Run From Me: Poison & Wine

by Cristiana Janell

When headstrong Princess Ivy Crestieene of Iosnos is shipped across the sea to the more prosperous country of Asmye, a terrifying new husband meets her at the altar. Dropped into a treacherous, erotic, and toxic arranged marriage, Ivy is thwarted in her attempts to be a good wife and leader by her controlling husband, King Rian Garreau, and his court of religious fanatics, and violent devotees. While struggling to conceive an heir, the threat of violence looms heavy as she finds herself at the center of a decades long war and an unwilling convert into a dark, fantastical religion. After an attempt on Queen Ivy’s life, her new bodyguard becomes her closest friend and a window into the inner workings of Asmye. As Ivy adapts to her new life, her feelings for King Rian transform from beastly hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every hesitation. But Rian’s haunted past still hides in plain sight, churning the waves of their relationship and leading Ivy further down a path of temptation and into the arms of a mysterious new paramour. From debut author Cristiana JaNell comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends fantasy, romance, erotica, and blood magick into an engrossing and addicting read.

Genres: Romance

298 pages, Paperback

Published March 13, 2023

About the author

Cristiana JaNell is the combined talents of Marissa Cristiana Mortati and Rachel JaNell Cox. After meeting in 2020, they quickly became friends and soon after collaborative creative partners.

Born and raised in Southern California, Marissa found solace from the trials and struggles of growing up in stories. As the daughter of a liberal and free-spirited librarian, she indulged in books, movies, and TV of any genre and subject matter. Marissa wrote short stories throughout her schooling but left college to own and run a record label, The Redwoods. During the pandemic, she found her love for writing again.

Rachel Cox grew up in Kansas City and has traveled all over, including most of the States! Writing always was a piece of her, achieving an early Master’s Degree in Creative Writing and worked in production in Los Angeles for several years. She’s always making up songs to sing to her dog Cinnamon (who couldn’t care less) and is the biggest Swiftie you’ll ever meet. Follow her on Instagram @Racheljanell04

Reviews

[haleigh ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cannot lie, I’m usually quick to read books, but this took me a moment. It’s not that I didn’t like the plot, I just can’t get down with abuse. Rian’s character was so exhausting to read, and the endless cheating was also just repetitive. There were also POV switches within the chapters, which made the plot and narrator hard to follow. I’m still debating whether or not I want to read the second book. There was a lot to this world, but it felt as though we were thrown in it and had to figure it out as we went. I really wanted a more in-depth description of Ivy’s home and a more in-depth understanding on how Rian’s kingdom grew to its full power.

[Pamela B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of the book and I’m so glad. This story is wonderfully complex and beautiful. The captured nuance of relationships is incredible. Relatable, yet keeps you tethered to the world the book has built. Everything from the scenery to the characters is poetic and powerful. I feel connected to the characters and I can’t wait to see where this story goes!

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I happened to stumble across a TikTok from the author of this book describing a love triangle between characters inspired by Kylo Ren and the Mandalorian. Being a well rounded “nerd” and LOVING both Star Wars and Adam Driver I immediately ordered the books. I went into this series with no expectations and I was so intrigued by the plot. I both started and finished book one and two yesterday because I simply couldn’t put it down. I felt just as confused as the FMC because my MMC preference changed repeatedly throughout the books. By the end of book 2, I am solidly team Rian and am so excited for book 3!

[Shauny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC for this and I’m so happy I did. I’m obsessed with the story and the characters. I was really unsure at first as our story takes place during medieval times so there’s a list of trigger warnings that come along with that that you should definitely check before reading! But due to this, naturally our FMC is walked all over by the men in her life. However, we soon find out thay despite her lack of power over the status quo Ivy is a force to be reckoned with. She is fierce, independent and unafraid of having her voice heard.

The world building is so immersive, it blends romantasy with religion, betrayal, mystery and friendship. The characters and their stories are complex, the dynamics and relationships between them are so moreish.

