Lethal Kiss

by Taylor Grothe

Discover a stunning, dark academia horror-romance by Taylor Grothe. Lethal Kiss is perfect for the morally grey sapphic romance readers and fans of Ali Hazelwood's Bride.

Knowledge isn't the only thing she's hungry for . . .

Three centuries on Earth have taught Marcella one thing: when the bodies pile up, it’s time to move. Now a 'quiet' professor at Preston University, she’s keeping her profile low and her kills even lower. But when another academic is murdered and it isn't her doing, she has to rethink her plans . . .

Lacie knows her coworkers aren't just quitting — they’re vanishing. The only person she trusts to help is Marcella: the beautiful, aloof newcomer with a predatory grace. Together, they uncover a hunger festering beneath the campus marble that rivals Marcella’s own.

As the body count rises, so does an unlikely attraction. Marcella is a monster, but Lacie is becoming something just as dangerous. In a place built on spilled blood, they might be each other’s only hope — provided Marcella doesn't eat her partner first.

Class is in session. Survival is extra credit . . .

Genres: Horror, Romance, Lesbian, Queer, Dark Academia, Fantasy, LGBT

384 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2026

About the author

Taylor Grothe is a writer of adult and young adult horror, horror romance, and dark fantasy. They hold a nonfiction MFA from Fairfield University, acted as the graduate Assistant Managing Editor of Brevity, and their short works can be found in esteemed publications such as Titan Book’s These Dreaming Spires, Brevity’s craft blog, Haven Speculative, and Shortwave Magazine. They are a scholar of medieval literature and Nordic Saga. Taylor lives with three cats, two kids, and their spouse, in New England.

Reviews

[Hades ( Disney's version ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of Lethal Kiss by Taylor Grothe 

🌟4.5🌟

This was another amazing onion read for me! .. Just so many layers, each one so bold and amazing in its own right.. dark academia, Norse mythology, horror, murder mystery, and sapphic romance..And on a deeper level we have this delectible example of some bad azz modern day femininity .. A heavy hitter wrapped up as a delicious little treat.. There really was never a dull moment with one, as I'm sure you can imagine with such a strong roster... And I KNOW what alot of you are thinking.. "ok Hades, that does sounds great and all but you're acting like you've never heard of empty promises".. Our author manges to fill each cup pretty equally, so every aspect truly is as strong, if not stronger than the next.. This played a huge roll in making it such an exciting and overall great read. However it was FAR from the only thing..

The Norse-inspired mythology was a big win for me as I’m always happy when a book takes mythology and shakes it up a bit.. Don't get me wrong I (obviously) love Greek Mythology, but it's nice to get a break and hear about something new! 

The tension between our two FMC's emanates sensuality and seduction .. This was hotter than the inside of an overcooked Hot Pocket .. Please keep in mind that "hot" and "smut" are not the same...They may share the same zip code, but they are not on the same street.. There's absolutely nothing wrong with smut.. I just don't want anyone to get the wrong idea.. This is like.. classic hot.. Where multiple senses are engaged at once, and there is this beautiful build up that's tense and leaves the butterflies in your stomach doing somersaults.. When it does get spicy it's the equivalent of when cartoons would do a cutscene to a bomb going off.

Dare I start on the raw feminine energy here while dealing with women's workplace struggles?..It is nothing short of addicting and reminds us the struggles aren't always loud or obvious. Sometimes they're woven into everyday interactions...Such as being underestimated, having to work twice as hard to be taken seriously, navigating unequal expectations, or feeling pressure to remain composed and agreeable even when others are making things difficult. These experiences can create an exhausting balancing act between demonstrating competence and managing how others perceive you.. And yet another aspect that makes this read so effective..The monsters aren't necessarily the only frightening things lurking in the halls... 

Sometimes, the real horror is a system that expects women to keep proving their worth while tolerating the very conditions that make succeeding so difficult.. This book gives that frustration teeth!.. turning female rage into something that refuses to stay quiet, small, or convenient..It's a sharp reminder that women shouldn't have to become extraordinary just to receive the same respect and opportunities that others are granted as a matter of course. 

And if all that wasn't enough for a great read, as mentioned before we have mystery.. The mystery aspect of this was also a really great addition to the overall entertainment factor..As a life long Mystery fan I can deeply appreciate that this didn't just feel like a last minute add in.. There was just as much thought put into this part as the rest of the book.. So much so that at times your brain starts to question if it has been put in a maze? And if so, will there at least be cheese at the end!? Because after this mental cardio a lil snack would be appreciated..There are just so many twists and turns with a lot often going on at once..

That is a common factor here.. everything is rather fast pace.. Now, my ADHD brain went FERAL for this.. Like, the little guy really just strapped on a helmet, pumped his fists in the air, and yelled "woohoo parkour!!!"..But I would understand if some felt almost as if TOO much was going on at times, especially at the end. 

Pretty needless to say this one was a huge hit for me and definitely one I would recommend! I think a lot of people will enjoy it for a ton of different reasons.. For me it might even be a possible re-read. (Which has like a 1% chance of happening) 

Until Next Time, 
Hades 
🩵

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girl dinner: consuming the hearts and life force of the men who have wronged me

Blood-soaked, gory, propulsive fun. Lethal Kiss is a bleeding heart in book form, one a Draugr has latched onto with fearless hunger. Taylor Grothe’s modern horror masterpiece is both a tense look at academia, the snarled web of patriarchy, and the dark powers we embrace to cast off such bonds. Within the boundaries of Preston University, something darker lurks, targeting the women on campus. Marcella, a newly hired professor and Draugr feasting in plain sight, and Lacie, an assistant professor, form an unexpected alliance to uncover the truth and unmask the perpetrators. Taylor Grothe’s craft is of precision unequaled, honing the darker truths of this tale while still carrying wit, camp, and unhinged sapphic desire (the best kind). Lethal Kiss manages to singularly deliver the horror of the season, honoring the queer voices that have been erased and the visceral hurts carved into the foundations of college campuses everywhere. This is, first and foremost, a story of becoming and the little violences one endures before that moment. Grothe is solidified as a fresh voice in the horror space, and I am endlessly hungering for more.

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[Gabby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ughhhh, I'm so SAD that I didn't love this. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, I am in my horror romance ERA. And while this book did start off strong, and I loved the sapphic dark academia vibes, this one just didn't live up to my expectations.

