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Salomé
A seductively gothic reimagining of the original femme fatale, about an adrift American journalist who accepts an alluring stranger's invitation to stay at her home in a small French town, only to uncover a dangerous family history that could alter the course of humanity.
Don’t open your eyes...
Courtney notices Salomé the moment she steps onto the plane. She's not usually influenced by others' charms, but there's something undeniable about Salomé. She's magnetic, quicksilver, and, best of all for incurable Francophile Courtney, French. When Salomé invites Courtney to her mother’s town in northwestern France, derailing Courtney’s trip to Paris, Courtney doesn’t even have to think about it.
But things are, almost immediately, a little odd. Despite feeling right at home with Salomé, a house outfitted with cameras and the dark, watchful presence of Salomé’s mother haunts Courtney’s visit. Courtney senses she should leave, but in Salomé’s presence she feels as if she's rediscovered the “French Courtney,” an alternate version of herself who made a life in France.
That is, until she starts to experience paralyzing nightmares, in which strange voices intone Don’t open your eyes . . . and encounters Salomé’s charismatic stepfather Marco, whose pyramid-scheme vitamin company offers a tempting segue into an even more insidious group obsessed with eternal life. Or is it an actual cult? And how much does Salomé really know? As a conspiracy unfurls, Courtney is torn between her loyalty to Salomé and what might be the story of a lifetime, the kind that could make a journalist’s career—if it doesn’t kill her first.
A modern reclamation of one of the Bible’s most dangerous women whose story, until now, has been almost exclusively told by men, Salomé is a tantalizing, feminist tale exploring power, loyalty, connection, and the measures we'll take to harness our deepest desires.
Don’t open your eyes...
Courtney notices Salomé the moment she steps onto the plane. She's not usually influenced by others' charms, but there's something undeniable about Salomé. She's magnetic, quicksilver, and, best of all for incurable Francophile Courtney, French. When Salomé invites Courtney to her mother’s town in northwestern France, derailing Courtney’s trip to Paris, Courtney doesn’t even have to think about it.
But things are, almost immediately, a little odd. Despite feeling right at home with Salomé, a house outfitted with cameras and the dark, watchful presence of Salomé’s mother haunts Courtney’s visit. Courtney senses she should leave, but in Salomé’s presence she feels as if she's rediscovered the “French Courtney,” an alternate version of herself who made a life in France.
That is, until she starts to experience paralyzing nightmares, in which strange voices intone Don’t open your eyes . . . and encounters Salomé’s charismatic stepfather Marco, whose pyramid-scheme vitamin company offers a tempting segue into an even more insidious group obsessed with eternal life. Or is it an actual cult? And how much does Salomé really know? As a conspiracy unfurls, Courtney is torn between her loyalty to Salomé and what might be the story of a lifetime, the kind that could make a journalist’s career—if it doesn’t kill her first.
A modern reclamation of one of the Bible’s most dangerous women whose story, until now, has been almost exclusively told by men, Salomé is a tantalizing, feminist tale exploring power, loyalty, connection, and the measures we'll take to harness our deepest desires.
368 pages, Hardcover
Published May 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
October 15, 2025
ARC Review
I went into Salomé pretty blind. I had no idea what to expect. Judging the book solely by its cover I got a bit of a horror vibe from it, but the book is more thriller.
We start with our main character Courtney on a flight to Paris for the last time for a while. There on this flight she meets a French girl flying back home for the states named Salomé. They hit it off during the flight and Courtney is invited to come and stay with Salomé for a few days of her trip.
This story started off a bit slow and I couldn't relate to talking to a stranger in a flight as I don't want people talking to me ever. But as the reader you are pretty quickly drawn into Salomé, though I don't know what Courtney was thinking. As you progress strange things begin to happen and Courtney starts having some weird dreams. The first half of the book is like this, though the story really starts to pull you in.
It's the second half that things really pick up where I personally struggled to put it down. We find out more about Salomé's father and his work and about his predecessor and what he is really up to. The last few chapters where pretty intense and honestly I have never read a premise like this before.
Overall this was a super enjoyable read for me, even though I may not have been the target audience. All while reading the last half I kept thinking this could make for a pretty interesting limited television series.
Definitely worth the read
I went into Salomé pretty blind. I had no idea what to expect. Judging the book solely by its cover I got a bit of a horror vibe from it, but the book is more thriller.
We start with our main character Courtney on a flight to Paris for the last time for a while. There on this flight she meets a French girl flying back home for the states named Salomé. They hit it off during the flight and Courtney is invited to come and stay with Salomé for a few days of her trip.
This story started off a bit slow and I couldn't relate to talking to a stranger in a flight as I don't want people talking to me ever. But as the reader you are pretty quickly drawn into Salomé, though I don't know what Courtney was thinking. As you progress strange things begin to happen and Courtney starts having some weird dreams. The first half of the book is like this, though the story really starts to pull you in.
It's the second half that things really pick up where I personally struggled to put it down. We find out more about Salomé's father and his work and about his predecessor and what he is really up to. The last few chapters where pretty intense and honestly I have never read a premise like this before.
Overall this was a super enjoyable read for me, even though I may not have been the target audience. All while reading the last half I kept thinking this could make for a pretty interesting limited television series.
Definitely worth the read
October 31, 2025
4.5⭐️s! Another Advanced Reader Copy read. I highly recommend his book when it comes out next May. I would categorize this as a bit of a sci-fi novel, but also mystery. The first half felt like a paranoid/obsessive/unreliable narrator novel, but it turned into more of a Dan Brown style secret society mystery. The main character was a little bit annoying but I enjoyed this a lot. The story is set in France so that was great for me to learn some more slang and vocabulary I haven’t encountered before.
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May 23, 2026Salomé by Leslie Baird
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 stars
Salomé was an interesting read with a really dark and moody atmosphere that kept me curious the whole way through. The writing is descriptive and emotional, and the characters are messy in a way that made them feel real. I liked the overall vibe of the story and the way the tension slowly built over time. There were definitely some strong moments that pulled me in and made me want to keep reading to see how everything would unfold.
At the same time, the book felt a little slow in parts and I had trouble fully connecting with some of the characters. A few scenes felt overly drawn out, and the ending left me wanting a bit more closure. Still, I can appreciate what the author was trying to do, and I think readers who enjoy character-focused, emotional stories with a darker tone will probably enjoy it. Overall, I give it 3 stars because it had some good ideas and strong writing, even if it wasn’t a perfect fit for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher G. P. Putnams’s Sons for the digital advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Publish date: May 19th
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 stars
Salomé was an interesting read with a really dark and moody atmosphere that kept me curious the whole way through. The writing is descriptive and emotional, and the characters are messy in a way that made them feel real. I liked the overall vibe of the story and the way the tension slowly built over time. There were definitely some strong moments that pulled me in and made me want to keep reading to see how everything would unfold.
At the same time, the book felt a little slow in parts and I had trouble fully connecting with some of the characters. A few scenes felt overly drawn out, and the ending left me wanting a bit more closure. Still, I can appreciate what the author was trying to do, and I think readers who enjoy character-focused, emotional stories with a darker tone will probably enjoy it. Overall, I give it 3 stars because it had some good ideas and strong writing, even if it wasn’t a perfect fit for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher G. P. Putnams’s Sons for the digital advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Publish date: May 19th
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July 10, 2026I saw the kernel of a cool story here but it was simply not well executed. The second act felt like a completely different story with a whole new cast of characters I hadn’t met and so so so SO much info-dumping. I feel like the characters just dialogue-d the whole plot at me. And it was a plot that actually felt like five plots very very badly disguised in a (French!) trench coat.
Also for a Sapphic Gothic, I think I deserved WAY more lesbianism and more Gothic. What the hell
Also for a Sapphic Gothic, I think I deserved WAY more lesbianism and more Gothic. What the hell
November 10, 2025
⭐️/5 🌶️/5
Thank you to author Leslie Baird and NetGalley for allowing me to he opportunity to read and review Salome, available May 2026.
We follow Courtney, an America journalist as she travels back to France looking for writing inspiration. Along the way she meets Salome, a mysterious French woman on a plane and takes a spontaneous detour with her to Chateaubriant.
