erotic horror is not a genre i thought even existed but here we are

firstly, the prose was so lovely in this. it’s so beautiful and i found myself rereading passages just because they flowed so nicely. these writers are definitely talented.

secondly, this was dark and hard to read at moments (in a good way) because it deals with some heavy topics. i’m not sure why the climax of the book was just “tell me what you want in bed” but no mind. it was delightfully creepy and had a bite to it…literally.

Wow. What a journey this book was from start to finish. This was my first ever erotic read, and I feel like this was a perfect introduction, and the horror elements added a brilliant & gory touch. A rule of thumb for my reading, is that if a book makes you feel physically uncomfortable and invokes feelings, it is a well written piece, and this was fantastically written. Viola invoked anger as a character, Lorelei and Adele's relationship invoked sadness and frustration and although a lot of the topics explored in this book are rather taboo, they were written about in a way that just made me want to keep reading. A credit to both the authors!

I felt this was such an interesting read. It wasn’t what I expected at all but I found myself wanting to find out what was happening next at every turn. It definitely challenges the reader in a variety of ways and explores the concept of unreliable/morally grey main characters. Will definitely be interested in more from this author

Ahhhhhhhh this was so good!!!!! Definitely mind the trigger warnings, it was hard to read at times, especially as the book progressed but I absolutely loved it overall. I didn’t have a problem with the intensity of the sex, but the gore/self-harm aspects of it did get to me. I liked the supernatural elements, it reminded me so much of Penny Dreadful but I did have to skim whenever stuff happened to Adele’s body. 🥴

Miscommunication in relationships is usually frustrating, but when it comes to sex and characters not being able to admit what they want to/from each other…that’s the good shit. And the dramatic irony of both characters wanting the same thing but thinking they can’t ask. 👌🏼 It’s such good angst because you want them to talk to each other about what they’re hiding (a lot!) but of course they won’t.

The manipulations of Viola and everything they went through were frustrating to say the least, (more like horrifying, especially once you finally get the full reveal of Lorelei’s backstory) but it made the resolution and Adele and Lorelei finding their way back to each other so so satisfying. 🥹

Also, Chester is such an adorable kid and I loved his and Lorelei’s relationship so much. Their scene near the end made me cry. 😭

Thank you to Brigids Gate Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lies That Bind was a deliciously dark and sexy collaboration, blending elements of period romance with heavy doses of Hellraiser-esque erotic gore.

Lorelei and Adele masquerade as mere business partners, running a charlatan séance parlor for the wealthy and gullible; in reality they're lovers and business is not doing well, and Adele is a runaway from an American society family. Lorelei conceals carnal preferences she fears would scare off Adele, who hides secrets of her own, and a power beyond that displayed during her séance charades. Soon, a mysterious woman named Viola appears, equal parts alluring and dangerous, and she has plans for them.

There are elements of found family, the Occult, and the old adage, that to appreciate something, you must first lose it.

I love that this story examines so many dichotomies: consensual dominance and outright abuse, physical pleasure and emotional contentment, even the contrasting privileges of the wealthy and the not, such as choices in marriage. It also explores weaponized lust, as Viola soon becomes a blade with which both Lorelei and Adele trade emotional blows. And lust of a different kind, for power, drives the story to a wicked and wholly satisfying conclusion.

Knowles and Yates' sharp, seductive prose proves how terrible deeds can unlock one's power just as well as heroic acts.

3 stars - a sapphic, dark, erotic/smut horror.

This is not a sub genre I read often but when I saw Rae Knowles was involved I HAD to read it. Lies That Bind at its core is a very dark romance with hints of the supernatural, that follows two women in a relationship Adele and Lorelei, who run a sham séance business and hold some dark secrets from one another. With the sudden arrival of Viola their relationship is tested in more ways than one.

This was an intense read, definitely be sure to check the content warnings before going in. I enjoyed the book for the most part, but as someone who reads primarily horror I wish there was more on Adele and her condition, I loved this part of the story and wish the plot on that went deeper. I also didn't love Chesters character being in the story, him being that young. I don't think his character truly added anything unique or note worthy so he could have been older or just excluded. That's just my personal thought and to just clarify, he wasn't in any inappropriate scenes but going from reading smutty scenes to parts of the story with him just felt a little weird and uncomfortable.