I didn't feel connected to Marcella or Lacie as characters, and I really didn't feel any chemistry between them. And don't even get me started on the cheesy nickname, the amount of times Marcella calls her "little lamb" I couldn't stand ittttttt. Cheesy nicknames that are repeated multiple times PER PAGE will absolutely make me cringe and ruin a romance for me. But also, I just didn't find the plot that interesting. The whole plot is trying to figure out what happened to Lacie's friend Laurel, who we never even properly meet, because she's dead from the beginning.

The body horror was really good, and I enjoyed the scenes of Marcella being a succubus and harming men, it was fun. But the romance was sooooo lacking, and I wanted so much more.

Here's the reading vlog where I read this one and a few others: https://youtu.be/2f2tsm2JkP4

Thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

”Pity the fool who sees a monster and leans into it anyway.”

this book doesn’t stray far from it’s base idea, which in turn makes the experience of reading it feel repetitive and predictable. i was loving Marcella’s character at first, but her appeal starting to wane after a while.

Lacie and Marcella were so confusing to me, i just couldn’t understand what drew them to each other. the dialogue itself was also repetitive, especially in Marcella’s pov. the slowest of burns, in every way you could think of, but also the most boring kind. the whole “academic mystery” of the plot doesn’t have much to support it, so it got to a point where i lost interest.

➻ thanks to NetGalley, the author and Macmillan Audio for the alc, all opinions are my own.

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why is it so hard to write reviews for books you loved so much!? How do I explain how thoroughly this book seeped into my soul with just a short review?!

This is everything you need. Dark Academia, rich folklore, romance that is a little toxic and a lot sexy, bad men getting their due, gorgeous prose, main characters you want to root for, and my favorite, a narrative that asks “what makes a monster.”

10/10 no notes. Unputdownable.

I would let Marcella step on my face in her Louboutins. I want to hug Lacie, and maybe give her a little slap too. I would gladly be devoured.

Audio Narration: 5/5
Narrators: Jaime Lamchick & Jennifer Pickens
Length: 12 hrs 50 mins
Style: dual pov, dual narrated
Thoughts: Wowza that was one of the best audiobook performances I’ve listened to in quite some time! These two narrators were so phenomenal and they did such an amazing job bringing the two characters to life. I need to find more audiobooks narrated by them stat bc dammmnnnn that was good! Literally no notes.

5⭐️| IG | TikTok |

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[Taylor Grothe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello!! This is my book and I love it very much. I thought this would be a good place to drop some information about Lethal Kiss ahead of publication.

This book is a sapphic dark academia horror romance! It is not a vampire book, though it has supernatural elements based loosely on Norse mythology and early modern Anglo-Saxon stories (such as Beowulf). All revenant/undead stores share commonality, but many speak about autonomy, power structures, cannibalism, bloodlust, monstrosity, and the like. This story is no different. Like many dark academia stories, Lethal Kiss attempts to pull apart these complicated elements and cast them in new light--especially where the narrative confronts eurocentrism and elitism. I drew from my own academic background in medievalism and Nordic saga, but of course this is a work of fiction and artistic license was taken.

I do so dearly hope you enjoy! Marcella and Lacie will always be close to my heart <3

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been absolutely loving the horrormance trend lately, and I absolutely love how Taylor Grothe takes all the best elements of the genre and creates an entirely new monster out of them in Lethal Kiss. This is a hella queer dark academia murder mystery filled with Norse mythology that somehow manages to be brutally bloody, fun, freaky, sexy, tragic, and genuinely heartwarming all at once, so my feminist queer heart truly could not be happier.

Now, as soon as I read the opening line, "The easiest way to kill a man is by pinching the delicate skin of his throat and shucking the tissue like an oyster's shell," I knew Lethal Kiss was going to be my kind of book. Because yes, one of our FMCs is a man-eating draugr, an ancient Norse undead monster with an appetite for blood, currently hiding out as a university professor. When another academic turns up murdered and it isn't her doing, she goes on a mission to find the killer and ends up in an unlikely alliance with Lacie, a tired, autistic assistant professor determined to earn tenure while navigating a corrupt university run by misogynistic old men and dealing with the recent loss of the most important woman in her life. Together, they start uncovering the secrets of a sinister society steeped in academic occultism, all while an unexpected attraction begins to develop between them, and it truly gets bloody wild from there.

Despite that incredibly strong opening and setup, I have to admit I wasn't immediately as hooked on Lethal Kiss as I wanted to be, mostly because Marcella was A LOT to deal with at first. Don't get me wrong, I love me some morally grey, messy women (well, women-presenting, I suppose) in my stories, but something about her inner dialogue initially felt a little too gleefully monstrous for me. I honestly found it a bit difficult to take her entirely seriously, until I realised that this was very much intentional. There is so much more to her than the bloodthirsty monster she presents to the world, and beneath all that audacity and monstrousness is a surprising amount of tenderness, just buried under centuries of trauma and walls built to protect herself. Once I started seeing those cracks in her armour, I fell absolutely head over heels for this traumatized babe, and I would like to formally apologize for ever doubting her.

To me, Lethal Kiss feels like Marcella's book first and foremost, but I think the dual POV was executed absolutely brilliantly. The contrast between Lacie's autistic, shy personality and Marcella's unapologetic boldness makes their dynamic such a delight, and I was hooked from the moment these two first interacted. I do have to admit that the development of the romance didn’t make me feel the feels I wanted to, but I did really love how Marcella helped Lacie come into her own without turning her into an entirely different person. Also, while there is plenty of trauma woven into both their stories, it never becomes the defining feature of their romance, and I loved how joyful their relationship is in its own unconventional, bloody, unhinged way. We have had more than enough queer tragedies already, thank you very much.

And look, while my greedy sapphic soul would have loved even more romance, I do actually really appreciate how it didn’t take over the other aspects of the story. You can just tell how passionate and wonderfully nerdy Grothe is about the mythology that inspired Lethal Kiss, and I absolutely adored how they wove Anglo-Saxon and Norse legends, old English literature, and ancient sagas into both Marcella's character and the narrative as a whole. Not only is Marcella herself a twist on Grendel's mother from Beowulf, repositioning her as a complex being navigating survival and vengeance rather than a pure force of evil to be vanquished by a heroic male figure, but even the structure and prose echo those older tales while still feeling so accessible to a modern audience. There are even poems later in the story which illuminate Marcella's ancient backstory in a way that I found so clever and refreshingly bold, and I am always here for authors doing something a little different with their storytelling.

