It Was Only a Kiss

by Ashley Michele

♡ Kinky
♡ Dark
♡ Plus-sized FMC
♡ Ménage
♡ Taboo

I've been in love with my step brother, DeLuca, and his father, Matteo Vencetti, since the moment I laid eyes on them, which is exactly why I wound up twenty years old-with my virginity intact and my first kiss still dripping off my lips. So when my step-brother made the first move it's really no wonder that I fell straight into their carefully crafted trap.

It was insane to think they both wanted me, to think I could have everything I'd ever wanted at the tip of my fingers. The only thing standing in my way was my spiteful, cheating mother.

The mind games, the manipulation, the pleasure-they drove me insane, knowing exactly how to play me.

But God, does it feel good to be crazy.

♡ This is a dark, taboo, erotic romance. As always a detailed list of TWs + SCWs can be found on my website: please read responsibly.

Genres: Novella, Dark Romance, Romance, Spicy, Dark, Why Choose, M F M

133 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2022

About the author

Ashley Michele is a feral little swamp gremlin writing queer Southern Gothic stories about mixed, plus-size femmes. Her sweet little babies have blood between their teeth and an insatiable desire for their lovers’ devotion—questionable at best. Her work revels in lush prose, visceral atmosphere, and the uncanny, grotesque beauty found where violence, love, and intimacy blur together.

A librarian by day and unapologetic smut peddler by night, Ashley serves as the Assistant Director of Smut Lovers, a community-driven educational conference and book signing that bridges the gap between spicy authors, readers, and real-world kink and BDSM spaces. She is also the founder of AMG Publishing, where she offers developmental editing, systems management, and sensitivity reading grounded in own-voice and intersectional lived experience.

When she isn’t creating new offerings, Ashley can usually be found hammock-bound somewhere in her swamp, listening to something smutty or scary, sending unreasonably long voice notes, and pretending she isn’t emotionally invested in fictional monsters.

Reviews

[trashsock]

edit: 08.10
goodreads suggested this to me and i forgot i read this and i went back and read my review and i remembered exactly why i decided to block this from my brain.

1 star

_________________________________
2,5/5 stars

the whole story is basically mia being in love with her step-brother, deluca, and step-father, matteo, ever since she was a child. her mom, veronica, abuses her, and serially cheats on matteo. mia gets into a fender bender, and deluca decides to take the blame for it, and then turns mia into his little cum rag (🤢) so she can make it up to him. he constantly fingers her around their parents, and we find out that matteo has a voyeur kink and gets off by watching them. golden angel boy deluca, however, is sadistic as fuck, and decides to take ALL of mia's virginity. except she wants her first kiss to be with her daddy™️. mia also has a boot kink, and she gets off on tonging matteo's freshly poloshed shoes. to each their own ig? deluca also never lets mia take a shower, and i am VERY concerned for mia's hygiene (pls don't do this irl).


the threesome is extremely disappointing, given how much the author had hinted up to that throughout the earlier chapters. in the end, veronica goes to confront mia, and starts physically abusing her, so mia knocks her out with a baseball bat. mia makes veronica watch as matteo and deluca fuck her, and then she strangles her mom to death. the end.

i would like to now take you through a few ✨choice✨ quotes that made me go "bro u good?"

1. when mia tells deluca that he should've used a condom because she doesn't want to get pregnant, he hits her with a

"It's not like you'll need it. You don't even like school, you might as well stay home and be my little cum rag."

2. when matteo is "punishing" mia, he goes

"Crawl to me, Mia. Crawl like a good whore and maybe I'll let you off easy."

3. remember when i told you that mia has a shoe licking kink? and that she hit her mom with a baseball bat?

I turned my head, watching my step brother's face darken, his hand grinding over his erection, caged in his pants as I lowered myself, licking the metallic tang of my mother's blood off of my step father's dress shoes.

so,, uh,, read at your own risk, and check the tw's :)

[Darlene I read WAY to many books]

I.. lord this novella had some spice and drama!!! I'll be honest I was alittle concern about the menge because how possessive DeLuca was!!

Let's back track Mia is sorta spoiled and she has a big problem that she ask her step-brother DeLuca for help but it comes with a favor or many. DeLuca is tired of waiting he's going to get a taste of his sister. Their chemistry is hot and forbidden the things he does to her lordd 💦💦💦💦. But little does Mia know daddy Matteo also wants a piece of his princess. Only problem is well her cheating abusive mother. So sneaking around with DeLuca and Matteo finally stepping up it's drama.

But then again we got more DeLuca and Mia then Matteo and her.


