Fruit of the Flesh

by I.V. Ophelia

Behind the glamour of Gilded Age New York, a marriage of convenience between an artisan and a ballerina masks their shared appetite for revenge in this darkly seductive gothic romance.

In early 1900s New York, former ballerina Petronille De Villier makes an unconventional choice: Marry struggling sculptor Arkady Kamenev. For her, it’s an escape from her family’s unsavory legacy. For him, the De Villier name promises the patronage his art desperately needs. It should be a simple arrangement.

But beneath their marriage of convenience lurks a darker recognition. In each other, they see a reflection of their own dangerous appetites. As buried secrets surface and bodies begin disappearing, Petronille and Arkady discover their union runs deeper than social advantage. Their shared obsessions draw them into an intoxicating dance of predator and prey, though it’s never quite clear who is which.

Bound by law, God, and blood, they must decide if their monstrous natures will tear them apart or forge them into something terribly wonderful together. In a world where nothing is quite what it seems, two creatures of shadow learn that true love requires a taste for the macabre.

Genres: Romance, Dark Romance, Gothic, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Historical

326 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 20, 2026

About the author

USA Today Bestselling author I.V. Ophelia is known for the gothic vampire series The Poisoner. Born in small-town New England, she now haunts the streets of New York City, writing the most unhinged tales she can conjure. When not crafting gothic romance, she works as a full-time artist, hoards nineteenth-century gowns and antique furniture, dotes on her menagerie of pets, and plots her next literary transgression.
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Reviews

[Bailee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun! A fabulous, spicy, gothic standalone that takes place in the early 1900’s. I was entertaiiiined!

[Laura Greenhalgh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so so much I.V. Ophelia for the opportunity to ARC read!! <3

This beautifully dark and gritty gothic romance consumed me, I could not put this down. The writing was beautiful, poetic and atmospheric. There was so much intrigue and the perfect amount of mystery which made reading this almost like solving a puzzle, I was picking up every piece of information that's gradually fed to us throughout this story to bring together the final picture.

I am obsessed with the themes and imagery in this, the overarching theme of hunger, wanting, desire. The characters Petronille and Arkady are complex with imperfections and each their own secrets. The spice in this was unhinged (the best kind) and often left me picking my jaw up off the floor.

Such a good gothic romance standalone!

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ★— If I had to sum up Fruit of the Flesh in one phrase, it would be: style over substance.

It’s got an interesting setup, some cool character ideas, a gorgeous cover, and lines of dialogue and descriptions that would look great on a moodboard or in an aesthetic quote post. But when it came to actually putting all of that together into a story, it just didn’t work for me.

Set in early 1900s New York, the book follows Petronille de Villier, a 24-year-old former ballerina from a wealthy family. She’s lived a life of privilege, but also of various forms of abuse under her parents. When she marries clay artisan Arkady Kamenev, it’s a quiet rebellion against their expectations and as the story goes on, the two of them uncover the hidden darkness in each other, turning their marriage of convenience into something more.

The problem is that the story feels disjointed. The book drops us straight into Petronille’s wedding day, and from there it’s like being handed little snapshots: glimpses of conversations, flashes of darkness, moments that could’ve been powerful. But without the grounding or buildup that makes you care, those moments never really land — or at least didn’t land for me. There’s almost no sense of the world or the characters’ pasts, so instead of feeling immersed, I felt detached and couldn’t quite get pulled into the narrative.

And that’s what really disappointed me, because the ideas are fantastic. A sculptor with a dark penchant, a traumatized ballerina with twisted family baggage, macabre undertones woven into their relationship, some exploration of kink… it’s exactly the kind of thing I would love to really get lost in. As someone who grew up a teenager fascinated with Perfume by Patrick Süskind and enjoys exploring messed-up characters, I should’ve and wanted to like this. But it mostly just bored me, because the thriller and horror aspect didn’t really go deep enough for me and the romance, while sometimes delivering scenes with some pretty prose, didn’t convince me either, because of the general disconnect to the story I felt during my read.

I think readers who are already fans of this author will find what they’re looking for here, but for me it just didn’t hit the way I hoped. Great ideas, interesting setup, but ultimately not enough depth to keep me invested.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I tell you that the writing in this book is literal poetry, I am not lying. The mystery, the suspense, the romance, the tension. I loved every aspect of it. The way I felt like I was in 1900s New York with these characters was insane.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I.V. Ophelia is a writer who doesn’t just write nonfiction, she writes actual poetry. I love when I am reading a book, and it feels so much more than a dark romance. It’s almost dreamlike, like you are stepping into the 1900’s itself and experienced how dark and gritty it was. This is a true dark gothic romance with themes of gore, people who are full of secrets, and secret identities.

The story opens with a marriage between two strangers who are seemingly attracted to one another, or may even come to care for each other, but nothing is ever how it seems, and they not only have their own secrets, but also have extremely dark pasts. When we met Patronille, you soon come to realize that something is off about her. You can tell that she is keeping something from us and isn’t giving us the whole picture of what her story is and her “affliction.”

Arkady was someone that Patroneille needed in her life. He had such a bold and confidant personality that I felt like he kept her grounded and showed her how to grow and to become a better version of herself. He always made sure she was taken care of and would come to her rescue like a dark knight, ugh. Just *swoon* I knew he had a dark past, especially with how his personality was and how he had no issues with his method of drawing, IYKYK.