I will say that the murder mystery itself probably didn't grip me quite as much as it could have, mostly because I wasn't invested enough in the side characters to feel particularly attached to their fates, but I still deeply appreciated how it was used to expose the horrors of patriarchy and academic institutions. Because honestly, Marcella might be the monster here, but the revelations about the morally bankrupt men in positions of power are considerably more horrifying than anything she could ever do. The feminine rage and general fuck the patriarchy energy practically drip from every aspect of Lethal Kiss, and I loved how Grothe managed to weave such sharp commentary into the narrative without allowing the themes to completely take over.

Ultimately, Lethal Kiss was maybe not completely what I expected, but I love how it so confidently carves out its own space within the increasingly crowded dark academia and horrormance spaces. Beneath all the gory violence and wonderfully macabre humour is a surprisingly tender story about trauma, identity, justice, and finding the freedom to become yourself, and I think that perfect balance between the camp and cutting commentary is exactly what makes it shine. This is a sapphic horror-romance gem with actual teeth, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it if you're in the mood for something that is both disturbingly monstrous and profoundly human.

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A blood-soaked dark academia, sapphic horror-romance. 

Marcella is a 300-year-old supernatural entity (a draugr / undead Norse creature) who takes a job as a professor at Preston University.
Lacie is an ambitious assistant professor desperate to reap rewards from the high-stress, cutthroat academic tenure track.

When coworkers begin violently dying and vanishing across campus, Marcella realises she isn't the one doing the killing.

This nailed the man-dominated, academic professor rat race. Contrasted by the relationship between Lacie and Marcella which is empowering, hot, and sensual. Marcella oozes seduction, power, as well as restraint.

Maybe I’m reading into it, but the pacing felt like it echoed the grind of academia with slow burn and sudden violent and feral action.

In terms of this falling into academia, there is little academic or professor activities. Instead, the focus is on institutional microcosms and the constant belittling based on gender expectations.

I wish this leaned harder into the supernatural elements regarding the Norse mythology. This changed from campy and bloody (this is comped to Jennifer’s Body) and trying to lean into a more serious critique.

I appreciated the sapphic romance, especially in a setting where women are usually lacking power. However, deliberately done or not, there is still a toxic imbalance.
I would hesitate to call this is a slow burn though and would say this leans towards physical lust over emotional intimacy.

I wanted this to have a greater emphasis on the mystery and to be more slow burn - in terms of romance and plot.

It was a refreshing, unique dark academia romance that was a little too uneven in pacing and tone for me.

Physical arc gifted by Tor.

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[Elle · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

This was such a relaxing read (listen) for me! Both narrators were fantastic but I especially loved listening to Marcella's narrator. The voice was sultry and so satisfying to hear. I found myself listening to this book in the car and even at work. This was a fun listen and was a lighter tone than what I usually read. Whenever I gravitate towards a book like this, I look for the perfect balance of horror, romance, and plot. I felt that this one gave me what I was looking for.

I enjoyed the two FMCs, Marcella and Lacie. Their relationship was exciting to me and a bit toxic, but not overbearing. I liked this book from starting at the author's note, to the last page. I was intrigued that this wasn't a classic vampire story and Grothe actually went the route of draugr instead. Grothe also explains in the author's note that any variance from the typical draugr was intentional, which I thought was smart to include.

I thought the pacing was solid within this book, there wasn't a single moment where I felt my attention slipping or as though I was getting bored or fatigued. I did find it a bit unbelievable that the murders went unsolved for so long since they were messy and rather impulsive. But this didn't really bother me, it was more of a passing thought that I had and then I let it go.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own!

[Sara. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, Tor Nightfire & the author Taylor Grothe for the ARC. I am reviewing this as part of the novel's street team.

TW: explicit gore, misogyny (objectification, infantilisation), sexual harassment, religious trauma, parental abuse, racist microaggressions, queerphobia, misgendering of a femme non-binary character

Jennifer's Body (2009) but make it dark academia and actually sapphic upfront? I thought this was going to be a home run, especially with the promising Author's Note right at the front; of Grothe mentioning "monstrosity in queer novels" and "critiquing the hegemony & supremacy of white, Eurocentric higher academia". But ultimately, Lethal Kiss excels in aesthetics but falters in actual substance in the issues it wants to explore.

On the surface: it's camp, it's bloody, it's unapologetic and all that makes for a potentially fun wild ride. The story doesn't hesitate to call out the gross misogyny prevalent in the upper echelons of the faculty, as seen in the mistreatment of POV protagonists Lacie the human and Marcella the (femme-presenting) draugr. The gore—particularly of Marcella eating people—is brutal and graphic as befitting the horror part of this horror-romance novel. Grothe's pose is just overall great for the horror genre; unsettling and atmospheric. The novel even opens with a killer line:

The easiest way to kill a man is by pinching the delicate skin of his throat with your teeth and shucking the tissue like an oyster's shell.

That really sets the tone for the rest of the novel.

I also do like Lacie and Marcella as individual characters. They're interesting enough, though I thought I'd find Marcella to be the more compelling one, given that she's a literal immortal man-eating creature posing as human. Boy, did my view change. Firstly, you need a shit ton of suspension of disbelief over her getting away with her murders for this long, due to how sloppy and laughably unplanned they often are. Maybe I expected a centuries-old figure to be more calculated and methodical, rather than giving into her base instincts so often. Like it's a goddamn miracle she wasn't caught or even suspected.

And secondly, I wish we got Marcella doing anything academic at all. Save for one instance of her preparing the following semester's course with a provocative course title ("Sex & Blood: The Vikings Saga"), she leaves all the researching of which folklore monster could be behind the campus murders to Lacie because sure, a better use of her ~charismatic talents~ is needling information out of people rather being in the library or archives. We're TOLD more than once that she has a passion for knowledge, that she earned her place in universities based on her own intellectual merits, but we don't get to SEE any of that. Like pick up a book, even. I read dark academia for characters doing academic things, not just be hot and manipulative in an academic setting.