No om drama/ tiny ow (the mom), Cheating (not with the mains),drama, sexy times, virgin gal and no manwhores


Recommend-Yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶🌶

Slowinsta
Age gap
Incest play
MF MFM
daddy kink + CGL themes
Sharing
Anal play/sex
Primal play
Past abuse
Spit/cum kink
Violence
Murder
edge play
breath play/choking
dubious/non-con
masturbation
autoassinophelia
Exhibitionism + voyeurism
No condom
orgasm control: denial + giving humiliation
Degradation
praise kink
Punishments
Spankings
Hea
Epilogue

[Lunarbookwyrm aka Phoebe]

Please read TW/CW because this book isn't for everyone and contains darker themes. So if it's not for you, it's not for you. ⚠️⚠️⚠️ Taboo romance that involves violence and more.


Wow, this was just a short read, but was I sweating like a ho?! Yes, I was. Dude, my friend we're raving about this book in our discord server, and omg. If you are in a book slump. Need something for just the smut, the taboo romance between stepbrother and stepdad, then yes, this is the book for you.


This is one of the beauties of novellas it is like a palette cleanser from your long reads. It's just filthy, filthy, delicious, degrading, and praising, kinky ass smut. That's all that I needed. My jaw dropped to the floor and these men omg. I would reread this book again and again for these men. Call me a sick F cause I am sold. Warning your panties will just oof! You will combust and be hot for the test of the day.

I would like to sit on this daddy's lap. No cap. You can just read this book in one sitting. OMG. So It just hits all the things I love in a book. By the end of this book, I was like "I want to be adopted into this family". My gawd my inner wh&re just intensified and I am living for it. Please. Kthxbai.

- Breeding Kink
- Taboo Romance
- Praise and Degradation Kink
- Plus-sized FMC
- HEA
- Men are alphaholes and bit unhinged but omg omg dead RIP me
- Possessive AF


Rating 5/5 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Spice Level 5/5 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

STELLAR! OOF!

Will READ again!!!

[kay reads]

y'all this was wild

[Claire]

3.7 stars. This is steamy and short read about a 20 year old virgin getting with her stepbrother and stepdad. That's pretty much all there is to it. There's not much plot, or build up to their relationship - I know novellas are short, but I've read some that still manage to have more of a plot and/or character development. So, I could have used a bit more, which is why this is below 4 stars for me. That said, it's by no means bad. The writing is good, so is the spice, and so are the heroes (although since this was so short, I did feel like we got to know DeLuca a lot better than Matteo). Some of the kinks aren't my jam, like the stepbrother calling her his "sister" and calling himself her "big brother" but if you're into that, it's here. It's perfect if you just want a quick, hot read. This was my first story from this author, I'd definitely read more.

[Berry]

holy cheese balls i felt so cool reading this because i was a MFING BETA READER!!?!?? like i have completely forgiven myself for accidentally buying Ashley’s other book, The Portcity Killers because if a book can make me forget that I was a lesbian for any period of time YOU KNOW IT WAS GOOD
this book was not my usual cup of tea trope wise i was a little wary but once i started i could not stop it was just magnificent and so very awooga
while reading this as a beta reader there were so little errors which shows how fantastic of a writer Ashley is and when i got the email for the arc i screamed (my poor cat) like i know i already read it as a beta reader but i got to experience it again and i was ECSTATIC
i cannot wait for more ashley fantastic job mom

[tane'a]

super hot? super taboo? sounds like a grand ole time to me

was it literally some looney birds in a room? yes. but did i enjoy it? also yes

it was going good and then things just started taking a turn i didn’t see coming for miles, but fuck it, we ball💀

i am only now realizing we didn’t revisit the car situation🧍🏾‍♀️, that truly was just our gateway for madness, but i can’t even lie, i loved it

[Charlotte 🦋]

Woah, do you need to cool off after this book. 😂 It has lots of spice but also some drama for a novella. I mean there was a good plot as well!

Our h Mia is in a predicament when she asks her step brother Deluca for help with, only he is willing to help if she does some things for him. 😉😉

I loved Matteo and actually preferred him over Luca. 🤭 Is that my daddy issues talking? Yes.

Tropes:
• step brother
• step dad
• protective hero’s
• plus size/ curvy FMC
•age gap
• MF / MFM


There are lots of kinks in this book but the ones I found
• humiliation
• praise
• degradation
• voyuerism
• punishments - spankings


Safety:
• violence
• on page murder
• past abuse
• past abuse (mother is very mean about fmc size)

[Jacqulin Gipson]

This started out as what I thought was a typical love my step brother story. Oh how wrong I was. This book took a twist I wasn't expecting but thoroughly enjoyed. Yes it is a step sibling story but it is so much more than that. This is a novella and mostly about obsessive overbearing alphas than anything else. The spice was there throughout. This was a quick, fun, spicy read.