I’d like to start by saying that I did DNF this book at 200/270 pages. This was not for me. However, it might be for you! So let’s touch on a few key points; story pacing, plot, and characters.
The setting is easy to imagine. The author does a great job describing French landscaping and architecture along the way but the pacing for this story is slow and gets slower as it progresses. We begin with our two main characters meeting on an international flight which is the fastest part of the story. Courtney is flying to meet an old friend while Salome is flying back for family and convinces Courtney to detour her plans and visit Salome’s town instead. Once they arrive it’s very repetitive. Train rides, town tours, and nights in Salome’s home. There were a couple points where the author could have used events to pick up the pacing such as Courtney’s night terrors and the air of discomfort surrounding Salome’s home, but rather transitioned into a new scene.
This is described as a Gothic Femme fatale reimagining of the Biblical story Salome. In The New Testament, Salome is given the head of John the Baptist on a platter after she dances for King Herod. Aside from the name Salome, I did not spot any similarities to inspire a reimagining. This comes off as a completely different story and I felt it was more Contemporary than Gothic. The author adds several political and culture references that fall more into the area of contemporary social justice rather than Gothic.
The main “gothic” aspect is the mysterious society linked to studying immortality, it was the darkest plot point but even that swayed more into politics. I was very intrigued by the society, in the sense that it felt a little out of place with the characters and the story but like an intentional “out of place”, a way to draw the reader back in. Courtney slowly gleans information from various sources and we learn that Salome, despite what she says, may be a part of this society. The author does a great job crafting Salome as a mysterious figure, we don’t get much information from or about her but when we do it’s very little but enough to hook you.
I loved the fact that the characters were adults rather than teens / young adults but I found them very hard to relate to. Courtney comes across extremely insecure and like she’s on the verge of a mid-life crisis. She’s becoming more attracted to Salome as the story progresses and has moments where she questions her sexuality but it feels one sided. Salome occasionally agrees when it comes up which works for the mystery surrounding her character. Their conversations often felt unnatural and the relationship presents like a summer friendship created at summer camp.
Overall, this story was not for me. I had a really hard time with the pacing, relating to characters and immersing myself in the world. It may not be for me but maybe it’s for you!
Thank you to author Leslie Baird and NetGalley for allowing me to he opportunity to read and review Salome, available May 2026.
We follow Courtney, an America journalist as she travels back to France looking for writing inspiration. Along the way she meets Salome, a mysterious French woman on a plane and takes a spontaneous detour with her to Chateaubriant.
I’d like to start by saying that I did DNF this book at 200/270 pages. This was not for me. However, it might be for you! So let’s touch on a few key points; story pacing, plot, and characters.
The setting is easy to imagine. The author does a great job describing French landscaping and architecture along the way but the pacing for this story is slow and gets slower as it progresses. We begin with our two main characters meeting on an international flight which is the fastest part of the story. Courtney is flying to meet an old friend while Salome is flying back for family and convinces Courtney to detour her plans and visit Salome’s town instead. Once they arrive it’s very repetitive. Train rides, town tours, and nights in Salome’s home. There were a couple points where the author could have used events to pick up the pacing such as Courtney’s night terrors and the air of discomfort surrounding Salome’s home, but rather transitioned into a new scene.
This is described as a Gothic Femme fatale reimagining of the Biblical story Salome. In The New Testament, Salome is given the head of John the Baptist on a platter after she dances for King Herod. Aside from the name Salome, I did not spot any similarities to inspire a reimagining. This comes off as a completely different story and I felt it was more Contemporary than Gothic. The author adds several political and culture references that fall more into the area of contemporary social justice rather than Gothic.
The main “gothic” aspect is the mysterious society linked to studying immortality, it was the darkest plot point but even that swayed more into politics. I was very intrigued by the society, in the sense that it felt a little out of place with the characters and the story but like an intentional “out of place”, a way to draw the reader back in. Courtney slowly gleans information from various sources and we learn that Salome, despite what she says, may be a part of this society. The author does a great job crafting Salome as a mysterious figure, we don’t get much information from or about her but when we do it’s very little but enough to hook you.
I loved the fact that the characters were adults rather than teens / young adults but I found them very hard to relate to. Courtney comes across extremely insecure and like she’s on the verge of a mid-life crisis. She’s becoming more attracted to Salome as the story progresses and has moments where she questions her sexuality but it feels one sided. Salome occasionally agrees when it comes up which works for the mystery surrounding her character. Their conversations often felt unnatural and the relationship presents like a summer friendship created at summer camp.
Overall, this story was not for me. I had a really hard time with the pacing, relating to characters and immersing myself in the world. It may not be for me but maybe it’s for you!
May 23, 2026
I don't... really know what to say about this one. A flighty main character, a story that seemed to get bored with the plot it started with and then changed horses mid-stream... A LOT of references to Salome just to have them there, I guess? A big misfire.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.
I am quite conflicted about this book. the set-up was really gearing this up to be an impressive feat of storytelling, but it lost me at about the 65% mark. I can't go into too much detail without spoiling it, but it just felt hokey and got a little out of hand.
Something that irked me even in the beginning was the train talk. I really don't need to know the difference between the TER, TGV, SNCF, etc and what order you have to take them to get from point A to point B, and which ones operate on which days. Those tiny details that end up not making a single difference took me out of the story and frustrated me. That might be nitpicky, but it made a difference in my reading experience.
I am quite conflicted about this book. the set-up was really gearing this up to be an impressive feat of storytelling, but it lost me at about the 65% mark. I can't go into too much detail without spoiling it, but it just felt hokey and got a little out of hand.
Something that irked me even in the beginning was the train talk. I really don't need to know the difference between the TER, TGV, SNCF, etc and what order you have to take them to get from point A to point B, and which ones operate on which days. Those tiny details that end up not making a single difference took me out of the story and frustrated me. That might be nitpicky, but it made a difference in my reading experience.
June 1, 2026
A fun read (if a vacation nightmare).
August 7, 2026
2.5⭐️
June 7, 2026
Salomé was a wild ride. It definitely went in some directions I did not expect but it was still captivating. Salomé (the character) was compelling and enigmatic and I completely understood Courtney’s obsession with her, even as it became clearer and clearing that she needed to get out of Chateaubriant and stay away from Salomé’s family. This starts as a sort of gothic sapphic obsession story before taking a turn into sci-fi that didn’t 100% hang together with the beginning, but sometimes you’ve just gotta go along for the ride. 3.5 stars.
May 4, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for inviting me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I went into this book kind of blind, and I think that was part of what ruined it for me. It was completely different from what I expected.
It felt completely flat. There was no depth and not a lot of personality. It felt like the characters were just going through the motions for the plot.
I thought it would be a toxic female friendship/relationship that you couldn’t help but root for, or something along those lines. I eat that kind of book up. This was not the case at all.
The plot just wasn’t very good, I am sorry to say. I’d rather get to know Salomé and see how secretive she was and discover what was going on. It was very insta love/lust.
I don’t really like cult type books. This was all this was. I didn’t expect that’s what this would be about. I see now that it was based off the Bible story, but I didn’t know that going in.
Courtney was not a compelling main character at all. Even Salomé I had no cares about. I definitely felt no chemistry in their relationship.
I know there would be no story, but she is so dumb for just going to someone’s house after meeting them on a plane. All I could think about was “Taken.”
I thought the plotline with Kylie was pointless. It would have made more sense for Courtney to just be going to Paris because she wanted to or because she was a journalist, not her visiting her friend who she didn’t even get along with and barely even saw. If I was her friend I’d be confused and cautious and kind of annoyed she didn’t see me when she was supposed to. But that just shows they weren’t that close. Not that it would have made me like the book more, but that whole plot of the book was unnecessary. It makes more sense for a solo traveler to change their plans than just ditching a friend you were supposed to be visiting.
I thought the ending of what the characters could do (I won’t say for spoiler purposes) was kind of cool. But by the time we discovered that and got to the end of the book, I was so over reading it that it didn’t make up for the rest of the book.
How it ended was kind of odd too. I don’t know how I expected it to end, it just didn’t really work for me. It just reinforced I wasn’t really sure what the point of the whole novel was.
I feel bad being so harsh, but I could not get into it at all. Maybe if you go into it knowing it’ll be mainly about a cult, and you like those types of books, you will enjoy this more than I did.
