This was such a cute book. The slice-of-life vibes were very enjoyable to read. I loved the characters of this book so much and how even the side characters were detailed so freaking well. The paranormal part was a nice added touch and I liked how it was written into the story as something that was pretty laid back, no one really made a big deal about it.

There were so many good jokes and I absolutely loved the consent and communication in this book. This was way more spicy than I thought it was going to be and it was all so healthy with all the relationships and people involved. Loved that.

It did take me a few chapters to like Addison like I did Mary and Cyrus but the more I learned about her I did change my mind about her by the end of the book. The poly relationship in this book was like a friends to lovers meets idiots in love vibes and I’m here for it.

I’d also like to point out how pretty the cover of this is and the added artwork in the book.

I went into this book without any prior knowledge and I was pleasantly surprised! I wasn’t expecting the themes of the book and the spice level is great!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RVEZBG2HYW80F?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp

I will also be posting about this book soon on my tiktok @Fantastic__Fiction

Thank you to Netgalley and the Author for the complimentary copy for review.

I will start this off by saying this book did have a lot of representation which is a major plus. It has a beautiful cover and the premise is interesting but that's where it ended for me. It was really funny at parts but there was no time to get to know the characters before the spice started. If it was going to be a journey of sexual discovery I needed to have a grasp on who the character was at the beginning and it just didn't have that. It felt as though I had shown up half way through a story. The pacing was off and at times it felt a little bit juvenile. The lack of build up within the relationships was off-putting and didn't allow for a connection to the characters at all.

For that reason I had to dnf at 50%. I'm sure there are some people who will love this but unfortunately I'm not the target audience. As much as I am a lover of LGBTQ+ stories I need to feel sucked in by the characters, and sadly, that just didn't happen here.

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy! The concept of this was so cool! Queer, poly, romance with a bit of spice sounded perfect, but this just seemed a little too heavy handed at times. The focus on Addison's sexuality made me uncomfortable in that I felt like everyone had some sort of expectation for her to be out even as she showed discomfort in the prospect. And maybe that was supposed to be the point, that maybe people were in the wrong to push but that's not really what was shown. This just took me a while and I'm sure some people will relate to Addi's experience and find it relatable but it just wasn't for me.

WHAT A READ! I found myself endlessly intrigued by the different characters and relationships in the book. Not only did we have a wonderful build to the main character realizing that she’s maybe, kinda, definitely not completely straight but it was done in a way that felt realistic. I fell into such a cozy story that I couldn’t help but want to stay inside of, I loved how it never felt like this “do or die” situation in the way that most romance tends to lean into. Fabulous writing, even better story overall, and what a wonderful representation of queer love, poly love, trans love, just LOVE. This book will capture your heart and hold it tenderly while you find bits and pieces of yourself in every single character.

At its heart, ‘The Fool, The Lovers, The Devil’ is a slice of life about a young woman discovering herself through her friendships and romantic entanglements. It’s really very sweet and a nice exploration of sexuality, romance and identity. That said, the writing style is not very fluid or easy to read. It’s very choppy and almost immature in certain parts. I did enjoy it but the quality wasn’t really there. I think it needs a bit more editing and refinement.

Thank you to NetGalley and Riley Sheldon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

⤷‧₊˚ 2⭑
„somehow the curves i adorned on mary were a prison to me.. the features we shared were only beautiful on her.. why couldn’t i see beauty in my own body without having to detach myself from it?“

now this is kind of heartbreaking, i was so excited to start this book and really thought i‘m gonna like it but sadly i thought wrong. The cover was so cute that it actually surprised me that’s it that spicy. Some quotes were so relatable which made me hope again that i still gonna end up liking it but i couldn’t really connect with the writing style and the storyline. Also the spice scene were kinda bland.

thank you so much for a arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

I was so excited to read this book, the cover is stunning and grabbed my attention from the get go. The premise of the book sounded like it would be right up my alley.

"Somehow the curves I adored on Mary were a prison to me.. The features we shared were only beautiful on her.. Why couldn't I see beauty in my own body without having to detach myself from it?"
This quote hit me square on. I felt both seen and called out at the same time.

Sadly, this was not the book for me. I wasn't able to connect to any of the characters and the writing just wasn't for me. I had started to skim more than I was reading, so I sadly have to walk away at 44%

While the writing style isn’t for me (I’ll admit I got lost quite often) the story line is a wonderful coming out. Lovable characters, and written in a way I wished people really acted.
A nice change of pace (in my reading bubble) to add a mystical/magical element while remaining true to human nature.
All in all a good read for sure.

A sweet, fun slice of life novel about Addison, who realises over the course of the book that a) she’s not straight, b) she’s in love with some different people, and c) she fears both of those things more than one should.

I loved Addie’s point of view, and her humour was a joy to read. While my self-realisation about being queer was different to hers the book was written in a way that made me understand and feel for her. I definitely resonated with some parts of her story too.

The little references speckled throughout the book - DnD, Star Wars, Power Rangers I think? - were fun to try and guess. Usually I feel like novels don’t put much thought into side characters, especially if there are many of them, but this was definitely an exception! I loved Cyrus, and Kimberley, and I feel like we got a great sense of both their characters.

