engrossed in the first 30% and I wholly bought into the premise from the start but by the time the characters were actually interacting, I found that a) the bond thing was so not fleshed out & very surface-level in a way that came off as insta-love with a side of “Mine” and b) their chemistry was not really much to write home about…

I did really enjoy the setting of La Puissance and certain aspects of the world-building worked well but truly majority of it felt half-baked & not in a way that even felt like it was in favor of the romance?

Finally, my biggest issue was with the subplot regarding Harold & Grecia (which ties in to the “Bonding” situation) and how I feel like it was never really explained why their bond was taintable (and Cate and Callum’s were not?)


Also, once I was past the 70% mark, there was a certain character death that fully took me out of the book, for some reason the logical implications + the fact that it just felt pointless in regards to the narrative…it just hurt idk I knew then I was going to complain about it in my review


Overall, this was my first time reading this author’s work & I know this is meant to set up a series (which I might quit while I’m ahead) but I would love to read their other works bc it was pretty decently written and paced, it just felt a bit like an obvious venture from the author’s comfort zone regarding the fantastical world-building but sticking to the contemporary romances may work more for me!

thank you so so much to netgalley and penguin group putnam for this arc to review!

Rating: 3.5 stars
Thank you Putnam Books for sending me an advanced e-copy of this book! As soon as I heard Falon Ballard had a Macbeth x Moulin Rouge inspired book coming out, I knew I absolutely had to read it. The cover art is gorgeous, and I’m a huge fan of Ballard’s contemporary romances. The chemistry between Cate and Callum was off the charts. I LOVED the idea of her ‘teaching’ him with the both of them having ulterior motives behind their meetings. Cate was an incredible lead, I absolutely loved reading chapters from her perspective. Callum on the other hand was a bit of a struggle for me because his prejudice was so unfounded, and it seemed as if he had no real principles and beliefs that he stood behind. I understanding changing your ways as you grow and learn new information, but his character growth felt instantaneous and not very realistic. I really loved the letters that were between chapters that allow you to predict and guess where the story is going. The premise of this book is so interesting, but as I was reading it some parts just fell a bit flat. I wished the world building and magic systems were a bit more immersive. I also wished we would’ve gotten to know the side characters a bit more, so I’m hoping for them to shine through in the next book. I would recommend this for fans of spicy contemporary romance as the fantasy elements in this are very minimal.

Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing this book.

While I loved the premise of this novel--anything Macbeth-related tends to be a major win for me--and am obsessed with its absolutely gorgeous cover, I just couldn't get into it no matter what I tried. The writing felt stilted and hollow to me, with the author telling us more about the world than showing it organically. On top of that, the dialogue and I did NOT get along. It oftentimes read as unnatural and I couldn't really suspend my disbelief enough to believe that people were leading conversations like this.

I definitely tried to give it an honest shot though, and I do think it has a really interesting foundation. It may not have been my cup of tea, but I sincerely hope it finds it audience and is well-received on pub day.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an early copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Where do I even start here?

I will say the cover is great, and the concept of the story made me so excited to read it. But dear god….

This is an incredibly creative take on romantasy that somehow missed the mark on all the best parts of the genre. The world building was mediocre at best full with holes all over the place, the pacing was in rocket speed & nowhere near a slow enough burn to actually believe the characters were “in love”, and the plot was flimsy, messy, and read like a dramatic lifetime movie.

I would argue that the pacing of a good fantasy novel can make or break its strength. And this kind of pacing is a skill we don’t all have….

& don’t even get me started on the severely cringey dialogue

Despite all of the flaws, part of me actually really enjoyed this. It was very entertaining and showed small, albeit brief, moments of some truly creative storytelling.

I would have loved for a better, more flushed-out structure and character development, but some sick part of me would read the second one, and idk what that says about me as a reader.

Something Wicked by Falon Ballard is book #1 in the Idle Reputations series and is an enemies-to-lovers, romantasy.

Lady Caterine is a gifted courtesan at La Puissance, Avon’s premiere sex club. She has magical abilities to manipulate people’s emotions after they orgasm in her presence (woo ). Callum is the son of the recently dethroned king and determined to lead his land, but to do so he will need to make a difficult decision, so he turns to Cate for help. While they both have ulterior motives, they ultimately have an immense connection and bond. The further into this story I got, the more I enjoyed it. I could have used more details in the beginning explaining the gifts, land, and people. It is definitely spicy and I loved how Callum and Cate’s relationship progressed. I did struggle with some of the timing of the book, unsure at times how much time had passed. Overall, I did enjoy this book and am excited to see where the series goes in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Something…totally different! This was not at all what I expected from Falon Ballard, and I loved it. Very unique, this was a super spicy romantasy with room for a sequel- I need to know what happens next!

