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Swallowed: A haunting dark sci-fi romance where desire, madness, and the mysteries of a living planet collide
THE PLANET HAS ALWAYS CALLED TO JILL, BUT ITS SECRETS MAY CONSUME HER. . .
Swallowed is a dark, psychological sci-fi novella where obsession, romance, and horror intertwine on a planet that seems too perfect to be real.
‘This was just as wild and thrilling as I thought it would be. Meg Smitherman never disappoints!’ 5 ⭐ Reader Review
--
Earth is broken beyond repair. The Planet is our last hope.
Humanity's first mission to the Planet ended in tragedy, but botanist Jill Jones won’t let that stop her from joining the second one.
Perfect climate, perfect terrain, perfect flora and fauna; the Planet has called to Jill all her life. She knows, with bone-deep certainty, it's home. A new beginning for humanity. She just needs a chance to prove it.
But as Jill and her team survey the Planet, a mysterious presence begins to infiltrate their thoughts.
When her colleagues start to disappear, it's up to Jill to uproot the Planet's secrets before they consume her, her friends . . .
And the one man she would do anything to keep.
--
Readers love Swallowed
'Mouth dropped. This was such an incredible read. I couldn’t put it down. I read it in one sitting!' 5 ⭐ Reader Review
'Disturbing, addictive and darkly atmospheric' 5 ⭐ Reader Review
'I need more books like this! Immediately one of my FAVORITE reads of 2024 & should be on your must reads for 2025' 5 ⭐ Reader Review
'A horticulturally horny and hypnotising read' 5 ⭐ Reader Review
Swallowed is a dark, psychological sci-fi novella where obsession, romance, and horror intertwine on a planet that seems too perfect to be real.
‘This was just as wild and thrilling as I thought it would be. Meg Smitherman never disappoints!’ 5 ⭐ Reader Review
--
Earth is broken beyond repair. The Planet is our last hope.
Humanity's first mission to the Planet ended in tragedy, but botanist Jill Jones won’t let that stop her from joining the second one.
Perfect climate, perfect terrain, perfect flora and fauna; the Planet has called to Jill all her life. She knows, with bone-deep certainty, it's home. A new beginning for humanity. She just needs a chance to prove it.
But as Jill and her team survey the Planet, a mysterious presence begins to infiltrate their thoughts.
When her colleagues start to disappear, it's up to Jill to uproot the Planet's secrets before they consume her, her friends . . .
And the one man she would do anything to keep.
--
Readers love Swallowed
'Mouth dropped. This was such an incredible read. I couldn’t put it down. I read it in one sitting!' 5 ⭐ Reader Review
'Disturbing, addictive and darkly atmospheric' 5 ⭐ Reader Review
'I need more books like this! Immediately one of my FAVORITE reads of 2024 & should be on your must reads for 2025' 5 ⭐ Reader Review
'A horticulturally horny and hypnotising read' 5 ⭐ Reader Review
211 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 9, 2025
304 people are currently reading
5165 people want to read
About the author
Meg Smitherman
7 books939 followersMeg Smitherman writes science fiction, fantasy, and horror books (all of which involve kissing). She studied Creative Writing at Brunel University London, where she obtained both her MA and a staggering amount of student loan debt. When not writing, Meg spends her time playing video games, reading fan fiction, and couch rotting. Based in Los Angeles, she shares her life with a chihuahua, a cat, and a handsome Englishman.
Follow Meg on social media!
Instagram: @megsmitherman
TikTok: @megsmitherman
Twitter: @megsauce
Follow Meg on social media!
Instagram: @megsmitherman
TikTok: @megsmitherman
Twitter: @megsauce
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 929 reviews
December 16, 2024
.⋆˚⁀➷ 4★
swallowed was thrilling, ominous and seductive. meg smitherman had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what in the actual fuck was going on.
🪐sci~fi || horror || romance novella
🌱science girl × military boy
🪐alien planet
🌱doomed mission
🪐descent into madness
🌱sentient plants
♡ i really liked ben×jill. their romance and smut was the main focus of this novella but i still found the plot interesting. the world building, the planet + the plants all felt so real yet uncanny and beautiful like a painting.
╰┈❥ i predicted the plot twist but it didn't take away from my experience. i had so much fun while reading this. i want a physical copy so i can annotate on my re~read.
quotes i like:
➵Envelop me in leaves and roots, grow a garden in my lungs until they burst, until my ribcage springs open and all over me are flowers.
➵Ben repeats my name like a prayer.
“Jones,” like I’m a goddess.
“Jones,” like I’m his world.
➵Sink in with me.
Decay with me.
Become bones with me.
➵“Whatever you want,” he says, “I’ll give it to you.”
➵I would melt into the soil and rot, pushed to the edge of desire for eternity by the maggots and worms in my carcass.
➵Ben. My beacon, my anchor.
➵A perfect cycle, life and death playing out like poetry for billions of years.