I went into this book kind of blind, and I think that was part of what ruined it for me. It was completely different from what I expected.
It felt completely flat. There was no depth and not a lot of personality. It felt like the characters were just going through the motions for the plot.
I thought it would be a toxic female friendship/relationship that you couldn’t help but root for, or something along those lines. I eat that kind of book up. This was not the case at all.
The plot just wasn’t very good, I am sorry to say. I’d rather get to know Salomé and see how secretive she was and discover what was going on. It was very insta love/lust.
I don’t really like cult type books. This was all this was. I didn’t expect that’s what this would be about. I see now that it was based off the Bible story, but I didn’t know that going in.
Courtney was not a compelling main character at all. Even Salomé I had no cares about. I definitely felt no chemistry in their relationship.
I know there would be no story, but she is so dumb for just going to someone’s house after meeting them on a plane. All I could think about was “Taken.”
I thought the plotline with Kylie was pointless. It would have made more sense for Courtney to just be going to Paris because she wanted to or because she was a journalist, not her visiting her friend who she didn’t even get along with and barely even saw. If I was her friend I’d be confused and cautious and kind of annoyed she didn’t see me when she was supposed to. But that just shows they weren’t that close. Not that it would have made me like the book more, but that whole plot of the book was unnecessary. It makes more sense for a solo traveler to change their plans than just ditching a friend you were supposed to be visiting.
I thought the ending of what the characters could do (I won’t say for spoiler purposes) was kind of cool. But by the time we discovered that and got to the end of the book, I was so over reading it that it didn’t make up for the rest of the book.
How it ended was kind of odd too. I don’t know how I expected it to end, it just didn’t really work for me. It just reinforced I wasn’t really sure what the point of the whole novel was.
I feel bad being so harsh, but I could not get into it at all. Maybe if you go into it knowing it’ll be mainly about a cult, and you like those types of books, you will enjoy this more than I did.
June 7, 2026
I rarely write reviews unless a book affects me in a major way... and this one did in the not great way. I was shocked to reach the acknowledgements page and to see how many people worked on this book before it was published because to me it read like a first draft.
When I read the synopsis, I was excited. I love gothic literature. I love sapphic literature. I love books exploring cults. I love books reclaiming and reimagining stories of women that have predominantly been told by men. I was so excited to have gotten this book in a giveaway.
This book was none of that. This was not a gothic story in any way, shape, or form. This was not about cults in any way, shape, or form. The romance fell completely flat for me. None of the characters were likable. The writing itself felt juvenile and was not evocative. I did not feel that this book reclaimed anything.
What's unfortunate is that I do think there are elements that could make a good story, hidden beneath all of that. Which is why I was surprised to see that this had been workshopped and edited and everything else, because I felt like more time might have allowed this book to form more fully.
When I read the synopsis, I was excited. I love gothic literature. I love sapphic literature. I love books exploring cults. I love books reclaiming and reimagining stories of women that have predominantly been told by men. I was so excited to have gotten this book in a giveaway.
This book was none of that. This was not a gothic story in any way, shape, or form. This was not about cults in any way, shape, or form. The romance fell completely flat for me. None of the characters were likable. The writing itself felt juvenile and was not evocative. I did not feel that this book reclaimed anything.
What's unfortunate is that I do think there are elements that could make a good story, hidden beneath all of that. Which is why I was surprised to see that this had been workshopped and edited and everything else, because I felt like more time might have allowed this book to form more fully.
September 7, 2025
I liked the premise of this book but the execution didn't quite work for me.
Courtney, an American writer, meets a mysterious woman, Salome, on the plane to France. She feels this instant connection to her. Salome invites her to come home with her for a few days. By the end of the flight, Courtney has agreed.
Once the get to Salome's family home, several unusual things happen. Salome tells Courtney the type of work that her scientist parents had conducted. This leds to the possibility of a written expose that could really ignite Courtney's career.
This felt too long for me. There were sections that I just felt bored. I stuck with it in hopes that I would enjoy the end. It wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.
Courtney, an American writer, meets a mysterious woman, Salome, on the plane to France. She feels this instant connection to her. Salome invites her to come home with her for a few days. By the end of the flight, Courtney has agreed.
Once the get to Salome's family home, several unusual things happen. Salome tells Courtney the type of work that her scientist parents had conducted. This leds to the possibility of a written expose that could really ignite Courtney's career.
This felt too long for me. There were sections that I just felt bored. I stuck with it in hopes that I would enjoy the end. It wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was so primed for this one. A magnetic French stranger on a plane, an impulsive detour to the countryside, a creepy house with cameras, ominous nightmares whispering “Don’t open your eyes,” and the promise of a feminist reclamation of the original femme fatale. That is my exact flavor of chaos. I walked in like, yes, please, seduce me and then psychologically destroy me in a drafty manor. And then Salomé kind of looked me in the face and said, what if we did vibes, but like, for a really long time.
The opening is genuinely delicious. Courtney, an American journalist who is aggressively in her Feelings Era, spots Salomé on the plane and instantly gets hit with that specific kind of infatuation that makes you believe you are the main character in an A24 movie. Salomé is quicksilver in the way the book keeps telling you she is, and honestly, it works, she’s alluring enough that I did not question why a person would follow a stranger to a small French town. Would I do it in real life? No. Would I do it in a book? Unfortunately yes, I am a simple creature, offer me a mysterious woman and a train ride and my brain powers down.
When Courtney gets to Salomé’s family home, the atmosphere starts laying it on thick, the watchful mother, the sense of being observed (because… cameras), that slow dread that should be building toward a full-on Get Out style social nightmare. Courtney is also dealing with heavy personal stuff, like her mom’s illness hanging over the trip, and those quieter threads gave the beginning a surprisingly tender ache. It’s that cocktail of escapism and guilt, like you’re drinking champagne in Paris while your real life is back home screaming into a pillow.
But then, babe, the pacing starts doing that thing where it just… circles the same block. We get scenes that feel like they’re supposed to escalate the unease, yet they land like repeated reminders that we are, in fact, in France. There’s only so many travel-log details I can take before my soul begins to float out of my body and whisper “Don’t open your Kindle.” At a certain point, the book feels like it’s trying to seduce you with specificity, and I’m sitting there like, I promise I believe trains exist.
And the central relationship, Courtney and Salomé, is the biggest reason I wanted this book to ruin me. The tension is there, the pull is there, the obsession-adjacent vibe is absolutely there. But it stays frustratingly underfed. Salomé is purposefully elusive, which is fine, femme fatales are allowed to be fog machines in human form, but Courtney also feels weirdly static for someone who’s supposed to be spiraling into a life-altering encounter. I wanted Courtney to either make worse choices or have sharper realizations about why she’s making them. Instead she often just sort of… drifts, and not in the poetic way, more in the “ma’am, blink twice if you remember why you’re here” way.
Then Marco shows up, Salomé’s charismatic stepfather with his pyramid-scheme vitamin company, and suddenly the book starts flirting with a conspiracy about immortality. Which, to be fair, can be extremely hot in a sinister rich-people way, like if Succession took shrooms and decided to start a cult. There are moments where it clicks, where the story hints at something truly unnerving about power, desire, and the lengths people will go to live forever. But the tonal shift can feel like whiplash, like the book took off a gothic lace glove and revealed a sci-fi latex glove underneath, and I’m standing there trying to recalibrate what genre party I’m at.
That’s the core of my meh. The setup is a five-star promise. The writing is often gorgeous, the French setting is textured, and the premise has fangs. But the story keeps hesitating at the edge of its own teeth. It wants to be gothic and dreamy, it wants to be thriller and psychological spiral, it wants to be secret-society conspiracy with existential stakes, and it never fully commits long enough to make any one of those feel completely satisfying. I kept waiting for the moment where everything snaps into place and I start panic-reading at 2 AM, and instead I mostly felt like I was watching the book rearrange its aesthetic mood board.
All that said, I didn’t hate my time. I just wanted more bite, more specificity in the emotional arc, more payoff for the “original femme fatale” framing, and less of the story wandering around like it’s lost in a charming town square. I’m landing at a casual 2.5 stars for Salomé, because the vibes are immaculate, the hook is catnip, and I still spent a lot of the book going, okay okay okay what are we doing here, but the execution never hit the level of unhinged, committed deliciousness I was craving.
