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BOOM goes the Bride
Not yet published
Expected 1 Jun 26A pulpy lesbian romance between an elven thief from another world and a corporate princess whose company is built on her clones. 300,000 and counting, and the woman they're made from wishes they didn't exist. Danger, spice, and everything not-nice.
When the twice-dead thief Nil steals a magical dagger from one of the world's angriest trillionaires, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with his daughter Sook, the so-called Mother of a Million Clones. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and in this case the heart wants to be chased, shot at, and possibly exploded.
Til death do us part is gonna need a bit of an extension...
When the twice-dead thief Nil steals a magical dagger from one of the world's angriest trillionaires, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with his daughter Sook, the so-called Mother of a Million Clones. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and in this case the heart wants to be chased, shot at, and possibly exploded.
Til death do us part is gonna need a bit of an extension...
- GenresRomance
442 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 14, 2025
This book is currently being funded through Backerit until December 3: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/...
The best thing about this book was how unabashedly *too much* it was. The humor was outrageous, the worldbuilding was at once familiar and entirely outlandish (like, we've got magic fantasy elf fairy unicorn-land literally merging with our universe, where humanity has become overrun with cyberpunk-y space-faring mega-corps and has fled earth to live on one of jupiter's moons. there are giant mushroom forests and a weird trippy spirit realm. who DOES that?), the sapphic romance was so full of heart - but the NSFW content was also entirely crass and hilarious. The grandiose robed wizards were suitably grandiose, the capitalist hellscape was capitalist hellscape-ing, the nefarious ceo was def hitting all the evil villain marks, and the spaceships and spells alike were firing off so quickly that i could barely keep up. There was a magic phoenix motorbike who only communicates in emojis. The fight scenes made me feel like I was watching an anime. Everything about this book was done so, so sincerely, and yet it was all so fucking entertaining. I couldn't stop smiling while I was reading it.
This was so great, and so funny, and so one-of-a-kind. (also quite NSFW in some parts, just as a warning haha)
TL;DR think yurified John wick in space. With elves.
The best thing about this book was how unabashedly *too much* it was. The humor was outrageous, the worldbuilding was at once familiar and entirely outlandish (like, we've got magic fantasy elf fairy unicorn-land literally merging with our universe, where humanity has become overrun with cyberpunk-y space-faring mega-corps and has fled earth to live on one of jupiter's moons. there are giant mushroom forests and a weird trippy spirit realm. who DOES that?), the sapphic romance was so full of heart - but the NSFW content was also entirely crass and hilarious. The grandiose robed wizards were suitably grandiose, the capitalist hellscape was capitalist hellscape-ing, the nefarious ceo was def hitting all the evil villain marks, and the spaceships and spells alike were firing off so quickly that i could barely keep up. There was a magic phoenix motorbike who only communicates in emojis. The fight scenes made me feel like I was watching an anime. Everything about this book was done so, so sincerely, and yet it was all so fucking entertaining. I couldn't stop smiling while I was reading it.
This was so great, and so funny, and so one-of-a-kind. (also quite NSFW in some parts, just as a warning haha)
TL;DR think yurified John wick in space. With elves.
May 25, 2026
I think this is a solid book and I think the author did an AMAZING job thinking out every aspect of their world to the smallest detail. You will walk away knowing this world and how it operates with no stone left unturned. But I do feel like sometimes in doing that passages were longer than they would need to be slowing down the story sometimes to a standstill while these elements were explained. Like we would be having a really cool interaction between the characters but then everything came to a stop to explain somethings in the scene or a backstory that wouldn't be a quick explanation but sometimes 2, 3, 4 or even more paragraphs and then we would jump right back into the scene so sometimes it felt like a start, stop, start, stop to the story that made it feel like it was dragging and I think somethings could be edited down. Don't get me wrong I loved seeing the world that the author built but I also wanted to enjoy the story and the characters because those were really interesting and enjoyable as well.
I also want to say I enjoyed all the commentary on environmentalism, greed especially corporate greed and capitalism and the effects it can have on a person let alone a world.
When it comes to the story/plot I thought it was really cool the sci fi element of our corporate princess Sook who doesn't even own the rights to her own DNA and it is being used by her father to make clones that function as slaves for so many aspects of their world. I mean she has to attend essentially a sex club opening where the workers are all clones of her with her face, some with body modifications but they all still have her face. The emotional and mental toll that has to take on someone is just unfathomable. I mean yes, she is the child of a trillionaire, but she has nothing to her name and has control over nothing essentially (not even her eye color), she is a slave to the demands and needs of her father all while knowing that there are clones of her being used in snuff films that is alluded to at one point. Eventually everyone has a breaking point, and you see and hear of times when she has unsuccessful tried to take her own life bc what does she have to live for. But then Nil comes into her life breathing fire into her soul and finally she has something for herself, and I just loved their chemistry and story. This book has the angst and forbidden love vibes down and I really enjoyed it.
With Nil she is such a ball of fire and who an elf who is not only long lived simply for being an elf but the question of if she can even die due a deal she has with a hidden powerful goddess makes it questionable that she would ever fear death and with how powerful she is with magic as well gives her this carefree chaotic energy that makes it hard to look away from her if it weren't for her magic enchantments. So is it any wonder she also brought life and excitement into Sook's life. Their story is one of excitement, passion and forbidden love with two characters I liked separately but loved together.
This story ends on a cliff hanger, but I think I am curious enough to finds out what happens next bc those last couple chapters were a doozy.
----
This book is about Nil who has survived death twice, but nothing prepares her for Sook the lonely heiress whose father built an empire on her unwillingly replicated DNA. Nil only meant to steal a dagger. Instead, she steals Sook's heart. While their connection is electric their chances are well less than nil with corporate armies, rogue clones, and a dagger everyone would kill for. As they try to stay ahead of the danger close behind them it looks like survival might be the hardest heist of all. But something to remember is that death isn’t the end. It’s just the fine print.
I received an ARC exchange for an honest review.
I also want to say I enjoyed all the commentary on environmentalism, greed especially corporate greed and capitalism and the effects it can have on a person let alone a world.
When it comes to the story/plot I thought it was really cool the sci fi element of our corporate princess Sook who doesn't even own the rights to her own DNA and it is being used by her father to make clones that function as slaves for so many aspects of their world. I mean she has to attend essentially a sex club opening where the workers are all clones of her with her face, some with body modifications but they all still have her face. The emotional and mental toll that has to take on someone is just unfathomable. I mean yes, she is the child of a trillionaire, but she has nothing to her name and has control over nothing essentially (not even her eye color), she is a slave to the demands and needs of her father all while knowing that there are clones of her being used in snuff films that is alluded to at one point. Eventually everyone has a breaking point, and you see and hear of times when she has unsuccessful tried to take her own life bc what does she have to live for. But then Nil comes into her life breathing fire into her soul and finally she has something for herself, and I just loved their chemistry and story. This book has the angst and forbidden love vibes down and I really enjoyed it.
With Nil she is such a ball of fire and who an elf who is not only long lived simply for being an elf but the question of if she can even die due a deal she has with a hidden powerful goddess makes it questionable that she would ever fear death and with how powerful she is with magic as well gives her this carefree chaotic energy that makes it hard to look away from her if it weren't for her magic enchantments. So is it any wonder she also brought life and excitement into Sook's life. Their story is one of excitement, passion and forbidden love with two characters I liked separately but loved together.
This story ends on a cliff hanger, but I think I am curious enough to finds out what happens next bc those last couple chapters were a doozy.
----
This book is about Nil who has survived death twice, but nothing prepares her for Sook the lonely heiress whose father built an empire on her unwillingly replicated DNA. Nil only meant to steal a dagger. Instead, she steals Sook's heart. While their connection is electric their chances are well less than nil with corporate armies, rogue clones, and a dagger everyone would kill for. As they try to stay ahead of the danger close behind them it looks like survival might be the hardest heist of all. But something to remember is that death isn’t the end. It’s just the fine print.
I received an ARC exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy
I was given this book complimentary from Book Sirens in e-book form in return for my honest review. Everything stated in this review is of my own opinion and I was not compensated monetarily for providing this review.
A sapphic alternate university fantasy romance that once it gets past it's stuttering start really takes off and engages the reader. Nil is an elven thief enslaved by a goddess and Sook is a corporate princess enslaved to her father and when their paths cross sparks fly, both the romantic type and the high tech firepower chasing the pair.
The author creates a fantastic universe merging Gods, demons and fantastic creatures from an elven universe with futuristic weaponry from a future earth brought together by an event called "the pulse" with destroyed the earth in the process.
The romance is hot and the chemistry between the two main characters is great. The pace of the book is frantic and reminds me in parts of Hunter S. Thompson if we relace the drugs with magic and missiles.
When I started this book I did not think I would like it but after finishing it I find myself looking eagerly forward to #2
Recommended to fans of sci-fi and sapphic romances. Five stars.
A sapphic alternate university fantasy romance that once it gets past it's stuttering start really takes off and engages the reader. Nil is an elven thief enslaved by a goddess and Sook is a corporate princess enslaved to her father and when their paths cross sparks fly, both the romantic type and the high tech firepower chasing the pair.
The author creates a fantastic universe merging Gods, demons and fantastic creatures from an elven universe with futuristic weaponry from a future earth brought together by an event called "the pulse" with destroyed the earth in the process.
The romance is hot and the chemistry between the two main characters is great. The pace of the book is frantic and reminds me in parts of Hunter S. Thompson if we relace the drugs with magic and missiles.
When I started this book I did not think I would like it but after finishing it I find myself looking eagerly forward to #2
Recommended to fans of sci-fi and sapphic romances. Five stars.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is a fantasy novel about Nil, a several-hundred-year-old Elven assassin in unwilling service to a merciless goddess, pursuing a magical dagger. It’s a science fiction novel about Sook, whose father rules a corporate empire based on creating hundreds and thousands of clones of her. And it’s a spicy, spicy romance as the two women are drawn to each other.
The pace is breakneck, the world-building a glorious, pyrotechnic mash-up of fantasy and sci-fi elements, with an extra helping of pathos and heart. In all honesty, it’s tongue in cheek and weird as hell, and it shouldn’t work, but the author goes into it so hard that you can’t help but be swept up in it, wondering where on earth it’s going next, and rooting for our two heroines to finally get their freedom. I liked both Nil and Sook immensely.
In short, it was super. Very much looking forward to the conclusion of the story in the next book.
I received an advance review copy for free (thank you to the author!) and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The pace is breakneck, the world-building a glorious, pyrotechnic mash-up of fantasy and sci-fi elements, with an extra helping of pathos and heart. In all honesty, it’s tongue in cheek and weird as hell, and it shouldn’t work, but the author goes into it so hard that you can’t help but be swept up in it, wondering where on earth it’s going next, and rooting for our two heroines to finally get their freedom. I liked both Nil and Sook immensely.
In short, it was super. Very much looking forward to the conclusion of the story in the next book.
I received an advance review copy for free (thank you to the author!) and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Read
February 18, 2026Boom Goes the Bride is a fast, explosive dive into a dystopian world where trillionaires pull the strings and everyone else fights to survive. Sook, daughter of a global power player, is kidnapped—possibly saved—by the enigmatic shadow Nil, kicking off a high‑stakes story where every alliance is questionable and every choice has consequences.
The pacing is relentless: chases, gunfights, explosions, and just a spark of romance to keep things interesting. Despite the action, the characters feel sharp and human, and the worldbuilding lands hard without slowing the momentum.
The bride goes boom—literally and metaphorically—and the cliffhanger ending makes a sequel feel inevitable. A quick, thrilling hit for fans of cyber‑fantasy, gritty dystopias, and morally grey heroes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The pacing is relentless: chases, gunfights, explosions, and just a spark of romance to keep things interesting. Despite the action, the characters feel sharp and human, and the worldbuilding lands hard without slowing the momentum.
The bride goes boom—literally and metaphorically—and the cliffhanger ending makes a sequel feel inevitable. A quick, thrilling hit for fans of cyber‑fantasy, gritty dystopias, and morally grey heroes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy
Boom Goes the Bride was the most fun I’ve had reading in a hell of a long time. In the span of a few pages you will go from feeling giddy at the joy of sexy new romance, to laughing out loud at an unbelievably crass utterance, to seething with anger (I’m looking at you, Chad Fucking Masterson), to picking your jaw up off the floor after a seriously epic magical asswhoopin. This is a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but that is a good thing.