Oh man, Something Wicked has such good potential. It was fine, but it could have been fleshed out better. I feel like a lot of authors are running to the "romantasy" genre because it is so popular but when it comes down to the plot, it lacks depth and jumps straight into the smut.

I needed more to really love this and for it to click. The characters and their relationships, the magic, the world building, the politics... It was all surface level and a little confusing. There were moments that had me laughing from the banter and some of the spicy parts were GREAT.

Overall, I probably won't continue this series.

As a fan of both Macbeth and Moulin Rouge, I was intrigued to read this story, but found it lacking. I am saddened by this fact, though, as I found the cover and concept both eye catching.

This romance novel nods toward Macbeth, Moulin Rouge, but only in aesthetics and theme—not in substance. The setting of La Puissance has potential, with its moody glamour and hints of magic, but it remains mostly backdrop rather than a fully realized world.

At its core, the story explores the tension between love and ambition, most clearly through a burlesque house manager whose pursuit of power is heavily influenced by his wife’s greed—a clear echo of Shakespeare. Unfortunately, most of the characters fall flat, serving more as archetypes than compelling individuals. The one exception is the male lead, whose journey through overcoming prejudice gives the story some emotional weight.

While the book plays with bold inspirations, it ultimately plays it safe. Fans looking for rich character work or sweeping romance may find the premise more promising than the payoff.

Came for the cover, stayed for the plot!!

This was such a fun spin on a moulin rouge-esque storyline and I absolutely loved it! I do feel like it could’ve been slightly shorter without losing anything, but overall such an amazing read!!

Def recommend for both your shelf and your brain.

I am devastated that I didn’t end up liking this more. The cover is stunning and it’s based on Moulin Rouge? Sold! It just wasn’t developed enough for me. I needed more.

A book inspired by Macbeth AND Moulin Rouge?! So you know there's gonna be drama...and there was.

I did find that the beginning was more interesting and action-packed than the end (which is quite a unique feat that I don't think I've ever experienced). We've got political drama, familial drama, assassinations, magic, and a very unique world. (You can definitely see some aspects from both inspirations in this fantastical world, which was really cool.)

I wanted a bit more oomph from this book. I wanted a little more depth and development (arc) to these characters, I wanted some more worldbuilding and more explanation to the worldbuilding (it didn't feel quite fully finished when it came to the world at some points in the story).

Overall, this was a pretty cool book that I sped through rather quickly. I heard that this author usually does contemporary romcoms? I might have to take a look at some of those. I'd be interested to compare and see how she took elements of this from that. I love when authors try something new, getting into a different genre.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

this book has a beautiful cover and the description sounded so good! I think the romance knocked it out of the park but the plot fell flat. I wish we got more information about the world, magic, and uprising! hopefully we get answers in the next book! I do really love the writing style and will probably read one of the authors other books!

2.5 rounded up.

The cover is beautiful, absolutely stunning! Between the moulin rouge vibes, the synopsis, and the absolutely STUNNING cover, I knew I had to read this book. The chemistry between Cate and Cal was undeniable. I loved the pull they had toward each other and the spice was definitely spicy!

However. This was a rare occasion where I think more worldbuilding would have been helpful. Outside of the scenes between Cate and Cal, I didn't feel like I knew anything about the characters. The magic was very interesting, but I felt it needed to be expanded upon. This includes the motives of characters and the uprising. The pacing was slow and at one point I was so sure the book was over only to find I was just 60% done. It's possible that this would be better suited for a novella. Regardless I can't deny I had some fun reading it.


Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve really enjoyed some of Falon Ballard’s contemporary romances (witty, charming, and fun!) so was excited to see her put her talents towards a new genre - romantasy.

In some ways, it was a success. She built a glamorous world where courtesans at a Moulin Rouge-esq house have varying magical powers. They are thrown into a world of politics turmoil and betrayal as they try to figure out who they can trust. Plus the cast of characters are fun - you have the chemistry & emotional connection between Cal and Cate, the character we all love to hate in Lady M, and the supporting cast to build out the story. All in all, a fun premise.