Whodunity Award: For Making Me Google “Is This A Cult Or Just Wellness” With My Whole Chest
And a dramatic little air kiss to Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC. Thank you for letting me spiral through France, question immortality, and aggressively side-eye a vitamin empire before the rest of the world gets to. Even when a book and I are only vibing at a 2.5, I will always appreciate the chance to take the ride. Merci for the existential tourism.
The opening is genuinely delicious. Courtney, an American journalist who is aggressively in her Feelings Era, spots Salomé on the plane and instantly gets hit with that specific kind of infatuation that makes you believe you are the main character in an A24 movie. Salomé is quicksilver in the way the book keeps telling you she is, and honestly, it works, she’s alluring enough that I did not question why a person would follow a stranger to a small French town. Would I do it in real life? No. Would I do it in a book? Unfortunately yes, I am a simple creature, offer me a mysterious woman and a train ride and my brain powers down.
When Courtney gets to Salomé’s family home, the atmosphere starts laying it on thick, the watchful mother, the sense of being observed (because… cameras), that slow dread that should be building toward a full-on Get Out style social nightmare. Courtney is also dealing with heavy personal stuff, like her mom’s illness hanging over the trip, and those quieter threads gave the beginning a surprisingly tender ache. It’s that cocktail of escapism and guilt, like you’re drinking champagne in Paris while your real life is back home screaming into a pillow.
But then, babe, the pacing starts doing that thing where it just… circles the same block. We get scenes that feel like they’re supposed to escalate the unease, yet they land like repeated reminders that we are, in fact, in France. There’s only so many travel-log details I can take before my soul begins to float out of my body and whisper “Don’t open your Kindle.” At a certain point, the book feels like it’s trying to seduce you with specificity, and I’m sitting there like, I promise I believe trains exist.
And the central relationship, Courtney and Salomé, is the biggest reason I wanted this book to ruin me. The tension is there, the pull is there, the obsession-adjacent vibe is absolutely there. But it stays frustratingly underfed. Salomé is purposefully elusive, which is fine, femme fatales are allowed to be fog machines in human form, but Courtney also feels weirdly static for someone who’s supposed to be spiraling into a life-altering encounter. I wanted Courtney to either make worse choices or have sharper realizations about why she’s making them. Instead she often just sort of… drifts, and not in the poetic way, more in the “ma’am, blink twice if you remember why you’re here” way.
Then Marco shows up, Salomé’s charismatic stepfather with his pyramid-scheme vitamin company, and suddenly the book starts flirting with a conspiracy about immortality. Which, to be fair, can be extremely hot in a sinister rich-people way, like if Succession took shrooms and decided to start a cult. There are moments where it clicks, where the story hints at something truly unnerving about power, desire, and the lengths people will go to live forever. But the tonal shift can feel like whiplash, like the book took off a gothic lace glove and revealed a sci-fi latex glove underneath, and I’m standing there trying to recalibrate what genre party I’m at.
That’s the core of my meh. The setup is a five-star promise. The writing is often gorgeous, the French setting is textured, and the premise has fangs. But the story keeps hesitating at the edge of its own teeth. It wants to be gothic and dreamy, it wants to be thriller and psychological spiral, it wants to be secret-society conspiracy with existential stakes, and it never fully commits long enough to make any one of those feel completely satisfying. I kept waiting for the moment where everything snaps into place and I start panic-reading at 2 AM, and instead I mostly felt like I was watching the book rearrange its aesthetic mood board.
All that said, I didn’t hate my time. I just wanted more bite, more specificity in the emotional arc, more payoff for the “original femme fatale” framing, and less of the story wandering around like it’s lost in a charming town square. I’m landing at a casual 2.5 stars for Salomé, because the vibes are immaculate, the hook is catnip, and I still spent a lot of the book going, okay okay okay what are we doing here, but the execution never hit the level of unhinged, committed deliciousness I was craving.
Whodunity Award: For Making Me Google “Is This A Cult Or Just Wellness” With My Whole Chest
And a dramatic little air kiss to Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC. Thank you for letting me spiral through France, question immortality, and aggressively side-eye a vitamin empire before the rest of the world gets to. Even when a book and I are only vibing at a 2.5, I will always appreciate the chance to take the ride. Merci for the existential tourism.
December 2, 2025
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This was soooo boring. Well written! But the characters were obnoxious and unlikeable. Even Salome. I wish I could say more, but I forget half of it 🥴😮💨
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
2.75 stars, rounded to 3! "Salomé" follows a drifting journalist aiming for one last trip to her favorite place, France, before returning to her ailing mother. Her plans for a bittersweet farewell are derailed when she meets a beautiful and enigmatic stranger on her flight: Salomé. With one chance meeting, Courtney finds herself flung into a trip of infatuation, paranoia, and fear.
This story has a really fun premise and a very good hook and was, from my initial understanding, meant to lean into gothic horror. The first 30-45% of this books kind of leans that way, between the feeling of unreliability in our main character and the unsettled feeling of Salomé and her family. Courtney is a tad unlikable, her love of France overtly translating to a shallow infatuation with the country instead of based on anything more substantial and mentioned quite a lot early on, but her poetic musings of Salomé do help alleviate that some.
Courtney and Salomé's relationship is engaging and interesting, a fun back-and-forth, and feels very in touch with what I would want from a gothic-inspired tale.
Unfortunately, this is the best part of the book - it starts unraveling after the halfway mark and takes a sharp turn into purely thriller territory, in my opinion. Which, on it's own, isn't a bad thing, but if you're expecting gothic horror, it is jarring.
Personally, I had some big issues with pacing and narrative choices in the full story, but especially in the back half. The first half is slow, but it felt intentionally so, to lead you into the horror, but then, because it never delivers on that in full, it now has to make up the time and runs through explanation and backstory and divert heavily from the central relationship. How information is presented is inconsistent - during a conversation, a character will explain their own backstory, but then a few paragraphs in, it changes to just being an exposition dump of this character, even as we are actively in conversation.
That could be really cool, honestly, if all conversations with Salomé were present and delivered as her speaking, then with all other characters, its just summarized by Courtney, to help sell the infatuation and paranoia. But that's not the case - this back and forth of presentation happens for all and it was something that kept pulling me out.
The climax of the mystery and thriller felt silly and heavy handed compared to where we started and the attempts at social commentary throughout felt very shoe-horned in - they didn't ever play any part in the overall story or hold weight, beyond to remind us the current political climate is terrifying. Which, if that played more of an active role, let's go - but it doesn't, it's just mentioned occasionally and then never brought back (even in an ancillary way - it has nothing to do with what the characters are doing directly), so it feels more fourth-way breaking than anything.
I do see what was trying to be done here (especially with one concept in the late parts of the book and how that conveys violation), but unfortunately, it just misses the mark for me overall in it's delivery.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the chance to read this book in advance!
This story has a really fun premise and a very good hook and was, from my initial understanding, meant to lean into gothic horror. The first 30-45% of this books kind of leans that way, between the feeling of unreliability in our main character and the unsettled feeling of Salomé and her family. Courtney is a tad unlikable, her love of France overtly translating to a shallow infatuation with the country instead of based on anything more substantial and mentioned quite a lot early on, but her poetic musings of Salomé do help alleviate that some.
Courtney and Salomé's relationship is engaging and interesting, a fun back-and-forth, and feels very in touch with what I would want from a gothic-inspired tale.
Unfortunately, this is the best part of the book - it starts unraveling after the halfway mark and takes a sharp turn into purely thriller territory, in my opinion. Which, on it's own, isn't a bad thing, but if you're expecting gothic horror, it is jarring.
Personally, I had some big issues with pacing and narrative choices in the full story, but especially in the back half. The first half is slow, but it felt intentionally so, to lead you into the horror, but then, because it never delivers on that in full, it now has to make up the time and runs through explanation and backstory and divert heavily from the central relationship. How information is presented is inconsistent - during a conversation, a character will explain their own backstory, but then a few paragraphs in, it changes to just being an exposition dump of this character, even as we are actively in conversation.
That could be really cool, honestly, if all conversations with Salomé were present and delivered as her speaking, then with all other characters, its just summarized by Courtney, to help sell the infatuation and paranoia. But that's not the case - this back and forth of presentation happens for all and it was something that kept pulling me out.