Now if you want the Ambitious Character Actually Doing Academic Things and acting like her academic career is her lifeline, her heart & soul? That's all Lacie, who also provides autistic rep. Her past religious trauma and parental rejection when she came out is both intriguing and heartbreaking. You can see her initial reluctance to get involved with the campus murders as spinelessness, the way Marcella does, or you can have empathy for a woman who's been rejected all her life, clinging onto the one thing she is passionate about and offers her financial security when she has nothing and no one else. Lacie has a lot more to lose than Marcella.

The romance was, well, it's a thing that happens. 🤷 You know how sometimes when reading fanfiction, because you're already intimately familiar with the original IP's characters and their dynamic, the fanfic writer can focus on crafting the romantic moments and less so on the build-up to the feelings developing? It feels like this here. It's like I'm reading a Jennifer's Body dark academia AU fanfic—because Lacie & Marcella's personalities and even their appearances are largely reminiscent to the film characters—and I'm expected to already know these characters and their relationship and just fast forward to them getting together.

The romantic development wants to be ~sizzling~ but it felt sped up, especially on Marcella's end which doesn't make much sense to me. She falls for a human so quickly when she's initially presented as pragmatically seeing humans as Food and doesn't typically get close to them; like huh? I love Morally Grey Characters Gradually Thawing For Their Love Interests but this wasn't a delicious thaw. She's already getting jealous over someone else touching Lacie when she barely knows the other woman? For a cold-skinned undead creature, she needs to chill.

Basically, where's the SLOWBURN? I don't get excited over jumping straight into physical attraction that's supposed to grow into "Love". They don't spend enough time together that's actually just for the sake of bonding emotionally, or doesn't end with someone getting upset (usually Lacie), until we get to the Sex Chapter that's supposed to be a culmination of whatever surface-level romantic feelings. Also, the entire time they're having sex and I'm thinking "there's people that are dying", like that's some excellent timing right there. No seriously it's that hilarious because literally the next moment, we get a Missing Person alert.

While I appreciate the critique the story is trying to make, the twist revelation that the men in charge are actually monsters / Not Human All Along and are literally feeding on people doesn't feel as impactful to me. The horror of misogyny or other forms of bigotry is that these are regular PEOPLE like anyone else, but who choose to commit heinous acts or hold on to vile beliefs. And so in allegorical stories, this makes them even more monstrous than literal monsters who might possess more humanity than the humans themselves. Making the novel's villains literal monsters doesn't hit as hard as, say, if they stayed human men but were summoning monsters to do their dirty work / sacrifice other humans for their own gain.

And then there's the White Feminism of it all, which is really befuddling because the novel actually started out pretty self-aware. Early into the story, it acknowledges that academia can be racist, with the way its faculty members of colour had to endure microaggressions in the comments and opportunities afforded to them. When the campus murders started to gain traction around the 25% mark, there's an exchange between white Lacie and her two colleagues who are BIPOC (i.e. Therese is Korean but her boyfriend Lyle's ethnicity is never explicitly stated or alluded to; just that he's definitely not white) :

"I just don't want to get in trouble. This is a big risk for me."

Lyle snorts and looks like he's about to say something when Therese cuts in. "Do you think you're the one likeliest to 'get in trouble'? That of all of us, a white woman is the most persecuted in Classics?" She crooks her fingers as she levels a deathly state at me. "I mean, come on, Lacie."

This started out really promising to me! But then every named character of colour is treated like shit. Arjun, one of other assistant professors who happens to be favoured by the deans, was terrible from the get go; objectifying Marcella and belittling everyone else. Sure, there are BIPOC who'd choose proximity to whiteness as something to aim for and step on other BIPOC to get ahead, but I don't think that's something a white author has the nuance and authority to tackle. Still, one Bad Brown Person isn't necessarily a red flag... until the other BIPOC started getting the short end of stick too.

Therese ends up a campus murder victim, which itself isn't inherently problematic, until it becomes clear her death is to push Lyle into a more villainous role in the later part of the novel. Our sole woman of colour was killed to motivate a man into action. I didn't think I'd have Fridging on my bingo card, but here we are. Lyle's portrayal is the final nail in the White Feminism coffin, because he becomes so overcome with a desire to avenge Therese's murder that he ends up using & endangering the two white main characters. The story goes out its way to villainise a man of colour's grief over the injustice of his girlfriend's death that Marcella even says to him in the climax, "You're no different than they [the white deans in charge] are". She equates him to be on the same level as the White Men Ruining Everything.

Never mind that white women are the biggest beneficiaries of affirmative action over BIPOC, including admission into universities. Never mind that white women continue to be complicit in the suppression of BIPOC's rights. White women's tears have historically been dangerous to men of colour. Am I supposed to go Good For Her that our white protags triumphed over the Shitty Men of Colour, who are ~just as bad~ as the white men on top? Why bother acknowledging the racism in academia and Lacie's white privilege if you're going to disregard all that?

That really is the most disappointing aspect of this novel, when it really didn't have to go in that direction.

[Kamilah Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marcella has a prehensile tongue, and for that I rate this book five stars.

[Kaitie Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook Read.

💛 Good for Her
💋 Academia
💛 Rivals to Lovers
💋 Monster Romance
💛 Sapphic/Queer

I really enjoyed this one! It’s heavy on criticism of institutional patriarchy and the study of queer identity. The audiobook was fantastic, with Jaime Lamchick bringing a deeply satisfying, sultry voice to our monster, Marcella.

•

Something strange is happening at Preston University, and Lacie can't help but feel suspicious of the alluring, newly arrived Marcella. Marcella is, in fact, a monster, but she would never target vulnerable women at the school or make a mess of her work. Lacie soon finds herself immersed in an old boys' club murder mystery and facing the reality that the monsters she studies may, in fact, be real.

•

We are told this story through dual POV, with two dynamic main characters and femme-presenting leads. Lacie is a nervous assistant professor who wants to make tenure, but she also has a quiet ferocity. Marcella is ferocious but has some quiet vulnerability. Their dynamic is a lot of fun, coupled with instalust and not fully trusting one another. I enjoyed their interactions a lot and felt that their dynamic was one of the strongest aspects of the story. I also love some "good for her" vibes, and this is definitely chock-full of that. We hate patriarchal systems, burn them down, and maybe throw in some visceral gore, babe.