In true Ophelia fashion, the ending took me by complete surprise, and I was shocked. In a way to sum this book up, it was complete unhinged, but in the absolute best way possible. The spice was dark and deprived, the characters were so unhinged and morbid, but they somehow fit together so perfectly and found that were exactly what each other needed. This story was so beautifully dark and captivating, and I cannot wait for mor people to read it and devour it the way I did.

“I want you,” I said quietly. “I need you,” he replied raggedly, keeping me tight against the door.

“Tell me to stop.” His voice was strained. “Stop holding back,” I begged. “I want all of you, every last unsavory piece of you.” He grunted and left love bites down my shoulder, the back of my neck. “I’ll ruin you.” His voice low. “Spoil me,” I gasped. “Like I’m worth the trouble.”


Fruit of the Flesh will be out on January 20, 2026!

*Thank you so so much to NetGalley, Montlake, and the incredible I. V. Ophelia for the ARC!*

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!*

4 Stars!

A beautifully dark, twisted ride worth the wait!

I’ve wanted to read Fruit of the Flesh ever since I saw its announcement on the author's account, and I can honestly say that the gorgeous cover I’d seen in the meantime was absolutely worth the hype. This arc lived up to almost all of that anticipation.

Set in early 1900s New York, the story brings together a former ballerina and a struggling sculptor in a marriage of convenience that quickly spirals into something much more complex and unsettling. The gothic atmosphere is lush and intense, beautifully matched to the dark romance and macabre undertones that run through every chapter.

Ophelia’s prose is gorgeously evocative and richly atmospheric, and she knows exactly how to build tension between characters whose desires and secrets twist together in shocking ways. The plot isn’t a light read — it’s dark, sometimes messed up, and definitely not for the faint of heart — but for me, those tropes were exactly my cup of tea.

If I had one small critique, it’s that the pacing occasionally felt like it was savoring the mood more than driving straight toward resolution, which left me wanting just a bit more clarity in some places. But overall, this was a compelling, immersive read that scratched the gothic romance itch beautifully!
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Tropes that makes me more excited for the book:

- Brat/ Brat tamer
- Marriage of Convience
- Rich Girl x Gold Digger
- Ballerina FMC x Sculptor MMC
- Artist x Muse
- They'd kill for each other
- Gilded age NYC
- Dual POV

[Emily-Rose At The Rose House · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The curse of the flesh is to be consumed.”

I have no idea, NO IDEA, how I feel about this book 🍑

The characters…ex-ballerina & sculptor 🩰 A marriage of convenience with one liners like “I bet you’d cry if I made you finish the greens on your plate.” 🥦

The spice: umm..lots of interesting objects🫣

The twist ? 🩸🔥🩸absolute chaos, the last few chapters physically slapped me in the face and then bam, the book was finished. Maybe I’m unwell because it’s a standalone ?

SO…I’m immediately diving into a re-read to figure out the PURE SHOCK this book has left me in. I don’t know if it’s good or bad shock 😵‍💫

Rating *pending* the 3 stars ⭐️ is purely because the anticipation for this book release had me in a chokehold, the character art and cover art is stunning 🙌🏼

[✩ Yaz ✩ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for offering me an eARC in exchange of a review!

Fruit of the Flesh is a another dark delicacy from I.V. Ophelia I couldn't wait to consume.

Taking place during the Gilded Age, an ex-ballerina and a sculptor bind themselves to a marriage of convenience for their own selfish desires, what could possibly go wrong?

I can say both morbid curiosity and I.V. Ophelia's entrancing writing had me flipping through the pages to unfold what lies beneath the façade of Petronille De Villier and her elusive new husband, Arkady Kamenev.

It took a while to figure them out but I did not expect the "twist". Absolutely flabbergasted I'm disappointed in myself that I did not piece it together.

Maybe that has more to do with the fact that I felt as if I randomly stumbled into a story from the very start and forced myself to be patient until I could get a feel of where the story was headed. I wouldn't say it felt disjointed as much as it felt abrupt.

Although the book did take place during the Gilded Age, I wouldn't describe anything as gilded thanks to its gothic backdrop. As if something much darker and haunting was looming.

While it is a marriage of convenience and what could've been a story of rags to riches for a struggling sculptor like Arkady, he finds himself tangled into the web of his wife and in-laws' mysteries and darkest secrets.

To Petre this marriage was an opening performance of defiance and she was the perfect muse to Arkady whose artisan hands sculpted her desires and unfurled her body's cravings—both erotic and morbid.

It had many elements I enjoy in an I.V. Ophelia book, who splendidly crafts such dark romances, however I was left with wanting more or wish some of it had been fleshed out enough. Especially in the first half.

You can find the trigger warnings listed at the beginning of the book. This is definitely a dark book with content that might be triggering for sensitive readers or readers with specific triggers.

[káliná · Rating 2 out of 5]

My rating is a generous 1.5 so you can well guess how this is going to go. But let’s start with what I liked about FOTF:
- I'm a sucker for rich people problems so when I saw this is during the Gilded Age, I had to check it out. Ballerina marries an artist in order to spite and break free of her family - now how did this happen 👀
- I’m a moth connoisseur so I was curious to see how the moths will play in either as imagery or device.
- In the beginning of the book there were bits and pieces to flag to the reader that things aren’t as they seemed. Sadly, most of these were either forgotten or when it became time to put the pieces together for the “reveal” it was too forced, like the author had reached their word limit and had to wrap it up. The ending made no sense, especially from a technical standpoint. It came out of the blue with no buildup or foreshadowing.