The climax of the mystery and thriller felt silly and heavy handed compared to where we started and the attempts at social commentary throughout felt very shoe-horned in - they didn't ever play any part in the overall story or hold weight, beyond to remind us the current political climate is terrifying. Which, if that played more of an active role, let's go - but it doesn't, it's just mentioned occasionally and then never brought back (even in an ancillary way - it has nothing to do with what the characters are doing directly), so it feels more fourth-way breaking than anything.
I do see what was trying to be done here (especially with one concept in the late parts of the book and how that conveys violation), but unfortunately, it just misses the mark for me overall in it's delivery.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the chance to read this book in advance!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Courtney is flying to Paris to celebrate her twenty-ninth birthday by spending a week with an old friend who settled in France and supplements her teacher's salary as an influencer. Although she calls herself a journalist, Courtney's main source of income is the local pennysaver that assigns her to produce lists of restaurants, shops, and small-town activities. Courtney leaves behind a mother struggling with the early stages of Alzheimer's and a lukewarm (his name is actually Luke!) boyfriend who is planning to relocate without her.
On the plane. Courtney meets Salome, a Frenchwoman who is returning home after breaking up with her American boyfriend. The two seem to feel an immediate connection and when Salome invites Courtney to her family home in Chateaubriant, she accepts, blowing off her old friend. As she finds her crush deepening into something more powerful, Courtney also suffers from bizarre nightmares, sleep-walking, and the hostility of Salome's mother. She spends a ridiculous amount of time either drunk or hung-over.
This is a weird, disjointed book that combines a valentine to all things French, a relationship that cause the main character to question her own sexuality, and, in the last half, a horror story involving eugenics, astral travel, gerontology, and a cult based on the search for immortality. The pieces do not blend well.
Although the writing was vivid enough to keep me reading, I did not enjoy this book for many reasons.
Courtney is an unpleasant and not that interesting character and I never did figure out why she became obsessed with Salome. None of the characters' behavior made much sense. Even the ones who weren't drunk, crazy or possessed seemed to act in ways that were just irrational.
Despite being narrated by a self-decribed Francophile, this story seemed to focus on the least appealing aspects of French life - the filthy streets, the perpetual smoking, too much drinking, and surprisingly little attention to art, food, or any real culture. I also hated having to look up so many French words; why couldn't the author just translate them? (It was almost as if she needed to remind the reader that the book was set in France. Who cares? The same story could have been told anywhere.)
While the Carrell/Lindbergh stuff was interesting, it seemed a stretch to combine it all with an international conspiracy of billionaires, a vitamin company, and Salome's family history
I would like to thank Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to access an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
On the plane. Courtney meets Salome, a Frenchwoman who is returning home after breaking up with her American boyfriend. The two seem to feel an immediate connection and when Salome invites Courtney to her family home in Chateaubriant, she accepts, blowing off her old friend. As she finds her crush deepening into something more powerful, Courtney also suffers from bizarre nightmares, sleep-walking, and the hostility of Salome's mother. She spends a ridiculous amount of time either drunk or hung-over.
This is a weird, disjointed book that combines a valentine to all things French, a relationship that cause the main character to question her own sexuality, and, in the last half, a horror story involving eugenics, astral travel, gerontology, and a cult based on the search for immortality. The pieces do not blend well.
Although the writing was vivid enough to keep me reading, I did not enjoy this book for many reasons.
Courtney is an unpleasant and not that interesting character and I never did figure out why she became obsessed with Salome. None of the characters' behavior made much sense. Even the ones who weren't drunk, crazy or possessed seemed to act in ways that were just irrational.
Despite being narrated by a self-decribed Francophile, this story seemed to focus on the least appealing aspects of French life - the filthy streets, the perpetual smoking, too much drinking, and surprisingly little attention to art, food, or any real culture. I also hated having to look up so many French words; why couldn't the author just translate them? (It was almost as if she needed to remind the reader that the book was set in France. Who cares? The same story could have been told anywhere.)
While the Carrell/Lindbergh stuff was interesting, it seemed a stretch to combine it all with an international conspiracy of billionaires, a vitamin company, and Salome's family history
I would like to thank Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to access an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
May 20, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for the ebook.
📝 **Short Summary**
Salomé is a gothic feminist story following Courtney, an American journalist who becomes drawn into the strange and unsettling world of Salomé and her mysterious family in a small French town where cult like behavior, obsession, secrets, and danger slowly begin to unfold.
Review
This ended up being a 2.5 star read rounded up for me because while I absolutely loved the concept and atmosphere in the beginning, I struggled to stay fully connected to the story as it went on.
The opening honestly hooked me right away. I loved the eerie gothic setup, the mysterious energy surrounding Salomé, and the unsettling feeling that something was clearly wrong beneath the surface. The French setting, the strange family dynamics, the house filled with cameras, the cult undertones, and the psychological tension all sounded like something I would completely love on paper.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the way I started feeling emotionally disconnected from the story. I kept waiting for things to fully come together or escalate in a way that would really pull me in deeper, but for me personally, it never quite got there. There were moments where it felt like the story was building toward something huge, but I kept feeling like I was stuck in the waiting stage instead of feeling fully immersed in what was happening.
I also struggled a bit with Courtney and Salomé’s dynamic because I never fully felt emotionally invested in where their relationship was going. There was tension and mystery there, but I personally wanted more momentum emotionally and narratively. It almost felt like I was circling the story instead of fully inside it, if that makes sense.
There are definitely heavy themes throughout this book, and the atmosphere stays unsettling and strange the entire time. I can absolutely see readers who enjoy slower, mood driven gothic fiction connecting with this more than I did. The writing itself created a strong feeling of unease and mystery, and I appreciated the feminist angle and ambition behind the story.
For me though, I think I just wanted more payoff emotionally and plot wise after such a strong beginning.
✅ **Would I Recommend It?**
I would recommend this more to readers who enjoy slower paced gothic fiction, unsettling atmosphere, cult themes, and books that focus heavily on mood and psychological tension over fast plot progression.
Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for the ebook.
📝 **Short Summary**
Salomé is a gothic feminist story following Courtney, an American journalist who becomes drawn into the strange and unsettling world of Salomé and her mysterious family in a small French town where cult like behavior, obsession, secrets, and danger slowly begin to unfold.
Review
This ended up being a 2.5 star read rounded up for me because while I absolutely loved the concept and atmosphere in the beginning, I struggled to stay fully connected to the story as it went on.
The opening honestly hooked me right away. I loved the eerie gothic setup, the mysterious energy surrounding Salomé, and the unsettling feeling that something was clearly wrong beneath the surface. The French setting, the strange family dynamics, the house filled with cameras, the cult undertones, and the psychological tension all sounded like something I would completely love on paper.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the way I started feeling emotionally disconnected from the story. I kept waiting for things to fully come together or escalate in a way that would really pull me in deeper, but for me personally, it never quite got there. There were moments where it felt like the story was building toward something huge, but I kept feeling like I was stuck in the waiting stage instead of feeling fully immersed in what was happening.
I also struggled a bit with Courtney and Salomé’s dynamic because I never fully felt emotionally invested in where their relationship was going. There was tension and mystery there, but I personally wanted more momentum emotionally and narratively. It almost felt like I was circling the story instead of fully inside it, if that makes sense.
There are definitely heavy themes throughout this book, and the atmosphere stays unsettling and strange the entire time. I can absolutely see readers who enjoy slower, mood driven gothic fiction connecting with this more than I did. The writing itself created a strong feeling of unease and mystery, and I appreciated the feminist angle and ambition behind the story.
For me though, I think I just wanted more payoff emotionally and plot wise after such a strong beginning.
✅ **Would I Recommend It?**
I would recommend this more to readers who enjoy slower paced gothic fiction, unsettling atmosphere, cult themes, and books that focus heavily on mood and psychological tension over fast plot progression.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3/5 Stars
Format: E-Book ARC from Netgalley
Spoilers: No
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing an e-book ARC.
Salome is a really interesting study in characters and expectations, and how they can make or break a book. As a few other reviewers have noted, I requested this book because the description really read like a horror novel, and was really excited to read it. the premise sounded super cool. While the first third or so of the book had a solid horror based start, the rest of the book played out more like a supernatural thriller with political undercurrents that were really not what I was expecting. Honestly, it's not that this was a bad thing - I think the core story turned out to be interesting. but from what I can tell, this has been an issue of expectations versus reality, and I know for me was jarring in the reading.