I did find that some of the rollout of the murder mystery aspects felt a little far-fetched. It was kind of odd to me that nobody suspected femme-presenting Marcella, the newcomer, for the murders, especially a group of old boys who are known for their misogyny. I also felt that there would have been more questions from the students, the police, and people from other departments at the university.

As mentioned already, the audiobook is fantastic. The inflection from both narrators feels so well done. Jennifer Pickens matches the shy and reserved demeanour for Lacie, and Jaime Lamchick’s sultry and confident voicing of Marcella is phenomenal. Literal chef's kiss.

Overall, this was a great sapphic monster horroromance that tackles queer identity and misogyny in an academia setting. I had a great time!

•

Thank you to Tor Publishing for the ARC of this book, and thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All thoughts and feedback contained within this review are my own.

[Beth | Bookwyrm.Beth · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook and Tor Nightfire for the gifted book!

✦ 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ✦
This was an untamed, tense dark academia horror that felt like the perfect mashup between Ninth House and Jennifer’s Body. The atmosphere was seductive, intense and cold, while leaning a little into the “slasher” subgenre of horror. The narrative was packed equally full of unsettling gore, institutional critique, and an intense sapphic romance.

I’m a big fan of dark academia settings, and I loved the way the author went about building this fictional university. The foundation of this story was less about dark, aesthetic architecture and more focused on a highly realistic, toxic microcosm of upper academia. This inspired images of tweed, clicking heels and forced-politeness within faculty meetings; all very surreal considering the paranormal elements.

I enjoyed the opposites-attract dynamic between Lacie and Marcella. Lacie was an anxious, timid assistant professor on the autism spectrum, while Marcella was an elegant, terrifying, genderfluid draugr/badass. Their connection was passionate and complex, exploring a compelling monster x human dynamic that doesn’t shy away from Marcella's terrifying, predatory nature. I enjoyed their transition from colleagues to allies to partners, but I did think that their lust came on a bit too quickly for me to find their deeper connection believable.

The mixed pacing of the narrative was a little difficult for me as well, as it bounces between slow burn mystery and intense, feral violence quite often. The transition between the two felt a bit jarring sometimes, and I think this was compounded by the otherwise elegant prose. That said, this was certainly a cathartic release of feminine rage. A lot of truly horrible men get ripped apart, and I did appreciate that.

I recommend this to horror readers looking for lots of feminine rage and a good, contemporary dark academia read for fall.

✦ 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 ✦
This was a duel narration by Jaime Lamchick and Jennifer Pickens. Having two distinct narrators really made for a fun experience with this one, and I felt that each of the actresses did a fantastic job individualizing each character. Both brought exactly the right kind of energy to this tense story, leaning into the visceral horror moments and dialing it back for the tension-filled romance. This was a highly bingeable audiobook that I had a lot of fun listening to. I recommend picking this up on its own, or for a tandem read!

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙚:
Sapphic Romance
Neurodivergent Representation
Academic Rivals to Lovers
Reluctant Allies to Lovers
Feminine Rage
Academic Burnout and Institutional Rot
Folklore in Modern Settings


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[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessed!!! I love a good horror romance and Lethal Kiss seamlessly blends the two with a deliciously sapphic steamy romance involving a gender-bending monster love interest. Plus it's dark academia and blood-soaked horror where the true villain is essentially the patriarchy and bad men in power. Loved everything about this and will definitely read more from this author in the future. The audio narration is also excellent. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[ReneeReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so glad that I listened to this book instead of reading a physical copy because I really think it adds to the ambiance. Marcella's narration is velvety and sultry and just what you imagine it would be. I really loved the overall atmosphere and the setting of this book along with all of the gruesome descriptions. Marcella certainly comes off as a succubus at times and I loved every second of her. I thought Lacie's character was fine, but she wasn't really a standout to me. I hated all of the misogyny and I think the men got what they deserved. It was a bit cliche but hey, who doesn't love a little revenge after all these years of the patriarchy? This was a very enticing read and I think other readers will enjoy this as well.

Jaime Lamchick (Narrator); Jennifer Pickens (Narrator)

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 10/20/26

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile]]

DNF'd at 32%

The writing style was pissing me off.

I received an ARC from NetGalley

[Rachael | ☾ whimsicalfiction ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already can’t wait until fall rolls around so I can reread LK with the perfect atmospheric ambiance!
This is for the lovers of unhinged queer sapphic rage, the monster lovers and the burnt out eldest daughters who were part of the gifted programs in school but feel like they’re teetering on the edge of the universe now.

Reread via audiobook: finished 10/26
Yeah, reading this one in fall hits differently. Taylor is *the* best writer of atmospheric horror and suspense. The balance between character development, mystery plot and sapphic romance (with yearning and 10000/10 spice), plus a hefty sprinkle of Norse folklore makes this both the perfect October read if you’re monster-maxxing, *and* the perfect November read if you’re dark academia-maxxing.
The audiobook was so well done and the narrators for both Marcella and Lacie absolutely hit it out of the park!

[CarlysGrowingTBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎧📚 Tandem Review 🎧📚
Thank you @tornightfire the gifted audiobook copy. Thank you @macmillanaudio for the gifted physical copy.

Title: Lethal Kiss
Author: Taylor Grothe
Pages: 376
Narrator: Jaime Lamchick, Jennifer Pickens
Duration: 12 hours 50 minutes
Genre: Horror Romance
Pub Date: October 20, 2026
~~~~<<<<<<<<
🎧📚 Synopsis 🎧📚
A blood-soaked love story of rage, revenge, and belonging, Taylor Grothe's adult debut is a sapphic horror/romance that's as grotesque as it is beautiful.

🎧📚 My Thoughts 🎧📚
This is the feminine rage and dark academia every book strives to attain. Marcella can smear her oxblood lipstick all over my face and Lacie can read old mystical books to me in the candlelight. A toxic female cuddle puddle is all I wanted reading this book.

This has it all. A harrowing look at academic burnout, misogyny in academic spaces and the unbalanced power of old men. I enjoyed the pacing and the mystery of the story and the slow build-up of romance. More of this please!!

🎧📚 Narration 🎧📚
These narrators could read me the phone book and I'd be a submissive puddle on the floor. Just sayin....
~~~~~~~~~