The first chapters of FOTF where we’re introduced to Arkady and Petronille were interesting, it was obvious that they’re all hiding something and putting on masks, and it makes you curious. However, the moment the FMC and the MMC are alone together, it all falls apart in the cringiest of ways. I don’t need book characters to be likable or relatable, I need them to make sense in their narrative and to be written to the best of the author’s abilities. With Petronille and Arkady we’re having the same character portrait issues that I had with Alina and Silas in “The Poisoner” - they start out strong and interesting, and they very quickly either fall flat and apart, or everything they do doesn’t make sense, nor is it connected to prior actions/dialogue.

Starting off with Arkady, we know almost nothing about him and how he got into sculpting, or what his goals in life are. Apparently he has issues, violent urges and doesn’t trust himself to have penetrative sex because *aggression* which explains all the (when you think about it, aggressive) fingering and avoiding intercourse with his wife. It’s not clear why he’s violent, other than being an immigrant foster kid, which explains nothing really. We have scenes of him looking down on the De Villiers and internally going “I’m not going to do anything for them lol”, immediately followed by him doing exactly what they wanted of him. SPOILER-when I was reading his chapters and later Petronille’s POVs, I thought that he might be a serial killer burning the corpses in the kiln, and that Petronille was his next victim, but no…that’s not how the story goes-SPOILER. It's constantly repeated how poor and rundown Arkady is, he can't pay his rent on the studio, yet has a telephone installed there and wins the bid during the auction scene for the dress by bidding $12k (in today's money that's over $400k). He never pays the rent btw. His landlord shows up once and that's it. He's also constantly switching between smoking a cigarette, a cigar and a pipe within the same chapter (make do with this detail as you will).

Then we have Petronille who has constant fits of hysteria (marketed here as “she’s a brat! hihi”) and some weird esoteric “you’re allowed to feel angry and want to be seen and take up space” talk throughout the story. One moment she’s rational and can talk back to both Arkady and her family, then she’s talking about how edgy she is and what aspirations she has (don’t ask me what they are, I have no idea), the next she’s throwing things at Arkady, being a drunk, not eating, not carrying for her house, just sitting there doing literally nothing with her time. Whenever there’s a scene where she interacts with someone she’s always on the defense, aggressive and flat and nothing dialogues. If someone from the ballet crosses paths with her, they’re barely described or given a name but they throw insults and belittle Petronille. Every interaction is for the purpose to attack and trigger her. Like with Arcady's character, she does and says things that contradict later actions. She's first described as someone who doesn't eat anything other than apricots, or cares to cook and shop for food but has to do it because there's noone else to do it for her. Then later on, Arkady describes how the kitchen has the newest type of stove and how Petronille's hobby is cooking.

The arranged marriage between her and Arkady doesn't make sense. Supposedly she did it to get away from her family and put some distance between them, yet she's constantly getting baited by them and interacting with them. She's from this new money family trying to make it big, yet you're telling me they allowed her to marry an artist because she chose him?? Everything about Mr De Villier's motivation and line of through made me spiral, and I hate this man so much. Not because he's evil and a beast to all of them. No. It's because he's such a cartoonish villain, it's even in his name. He's just throwing oneliners, oblique threats and insults. It physically hurt every time he showed up. Yet, my biggest peeve is that his first name gets thrown in there past the 70%. Why even bother??

There's very little about anything or anybody in the book. The descriptions of characters and surroundings are few, when not repetitive, they are bleak. Every other dress Petronille wears is cream colours, Arkady's suits are "nice". If I didn't know this was New York during the Gilded Age from the blurb, I wouldn't have found out. Sometimes it feels like the story could be taking place down the street from where I live, and I'm not even on the same continent. The focus is primarily on word salad-too modern sounding-dialogue and everyone constantly saying aphorisms with the specific intent of being used later as quotes on Pinterest moodboards. Nobody speaks authentic and natural in this story, nobody. There's always something about knives, hearts, fruit, the soul, the flesh, and appetites without further elaboration, rhyme or reason to these images or concepts. The cannibalism at the end was so forced, and such a lazy "solution" to hiding bodies. Given the amount of apricots that Petronille ate and that her family has an orchard, I thought the fruit was poisoned and it was killing her. Instead we got a "oh, we force-fed you your biological mother and random people, and you knew about it and you ate it lol, lmao even". I really wish she and Arkady had tried to kill each other in the end, it would have made for a better ending.

I’m very nitpicky and pretentious when it comes to historical fiction. Like “The Poisoner”, FOTF is full of inaccuracies, contemporary dialogue and concepts which threw me off completely while reading, and leads me to believe that this is just how IVO writes and her editors don't seem to care.
- “Blashko lines” were coined as a term by Alfred Blashko in 1901. FOTF supposedly takes place in the early 1900s so this might pass but how is someone like Arkady (a random guy off the street) aware of this condition and the clinical term? From the little that we know about his background and education (or lack of), it doesn’t explain how he knows this. The visits to the morgue wouldn’t explain it, no.
- Whistleblower is coined in the late 1960s
- Human rights and Human Right Violations (as we know them today) are a result of WW2
- Mrs De Villier telling Petronille to “become a sex symbol” and let the press write snuff pieces on her, as if women (even white and rich) weren’t ostracized for just breathing wrong during that time period.
- Unmarried Petronille is allowed to live away from her parents, in a house all on her own without any servants. I don’t know what’s with IVO’s aversion towards rich people having servants but we have the same thing in “The Poisoner” with Alina and Silas’ houses. I get the need for secrecy but it makes no sense, also these people can’t do their own chores, look at how they live…