The polyamorous rep was perfect, imo - there was consent and communication, and the other two always gave Addie space when she needed it. Their chemistry and interactions - the mall outing and ramen date! - were all a joy to read. Mary was quite frank and understanding, and while her sexual relationship with Addie was definitely there, she was also perceptive and caring in ways that were really sweet and domestic. (On that note, Addie making dinner to deal with anxiety is such a mood-)

Though definitely not much, the dialogue felt a little stiff at times - a bit more formal that ordinary conversation, with not enough commas to pace it out. The book also has a couple of editing errors, namely letters that are capitalised wrong, but it’s not enough to draw one out of the story.

There are a fair amount of sex scenes, which I didn’t expect, but as an ace person, they were easy enough to gloss over if I didn’t want to read them - and the book was about much more than that, which I loved, especially for these polyam characters, even if sex was a part of their relationships.

There was great diversity in the characters. There were characters who were bi, pan, trans, poly and into BDSM. All of this I liked. But...

While the characters had potential, the plot (and intimacy) felt too basic. There was no build up, no anticipation, just bow chicka wow wow straight out of the gate. Not enough plot to hold my interest. And for a book that relies so heavily on erotica, the intimate encounters felt... dull and uninspired.

I never felt connected with the characters. I never engaged with the plot. Unfortunately I was bored throughout.

Great potential, but lacking in execution.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book!
It simply did not occur to me that this book would be spicy and I know that’s 100% on me but 🥵 woooo this was fantastic. Addie is our MC who is Totally Straight™️ and is definitely Not Queer in her deep infatuation of Mary. Nope. Totally normal girls being girls making out 😂
Addie is definitely (imo) an autistic character, and it’s fun to read someone’s internal thought process (and there is a lot of internal dialogue) from someone who seems to process similarly to myself 😂 I loved the random infodumps, I love her meltdowns, I love all the communication. It might not be for everyone but I really enjoyed being in Addie’s head as she was navigating her sexuality and polyamory 🥰🥰

"I've never been the one who leaves. People leave me."⠀
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I always seemed to catch feelings at the wrong time. Too soon, too late... apparently I was always either overbearing or oblivious."⠀
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Riley Quinn, The Fool, The Lovers, The Devil⠀
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The Fool, The Lovers, The Devil by Riley Quinn is a surprisingly deep commentary on sexuality, friendship, and trust disguised as a smutty paranormal romance. I loved all of the LGBTQIA rep in the book and some of the lines about sexuality like, "I'm pansexual demiromantic"...""It means I can feel sexual attraction to someone regardless of their gender, and I de- velop a romantic attraction to people I form strong emotional ties to.", are so spot on in their succinct matter of fact voice. I really connected with Cyrus and his explanation of how you can still be sexual but also identify with asexuality. The paranormal aspect of the story was fun and interesting and I especially loved the twins. Mary was adorable and interesting and Addison grew on me as she grew into her confidence and identity. I loved the whole cast of characters and the storyline was fun and unique but definitely for adults! ⠀
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The novel is exactly what the title suggests - a queer story that primarily explores Addison's self-discovery and personal growth. The narrative is packed with scenes that center around her struggles with self-confidence, which resonated with me on a personal level.

As I read, I became invested in the characters and eagerly awaited the development of their relationships. I was so engrossed that I finished the entire book within a day.

However, I did encounter a few instances where I struggled to determine the speaker, and there were also some copyediting mistakes that could have been improved.

First of all, I love the cover! The cover alone sold me to reading this book. However, the writing style of the author is definitely not for me. It is too descriptive and drawn out that I find myself feeling bored numerous times while reading. The characters are okay, but the way they were written made me feel disconnected with them because of too much descriptions/information being thrown to us one after the other. This book was not for me, but if you like overly descriptive books, then this one's for you.

Very much what it says on the tin. It's a VERY queer novel, focused on Addison's self discovery and journey. There were a lot of scenes focused around her own self confidence, in a way that felt somewhat familiar.

I found myself caring about the characters and waiting to see their relationships develop -- I finished the entire story in less than 24 hours.

My only complaints:
* There were a few places where I wasn't sure who was talking
* A few places had an uncapitalized "i"

NetGalley. ARC Educator 550974

This is Addie's coming into her own sexually story with a bit of mystery and magic. She falls for Mary who is a cambion and later they add Cyrus to their bed. There were a lot of things that can be confusing however it was a cute introduction to a poly throuple and being ok in your own skin.

I DNFd this book unfortunately. The plotline was interesting, but the writing felt a bit stunted and juvenile. And I'm not interested in reading a book about someone just starting to discover their sexuality.

(I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

I wanted to like this book, based on the cover and blurb alone. Unfortunately, this book fell short for me. I couldn't get into the plot — the reveal of Mary being a succubus just didn't flow for me — I couldn't like the characters as much as I wanted to.

What I do like is Riley Quinn's writing style as well as how she writes dialogue. I appreciate how the story of Addison realizing that maybe she isn't as straight as she thinks she is was handled: with care.

Overall, this was a, "I'll read it once and forget about it" kinda novel for me.