[Nerdy.Scientist.Reads || NERDY]

Holy. Mother. Of. Spice. Smut for the sake of smut!
I was in a terrible book slump and this was recommended to me to pull me out of it. It did not disappoint 👏🏼 How does a short novella have THAT MUCH tension, kinks, and action?? The degradation in this book let me tell you!! I had secondhand embarrassment and had to take short pauses to recompose myself. The dirty talk was
*chef’s kiss* 👨🏻‍🍳💋
DeLuca was unhinged and crazy and his father was Daddy Dom. Sweet, innocent Mia who suffered body shaming her whole life from her mother and is just now starting to embrace her body, gets defiled in every way imaginable (lucky betch). It’s not super plot heavy, but there are a couple twists that made me audibly say OH SH*TTT!
Conclusion: It’s a wild ride. I VERY much enjoyed it. This is probably one of the best written novellas I’ve read. So much was packed into such a short book, so needless to say it’s very fast paced. Read it. You won’t be disappointed.

Favorite Quotes:

But at the end of the day, I’d be the one whispering to her about blood, controlling the breath she breathed and pulling her down onto me. It was our soul that split into two bodies and we all knew it.

“So help me, Mia, if you don’t come like this, you’ll die with my dick inside you.”


Mia O'Donnell would be the death of me. It was a scientific fact. I would feed her into my veins if I could and overdose on her honeyed skin.

“Let’s make one thing clear, princess. This cunt belongs to me,” I slapped her clit, making her cry out, ready to devour her, to bring her to heights she never fucking knew existed, “And if I want to spend the rest of the night tasting what’s mine? I will. I suggest you don’t get between me and my meal.”

“I am your God, princess, and I’m gonna teach you exactly how to worship me.”

Tropes/Kinks:
Step siblings
Stepdad
Forbidden romance
Taboo
Spit play
Daddy kink
Marking
Big brother/little sister kink
Cum play
Breeding kink
Begging
Praise/heavy degradation
V card
Toys
Voyeurism
Curvy girl
Possessive alphahole
Sadomasochism
🍑 play
Possessive FMC
Edging
Cum on command
Exhibitionism

5/5⭐️ 5/5🌶

[RavenOfTheSea]

No one else knows you like this, Mia. Raw. Honest. No one else can love you the way that I love you.

To be perfectly honest, I am not entirely sure how to review this novella. It was a sh*tton of kinks delivered by truly unhinged characters with very complicated relationships that got progressively darker.

Funnily enough, it wasn’t the spice that shocked me but the unexpected twists of the relationships between the characters of the ménage. I anticipated the tab00 and the insane spice, which was already promised and delivered nicely, but I didn’t expect the darkness between the characters or how they turned more insane page by page. It was these startling facts along with the fast pace, that made this book so much fun.

Obviously, I liked DeLuca, even if I hate his name. He was a lustrous horror, possessive and lethal, who embraced every single part of our little minx of a heroine.

If I was to make a prediction for these characters, I am certain the father won’t survive this relationship. Literally.

Did I like it? Yes.
Would I read it again? I am not sure. Probably yes.
4/5⭐
5/5🌶️

[Samantha Hickey]

Holy HOTNESS!!! Ashley always knocks my socks off!!

It Was Only a Kiss is a dark, taboo, erotic romance. Make sure to check Ashley's website for trigger warnings.

I couldn't put this novella down!! It's dark, dirty, kinky and absolutely AMAZING!

Mia, DeLuca and Matteo are HAWT!!! The chemistry, the tension, the dirty talk, the tabooness, everything is PERFECT!!!

I love how DeLuca lets his crazy flag fly and how he shows Mia he loves her and all her curves. He is now at the top of my book boyfriend list!!

Ashley Michele is now my favorite taboo author!! I mean seriously, look at these highlights!!!

"I am your God, princess and I'm gonna teach you exactly how to worship me."

"Look at us, princess. You want to be a good girl for your big brother, dont you?"

"Look at that. What a pretty fu*king slut, coming for her big brother."

AHHHHHHHHH!!! #pantiesdestroyed

You guys need to preorder this book and read it as soon as it releases!!!

