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I Saw Red
The year is 2185, at least, we think it is. Humanity has conquered nearly all communicable diseases and genetic abnormalities through genetic editing. What we can’t overcome are poverty and greed.
After the Fourth World War, a Global Government was formed, from what was left of the major powers. Since overpopulation was a root cause of poverty, they sought to stem the tide and work on a more permanent solution. And then greed got in the way…
Instead of waiting for the science to be tested and ready, it was released early. The water supply was contaminated – panic ensued, and fertility rates fell.
Now, a small, elite, ultra-wealthy group controls who is allowed to have a child, along with many other things. They’ve been corrupted by money, power, and their ability to control people.
Can they be stopped, can science catch up?
After the Fourth World War, a Global Government was formed, from what was left of the major powers. Since overpopulation was a root cause of poverty, they sought to stem the tide and work on a more permanent solution. And then greed got in the way…
Instead of waiting for the science to be tested and ready, it was released early. The water supply was contaminated – panic ensued, and fertility rates fell.
Now, a small, elite, ultra-wealthy group controls who is allowed to have a child, along with many other things. They’ve been corrupted by money, power, and their ability to control people.
Can they be stopped, can science catch up?
77 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 30, 2025
12 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 31, 2025
(3.8 rounded up to a 4)
This novella is a quick, punchy read, short enough to finish in an hour or so, but it packs a lot in that time. I Saw Red is very much a feminine rage story, and it doesn’t shy away from the explicit, the angry, or the deeply uncomfortable. It’s fast-paced, emotional, and while the worldbuilding sometimes feels rushed or underexplained, I think it works as an intro into this dystopian world. I just would have loved to see more of that world actually explored within the story, rather than tucked into an intro section.
For what it is, I enjoyed it, a gritty exploration of themes like control, bodily autonomy, and systemic homophobia. It’s not perfect, but if you’re in the mood for something dark, sapphic, and unflinching, it’s worth the read.
Spoiler-y thoughts below! (BEWARE)
What I really liked: The premise is super interesting! Fertility crisis, a rigid dystopian system, and the societal consequences of that. The characters, even in a short novella, stand out as distinct and memorable. The way the story shines a light on how women are treated in this world, especially fertile queer women, is strong, and the narrative has some biting, necessary commentary on that.
What didn’t quite work for me: The intro. I wish all that lore (wars, scientific experiments, fertility breakdown) had been woven into the narrative naturally, through dialogue or character thoughts, rather than front-loaded. There were so many moments, like the fallout shelter discovery, that could have deepened the worldbuilding instead of repeating vague info that was already told to me in the intro but now it’s just watered down.
Also, the anti-queer sentiment felt a little… on the nose? For a world where queer relationships are legal (even marriages), it seemed like every single character in the waiting room, the office, the street - literally everyone - held the same openly hostile views. That contrast between legality and public opinion could be a fascinating element, but the story doesn’t really explain why that divide exists. Is there government propaganda at play? Social pressure? We don’t get much on that besides “you fertile woman and queer? Well, now everyone and their cousin hates you.”, so it left me headcanoning more than I wanted to. While I understand people would be like “what a waste.” causing homophobic sentiment… It’s not really, since IVF clearly exists and is being used for fertile women regardless of marital status. Overall I enjoyed it being highlighted in cases like the doctor, the fertility clinic employees, but the waiting room patients felt a bit a stretch and there was only like one person in the entire novella that was like “here you can be who you really are.” It felt hammered home to the point that the conversations being had where it was done well didn’t hit as hard because these opinions and horrible thoughts about MC are being parroted by EVERYONE, hell, I bet the cashier at the grocery store is calling her slurs at this point.
That said, the novella’s rage, the gritty look at social issues, and the emotional intensity make it a worthwhile read. It’s a feminist scream, a punch in the gut, and a reminder that dystopia is meant to make you think, even if some parts left me wanting more nuance. I really like and appreciate the commentary, I was just left wanting more with that discussion outside of terrible opinions exist and they are bad.
This novella is a quick, punchy read, short enough to finish in an hour or so, but it packs a lot in that time. I Saw Red is very much a feminine rage story, and it doesn’t shy away from the explicit, the angry, or the deeply uncomfortable. It’s fast-paced, emotional, and while the worldbuilding sometimes feels rushed or underexplained, I think it works as an intro into this dystopian world. I just would have loved to see more of that world actually explored within the story, rather than tucked into an intro section.