🎧📚 Read if You Like 🎧📚
* Feminine Rage
* Body Horror
* Nordic Mythology
* Slow burn
~~~~~~~~~
🏷️
#audiobookreview #audiobookrecommendation #bookstagram #horrorromance #lethalkiss

[A. Nicole Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an e-ARC of LETHAL KISS to review!

I adored this one. I admit, I'm not normally big on academia books, but I surprisingly loved Katabasis, so I figured I'd give this one a shot, and I'm so glad I was approved. I was immediately wrapped up in Marcella and Lacie's voices; I love how different they are, because the narrative is so perfectly balanced between the cool confidence and (in my opinion) the more relatable voice of Lacie.

I rarely read a book that goes from horror to dark academia to romance (to Norse mythology!?) so effortlessly! There were so many different things to love here, and this was the absolute perfect introduction to fall and spooky vibes for me. The mystery of Laurel plus the relationship between Marcella and Lacie were so realistic, and while there was plenty of gore, it didn't feel grotesque or overdone, either.

My ONLY qualm is that Lacie accepted that she was 'in this together' with Marcella [keeping vague to avoid spoilers] in chapter 5 extremely quickly. There was one or two sentences and then yep, she goes along with the other's plan. I do with there'd been more detail or consideration of alternatives here; this was sudden and the only thing that felt unrealistic to me. I'd knock off half a star for this one and a couple other nitpicks, but I'm still rounding up to 5.

Overall, an absolute masterclass in sapphic dark academia rivals-to-lovers with a heavy dose of supernatural tossed in. Seriously, if anyone loves dark academia/sapphic couples and the deliciously gory man-eating novels we've seen recently- The Lamb, The Eyes are the Best Part, A Certain Hunger, etc- then this book is for YOU.

Will be following this author and can't wait to see what she writes next!

[veerali · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

this was so hot like?? jennifer's body x dark academia done so right.

[Katie (katieeatsbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/19/2026-10/21/2026

Thank you Tor Nightfire for the gifted physical proof copy of “Lethal Kiss” by Taylor Grothe 🥀

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(Out Now!)

Listen I was SOLD at Jennifer’s Body (iykyk but I’m sure it was also a solid gay awakening for most of us! 😂)

What a fudging ride?!
I feel like i had my energy sucked out of my body via my throat after finishing this one! (In the best way 🤪)

So beautifully written, such a in-depth and queasy horror that you just can’t look away from.

The temptation of romance, the desperation of hunger. Absolutely no notes!

[inquillery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Folklorists, academia, Norse, mythology, secret societies, sapphics, horror romance, this is everything to me

[christinac_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm drawn to her and I'm repulsed by her.”

Picture Scarlett Johansson from Under the Skin reimagined in a world of gritty, academic occultism with monsters you’ve only heard about in folk horror. This is a visceral, sapphic, tribute to ruthless, man-eating feminine rage and the crushing weight of academic burnout. I devoured this. Seriously, give me more please.

[Jae Alistar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rage Beneath, the Monster Within, the Hunger Unleashed

Lethal Kiss is a deliciously vicious mix of supernatural horror, feminine rage, and slow-burning desire. Between gruesome killings, monsters hiding in plain sight, and the very real horrors of patriarchy and toxic masculinity, we are pulled deeper into a world we could only imagine in our nightmares. Taylor Grothe builds a dark, sinister story where vengeance, hunger, and desire are constantly fighting for control. The deeper we get into the truth, the harder it becomes to tell where the monsters end and the real horrors begin.

Marcella is a centuries-old draugr who has spent a long time perfecting the art of staying unnoticed, keeping her distance, and never letting herself be burned by love again. Then Lacie comes along. Protective to a fault, Marcella is constantly fighting her own instincts as the monster inside her grows harder to contain, especially when protecting Lacie means risking exposure. Lacie starts out as a timid, self-conscious scholar surrounded by men who consistently underestimate her, but her intelligence and determination quickly turn into something much fiercer. Watching her become bolder as she faces everything hiding beneath the surface is so thrilling, especially as she realizes she has far more strength than she ever gave herself credit for.

The pull between these two is immediate, but the burn is deliciously slow. They are both protective in completely different ways, with Lacie determined to keep Marcella from being discovered and Marcella determined to keep Lacie safe from everyone around her—including herself. When that tension finally breaks, it explodes. Their intimacy carries so much trust beneath the desire, especially as Marcella has to believe Lacie won't run from what she is while fighting the hunger inside her not to consume the woman she's falling for. That vulnerability makes their growing trust feel almost as dangerous as the desire between them, with every step closer becoming another chance to lose control. Their relationship teeters between hunger and destruction, because trusting each other means trusting the monster, too.

A series of gruesome killings quickly pulls Lacie into a supernatural world and exposes something deeply wrong on campus. As Lacie and Marcella work together to uncover who (or what) is behind the killings and clear their own names, the danger keeps escalating, eventually revealing a hoard of monstrous vættir hiding in plain sight and forcing Lacie to confront a world of monsters she never knew existed. The twists keep the danger moving while the story digs into the very human horrors of patriarchy, toxic masculinity, and the pressure placed on women to stay quiet, agreeable, and controlled. The gore and body horror are absolutely relentless. Grothe makes every murder horribly visceral, with descriptions so vivid that I could see every pulsing gash, smell every bit of putrid rot, and hear every squelch and crunch. There were multiple moments that made my entire body recoil, and I loved every graphic second of it.

Jennifer Pickens and Jaime Lamchick bring these women to life with incredibly distinct voices. Pickens' low, gritty delivery is perfect for Marcella, especially when she shifts between the woman fighting for control and the monster clawing its way to the surface. Those transitions were horrifying in all the best ways. Lamchick gives Lacie exactly the right balance of shy uncertainty and growing fierceness, taking her from quietly yearning one moment to barely hanging on the next. Together, they make every shift in fear, desire, rage, and vulnerability feel immediate.

Lethal Kiss turns feminine rage into something ancient, feral, and impossible to contain. When women are constantly told to be quieter, smaller, and easier to dismiss, there comes a point where the monster inside stops being something to control—and starts becoming the thing that fights back. By the end, the monster isn't the thing to fear. It's what happens when a woman has been pushed too far and finally stops apologizing for the rage that made her dangerous—and lets that rage become the thing that protects her.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Macmillan Audio for the chance to read this ARC/ALC!!!