Overall, am I going to go seek out other smut novels now? probably not. Will I read more smut should Rae Knowles release more in the future? most likely. LOL

I also really appreciated that the authors included content warnings in the back for those that may need them.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Brigids Gate Press for providing a digital copy to read, as always opinions are my own.

So, I got my hands on "Lies that Bind" through an ARC read from Netgalley, and boy, was it a wild ride! This book is like a rollercoaster of emotions, with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end.

Lorelei and Adele make quite the dynamic duo, running their sham seance business in Matlock Bath. But when Viola enters the scene, things take a dramatic turn, and suddenly, secrets are flying left and right faster than a seagull chasing a chip.

The transatlantic crossing to New York adds even more spice to the mix, with turbulent seas and even more turbulent happenings aboard the ship. And let me tell you, Adele's gifts go way beyond mimicry, while Lorelei's past is darker than a moonless night.

Now, don't get me wrong, the book had me hooked from the start with its gripping storyline and complex characters. But I gotta admit, some of the graphic depictions of sex and violence had me squirming in my seat a bit. It's like walking a tightrope between kink and abuse, and the authors don't hold back in exploring every nuance.

I must say that this indeed was a thrilling read for me you should read it because it will keep you on the edge of your seat. Just make sure you're ready for a bumpy ride! And hey, remember, opinions are my own, straight from the heart.

Lies That Bind is a dark romance centered around the relationship between Lorelei and Adele, both of whom keep dangerous secrets from each other. Upon the sudden arrival of the mysterious Viola, and the unexpected reappearance of the upper-echelon socialite Rose- Adele and Lorelei’s love for each other will be tested to its limits.

This is a story about power dynamics and the lines between consent and abuse. Both Lorelei and Adele have their own experiences throughout the novel- coming apart and together again several times throughout.

The thing I enjoyed most was the intrigue woven throughout the story. The mystery of Adele’s nature and the lengths people would go to unlock it kept me interested and engaged for most of the novel.

However, this Lies that Bind ultimately didn’t work for me. While I understand the themes pertaining to cycles of abuse, power dynamics, and the importance of consent, I feel as though the impact fell flat in the accelerated timeline of the story. As far as I’m aware, the whole thing took place over a couple of months. Additionally, the motivations for the antagonists seemed weak, and I feel as though I was left with more questions about Adele’s nature than the novel was able to satisfy, nor particularly inclined to answer.

******

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lies That Bind is a story detailing the horrors of the body, the mind, and other people. It's gruesome in its language, vivid in its detail, and relentless in its depiction of abusive humanity. We follow the story of Adele Hughes and her paramour Lorelei Keyes as they descend into the horrific depths of lies, manipulation, and a world unknown. From the shores of England to the bustling metropolis of New York, our protagonists unwittingly (and often unwillingly) uncover the delicious pains that lie within true desire.

I truly didn't expect there to be that much spice. I wouldn't necessarily say this was something I was looking for or what I expected from the initial description given, but I didn't totally hate it. That being said, I'm not sure this worked for me overall. The writing and its cadence were something I really had to ease into, but a few chapters in and it really hits its stride. Unfortunately, this book reads more as erotica with pockets of traditional horror than a book set deeply in the traditional horror genre, like it chose the category to be something more marketable. Which, in the end, feels almost like a shame, as there are these moments where you feel like this could dive into something rather Lovecraftian—something ancient, terrible, and unspeakable. Instead, we get sex with some plot, a lackluster answer to our mystery, and a lot of miscommunication. However, there is an overarching theme of finding your power and your voice (through means in which I won't expand on) that I can get on board with.

If you're in the market for a brutally dark sapphic erotica read that puts sex before plot, this could totally be the book for you. But please, do pay mind to the content warnings from the author—there is a LOT going on here described in great detail, and it's important to protect yourself if you're vulnerable to certain topics.

A sapphic erotic horror that uses sex as a weapon and as salvation.

This book keeps you on the edge of a knife as our main characters Lorelai and Adele's toxic relationship pushes them deeper into a paranormal conspiracy of debauchery, fear and despair. In an alternative England, lovers, Lorelai and Adele run a sham seance/snake oil store. One day a mysterious woman, Viola, comes into their lives and starts to drive a wedge through their already unsteady relationship with the goal of having Adele return to America. There are many twists and turns about how the characters in this story are connected overlayed by a slowly building paranormal/body horror that demands the reader look closely when all we want to do is look away.