For what it is, I enjoyed it, a gritty exploration of themes like control, bodily autonomy, and systemic homophobia. It’s not perfect, but if you’re in the mood for something dark, sapphic, and unflinching, it’s worth the read.
Spoiler-y thoughts below! (BEWARE)
What I really liked: The premise is super interesting! Fertility crisis, a rigid dystopian system, and the societal consequences of that. The characters, even in a short novella, stand out as distinct and memorable. The way the story shines a light on how women are treated in this world, especially fertile queer women, is strong, and the narrative has some biting, necessary commentary on that.
What didn’t quite work for me: The intro. I wish all that lore (wars, scientific experiments, fertility breakdown) had been woven into the narrative naturally, through dialogue or character thoughts, rather than front-loaded. There were so many moments, like the fallout shelter discovery, that could have deepened the worldbuilding instead of repeating vague info that was already told to me in the intro but now it’s just watered down.
Also, the anti-queer sentiment felt a little… on the nose? For a world where queer relationships are legal (even marriages), it seemed like every single character in the waiting room, the office, the street - literally everyone - held the same openly hostile views. That contrast between legality and public opinion could be a fascinating element, but the story doesn’t really explain why that divide exists. Is there government propaganda at play? Social pressure? We don’t get much on that besides “you fertile woman and queer? Well, now everyone and their cousin hates you.”, so it left me headcanoning more than I wanted to. While I understand people would be like “what a waste.” causing homophobic sentiment… It’s not really, since IVF clearly exists and is being used for fertile women regardless of marital status. Overall I enjoyed it being highlighted in cases like the doctor, the fertility clinic employees, but the waiting room patients felt a bit a stretch and there was only like one person in the entire novella that was like “here you can be who you really are.” It felt hammered home to the point that the conversations being had where it was done well didn’t hit as hard because these opinions and horrible thoughts about MC are being parroted by EVERYONE, hell, I bet the cashier at the grocery store is calling her slurs at this point.
That said, the novella’s rage, the gritty look at social issues, and the emotional intensity make it a worthwhile read. It’s a feminist scream, a punch in the gut, and a reminder that dystopia is meant to make you think, even if some parts left me wanting more nuance. I really like and appreciate the commentary, I was just left wanting more with that discussion outside of terrible opinions exist and they are bad.
July 25, 2025
DNF after 1 chapter. She visits a male gynaecologist with her female partner then later discloses that the gyno “tried to make her come” during a Pap smear type procedure.
Lesbian/sapphic books (in 99.9% of cases) should not be written by men. The author is male.
Lesbian/sapphic books (in 99.9% of cases) should not be written by men. The author is male.
June 6, 2025
This dark sapphic short, is a prequel to the upcoming duet!
It's short, with plenty of spice, including BDSM and viölënce/mürdër
😌 It's so refreshing to have a relationship that's solid from the beginning in a book! They have their battles to deal with, but they have each other from the beginning.
It's a wife duo doing everything they can to make their own family dreams a reality with most of the world against them. They have the government, medical professionals, and pretty much most of the people they encounter against them - until they don't! 👀
In summary this book contains...
👭 🌶D/s (with fake 🍆) 🩸 💀 🗡 🏃♀️🏃♀️
It's short, with plenty of spice, including BDSM and viölënce/mürdër
😌 It's so refreshing to have a relationship that's solid from the beginning in a book! They have their battles to deal with, but they have each other from the beginning.
It's a wife duo doing everything they can to make their own family dreams a reality with most of the world against them. They have the government, medical professionals, and pretty much most of the people they encounter against them - until they don't! 👀
In summary this book contains...
👭 🌶D/s (with fake 🍆) 🩸 💀 🗡 🏃♀️🏃♀️
May 30, 2025
Great quick read.
This book is fast-paced. A lot of what happens in this story seems to give a prelude to stuff in the real world today.
Maisie and Chloe are such badasses, I love them. I'm still shocked at how long they held out and not completely lost their sh1t on everyone at the clinic.
Please read and take TWs seriously. Your mental health matters
This book is fast-paced. A lot of what happens in this story seems to give a prelude to stuff in the real world today.
Maisie and Chloe are such badasses, I love them. I'm still shocked at how long they held out and not completely lost their sh1t on everyone at the clinic.
Please read and take TWs seriously. Your mental health matters
May 28, 2025
This short story was very intricate- loved the detail.
This book is fast paced.