Until we destroyed it.
trigger warnings: body horror, psychological horror//suspense, explicit sex scenes (some involving plants!!), discussion//depiction of mental illness, estranged mom//daughter relationship, death of Mom in past, side character murdered her abusive ex-bf, death
♡thank you sooo much, meg, for this arc♡
⋆⭒˚.⋆🌱🔬🪐⋆.˚⭒⋆
⋆⭒˚.⋆pre~read⋆.˚⭒⋆
ahhh. i just received the arc. going in blind other than the tropes. i am so excited!!!!
swallowed was thrilling, ominous and seductive. meg smitherman had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what in the actual fuck was going on.
🪐sci~fi || horror || romance novella
🌱science girl × military boy
🪐alien planet
🌱doomed mission
🪐descent into madness
🌱sentient plants
♡ i really liked ben×jill. their romance and smut was the main focus of this novella but i still found the plot interesting. the world building, the planet + the plants all felt so real yet uncanny and beautiful like a painting.
╰┈❥ i predicted the plot twist but it didn't take away from my experience. i had so much fun while reading this. i want a physical copy so i can annotate on my re~read.
quotes i like:
➵Envelop me in leaves and roots, grow a garden in my lungs until they burst, until my ribcage springs open and all over me are flowers.
➵Ben repeats my name like a prayer.
“Jones,” like I’m a goddess.
“Jones,” like I’m his world.
➵Sink in with me.
Decay with me.
Become bones with me.
➵“Whatever you want,” he says, “I’ll give it to you.”
➵I would melt into the soil and rot, pushed to the edge of desire for eternity by the maggots and worms in my carcass.
➵Ben. My beacon, my anchor.
➵A perfect cycle, life and death playing out like poetry for billions of years.
Until we destroyed it.
trigger warnings: body horror, psychological horror//suspense, explicit sex scenes (some involving plants!!), discussion//depiction of mental illness, estranged mom//daughter relationship, death of Mom in past, side character murdered her abusive ex-bf, death
♡thank you sooo much, meg, for this arc♡
⋆⭒˚.⋆🌱🔬🪐⋆.˚⭒⋆
⋆⭒˚.⋆pre~read⋆.˚⭒⋆
ahhh. i just received the arc. going in blind other than the tropes. i am so excited!!!!
January 1, 2026
2.5 ⭐️
Loved the other two books I’ve read by this author recently but unfortunately this one didn’t grip me quite like those did. The ending didn’t give anything but I think that’s because I wasn’t as invested in these characters. But I HIGHLY recommend Entity & Thrum!
Loved the other two books I’ve read by this author recently but unfortunately this one didn’t grip me quite like those did. The ending didn’t give anything but I think that’s because I wasn’t as invested in these characters. But I HIGHLY recommend Entity & Thrum!
October 1, 2025
If you ever wanted to read about a planet full of horny plants that also wants to devour people then I have just the book for you. All the characters were literally touching some grass and I leave it up to your own imagination what that actually means in this context.
February 2, 2025
pre review:
╰┈➤ finished on february second, 2025
honestly I had higher expectations rtc
🌏 pre read:🌱
╰┈➤ started on february first, 2025
this seems really fun and interesting, plus it has been on my tbr for a little bit now👀🤞🏻hoping it's good
╰┈➤ finished on february second, 2025
honestly I had higher expectations rtc
🌏 pre read:🌱
╰┈➤ started on february first, 2025
this seems really fun and interesting, plus it has been on my tbr for a little bit now👀🤞🏻hoping it's good
September 5, 2025
˙₊➴ ꒰ 3-stars★ ꒱ ꒷⊹࣪˖
With Earth destroyed and no longer habitable, humanity is desperate for a second chance. In a final effort to survive, the Earth Colonization Effort (ECE) dispatches a team of researchers to assess The Planet, a seemingly perfect twin of Earth.
Their mission is to confirm if it's safe for human life. But as the team delves deeper into this strange, familiar world, they begin to uncover unsettling truths. Is The Planet truly humanity’s salvation or the beginning of its demise?
⊹ ࣪ ˖ੈ Thoughts
Mama what did I just read? tbh im still stunned by this book. I'm creeped out, surprised, and speechless. All in all, I was swallowed (pun intended hehe)🤭
‧˚ ꒰ 🌎 ꒱ world & plot ₊˚⋆
Swallowed is set in a post-apocalyptic time where humans are now in search of a new planet. And after years of searching, they discover "The Planet", a seemingly perfect Earth-like world just a few light-years away. Picture the Earth pre-facebook, tiktok brainrot, and before God decided to bake humans in his oven (lol) it was lush, untouched, and breathtaking in its beauty. But despite that, Meg Smitherman didn’t disappoint with making this flowery land both vibrant and eerie. This made the story more thrilling and mysterious from its hopeful beginning. And ngl i actually started glancing out the car window every time the tension spiked. That’s how immersive and creepy it gets.
‧˚ ꒰ 🌺 ꒱ characters ₊˚⋆
The characters in this book were a bunch of intriguing group of people. Jill is the daughter of a former researcher. Darcie and Julian are the very ratty and yappy duo, and Ben the a meathead with a gun. Their dynamic is messy, curious, and often hilarious, which made following their journey fun. But I just found myself wishing for more depth, more background, more lore, and more time with each of them. As we only get glimpses of who they are and what shaped them.
