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Mere Flesh
Wynnifred Treloar has everything she needs to succeed as a budding occultist on the cusp of vowing her allegiance to king and country…and marrying the most tame yet influential man in society she can find. Yet everything is not enough for her when she knows more influence than she can dream of will be withheld from her because of who she is.
Breaking one rule after another, she sacrifices portions of her body to summon a demonic entity to take over the world. There should be no harm in demons are only dark energy, after all, and Wynnifred is a prodigy. When the demon she summons into a circle vows she’ll die screaming in his claws and omens plague her friends and estate, Wynnifred begins to realize there are worse mistakes to make than marrying the wrong society darling.
Like beginning to fall for the demon’s allure.
Breaking one rule after another, she sacrifices portions of her body to summon a demonic entity to take over the world. There should be no harm in demons are only dark energy, after all, and Wynnifred is a prodigy. When the demon she summons into a circle vows she’ll die screaming in his claws and omens plague her friends and estate, Wynnifred begins to realize there are worse mistakes to make than marrying the wrong society darling.
Like beginning to fall for the demon’s allure.
- GenresFantasy
343 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 14, 2025
17 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Labadie
9 books80 followersCatherine Labadie lives near mountains with her husband, her daughter, and her 4 pets. She’s written and published 7 romantic fantasy novels ranging from gothic & luxurious, to dreamy cottagecore, to angsty urban. MERE FLESH is her latest.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 8, 2025
Review originally on JamReads
Mere Flesh is an Edwardian Romantasy novel, written by Catherine Labadie. A demon summoning romance story that is not only fun and steamy, but also includes a cautionary tale about power craving and desire, a cast of secondary characters that often steals the spotlight from Wynnifred, and a lush prose that makes this an excellent read.
Wynnifred Treloar has everything she needs to succeed as occultist under oath to the king and the country, and to fulfill society's expectations marrying an influential but tame man; however, she craves for the power and influence that is withheld from her due to who she is. Sacrificing parts of her body, and against the rules, she summons a demonic entity; overconfident, she soon will discover that this was more complicated than she thought, and bidding for the power she craves will also come with extra steps, including a dangerous attraction to the demon.
A story that moves pretty much with the vibes, but which especially shines with how developed the characters are, leading to great interactions. Wynnifred itself is not a heroine, but neither a villain; she craves to break the shackles of society, and gambles to gain control over a power whose nature is not sure, but also we can see how she's also has vulnerable moments. At some points, you end rooting for the demon, as Wynnifred can look as selfish, but honestly, the dynamic between this pair is extremely entertaining; and the more we get to know Wynnifred's friends, the more they want to steal the spotlight, especially Eglantine, who quietly became my favourite character. Relationships between our characters only grow to be more complex, leading to a free-for-all dynamic.
The prose is sharp and lush, flowing without effort through the pages; you can expect a certain amount of spice as it is tied to the genre, with Labadie doing a great job with the steam (iykyk). The setting is intentionally vague, but with enough detailing to infer a classic society where women are in an inferior strata; the magic is interesting, but without overwhelming you in details (and honestly, the demonic omens are probably a highlight in watering the rich people's party). With the pacing it has, you eventually devour this book.
Mere Flesh is an excellent Romantasy novel, fun but also steamy, perfect if you are looking for a read for St. Valentine; flawed rich people having problems because they cannot grasp the complexity of what they are trying to do.
Mere Flesh is an Edwardian Romantasy novel, written by Catherine Labadie. A demon summoning romance story that is not only fun and steamy, but also includes a cautionary tale about power craving and desire, a cast of secondary characters that often steals the spotlight from Wynnifred, and a lush prose that makes this an excellent read.
Wynnifred Treloar has everything she needs to succeed as occultist under oath to the king and the country, and to fulfill society's expectations marrying an influential but tame man; however, she craves for the power and influence that is withheld from her due to who she is. Sacrificing parts of her body, and against the rules, she summons a demonic entity; overconfident, she soon will discover that this was more complicated than she thought, and bidding for the power she craves will also come with extra steps, including a dangerous attraction to the demon.
A story that moves pretty much with the vibes, but which especially shines with how developed the characters are, leading to great interactions. Wynnifred itself is not a heroine, but neither a villain; she craves to break the shackles of society, and gambles to gain control over a power whose nature is not sure, but also we can see how she's also has vulnerable moments. At some points, you end rooting for the demon, as Wynnifred can look as selfish, but honestly, the dynamic between this pair is extremely entertaining; and the more we get to know Wynnifred's friends, the more they want to steal the spotlight, especially Eglantine, who quietly became my favourite character. Relationships between our characters only grow to be more complex, leading to a free-for-all dynamic.