Chloe and Maisie how they didn’t lose their crap from the start I don’t know, but they binding their time and karma came around!
No one should ever control who and how someone has a baby!
You go girls!
This book is fast paced.
Chloe and Maisie how they didn’t lose their crap from the start I don’t know, but they binding their time and karma came around!
No one should ever control who and how someone has a baby!
You go girls!
May 31, 2025
Happy Release Day!
This is such a quick, good, little read. Read in under an hour and want more! If you’re a fan of The Handmaid’s Tale, I think you’d like this WLW feminine rage dystopian novella!
This is such a quick, good, little read. Read in under an hour and want more! If you’re a fan of The Handmaid’s Tale, I think you’d like this WLW feminine rage dystopian novella!
October 24, 2025
I Saw Red is a short prequel novella —sharp, fast-paced, and easily read in one sitting.
It’s a feminine rage story set in a dystopian future, filled with vengeance, raw emotions, and bloody revenge.
The ending was brutal and quite gory.
While I wished for a bit more depth and world-building, it’s still an intriguing introduction to this dystopian universe.
It’s a feminine rage story set in a dystopian future, filled with vengeance, raw emotions, and bloody revenge.
The ending was brutal and quite gory.
While I wished for a bit more depth and world-building, it’s still an intriguing introduction to this dystopian universe.
June 2, 2025
What a fast paced story full of feminine rage! If you are angry and tired of being in fear, this book is for you! I really enjoyed the concept, and look forward to reading more from this author.
June 22, 2025
For such a short story there is a lot packed in! I loved Chloe and Maisie and I’m so glad they got their revenge in the end. The doctor infuriated me. At one point I think I actually swore out loud and I couldn’t wait for karma to come back and bite him in the …..
The story definitely left me wanting more and the way it set up the world building for the next novel was perfect. A lot happens in such a small space of time and it all felt very relevant to what’s happening in the world today. For someone who feels so strongly about woman’s reproductive rights and struggles with IF I felt it was sensitive to anyone reading this (I knew going in what the book was about but wasn’t concerned after being in a group chat with the author and knowing how they were going to handle the topic)
I’m so looking forward to reading more about this world!
Chloe and Maisie are my new favourite kickass couple, thank you Bella!
If you like your stories with Ff and lots of well earned feminine rage this is for you!
The story definitely left me wanting more and the way it set up the world building for the next novel was perfect. A lot happens in such a small space of time and it all felt very relevant to what’s happening in the world today. For someone who feels so strongly about woman’s reproductive rights and struggles with IF I felt it was sensitive to anyone reading this (I knew going in what the book was about but wasn’t concerned after being in a group chat with the author and knowing how they were going to handle the topic)
I’m so looking forward to reading more about this world!
Chloe and Maisie are my new favourite kickass couple, thank you Bella!
If you like your stories with Ff and lots of well earned feminine rage this is for you!
December 15, 2025
I Saw Red (The Darkest Moments Saga) Kindle Edition
by Bella Connors (Author)
The premise of this book is interesting and held such promise. Promise that it did not live up to. To start with, there is a lengthy “Prologue”, where the author does the majority of the worldbuilding. This should have been, and could have, easily, been done within the rather short story. Most of the time, when I grade a book with a 3 stars or lower rating, I complain that the book was too long. Unfortunately, this book was both too long and too short.
Too long? The story spends at least 20% of the time in a WLW onscreen, toy filled, spice scene – which was not very well written. The poor writing made me swipe quickly through the multiple dull paragraphs.
Too short? In the key scene, the climax where our FMC is violated by the doctor, I kept having to page back because there was no actual act on page. If a writer wants to us to be angry at the doctor, we need to see what happened. A good chunk of the 'book' (it's less a book than a short story) is the long prologue, the epilogue, and the beginning of another story. In the 77 pages, around 50 of those pages are devoted to the story and at least 10 of those pages are the poorly written sex scene. So much of this story should have been expanded and so much of the world building should have appeared in the book.
There is, literally, no character development beyond “we're Lesbians having a baby in a post-WWIII and WWIV world where there is limited fertility and everyone hates us.” This is not character building in anyway. The villian is just “I'm a bad doc.”
Again, this book is too long and too short, the worldbuilding is not in story, and the sex scene is dull.
I am giving this 2 stars out of 5 because of the promise this story had and the fact this is the author's firt attempt at publishing. This needs to be rewritten, expanded, and sent through beta-readers and ARC reviewers.