At the beginning of this book I found myself looking to the character of Adele as our ingénue, naively making decisions without malice; but Rae Knowles and April Yates have instead played with our assumptions of her stereotype and Adele has a lot more agency than I first gave her credit for. I love that no character in this book is 'good'. Everyone is flawed to some degree, either through purposeful malice or passive indifference. While sex is used as a weapon, it also becomes the salvation of our main characters.

Erotic horror is my new favourite sub-genre, and if you're wondering what places this book into that subgenre, tighten up your strap on, here we go:
💦 Multiple Os within the first 20%
💦Explicit open door sex
💦Non-consent and CNC
💦Blood play
💦Physical abuse
💦(more, review TWs before reading if needed)

The first book I read by Rae Knowles was Merciless Waters, which I reviewed as having 'incandescent female rage'. This book is all about supporting women's wrongs. All of our main characters are strong, capable and full of agency (even when they choose not to use it) and they use these traits selfishly, to deceive, and with malevolence. I don't think I breathed for the last 20% of this book (in the best way), and I wish there was more of that urgency/pacing reflected in the early parts of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Brigids Gate Press and Rae Knowles for providing a early reviewer copy.

This book is best read on the deck of a ship heading from England to America with your back pressed against the door of the cabin your ex-lover is sharing with her new partner. Try to ignore the screams coming from within.

Ooh, this interested me, I’m not going to lie. I loved the dark occult horror vibes, the graphic eroticism, and the intriguing and complex characters. However, in the long haul, this just was not for me, even though I liked the vibes and the writing. This was too dark for me to read. I'd still probably recommend this to other people who adore this type of genre/book!

First and foremost, I'd like to thank NetGalley and Brigids Gate Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lies that Bind is the all-consuming story of two complex (yet so real) women who have unknowingly fallen into the depths of a web of dark manipulation that will put them through hell and back to untangle. Adele Hughes, the youngest child from a powerful and influential family, fleeing a future she cannot bear to see realized. Lorelai Keyes, a bright and fierce woman, surviving on sheer wit and business smarts alone. Running a small business in a tourist-town in England, Lorelai and Adele are not without their issues-- struggling to stay afloat and fight the ever-growing threat of poverty, their only real relief is found in each other. But everything they know changes with the arrival of a mysterious yet enchanting woman, whose arrival is only the start of much darker things to come.

Throughout their trials and suffering, Lorelai and Adele have only one constant-- their love for one another. Rae Knowles and April Yates left me on the edge of my seat, fully enraptured in the story, as I desperately wondered if that would be enough to see the couple safely through the end of their journey.

Though it's marked as horror, this novel can also be described as a vividly weaved dialogue and exploration of humanity, and all that it encompasses. Rae Knowles and April Yates take to this novel and explore themes of poverty, classism, homophobia (even when it's disguised as acceptance), inter-relationship communication, relationships, and love. Despite the fact that this book incorporates elements of fantasy with its horror, this book is more human and real than I can describe. It depicts not perfect characters, but real human people who make mistakes, who act rashly, and who forgive one another. Lorelai and Adele's relationship is made obvious to the reader as a toxic, dying thing, and it will take a catalyst to force these two women to find themselves, and each other, again. While at the beginning their relationship has its rough spots and issues, Lorelai and Adele are able to love and accept one another, unconditionally, by the end of it.

Personally, I was floored by the angst in this book and the worry over the well-being of the characters. With the way they're written, so humanely and not a bit fictitious (or perfect, without flaws, as characters tend to be), these characters are so easy to relate to. I think another reviewer made the comment that the authors created characters so human that readers can relate to them in situations they've never experienced themselves. This struck true for me. For many situations I myself have never been in, I was able to understand the complex, double-edged feelings of the characters. For me, that's a really rare experience.

For the first couple of chapters, I was a little discouraged and worried I wouldn't enjoy this book as much as I initially thought, but Rae Knowles and April Yates do not disappoint in their delivery of this book. I was completely ensconced by the storyline. I barely put it down. The sex, the plot, the angst, the larger commentary --all of it-- was delivered with expertise.

Make no mistake: read the content warnings before beginning. This book features an informative and elaborate commentary on the difference between brutality and kink, but they did so graphically. If you're sensitive to topics of sexual violence (including dub-con and rape), self-harm, or abuse, please be cautious when reading.