‧˚ ꒰ 🌿 ꒱ final thoughts ₊˚⋆
This story started off hopeful, breathtaking, and vibrant then slowly spiraled into chilly, eerie, what the heck did I just read territory. The premise and plot were genuinely good. But the more I think about it, the more I wish we got more character lore, more planet info, and definitely more insight into what happens after that ending. Still, it was a wild ride, and I’m stamping this with my official approved seal! Meg Smitherman, this was weird, and I liked it. Now lemme read more of your books hihi🤿❤️🔥
˚₊ ⟢┊pre-read 🖇️┊⊹࣪⋆
Need something short for a weekend trip, and I remembered that I was eyeing this one after reading Grave Matter. So here I gooooooo! 🍃
❝ It was the dream of a new home for humanity. We killed Earth. Millions of us died, wiped out in horrific weather events, from starvation, or from exposure in the massive deserts that bloomed in the Great Heating Event. And worse, we killed each other, ravaged the land with bombs, no longer concerned with preserving humanity, let alone the environment. There was nothing left to save. ❞
❝ And there she was, only a few light-years away: the Planet, as if handed to us by God himself, to cleanse us of our sins. ❞
With Earth destroyed and no longer habitable, humanity is desperate for a second chance. In a final effort to survive, the Earth Colonization Effort (ECE) dispatches a team of researchers to assess The Planet, a seemingly perfect twin of Earth.
Their mission is to confirm if it's safe for human life. But as the team delves deeper into this strange, familiar world, they begin to uncover unsettling truths. Is The Planet truly humanity’s salvation or the beginning of its demise?
⊹ ࣪ ˖ੈ Thoughts
Mama what did I just read? tbh im still stunned by this book. I'm creeped out, surprised, and speechless. All in all, I was swallowed (pun intended hehe)🤭
‧˚ ꒰ 🌎 ꒱ world & plot ₊˚⋆
❝ Everything here is similar to Earth. It’s as if someone made a carbon copy of our planet and posted it up somewhere far away, with unnoticed differentiations. ❞
Swallowed is set in a post-apocalyptic time where humans are now in search of a new planet. And after years of searching, they discover "The Planet", a seemingly perfect Earth-like world just a few light-years away. Picture the Earth pre-facebook, tiktok brainrot, and before God decided to bake humans in his oven (lol) it was lush, untouched, and breathtaking in its beauty. But despite that, Meg Smitherman didn’t disappoint with making this flowery land both vibrant and eerie. This made the story more thrilling and mysterious from its hopeful beginning. And ngl i actually started glancing out the car window every time the tension spiked. That’s how immersive and creepy it gets.
‧˚ ꒰ 🌺 ꒱ characters ₊˚⋆
❝ We had our chance. Our planet. We fucked it up. Maybe we shouldn’t get a second one. ❞
The characters in this book were a bunch of intriguing group of people. Jill is the daughter of a former researcher. Darcie and Julian are the very ratty and yappy duo, and Ben the a meathead with a gun. Their dynamic is messy, curious, and often hilarious, which made following their journey fun. But I just found myself wishing for more depth, more background, more lore, and more time with each of them. As we only get glimpses of who they are and what shaped them.
‧˚ ꒰ 🌿 ꒱ final thoughts ₊˚⋆
❝ The Planet is a gift. It’s our opportunity to do it right this time. ❞
This story started off hopeful, breathtaking, and vibrant then slowly spiraled into chilly, eerie, what the heck did I just read territory. The premise and plot were genuinely good. But the more I think about it, the more I wish we got more character lore, more planet info, and definitely more insight into what happens after that ending. Still, it was a wild ride, and I’m stamping this with my official approved seal! Meg Smitherman, this was weird, and I liked it. Now lemme read more of your books hihi🤿❤️🔥
˚₊ ⟢┊pre-read 🖇️┊⊹࣪⋆
Need something short for a weekend trip, and I remembered that I was eyeing this one after reading Grave Matter. So here I gooooooo! 🍃
December 12, 2024
BROOOOOOOOOTHER
OH MY !!
I’m not sure that I can put into words how much I’m obsessed with the way Meg writes, what she writes, and just everything she bestows upon us. TRULY GIFTING US GOLD
This freaky ass novella is beautiful, insane, addicting, scalding, inventive, I JUUUUST…
Perfect plot:spice balance
Characters are incredibly robust in personality
Zero dredging on; constantly grabbing your attention span by the throat until the last page
Can’t recommend enough and can’t scream loudly enough that Meg Smitherman is my new auto-buy author <3
OH MY !!
I’m not sure that I can put into words how much I’m obsessed with the way Meg writes, what she writes, and just everything she bestows upon us. TRULY GIFTING US GOLD
This freaky ass novella is beautiful, insane, addicting, scalding, inventive, I JUUUUST…
Perfect plot:spice balance
Characters are incredibly robust in personality
Zero dredging on; constantly grabbing your attention span by the throat until the last page
Can’t recommend enough and can’t scream loudly enough that Meg Smitherman is my new auto-buy author <3
December 20, 2024
Do you want to be…. Turned on… but also… disturbed?
Do you want to be disturbingly turned on? Do you want to be turned on…. By the disturbing?
I’ll answer for you. Yes.