The BDSM:
- “I’m looking for your boundaries.” And I’m looking for a molecule of people acting their century/era when I read historical fiction. Throughout the book Arkady attempts to have conversations with Petronille about BDSM by using contemporary terms and concepts. These conversations and phrases are so weird that even Petronille acknowledges it at one point on page. While it’s fantastic to finally have a MMC that is not a walking red flag and cares about what the FMC wants, the tone and timing makes it seem like this is done for the sake of marking things off from a checklist. Arkady is talking about “brats”, “princesses”, “safe words”, he’s checking in on her and engaging in one(!) aftercare scene. The only reason why I know the bath scene is an aftercare scene is because it was mentioned in the Content Warnings page. All the scenes about setting boundaries, consent, exploring fantasies and trying out different play scenes, felt disingenuous and forced.
- Most of the erotic scenes were supposed to be a type of play, to help Petronille deal with *everything* but here’s the problem. On the one hand you have Arkady who is doing a poor job of delivering a modern day BDSM 101 class. Even Petronille has no idea what they’re doing and doesn’t understand (me too, but that’s because of the descriptions). On the other hand you have Petronille, who although an escort with many patrons and previous experience, is talking and acting like a virgin until the very end.
- Add to that how all the erotic/play scenes were initiated at weird no-connection-to-prior-events-no-foreplay and were brief and confusing. Instead of getting descriptions of who is doing what where with whom, characters would have inner monologues waxing poetically about their souls, their flesh, God, wetness and other moral dilemmas in the middle of unsanitary fingering (also, what is it with heterosexuals and moulding clay together????). There's so much fingering....
- The food play scene feels like it was done only so there’s some wordplay early on involving the title. There’s no other explanation. Because imagine waiting all day for your husband to come home and cook you the dinner he promised you, only for him to finally show up late with nothing but a bag of fruit. And then initiate fruit food play while he’s both domineering you but also giving you a fruit lecture. All the while he knows you are anemic and haven’t eaten much. Like okay, it’s erotic, it’s sensual to get fruit stuffed in your mouth but why not do this for dessert? Why not actually cook that dinner and do this at the end?

Overall there's very little world building and time and effort put into the characters. They aren't even two dimensional, they are inconsistent, disjointed, immature in their actions and expressions, they talk and behave in ways that don't make sense for their social status and time period. The text itself is punishing for the reader; some sentences don't sound finished, scenes abruptly cut off, chapters don't feel connected at times, the imagery and descriptions make no sense. The amount of things left unsaid or left to the interpretation of the reader are too many, and you don't get answers to some things - resolutions and reveals are thrown in at the very end of the book.

Frankly, I was looking forward to reading this and seeing how IVO had progressed as an author, especially since this is also a standalone. They have good ideas and their marketing is always on point. But this was sad and disappointing to read. This just doesn't sound like a finished draft. I kept stopping to reread bits and ask myself what am I reading, what is going on, what tf is Mr De Villier trying to accomplish because I do not see the vision, let alone the logic. The man was literally threatening "Yes, I will ruin my daughter but I will also shoot myself in the foot!".

Lastly, and this is just for me, but every time someone called Petronille "Petre" I snort-sobbed because"Petre" is the masculine nickname for Peter. Add to that the whole Mr Kamenev vs Mrs Kameneva — while I appreciate that Petronille noticed the difference in their names and asked about it, the explanation Arkady gave her barely made sense and I got it only because I'm Slavic 💀

[Miya Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC + ALC REVIEW

--ARC REVIEW--

“Do you think,” I whispered, eyes fluttering open, “this could be how Eve felt in the garden?”

He smiled like it was a silly question. “If the snake were half as lucky as I am now, I would consider the temptation worthwhile.”

A gothic marriage of convenience with an ex-ballerina and a sculptor? SAY NO MORE. Ophelia's books have always had me in a chokehold ever since The Poisoner was released back in 2024. So when she announced a gothic historical marriage of convenience, I knew it would be one of my top reads.

And it certainly was.

Petronille de Villier is our former ballerina from FMC, who comes from a rich family and is pulled into a marriage with the poor sculptor, Arkady Kamenev.

Marriage of convenience, yes, but these two fall hard for each other, and it had me blushing like crazy at times. The spice was also well written as usual, and it definitely made me curious about some of the stuff that was written 👀🤣

Ophelia always writes characters who have deep, complex personalities, and also a world with descriptions that when you read it, it feels as if you can easily insert yourself into it and imagine every scene vividly.

This book is the perfect mix of gothic horror and dark romance that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

A million stars for this book. I will ALWAYS be talking about it, thank you very much.

--ALC REVIEW--

You mean we get to have we get to have Teddy Hamilton narrate Arkady, and Luna Rey narrate Petre? What a good day to be into audiobooks.

Their voices blended seamlessly with their characters, and they reflected them perfectly. If my ears were people, they would be crawling on the floor from how hot this audiobook was lol. The suspense and the romance were as palpable as reading it for the first time, and Luna and Teddy put everything into this performance to perfect this audiobook. Had me hooked!
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update: Aug. 28

okay seriously, only 10% in, and this is one of the hottest books with the most orgasmic writing i've ever read

----------------------------

*rubs hands together like a fly*

THIS BOOK IS GOING TO HE MY ENTIRE PERSONALITY GOODBYE. IM SO HERE FOR MY LOML OPHELIA AND THE HOTNESS THAT WILL BE IN THIS BOOK 😩🩷

sculptor x ballerina ? SAY LESSSS🩰

🍑 Standalone
🩰 HEA
🍑 Ex-Ballerina × Sculptor
🩰 Marriage of Convenience
🍑 1901 NYC
🩰 Murder and Mystery
🍑 Proper BDSM Practices
🩰 Themes of Autonomy, anti-capitalism, not-so-polite society, toxic families

[Lia Carstairs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um???? Well the ending was genuinely INSANE and very shocking, I literally felt sick. Almost thought I missed a content warning but I guess it would be a spoiler to have it listed there??? Still...

