Under Lock and Key

by Sarah Zane

A sapphic dark cozy fantasy romance retelling of the story of Bluebeard about a blue haired temptress innkeeper and the mysterious woman who wanders into her inn and falls for her charms.

Delphine has a deadly secret that she keeps safely locked away. Cursed to be a danger to anyone she falls in love with, she has done everything she could to protect herself and others by staying isolated at her inn in a cozy, forgotten corner of Somerset. She was lonely, but she was safe and content.
Until a gorgeous girl with her own dark secret wanders into her inn and into her life, and cursed or not, Delphine is determined to keep her.

One thing is for certain, at the Sapphire Siren Inn, some doors are better left unopened.

Genres: Lesbian, LGBT, Romance, Retellings

112 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2024

About the author

Sarah is an author of happy endings for traumatized queers. As a bisexual, it should be shocking to no one that she has more than one genre she loves and writes. She writes across genres but guarantees that a Sarah Zane book will always be queer and always have a happy ending eventually. She has a particular fondness for writing sapphic pairings since they tend to be underrepresented in books. She lives in New England with her 2 black cats named Gatsby and Mr. Darcy. When she isn't writing, she can be usually be found taking forest walks, visiting castles, planning exotic trips she can't afford, or cuddled up with one of her cats crying over fictional characters or yelling at them about how badly they need therapy.

Reviews

[Cassie ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the story. I quickly got really invested in the characters and their mysteries. I do wish there was a little more world building ,especially since there seems like there is more to the story. I don't think the epilog was really necessary, unless there are more books coming out. Over all, I really enjoyed this!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Lez_be_readin_ya · Rating 3 out of 5]

All in all, it was a good book. I enjoyed the concept and the connection between the two main characters. I also enjoyed the storyline. The chemistry between Delphine and Loralie was undeniable and sweet. The book is easy to read and fast-paced. I recommend it if you want a quick dark romance.

Star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating. 🔥

I received a reviewer copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Under Lock and Key by Sarah Zane was a quick and interesting read. It was a take on the tale of Bluebeard, which, admittedly, I had never heard before. That did not hinder the story. It captured my attention immediately and held it throughout. I found both main characters likable. The supporting characters were a fun addition, especially Coal. Secrets were revealed at the end, and a nice little epilogue wrapped things up. There were still a few bits that I would have enjoyed more information on, but I am satisfied. The writing style is good but needs a little polish. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Vicky Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, cosy yet dark, fantasy sapphic tale that I really enjoyed.
If it was longer I'd have loved it to go more in depth and to get full back stories etc.
Huge thanks to the author for the arc ebook.

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was excited to receive the e-arc for this book. I went in blind. The only point of interest for me was that it was a sapphic fantasy. I was not disappointed. It was a quick read. Literally took me only a few hours. And I noticed the whole time wondering about the curse and the background of it. As with any fantasy book, the final couple of chapters were suspenseful, and I was quite pleased and surprised by the ending. Even the epilogue was delightful!

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm of the opinion that all folktales could do with a sapphic refresh, and Sarah Zane's take on medieval Bluebeard is no exception. The original tale speaks of a man so hideously ugly his suitors were appalled by his appearance; especially his trademark blue beard. However, we (*ahem present reviewer included) love a fierce woman with stylish colorful hair. What a twist of luck from an otherwise tragic curse that our MC has *chefs kiss* of cursed SAPPHIRE locks!

We meet our main character Delphine behind the front desk of The Sapphire Siren Inn. Her sanctuary from the violent landscape she ran from being of Altean descent, Delphine has developed quite the reputation in her tiny town after developing striking sapphire locks. What her neighborhood and even her best friend don't know is the hair is merely an effect of Delphine's curse; one that is set to block her from ever finding love or lifelong companionship.

Hope blooms anew when Loralie walks in the Inn's front door with Delphine accurately reflecting,

"Watching her, I couldn’t think straight.
A hint of jasmine, or maybe lilies, came wafting in with her. She smiled wider, and my heart stopped. I was instantly drawn to her. Yes, she was beautiful, but it was more than that. There was something about her that pulled me in. I wanted to be close to her, get to know her. I felt the thoughts warring in my mind; she needed to leave immediately, but I couldn’t let her go."