2 stars out of 5
https://www.amazon.com/Saw-Red-Darkes...
by Bella Connors (Author)
The premise of this book is interesting and held such promise. Promise that it did not live up to. To start with, there is a lengthy “Prologue”, where the author does the majority of the worldbuilding. This should have been, and could have, easily, been done within the rather short story. Most of the time, when I grade a book with a 3 stars or lower rating, I complain that the book was too long. Unfortunately, this book was both too long and too short.
Too long? The story spends at least 20% of the time in a WLW onscreen, toy filled, spice scene – which was not very well written. The poor writing made me swipe quickly through the multiple dull paragraphs.
Too short? In the key scene, the climax where our FMC is violated by the doctor, I kept having to page back because there was no actual act on page. If a writer wants to us to be angry at the doctor, we need to see what happened. A good chunk of the 'book' (it's less a book than a short story) is the long prologue, the epilogue, and the beginning of another story. In the 77 pages, around 50 of those pages are devoted to the story and at least 10 of those pages are the poorly written sex scene. So much of this story should have been expanded and so much of the world building should have appeared in the book.
There is, literally, no character development beyond “we're Lesbians having a baby in a post-WWIII and WWIV world where there is limited fertility and everyone hates us.” This is not character building in anyway. The villian is just “I'm a bad doc.”
Again, this book is too long and too short, the worldbuilding is not in story, and the sex scene is dull.
I am giving this 2 stars out of 5 because of the promise this story had and the fact this is the author's firt attempt at publishing. This needs to be rewritten, expanded, and sent through beta-readers and ARC reviewers.
2 stars out of 5
https://www.amazon.com/Saw-Red-Darkes...
February 10, 2026
What the hell did I just read?? And how did I get here....
Truth be told, I don't remember where I saw this book or if I got a recommendation, but boy, do I ever wish I hadn't. For one, this was way too short. You can't write a book like this and make it under a hundred pages. That is a hill I will die on.
So the author gives a sort of prequel chapter in which he explains everything, which felt stupid at the time, but I know now is because he wasn't going to put any effort into world-building or writing an actual story. And even with that preface, none of it made sense. So the government created a virus that makes most people infertile. Why? Who knows, governmenty stuff. It gets released, but the explanation behind that is vague. The government hadn't yet found a way to reverse the infertility, so after the release - the period in which this story is set - they are frantically trying to create a cure. The resistance also wants to reverse it. What resistance, you ask? I have no idea. Who are they, why do they exist, and why is their agenda different from the government's? Who knows, rebel stuff. The resistance has to keep moving their makeshift lab as they try to find a cure, because the government will stop them, which is also not explained, and really needs to be. You both want to reverse the fertility issue. You fight with each other instead of working together. Right, makes total sense.
Then the actual story starts. Chloe, one of the FMC's, is thinking to herself how unfortunate it is that she and her wife have had to put over a half million dollars into IVF, but they will keep trying because they really want a baby. And then they go for their clinic visit, and it's revealed that the government is forcing all fertile women to try to get pregnant, by any means necessary, and Chloe would have to do this even if she doesn't want a baby. So why does it cost so much? If the government is forcing you into IVF, what are you paying for? Also, why have you put in so much money when, apparently, they have found a way to force an embryo to immediately implant into the uterus, allowing them to speed up the fertilizing process? Apparently, this process allows them to know it will be more likely to stick, too. So...wouldn't you have already been pregnant at least once? Were you trying for a baby before this thing was released, maybe? Nah, no explanation there, either. And there is no suspense or sense of urgency with it. She is just immediately pregnant and the only waiting period is to make sure she makes it past the first trimester. Whatever.
Still in the first chapter, still in the clinic, they are led into the room where the implantation will happen, by 'who I can only assume is a nurse.' Wait, you've been coming here for how long and you don't know who the nurses are? I would think you'd know them all by name! That isn't the most egregious thing, but it is one of the indicators that this is their first time here. Again, I wonder why the IVF story to start us off if they have never been to the clinic before? Which is it? The guard doesn't want to let them in, because he's homophobic, basically. So he's never seen them before, either. Everyone in the waiting room is homophobic. All of the workers are homophobic. And I am talking openly, loudly, verbally homophobic. As a queer person, this isn't how homophobia works. Maybe once or twice in your life, in certain circumstances, you might be spoken to this way. But queer people do not walk around every day with a scarlet letter that causes all other people to scream at them, so I do not know what the point of this was. And multiple people imply or outright say that her body is a waste because she married a woman, but she is literally in your fertility clinic to get pregnant! How can she be a waste? I get if a woman refuses fertility treatments, sure. I've heard conservatives in the real world call child-free women wastes of space and worse. Not okay, but it happens. But these fictional characters are actively trying to reproduce, and all other characters are yelling at them like being gay means being barren. I'm not sure if the author was just trying to cram homophobia in here, or what.