Honestly, I wasn't hooked right away but the moment I reached 19%, I was so invested! I was really curious on how Arkady and Petronille's relationship would develop and found Arkady to be really sweet. But then around the 60% mark... I got bored again and tbh it was a struggle getting to the end. Hence, the overall 3 star rating.

I do feel like Petronille and Arkady didn't really have chemistry tbh. I get that Petronille's childhood is the result of how she is right now, but I can't deny that her character really annoyed me. I wish I could've liked her😭 Arkady I liked at first but also that turned into disinterest after a certain point mostly because their relationship was boring to me. Their individual characters were very underdeveloped in my opinion.

Also, it kind of felt like the plot was all over the place?? Like I thought I was missing something but no it really was just confusing. And the ending genuinely was so random and I guess looking back it makes sense now but still super random??? That reveal was very disgusting and I know that's the point but I guess learned I don't like reading about that!! But uh yeah, it was alright in the end. 3 stars for at least keeping me interest for a good amount of the book. Oh also, the art is super pretty!!


Thank you Montlake for the ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

[Janessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I.V. Ophelia does it again; her writing and the way she can pull you into her gothic atmosphere is absolutely remarkable.

I was completely and utterly enraptured by Fruit of the Flesh.

In sickness, in health, and maybe dark secrets? The story reels you right into New York 1900s, following Arkady, an artisan, and Petronille, an ex-ballerina put into a marriage of convenience.

On every page, I was devouring the haunting prose. The characters are layered, morbid, and peculiar. The world is creepy, dreadful, yet mysteriously alluring.

Petronille first appears as spoiled (bratty), selfish, pessimistic, and a bit frustrating. Though despite all that, underneath the flesh and the feminine rage, she just wants to be seen and understood. I was feeling all the emotions for her; she’s socially awkward and does not GAF to ruin your appetite. The character growth on my girl was phenomenal and wicked. Also, I loved the descriptions of her outfits, from the tailored elegance to the colors she chose, and her taste in fruit.

Arkady, the “Brat Tamer”, my new favorite MMC. I was immediately drawn to him; he’s attentive, confident, smart, introverted, mischievous, and loves to galvanize Petre. This man, although he seemed quite mysterious and unhinged with his desires, I was fixated. His curiosity and his ability to unravel Petronille’s desires had me shook. He was patient and willing to do anything for his ✨wife✨, and his backstory made me love him more. I love a dark, poetic, tortured artist. Let’s just say intrusive thoughts for the win.

It delves into intimacy, kinks, emotions, and desires. Proper BDSM, with consent and communication. Although the sexual themes seemed heavy, they were moments of tenderness which made it all the more sensual and appealing. Scorching slow burn indeed 😮‍💨😩🔥

The story explores the darkest corners of the mind, the secrets buried deep, and the depravities that are inflicted. It’s thought-provoking, historically accurate, and reflective. In retrospect, where society or things we cannot control try to consume us. The demand for justice and those who go against us.

The ending had me shook. Throughout the book, I was theorizing and wanting to know what was underneath the surface, and when it was time for the revelations, I was sitting with my jaw on the floor (murder mystery is my favorite).

I.V. Ophelia is an auto-buy author for me and, without a doubt, my all-time favorite gothic romance author.

Thank you to NetGalley and I.V. Ophelia for the opportunity to receive this arc. I am so excited for FOTF to be released soon!

Tropes:
🍑Gothic Romance
🩰Psychological Horror
🍑Standalone
🩰Gilded Age NY
🍑Ex-Ballerina x Sculptor
🩰Marriage of Convenience
🍑Murder and Mystery
🩰Proper BDSM practices with consent
🍑Toxic families
🩰A Not so polite society
🍑Themes of Autonomy
🩰Anti-capitalism

[°✧ susu ✧° · Rating 4 out of 5]

My jaw? On the FLOOR.
WTH OPHELIA!?? I was not expecting that ending at ALL. Oh my god.

This.. this surprised me in the best of ways. This is my first I.V. Ophelia, but definitely won’t be the last. It’s probably one of the most unique plot lines I’ve ever read.
When I tell you the fact that he buries a body for her is just A SCRATCH of what’s to come… I mean it.

The writing immediately pulls you into this golden, dream-like gothic setting. I genuinely felt the sun on my cheeks, peaking through the canopy and shrubs. You’re thrown into a marriage happening between two strangers, but they end up much more entwined by their secrets than they could ever imagine.

I liked how when we get to know Petronille, there’s always this nagging feeling: ‘she’s not telling us something’ or ‘she has more to her than meets the eye’. She never backs down from a challenge, and she says it when she doesn’t think something is right.

Arkady is the perfect person for Petronille. He complements her personality, never judging her, but allowing the best environment for her to grow. He makes her feel safe and comfortable, regularly making sure she’s getting what she wants.

The way everything is described, from the theater’s ambiance to the vibrance of the fruit, to the horrific events, it just makes you feel so immersed. All your senses are turned on, and everything mentioned feels alluring.

That being said please understand that this contains some dark themes so you may want to look into that. You’ll definitely have a… b🩸🩸🩸dy good time that’s for sure.