The prose is sharp and lush, flowing without effort through the pages; you can expect a certain amount of spice as it is tied to the genre, with Labadie doing a great job with the steam (iykyk). The setting is intentionally vague, but with enough detailing to infer a classic society where women are in an inferior strata; the magic is interesting, but without overwhelming you in details (and honestly, the demonic omens are probably a highlight in watering the rich people's party). With the pacing it has, you eventually devour this book.
Mere Flesh is an excellent Romantasy novel, fun but also steamy, perfect if you are looking for a read for St. Valentine; flawed rich people having problems because they cannot grasp the complexity of what they are trying to do.
January 24, 2025
rich people problems but add demons and ill omens at luncheon. you'll have a hellish fun time reading "mere flesh".
a cautionary tale of be careful what you wish for. power hungry prodigy summons a demon, but her plan for world domination quickly backfires and she has to deal with the consequences or risk losing everything. oh, and there is an engagement she's not really looking forward to. the twist at the arranged marriage will have you gagged.
i read "mere flesh" after coming off a bad trip into the demon spice genre, and when i say that this book singlehandedly saved the genre for me personally, i am not exaggerating. this is how it's done. demons being demons, all hell breaking loose. rich people not being able to go do promenade because of the plague. a banger!
our heroine wynnifred is ambitious and eager to break free of society's shackles. she's a flawed young woman who despite all the odds being against her, and reason making her go in circles, persists on getting what she wants. if there's one thing i can count on in a labadie novel - it's how believable and well rounded her characters are, especially the more flaws they have. she knows how to exploit and use these flaws as part of the worldbuilding and the plot. the magic system in the story reminded me a little of labadie's "garner for gold" which means you'll have to be ready for everything and anything, which i liked. it was interesting to see how magic was used in high society, while at the same time not being overwhelming.
it's a quick paced novel, the prose is almost flowing off the pages, and there are all these personalities (i'm looking at you, laurence, you moustached slug) who are fun to follow as the story progresses. there is the occasional (and obligatory for the genre) spiciness; a free for all, if you will. from all the pairings in the story i didn't expect to fall in love with eglantine and their relationship with wynnifred. for me, they are a disaster pair made in hell (pun intended).
if you're a regency gurlie who likes monsters, why not try this edwardian demon-glove-and-parasol flying dark romance for saint valentine's (◕◡◕✿)
a cautionary tale of be careful what you wish for. power hungry prodigy summons a demon, but her plan for world domination quickly backfires and she has to deal with the consequences or risk losing everything. oh, and there is an engagement she's not really looking forward to. the twist at the arranged marriage will have you gagged.
i read "mere flesh" after coming off a bad trip into the demon spice genre, and when i say that this book singlehandedly saved the genre for me personally, i am not exaggerating. this is how it's done. demons being demons, all hell breaking loose. rich people not being able to go do promenade because of the plague. a banger!
our heroine wynnifred is ambitious and eager to break free of society's shackles. she's a flawed young woman who despite all the odds being against her, and reason making her go in circles, persists on getting what she wants. if there's one thing i can count on in a labadie novel - it's how believable and well rounded her characters are, especially the more flaws they have. she knows how to exploit and use these flaws as part of the worldbuilding and the plot. the magic system in the story reminded me a little of labadie's "garner for gold" which means you'll have to be ready for everything and anything, which i liked. it was interesting to see how magic was used in high society, while at the same time not being overwhelming.
it's a quick paced novel, the prose is almost flowing off the pages, and there are all these personalities (i'm looking at you, laurence, you moustached slug) who are fun to follow as the story progresses. there is the occasional (and obligatory for the genre) spiciness; a free for all, if you will. from all the pairings in the story i didn't expect to fall in love with eglantine and their relationship with wynnifred. for me, they are a disaster pair made in hell (pun intended).
if you're a regency gurlie who likes monsters, why not try this edwardian demon-glove-and-parasol flying dark romance for saint valentine's (◕◡◕✿)
February 20, 2025
I’ve been excited for this WIP since the very first teases last year, so when it finally released on Valentine’s Day (how iconic is that?), I raced for my kindle and ended up devouring it in one sitting ︎ ♡
Wynn might not be a likeable woman to me (not that FMCs have to be likeable and perfect and whatever else to be good MCs, by the way!), and so I was equally rooting for her success and praying for her downfall (at least twice). The end result was a fascinating rollercoaster of emotions, from shock to annoyance to… very, very horny. Those erotic scenes rewired my brain, I won’t lie.
Wynn might not be a likeable woman to me (not that FMCs have to be likeable and perfect and whatever else to be good MCs, by the way!), and so I was equally rooting for her success and praying for her downfall (at least twice). The end result was a fascinating rollercoaster of emotions, from shock to annoyance to… very, very horny. Those erotic scenes rewired my brain, I won’t lie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2025
First, of all, this cover is so gorgeous! When I saw it and read the blurb, I was keen to see where this tale would take me.