This isn't the cosy or wholesome sapphic uhaul we're used to and there's even a small 'touch her and die' trope as Delphine deals with jealousy and the age-old question "Does she like me or are we just friends?"

Can true love break the curse, or will Loralie's own secret be the end of Delphine's emotional imprisonment yet the beginning of a whole new internal struggle?

I really enjoyed Under Lock & Key, and if anything would have preferred a longer book! At 74 pages, with an additional 14-page epilogue you won't be held in suspense for long! I've had Sarah Zane's other work 'Cosplay and Confrontation' on my TBR for too long and plan to rectify that immediately!

[Melody Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for fairy tale retellings and with this labeled as both sapphic and cozy I knew it would be a fun read. The attraction and tension between the curse-afflicted blue-haired MC and her mysterious guest who may also be keeping her own dark secret kept me invested until the end. It's a short read with some lovely cozy touches added to the mystery and light horror elements. I enjoyed the side characters of the best friend Char, and the inn's cat Coal as well as the entire atmosphere the author built around the Sapphire Siren Inn itself.

I felt like it could have used another round of editing to smooth out the pacing and catch some errors. I knew when I saw the map at the beginning of the book that the world the author was building would have more to show beyond this story. The epilogue gives a lot of information at once and there are new characters introduced towards the end, making for some unresolved plot lines. That might leave some readers unsatisfied if they take this as a standalone short story but I thought it was interesting enough to return to if a sequel does come out to resolve those loose ends.

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

[Jessica Johnstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a super cute, fast read that gave me dungeons and dragons vibes! The dungeons and dragons vibes is because the main character is a Siren running an Inn, what better way to start off an adventure! I also felt as if it was a very nice palette cleanser! This could be considered a warm and cozy read.

One of my favorite lines in the book: "That was an inside thought, but it ended up on the outside."

I enjoy how the characters and the setting were described. I felt like I could really imagine what everything looked like while reading. The story line does keep you wondering about what the curse is and how it affects Loralie and Delphine. The author made me laugh, smile and frustrated all at different parts in the book! Frustrated is mainly because of thoughts going through my brain like "Oh, this is gonna be bad."

The ending was not what I was expecting and I had to keep asking myself what I was reading, because it didn't sound like what I had started reading! This is a wonderful work of writing and hilarious! All I can try not to do while writing this is not to laugh based on the ending of the book!

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

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I used to enjoy running the Inn, used to sing to myself while working and bake cinnamon rolls for the guests, but everything changed after that fateful date, after the curse struck."

This is a sapphic retelling of the folktale about Bluebeard (and I had to refresh my memory about him). When Delphine buys the Rose Lily Inn, she changes the name to The Sapphire Siren that truly reflected her cursed life, locked in room 13.

Del's trying very hard not to let the curse "win" and keeps pretty much to herself and the Inn until one day, Loralie checks in... and Del feels attracted to her. But Lor's got her own secrets. Will they be able to be together despite what's under Lock and Key?

I enjoy well written tales and support attempts at adding LGBTQIA2S characters to folktales. Accordingly, after reviewing the source of the idea, I was quite taken with Author Sarah Zane's writing. However, there are too many elements that clutter up the book and detract from what the story is about. I liked it and give it three stars.

[Disclaimer: I received this book from #MyBigGayBookTour and voluntarily read and reviewed it]

[Emilie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a fan of sapphic retellings, and I was intrigued by the idea of a Bluebeard retelling.

A quick read, I unfortunately feel like this novella suffered for it. There is a lot going on in terms of plot, and not enough time for any of it to feel fleshed out enough for my tastes. I was being told a lot and not feeling enough nor being given enough time to care.

I think Under Lock & Key could have really benefited from some more time spent on outlining as well as editing to pare down everything going on.

Another part of me was a bit disappointed as, for being a Bluebeard retelling, it felt far less dark/twisted than the actual tale. It felt sapphic but also softened, which left me a bit disappointed. I also found some of the language used took me out of the story, once again feeling a tad bizarre for a sapphic Bluebeard retelling.