Okay, this isn't a book review video, so I cannot go off like I really want to. Let's talk about some of the stupid little bits that made no sense. These two get home from their fertility appointment. Chloe's wife, Maisie, is mad about their treatment, about the doctor who basically said he would rape her to get her pregnant, etc. Fair. But then, to describe her anger, Chloe's POV says, 'She had stepped out of her emotions, and the Angel of Death crawled out to play. And I relished in it.' What the fuck does that mean?? If she's outside her emotions, is she not angry anymore? If she's the Angel of Death, does that mean she had murderous tendencies? But no, they just...go to bed. Just like a normal, non-murdery couple.
Maisie has a nightmare. She is screaming in her sleep. "Fuck me like a little fucking sex toy, you fucking monster! I asked for this, and I deserve it! Use me and fill me with your load!" Chloe manages to wake her, and Maisie explains that in her dream, the fertility doctor convinced Chloe the only way she could get pregnant was to let him and all 29 of their donors 'breed her' while Maisie watched and that female assistant helped. Am I going crazy? Did I have a stroke while reading that? Because to me, that makes no sense. If you were having a nightmare about your partner getting raped, why would you be yelling about YOU getting fucked, and no less, sounding eager for it? I genuinely just do not get any of this. I only finished the story because it was so damn short.
The end is just as stupid and nonsensical. They have to go back to the clinic a few months later to make sure the pregnancy is healthy. They come up with a 'brilliant' plan in this time to get revenge on the doctor and not get caught for assault. But assault becomes murder with gratuitous violence, and they just decide to run away and join the resistance. They slit the doctor's throat, which he somehow struggles to live through long enough for them to taunt him and sodomize him. Sure, Jan. They kill the assistant, too, because I guess this clinic lets the donors rape women to get them pregnant, and she helps? And the male author writes this woman as 'cleavage on display for the men'. Because of course he did. Women's cleavage isn't for themselves and what they wear isn't for themselves! Everyone knows this! Women only have bodies and only reveal said bodies for men!
Oh my gosh, the misogyny. No one should be banned from writing, but some people should be banned from publishing.
P.S. *whispers behind hand* Also, why is a straight man writing a sapphic couple? Just...why?
Truth be told, I don't remember where I saw this book or if I got a recommendation, but boy, do I ever wish I hadn't. For one, this was way too short. You can't write a book like this and make it under a hundred pages. That is a hill I will die on.
So the author gives a sort of prequel chapter in which he explains everything, which felt stupid at the time, but I know now is because he wasn't going to put any effort into world-building or writing an actual story. And even with that preface, none of it made sense. So the government created a virus that makes most people infertile. Why? Who knows, governmenty stuff. It gets released, but the explanation behind that is vague. The government hadn't yet found a way to reverse the infertility, so after the release - the period in which this story is set - they are frantically trying to create a cure. The resistance also wants to reverse it. What resistance, you ask? I have no idea. Who are they, why do they exist, and why is their agenda different from the government's? Who knows, rebel stuff. The resistance has to keep moving their makeshift lab as they try to find a cure, because the government will stop them, which is also not explained, and really needs to be. You both want to reverse the fertility issue. You fight with each other instead of working together. Right, makes total sense.
Then the actual story starts. Chloe, one of the FMC's, is thinking to herself how unfortunate it is that she and her wife have had to put over a half million dollars into IVF, but they will keep trying because they really want a baby. And then they go for their clinic visit, and it's revealed that the government is forcing all fertile women to try to get pregnant, by any means necessary, and Chloe would have to do this even if she doesn't want a baby. So why does it cost so much? If the government is forcing you into IVF, what are you paying for? Also, why have you put in so much money when, apparently, they have found a way to force an embryo to immediately implant into the uterus, allowing them to speed up the fertilizing process? Apparently, this process allows them to know it will be more likely to stick, too. So...wouldn't you have already been pregnant at least once? Were you trying for a baby before this thing was released, maybe? Nah, no explanation there, either. And there is no suspense or sense of urgency with it. She is just immediately pregnant and the only waiting period is to make sure she makes it past the first trimester. Whatever.