Favorite Quotes:
"Men in academia are unable to comprehend a woman with an opinion and confidence.”

“Everyone knows that being wrong and loud always wins over quiet and right.”

“I am impressed by you. I thought you were a little lamb, but we’ll make a lioness of you yet.”

“She’s starting to smile. I’m surprised how good it feels to see her brightening.”

“She wants justice. I need safety. Neither of us will survive this without the other… I watch her slotting everything together in her brain, and I wonder where I sit inside there.”

“Isn’t that just the way? Women are expected to hide their feelings behind impassible, suffocating walls spun from silk and smiles."

"I’m so tired of caring. So tired of the goals I’ve had always changing and the standards always raising. I’m so tired of being lied to, of being told I’m good enough as I am only to find out that there’s a never-ending climb to understand the next playing field. I’m so incredibly tired of doing it all with a perfect smile pinned to my face, no matter how much I have to sacrifice to simply hang on.”

“She’s immolation, her touch scraping jagged holes in all the walls I’ve put up.”

“The problem of being alive this long boils down to this: everything decays. All the things you think you care about, the things you think you love, the things you absolutely hate, they decay. The sick thing about memory is you don’t get to choose which. Time does that for you.”

“I am terrified to lose you. You’re good and gentle and beneath that you are a full flame. I want to make you burn.”

“They may know who I am, but they know not what it means to tangle with me.”

“I am not alive. But I am angry. And I am hungry.”

“This is exactly who she is. World-ending, perfect, rageful. Fear the death you have wrought, for it has returned to you. ...I would bleed for her forever."

[LZDubbs_reads · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and Taylor Grothe for the ARC! I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all thoughts are my own. The fact that I have a physical ARC from the author and an eARC from Netgalley has in no way, shape, or form influenced this review.

Lethal Kiss is a bloody romp of a story! The main characters are Marcella, a draugr, and Lacie, an assistant professor trying her best. After Marcella is let go from University of Seattle, she is sent to Preston University, where they have a very competitive and unorthodox program for their professors. Meanwhile, Lacie realizes that her work friend, Laurel, has gone missing. Additionally, she is struggling to keep up with the program. While Marcella plans on enjoying herself, achieving tenure, and maybe feeding on a few of her colleagues, she and Lacie are drawn together when they find a murdered body! One in which Marcella was NOT the one responsible.

I liked the presence of Norse mythology in this story, as it's not a mythology I'm familiar with. I really love the author's usage of these Nordic monsters, especially Marcella. As others have said, there were quite a few comparisons with this story to the movie Jennifer's body! The biggest comparison by far was the killing of boys by a supernatural femme entity. I really enjoyed the fleshing out of the fictional Preston University. While the University is undeniably a high-tier one, there are signs of an underlying rot. Even with this rot, our main characters Marcella and Lacie were still up to the task of solving a mystery and finding justice. The mystery shenanigans with Marcella and Lacie were some of my favorite parts of the novel, and I enjoyed seeing them learn more about each other. I also enjoyed seeing each of them fully realize their rage against the unfair treatments they'd received. Lacie's portrayal as an autistic woman with anxiety was wonderfully done imo. Taylor Grothe really knows how to tap into the rage of disabled feminine characters. As someone on the spectrum with an anxiety disorder, I enjoyed seeing this rep in the story and seeing Lacie come into her own. Lacie's journey and Marcella's rage against injustice was amazing to see.

Upon further reflection, I realized that I was trying to like this story more than I actually had. This story really does have an interesting concept, and I had liked parts of this story. This review has been edited to reflect this fact.

If I could sum up my issues with this novel in one phrase, it would be that I wish the book had leaned deeper into it's themes. I think that the tonal shift from brutal and gory to campy and silly caused me to get some tonal whiplash. Additionally, I wished that us readers had delved more into Marcella's mind. Marcella was mostly shown to be bloodthirsty (fitting as she's an immortal draugr), impulsive, and calculating being in that she knows how to manipulate people. I really wish that we had seen more of Marcella's academic prowess. Speaking of Marcella, I felt like her relationship with Lacie could've used more time and fleshing out. The novel didn't take place over a long time. While I personally understood how a high stress situation would lead to a fast-moving relationship, I would've enjoyed seeing more of them in a low-stress situation. The two were quite toxic towards each other in the beginning, and it was hard to root for them to be together at first. I enjoyed seeing them together in the epilogue, but while this novel is technically a slow burn, the timeline of the novel makes this feel like more of a fast burn. If there were a prequel of Marcella and/or sequel of Lethal Kiss in the works following Marcella and Lacie, I'd be eager to read this/these.

Regarding inequities in academia, I liked seeing the unfair treatment both Marcella and Lacie got compared to some of the other characters, especially the cis white men. I also appreciated that the author wanted to tackle both racism and sexism in the story. Unfortunately, while I think the sexism was depicted sensitively, I think the racism was handled awkwardly. There are a few characters of color. Of these characters, one of them, Therese, has her ethnicity, Korean-American, named on the page. Another character, Arjun Patel, is described with features such as dark skin that allow readers to deduce that he's a character of color. There's also one last character, Lyle Jackson, who is implied to be racialized based on a line where the dean mentioned him being "the diversity hire". Without getting into spoilers, two of these characters die, and one of these deaths is used to fuel the journey of another. One of the characters who dies had fully bought into the sexist structure and was accepted by higher ups, but I think there was a missed opportunity to hammer home that some racialized people buy into and enforce the structures made by white men. While one of these three characters lives, I felt like the character arc of the surviving character made zero sense to the plot, and I wish that this character had gotten a better outcome in the story. Ultimately, I admire the fact that Grothe wanted to tackle the topic of racism in academia. I think that this could have been honed with better editing and the presence of at least one sensitivity reader.

Lastly, while this book takes place on a fictional academic campus, I'm surprised that Marcella didn't think things were off when she saw the structure at Preston University. Speaking as someone who used to work alongside grad students, the system at Preston University was very unusual. Professors were expected to live on campus, and the dress code seemed to consist of wearing fancy shoes, smart skirts and blouses for the women, and suits and ties for the men. In reality, professors definitely don't live on campus. While professors do need to dress professionally when teaching lectures, I've seen professors in t-shirts and jeans when they're not interacting with students. As this novel takes place in the real world and in the 2020's, I'm surprised that Preston University wasn't flagged by donors. It's hard for me to believe that other universities wouldn't want to take a closer look at Preston with its unorthodox academic structure.