Earth is barely inhabitable at this point in time… so there are teams… looking at other planets… to relocate the human race to…
Botanist Jill Jones is heading to a planet with a team to research if this is a viable option to move to….
Ask me…. If you think… it goes well…
As far as the plot goes… that’s literally all I can say… because… you deserve the shock coming to you…. If you pick up this book. And I highly recommend you do.
The dedication of the book is… For everyone who ever looked at a particularly nice tree and thought, “Wait a minute… why he kinda…”
And yes… I have… had that thought. So thank you Meg. Thank you.
There’s a cast of characters here who you literally… have no idea who to root for at any given time. You’re just sitting there bouncing your leg as you read, oozing stress… panicked, unsure of what is going to happen next.
It’s a stressful… incredible time. And also…. It’s spicy, and weird, and yummy, and it will make you question what you enjoy… but at the same time you’re like you know what… hell ya.
The descriptions of the planet and what’s going on around them is absolutely beautiful. This book is like beautiful creepy poetry.
And the ending…. This was me at the end….
I don’t know what else to say because I finished this book yesterday and this is still me today so just… when you can get your hands on this book… grab it and then I don’t know… maybe make sure you have the next day off of work after reading this because you’re…. Going to need to process what you just read.
Do you want to be disturbingly turned on? Do you want to be turned on…. By the disturbing?
I’ll answer for you. Yes.
Earth is barely inhabitable at this point in time… so there are teams… looking at other planets… to relocate the human race to…
Botanist Jill Jones is heading to a planet with a team to research if this is a viable option to move to….
Ask me…. If you think… it goes well…
As far as the plot goes… that’s literally all I can say… because… you deserve the shock coming to you…. If you pick up this book. And I highly recommend you do.
The dedication of the book is… For everyone who ever looked at a particularly nice tree and thought, “Wait a minute… why he kinda…”
And yes… I have… had that thought. So thank you Meg. Thank you.
There’s a cast of characters here who you literally… have no idea who to root for at any given time. You’re just sitting there bouncing your leg as you read, oozing stress… panicked, unsure of what is going to happen next.
It’s a stressful… incredible time. And also…. It’s spicy, and weird, and yummy, and it will make you question what you enjoy… but at the same time you’re like you know what… hell ya.
The descriptions of the planet and what’s going on around them is absolutely beautiful. This book is like beautiful creepy poetry.
And the ending…. This was me at the end….
I don’t know what else to say because I finished this book yesterday and this is still me today so just… when you can get your hands on this book… grab it and then I don’t know… maybe make sure you have the next day off of work after reading this because you’re…. Going to need to process what you just read.
February 9, 2025
Thought there would be more tree fucking tbh. Still loved it
February 3, 2025
4 ★’s
⸝⸝
meg writes = i read
this book reminded me of the movie annihilation and i was hooked from the start. i ended up liking this more than thrum and i think that's because there was more character interactions. i really liked both main characters and the romance. beautifully written with perfect plot to spice ratio.
⸝⸝
this saved me from a reading slump and i would recommend to anyone who likes spicy sci-fi.
tropes:
⤿🌿science girl X military boy
⤿🌿sci-fi/horromance novella
⤿🌿alien planet
⤿🌿descent into madness
⤿🌿doomed expedition
⤿🌿h0rny plants
⤿🌿“good girl” & “yes sir”
⤿🌿 🌶🌶.5
⸝⸝
Envelop me in leaves and roots, grow a garden in my lungs until they burst, until my ribcage springs open, and all over me are flowers.
meg writes = i read
this book reminded me of the movie annihilation and i was hooked from the start. i ended up liking this more than thrum and i think that's because there was more character interactions. i really liked both main characters and the romance. beautifully written with perfect plot to spice ratio.
⸝⸝
Let the Planet take you slowly, like a lover. Let her kiss the flesh from you. Sink in with me. Decay with me. Become bones with me.
this saved me from a reading slump and i would recommend to anyone who likes spicy sci-fi.
tropes:
⤿🌿science girl X military boy
⤿🌿sci-fi/horromance novella
⤿🌿alien planet
⤿🌿descent into madness
⤿🌿doomed expedition
⤿🌿h0rny plants
⤿🌿“good girl” & “yes sir”
⤿🌿 🌶🌶.5
December 28, 2024
Smitherman clearly knows how to pack a punch in such a short book. I don’t want to spoil the story, so I will just say that overall, I enjoyed this! However, this didn’t immediately hook me the same way Thrum did. It seems like the banter between the characters and their odd hyperfixation on Ben’s gun was the focus of the beginning of the book 😅. Once I got past that, I did enjoy the story and the twist that the plot took.
Thank you, Meg, for an advance readers copy of the book. All opinions and thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.
Thank you, Meg, for an advance readers copy of the book. All opinions and thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.
April 2, 2025
I should have guessed, based solely on the dedication, that this was gonna be a little outside my normal horror reading
Sci-fi horror with a threesome that involves a botanist, a soldier and...a planet. wild
Sci-fi horror with a threesome that involves a botanist, a soldier and...a planet. wild
March 8, 2025
what the fuck (respectfully)
December 12, 2024
I loved 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘶𝘮 and was SO excited to receive an advanced copy of 𝘚𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥! I devoured it hours after it hit my inbox.