[BookishAnya]

This is by far one of my favourite novellas of all time and probably in the top three. This has everything you’d want in a mfm taboo relationship. The smut was hot and not cringe that can often within novellas. The novella was just long enough to give me everything I could want or need while still wanting more. I’d definitely recommend. This was a 4.5 stars but decided to round up because I just loved it.
🌶🌶🌶🌶.5

Taboo/forbidden
Step siblings
Step dad
Degradation
Breeding
Spit
Mfm
Daddy
🍑
Punishments
Dp
V heroine

[Christy]

I have no morals and I'm also an awful disgusting little swamp person. So obviously this was 5 stars for me. 👾

[evelynn kate]

3.5... interesting stars
Plot ⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Vibes 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Multi-1st person POV - but mostly from the FMCs POV
(ratings based on novella expectations)

One word: un-fucking-hinged. This novella really leans into the stepbrother/stepfather kink but it's definitely a spicy/kinky wild ride. Quick and dirty and gets a little dark so just a heads up. But overall an entertaining read!

[Michaella Dieter]

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶/5
Darkness Level: 💀/5

⚠️: Stepfather, stepson, stepdaughter. (MFM). Murder.

Saw this on TikTok and had to give it a try. Ashley Michele is a new-to-me author. I did have to shut off my inner proofreader (which wasn't too hard, as it's mostly just commas).

I'm always up for a taboo story, and I quite enjoyed this one. I would class it as erotica over romance, so you can expect a high level of heat with very little storyline.

This was exactly what I was in the mood for today, it was perfect. DeLuca was 🥵🥵🥵, I loved his inner psycho. Would have loved some extra darker scenes with him!

If you enjoy spicy taboo books, this is definitely for you.

[Ashley]

△ Content/Trigger Warnings for this book △

This book contains “spice”, or graphic sexual content, and is intended for persons of legal age. The content of this work should not be used as a manual or a realistic depiction of kink or BDSM activities, and all characters are of legal age. This novel is intended for entertainment purposes only. This book is a novella and does not end on a cliffhanger.

The following work contains: Sexual dynamics between step siblings and parent, cheating, stalking themes, obsession, mentions of past abuse, toxic mother/daughter relationship (fat trauma + whorephobia), themes of gaslighting and manipulation, power dynamics, parenticide, autoassassinophelia.

♡ Sexual Content Warnings ♡
Incest play (use of sibling+ parental titles between nonrelated persons in a sexual context), cunnilingus, daddy kink + CGL themes; ass play including: eating, butt plugs, slaps, fingering, fucking; primal themes: biting, scent, marking; edge play including but not limited to: breath play/choking, dubious/non-con, masturbation (M and F and mutual); exhibitionism + voyeurism (both consensual and non-con); raw/bare sex, p in v penetration, orgasm control: denial + giving; edging, humiliation + degradation, praise, body worship, dirty talk, impreg+ breeding kink (without pregnancy); BJ, face fucking, play with bodily fluids: spit, cum, tears; fingering, clitoral stimulation, grinding, grinding on objects (dress shoes), sexual punishments, double penetration, pussy slapping.

[꒰ dani ꒱]

⌠ ★★★★.5 ⌡

i received an ARC of this book through booksirens in exchange for an honest review.

this book was so fucked up and i loved every second of it. i loved that luke was the one who held the power despite being the youngest of the two men. i did not expect for him to be so deranged??? but my god!! fictional psychopaths are my weakness and the author DELIVERED. matteo was incredible sweet and clear headed which was good because lord knows luke and mia are not lol. mia being a little psychopath herself was the cherry on top. deranged girls rise up!!! overall, this book was amazing. the relationship development between the characters ✨🤌🏽 chef’s kiss 🤌🏽✨, the clash between their personalities, the power imbalance, the spice scenes (!!!), the sweetness, the craziness. absolutely loved it!!

the only reason i’m not giving this book 5 stars is because i wanted there to be a reason for veronica disliking mia so much. the author just made it seem like veronica hated her daughter for the sake of hating her. veronica read as another angry, bitter, and crazy other woman which is overdone in books. like pls give us a GOOD reason for the other woman being the antagonist other than her being the other woman. veronica’s cheating and weekend getaways just seemed weird because matteo is obviously a handsome and competent man so where did their marriage go wrong? also, what happened to veronica?

[Coletha]

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

Really enjoyed this novella! Saw it mentioned on tiktok and needed something small before diving into another series! The spice was oh so nice and needed a break here and there 😈

[Allison]

Mia has only ever wanted the attention of DeLuca and Matteo Vencetti. And when she needs a favor from her stepbrother, oh boy does she get it. The thought of the Vencetti men wanting her has only been a fantasy up until this point. All she ever wanted was a kiss from Matteo and for DeLuca to feel for her as she feels for him. Mia never thought it would become a reality- but babygirl got a lot more than she bargained for.