Still in the first chapter, still in the clinic, they are led into the room where the implantation will happen, by 'who I can only assume is a nurse.' Wait, you've been coming here for how long and you don't know who the nurses are? I would think you'd know them all by name! That isn't the most egregious thing, but it is one of the indicators that this is their first time here. Again, I wonder why the IVF story to start us off if they have never been to the clinic before? Which is it? The guard doesn't want to let them in, because he's homophobic, basically. So he's never seen them before, either. Everyone in the waiting room is homophobic. All of the workers are homophobic. And I am talking openly, loudly, verbally homophobic. As a queer person, this isn't how homophobia works. Maybe once or twice in your life, in certain circumstances, you might be spoken to this way. But queer people do not walk around every day with a scarlet letter that causes all other people to scream at them, so I do not know what the point of this was. And multiple people imply or outright say that her body is a waste because she married a woman, but she is literally in your fertility clinic to get pregnant! How can she be a waste? I get if a woman refuses fertility treatments, sure. I've heard conservatives in the real world call child-free women wastes of space and worse. Not okay, but it happens. But these fictional characters are actively trying to reproduce, and all other characters are yelling at them like being gay means being barren. I'm not sure if the author was just trying to cram homophobia in here, or what.
Okay, this isn't a book review video, so I cannot go off like I really want to. Let's talk about some of the stupid little bits that made no sense. These two get home from their fertility appointment. Chloe's wife, Maisie, is mad about their treatment, about the doctor who basically said he would rape her to get her pregnant, etc. Fair. But then, to describe her anger, Chloe's POV says, 'She had stepped out of her emotions, and the Angel of Death crawled out to play. And I relished in it.' What the fuck does that mean?? If she's outside her emotions, is she not angry anymore? If she's the Angel of Death, does that mean she had murderous tendencies? But no, they just...go to bed. Just like a normal, non-murdery couple.
Maisie has a nightmare. She is screaming in her sleep. "Fuck me like a little fucking sex toy, you fucking monster! I asked for this, and I deserve it! Use me and fill me with your load!" Chloe manages to wake her, and Maisie explains that in her dream, the fertility doctor convinced Chloe the only way she could get pregnant was to let him and all 29 of their donors 'breed her' while Maisie watched and that female assistant helped. Am I going crazy? Did I have a stroke while reading that? Because to me, that makes no sense. If you were having a nightmare about your partner getting raped, why would you be yelling about YOU getting fucked, and no less, sounding eager for it? I genuinely just do not get any of this. I only finished the story because it was so damn short.
The end is just as stupid and nonsensical. They have to go back to the clinic a few months later to make sure the pregnancy is healthy. They come up with a 'brilliant' plan in this time to get revenge on the doctor and not get caught for assault. But assault becomes murder with gratuitous violence, and they just decide to run away and join the resistance. They slit the doctor's throat, which he somehow struggles to live through long enough for them to taunt him and sodomize him. Sure, Jan. They kill the assistant, too, because I guess this clinic lets the donors rape women to get them pregnant, and she helps? And the male author writes this woman as 'cleavage on display for the men'. Because of course he did. Women's cleavage isn't for themselves and what they wear isn't for themselves! Everyone knows this! Women only have bodies and only reveal said bodies for men!
Oh my gosh, the misogyny. No one should be banned from writing, but some people should be banned from publishing.
P.S. *whispers behind hand* Also, why is a straight man writing a sapphic couple? Just...why?
June 6, 2025
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
I Saw Red is Bella Connors author debut and this little novella packs a punch! At around 70 pages, this dark, futuristic dystopian read is fast-paced and is very much full of feminine rage.
*Check your TWs to stay safe, friends!*
🖤Sapphic Romance
🩸Feminine Rage (it gets a little 🔪)
🖤Dystopian Future
🩸Political Unrest
🖤Power Play Dynamics & BDSM Elements
After the Fourth World War, the new Global Government sought ways to handle overpopulation due to limited resources. While science had made many gains in the way of eradicating communicable diseases and genetic abnormalities, stemming people’s fertility wasn’t yet perfected…so an early release of fertility inhibitors created a crisis where childbearing was reserved for the elite and the few deemed fertile.