The writing is excellent. Evocative and atmospheric, it reminded me of old Hammer horror Dennis Wheatley movies, full of occult mystery. Lovely.
We have heroine Wynnifred who is tired of society, determined to call up a demon to do her bidding and give her the power she craves. But she's 21 and over-confident. This isn't going to go well...
I know a lot of people will enjoy this. It's a definite vibe and moves along at a good pace, with an enticing demonic 'villain' and a plot that made me want to see how things turn out. The names of the main female characters are also fun nods to magical ladies in other stories.
Unfortunately, after about a third of the way through, I was firmly on Team Demon. Because while I suspect this may be intentional, the heroine is selfish, proud, entitled and possibly sociopathic, which made her very unlikeable to me. I found myself keen to see her get her comeuppance, and the 'society' chapters grew increasingly frustrating to read. I just didn't want to spent any more time with her because she's so annoying.
Also the world-building is almost nonexistent. I'm not sure what country we're in or what era; I'm guessing Regency England, but characters regularly use modern American slang, which took me out of things hard. At one point, our heroine thinks 'As if!' in regard to a man, which made her instantly visualised as Alicia Silverstone in 'Clueless'.
While Wynnifred isn't the narrator as such, we're seeing events from her point of view - and her perspective, intention and mood switch from moment to moment. One second she's determined and confident, the next in tears. She's more like a teenager who got access to some demon-summoning books than The Most Powerful Occultist in the Land (and she has clearly no knowledge of 'Paradise Lost').
I think I'm not the intended audience for the book, sadly. but I'm sure it'll find its fans because of the pace, writing and clear love that's gone into it. I honestly wish I'd enjoyed it more! I'll be keeping an eye out for the author's future work, certainly - I'd like to see how she evolves moving forward.
I was kindly sent an early copy of this book by the author, but the above opinions are entirely my own.
The writing is excellent. Evocative and atmospheric, it reminded me of old Hammer horror Dennis Wheatley movies, full of occult mystery. Lovely.
We have heroine Wynnifred who is tired of society, determined to call up a demon to do her bidding and give her the power she craves. But she's 21 and over-confident. This isn't going to go well...
I know a lot of people will enjoy this. It's a definite vibe and moves along at a good pace, with an enticing demonic 'villain' and a plot that made me want to see how things turn out. The names of the main female characters are also fun nods to magical ladies in other stories.
Unfortunately, after about a third of the way through, I was firmly on Team Demon. Because while I suspect this may be intentional, the heroine is selfish, proud, entitled and possibly sociopathic, which made her very unlikeable to me. I found myself keen to see her get her comeuppance, and the 'society' chapters grew increasingly frustrating to read. I just didn't want to spent any more time with her because she's so annoying.
Also the world-building is almost nonexistent. I'm not sure what country we're in or what era; I'm guessing Regency England, but characters regularly use modern American slang, which took me out of things hard. At one point, our heroine thinks 'As if!' in regard to a man, which made her instantly visualised as Alicia Silverstone in 'Clueless'.
While Wynnifred isn't the narrator as such, we're seeing events from her point of view - and her perspective, intention and mood switch from moment to moment. One second she's determined and confident, the next in tears. She's more like a teenager who got access to some demon-summoning books than The Most Powerful Occultist in the Land (and she has clearly no knowledge of 'Paradise Lost').
I think I'm not the intended audience for the book, sadly. but I'm sure it'll find its fans because of the pace, writing and clear love that's gone into it. I honestly wish I'd enjoyed it more! I'll be keeping an eye out for the author's future work, certainly - I'd like to see how she evolves moving forward.
I was kindly sent an early copy of this book by the author, but the above opinions are entirely my own.
September 8, 2025
It's not my type of book. Did not like female lead. The demon was interesting, but overall, the story could not hold my interest. I skimmed to the end but got really unlogical for me, so I'm glad I did not stick with it.
November 28, 2025
Oh wow
I had to dnf this because the text is bright red. I couldn't change it as I am not the one who made it red. This was for sure a formatting choice. I read a lot and I've never seen this issue before. Migraine and a half.
I had to dnf this because the text is bright red. I couldn't change it as I am not the one who made it red. This was for sure a formatting choice. I read a lot and I've never seen this issue before. Migraine and a half.
January 13, 2025
Hello everyone! Thank you for checking out MERE FLESH - here are the content warnings!
body horror, explicit sexual content, misogyny, "biblically accurate" demon anatomy, demonic possession
body horror, explicit sexual content, misogyny, "biblically accurate" demon anatomy, demonic possession
February 21, 2025
review is coming
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews