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Bloodworth and Grave
A dark Romeo and Juliet retelling set in a Victorian era Fantasy world.
Finding your mate is supposed to be a blessing from the stars. In our case, it was a curse.
Because we didn't find each other through love letters and stolen glances. Our mate bond was sealed seconds before the leader of a rival family meant to kill me, intertwining our fates forever.
How can I love the man that tortured me? How can I see him as anything other than my nightmare?
Only the stars know what our destiny holds.
And only I know that our story resembles that of the two ghosts who have been showing me their tragic love story.
Will ours end the same way?
For fans of enemies to lovers, fated mates, gothic romance, and deeply emotional themes.
This book does contain explicit content. Please check the content warnings.
Finding your mate is supposed to be a blessing from the stars. In our case, it was a curse.
Because we didn't find each other through love letters and stolen glances. Our mate bond was sealed seconds before the leader of a rival family meant to kill me, intertwining our fates forever.
How can I love the man that tortured me? How can I see him as anything other than my nightmare?
Only the stars know what our destiny holds.
And only I know that our story resembles that of the two ghosts who have been showing me their tragic love story.
Will ours end the same way?
For fans of enemies to lovers, fated mates, gothic romance, and deeply emotional themes.
This book does contain explicit content. Please check the content warnings.
461 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
May 13, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Author.
‘I don’t regret any of it.’
This is a story of tragedy, pain, grief, depression, love. There are heavy themes in this books. The author did not hold back, I felt the pain and anguish deeply.
This is enemies to lovers and fated mates done flawlessly. Hawkins is no doubt the villain in part one, he is ruthless. I despised what he did to Romy. She was strong, fearless, she endured. And for what? She protected her family, for what? That was a tragedy I was not expecting.
Throughout part two, we see a different side of both MCs. Romy is struggling with depression, grief, feeling worthless, finally broken. Hawkins is redeemed, it’s a tad unbelievable how we can fall for the villain from part one.
The layered love stories were both beautiful and tragic. The retelling of Romeo and Juliette was gut wrenching. It has been a while since a book has had me sobbing.
This book was easy to read, I felt myself fall into the story right away. The spice was perfection.
‘I don’t regret any of it.’
This is a story of tragedy, pain, grief, depression, love. There are heavy themes in this books. The author did not hold back, I felt the pain and anguish deeply.
This is enemies to lovers and fated mates done flawlessly. Hawkins is no doubt the villain in part one, he is ruthless. I despised what he did to Romy. She was strong, fearless, she endured. And for what? She protected her family, for what? That was a tragedy I was not expecting.
Throughout part two, we see a different side of both MCs. Romy is struggling with depression, grief, feeling worthless, finally broken. Hawkins is redeemed, it’s a tad unbelievable how we can fall for the villain from part one.
The layered love stories were both beautiful and tragic. The retelling of Romeo and Juliette was gut wrenching. It has been a while since a book has had me sobbing.
This book was easy to read, I felt myself fall into the story right away. The spice was perfection.
May 7, 2026
Bloodworth and Grave completely consumed me from start to finish. 🌙🖤
This story feels like wandering through a candlelit Victorian dream with blood on the lace gloves and fate stitched into every aspect. The almost gothic like atmosphere is beautiful without becoming heavy, and the magical elements add this almost ethereal feeling that wraps around the destruction and romance perfectly.
The mate bond everyone aches for in this world, hurts in the best way. Watching love and trauma collide between each other had me emotionally committed each and every chapter. The romance absolutely takes center stage, but the desire to right wrongs, have freedom and future, destroy enemies, the family tension, and the haunting ghostly parallels underneath it all give the story so much depth.
It’s emotional, intimate, tragic, hopeful, and painfully addictive all at once.
If you love enemies to lovers, fated mates, Victorian/gothic like fantasy, tortured romance, and stories that feel both delicate and empowering, this one deserves a spot on your radar immediately.
June 2nd can’t come fast enough, I NEED a shelf trophy of this beauty.
This story feels like wandering through a candlelit Victorian dream with blood on the lace gloves and fate stitched into every aspect. The almost gothic like atmosphere is beautiful without becoming heavy, and the magical elements add this almost ethereal feeling that wraps around the destruction and romance perfectly.
The mate bond everyone aches for in this world, hurts in the best way. Watching love and trauma collide between each other had me emotionally committed each and every chapter. The romance absolutely takes center stage, but the desire to right wrongs, have freedom and future, destroy enemies, the family tension, and the haunting ghostly parallels underneath it all give the story so much depth.
It’s emotional, intimate, tragic, hopeful, and painfully addictive all at once.
If you love enemies to lovers, fated mates, Victorian/gothic like fantasy, tortured romance, and stories that feel both delicate and empowering, this one deserves a spot on your radar immediately.
June 2nd can’t come fast enough, I NEED a shelf trophy of this beauty.
May 1, 2026
Review from an ARC reader.
First off I would like to thank Marisa for letting me be apart of the Arc team to read her latest book!
This book had me wrenching my hands in my cardigan, kicking my feet and the twisty twists really got me. I thought I had it all figured out then curve ball!
Bloodworth and Grave is a dark retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in a gothic setting with two rival families of hatred for one another that goes back centuries involving magic until..
Romy Bloodworth our FMC gets captured during a mission by none other than our MMC Hawkins Grave. I hated him at first during Part 1 but then I started to love him. During her capture.. he tortured her forcing her to break but she wouldn’t no matter what. I commend her resilience and bravery. She thought she had the last laugh knowing he’s never been kissed..
I wasn’t expecting a mating bond to snap into place.. just as Romy was on the brink of death after the torture she endured, and then we see a completely different side to Hawkins, the despair and the guilt he feels.
“What happens when you are the one nearly to end your mates life?”
With the mating bond pulling them both together in Part 2 they discover the secrets of her Clan and unify to stop her Brother from the real business dealings he’s been doing.
Lots of betrayal and lies that lead to their ancestors of the past mating bond from their Families. I devoured this section of the book..
Rhodes Bloodworth and Monette Graves. I absolutely loved their story and how Romy and Hawkins honoured them.
I’ve always been a true believer of love at first sight and fated mates. I’m so happy I found mine!
For all the dreamers, and the ones who believe love is real.
Highly recommend for anyone who loves a good Enemies to lovers, magic, secrets, betrayal and touch and die vibes!
Thankyou, Marisa
I will read this again and again.
May the Stars be with you!
First off I would like to thank Marisa for letting me be apart of the Arc team to read her latest book!
This book had me wrenching my hands in my cardigan, kicking my feet and the twisty twists really got me. I thought I had it all figured out then curve ball!
Bloodworth and Grave is a dark retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in a gothic setting with two rival families of hatred for one another that goes back centuries involving magic until..
Romy Bloodworth our FMC gets captured during a mission by none other than our MMC Hawkins Grave. I hated him at first during Part 1 but then I started to love him. During her capture.. he tortured her forcing her to break but she wouldn’t no matter what. I commend her resilience and bravery. She thought she had the last laugh knowing he’s never been kissed..
I wasn’t expecting a mating bond to snap into place.. just as Romy was on the brink of death after the torture she endured, and then we see a completely different side to Hawkins, the despair and the guilt he feels.
“What happens when you are the one nearly to end your mates life?”
With the mating bond pulling them both together in Part 2 they discover the secrets of her Clan and unify to stop her Brother from the real business dealings he’s been doing.
Lots of betrayal and lies that lead to their ancestors of the past mating bond from their Families. I devoured this section of the book..
Rhodes Bloodworth and Monette Graves. I absolutely loved their story and how Romy and Hawkins honoured them.
I’ve always been a true believer of love at first sight and fated mates. I’m so happy I found mine!
For all the dreamers, and the ones who believe love is real.
Highly recommend for anyone who loves a good Enemies to lovers, magic, secrets, betrayal and touch and die vibes!
Thankyou, Marisa
I will read this again and again.
May the Stars be with you!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2026
I was completely obsessed with Bloodworth and Grave from the very first few chapters, and somehow it only got better and better as the story unfolded.
This delivered everything I want in a true enemies to lovers romance! Real enemies who gradually built a deep love filled with passion, teamwork, trust, and plenty of laughter along the way. Marisa deserves all the brownie points for packing so many of my favorite tropes into one book.
The chemistry was incredible, the romance had me swooning, the MMC had me absolutely feral, and the storyline kept me fully invested from page one to the very end. Every twist, every emotional moment, and every interaction between the characters had me wanting more.
If you’re looking for a book with addictive romance, fantastic tension, and a story that refuses to let you put it down, this one is a must-read.
This delivered everything I want in a true enemies to lovers romance! Real enemies who gradually built a deep love filled with passion, teamwork, trust, and plenty of laughter along the way. Marisa deserves all the brownie points for packing so many of my favorite tropes into one book.
The chemistry was incredible, the romance had me swooning, the MMC had me absolutely feral, and the storyline kept me fully invested from page one to the very end. Every twist, every emotional moment, and every interaction between the characters had me wanting more.
If you’re looking for a book with addictive romance, fantastic tension, and a story that refuses to let you put it down, this one is a must-read.
May 16, 2026
Enemies to lovers
Fated mates
Rival families
Morally grey obsessive MMC
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Shooooo. I was really scared going into this one! I’d never dove into the world of fantasy/ dark romantasy/ gothic romance but I knew I wanted to read Marisa Haartz.
Honestly, it did take me a bit to get into it but I think that’s just because it was a new to me genre. Once I got into it I couldn’t put it down! I love the story of Romy and Hawkins. I enjoyed how the story bounced around but it never felt like anything was missing. How it gave us all of the dark and moody elements but really bright spots of joy also. And I really loved that it perfectly showed us how even the biggest of enemies can come to work together when it’s for the right cause and at the end, love conquers all.
Fated mates
Rival families
Morally grey obsessive MMC
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Shooooo. I was really scared going into this one! I’d never dove into the world of fantasy/ dark romantasy/ gothic romance but I knew I wanted to read Marisa Haartz.
Honestly, it did take me a bit to get into it but I think that’s just because it was a new to me genre. Once I got into it I couldn’t put it down! I love the story of Romy and Hawkins. I enjoyed how the story bounced around but it never felt like anything was missing. How it gave us all of the dark and moody elements but really bright spots of joy also. And I really loved that it perfectly showed us how even the biggest of enemies can come to work together when it’s for the right cause and at the end, love conquers all.
May 22, 2026
ARC review in progress
earcs-to-read
April 26, 2026So excited to be a part of the street team! Cannot wait to read this, it sounds SO good!!!
May 4, 2026
I fell in love with this book! I loved the vibe of gothic romance it had and did not want to put it down. You have two families who are sworn enemies. One night the fMC gets caught by the MMC and taken back to his manor…. she is held in the dungeons and they try to get information from her.
If you love enemies to lovers, fated mates, found family, magic? Then you will absolutely enjoy reading this book!
If you love enemies to lovers, fated mates, found family, magic? Then you will absolutely enjoy reading this book!
May 28, 2026
Wow this book was not what I was thinking it would be and I loved it. This book was heartbreaking for so many reasons and had me hooked.
Romy Bloodworth and Hawkins Grave are two people who should always hate each other and be at each other’s throats. Their families have hated each other for as long as they can remember.
What do you do when your mate is the one who tortured you? Can you see past that and learn to love him? Or is it too late and this love story is going to be a tragedy?
Hawkins that man really had to work to get her to see him as more than the man they tortured her. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain he was in when he realized the woman he just about had killed was his mate. He might not have caused all of her pain himself but he gave the orders.
Watching Romy become the person she was always meant to be was so rewarding. She was always held back from her potential so being free to discover her true self was fun to see. She was so fierce, loyal, and strong.
I loved seeing all the povs from Romy, Hawkins and a few others I’m not mentioning. It gave you so much information and allowed you to see things you wouldn’t otherwise and give you that insight into their heads.
The plot twist in part 3 had me shocked. I should have seen it coming because once you learn it you see why and it makes perfect sense. The plot twist in part 2 also shocked me. I had to pause for a moment and reread it to make sure I read it right because that fact changed everything.
I loved the flashbacks to the tragic story of the ghosts. It was gut wrenching and made me almost cry multiple times but I stood strong and refused to cry today. I could talk about it forever but I don’t want to spoil anything so that’s all I will say.
This also isn’t your average Romeo and Juliet retelling. This book takes the framework and makes it unique. You get magic and fated mates and tragic ghost story.
I just want to mention I never liked the original story of Romeo and Juliet because to me they were immature teenagers who made stupid decisions after knowing each other for not even a week. This story on the other hand I loved. The addition of the mate bond gave purpose to the story and made the whole my reason for living is dead so I will die too so we can be together again thing make sense.
Overall I really liked this book. Marisa did a great job at making me love a story that is a retelling of a story I didn’t really like. I will definitely have to get a shelf trophy eventually. I read this book as an arc.
Romy Bloodworth and Hawkins Grave are two people who should always hate each other and be at each other’s throats. Their families have hated each other for as long as they can remember.
What do you do when your mate is the one who tortured you? Can you see past that and learn to love him? Or is it too late and this love story is going to be a tragedy?
Hawkins that man really had to work to get her to see him as more than the man they tortured her. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain he was in when he realized the woman he just about had killed was his mate. He might not have caused all of her pain himself but he gave the orders.
Watching Romy become the person she was always meant to be was so rewarding. She was always held back from her potential so being free to discover her true self was fun to see. She was so fierce, loyal, and strong.
I loved seeing all the povs from Romy, Hawkins and a few others I’m not mentioning. It gave you so much information and allowed you to see things you wouldn’t otherwise and give you that insight into their heads.
The plot twist in part 3 had me shocked. I should have seen it coming because once you learn it you see why and it makes perfect sense. The plot twist in part 2 also shocked me. I had to pause for a moment and reread it to make sure I read it right because that fact changed everything.
I loved the flashbacks to the tragic story of the ghosts. It was gut wrenching and made me almost cry multiple times but I stood strong and refused to cry today. I could talk about it forever but I don’t want to spoil anything so that’s all I will say.
This also isn’t your average Romeo and Juliet retelling. This book takes the framework and makes it unique. You get magic and fated mates and tragic ghost story.
I just want to mention I never liked the original story of Romeo and Juliet because to me they were immature teenagers who made stupid decisions after knowing each other for not even a week. This story on the other hand I loved. The addition of the mate bond gave purpose to the story and made the whole my reason for living is dead so I will die too so we can be together again thing make sense.
Overall I really liked this book. Marisa did a great job at making me love a story that is a retelling of a story I didn’t really like. I will definitely have to get a shelf trophy eventually. I read this book as an arc.
May 29, 2026
Minn’s rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.75
Plot: 4/5
Character development: 5/5
Thank you so much to Marisa Haartz for an ARC of Bloodworth and Grave!
This is a gothic, stand-alone fantasy romance, set in a dark Victorian-inspired world filled with rival families, violence, fate, and ghosts. The story delivers on every ounce of tension, twists, and heartbreak.
What really made this book shine for me were the two main characters and the complexity behind their relationship. The mate bond between them isn’t romantic or magical in the traditional sense—it happens in the middle of trauma and violence, which makes every interaction layered with resentment, fear, and undeniable connection. Watching Romy struggle between seeing him as her captor and slowly uncovering the humanity beneath his cruelty created such an addictive emotional push and pull. Hawkins was dark, morally grey, and intense, but the glimpses of vulnerability underneath made his character impossible not to obsess over.
I also loved the ghost storyline woven throughout the novel. The tragic Romeo-Juliet retelling of the spirits mirroring the main couple added such a haunting atmosphere to the plot, and every reveal about their past made the stakes feel heavier. It gave the romance this constant sense of doom and destiny that worked perfectly with the gothic tone.
The family rivalry and political tension between the Bloodworths and Graves kept the story moving, and there were many moments where alliances, betrayals, and hidden motivations completely shifted the direction of the plot. The world of Amere felt dangerous at every turn, and I genuinely never felt like the characters were safe.
The only reason this wasn’t a full 5 stars for me was that some sections in the middle slowed the pacing slightly, but the emotional payoff and ending absolutely made up for it. If you love enemies-to-lovers romance with fated mates, tortured characters, and gothic atmosphere, Bloodworth and Grave is going to ruin you in the best way.
Plot: 4/5
Character development: 5/5
Thank you so much to Marisa Haartz for an ARC of Bloodworth and Grave!
This is a gothic, stand-alone fantasy romance, set in a dark Victorian-inspired world filled with rival families, violence, fate, and ghosts. The story delivers on every ounce of tension, twists, and heartbreak.
What really made this book shine for me were the two main characters and the complexity behind their relationship. The mate bond between them isn’t romantic or magical in the traditional sense—it happens in the middle of trauma and violence, which makes every interaction layered with resentment, fear, and undeniable connection. Watching Romy struggle between seeing him as her captor and slowly uncovering the humanity beneath his cruelty created such an addictive emotional push and pull. Hawkins was dark, morally grey, and intense, but the glimpses of vulnerability underneath made his character impossible not to obsess over.
I also loved the ghost storyline woven throughout the novel. The tragic Romeo-Juliet retelling of the spirits mirroring the main couple added such a haunting atmosphere to the plot, and every reveal about their past made the stakes feel heavier. It gave the romance this constant sense of doom and destiny that worked perfectly with the gothic tone.
The family rivalry and political tension between the Bloodworths and Graves kept the story moving, and there were many moments where alliances, betrayals, and hidden motivations completely shifted the direction of the plot. The world of Amere felt dangerous at every turn, and I genuinely never felt like the characters were safe.
The only reason this wasn’t a full 5 stars for me was that some sections in the middle slowed the pacing slightly, but the emotional payoff and ending absolutely made up for it. If you love enemies-to-lovers romance with fated mates, tortured characters, and gothic atmosphere, Bloodworth and Grave is going to ruin you in the best way.
June 2, 2026
ARC REVIEW | ⭐️ 4.5 stars
Bloodworth and Grave completely surprised me in the best way.
This dark gothic romantasy blends Romeo & Juliet-inspired forbidden love with magic, mystery, family legacies, and emotional depth in a way that kept me hooked from the very first chapter.
The atmosphere was one of my favorite parts of the book. Everything felt haunting, emotional, and immersive, and I loved the gothic fantasy setting paired with the tragic undertones throughout the story. The mystery elements and flashbacks kept revealing pieces of the story at the perfect pace, making it hard to put down.
I also really loved the found family dynamics and the way the relationships developed throughout the book. The multiple POVs added a lot of emotional weight and helped deepen both the romance and the overall story.
The romance itself was filled with longing, tension, pain, healing, and fate — which made it incredibly compelling for me as a romantasy reader. The emotional connection between the characters felt genuine, and I found myself very attached to them by the end.
Overall, this was a beautifully written gothic romantasy that delivered emotional depth, forbidden love, and a captivating atmosphere. I’d definitely recommend it to readers who love darker romantasy stories with emotional stakes and strong character relationships.
Please check trigger warnings before reading, as the opening chapters are especially dark.
Bloodworth and Grave completely surprised me in the best way.
This dark gothic romantasy blends Romeo & Juliet-inspired forbidden love with magic, mystery, family legacies, and emotional depth in a way that kept me hooked from the very first chapter.
The atmosphere was one of my favorite parts of the book. Everything felt haunting, emotional, and immersive, and I loved the gothic fantasy setting paired with the tragic undertones throughout the story. The mystery elements and flashbacks kept revealing pieces of the story at the perfect pace, making it hard to put down.
I also really loved the found family dynamics and the way the relationships developed throughout the book. The multiple POVs added a lot of emotional weight and helped deepen both the romance and the overall story.
The romance itself was filled with longing, tension, pain, healing, and fate — which made it incredibly compelling for me as a romantasy reader. The emotional connection between the characters felt genuine, and I found myself very attached to them by the end.
Overall, this was a beautifully written gothic romantasy that delivered emotional depth, forbidden love, and a captivating atmosphere. I’d definitely recommend it to readers who love darker romantasy stories with emotional stakes and strong character relationships.
Please check trigger warnings before reading, as the opening chapters are especially dark.
May 24, 2026
Harry Potter meets Romeo & Juliet in this dark, gothic retelling. Thank you to Marisa for the ARC, it was amazing and is going to be a favorite for the foreseeable future! I will never be able to recommend this enough. Oh and it’s a standalone. SOLD!!!
I thought the book was a bit predictable in the beginning, but I was in a whirlwind of surprises. Even when I thought I knew what was happening, it went totally different, but in the best way. The way that the MMC let the FMC come back into her ferocity, without being pressured was beautiful. Their love story was captivating and I felt like I was holding my breath and waiting for more!
A true enemies to lovers, where there’s no lovers until at least half way through and no insta-love here. The spice was amazing, and intentional. The fates mates trope was predictable, but you knew that going in. However, I love that you see the WORK put into their love story.
I thought the book was a bit predictable in the beginning, but I was in a whirlwind of surprises. Even when I thought I knew what was happening, it went totally different, but in the best way. The way that the MMC let the FMC come back into her ferocity, without being pressured was beautiful. Their love story was captivating and I felt like I was holding my breath and waiting for more!
A true enemies to lovers, where there’s no lovers until at least half way through and no insta-love here. The spice was amazing, and intentional. The fates mates trope was predictable, but you knew that going in. However, I love that you see the WORK put into their love story.
May 28, 2026
ARC read in exchange for honest review!
4.25/5 ⭐️
THIS. BOOK. This is dark romance done right. This is true enemies to lovers set in a magical realm with a touch of victorian gothic charm.
FMC Romily Bloodworth: A powerful, badass woman who thrives in the face of adversity and flourishes when given the love and support she deserves. A true queen whose growth had me smiling ear to ear throughout the book.
MMC Hawkins Grave: I, too, would crawl to this man.
The story pays homage to Romeo and Juliet with some fun twists and all the best dialogue between the two star-crossed lovers. I won’t spoil too much, but those who love reading the words “good girl” and the “touch her and die” fans will NOT be disappointed 🤭
4.25/5 ⭐️
THIS. BOOK. This is dark romance done right. This is true enemies to lovers set in a magical realm with a touch of victorian gothic charm.
FMC Romily Bloodworth: A powerful, badass woman who thrives in the face of adversity and flourishes when given the love and support she deserves. A true queen whose growth had me smiling ear to ear throughout the book.
MMC Hawkins Grave: I, too, would crawl to this man.
The story pays homage to Romeo and Juliet with some fun twists and all the best dialogue between the two star-crossed lovers. I won’t spoil too much, but those who love reading the words “good girl” and the “touch her and die” fans will NOT be disappointed 🤭
Review of advance copy received from Author
eARC provided by author in exhange for an honest review - thank you!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A few notes to start off with that I've learned people care about: this is written in first person POV (but POV changes between a few characters) and is a Romeo and Juliet retelling. But please don't be like me and assume this means the story cannot surprise you, because it surprised me. Literally, it had me screaming what and other terms of shock and surprise into my empty apartment.
The depiction of grief this author provided was something that sat down in my heart next to my own grief. The way our FMC, Romy, experiences it sat heavily in my chest as someone who has experienced loss. I found myself really relating to and liking her very early on. In her hurt and disdain and in many, many moments I found myself wishing I had the strength she had and relating very deeply to the way she felt, what she experienced, and the words she spoke. She was everything I thought I would be during certain moments in my life, and everything I wasn't.
"You're not sorry because what you did was wrong. You're sorry because you didn't know it would come back to bite you in the ass."
The characters as a whole were honestly written well; I found myself feeling sympathy for them, laughing at their antics, being angry at them and disgusted by what they did, and being genuinely interested pretty early on. They were, by and large, memorable and unique and I had more than a few favorites.
The writing style was easy to understand and felt approachable. I never really spent long wondering who someone or something was if it was meant to be known and understood. I ate up how different scenes were written, even romance (I never really had read explicit romance in a book until now).
However, this being a Romeo and juliet retelling did, for me, make the story feel predictable, especially in the beginning. I was able to predict things that would happen and found myself almost getting frustrated while waiting for it to happen. I also wish that we had a little bit more information/perspective of the other characters while in part 1 because it was difficult to read at times and would've offered a POV and a break I would've appreciated.
Part 2 and 3, however, were an entirely different animal. Part 2 hooked me and then it was off to the races. I got a different perspective (not the one I wanted in part 1) and that was refreshing and really livened up the story again. I consumed the rest with an absolutely intense fire until it was over.
This was a cathartic read that touched upon pieces of me I thought was lost and buried in the past. My heart is torn open and I'm grateful for this read, and grateful for the story that it told. I'm grateful I persevered through part 1. Overall, would recommend.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A few notes to start off with that I've learned people care about: this is written in first person POV (but POV changes between a few characters) and is a Romeo and Juliet retelling. But please don't be like me and assume this means the story cannot surprise you, because it surprised me. Literally, it had me screaming what and other terms of shock and surprise into my empty apartment.
The depiction of grief this author provided was something that sat down in my heart next to my own grief. The way our FMC, Romy, experiences it sat heavily in my chest as someone who has experienced loss. I found myself really relating to and liking her very early on. In her hurt and disdain and in many, many moments I found myself wishing I had the strength she had and relating very deeply to the way she felt, what she experienced, and the words she spoke. She was everything I thought I would be during certain moments in my life, and everything I wasn't.
"You're not sorry because what you did was wrong. You're sorry because you didn't know it would come back to bite you in the ass."
The characters as a whole were honestly written well; I found myself feeling sympathy for them, laughing at their antics, being angry at them and disgusted by what they did, and being genuinely interested pretty early on. They were, by and large, memorable and unique and I had more than a few favorites.
The writing style was easy to understand and felt approachable. I never really spent long wondering who someone or something was if it was meant to be known and understood. I ate up how different scenes were written, even romance (I never really had read explicit romance in a book until now).
However, this being a Romeo and juliet retelling did, for me, make the story feel predictable, especially in the beginning. I was able to predict things that would happen and found myself almost getting frustrated while waiting for it to happen. I also wish that we had a little bit more information/perspective of the other characters while in part 1 because it was difficult to read at times and would've offered a POV and a break I would've appreciated.
Part 2 and 3, however, were an entirely different animal. Part 2 hooked me and then it was off to the races. I got a different perspective (not the one I wanted in part 1) and that was refreshing and really livened up the story again. I consumed the rest with an absolutely intense fire until it was over.
This was a cathartic read that touched upon pieces of me I thought was lost and buried in the past. My heart is torn open and I'm grateful for this read, and grateful for the story that it told. I'm grateful I persevered through part 1. Overall, would recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Finding your mate is supposed to be a blessing from the stars. In our case, it was a curse.
Set in an immersive gothic world with wand magic, which is highly underrated in my opinion, this book had my full attention from the very first page. Romeo and Juliet has always been one of my favourite stories, and this retelling is absolutely stunning. We follow Romy and Hawkings, heirs to two feuding families whose lives become irrevocably intertwined when Hawkings captures Romy and holds her prisoner. Filled with pain, grief, regret, love, and repentance, this story kept me completely invested from beginning to end.
What makes the story especially compelling is how differently imprisonment shapes them both. Romy enters captivity strong, intelligent, and fiercely caring, while Hawkings embraces his role as a ruthless villain. By the second half of the book, both characters are carrying the weight of everything they have endured, creating a striking before-and-after contrast that makes their journeys all the more impactful.
Romy is strong, intelligent, and fiercely caring, yet constantly underestimated by her family simply because she is a woman. In the second part of the book, however, she is broken by everything she has endured and must learn to face the ghosts of her past while living alongside the man responsible for much of her suffering.
Hawkings is undoubtedly the villain in Part One. Ruthless and cruel, he puts Romy through unimaginable torment. In Part Two, he becomes a tortured soul seeking redemption without ever demanding forgiveness. As readers, we struggle alongside Romy to reconcile who he is now with who he once was. The dual POV was essential in making both of their journeys feel believable and impactful.
Make no mistake: aside from the mating bond, this is a true enemies-to-lovers story. The characters must overcome hurt, grief, divided loyalties, and the consequences of their actions. Nothing falls neatly into place, and their relationship requires genuine effort and healing from both sides. What I especially appreciated was how the story never shied away from the reality that healing is messy. It isn’t linear, easy, or pretty, and I thought that was handled beautifully.
I also have to mention Eden, who completely stole my heart. The mental health representation throughout the book felt thoughtful and authentic, capturing both the good days and the bad. I can only hope her art eventually found its colours again, because she truly deserves it.
This story deals with some very dark themes, so be sure to check the trigger warnings before diving in. If you do, I think it’s absolutely worth the journey.
Raw, emotional, and deeply moving, this book left its mark on me. I felt it in the tightness of my chest and in the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. At its core, it is a tragedy filled with pain and loss, but also hope and redemption. It took me on a complete emotional roller coaster, and I loved every moment of it. I will undoubtedly be rereading this one, and if dark, emotional romantasy is your thing, I think you should give it a chance too. ❤️
Set in an immersive gothic world with wand magic, which is highly underrated in my opinion, this book had my full attention from the very first page. Romeo and Juliet has always been one of my favourite stories, and this retelling is absolutely stunning. We follow Romy and Hawkings, heirs to two feuding families whose lives become irrevocably intertwined when Hawkings captures Romy and holds her prisoner. Filled with pain, grief, regret, love, and repentance, this story kept me completely invested from beginning to end.
What makes the story especially compelling is how differently imprisonment shapes them both. Romy enters captivity strong, intelligent, and fiercely caring, while Hawkings embraces his role as a ruthless villain. By the second half of the book, both characters are carrying the weight of everything they have endured, creating a striking before-and-after contrast that makes their journeys all the more impactful.
Romy is strong, intelligent, and fiercely caring, yet constantly underestimated by her family simply because she is a woman. In the second part of the book, however, she is broken by everything she has endured and must learn to face the ghosts of her past while living alongside the man responsible for much of her suffering.
Hawkings is undoubtedly the villain in Part One. Ruthless and cruel, he puts Romy through unimaginable torment. In Part Two, he becomes a tortured soul seeking redemption without ever demanding forgiveness. As readers, we struggle alongside Romy to reconcile who he is now with who he once was. The dual POV was essential in making both of their journeys feel believable and impactful.
Make no mistake: aside from the mating bond, this is a true enemies-to-lovers story. The characters must overcome hurt, grief, divided loyalties, and the consequences of their actions. Nothing falls neatly into place, and their relationship requires genuine effort and healing from both sides. What I especially appreciated was how the story never shied away from the reality that healing is messy. It isn’t linear, easy, or pretty, and I thought that was handled beautifully.
I also have to mention Eden, who completely stole my heart. The mental health representation throughout the book felt thoughtful and authentic, capturing both the good days and the bad. I can only hope her art eventually found its colours again, because she truly deserves it.
This story deals with some very dark themes, so be sure to check the trigger warnings before diving in. If you do, I think it’s absolutely worth the journey.
Raw, emotional, and deeply moving, this book left its mark on me. I felt it in the tightness of my chest and in the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. At its core, it is a tragedy filled with pain and loss, but also hope and redemption. It took me on a complete emotional roller coaster, and I loved every moment of it. I will undoubtedly be rereading this one, and if dark, emotional romantasy is your thing, I think you should give it a chance too. ❤️
Review of advance copy received from Author
I would like to start off by saying that I have never read dark romance, fantasy OR romantacy...so I truly was jumping off into the deep end by reading this book. However, I really enjoy the author, Marisa, as a content creator and have followed her page for a while. When she started accepting ARC applications for her new book, I knew that I wanted to support her and read her book!
Without ever reading any books from these genres before, I have nothing to compare the book to, but I can say with my whole chest that I LOVED THIS BOOK! I could not believe how hooked I was with this story line. The book is close to 450 pages and I was initially nervous about reading a longer book to explore these genres for the first time...but I absolutely FLEW through this and ate. it. UP!
Now, lets be honest, I am not totally sold on the “he tortures her and then they fall in love” trope... but somehow it did work well. As they say, the girls who get it, get it..? ;) I do not know how..but it just works.
This book is a Dark Romance retelling of Romeo and Juliet and the author did a fantastic job with blending multiple timelines in the book to honor R&J themes.
As someone who dipped her toe into these genres for the first time, I would highly recommend this book as a crash course into exploring other genres and tropes.
Also, I LOVED the FMC and enjoyed her arc throughout this book. She was so strong and fearless and was able to realize that her worth and power does matter. She can affect change. It was a beautiful journey to watch.
I cannot wait to read more form this author in the future!! Thank you to Marisa, for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
Without ever reading any books from these genres before, I have nothing to compare the book to, but I can say with my whole chest that I LOVED THIS BOOK! I could not believe how hooked I was with this story line. The book is close to 450 pages and I was initially nervous about reading a longer book to explore these genres for the first time...but I absolutely FLEW through this and ate. it. UP!
Now, lets be honest, I am not totally sold on the “he tortures her and then they fall in love” trope... but somehow it did work well. As they say, the girls who get it, get it..? ;) I do not know how..but it just works.
This book is a Dark Romance retelling of Romeo and Juliet and the author did a fantastic job with blending multiple timelines in the book to honor R&J themes.
As someone who dipped her toe into these genres for the first time, I would highly recommend this book as a crash course into exploring other genres and tropes.
Also, I LOVED the FMC and enjoyed her arc throughout this book. She was so strong and fearless and was able to realize that her worth and power does matter. She can affect change. It was a beautiful journey to watch.
I cannot wait to read more form this author in the future!! Thank you to Marisa, for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.25⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5
What a unique story about regaining trust and earning love after being someone’s captor. This story had so many layers and so many great characters that added so much to the story.
Bloodworth and Grave features two rival families who are always warring against each other.
During a heist Romy sacrifices herself so her family can get to safety but in doing so she is taken captive by Hawkins Grave. The hatred runs deeps between the families so there is no remorse when he puts her through Months of torture! She stays strong through it all and when she reaches her limit she does the one thing she can think of to “one up” him and plants a kiss right on his mouth. & the bond between surges through.
Hawkins spends weeks ensuring she has the care she needs to heal from everything he’s done and had done to her. I do wish there would have been more one on one time between them. He sent his cousin to help bring her out of her shell (which we love Eden) but I wish we would have seen more from
Hawkins during that time. It takes their first trip out of the castle for her to soften up to him and It feels like not long after that their feelings turn to love.
The story between Monette and Rhodes was so beautiful and loved the history of their love and how that was weaved into the story. The way Hawkins and Romy came together at the end to make history right was extraordinary and so powerful.
Thank you Marissa Haartz for the ARC of this wonderful story. I look forward to what’s to come from you. So far I’ve loved it all.
🌶️🌶️.5
What a unique story about regaining trust and earning love after being someone’s captor. This story had so many layers and so many great characters that added so much to the story.
Bloodworth and Grave features two rival families who are always warring against each other.
During a heist Romy sacrifices herself so her family can get to safety but in doing so she is taken captive by Hawkins Grave. The hatred runs deeps between the families so there is no remorse when he puts her through Months of torture! She stays strong through it all and when she reaches her limit she does the one thing she can think of to “one up” him and plants a kiss right on his mouth. & the bond between surges through.
Hawkins spends weeks ensuring she has the care she needs to heal from everything he’s done and had done to her. I do wish there would have been more one on one time between them. He sent his cousin to help bring her out of her shell (which we love Eden) but I wish we would have seen more from
Hawkins during that time. It takes their first trip out of the castle for her to soften up to him and It feels like not long after that their feelings turn to love.
The story between Monette and Rhodes was so beautiful and loved the history of their love and how that was weaved into the story. The way Hawkins and Romy came together at the end to make history right was extraordinary and so powerful.
Thank you Marissa Haartz for the ARC of this wonderful story. I look forward to what’s to come from you. So far I’ve loved it all.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Firstly, I want to thank Marisa for allowing me to be apart of her ARC team for Bloodworth and Grave.
Wow. I can’t think of other words right now. WOW! Bloodworth and Grave. Loved this read, couldn’t put it down once I started, I was completely wrapped in. I loved the way Marisa introduced the characters and the worldbuilding, there’s the perfect amount of backstory and detail that allows you to jump right in as if you’re alongside the characters on their journey (even in the bedroom). 🌶️
This story follows our FMC Romy from the Bloodworth clan when she gets taken and held prisoner & tortured by our MMC Hawkins, from the Grave clan, rival clans!
Little does everyone know, it is written in the stars that Romy and Hawkins are fated mates.
If you’re looking for a true enemies to lovers romance, this book has exactly what you need. The tension buildup was everything I was hoping for and more!
As a reader I felt so connected to Romy and Hawkins as a whole. Both misunderstood and sculpted by their community and upbringing. The character development genuinely made me tear up at times, especially with the alternating POV’s, you really got to delve into each mindset.
Romy is such a fierce and strong FMC and may be one of my favorites of all time. Truly a magical read (no really, there is magic) which adds to the layers of storytelling Marisa does.
Five star read, if it’s not already on your TBR list, you’ll regret not adding it NOW!
Wow. I can’t think of other words right now. WOW! Bloodworth and Grave. Loved this read, couldn’t put it down once I started, I was completely wrapped in. I loved the way Marisa introduced the characters and the worldbuilding, there’s the perfect amount of backstory and detail that allows you to jump right in as if you’re alongside the characters on their journey (even in the bedroom). 🌶️
This story follows our FMC Romy from the Bloodworth clan when she gets taken and held prisoner & tortured by our MMC Hawkins, from the Grave clan, rival clans!
Little does everyone know, it is written in the stars that Romy and Hawkins are fated mates.
If you’re looking for a true enemies to lovers romance, this book has exactly what you need. The tension buildup was everything I was hoping for and more!
As a reader I felt so connected to Romy and Hawkins as a whole. Both misunderstood and sculpted by their community and upbringing. The character development genuinely made me tear up at times, especially with the alternating POV’s, you really got to delve into each mindset.
Romy is such a fierce and strong FMC and may be one of my favorites of all time. Truly a magical read (no really, there is magic) which adds to the layers of storytelling Marisa does.
Five star read, if it’s not already on your TBR list, you’ll regret not adding it NOW!
Review of advance copy received from Author
"I have everything to give," he confirms, locking his gaze with mine. "I've just been saving it for the right person.
BASED ON AN ARC PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR 🎉
Characters: 1.5/1.5🌟
Plot: 2/2🌟
Writing Style: 1.5/1.5🌟
My Thoughts: I may fully be on a 5-Star reading spree, but I genuinely adored this book! This was a very light-hearted or soft (ish) romance that tapped into a magical system that felt unique and powerful.
Diving into the characters first. The fmc gives readers an almost Dianna Martinez vibe of a powerful woman who has to go through a lot of struggles. As for the MMC, THE YEARNING OMG, anyways got a bit carried away there. Getting back on track, Hawkins is the epitome of a man desperate to get back on the right into control after a curveball of events. A man that quite literally was about to ruin everything, just to get one more chance to fix it. Like ugh, perfect 😩
In terms of plot and writing style, this book had a handful of spicy scenes that weren't out of place like some books. All of the scenes flowed together and created an amazing plot-focused book that didn't focus on the relationship of the mcs more that it did the actual events and details happening around them.
Overall, this was a lovely little bite-sized read that I am beyond pleased with. It thoroughly beat my initial expectations and I am grateful to Marisa Haartz for the opportunity to read Bloodworth and Grave!
BASED ON AN ARC PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR 🎉
Characters: 1.5/1.5🌟
Plot: 2/2🌟
Writing Style: 1.5/1.5🌟
My Thoughts: I may fully be on a 5-Star reading spree, but I genuinely adored this book! This was a very light-hearted or soft (ish) romance that tapped into a magical system that felt unique and powerful.
Diving into the characters first. The fmc gives readers an almost Dianna Martinez vibe of a powerful woman who has to go through a lot of struggles. As for the MMC, THE YEARNING OMG, anyways got a bit carried away there. Getting back on track, Hawkins is the epitome of a man desperate to get back on the right into control after a curveball of events. A man that quite literally was about to ruin everything, just to get one more chance to fix it. Like ugh, perfect 😩
In terms of plot and writing style, this book had a handful of spicy scenes that weren't out of place like some books. All of the scenes flowed together and created an amazing plot-focused book that didn't focus on the relationship of the mcs more that it did the actual events and details happening around them.
Overall, this was a lovely little bite-sized read that I am beyond pleased with. It thoroughly beat my initial expectations and I am grateful to Marisa Haartz for the opportunity to read Bloodworth and Grave!
June 12, 2026
3.5 stars. This had an interesting premise, but the execution didn't quite work for me.
There was nothing overly bad or terrible about this book at all, in fact I quite enjoyed the writing. For me, the transition between the torture and the fated mates/falling in love portion did't really work. I think it happened too quickly. And to be honest, I'm not convinced the MMC should have been forgiven. I applaud the author for really trying to make the characters transitions from enemies to lovers in such a fraught situation, but I just didn't really buy it. I think some of this stems from the book being a standalone. There is just too much torture to have a realistic timeline. Also, the FMC kind of lost her personality a little in part 2, she wasn't angry enough. And the MMC's personality just completely changed. Again, I think this story just needed more time to for character growth and development.
This story needed way more world building. We are dropped into a super interesting world, but learn almost nothing about it, even though the set up of the world they live in is central to the whole plot. This book probably needed another 100 pages, or a more complex storyline to take it into a duology.
There was nothing overly bad or terrible about this book at all, in fact I quite enjoyed the writing. For me, the transition between the torture and the fated mates/falling in love portion did't really work. I think it happened too quickly. And to be honest, I'm not convinced the MMC should have been forgiven. I applaud the author for really trying to make the characters transitions from enemies to lovers in such a fraught situation, but I just didn't really buy it. I think some of this stems from the book being a standalone. There is just too much torture to have a realistic timeline. Also, the FMC kind of lost her personality a little in part 2, she wasn't angry enough. And the MMC's personality just completely changed. Again, I think this story just needed more time to for character growth and development.
This story needed way more world building. We are dropped into a super interesting world, but learn almost nothing about it, even though the set up of the world they live in is central to the whole plot. This book probably needed another 100 pages, or a more complex storyline to take it into a duology.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Rate: 4.5⭐️ Spice:3🌶️ Releases June 2
I was fortunate to be part of the Arc team for Bloodworth and Grave. Thank you Marisa for the opportunity and for this amazing book. You did so good 👏🏼 I finished it in 1 day.
This book is everything I love in a dark romance—twisted fate, pain, obsession, and a love that feels more like a curse than a blessing.
A mate bond sealed in the middle of violence… with the man meant to kill her???
yeah… there’s no soft love story here, this is raw, haunting, and deeply emotional. You feel her fear, her anger, and that slow, complicated shift into something she doesn’t even want to name and when the mate bond hit… I felt it
I knew it was coming and it still got me
because how do you even come back from that???
The gothic victorian fantasy setting wraps everything in this eerie, beautiful darkness and the parallel ghost love story???Heartbreaking 💔
If you love:
enemies to lovers (and I mean ENEMIES)
fated mates with a cruel twist
trauma, tension, emotional depth
romance that hurts before it heals
⭐️ “how do you love someone who became your nightmare?”
yeah… that’s the whole book
I was fortunate to be part of the Arc team for Bloodworth and Grave. Thank you Marisa for the opportunity and for this amazing book. You did so good 👏🏼 I finished it in 1 day.
This book is everything I love in a dark romance—twisted fate, pain, obsession, and a love that feels more like a curse than a blessing.
A mate bond sealed in the middle of violence… with the man meant to kill her???
yeah… there’s no soft love story here, this is raw, haunting, and deeply emotional. You feel her fear, her anger, and that slow, complicated shift into something she doesn’t even want to name and when the mate bond hit… I felt it
I knew it was coming and it still got me
because how do you even come back from that???
The gothic victorian fantasy setting wraps everything in this eerie, beautiful darkness and the parallel ghost love story???Heartbreaking 💔
If you love:
enemies to lovers (and I mean ENEMIES)
fated mates with a cruel twist
trauma, tension, emotional depth
romance that hurts before it heals
⭐️ “how do you love someone who became your nightmare?”
yeah… that’s the whole book
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC!!
for my honest review!
I am a sucker for a captive/captor romance! and the mmc not having the feels for her while he tortured her! iconic! I love the dynamic between the characters and how triggering their mate bond gave us a completely 180 mmc! Hawkins went from not wanting a mate to ONLY caring for her! And our FMC was NOT ready for that. she still holds resentment for the torture. So that means hawkins had to court his mate to fall for him!
I was here for it, I only wished that the courting lasted a tad bit longer and that we got a little more "why he is falling" for her moments. It definitely felt mostly like the mate bond, but honestly that kinda was the point hehe. Once the characters got together and accepted each other we still had 25% percent of the book. But the plot was intriguing enough to make me want to keep going.
The fact that this was Haartz debut novel for romantasy is jaw dropping, It was so good!
What I loved!
Victorian time period
Giving mafia vibes/rivals
Wand magic!!!!!
enemies/rivals to downbad mates!
MIRROR SPICE SCENE!!
for my honest review!
I am a sucker for a captive/captor romance! and the mmc not having the feels for her while he tortured her! iconic! I love the dynamic between the characters and how triggering their mate bond gave us a completely 180 mmc! Hawkins went from not wanting a mate to ONLY caring for her! And our FMC was NOT ready for that. she still holds resentment for the torture. So that means hawkins had to court his mate to fall for him!
I was here for it, I only wished that the courting lasted a tad bit longer and that we got a little more "why he is falling" for her moments. It definitely felt mostly like the mate bond, but honestly that kinda was the point hehe. Once the characters got together and accepted each other we still had 25% percent of the book. But the plot was intriguing enough to make me want to keep going.
The fact that this was Haartz debut novel for romantasy is jaw dropping, It was so good!
What I loved!
Victorian time period
Giving mafia vibes/rivals
Wand magic!!!!!
enemies/rivals to downbad mates!
MIRROR SPICE SCENE!!
June 11, 2026
Thank you to the author for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book. First, I have read everything this author has written and will continue to do so. I really enjoyed it and I know this was the author’s first time publishing in the fantasy genre so bravo!
With that being said, here’s why I didn’t give it a full 5 stars:
I think I would have gotten more out of the story if the author took a bit more time to set the scene. Many times I felt like I was being told things were a certain way rather than being shown. For example, what was life like for each of these characters before they met? How does the political system work? I also would have loved more background info on this family feud that goes back centuries (this was my biggest hang up because the whole premise surrounded this feud so I feel I should have had a good understanding of how it started and why it’s such a big deal by the time I was finished reading) Again, I love this author and her writing I just wanted to give some proper feedback. Keep up the great work, Marisa!
With that being said, here’s why I didn’t give it a full 5 stars:
I think I would have gotten more out of the story if the author took a bit more time to set the scene. Many times I felt like I was being told things were a certain way rather than being shown. For example, what was life like for each of these characters before they met? How does the political system work? I also would have loved more background info on this family feud that goes back centuries (this was my biggest hang up because the whole premise surrounded this feud so I feel I should have had a good understanding of how it started and why it’s such a big deal by the time I was finished reading) Again, I love this author and her writing I just wanted to give some proper feedback. Keep up the great work, Marisa!
June 12, 2026
WOW! Finally a good retelling!
This is a dark, Romeo and Juliet retailing with magic, faded mates, and two families that hate each other with no logic or reason.
From the very first page, I was absolutely hooked by this book and I’m incredibly picky with the things that I read so I was very impressed with that
All of the main characters had such great detail and depths and every single one was different. I loved the relationship between Hawkins and Romy. I found them incredibly adorable, even though they both kind of irritated me a couple times just because of their restraint towards each other.
The twist and turns in the plot of the book was really really good and very intriguing. You never really knew what was gonna happen until it did.
The spice scenes were absolutely spicy that mirror scene though 🥵
I powered through this book and about two days and I’m really hoping that Marissa writes another one about another couple that was mentioned in the book.
Overall, I was very highly impressed with this book so I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and 🌶️🌶️🌶️
This is a dark, Romeo and Juliet retailing with magic, faded mates, and two families that hate each other with no logic or reason.
From the very first page, I was absolutely hooked by this book and I’m incredibly picky with the things that I read so I was very impressed with that
All of the main characters had such great detail and depths and every single one was different. I loved the relationship between Hawkins and Romy. I found them incredibly adorable, even though they both kind of irritated me a couple times just because of their restraint towards each other.
The twist and turns in the plot of the book was really really good and very intriguing. You never really knew what was gonna happen until it did.
The spice scenes were absolutely spicy that mirror scene though 🥵
I powered through this book and about two days and I’m really hoping that Marissa writes another one about another couple that was mentioned in the book.
Overall, I was very highly impressed with this book so I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and 🌶️🌶️🌶️
June 5, 2026
Oof. It saddens me to leave this review.Clearly the ARC readers are the intended audience, not me.
I’ve been following the author on tiktok for a while now and this is their first book I’ve read. I was so excited to read it but… oh boy. It’s very much giving Wattpad. The prose is mediocre, and it felt like the author was just “quote farming” every other paragraph. Also, some plot twists weren’t foreshadowed very well in my opinion. I’m giving it two stars because at least I was able to finish it, and the pacing wasn’t terrible.
Side note: this book is pretty dark, and while I take zero issue with darkness, I do think there is a fine line between writing for shock value and writing darkness that actually has depth because it’s exploring something. And while I can see the author was trying to do the latter, it was just executed very poorly and did read more gratuitous than anything else.
I’ve been following the author on tiktok for a while now and this is their first book I’ve read. I was so excited to read it but… oh boy. It’s very much giving Wattpad. The prose is mediocre, and it felt like the author was just “quote farming” every other paragraph. Also, some plot twists weren’t foreshadowed very well in my opinion. I’m giving it two stars because at least I was able to finish it, and the pacing wasn’t terrible.
Side note: this book is pretty dark, and while I take zero issue with darkness, I do think there is a fine line between writing for shock value and writing darkness that actually has depth because it’s exploring something. And while I can see the author was trying to do the latter, it was just executed very poorly and did read more gratuitous than anything else.
June 6, 2026
Thank you for the ARC 🖤🖤
This was such a good time. All the vibes were there and I honestly feel like I’m obsessed with the trope of the FMC being captured/tortured??? What😭 am I the problem? Bc it takes one strong ass FMC to endure and conquer 🤏🏼
Honestly loved all the plot twist, just wish there was a bit more yearning and groveling from the MMC for everything he did to Romy, but once that mate bond snapped into place he was down bad.
Tropes:
* Rival Families
* Wand magic
* Forbidden romance
* Mate bond
* Captive x captor
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice:🌶️🌶️
Recommend: yes
Quotes:
“I guess if you’d done your job properly, I wouldn’t have had the energy to kiss you and ruin your plan in the first place.”
“Insult my mate or the bond one more time and I’ll make sure no one can ever suck your cock again. It’ll be lodged too far down your throat.”
“If you die, even the stars won’t be able to protect this world from my wrath.”
@Tianamariex
Let’s be friends on TikTok / IG 💗
This was such a good time. All the vibes were there and I honestly feel like I’m obsessed with the trope of the FMC being captured/tortured??? What😭 am I the problem? Bc it takes one strong ass FMC to endure and conquer 🤏🏼
Honestly loved all the plot twist, just wish there was a bit more yearning and groveling from the MMC for everything he did to Romy, but once that mate bond snapped into place he was down bad.