This novella packs a punch. It’s spicy, forbidden, and dark. I fell in love with these characters and how each was drawn to something in the other. DeLuca played to the darkness within Mia and Matteo spoils her to no end.

Loved how Ash let loose with this one and made me crazy over things I didn’t even know I needed. DeLuca and his filthy mouth won’t be leaving my brain anytime soon.

This is meant to be a bit of hot and quick fun but please do check the triggers before you dive in.

[M Thivierge]

I loved this book. It takes the cake. I need more DeLuca and Mia. Have to have it!

The bathroom cleaning scene is amaze balls. I love the steamy love confession: He is 100% correct. They are made for each other. They see each other in a way that will never be seen by anyone else. However she needs the approval of Matteo to keep her going. Both man are needed, but hands down DeLuca had her heart and soul.

After reading this book, I am left speechless. This is a true love store through and through. The dark caves of your mind are expanded and let out to play as you embark on a naughty adventure. Deluca's twisted and sadist love for Mia seeps through the pages like the wetness of your folds. You will not be disappointed after reading such treachery. You will be left wanting more panting in the corner as you wait to be punished further. "It Was Only a Kiss" is a must read and highly recommend masterpiece. You won't be sorry. Daddy and Big Brother won't let you.
xoxo

[Kay]

When I started reading this I thought I had the plot all figured out.. Boy was I wrong this novella had so many plot twists (the good kind) I was genuinely not prepared for what the next page would bring. I'm still not over how good this was it had everything!
To say this is a novella, it was well written, easy to follow and has some of the hottest smut scenes I’ve read! I would've loved to have seen how Matteo, DeLuca and Mia navigate their dynamic as time passes. To say DeLuca was the younger man it was interesting to see how he was almost the man in charge. Matteo is undeniably dominant however he’s much more tender and reserved in comparison to DeLuca’s unhinged and vehement dominance. If you’re looking for a short read that is on the darker and forbidden side this novella is definitely for you!

Overall rating: 4.5/5
Spice: 5/5

This book is definitely heavy on the taboo and darker content. Please check the authors website for the TW’s and SCW’s before reading.

[Rae (semi-hiatus)]

Obsessed

The heat, y’all…THE HEAT 🥵

This novella quenched a thirst I didn’t know I had, it hit allll the right spots.

Ashley Michele was a new to me author and now, after this, I’m going to binge all of her works and schedule her new releases in my phone calendar.

The writing was actually so good! Even though it was short, it somehow didn’t feel rushed or too quick to be believable? It left me wanting more! Everything managed to be wrapped up, it didn’t leave me with any questions, yet it has the opportunity to be continued upon and I’m here for that. DeLuca and Matteo were just yummy. Plus, I love a FMC who knows what she wants and ain’t ashamed of it.

I’m as happy as a clam after this read 🤩 If you want to be a happy (potentially overheated 😉) clam as well, read this!!

[Tiffany]

Mia, a curvy college student, seeks comfort in her charismatic stepbrother who has been biding his time and has plans of his own.

Pros

1. The spice is next level and covers a spectrum of kinks/taboos. (All of which I enjoyed).

2. Characterizations - It’s a novella so it’s difficult to really develop characters in so few pages, but Mia, DeLuca and Matteo all have distinct personalities and speech.

3. DeLuca - I like my MMC a little dark and a little insane, and that is def delivered.

Cons:

1. The length works against how much is packed into the story so we’re reading a lot in less than 135 pages. This impacts the conflict and plot a bit.

Overall, if you love spice sprinkled with kink and taboo, this book is for you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5
🌶🌶🌶🌶/5

[saint]

this was so filthy and dirty -I fucking love it.
And the dirty talk in this? top tier shit fr.

[Luna]

5 ⭐
4 🌶️

What in the taboo?!

This was hot as hell. A girl, her possessive psycho step brother, and her step dad? Didn't think i would like it as much as i did to be honest, but i will 100% be re-reading this!

The mother was annoying as hell, but i'm happy she was dealt with. That is certainly one way of getting people out of the way in this taboo relationship haha.

The spicy scenes were so hot, and i love a plus sized fmc ❤️

[.]

fed me so good i saw jesus and his disciples

[The Book Hangover]

Wow so much spice packed into so few pages but get this...with a storyline too! I loved it and highly recommend if you want a short but dark, kinky, taboo romance. Definitely an author to watch!

[Tish]

3 holy heck stars

this has to be one of the filthiest things I’ve ever read. I am quite literally in shock. Just…wow. No thoughts just spice.

[Kamryn]

Everything was going great until she started beating her mother with a bat and then choked her to death like???