The main issue that dragged this one down for me is the main character, Courtney. She is a very unlikeable character. not that you have to like every character, but given her position in the book and the story, I feel like she needed to be more likable. She was someone who was constantly monologuing about her insecurities, and also constantly making absolutely horrible decisions. At a certain point, that became too much. There were a few other issues that may be due to this being an ARC, such as the repetition of indicating whether the characters were speaking to each other in French or English. While this may be important at some points, it was way overdone. Just give me the dialogue.
On the positive side, I do think the story has good potential, it was very entertaining in the last third, and it did maintain a very supernatural element to it despite what other reviewers have said. Supernatural phenomena are still at the core of the thriller plot.
I think people who like characters who are messy - bad decision makers and insecure characters whose crazy is on display, will probably enjoy this, and folks who are really into thrillers who want a hint of supernatural will enjoy it at well.
Format: E-Book ARC from Netgalley
Spoilers: No
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing an e-book ARC.
Salome is a really interesting study in characters and expectations, and how they can make or break a book. As a few other reviewers have noted, I requested this book because the description really read like a horror novel, and was really excited to read it. the premise sounded super cool. While the first third or so of the book had a solid horror based start, the rest of the book played out more like a supernatural thriller with political undercurrents that were really not what I was expecting. Honestly, it's not that this was a bad thing - I think the core story turned out to be interesting. but from what I can tell, this has been an issue of expectations versus reality, and I know for me was jarring in the reading.
The main issue that dragged this one down for me is the main character, Courtney. She is a very unlikeable character. not that you have to like every character, but given her position in the book and the story, I feel like she needed to be more likable. She was someone who was constantly monologuing about her insecurities, and also constantly making absolutely horrible decisions. At a certain point, that became too much. There were a few other issues that may be due to this being an ARC, such as the repetition of indicating whether the characters were speaking to each other in French or English. While this may be important at some points, it was way overdone. Just give me the dialogue.
On the positive side, I do think the story has good potential, it was very entertaining in the last third, and it did maintain a very supernatural element to it despite what other reviewers have said. Supernatural phenomena are still at the core of the thriller plot.
I think people who like characters who are messy - bad decision makers and insecure characters whose crazy is on display, will probably enjoy this, and folks who are really into thrillers who want a hint of supernatural will enjoy it at well.
September 14, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for an advanced reader’s copy of Salomé by Leslie Baird.
Imagine you are a struggling writer, on your last flight to Paris before you take over care of your ailing mother. On the flight there, you are seated next to a heartbroken, beautiful French woman who you instantly bond and connect with. By the end of the flight, she has invited you to stay at her family compound in Châteaubriant, France. Would you take up her offer or stick with your original plan?
This is how Baird begins the story of the struggling writer, Courtney and the French woman, Salomé’s week together traveling through France. Baird laid out a delightfully creepy and delicious foundation to what could have been a truly disturbing story about jealously, lust, and greed. However, Baird failed to fully develop these plot lines, and instead delivered a half-baked plot that made less and less sense as the novel goes on.
The first 45% of the novel was a great slow burn, but the remaining plot was confusing and involved unnecessary scenes. The plot got very slow, and was meandering along that made me lose interest in the ending. If Baird focused on one or two of the plot line foundations that she had laid down in the beginning, the latter half would have been a more focused, cohesive story. Unfortunately, the latter half had a lot of confusing chapters, and I was sprinting to get to the end.
Baird’s writing was clear, descriptive and had a definitive voice. They were able to add depth to their main character, Courtney, and by the end, I just wanted Courtney to go back home to the states! Salomé and Courtney had such an interesting, tension filled dynamic, but one that I wish was developed into a scarier, obsessive dynamic. If Baird leaned into the historical subtext of Salome, and emphasized her femme fatale legacy, this title would have been much more enjoyable.
Imagine you are a struggling writer, on your last flight to Paris before you take over care of your ailing mother. On the flight there, you are seated next to a heartbroken, beautiful French woman who you instantly bond and connect with. By the end of the flight, she has invited you to stay at her family compound in Châteaubriant, France. Would you take up her offer or stick with your original plan?
This is how Baird begins the story of the struggling writer, Courtney and the French woman, Salomé’s week together traveling through France. Baird laid out a delightfully creepy and delicious foundation to what could have been a truly disturbing story about jealously, lust, and greed. However, Baird failed to fully develop these plot lines, and instead delivered a half-baked plot that made less and less sense as the novel goes on.
The first 45% of the novel was a great slow burn, but the remaining plot was confusing and involved unnecessary scenes. The plot got very slow, and was meandering along that made me lose interest in the ending. If Baird focused on one or two of the plot line foundations that she had laid down in the beginning, the latter half would have been a more focused, cohesive story. Unfortunately, the latter half had a lot of confusing chapters, and I was sprinting to get to the end.
Baird’s writing was clear, descriptive and had a definitive voice. They were able to add depth to their main character, Courtney, and by the end, I just wanted Courtney to go back home to the states! Salomé and Courtney had such an interesting, tension filled dynamic, but one that I wish was developed into a scarier, obsessive dynamic. If Baird leaned into the historical subtext of Salome, and emphasized her femme fatale legacy, this title would have been much more enjoyable.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was initially attracted to this book due to the title as I’ve seen the Oscar Wilde play and am intrigued by the overall story of the Biblical Salomé. After reading this, I’m not entirely sure how this Salomé relates to that one, but this was an incredibly interesting and bizarre story that’s a mix of horror and “vacation gone wrong.”
Courtney is en route to Paris for a final visit to her former college roommate who lives there (it’s a final visit as Courtney’s mother has Alzheimer’s) when she is seated next to Salomé who is on her way back from living in North Carolina after a nasty breakup. They hit it off and Salomé invites Courtney to stay with her family in the north of France instead of going straight to Paris. Courtney agrees, partly blowing off her friend, and what first is a weirdly intense visit with Salomé’s family turns into a terrifying experience which shifts Courtney’s perception of reality.
This book has an excellent horror element in addition to the elements of exploring what it’s like when we grow apart from old friends and how awkward and painful that can be. I liked the added details of Courtney coming to terms with her mother’s diagnosis and struggling to see where she still fits in with other friends and her career. There is a side plot about influencer culture as well which was a good complement to the main storyline.
The big reveal with the truth about Salomé’s family fell a little flat and was a little off with a variety of new characters added with motivations that took away from the horror aspect of this story- it added a layer of “there’s actually a rational explanation for all this even if it’s crazy.” It was still really interesting however and was absolutely not anything I would have guessed at. The pacing was well done and I was anxious to see how they all ended up.
Many thanks to Putnam and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion
Courtney is en route to Paris for a final visit to her former college roommate who lives there (it’s a final visit as Courtney’s mother has Alzheimer’s) when she is seated next to Salomé who is on her way back from living in North Carolina after a nasty breakup. They hit it off and Salomé invites Courtney to stay with her family in the north of France instead of going straight to Paris. Courtney agrees, partly blowing off her friend, and what first is a weirdly intense visit with Salomé’s family turns into a terrifying experience which shifts Courtney’s perception of reality.
This book has an excellent horror element in addition to the elements of exploring what it’s like when we grow apart from old friends and how awkward and painful that can be. I liked the added details of Courtney coming to terms with her mother’s diagnosis and struggling to see where she still fits in with other friends and her career. There is a side plot about influencer culture as well which was a good complement to the main storyline.
The big reveal with the truth about Salomé’s family fell a little flat and was a little off with a variety of new characters added with motivations that took away from the horror aspect of this story- it added a layer of “there’s actually a rational explanation for all this even if it’s crazy.” It was still really interesting however and was absolutely not anything I would have guessed at. The pacing was well done and I was anxious to see how they all ended up.
Many thanks to Putnam and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion
May 25, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, Putnam Publishing, and Leslie Baird for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Oof… Let me preface this by saying, there are no bad books, but there are absolutely “not for me” books. This was one of those books… Enough that I honestly put it out of my mind and forgot to leave my review before moving on to a different book…
I honestly feel bad giving it any kind of rating because it was a DNF for me about halfway through. It just became too much of a chore for me to continue, and I couldn’t do it anymore.