But the book falls a little flat for me. I wish everything had been built out a bit more: the characters (e.g., what are their motives? What is behind the relationships that give them depth and make them meaningful?), the magic (e.g., what do bonds entail? Are only women gifted?), the politics and rebellion (e.g., what changes do the rebellion foresee? Is moving from a monarch to a president actually enough?)

In summary: not a bad read. And I’m hopeful that with the sequel we get a little more depth.

Thank you to Falon Ballard, Penguin Group, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

I was really excited when I received this arc due to the cover, description, and the fact it gives off moulin rouge vibes. It did not end up being a book for me though. I did not enjoy it nor did I vibe with the characters. There was some plot but a ton of spice. If you love spicy spicy reads then this is for you. I just couldn’t get into it and eventually dnf it at 40% in.

Thank you so much NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read this.

I love Falon Ballard's Rom-Coms so I was very excited to see she was writing a Romantasy, especially when seeing it was Moulin Rouge inspired. The romance was was engaging; however, the world wasn't quite as well-developed as I had hoped it would be in the book. Nonetheless, I was very entertained and will be reading the next book in the series when it comes out!

rating — 2.5 out of 5 stars.

unfortunately, my short n sweet streak with beautiful covers and intriguing premises has come to an end. believe me, i am devastated. i fucking love moulin rouge! i just reread macbeth last year! this seemed like fate. alas, it was just a series of sex scenes wrapped in paper thin world building. tragic.

i will start off and say that the beginning had promise. it certainly started off with a bang (lol), but i was intrigued by the setup, and i loved the idea of tying in a magical gift with a courtesan on the level of satine from moulin rouge. however, it quickly fell apart in terms of offering any kind of explanation for, well, anything in this fantasy world. what is the all-important rebellious rising? great question! i have no idea who they are (apart from a couple of letters sent from their leader?) and “fighting” was only vaguely mentioned a couple of times. yet somehow they are so strong that they got the monarchy to just… step down? where are the signs of destruction in the cities/country? how long has this been going on?

i understand this is a series and you don’t want to reveal everything in the first book, but the author didn’t reveal a single thing at all. i am, in fact, incredibly confused about the state of the country (?) and its political upheaval, which is an interesting choice to make in a book that has a plot centering on the consequences of said political upheaval. i honestly feel like it would’ve been a better choice to focus strictly on cate & callum’s relationship with a greater expansion of the “gifted” system (and the bonds???? bc wtf was that thrown in halfway) instead of trying to do all of this without following through on explaining any of it. it’s a shame, because like i said, i do think it started off with a very unique premise. i just wanted… more.

Something Wicked was a fun and easy read that blends romance with a touch of magic and rebellion. I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers tension between Cate and Callum—it gave the story a good spark, and their dynamic kept me turning the pages.

The magical element, especially Cate’s emotion-based power, added an interesting twist, and I liked seeing how that played into the politics and power struggles in their world. It’s definitely a shift from Falon Ballard’s usual rom-coms, but it still carried her signature voice and charm.

I had a nice time reading it.It’s the kind of book that’s perfect for when you want something enjoyable with a bit of romance, fantasy, and sass without having to think too hard.it’s just nice to dive into a story that doesn’t take itself too seriously and lets you enjoy the ride

2.5 ⭐️

Falon Ballard is a favorite of mine, so when I saw that she was writing romantasy I was excited and intrigued, but then unfortunately I was a bit let down by this. The beginning was a bit rough because Callum is so stubbornly prejudiced beyond reason that it makes his point of view hard to get through. Beyond that, the conflict of this book is just so confusing to me, and I think if there was more depth to the world building maybe that wouldn’t be so. None of the Gifted characters we’re familiar with in this story seem to have intimidating gifts, so it was hard to understand why their societal leaders were so scared of them. As for the plot with Lady M, I don’t understand why any of the Gifted would follow her, particularly the ones at La Puissance, so it just made the whole ordeal feel unbelievable.

As for the positives, I do think that the idea for the book was very unique and not something I’ve seen in a romantasy before. Cate’s gift was an interesting idea. Along with that, I do think the chemistry between Cate and Callum was off the charts, so the spicy seems between them were a highlight, even if their relationship itself was a bit insta-lovey and hot and cold for my taste.

I likely won’t continue to read books in this world, as it’s not for me, but I’ll definitely still be tuned in for Falon Ballard’s future contemporary releases.