“𝘈 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘦, 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴. 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵.”
The way this story is written haunts your mind. I’m such a sucker for existential, chilling, beautiful depictions of life and decay and this novella DELIVERS exactly that, bundled up in a package of sci-fi and horrormance.
“𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘵, 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘴.”
𝘚𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 is so unique and eerie; full of both ghosts of the past and current unsettling events, mixed with fun character dynamics and spice that entangles itself right back into the horror aspects.
🌱Botanical horror
🌱Fast-paced
🌱Sentient plants
🌱Plants joining in the ✨freaky✨🌶️
🌱Psychological horror
🌱Isolated space mission to a far away planet
🌱Elements of mystery
𝖋𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖘 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“𝘈 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘦, 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴. 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵.”
The way this story is written haunts your mind. I’m such a sucker for existential, chilling, beautiful depictions of life and decay and this novella DELIVERS exactly that, bundled up in a package of sci-fi and horrormance.
“𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘵, 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘴.”
𝘚𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 is so unique and eerie; full of both ghosts of the past and current unsettling events, mixed with fun character dynamics and spice that entangles itself right back into the horror aspects.
🌱Botanical horror
🌱Fast-paced
🌱Sentient plants
🌱Plants joining in the ✨freaky✨🌶️
🌱Psychological horror
🌱Isolated space mission to a far away planet
🌱Elements of mystery
𝖋𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖘 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 12, 2025
This was just as wild and thrilling as I thought it would be. Meg Smitherman never disappoints!
A spooky blend of disturbing sci-fi elements with the paranormal, and just the right amount of spice.
A spooky blend of disturbing sci-fi elements with the paranormal, and just the right amount of spice.
May 28, 2025
2.5 ⭐️ Intriguing concept but it wasn't my favorite
Let the Planet take you slowly, like a lover. Let her kiss the flesh from you. Sink in with me. Decay with me. Become bones with me.
WHAT TO EXPECT
✨ sci-fi / horror / romance novella
✨ doomed expedition to an alien planet
✨ scientist FMC × military MMC
✨ sentient plants
✨ 2.5/5 spice 🌶️ (some involving plants)
✨ "good girl" and "yes, sir"
✨ mental illness
✨ big reveals
✨ single POV
✨ not quite an HEA
My Thoughts:
I loved Thrum so I wanted to read another Meg Smitherman novella, so here we are. While the story was interesting, there were a few things that bothered me.
I didn’t really connect with the characters, and the FMC’s reactions often felt off - like they were driven more by what the plot needed than by any real emotional or logical progression (and honestly, there wasn’t much character development to begin with). When things start to get weird, there’s no real questioning or curiosity, which was frustrating, especially because she’s a scientist. I understand the influence of the Planet’s pull, but I still expected her to be more inquisitive, more skeptical. Instead, she just... goes with it, and it made it hard for me to stay fully invested.
Then, there’s the romance. The relationship itself was fine, but I didn’t fully understand how deeply invested she became by the end. They’d been co-workers for over a year, and while she had some interest in him, she pushed it aside. But once they arrive on the Planet, she suddenly can’t seem to control herself, and the two of them are instantly drawn together. By the end, she’s so attached that she’s willing to do anything not to lose him. It felt rushed.
Also, I needed more explanation for how the planet makes everyone so horny. I get that it’s supposed to have this intense, almost hypnotic pull, but in the end, we don't really know how. There is a reveal that explains why, but that's it. Nothing deeper. And why aren't the scientific machines picking up anything unusual? Why is everything symmetrical and perfect on this planet? Why did the radio battery not run out? So many questions.
And finally, I guessed the big reveal around halfway through the book. So by the time I was nearing the end, I found myself skimming because I wasn’t as invested anymore and just wanted to see if my theory was right."
While this wasn't a favorite, I do like how Smitherman writes a combination of sci-fi horror and romance, so I’ll continue to read her work.
Let the Planet take you slowly, like a lover. Let her kiss the flesh from you. Sink in with me. Decay with me. Become bones with me.
WHAT TO EXPECT
✨ sci-fi / horror / romance novella
✨ doomed expedition to an alien planet
✨ scientist FMC × military MMC
✨ sentient plants
✨ 2.5/5 spice 🌶️ (some involving plants)
✨ "good girl" and "yes, sir"
✨ mental illness
✨ big reveals
✨ single POV
✨ not quite an HEA
My Thoughts:
I loved Thrum so I wanted to read another Meg Smitherman novella, so here we are. While the story was interesting, there were a few things that bothered me.
I didn’t really connect with the characters, and the FMC’s reactions often felt off - like they were driven more by what the plot needed than by any real emotional or logical progression (and honestly, there wasn’t much character development to begin with). When things start to get weird, there’s no real questioning or curiosity, which was frustrating, especially because she’s a scientist. I understand the influence of the Planet’s pull, but I still expected her to be more inquisitive, more skeptical. Instead, she just... goes with it, and it made it hard for me to stay fully invested.