The story is billed as, what I thought, was a “gothic reimagining” of Salomé - for those who aren’t aware, the biblical story in a nutshell is that after dancing for Herod Antipas, he said she could have whatever she wanted, and she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter.
In this version, you have Courtney, an American journalist taking a last trip (for a while at least) to France to visit a friend and for writing inspiration. She meets Salomé on the flight and is almost immediately obsessed it feels like, and ends up accepting her invitation to stay with her and explore her town instead…. Of course things go downhill after that…
One of the biggest reasons it was a DNF for me was the pacing. I just could NOT get into it to save my life (so much so that I forgot to come back and post my review)… Everything felt slow and repetitive to me… Don’t get me started on the trains… Also, I really wasn’t a fan of Courtney in general, she wasn’t a likable character IMO, and the whole connection/obsession with Salomé (to the point of questioning her sexual orientation) was just not very realistic.
Sooo yeah… DNF for me, and a lesson learned in judging a book by its cover…
Oof… Let me preface this by saying, there are no bad books, but there are absolutely “not for me” books. This was one of those books… Enough that I honestly put it out of my mind and forgot to leave my review before moving on to a different book…
I honestly feel bad giving it any kind of rating because it was a DNF for me about halfway through. It just became too much of a chore for me to continue, and I couldn’t do it anymore.
The story is billed as, what I thought, was a “gothic reimagining” of Salomé - for those who aren’t aware, the biblical story in a nutshell is that after dancing for Herod Antipas, he said she could have whatever she wanted, and she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter.
In this version, you have Courtney, an American journalist taking a last trip (for a while at least) to France to visit a friend and for writing inspiration. She meets Salomé on the flight and is almost immediately obsessed it feels like, and ends up accepting her invitation to stay with her and explore her town instead…. Of course things go downhill after that…
One of the biggest reasons it was a DNF for me was the pacing. I just could NOT get into it to save my life (so much so that I forgot to come back and post my review)… Everything felt slow and repetitive to me… Don’t get me started on the trains… Also, I really wasn’t a fan of Courtney in general, she wasn’t a likable character IMO, and the whole connection/obsession with Salomé (to the point of questioning her sexual orientation) was just not very realistic.
Sooo yeah… DNF for me, and a lesson learned in judging a book by its cover…
Review of advance copy
Salomé begins on a flight from Raleigh to Paris, where Coutrney, an adrift journalist in her 30s with the heart of a Francophile, switches seats with a teary-eyed yet captivating young French woman named Salomé. The bond they share over the disappointments of men and an in-flight screening of Bridesmaids is intriguing enough that Courney agrees to change her plans. Rather than visit her influencer-in-training American-in-Paris friend Kylie, she decides to accompany Salomé to her family’s home in rural northwest France.
The book does a great job and getting readers to buy into Courtney’s infatuation with the enigmatic Salomé. From the very beginning, it’s clear that Courney is normally a very level-headed person—if too driven by her internal guilt and insecurities—and her last-minute decision to follow a near-stranger home is out of character.
As the days progress, things get a bit weird for Courtney who begins to suffer from eerily realistic nightmares. There is also Salomé’s stepfather, the possibly psychotic head of an MLM surrounding eternal life. But when she finally makes it to Paris, she finds herself unable to think about anything other than Salomé.
I was unfamiliar with the Bible story about Salome that this plays with, but I absolutely loved this modern feminist retelling. As a former Catholic school girl, I completely related to her ingrained internal guilt. It’s also a reckoning of the death of a former dream (to live in Paris), a dream she has fashioned an identity out of for years (to be told she is “not very American” is the highest compliment for her... which, fair) and I loved getting inside of her head!
The book does a great job and getting readers to buy into Courtney’s infatuation with the enigmatic Salomé. From the very beginning, it’s clear that Courney is normally a very level-headed person—if too driven by her internal guilt and insecurities—and her last-minute decision to follow a near-stranger home is out of character.
As the days progress, things get a bit weird for Courtney who begins to suffer from eerily realistic nightmares. There is also Salomé’s stepfather, the possibly psychotic head of an MLM surrounding eternal life. But when she finally makes it to Paris, she finds herself unable to think about anything other than Salomé.
I was unfamiliar with the Bible story about Salome that this plays with, but I absolutely loved this modern feminist retelling. As a former Catholic school girl, I completely related to her ingrained internal guilt. It’s also a reckoning of the death of a former dream (to live in Paris), a dream she has fashioned an identity out of for years (to be told she is “not very American” is the highest compliment for her... which, fair) and I loved getting inside of her head!
May 12, 2026
I’ll preface this review by saying that I am not religiously learned and did not know the story of Salomé prior to reading this book. That knowledge might’ve changed my perspective on this book.
Courtney is an American aboard a plane to Paris, France, where she plans to spend time with her longtime friend. However, an interesting woman named Salomé sits beside Courtney on their plane journey, befriending her astoundingly quick and convinces her to change her travel plans to hangout with her at her family’s estate in a quaint French town hours from Paris.
Events turn to the strange rather quickly when Courtney begins having odd, inexplicable dreams that feel realistic.
Salomé divulges that her family is involved in immortality studies.
Courtney’s France trip unravels in a chaotic tangle of desires, confusion, and uncertainty as she and Salomé navigate the realms of possibility together.
Again, I’m really not quite sure what I just read? I thought it was going to be heavy on the sapphic love yet it was definitely more science fiction than romance. I felt like some of the concepts had a really great premise but weren’t fully explored leaving me confused at times. I’m also terribly inept with the French language and found myself skipping parts where French was utilized.
While this one didn’t completely hit for me, I recommend this for my fellow science fiction lovers who also have an affinity for France and their language.
Courtney is an American aboard a plane to Paris, France, where she plans to spend time with her longtime friend. However, an interesting woman named Salomé sits beside Courtney on their plane journey, befriending her astoundingly quick and convinces her to change her travel plans to hangout with her at her family’s estate in a quaint French town hours from Paris.
Events turn to the strange rather quickly when Courtney begins having odd, inexplicable dreams that feel realistic.
Salomé divulges that her family is involved in immortality studies.
Courtney’s France trip unravels in a chaotic tangle of desires, confusion, and uncertainty as she and Salomé navigate the realms of possibility together.
Again, I’m really not quite sure what I just read? I thought it was going to be heavy on the sapphic love yet it was definitely more science fiction than romance. I felt like some of the concepts had a really great premise but weren’t fully explored leaving me confused at times. I’m also terribly inept with the French language and found myself skipping parts where French was utilized.
While this one didn’t completely hit for me, I recommend this for my fellow science fiction lovers who also have an affinity for France and their language.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Delivering on every promise of it's description, Salomé takes readers on an exhilarating chance encounter turned strange then stranger until it's finally downright creepy.
Courtney and Salomé just seems to click on their plane from Raleigh to Paris: both of them heartbroken and seeking the ease of fleeing to another country—Courtney getting lost in her dream of expatriation and Salomé returning to her family's home. Her impromptu invitation is met with some hesitation, but ultimately Courtney's curiosity wins out and seems to pay off.
The twist of this book comes with what seems to be another haunted house: nightmares, faceless predators, a seductress whose weight Courtney can feel as she's bade 'Don't open your eyes.' The week passes and the strangeness of the house and Salomé's father's dream of discovering immortality becomes as hot and suffocating as the deadly heatwave settling over Europe.
I enjoyed so much of this book, finding myself able to sink into the pages, losing hour after hour to the happenings in Châteaubriant. Best of all, the plot is well thought out and artfully delivered, holding the narrative together until its very conclusion.
Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for access to this ARC.
Courtney and Salomé just seems to click on their plane from Raleigh to Paris: both of them heartbroken and seeking the ease of fleeing to another country—Courtney getting lost in her dream of expatriation and Salomé returning to her family's home. Her impromptu invitation is met with some hesitation, but ultimately Courtney's curiosity wins out and seems to pay off.
The twist of this book comes with what seems to be another haunted house: nightmares, faceless predators, a seductress whose weight Courtney can feel as she's bade 'Don't open your eyes.' The week passes and the strangeness of the house and Salomé's father's dream of discovering immortality becomes as hot and suffocating as the deadly heatwave settling over Europe.