Thank you so much to montlake for this earc.

[handy.hannahbookishrecs · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Wow what a ride

A gothic romance with horror elements set in the 1900s following our retired Ballerina FMC Petre and our MMC Arkady an artisan who both agree to a marriage of convenience for very different reasons.

I honestly don’t know what to say for this review without giving any spoilers away honestly just go in blind and also note that yes you’re gonna be confused majority of the book but just know it starts clicking at like the 80% mark and it takes a very unexpected turn. I was very shocked.
Overall I really enjoyed this read. I liked the atmosphere, the tension between our couple, and the mystery throughout the book kept me intrigued. I also appreciated the underlying messaging in this book and the fact that it made me uncomfortable (as the gothic genre should) and paints a haunting story of how monsters are not always born but made.

[Larareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Montlake, NetGalley and I. V. Ophelia for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating 4.25 ⭐️

I devoured this!!! And even this might be an understatement as I read the book in about 4 and a half hours!!! Literally couldn't put it down.

This was the best gothic horror and I would have NEVER predicted where it was going. I will never look at a peach the same after reading it!

The writing was sooo beautiful and captivating, the characters were soo well written and the spice definitely delivered!

[destiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

alc review to come

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️ Well, men can f*ck literally anything indeed.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5 stars.

I stumbled upon I.V. Ophelia because I adored the first edition cover of The Poisoner. Went into it blind and very quickly realized that I loved her writing. The same goes for this book. Absolutely beautiful cover (a theme with Ophelia) and stunning writing as well. She has become an auto-buy/auto-read author to me.

Anyways, into the story. As I've already mentioned, the writing is wonderful. Her books are easy to read, engaging, and beautifully written. I loved the setting, loved the atmosphere, and I enjoyed the characters and their dynamics together. They didn't live up to Alina and Silas (The Poisoner), but they were a good runner up.

Overall, I found that I enjoyed the plot but it wasn't as exciting as I was hoping for.
I also felt that the book wrapped up a bit abruptly. I think this could've benefited from some extra length to make the ending feel a little more well-rounded.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

[Samantha Kristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It actually pains me to give this book a 2. I absolutely adored The Poisoner and vowed to read everything Ophelia ever writes.
I was trying so hard to convince myself to bump this book up to a 3 star.
Unfortunately, it was just insanely disjointed, there were a lot of things that didn't really line up or weren't explained. I didn't really like Petronille at all, she was so wishy washy. 1 second she hated Arkady, next she loved him, then back and forth and back and forth. I think there was way too much going on for a standalone and the whole relationship was just really weird and Ophelia brushed past some pretty important moments in their relationship.
The surprise ending didn't make up for much, it would've been great if I didn't struggle through the entire book to get to it.
I'm really hoping that this is purely because it was a standalone instead of a series. I feel like it all could've been a lot better fleshed out and coherent if it were a series.
This is the hardest and most disappointing review I've ever had to write. 😮‍💨

I had also read back to back gothic novels before this and my mood had changed, however I don't think that would've affected my ratings too much.

[♥Milica♥]

IM SEATED ✨✨

[Stefani Tomova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still processing the last chapter ....
The writing is stunning and the tension is insane. But then the twist happened, I gasped, and the book just… finished? It felt unfinished to me .

"I did not know if I believed in God, but I believed there were things in this world that could move the soul, art being among the most powerful next to death."

[Mercury · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Cathedrals for all eyes that can see, muses for all those who can feel.”

This line from the book really sums up my experience with it. Honestly, it has been my muse for a while now. Even before I read it, I was making edits about it. Finally getting to read it only confirmed why. It’s every bit as inspiring and beautiful as I hoped. I’ve been waiting almost a year for this book, so finally getting my hands on it felt surreal. Even though I haven’t had much time to read lately, I knew I had to make space for this one. And wow, it was worth it. Ophelia’s writing is so immersive and lyrical, but also easy to follow. It pulls you straight into the story without feeling heavy.

The vibes were exactly what I imagined from the blurb and all the stunning artworks the author shared beforehand. Everything about the atmosphere felt cohesive, rich, and aesthetically pleasing.

And the characters? I’m obsessed. Arkady has me in a chokehold fr. He completely ate. His personality surprised me in the best way, and I am a total simp. He is bold & confident in who he is & that was everything. He’s exactly what Petre needed.

Watching Petre’s growth, though, was so rewarding. She needed someone who could understand her, love her, value her & help her shine the way she’s meant to, and Arkady did just that. That man truly loved her and it was so cute.
“I want you,” I said quietly.
“I need you,” he replied

MHMMMM. HE IS A SIMP.

Together, they’re such a perfect match. Their relationship felt genuine, full of growth, and just so cute. Plus… they’re hotttt🫦

I can’t wait for more people to meet these two. I know they’re going to fall in love with them too.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[ApoorvaReads · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf, Its soooo boring

[Christina (Bloodycrimsonreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

•ARC review•
Release date: January 20th, 2026
Genre: gothic, dark romance

‘’Cathedrals for all eyes that can see, muses for all those who can feel.’’

I’m obsessed.
I.V. Ophelia did it again.
The vibes, the themes, the tropes, everything was morbidly on point. Ophelia is talented at creating tangible atmosphere that feels like a hug while simultaneously leaving you slightly uneasy. I would absolutely love to be absorbed by her books. Her characters are fleshed out and relatable to some extent. She said she would feed us alright and she did indeed.

“My dear, you are going to learn very quickly that I am most certainly worse than any man you know. Take comfort that you have such a force on your side.”