Then, there’s the romance. The relationship itself was fine, but I didn’t fully understand how deeply invested she became by the end. They’d been co-workers for over a year, and while she had some interest in him, she pushed it aside. But once they arrive on the Planet, she suddenly can’t seem to control herself, and the two of them are instantly drawn together. By the end, she’s so attached that she’s willing to do anything not to lose him. It felt rushed.
Also, I needed more explanation for how the planet makes everyone so horny. I get that it’s supposed to have this intense, almost hypnotic pull, but in the end, we don't really know how. There is a reveal that explains why, but that's it. Nothing deeper. And why aren't the scientific machines picking up anything unusual? Why is everything symmetrical and perfect on this planet? Why did the radio battery not run out? So many questions.
And finally, I guessed the big reveal around halfway through the book. So by the time I was nearing the end, I found myself skimming because I wasn’t as invested anymore and just wanted to see if my theory was right."
While this wasn't a favorite, I do like how Smitherman writes a combination of sci-fi horror and romance, so I’ll continue to read her work.
January 30, 2025
4 ⭐️
I can officially say Meg Smitherman is one of my top 10 authors
I can officially say Meg Smitherman is one of my top 10 authors
March 16, 2025
3.5 stars
Sci-fi horrormance just hits different, I am telling you. I mean, a doomed mission to a faraway planet full of sentient (horny) plants?! Why yes, you could say that I swallowed this twisted novella right up.
Now, after falling head over heels in love with Smitherman's wicked imagination and hauntingly immersive prose in Thrum, I was beyond excited to read this brand-new sexy sci-fi horror romance concoction. And on the one hand, Swallowed is exactly what it promises to be, yet at the same time I also think Thrum maybe set the bar just a bit too high.
See, I loved the slightly uncanny yet deceptively alluring setting of the Planet, I was thoroughly amused by the playful yet tense dynamic between the four misfits on this doomed journey (also yay for casually queer rep!), and I absolutely adored the irresistible air of mystery that just bleeds off the pages from the very start. And Ben?! Please let me know where I can sign up to have my own walking green flag of a military man, thank you very much. Did their romance go from zero to 100 a bit too quickly for my liking? Maybe, but who even really cares... this was HOT.
That said, I think I was constantly just waiting for things to get a bit darker and more unhinged... and it never really got there for me. Which feels really weird to say for a book that has horny plants, fever dream-like smut, and an absolutely diabolical ending. Maybe Smitherman just broke my brain with Thrum, and I am not even mad about it.
Despite my little quibbles,Swallowed somehow just sunk its dark roots into my brain, and I simply could not stop turning the pages out of a morbid fascination. If you like the vibes of Annihilation, but would like some more melodramatic interpersonal conflict and sexy plant smut mixed in, then I can't recommend this darkly seductive romp of a novella highly enough.
Sci-fi horrormance just hits different, I am telling you. I mean, a doomed mission to a faraway planet full of sentient (horny) plants?! Why yes, you could say that I swallowed this twisted novella right up.
Now, after falling head over heels in love with Smitherman's wicked imagination and hauntingly immersive prose in Thrum, I was beyond excited to read this brand-new sexy sci-fi horror romance concoction. And on the one hand, Swallowed is exactly what it promises to be, yet at the same time I also think Thrum maybe set the bar just a bit too high.
See, I loved the slightly uncanny yet deceptively alluring setting of the Planet, I was thoroughly amused by the playful yet tense dynamic between the four misfits on this doomed journey (also yay for casually queer rep!), and I absolutely adored the irresistible air of mystery that just bleeds off the pages from the very start. And Ben?! Please let me know where I can sign up to have my own walking green flag of a military man, thank you very much. Did their romance go from zero to 100 a bit too quickly for my liking? Maybe, but who even really cares... this was HOT.
That said, I think I was constantly just waiting for things to get a bit darker and more unhinged... and it never really got there for me. Which feels really weird to say for a book that has horny plants, fever dream-like smut, and an absolutely diabolical ending. Maybe Smitherman just broke my brain with Thrum, and I am not even mad about it.
Despite my little quibbles,Swallowed somehow just sunk its dark roots into my brain, and I simply could not stop turning the pages out of a morbid fascination. If you like the vibes of Annihilation, but would like some more melodramatic interpersonal conflict and sexy plant smut mixed in, then I can't recommend this darkly seductive romp of a novella highly enough.
February 27, 2025
I read Thrum last year. Didn't realize this was the same author, figured it out at the end of the book, and now am highly attentive to this author. Their books are captivating, smutty, mysterious and intense. This was a sci-fi with a slight twist about the planet, and the people that inhabit it. 5 ⭐
January 10, 2026
Underwhelming, I shouldved DNFd.
September 29, 2025
This is a great book! Really interesting plot that reminded me a bit of Annihilation. I would love a sequel.