I enjoyed so much of this book, finding myself able to sink into the pages, losing hour after hour to the happenings in Châteaubriant. Best of all, the plot is well thought out and artfully delivered, holding the narrative together until its very conclusion.
Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for access to this ARC.
June 26, 2026
3.5
I came into this book blind as a bat and but I am happy to report I was presently surprised by it.
You follow Courtney who meets a beautiful stranger on her flight from the U.S.A to France and decided to change her plans for Paris to follow this stranger (Salome) to a small town.
The story develop from Courtney meeting Salome's mom to learning about her family and their secrets, to Courtney experiencing weirdly realistic nightmare's and behaviors.
There are a lot of secrets that come to light, and while the whole mystery aspect of the story was fun and added to the plot, but it felt kind of of predictable and rushed at the end.
The build up seemed long compared to the conclusion, that and the fact that Courtney is infuriatingly blind and vulnerable to people and events around her.
While I understand that there was an immediate connection between both characters and Salome is the femme fatale in this story, either one seemed to have safety feature in their brain and it truly almost lead me to DNF.
alas I didn't.
I really did enjoy the book but simply thought the ending was rushed and maybe femme fatale isn't for me.
Thank you NEtgalley and Leslie Bird for this ARC.
I came into this book blind as a bat and but I am happy to report I was presently surprised by it.
You follow Courtney who meets a beautiful stranger on her flight from the U.S.A to France and decided to change her plans for Paris to follow this stranger (Salome) to a small town.
The story develop from Courtney meeting Salome's mom to learning about her family and their secrets, to Courtney experiencing weirdly realistic nightmare's and behaviors.
There are a lot of secrets that come to light, and while the whole mystery aspect of the story was fun and added to the plot, but it felt kind of of predictable and rushed at the end.
The build up seemed long compared to the conclusion, that and the fact that Courtney is infuriatingly blind and vulnerable to people and events around her.
While I understand that there was an immediate connection between both characters and Salome is the femme fatale in this story, either one seemed to have safety feature in their brain and it truly almost lead me to DNF.
alas I didn't.
I really did enjoy the book but simply thought the ending was rushed and maybe femme fatale isn't for me.
Thank you NEtgalley and Leslie Bird for this ARC.
July 27, 2026
This book would get more stars if the last quarter of the book didn't exist. The first three quarters were mysterious and chilling and it felt like the book might move into the supernatural. Then, all of a sudden it becomes about billionaires and immortality and takes a spiritual turn that is poorly explained. The relationship between Salome and the main character is unnecessarily confusing and the characterization of every player makes no sense. There is little to no character development, I felt no connection to any characters, and the character of Luke makes no sense. There is no real "defeat" of the villain that happens where the readers can see, even after so much buildup. I really feel like this book was written by two separate people who didn't talk to each other at all. This also has little to nothing to do with the story of Salome as I understand it, other than a few nods to the name. The whole end section of the book is terribly paced, the plot becomes convoluted, and there are so many pieces of the book that were just thrown in there with no true relevance. There is so much buildup for a disappointing climax and no payoff. I'm just so confused how it went downhill so very quickly because I was much more invested in the first three quarters.
August 27, 2025
May 19th, 2026
This story follows Courtney, an American journalist adrift in her personal and professional life, who becomes captivated by a mysterious French woman named Salomé during a transatlantic flight. When Salomé invites her to a secluded town in northwestern France, Courtney impulsively abandons her original plans for Paris. What begins as an enchanting detour quickly turns unsettling, as Courtney finds herself in a house surveilled by cameras and haunted by Salomé’s enigmatic mother.
As Courtney settles into this eerie environment, she begins to experience vivid nightmares and encounters Salomé’s charismatic stepfather Marco, whose pyramid-scheme vitamin company seems to be a front for a cult obsessed with eternal life. The deeper Courtney digs, the more she uncovers a web of secrets that could unravel not just Salomé’s family history but potentially alter the course of humanity. Torn between her loyalty to Salomé and the lure of a career-defining exposé, Courtney must decide whether to trust her instincts or risk everything for the truth.
Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC!
This story follows Courtney, an American journalist adrift in her personal and professional life, who becomes captivated by a mysterious French woman named Salomé during a transatlantic flight. When Salomé invites her to a secluded town in northwestern France, Courtney impulsively abandons her original plans for Paris. What begins as an enchanting detour quickly turns unsettling, as Courtney finds herself in a house surveilled by cameras and haunted by Salomé’s enigmatic mother.
As Courtney settles into this eerie environment, she begins to experience vivid nightmares and encounters Salomé’s charismatic stepfather Marco, whose pyramid-scheme vitamin company seems to be a front for a cult obsessed with eternal life. The deeper Courtney digs, the more she uncovers a web of secrets that could unravel not just Salomé’s family history but potentially alter the course of humanity. Torn between her loyalty to Salomé and the lure of a career-defining exposé, Courtney must decide whether to trust her instincts or risk everything for the truth.
Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Salomé was not quite what I was expecting considering the blurb for the book. I think I was expecting more horror as well as the reclamation of the biblical Salomé considering the summary, and I feel like that came across at all. I did really enjoy Baird’s writing style, but that was probably the extent of my enjoyment. I would say it was definitely more of a psychological thriller than horror. I feel like once the characters were in France, the events were very repetitive, which made the pacing drag a lot and almost felt like rambling at certain points. I also wouldn’t have characterized the story as gothic, considering it was missing pretty much all of the main themes found in gothic literature. It was a very contemporary take on politics, social justice, and culture. Salomé remained elusive as a character throughout, which I’m sure was the point, but then, Courtney also felt very underdeveloped and she’s meant to be the main character. Overall, it wasn’t terrible, just not my plot of tea and I’m sure other people will love it.
Salomé was not quite what I was expecting considering the blurb for the book. I think I was expecting more horror as well as the reclamation of the biblical Salomé considering the summary, and I feel like that came across at all. I did really enjoy Baird’s writing style, but that was probably the extent of my enjoyment. I would say it was definitely more of a psychological thriller than horror. I feel like once the characters were in France, the events were very repetitive, which made the pacing drag a lot and almost felt like rambling at certain points. I also wouldn’t have characterized the story as gothic, considering it was missing pretty much all of the main themes found in gothic literature. It was a very contemporary take on politics, social justice, and culture. Salomé remained elusive as a character throughout, which I’m sure was the point, but then, Courtney also felt very underdeveloped and she’s meant to be the main character. Overall, it wasn’t terrible, just not my plot of tea and I’m sure other people will love it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book is called a “gothic-tinged fever dream” in the book’s blurb. There are gothic and mystery elements in the book and a most interesting premise.
Courtney is a restless journalist taking a trip to France, her favorite country, before returning to care for her mother. On the plane she meets a mysterious woman, Salomé, who intrigues her. They chat and Salomé invites Courtney to her home in northwest France. The home is filled with cameras and Salomé’s mother’s dark presence. But Courtney and Salomé click as friends. Then Courtney discovers a secret about the family that if written could take Courtney’s journalism career off the charts. But an aura of menace abounds and Courtney fears.
There was a lot of “stuff” going on in this book. The book had gothic elements up to a point and then mystery elements take over. It almost like reading two books. That was a bit disorienting. The friendship between Courtney and Salomé was the best part of the book. I liked Courtney’s love of France, but that needed more examination. Overall it was an interesting read.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Putnam for allowing me access to this book.
Courtney is a restless journalist taking a trip to France, her favorite country, before returning to care for her mother. On the plane she meets a mysterious woman, Salomé, who intrigues her. They chat and Salomé invites Courtney to her home in northwest France. The home is filled with cameras and Salomé’s mother’s dark presence. But Courtney and Salomé click as friends. Then Courtney discovers a secret about the family that if written could take Courtney’s journalism career off the charts. But an aura of menace abounds and Courtney fears.
There was a lot of “stuff” going on in this book. The book had gothic elements up to a point and then mystery elements take over. It almost like reading two books. That was a bit disorienting. The friendship between Courtney and Salomé was the best part of the book. I liked Courtney’s love of France, but that needed more examination. Overall it was an interesting read.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Putnam for allowing me access to this book.
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