Without spoiling anything, the last 40 or so pages are a WILD rollercoaster of cascading events that had me on the edge of my seat. The book ends in the perfect spot and left me begging to find out what happens next in the saga of Nil and Sook. It’s a hell of a read that I will come back to many more times in my life!
Cheers to you, Valiant Evermech!
Without spoiling anything, the last 40 or so pages are a WILD rollercoaster of cascading events that had me on the edge of my seat. The book ends in the perfect spot and left me begging to find out what happens next in the saga of Nil and Sook. It’s a hell of a read that I will come back to many more times in my life!
Cheers to you, Valiant Evermech!
Review of advance copy
This is a duology. The HEA/HFN is not in this book.
The World building is fascinating and I loved the magic rules. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
This is lesbian romance between a fae and a human in a world that is earth 2.0 - the humans destroyed earth and brought capitalism, transhumanism and colonization of magic from the fae and others who are innately magical.
Nil is the motorcycle riding Fae thief/assassin and Sook is the human daughter of oligarch whose DNA has been used to create a line of clones.
There is spicy sex, great action scenes and some interesting themes about identity, families and fighting for what you believe.
The World building is fascinating and I loved the magic rules. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
This is lesbian romance between a fae and a human in a world that is earth 2.0 - the humans destroyed earth and brought capitalism, transhumanism and colonization of magic from the fae and others who are innately magical.
Nil is the motorcycle riding Fae thief/assassin and Sook is the human daughter of oligarch whose DNA has been used to create a line of clones.
There is spicy sex, great action scenes and some interesting themes about identity, families and fighting for what you believe.
Review of advance copy
Wow, just wow!
This book is going to be nearly impossible to describe but I will try my best all the same. It’s a fast-paced punchy read that’s unapologetically loud and too much and so wondrously complicated and messy in every way people can be. It’s a sapphic romance between a thief and a corporate heir, one sworn to a god’s service and another the template for a line of clones, and it’s so much more amongst that. It’s a look at the dehumanisation of self in the overarching state of capitalism, it’s the love and connection between people, it’s the persistence following the loss of everyone.
And it’s loud and colourful and so beautifully written that you can see the action on the page. An absolutely phenomenal read.
Thank you to the author and BookSirens for the ARC!
This book is going to be nearly impossible to describe but I will try my best all the same. It’s a fast-paced punchy read that’s unapologetically loud and too much and so wondrously complicated and messy in every way people can be. It’s a sapphic romance between a thief and a corporate heir, one sworn to a god’s service and another the template for a line of clones, and it’s so much more amongst that. It’s a look at the dehumanisation of self in the overarching state of capitalism, it’s the love and connection between people, it’s the persistence following the loss of everyone.
And it’s loud and colourful and so beautifully written that you can see the action on the page. An absolutely phenomenal read.
Thank you to the author and BookSirens for the ARC!
Review of advance copy
I really enjoyed this as a opener to the Brides of Nap City series, it had that overall romance concept that I was looking for and enjoyed in the world and characters. The characters were unique to the world and enjoyed the idea of a twice-dead thief, it worked well overall and thought the characters were so interesting and written well. I'm glad I was able to read this and hope to read the second part of this series. I enjoyed the way Valiant Evermech wrote this and hope to read more.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy
Accessed the book through Backerkit. The book feels like Omakase to me, with a constant and steady flow of new flavors and experiences but always accompanied by easy-to-understand and vibrant description. There is this wide range of moments: sad, flirty, hell yeah action, lore-dive, world-building, clothes, weird tech, and it keeps expanding from there. It's a fun read.
Review of advance copy
Content warning: exploitation of all kinds, familial abuse, mental health deterioration, suicidal ideation, body horror, gore
I'll be writing a blog post about this one because wow, there were so many genres and a lot of care went into the romance, the cyberdystopia, and the magic. The lesbian sex is also very hot.
I'll be writing a blog post about this one because wow, there were so many genres and a lot of care went into the romance, the cyberdystopia, and the magic. The lesbian sex is also very hot.
Review of advance copy received from Author
It took me awhile to understand the backstory of this romance, but once I did, I enjoyed it! Now I am looking forward to the next one so that I can find out what happens!
Review of advance copy received from Author
do you wanna see how many genres I can cram in my duology
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