Overall, I did enjoy parts of this book, but it missed the mark for me. I would potentially consider reading a longer work by Sarah Zane, but this shorter novella did not do it for me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I have left this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written pretty short story. This is a sapphic Bluebeard retelling. Delphine is cursed. The Sapphire hair arrived with the curse. Her Inn has taken the name the locals were not so secretly calling her and at first she owned it, but now it feels more like a lonely prison. Loralie appears and the curse activates.

There is definitely a connection between our two MCs from the start. There’s a few times that Delphine is convinced, and maybe a tiny bit relieved, that Loralie doesn’t feel the same way. Compelled both by the curse and her own desires, Delphine chooses to try to get to know Loralie at the very least.

Can Delphine resist the curse if Loralie does return her feelings? Can the curse be broken? If you want a short and semi sweet answer then give this a read!

(Just under 100 pages so although there is a bit of depth, there definitely could be so much more with a little longer story)

I was given a copy and all opinions are my own.

[Bookish Bowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐️
Vibes - Fine, Meh

For a novella it takes to long to get to the point
Let's start with the positives; I liked the characters, the chemistry between Loralie and Delphine was lovely, the side characters added to the story and were fun (Char the bestie and Coal the cat, because apparently all sapphic romances must have a cat) But what I wasn't a fan of was how repetitive it was. For it being so short it does beat around the bush a lot before it gets to the point. I figured out Loralie's secret rather quickly but it seems to blather on and on about the curse before revealing what it is. It wasn't building suspense, it was just annoying. The epilogue is a whole other plot that sets up for another book, but it's not (as far as I can tell) part of a series so what's the point?

Tropes
-Isolated Environment
-Magic
-Pet
-Retelling (Bluebeard but make it gay)
-Vampire

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entertaining short book featuring a woman with a curse. The author strung out the mystery of the curse for a while, but dropped hints here and there. The blurb tells us it’s deadly, so then it was a matter of what and why. To protect herself and anyone to whom she might be attracted, Delphine keeps to herself and just quietly runs her inn – until an attractive woman guest arrives. The guest also has a secret, and both secrets slowly unravel. The book was interesting, although the final chapters were gruesome. While I liked the story, I was distracted by the use of him and her for he and she. It took me out of the story every time, but I liked the way the story of the was built up and then slowly unveiled, albeit with a couple of shocking developments.

I received an ARC for review

[Liv · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that as a sapphic person who loves both cozy sapphic stories and retellings, this novella should have been right up my alley. The plot was so promising, and the characters had so much potential; however, the final product just fell a smidge short of my expectations.

The writing felt a little unpolished and seemed to go in circles, and the story would have definitely benefited from being a lot longer. While reading it felt like I was being told more about what was happening than shown and, and so many major things were simply glossed over. Nothing really was explained in any detail.

Overall, I think the story was super interesting! It just needed a little bit more length, detail, and polishing up.

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

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was the first book that I have read by this author. The book was very engaging and kept my attention the whole way through. When I had to put the book down, I kept finding myself wondering what would happen next when I had the chance to read the next chapter.

The beginning was somewhat confusing to me but I also knew very little about the Bluebeard legend prior to reading this book. It was kind of cool though because it sparked my curiosity and had me going down the rabbit hole looking up the Bluebeard legend as well as other related folklore.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was a quick and enjoyable read.

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

[The Delulu Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, it is indeed a cozy fantasy, everything's right at the end, it's a sapphic romance with no spice and except for the epilogue and next to nothing straight romance which I appreciate.
Sadly, overall I did not like it.
The way it's written feels a bit odd for me, it feels rushed and at the end I'm left with many questions, while I do understand some things are placed strategically for the next book, it just felt like the first chapter of the sequel more than an epilogue.
However it's a short and easy read to enjoy after a bookish hangover.
The awesome author provided me an arc copy in exchange for a review

[Sierra Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Book Sirens and the Sarah Zane for giving me this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved the concept of the story. Bluebeard is a story that I loved as a child and I did like this horror story, Sapphic retelling. I wish it had been longer and I wish the epilogue had been a whole book two. I feel as if I read two novellas. This was a quick read. I finished in about an hour and a half. If you're looking for something to occupy your brain in-between reads, this is your book.

[Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this story was cute but also a little confusing. It's a cosy, dark, sapphic retelling of bluebeard. There was a lot of talk of "the curse" without actually letting us know what that means. Maybe if I was familiar with the original story it would have been more clear?

The plot wraps up well, but the epilogue is where the story completely lost me. Instead of being a continuation or flash forward it just jumped into a completely new storyline.

I received an ARC and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Nirav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautifully written short story!

I loved this sapphic retelling of bluebeard. The characters were perfect! very simple plot, yet some really memorable characters!

One of the very few books (that I’ve come across) where it actually ends around 80% and then there’s a huge exposition filled epilogue. I absolutely respect and love the decisions for doing so, there’s a promise of more stories from this world, without adding too much weight on the story this book is supposed to tell!

Sarah is very talented! And I’m here to see whatever they brew next!

[Kirstin ♡⚔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

*♡Thank you to BookSirens and Sarah Zane for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion♡*
3.5⭐
A quick, cosy fantasy pallet cleanser of a book. At just over 100 pages, Sarah manages to pack in a lot of information and storytelling without it seeming rushed or forced. I loved the two MCs and felt they had a believable chemistry. I feel the epilogue let the whole story down. I felt confused as to why we were getting this extra storyline with only a couple pages to go.
Overall though. An enjoyable and fast read 🥰

[Jasmine S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a quick, cozy, and cute read. I enjoyed this sapphic take on the story of Bluebeard. I am unfamiliar with the original story but I was able to enjoy the story just the same. There were a few moments in the book where I wished the story gave more context. I could have given it a higher rating if there were more context in some areas. Overall, if you like sapphic, fantasy, and cozy romances give this book a chance.

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

[Mirandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is marketed as a dark cozy fantasy… but can a book be dark and cozy? Idk, but the vibes in this book were more dark than cozy. Except the dog. The dog was very cute and cozy.

Delphine has this toxic obsession with Lorelei that is cringey to read. She’s so jealous of the men Lorelei is sleeping with to the point it’s giving stalker serial killer vibes. Can a cozy fantasy have gory murder in it? If you think so, this book might be for you.

[Looby Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard to leave a review without giving away spoilers but this was such a quirky story about Delphine who owns an inn and Loralie who comes to stay on an extended visit with no expiration date.

Although a little macabre, it was done in a fun way and you just wanted there to be a way for them to be together. A clever, original story that was short put still packed a punch.

[Emily G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is described as a Sapphic dark cozy fantasy romance retelling of the story of Bluebeard. I liked the book well enough. It was a nice light read; a slow burn with a bit of angst but not intensely so. I'd say the books lives up to what the blurb promises.

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

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. This didn't exactly deliver on what I was expecting from the synopsis. It's not really dark and I thought it was just an okay story. I didn't fully connect with the characters but I will say that the writing was good.

[Balayageandbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author and it did not disappoint! The FMC (POV) is this gorgeous goddess that is cursed to the Inn she runs. The other FMC is also a complete goddess who is running from her past. These two will have you rooting for them from the start!

[Shazz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sapphic/queer romance retelling of Blue Beard and the curse, with a twist. I quite enjoyed this book and loved the strong, witty yet vunerable FMC Delphine. I laughed at some parts in this book and it didn't take long to read. Well done Sarah!

[Jade Jefferies · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC review.

I liked the premise of the story but felt it was incomplete and rushed. I think the story could have details added to it to make it a 4 or 5 star story. I wanted more information about Lor and the back story. I would try other works from this author, but I felt this story was subpar.

[Lou Wilham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark and twisted sapphic take on the Bluebeard legend, Under Lock and Key is the perfect novella for anyone who wants to cozy up with something a little murder-y this summer.

[Elle Beaumont · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful mesh of cozy and mxrderous! Delightful retelling of one of my favorites.