I'd also like to give a personal heads-up for the loose presence of the miscommunication trope.

Anyways, happy reading to all!

This book was not for me and I blame myself for not reading the content warnings first.
Beautifully written though, I would recommend to anyone who is interested in this genre.

I love a messy queer relationship and Rae Knowles certainly knows how to deliver in that department. The story took a number of turns that I wasn't expecting, and the conspiracy unraveling throughout the book was complemented by the fascinatingly complex characters. Also, I'm a sucker for anything spiritualism related.

Not what i was expecting. I initially was interested in the plot of them running a sham business. The first chapter being very interesting but then it just didn’t work for me after that. I agree this should be marketed as erotica because what did i just read?

This is one deliciously sexy, intense, graphic, dark, horror romance. It was full of twists and turns and played all.of it's cards real close to the chest. This is a story that took its time revealing its layers.

What started a subtly paranormal simple story of 2 young women going through the tests and struggles of a wlw relationship slowly morphed into a cultlike, bloody, horrifying adventure. It was never what I expected and all the better for it.

From unexpected connections to a very intricately and well built web of secrets. These characters were always engaging, and rarely predictable.

Please be aware of your tw's this book was very descriptive, and very graphic. Keep your mental health in mind and make sure you're ready for this one.

The one thing I struggled with, which is just a trope I'm mot good at comprehending, was the swapping of the character voices with both in first person. I often had to slow down and back track to keep up with which character was talking. But that's mostly my brain struggling with it and not as much a note about the authors or their story.

I will not forget this book anytime soon.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
CW: Domestic Abuse, Sexual Assault, Rape, Partner violence

This book is not marketed correctly at all. It's basically just sex scenes with a little but of plot, which is not what I wanted nor expected. The themes were INSANELY dark and this is not mentioned anywhere in the description. A large part of the book is graphic descriptions of sexual assault and abuse. While these were mentioned in the beginning as content warnings, more detail should have gone into specifying that those things are not just part of a backstory and that they are 99% of the book. Furthermore, I have to say, I found a hard time seeing how most of the sex scenes were important to the plot, especially the ones that so explicitly detailed rape. Personally, I think a lot of those scenes should either be cut and more added to the actual plot OR this book should be remarketed. Please add more SPECIFIC content warnings and let people know what they are getting into!! As a final note, the sex being the main point made it so that you didn't know that much about the plot or the characters beyond it.

This book was definitely not for me. I think this would find more success being marketed as erotica because I had no idea what I was getting into.

Oh the adventures of Lorelei and Adele! Great and interesting characters that kept me invested in the story. Parts of this were very intense and hard to read at times but it was so satisfying. Some cool twists and the horror elements were cool. Definitely a fun read I would love to spend more time with these characters again sometime and see what other shenanigans they’ve gotten themselves into!

Summary: Running a sham seance business is all fun and games until Viola shows up, pulling Lorelei and Adele into a transatlantic voyage filled with treacherous seas and even more treacherous secrets. As power dynamics and dark pasts come to light, the couple must navigate the stormy waters of their relationship and decipher Viola's true intentions.


Pros:
🌟 Four stars for this great book that dives into the genre of erotic sapphic horror – a niche subgenre that's like a thrilling rollercoaster ride with a touch of spice.

😱 Dark and graphic, this tale isn't for the faint of heart. It's more chilling than a ghost story told by candlelight, and I'm here for it!

🌶️ Lots of spice! The book turns up the heat with scenes that are as sizzling as a cauldron of enchanted chili peppers.

Cons:
🧛‍♀️ While the spice is abundant, the plot and characterization take a back seat, almost like they're secondary to the saucy elements. It's like a horror movie where the monsters are more memorable than the plot twists.

😬 If graphic depictions of sex and violence make you uneasy, this might be a book best enjoyed with a strong cup of tea.


📚 In conclusion, "Lies That Bind" is a journey into the dark and spicy side of sapphic horror. Rae Knowles and April Yates, you've crafted a tale that's more captivating than a haunted seance. Bravo! 🔮📚

Disclaimer: A mystical thank you to NetGalley and Brigids Gate Press for this eARC. All opinions are as uniquely mine as a ghost's fingerprint on a crystal ball. 👻📚