October 15, 2025
it was, um, an interesting read. i don’t regret reading this book because the concept was pretty intriguing and i was genuinely curious, but that’s where the positive things ended.
i’ll be honest: from the very beginning, i was eagerly awaiting the death of the fmc’s lust (because no, not love) interest. for some reason, i was sure that’s exactly what was supposed to happen. and yes, i really wanted him to finally stop appearing—both on the pages and in the main character’s mind. imagine my disappointment with the ending. literally any other character was more interesting than this man.
i mean, girl. you were born from two incredibly cool mothers, one of whom is a creepy planet that devours humans, and you decide to throw everything away for a second-rate military man with a gun? by the way, i don’t think i’ll be able to see the word “gun” and react to it normally for the next week. what was that. i didn’t think i needed trigger warnings for anything, but honestly, i would’ve appreciated one here (trigger warning: kink for military men and guns—and it’s written terribly: cringy and repetitive, ewww).
honestly, i have no idea what genre this book was supposed to be. maybe dark erotica with elements of fantasy and horror?
the number of times the word “gun” is mentioned: 44.
way too many for a short story that wasn’t supposed to be about that.
i’ll be honest: from the very beginning, i was eagerly awaiting the death of the fmc’s lust (because no, not love) interest. for some reason, i was sure that’s exactly what was supposed to happen. and yes, i really wanted him to finally stop appearing—both on the pages and in the main character’s mind. imagine my disappointment with the ending. literally any other character was more interesting than this man.
i mean, girl. you were born from two incredibly cool mothers, one of whom is a creepy planet that devours humans, and you decide to throw everything away for a second-rate military man with a gun? by the way, i don’t think i’ll be able to see the word “gun” and react to it normally for the next week. what was that. i didn’t think i needed trigger warnings for anything, but honestly, i would’ve appreciated one here (trigger warning: kink for military men and guns—and it’s written terribly: cringy and repetitive, ewww).
honestly, i have no idea what genre this book was supposed to be. maybe dark erotica with elements of fantasy and horror?
the number of times the word “gun” is mentioned: 44.
way too many for a short story that wasn’t supposed to be about that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2025
Annihilation, but make it super horny
December 5, 2024
I love Meg and everything she writes! I got hooked on her sci fi horrmance, Thrum, and was super excited for Swallowed. It did NOT disappoint. It is creepy, eerie, a beautiful blend of sci fi and romance and horror- but not too scary or anything like that. Read if you love: doomed expeditions, sentient plants, WHAT TF IS GOING ON, plot twists, spicy spice like youv've never seen before and an incredibly unique story.
March 8, 2025
a weird book for weird girls who like space (me)
February 20, 2025
sick and deranged. i loved it!
January 18, 2025
Title: Swallowed
Author: Meg Smitherman
Synopsis: Earth is broken beyond repair. The Planet is our last hope.
Humanity's first mission to the Planet ended in tragedy, but botanist Jill Jones won’t let that stop her from joining the second.
Perfect climate, perfect terrain, perfect flora and fauna; the Planet has called to Jill all of her life. She knows, with bone-deep certainty, it's home. A new beginning for humanity. She just needs a chance to prove it.
But as Jill and her team survey the Planet, a mysterious presence begins to infiltrate their thoughts. When her colleagues start to disappear, it's up to Jill to uproot the Planet's secrets before they consume her, her friends, and the one man she would do anything to keep.
Review: I am so happy I got to read an arc of this novella! I’m still in shock of it all and what was revealed! My mind has been blown! The Spice was amazing! I’m still trying to process this book and how it ended because it was not what I was expecting at all! I loved Jill as the main character and her love interest Ben! My main complaint was that I didn’t want this novella to end I wish there was a follow up to see what comes in the future! But this book kept me on my toes wondering what was going to happen throughout the entire novella! If you enjoy horror, sci-fi, romance with great Spice this will be the perfect read for you!
Author: Meg Smitherman
Synopsis: Earth is broken beyond repair. The Planet is our last hope.
Humanity's first mission to the Planet ended in tragedy, but botanist Jill Jones won’t let that stop her from joining the second.
Perfect climate, perfect terrain, perfect flora and fauna; the Planet has called to Jill all of her life. She knows, with bone-deep certainty, it's home. A new beginning for humanity. She just needs a chance to prove it.
But as Jill and her team survey the Planet, a mysterious presence begins to infiltrate their thoughts. When her colleagues start to disappear, it's up to Jill to uproot the Planet's secrets before they consume her, her friends, and the one man she would do anything to keep.
Review: I am so happy I got to read an arc of this novella! I’m still in shock of it all and what was revealed! My mind has been blown! The Spice was amazing! I’m still trying to process this book and how it ended because it was not what I was expecting at all! I loved Jill as the main character and her love interest Ben! My main complaint was that I didn’t want this novella to end I wish there was a follow up to see what comes in the future! But this book kept me on my toes wondering what was going to happen throughout the entire novella! If you enjoy horror, sci-fi, romance with great Spice this will be the perfect read for you!