To end this review off on a positive note, I like what I believe is the intentional omission of Marcella and Lacie's last names. This almost signals to me that their first names are what defines them, not their surnames. Lastly, there is an adorable cat named Bellatrix, not named after that one character in that one franchise. Rest assured that Bellatrix remains safe and unharmed.

Ultimately, as I loved Hollow, I’ll still be reading more of Taylor Grothe’s other works. I just can’t pretend that this was my favorite of theirs. My expectations for this novel might've been too high. With a bit of fine tweaking, editing, and a tonal change, this novel would've been a five star read for me. Even though this novel wasn't my favorite, I still think that plenty of my fellow readers will love this novel!

[zara · Rating 3 out of 5]

after a whole night of considering how to feel about this book, the combination of me liking some aspects and also hating a shit ton of other things puts this book at 3... if a bit generously. i like the exploration of the patriarchal system in academia, and i like that the author uses mythical gory creatures as a depiction for it, but the characters themselves grate on me to no end. i didn't get what makes marcella and lacie so drawn to each other, and lacie as a character, has weak writing. she's childish, petty for the wrong reasons, hates the system that gives her so many disadvantages and kills her friend but is unwilling to do anything about it, and worst of all, a fucking hypocrite. marcella was so intriguing at the start (although i'm not really digging the femme fatale of it all), but then she kind of gets watered down and i'm annoyed by that. the plot itself felt like there are some holes that was opened but didn't close properly to wrap-up the bigger mystery instead, so i was left feeling unsatisfied after finishing it

[Izzy]

Dnf @ 20%

Fantastic narration
Just bored and the premise sounds good but it’s just not moving quick enough for me

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review 🌹

Lethal Kiss by Taylor Grothe is a monstrously seductive, deeply haunting, and romantic new adult horror novel. Our main characters are professors in the classics department. Marcella, the draugr disguised as a human, has the goal of feeding and not getting caught. And then there’s Lacie, the achingly human and autistic woman who fears nothing more than losing her job. And they just became coworkers, competing for tenure. Amidst a dark academia setting, where misogynistic, old white men take charge—something is wrong. Catastrophically so when fellow professors drop dead.

This book is terrifying, jaw-droppingly gorgeous, and incredibly bewitching. The prose and pacing are magnificent. I highlighted approximately 50% of the book, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

While horror is the primary focus of this book, the romance between Lacie and Marcella captured my heart and soul. There is a sinful amount of yearning between the two women. Their romance is driven by lust at first, but it blossoms into something greater. They are the epitome of being truly seen, facades stripped away, and loved regardless. A love based on innate understanding, forgiveness, and adoration despite it all.

“I know how it feels to truly believe that you’re a horrifying, disgusting monster. But you’re no more monster than I am.”

And please don’t misunderstand me, the horror is equally beautiful. Grotesque, gory, and an all-around blood bath, Grothe does not cut corners when it comes to horror. Bloodshed and murder are plentiful in this novel.

I highly recommend this book to the following people:
- Anyone who enjoys rivals to lovers
- Sapphics who grapple with the age-old question, “Do I want to be her or do I want to be with her?”
- Anyone who has religious trauma.
- Fans of Jennifer’s Body.
- Misandrists.

[fatedhearts_lorilee · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The easiest way to kill a man is by pinching the delicate skin of his throat with your teeth and shucking the tissue like an oyster’s shell.”

When this is how the book starts, you know you’re in for a good time. This was such a fun ride — the murder mystery, the horror, the dark academia, the romance — it was so well done.

“He’s discounted me, and I am all immolation.” This sentence gave me chills. I love it so much. It’s one of those lines that just resonated and I want to paint it on my wall so I can see it all the time.

There is so much of Lacie’s journey that resonated with me. The insecurity, the constant striving to do your best and prove yourself to those higher up, the knowledge that you’re smart but maybe it isn’t enough? And then when Marcella snaps at her. Ugh. I felt that so viscerally. I have felt paralyzed by the fear of not wanting to get in trouble, and it’s stopped me from speaking up even when I really wanted to. It’s something I’ve been working on a lot, so this definitely struck a chord.

I loved how much we got into the action at the end. It was exciting and tense and I was living for it.

Also, shoutout to Bellatrix. I always love a cat companion! Also, the settee from the House of Lords next to the IKEA accent chairs had me giggling.

And now, a few more of my favourite quotes with no context, just because I love them so much:

I’ve always been a hoarder of knowledge. I want to read everything. All of it.

She is beautiful. She is terrible.

I understand the weight of things lost. Everything, even that which feels most permanent, is devoured by the hunger of time. Yes, everything decays. Even me.

Thank you to Taylor Grothe and their street team, as well as Tor Nightfire for the e-arc!

4.5🌟 rounded up for Goodreads

[Casey Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taylor Grothe’s adult debut does not disappoint! It is a vicious dark academia horromance that immediately sinks its claws into you and does not let go. Set within the cutthroat halls of Preston University, the story follows Marcella, a carefully restrained monster trying to keep a low profile, and Lacie, a tired assistant professor desperate to survive the brutal race for tenure. Both are up against men who think they’re entitled to everything, be it women or positions of power. When bodies start turning up, the atmosphere shifts from tense to downright feral. Grothe blends murder mystery, grotesque horror, and queer romance. The result is unputdownable and unforgettable! I was hit some twists as well!

The balance between monstrous violence and deep human emotion, is a delight. And the feminine rage is really raging in this one! Beneath all of the blood and rage and sexiness, is a story about loneliness, ambition, identity, and the desperate need to be fully seen by another person. Marcella and Lacie’s relationship is magnetic. It’s feverish, it’s violent and bloody, it’s sexy. I learned about Nordic folklore and will be going down a rabbit hole of research now (thank you Taylor). Fans of dark academia, feminine rage, queer love and horromance that are equal parts gruesome and emotional need to snatch this one up immediately!

Forever thankful to Taylor Grothe for sending a signed and personalized ARC to me. Book goes on sale 10/20/26.