Arkady and Petronille were delightful. Their relationship was reservedly unhinged and sweet. For a long time, Arkady was on the fence, reserved, tough to crack. But oh my did he exude such sexiness, confidence. I fell in love so fast. Him wearing glasses while reading sealed the deal for me. Amongst a multitude of other reasons, of course. He was just such an immovable pillar.

‘’What was it like to be perceived by someone whose entire life was art? Would he see the beauty in my potential, or would he just see raw material?’’

In contrast, Petronille was such a brat, loud and throwing tantrums, clearly having underlying issues to deal with, namely self-esteem ones that Arkady was set on working on with her. Lets face it; her family left much to be desired. Petronille was a bit unhinged and impulsive, which irked Arkady but ultimately he couldn’t resist. Neither did I. Their moments together felt exquisitely intimate, I wish we got a little more of them.

“I’ll ruin you.” His voice low. “Spoil me,” I gasped. “Like I’m worth the trouble.”

I will say it again: anything Ophelia provides to us, I consume. And I consume it greedily.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Montlake and Ophelia’s team for the arc.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 /5
Spicy

•Gothic romance
•Mystery and suspense
•Horror
•Marriage of convenience
•BD$M

[Joanna Rjean · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝐼 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝓀 𝑜𝒻 𝓈𝑒𝓍, 𝐼 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝓀 𝑜𝒻 𝒶𝓇𝓉. 𝐼𝓉 𝓂𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒷𝑒 𝒷𝒶𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒𝒹, 𝒾𝓉 𝓂𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒷𝑒 𝓉𝒶𝓃𝑔𝒾𝒷𝓁𝑒, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝑒𝓁𝓈𝑒, 𝒾𝓉 𝓂𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒷𝑒 𝒶 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓈𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃: 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒷𝒶𝓁 𝒶𝓈 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒶𝓈 𝒾𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝓈𝒾𝓁𝑒𝓃𝓉.”

Lyrically macabre, hauntingly poetic, and a darkly seductive unraveling of a cautionary yet liberating tale about the reclamation of self, of narrative, and of freedom that awaits on the other side of truth. Fruit of the Flesh is an immersive and darkly psychological descent into the willingness to devour what would otherwise devour you. A world rich in haunting imagery and emotional intensity that instantaneously teleports you right into the heart of early 1900s New York. Fruit of the Flesh breathes life into this dark gothic romance that pulses with gore, grit, horror, and characters brimming with dark secrets awaiting to be unraveled.

The story unfolds through the dual perspectives of our two beautifully broken individuals: Petronille (Petre) De Villier and Arkady Kamenev.

Petre is the youngest daughter of a wealthy and abusive family who forces her into a marriage of convenience. In an act of rebellion and escape, she chooses to marry Arkady Kamenev for his lack of social standing. Once a revered and celebrated ballerina, Petre is haunted by a traumatic past who harbors a mysterious “affliction.” On the surface, she is restrained and emotionally guarded. Though as the story progresses simultaneously we get to unravel the mysteries of Petronille discovering an intelligent yet broken woman deeply marred by years of exploitation, abuse, and neglect. She is both victim and survivor utilizing her sharp wit and defiance as a weapon against those seeking to control her. Petronille’s character arc in the book was a deeply satisfying journey to witness and unravel. Shaped through hers and Arkady’s evolving relationship and shifting connection—twisted yet tender, a bond entangled in danger, desire, and a quiet understanding as they moved through the blurred space between love, violence, and survival.

Arkady Kamenev is a talented yet struggling sculptor of humble origins. Chosen by Petronille, Arkady enters this marriage of convenience for his own agendas. Upon first impression, Arkady is both bold and confident, though, as with Petronille, descending deeper into this story also means getting to unravel the dark mysteries of his nature, his disturbed past, and capacity for tenderness, dominance, and brutality. Arkady’s artistry felt like a way of life reflecting his capabilities of seeing the world and creating adventures into the mundane. Qualities that I was drawn to and made me fall in with his character. He is maddeningly provoking and engages deeply with life possessing this deep sense of wonder with the world despite his circumstances. Rich in perpetual depth, Arkady’s ability to create adventures within the mundane felt like a form of quiet rebellion — a way of saying that meaning isn’t granted by society, but created from within.

"𝒜𝓇𝓀𝒶𝒹𝓎 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝓎𝓅𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓉𝒶𝓁𝓀 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝓈𝑒𝓃𝓈𝒾𝒷𝓁𝑒 𝓅𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝒶𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝑜𝒻𝒻 𝒶 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝒹𝓌𝑜𝑜𝒹 𝒸𝓁𝒾𝒻𝒻. 𝐻𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒶𝒾𝓇 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝒾𝓂, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓀𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝒶𝒹𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒻𝑒𝑒𝓁 𝒶𝓈 𝒾𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒻𝓁𝓎. 𝒜𝓃 𝒶𝓊𝓇𝒶 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓅𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒾𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝒹𝓋𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒, 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓃 𝓈𝓂𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓅𝒾𝑒𝒸𝑒𝓈. 𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝑒𝓍𝒸𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑜𝒻 𝒶𝓁𝓁, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓂𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝒶𝒹𝓋𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒𝓈 𝓌𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓃 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝓊𝓃𝒹𝒶𝓃𝑒, 𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓇𝑒𝓁𝓎 𝒶𝒸𝒸𝑒𝓈𝓈𝒾𝒷𝓁𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝑒𝓃𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔.”