Chloe, although not wealthy, is identified as fertile, and she and her wife Maisie are desperate to have a child of their own. Despite the patriarchal ideology that those deemed fertile should procreate in a “natural” way, they make their way to a clinic to handle things on their terms. While there? The couple are faced with homophobic rhetoric and Chloe doesn’t leave the clinic unharmed. Both women are ready to fight back…but how? Will they be able to get their revenge on a rigid system while still getting the child they desire, or will they have to accept the way in which society views them without making a stand?
This dystopian novella explores complex topics surrounding imposed governmental control, including body autonomy due to a fertility crisis, and gives commentary on homophobia and a woman’s place in society. I’m looking forward to more from the series, so that we get a bit more information on why there is such a severe response to “nontraditional” pairings and an ingrained patriarchal ideology in citizens so that the commentary/hate spewed at Chloe and Maisie is better understood, and gives a bit more depth to the rage they possess. I am very much intrigued by the underground society aiming to incite change and was left wanting more. Looking forward to more of The Resistance!
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
I Saw Red is Bella Connors author debut and this little novella packs a punch! At around 70 pages, this dark, futuristic dystopian read is fast-paced and is very much full of feminine rage.
*Check your TWs to stay safe, friends!*
🖤Sapphic Romance
🩸Feminine Rage (it gets a little 🔪)
🖤Dystopian Future
🩸Political Unrest
🖤Power Play Dynamics & BDSM Elements
After the Fourth World War, the new Global Government sought ways to handle overpopulation due to limited resources. While science had made many gains in the way of eradicating communicable diseases and genetic abnormalities, stemming people’s fertility wasn’t yet perfected…so an early release of fertility inhibitors created a crisis where childbearing was reserved for the elite and the few deemed fertile.
Chloe, although not wealthy, is identified as fertile, and she and her wife Maisie are desperate to have a child of their own. Despite the patriarchal ideology that those deemed fertile should procreate in a “natural” way, they make their way to a clinic to handle things on their terms. While there? The couple are faced with homophobic rhetoric and Chloe doesn’t leave the clinic unharmed. Both women are ready to fight back…but how? Will they be able to get their revenge on a rigid system while still getting the child they desire, or will they have to accept the way in which society views them without making a stand?
This dystopian novella explores complex topics surrounding imposed governmental control, including body autonomy due to a fertility crisis, and gives commentary on homophobia and a woman’s place in society. I’m looking forward to more from the series, so that we get a bit more information on why there is such a severe response to “nontraditional” pairings and an ingrained patriarchal ideology in citizens so that the commentary/hate spewed at Chloe and Maisie is better understood, and gives a bit more depth to the rage they possess. I am very much intrigued by the underground society aiming to incite change and was left wanting more. Looking forward to more of The Resistance!
August 5, 2025
The year is 2185... and yet, in many ways, it could be tomorrow...
This novella is an excellent example of fast-paced dystopian storytelling, with immersive world-building that grips you from the first page and refuses to let go. The author paints a hauntingly plausible future—one where genetic engineering has solved the problems of disease, but not the deeper, more dangerous flaws of human nature: greed, inequality, and the thirst for control.
The most powerful element, though, is its raw, unapologetic portrayal of feminine rage. In a world where women's reproductive rights have been stripped away by the same elite who poisoned the water and stole the future, the anger radiates off the page—and it’s heartbreakingly relatable. Especially in today’s political climate, this book doesn’t feel like fiction. It feels like a warning.
The pacing is razor-sharp, and the stakes are sky-high. This story is for anyone who’s ever felt powerless under a broken system—and anyone who’s ever dared to imagine fighting back.
This is not just a dystopian novella. It’s a brutal, blood-soaked reckoning.
I'm looking forward to what this author has planned for us next in this saga...
This novella is an excellent example of fast-paced dystopian storytelling, with immersive world-building that grips you from the first page and refuses to let go. The author paints a hauntingly plausible future—one where genetic engineering has solved the problems of disease, but not the deeper, more dangerous flaws of human nature: greed, inequality, and the thirst for control.
The most powerful element, though, is its raw, unapologetic portrayal of feminine rage. In a world where women's reproductive rights have been stripped away by the same elite who poisoned the water and stole the future, the anger radiates off the page—and it’s heartbreakingly relatable. Especially in today’s political climate, this book doesn’t feel like fiction. It feels like a warning.
The pacing is razor-sharp, and the stakes are sky-high. This story is for anyone who’s ever felt powerless under a broken system—and anyone who’s ever dared to imagine fighting back.
This is not just a dystopian novella. It’s a brutal, blood-soaked reckoning.