February 8, 2025
horny plants … you know what ? HELL YEAH
🌱🤭
i’m equally intrigued, aroused, creeped out, and addicted 😳
this is a sci-fi horror romance novella, alien planet, botanist fmc, military mmc, doomed recon mission, “good girl”, “yes sir”, horny plants, mystery, and eerie vibes 💚
holy fuck this novella had me yearning for more !! especially at that ending. what. the. fuck. i went into this sort of blind. many of the book besties were posting and i was seeing it everywhere. the tropes, especially the horny plants, took me the fuck in 🤩 i just had to find out what that was about and boy was i shook !!
i loved ben and jill so much 💚 “we shouldn’t be doing this” ALWAYS HITS THE SPOT 😩this was definitely surrounding their relationship which is absolutely what i love about a novella. but it was also focused on the plot as well !! it was so interesting and the world building was super easy to grasp onto. it was both stressful yet a wonderful time !! it’s spicy, freaky, and yummy as fuck 😍
🌶️🌶️
🌱🤭
i’m equally intrigued, aroused, creeped out, and addicted 😳
this is a sci-fi horror romance novella, alien planet, botanist fmc, military mmc, doomed recon mission, “good girl”, “yes sir”, horny plants, mystery, and eerie vibes 💚
holy fuck this novella had me yearning for more !! especially at that ending. what. the. fuck. i went into this sort of blind. many of the book besties were posting and i was seeing it everywhere. the tropes, especially the horny plants, took me the fuck in 🤩 i just had to find out what that was about and boy was i shook !!
i loved ben and jill so much 💚 “we shouldn’t be doing this” ALWAYS HITS THE SPOT 😩this was definitely surrounding their relationship which is absolutely what i love about a novella. but it was also focused on the plot as well !! it was so interesting and the world building was super easy to grasp onto. it was both stressful yet a wonderful time !! it’s spicy, freaky, and yummy as fuck 😍
🌶️🌶️
February 13, 2025
Humanity's first mission to The Planet ended in tragedy. Now Jill Jones, the daughter of the only surviving original mission member, heads to The Planet on her own mission to see if it's viable for humans to live there after screwing up Earth. And maybe find some answers too, since her mother has told her nothing about that failed mission. We get weird, friends. We get sexy. We get mind fucked.
Read if you like slutty plants, military men and wild unpredictable endings. I love Meg Smitherman's unhinged mind. I've never read another writer like her.
(I originally rated this 4 stars and came back to change it to 5 because I can’t stop thinking about it.)
Read if you like slutty plants, military men and wild unpredictable endings. I love Meg Smitherman's unhinged mind. I've never read another writer like her.
(I originally rated this 4 stars and came back to change it to 5 because I can’t stop thinking about it.)
January 8, 2025
My first read from Smitherman was Thrum, and as enjoyable of a novella as it was, I wasn’t in love with it like many of my friends who encouraged me to read it were. It was good, but I think I wanted more from it. However, I seem to be the odd man out this time, as I genuinely enjoyed Swallowed much more than Thrum. (I also just love the “exploring a new planet” trope)
Swallowed probably benefited from having more character interactions from the start and made me feel a bit more connected to the main character, Jill. An issue I have with novellas is that its hard for me to be invested in a character or characters in such a short time. Due to Jill’s background with the Planet, and her mom, and the few characters that are on The Planet with her, it did make me feel more invested and overall intrigued on what would happen to Jill.
Smitherman’s writing is highly enjoyable as it uses semi-flowery language (hah), but not to the point of where it’s over the top or bordering on purple prose which I appreciate. She somehow really builds up this anticipation and mystery with these sci-fi, unknown elements, in her work. The Planet in Swallowed, and the alien ship in Thrum are so well done that I highly encourage people to read both of these novellas.
I really hope she keeps putting out work like this. Hopefully a full length novel with the themes and atmosphere of these two sci-fi novellas make an appearance, because I would definitely eat that up in an instant!
Also want to comment on just having an enby character in the story. It's nothing big, but just using they/them pronouns for a character still isn't as common as it should be and it's always nice to see it in books. <3
Also bonus points for mega horny.
Thank you so much, Meg, for the review ARC. I had a great time reading <3
Swallowed probably benefited from having more character interactions from the start and made me feel a bit more connected to the main character, Jill. An issue I have with novellas is that its hard for me to be invested in a character or characters in such a short time. Due to Jill’s background with the Planet, and her mom, and the few characters that are on The Planet with her, it did make me feel more invested and overall intrigued on what would happen to Jill.
Smitherman’s writing is highly enjoyable as it uses semi-flowery language (hah), but not to the point of where it’s over the top or bordering on purple prose which I appreciate. She somehow really builds up this anticipation and mystery with these sci-fi, unknown elements, in her work. The Planet in Swallowed, and the alien ship in Thrum are so well done that I highly encourage people to read both of these novellas.
I really hope she keeps putting out work like this. Hopefully a full length novel with the themes and atmosphere of these two sci-fi novellas make an appearance, because I would definitely eat that up in an instant!
Also want to comment on just having an enby character in the story. It's nothing big, but just using they/them pronouns for a character still isn't as common as it should be and it's always nice to see it in books. <3
Also bonus points for mega horny.
Thank you so much, Meg, for the review ARC. I had a great time reading <3
March 4, 2025
5🌶️ wow. okay that was actually perfect. i would’ve loved more to the ending but it was enough to leave me satisfied. it was exactly what i needed to get out of my slump. it was completely different than anything ive ever read and so wonderfully unique. i was on the edge of my seat the entire book. all 180 some pages were packed with juicy plot, toe curling spice, and sweet romance. i absolutely will be reading more from this author in the future 🌿
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