What I loved:
⟢ The beautiful unraveling of Petronille and Arkady’s relationship was a deeply satisfying journey to embark on. The blossoming bond of two broken souls through recognizing and embracing each other’s monstrous natures rather than hiding them. Though initially bound by a marriage of convenience, true intimacy and love between them only grew deeper as they simultaneously opened up and confronted their dangerous secrets, appetites, and pasts. Their tethered connection deepened not despite their imperfections, but through the ways in which they reflected and embraced each other’s hidden depths.
⟢ I.V. Ophelia’s writing is visceral, evocative, and rich in sensory detail, not only enhancing the decay and opulent experience of being in the Gilded Age era, but the attention to detail in its language masterfully enhances the novel’s themes of desire, hunger, and hidden darkness. I was particularly drawn to the steady undercurrent of suspense and unease held throughout the novel which built the kind of tension I enjoyed experiencing in unveiling subtle revelations and psychological depth, allowing secrets to gradually unfold.

Audiobook experience:
This is an unabridged audiobook featuring a dual narration performed by Teddy Hamilton as Arkady Kamenev and Luna Rey as Petronille De Villier. With a listening length of 10 hours and 3 minutes. This is a dual narration not a duet narration where the two narrators alternate by chapter or point of views and reading all characters within their assigned chapters, often shifting voices slightly for dialogue. Though I typically prefer duet narrations, I thoroughly enjoyed immersive reading the audiobook for Fruit of the Flesh. Both narrators performed phenomenally not only breathing life into each character but their compelling dual narration also brought a level of emotional depth, sensual intensity, and atmospheric storytelling to life.

Final thoughts:
Fruit of the Flesh is a vividly bold and unflinching journey into the ways in which we are shaped — and sometimes fractured — by the cravings of others. A tale for those drawn to the lingering portrait of darkness, trauma, and desire. An honest take into a world where love is not always gentle — that at times it can be all consuming, transformative, and often grotesque, interrogating the ideas of hunger, art, and bodily obsession. Fruit of the Flesh is an unforgettable story, my first five star read of the year, and one I would reread in a heartbeat.

[Madison (madinotmaddiereads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

All my thanks to Simon & Schuster for the advanced listening copy! Teddy Hamilton is slaying the narrations these days!

I knew from the synopsis this one was going to be a ride. I love the decadence of Ophelia’s storytelling and she does an excellent job of setting the scene with aesthetic imagery and thoughtful prose that provokes the mind of the reader as they tumble further into the madness of whatever plot laid out before them.

Never in a million years could I have guessed where this was going. I was so intrigued by the dynamic of the leads’ chemistry development but as far as their individual personalities go, I knew *something* was going on but WOAH I never would have imagined *that* and honestly? Brilliant! A round of applause for I.V. Ophelia 👏🏻

I will be thinking about this book a lottttt and when I say this book delivers the most extreme example of “if he wanted to, he would…”

Just know that I mean that lol
(this book was hot hell…literally was sweating geezus)

I do wish that this audiobook had been a true duet narration but would still definitely recommend as an audio read! I’ll be rereading physically to annotate because so many of these quotes were crazy!

[Gillian Dowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I loved most was the atmosphere of this story. How deceptively light it was, despite the eerie suspense consistently shadowed in the background. . .

I do think this is the first book I’ve read with this arranged marriage/marriage of convenience trope, and I WHOLLY enjoyed the room that it gave the development of the main characters and their relationship. Forced proximity here had DELICIOUS effects.

But the grand reveal! The way you know all along that something is amiss, something isn’t right with the art and the appetites. . . The slow unraveling and sprinkling of details is the mark of a patient, talented author.

Brava, Performer. Beautifully done, Artisan.

Congrats on a story well-told, Writer.

[shelby ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

ummm…i honestly don’t know what exactly to say. i was intrigued to say the least. the ending was actually mind boggling and unexpected. i <3 unsettling books and fruit of the flesh was almost perfection. i loved every bit of this.

[mandie ୨୧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the writing style and the relationship between Arkady and Petre, but I think I was put off that not a whole lot happened until over 70% in. Loved the ending, though.

[Valerie Aethra · Rating 5 out of 5]

- sculptor x ballerina
- standalone
- gothic horrormance
- anti-capitalistic
- 1901 NYC
- mystery, murder, macabre
- mental health & family trauma
- on-page spice in chapters 9,11,14,,19,21,23,31,36

OH. MY. F*CKING GOD.

I don't know what to say???? LIKE THAT WAS THE MOST PERFECT GOTHIC HORROR AND I COULDN'T HAVE, IN NINE LIVES, PREDICTED WHERE IT WAS GOING. I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO LOOK AT A PEACH, THE STONE FRUIT OF MY CHOICE THE SAME. I'M IN AWE. I'M SO SO OBSESSED THIS IS WHAT CLASSICS ARE MADE OF. PERFECTION IM JUST I HAD TO COME HERE AND SCREAM LIKE WOAH.

I don't know what to write in my review because NO WORDS COULD EVER DESCRIBE HOW PHENOMENALLY PENNED THIS GOTHIC DARK HORRORMANCE IS????? TOP TIER STORYTELLING, THIS IS WHAT THE GENRE WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE. Ophelia's writing is so gorgeous and timeless, I am forever undone by this book. I have this thing where I forget most of the things that happened in a book/show a few months after consuming it and so, a reread/rewatch almost feels like reading it afresh. With Fruit of the Flesh: I do NOT possess the patience to reread it. I want to forget about it RIGHT NOW and reread it right now. I SAW MYSELF IN PETRE, UNHINGED AS SHE GREW TO BE. Go lose yourself in this impeccable dark gothic tale of the artisan and the performer and don't forget to check the CWs lovelies <3