Holy cow! Dark academia - check! Spicy - check! Shades of gothic romances - check! I NEED more books like this! This had it all and I was 1) late for work and 2) opened another browser AT work to finish reading it today. I need MORE!!! (Not asking for a sequel, I hate those, but I loved everything about this book!!)

This book is as delicious as it is haunting— and I want to drown in it.

Gothikana tells an erotic tale of gothic mystery: one with a beauty, a beast and a castle on a hill, rife with student disappearances and ghastly figures within its ancient walls. Corvina Clemm arrives at Verenmore, ready to find her people. She isn't expecting the castle to provoke her inner demons nor a professor and notorious rogue to possess her body and soul. And the possession is divine and unrelenting, my friends. Like Corvina, we lust for Vad in his shade of moral greys. He speaks from both sides of his mouth, a constant contradiction— but Corvina is unrelenting in her open criticism. Our little crow is no simpering heroine; she tells you like it is, and we love her all the more for it.

As Corvina and Vad learn to dance to their own rhythm, the mangled darkness of Verenmore consumes them. The mystery haunting the school is one only Corvina can answer, but will she survive it?

Gothikana is deep, dark, delicious, and in a genre all its own. You will revel in its gothic mystery and passionate romance. So take a trip to Verenmore, but remember, it may choose to keep you.

This was such a spooky and atmospheric read and perfect for the spooky season. Nothing like a creepy school with creepy woods on top of a mountain to put you in the spooky mood! It had the dark academia vibes, a little bit of forbidden romance as this was student/teacher and was an all round good time to read! Definitely recommend picking this up.

Everything about the setup for this novel is exactly why I gravitated toward it. I love a dark romance theme in a dark setting, especially on a school campus! But most importantly, the romance is why I was so excited to read this book. I felt that it did fall short for me. I wasn't as invested in the couple, which ultimately, had the book falling short for me too. I didn't understand the lead up to their romance and I think in a setting like this and the trope, teacher x student, you need to have build up and angst. Not just falls fast and first, all mysteriously and in denial.

I did love the couple for each other but I definitely was expecting more! It is a perfect fall read!

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book early! I really enjoyed it. I thought the writing was very well done, and the story kept me interested. Even though the characters were dark, we love a good dark romance and this did not disappoint!