Tropes:
* Rival Families
* Wand magic
* Forbidden romance
* Mate bond
* Captive x captor
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice:🌶️🌶️
Recommend: yes
Quotes:
“I guess if you’d done your job properly, I wouldn’t have had the energy to kiss you and ruin your plan in the first place.”
“Insult my mate or the bond one more time and I’ll make sure no one can ever suck your cock again. It’ll be lodged too far down your throat.”
“If you die, even the stars won’t be able to protect this world from my wrath.”
@Tianamariex
Let’s be friends on TikTok / IG 💗
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to the author for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
I went back and forth on this book a lot. The beginning was honestly difficult for me to get through, and I almost DNF’d it, but once I hit part two I became much more invested in the story and the way everything was unfolding. The overall plot felt unique, and I especially liked that romy didn’t immediately forgive hawkins he actually had to earn back her trust. I also really enjoyed the Romeo and Juliet-esque side story woven throughout the book.
That said, the pacing felt uneven. After finally getting hooked in the middle, the story slowed down again near the end and started to lose me. Some twists also felt like they came out of nowhere, and there were a few plot holes that made parts of the story confusing.
Overall, this was a book with some really strong moments and ideas, but it didn’t fully come together for me.
I went back and forth on this book a lot. The beginning was honestly difficult for me to get through, and I almost DNF’d it, but once I hit part two I became much more invested in the story and the way everything was unfolding. The overall plot felt unique, and I especially liked that romy didn’t immediately forgive hawkins he actually had to earn back her trust. I also really enjoyed the Romeo and Juliet-esque side story woven throughout the book.
That said, the pacing felt uneven. After finally getting hooked in the middle, the story slowed down again near the end and started to lose me. Some twists also felt like they came out of nowhere, and there were a few plot holes that made parts of the story confusing.
Overall, this was a book with some really strong moments and ideas, but it didn’t fully come together for me.
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
I love a good standalone book, but damn did the ending of this one make me want a series! I loved the HEA for our main characters, but I feel like so many side characters and plot lines could have their own books! I truly loved our queen Romily, who is so fiercely strong, loyal, and sensitive. Her healing journey was beautifully written, and as someone with PTSD, I felt like the author really captured what it's like. I love that we get to see Hawkins' point of view throughout the story to see where he's coming from. Imo, he did not do nearly enough groveling, but it will suffice lol. The setting of these big manor houses with art and opulence really just made me want to escape into the pages and live there. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast paced read with magic, redemption, and romance.
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
I love a good standalone book, but damn did the ending of this one make me want a series! I loved the HEA for our main characters, but I feel like so many side characters and plot lines could have their own books! I truly loved our queen Romily, who is so fiercely strong, loyal, and sensitive. Her healing journey was beautifully written, and as someone with PTSD, I felt like the author really captured what it's like. I love that we get to see Hawkins' point of view throughout the story to see where he's coming from. Imo, he did not do nearly enough groveling, but it will suffice lol. The setting of these big manor houses with art and opulence really just made me want to escape into the pages and live there. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast paced read with magic, redemption, and romance.
June 2, 2026
⭐ 4.5 🌶️3
When I say I want enemies to lovers, this is what I'm talking about!!!
You have two families who are rivals. The FMC gets captured by her family's sworn enemy and her father's murderer from that rival family. I thought, surely after all that's happened, there is no way that I could ever feel positive emotions toward this character. But the story, the writing, the secrets, and the plot twists all come together in the end. This book is so dark and addictive! I was hooked from the very beginning. I couldn't put it down.
If you love dark romantasy standalones with fated mates, enemies to lovers, wand magic, plot twists, and family rivalry then this is definitely one to pick up!
Thank you to Marisa Haartz for the eARC of this book, I feel truly honored to have had the opportunity to read this early!
When I say I want enemies to lovers, this is what I'm talking about!!!
You have two families who are rivals. The FMC gets captured by her family's sworn enemy and her father's murderer from that rival family. I thought, surely after all that's happened, there is no way that I could ever feel positive emotions toward this character. But the story, the writing, the secrets, and the plot twists all come together in the end. This book is so dark and addictive! I was hooked from the very beginning. I couldn't put it down.
If you love dark romantasy standalones with fated mates, enemies to lovers, wand magic, plot twists, and family rivalry then this is definitely one to pick up!
Thank you to Marisa Haartz for the eARC of this book, I feel truly honored to have had the opportunity to read this early!
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5⭐️
“I’ll love you until our souls meet in the heavens. And for an eternity after.” ”
⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆
💕 fated mates
🪄 rival families
💕 enemies to lovers
🪄 Romeo and Juliet retelling
💕 morally grey MMC
🪄 he kidnaps her
💕 betrayals and secrets
⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆
The first half of the book was soooooo awesome. The plot was moving fast and the stakes were high, but then things started to slow down. But the last few chapters things moved again, so I guess I’m not entirely annoyed; mainly it is just because of the fact that it could have been a five-star read. It really did have the potential. The FMC was amazing; I loved her so much. She was so strong and yet a soft one. Her reaction to everything was valid, and I loved how we didn’t just get over what had been done to her immediately but took time. I just would have loved if she had taken more time and made the MMC grovel more than that. This could have been a beautiful opportunity to see a yearning MMC. While we are on the topic of the MMC, our MMC here was terrible at first, and I hated him, but actually, that was expected because of his position. However, along the way, he started to be obviously obsessed with the FMC, but like I said, I would have liked to see him being more tortured and pathetically yearning for the FMC. The side characters were great. The magic system was great; I loved that magic came or was yielded by the wand; this kind of reminded me of Harry Potter. Actually, the two characters’ dynamic reminded me of Harmony and Draco’s dynamic in fanfics. I know that this book is supposed to be a Romeo and Juliet retelling, and it is, but also, as I mentioned, the main characters reminded me of Draco and Harmony.
All in all, I enjoyed the book and would recommend reading it.
Thank you author Marisa haartz for sending me the e-arc ❤️!!!!
“I’ll love you until our souls meet in the heavens. And for an eternity after.” ”
⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆
💕 fated mates
🪄 rival families
💕 enemies to lovers
🪄 Romeo and Juliet retelling
💕 morally grey MMC
🪄 he kidnaps her
💕 betrayals and secrets
⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆ ⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆
The first half of the book was soooooo awesome. The plot was moving fast and the stakes were high, but then things started to slow down. But the last few chapters things moved again, so I guess I’m not entirely annoyed; mainly it is just because of the fact that it could have been a five-star read. It really did have the potential. The FMC was amazing; I loved her so much. She was so strong and yet a soft one. Her reaction to everything was valid, and I loved how we didn’t just get over what had been done to her immediately but took time. I just would have loved if she had taken more time and made the MMC grovel more than that. This could have been a beautiful opportunity to see a yearning MMC. While we are on the topic of the MMC, our MMC here was terrible at first, and I hated him, but actually, that was expected because of his position. However, along the way, he started to be obviously obsessed with the FMC, but like I said, I would have liked to see him being more tortured and pathetically yearning for the FMC. The side characters were great. The magic system was great; I loved that magic came or was yielded by the wand; this kind of reminded me of Harry Potter. Actually, the two characters’ dynamic reminded me of Harmony and Draco’s dynamic in fanfics. I know that this book is supposed to be a Romeo and Juliet retelling, and it is, but also, as I mentioned, the main characters reminded me of Draco and Harmony.
All in all, I enjoyed the book and would recommend reading it.
Thank you author Marisa haartz for sending me the e-arc ❤️!!!!
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