I'm looking forward to what this author has planned for us next in this saga...
January 3, 2026
This was a man's fetish. The author is a man writing under a woman's pen name, claiming that he did it to honor his kids... while simultaneously ignoring the fact that Connor Bella would be equally as clear without masquerading as a woman.
This is not a good, or even half decent representation of a queer woman's relationship. This is a tragic rendition of what a man thinks a lesbian relationship should look like. He took real issues and made them so over-the-top he turned them into a joke.
And I'm sorry, in WHAT WORLD does "lesbian relationships" belong in a TRIGGER LIST? ESPECIALLY when that list is in a sapphic book?
This book needed lesbian sensitivity reader and an author who actually cared enough to listen.
NOT good queer representation at all.
This is not a good, or even half decent representation of a queer woman's relationship. This is a tragic rendition of what a man thinks a lesbian relationship should look like. He took real issues and made them so over-the-top he turned them into a joke.
And I'm sorry, in WHAT WORLD does "lesbian relationships" belong in a TRIGGER LIST? ESPECIALLY when that list is in a sapphic book?
This book needed lesbian sensitivity reader and an author who actually cared enough to listen.
NOT good queer representation at all.
May 27, 2025
Wowzie
This Book was incredibly complex for being such a short length, I found myself rooting for Chole and Maisie and their right as women who just wanted to be mothers!
I felt like this book was a setup to this world, and I CANNOT WAIT for more. This was a fast-paced story that left you craving more, just like all short stories, LOL, but it was good.
If you love FF and feminine RAGE, this is for you, cause WOW.
The Smut was smutting, and the action was so satisfying.
Worth the read!
This Book was incredibly complex for being such a short length, I found myself rooting for Chole and Maisie and their right as women who just wanted to be mothers!
I felt like this book was a setup to this world, and I CANNOT WAIT for more. This was a fast-paced story that left you craving more, just like all short stories, LOL, but it was good.
If you love FF and feminine RAGE, this is for you, cause WOW.
The Smut was smutting, and the action was so satisfying.
Worth the read!
October 19, 2025
Wow!
Hello feminine rage! 😤 What a freaking world this book dives into! The government is playing in reproductive issues and causing even further issues leading to mass consequences! This prequel follows along a FF couple trying to achieve what they’ve always wanted! Only to receive harsh judgement and misogynistic treatment! A dark dive into this dystopian world may leave you a little pissed off! But it sure does hit close to home! Fantastic read and I cannot wait for the next one! 🙌🏼
Hello feminine rage! 😤 What a freaking world this book dives into! The government is playing in reproductive issues and causing even further issues leading to mass consequences! This prequel follows along a FF couple trying to achieve what they’ve always wanted! Only to receive harsh judgement and misogynistic treatment! A dark dive into this dystopian world may leave you a little pissed off! But it sure does hit close to home! Fantastic read and I cannot wait for the next one! 🙌🏼
June 7, 2025
I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read this short novella. Not only is this a preview of an upcoming duet by Bella Connors, but it also brings forth a powerful opinion of the author on some of the political and legal challenges & controversial happenings currently in the USA in 2025. It's just put into a fictional novella. If you enjoy a quick turnaround of karma and feminine rage, this is for you!
I am looking forward to reading future full-length books.
I am looking forward to reading future full-length books.
May 30, 2025
I will not fluff this up. It is a female rage dystopian story line. You read my reviews you know im not a big dystopian fan. This one yes maybe dystopian but it really hits into reality. You will have anger, you will feel the deep down emotions. This book is a short fast paced read that really does keep you captivated.
November 3, 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
I wanted to sit on this review for a few days to make sure I actually knew what I wanted to say. And to be honest, I loved what this story stood for but I didn’t like the writing style of it.
I loved the way Chloe and Maisie faced the discrimination they received for being a lesbian couple and their want to start a family. The story itself was a bit confusing because of the wording but the set-up at the beginning made it slightly easier to understand. I really enjoyed the revenge the girls gave and I hope to see more of them in another book.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
I wanted to sit on this review for a few days to make sure I actually knew what I wanted to say. And to be honest, I loved what this story stood for but I didn’t like the writing style of it.
I loved the way Chloe and Maisie faced the discrimination they received for being a lesbian couple and their want to start a family. The story itself was a bit confusing because of the wording but the set-up at the beginning made it slightly easier to understand. I really enjoyed the revenge the girls gave and I hope to see more of them in another book.
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