I’m so unsure where I stand with Rian, is he morally grey with no idea how to show his true feelings or is he just a bad man? Luc I’m not keen on I’ll be honest, something feels off with him and I can’t pin what it is.

As soon as I finished this one I’ve started reading the next one which was also kindly sent to me. I’ve got no idea where the story goes from here but I’m so excited to find out.

[Landon Gulley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating chapter to chapter!

Already counting until the next book comes out! The story of Ivy is vividly told with exquisite details. Drawing you so deep into the story you can picture the entire story happening right in front of you. Definitely worth the read!

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A slow burn that captivates its readers and brings you along on a ride that you won’t forget. I laughed, I cried - it was such a fun read. I can’t wait for the next installment.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

TL;DR: Get some milk y’all, because this one is SPICY! My rating: 4.75 stars + 5 chili peppers of spice. Poison & Wine (Run to Me Series: Book 1), is a medieval, dark, erotica romantasy that includes themes of herbalism, Blood Gods, feminism, and extra steamy spice.

*This is my ARC review for Run From Me: Poison & Wine by Cristiana JaNell. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Trigger Warnings: Please note, this book includes themes of aggressive SA, blood, & domestic violence, though I will not go into explicit detail for those topics within my review, below.

Poison & Wine (Run to Me Series: Book 1), is a medieval, dark, erotica romantasy that includes themes of feminism, herbalism, Blood Gods, and extra steamy spice. Princess Ivy of Iosnos is forcefully sent off by her father to marry Rian, King of Asmye, for a political treaty between their two lands. After meeting her handsome husband for the first time at their wedding altar, Ivy quickly learns that Rian is not the kind, respectful husband she had hoped for, and that she is just an object for one purpose: an heir. While trapped amongst castle grounds and navigating a tumultuous relationship with the King, Ivy befriends her personal guard, a lethal warrior, called an Adeshbu. Though she has never seen his face beneath his helmet, Ivy and the Adeshbu’s companionship grows closer, and Ivy starts to feel emotional tugs and turmoil in new and different directions. In this story, we get to follow Ivy as she navigates toxicity, love, misogyny, lust, & attempts to carve out her own place and path in a male-dominated world.

Tropes include:
-enemies to lovers
-love triangle
-religious trauma
-forbidden romance

For me, this book is a solid 4.75 stars with 5 chili peppers of spice!

WHAT I LOVED:

-This author used some of the most beautiful, cinematic vocabulary, descriptions, and metaphors, that were far from stereotypical. I felt I was experiencing what I was reading, not just being told. For example:

“Her finger felt heavy, weighted by jewels and this commitment.”

“It stung like wet fire whipped against her skin.”

-I love that there was more of a focus on character-building versus world-building, as I typically find extensive world-building draining. A great author can make you love a character. A great author can also make you hate a character. However, an outstanding author can make you develop multifaceted and intricate feelings about a character. I found myself falling in love, falling out of love, hating, rinsing, and repeating with the characters in this book. I was so invested their arcs!

-I loved the parallels and commentary on societal norms that are steeped in misogyny, particularly when it came to the topics of feminism and queer folx. This quote hit:

“There isn’t a place in this world for women to choose. All our choices are illusions to placate us into docility. We are given bad options and they tell us we should be lucky to have the options at all.”

-I was SO THANKFUL to have spicy scenes that included authentic names of human anatomy, and didn’t solely rely on euphemisms. No “nubs” or “apex of thighs” here! Additionally, I love how much this story included herbalism. Perhaps I’m reading too much into it, but I’m definitely sensing some comparison between the blind, cult-like following of the harsh blood religion/church, versus the empathy and care of Ivy’s natural, herbal healing.

Bonus points for:
-Inclusion of queer characters:

“I would not sacrifice my happiness and lie for another’s comfort. Instead, I would sacrifice my whole life to know her love.”

-Body hair positive
-Character leads that have more than just the stereotypical cliches of what is considered physically “handsome” or “beautiful”
-A unique mythology involving Blood Gods
-Extra, and I mean EXTRA, spicy spice!

WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE:

-The things that I didn’t love about this book rely more on my own personal preferences. For me, I would have liked to have had a little bit less of the nonconsensual SA and DV. Going in hand in hand with that, I felt confused and absolutely infuriated at the times where Ivy still felt attraction and lust for her abuser. However, I do acknowledge the intricacies of these types of toxic relationships. Further, there were a few passages of dialogue throughout the book where I did get a bit lost trying to decipher which character said what. Though, this occurrence was not frequent, and did not hinder my understanding of the storyline. Finally, there were a few topics briefly mentioned, such as faeries within the forest, that were never quite developed. Perhaps they will be further expanded upon in the sequel.

IN CONCLUSION
I sincerely loved this book and have already secured the sequel in the Run From Me series! Poison & Wine is perfect for mature (18+) readers who love elements of fantasy, feminism, warriors, forbidden romance, and a HECK of a lot of spice.

[Leslie Pen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ivy’s character is quite intriguing. I enjoyed the book and the story, which I was hooked on from the start. I couldn’t put it down, and I could relate to her emotions throughout the narrative. However, I found it a bit strange how she kept shifting between her feelings. I know that in certain situations, you might not know what you want or who you want, but it felt weird to go back and forth so often. I understand when you’re unsure, but when you lie and change your mind in a single day or even in a single moment, it’s hard to relate to them. I felt more like she was the criminal rather than the victims, which was confusing and made me dislike her somewhat. But the book and the story was very captivating, and I absolutely adore the second one and third book. The first one was a bit harder for me because of her feelings, but as the story progressed, it only got better and better. If anyone has stopped reading from the first book, I highly recommend giving it another chance and reading the 2nd and third book because it’s worth it in the end.

[Sherleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I confess.......this book had me in a chokehold. What do you do when you are not in charge of your own life? When you are treated as means to a goal? When for the opposite sex you are a decoration, an object and they just want one thing out of you? I know! sometimes you want it to get over with, you become numb, you fight back, sometimes you give up, but always you want to be free. You are just a prisoner on your own beautiful, comfortable, golden cage. And a cage, no matter how beautiful will always be a cage! I found the plot of this book enticing (and at times enraging * read triggers*) and the characters mental health/development amazingly described (I could feel their angst). Sometimes I hate reading on my Kindle, because the end just sneak up on me like a snake. (I admit there was some yelling and the life of my Kindle was threaten, yet again!) This is amazing book but not for the faint of heart. I confess.....I can't wait to get my hands on book two!!

[Rachel Kistler · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book incredibly hard to follow. It jumped from so many characters perspectives without any warning that you just had to figure out who you were reading as. I did not enjoy the enemies to lovers (if you could even call them lovers) then back to enemies again. It was extremely bipolar, narcissistic, & just absolutely insane at some parts. The plot of the book was also super confusing. I’m not sure what the book exactly was about. It was super hard to follow at times & I caught myself rereading parts because I was so confused. Nevertheless I finished the book because I had no choice, this was a book club book & my homework was due. I would’ve given it a 0, but the 1 is strictly for Lily (iykyk).

[Kaela Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A praiseworthy debut novel, Run from Me: Poison and Wine is truly a compelling and addictive read. Ivy and Rian will force you to face the dark recesses of human nature, and challenge you to find understanding in the grey areas. As a reader you are engaged throughout the book with the author’s vivid descriptions and well-developed characters. The worldbuilding is rich and immersive -- blending together elements of fantasy, romance, religious conflict, and mystery. You’ll find yourself invested in these characters; the story undoubtedly leaves you wanting more. Lucky for us, this is just the first of the series.

[Tiffany O'Donnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this book after seeing the author advertise it on Tik Tok. I thought for a debut book it was really good! There were some instances where I was confused with what was going on and had to go back and re-read the paragraph a few times to understand. I felt like it jumped between characters perspectives without much transition which made it confusing at times. Some of the spicy scenes were really good and others felt forced and unnecessary. All in all, the story was good and kept me entertained. I read the book in just a few days and just started the second one! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes enemies to lover and slow burns.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so thankful I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Run From Me : Poison & Wine, because I fell in love! The interactions and relationships between the characters are top notch. Not only did I fall in love with the characters but also the imagery. The authors did a fabulous job making you feel like you’re in the scene. I will definitely be rereading Poison & Wine and I can’t wait to see what happens with Ivy!

[Lori Frye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely in love with this series! I went out on a limb and bought the trilogy at a book fair directly from the author. It’s dark. It’s spicy 🔥. It’s puts your entirely life into perspective especially when the author gets into the mistreatment of women. FMC is not some badass with a sword or magic powers. She’s cunning. She’s flawed, much like every woman is but she’s driven to change her fate. I’m already over halfway through book two!

[Kels · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 2.5 ⭐️…I’m not totally sure how I feel about this…the spice is pretty amazing but I wanted to learn more about this blood god and what magic is happening with that. There was a brief mention of fae and witches but it seemed like the fantasy aspect didn’t build much for me. Maybe we will get more of that in the next one!

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blessed to receive this book as an ARC read! This book was amazing and is one of my favorite reads of 2024! I fell in love with the characters and have a love/hate relationship with the King. I felt every emotion in this book and loved that the author made me feel like I was in the pages. How are more people not reading this book?!!!

[Ris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this and I’m anxious to start the second one. I have no idea which mans I love more I have times I am like wow maybe I hate Rian and sometimes Adon can just be a little too soft for my liking. I honestly feel like Rian and Ivy kinda both suck so they might be perfect together. I’m excited for more I have no idea what is gonna happen

[Katrina Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVE!!! I had an ARC and I can tell you that this book has everything you could want and more. The characters are extremely well written and thought out. Can’t wait for more! I’d rate this higher if I could!

[Tonya Wightman · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE! Powerful mix of love, obsession and betrayal. Very addictive read that is somewhat relatable in ways! Authors did an amazing job of making the book flow and draw your full attention!
Counting down the days until Poison and wine: Wildest dreams is released!!!!

[Miranda Meadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an Arc and do not regret this being my first! The storyline was amazing and had so many points that you love but makes you want to scream because of how obtuse the MMC is. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[ashley umoren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an arc of this book and I am so happy I did! This book was full of spice and burning all the way to the end. The main female character remained true to her strong self all through the book. I look forward to book two!

[Ashley Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book as an arc and am absolutely obsessed. The details of the characters and the story line are incredible. I 10/10 recommend reading just plan on being on the edge of your seat waiting for the next book.

[Austina McElroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book. Once I started this book I couldn't put it down. I read the whole thing in one day! The way the author describes the surroundings made me feel like I was there. Her character set ups made it easy for me to picture each character.

[Angie Willett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an intoxicating read from the start. Very satisfying 🔥 scenes and an intriguing storyline. The characters and their individual stories were my favorite parts and I can't wait to learn more about them in the next book!

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the twists in turns but all the twists and turns kept going to the same place so it was just a circle really. I was having a hard time figuring out POV or who was talking. But all in all I keep finding myself thinking back and “what if “ a lot of things.

[Jen D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard this started out as a Reylo story and immediately purchased without knowing a damn thing about the plot. As I read the first book, I realized that I started reading the AO3 version but wasn't able to finish it before it got pulled. I'm so glad I found my way back to the story! It was soooo good and we got smut in the very first chapter - an absolute must for any true Reylo fan. The FMC is strong and flawed in all the right ways. The slow decent into a love triangle made me feel like I truly didn't know which MMC to root for and I can't wait to find out who she ultimately ends up with.