Title: This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska

Release Date: September, 10th, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars

Firstly, can we appreciate how stunning this cover is? And a fairytale retelling?! Sign me up any day!

Alicia Jasinska's This Fatal Kiss is a delightful escape into a whimsical fantasy world brimming with dark magic, Eastern European folklore, and a refreshingly flirty, polyamorous romance that is quite unique.

Gisela, a water nymph cursed to haunt the river where she drowned, longs to return to the living world and reunite with her family. The key to regaining her humanity is a kiss from a mortal, but she is seen as a monster by those she encounters.

Enter Kazik, a brooding spirit-hunter and grandson of a local witch, who is determined to exorcise unholy creatures like Gisela. When his attempt to banish her fails, they strike an uneasy deal: Gisela won't reveal his waning magic if he helps her find a kiss. Yes….. a kiss!

Complications arise when both Gisela and Kazik fall for the same charming young man, who may hold secrets tied to Gisela’s past.

What I Loved:

* Stunning Cover: The cover is absolutely gorgeous and perfectly captures the enchanting and magical feel of the story.

* Fairytale Vibes: The book is a beautifully crafted modern fairytale that hits all the right notes for fans of magical and whimsical stories.

* Polyamorous Romance: The polyamorous relationship at the center of the story felt very organic. The characters' introspection and exploration of their feelings were realistic and handled with care, making the romance deeply engaging. I will be honest, I wasn’t sure and how this would be pulled off but Alicia did a great job at making it feel realistic.

* Eastern European Folklore: The infusion of Slavic folklore and creatures added a rich and unique cultural layer to the narrative, making it both cozy and fascinating. I’m all for folklore, myths etc. So any stories containing this, I will be nose deep in.

* Lovable Characters: Gisela, Kazik, and the other characters are well-developed and endearing, each bringing their own charm and depth to the story.

* Magical Setting: The magical spa town and the spirit world are vividly described, creating an immersive setting that draws you in from the first page. It was also very easy to follow through.

* Slow-Burn Romance: The slow-burn romance was exquisitely done, building tension and connection in a way that was both satisfying and heartwarming. I could feel it from every page.

This Fatal Kiss is a gorgeously cozy urban fantasy that weaves together love, magic, and folklore into a captivating tale. Alicia Jasinska has crafted a story that not only enchants with its magical setting and lovable characters but also challenges and redefines romance in a beautifully inclusive way.

This is a must-read for fans of queer romantasy and anyone looking for a heartwarming fairytale with a twist.


Thank you to The Publisher Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Peachtree Teen ,The Author Alicia Jasinska & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

A cozy fantasy with Slavic folklore and a polyamorous romance that feels like a Studio Ghibli movie? Sign me up. I’ve been eyeing Alicia Jasinska’s books for some time now, but this ARC is my first book from her and it did not disappoint!

Gisela’s a water nymph who longs to be human, so she needs a kiss from a mortal in order to be one and return to her mortal life. After Aleksey rescues her from Kazik’s trap, Gisela enlists Kazik, an exorcist who’s supposed to get rid of her, to help her get a kiss from Aleksey. Except Aleksey has secrets of his own, too.

I loved how whimsically chaotic this was. It definitely was the vibes. The atmosphere, the characters, and the writing were just right. A lot of the other reviews appreciated the ambiguity of the setting and time, and I have to agree. I feel like it allowed the reader to give their full attention to the characters and their development and relationship with each other. I’m not too sure if there will be a sequel, but that ending was clearly hinting at one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Holiday House for the ARC! :>

thanks to netgalley & peachtree teen for the free earc in exchange for a fair and honest review!

i was first exposed to alicia jasinska through the form of the midnight girls, which i enjoyed, but wasn't entirely blown away by. this book, however, really encapsulates how much jasinska has improved as a writer and as a world builder.
aleksey, kazik, and gisela are all their own very different characters, and while i think this book would have benefitted from more character building - a longer version of this book would honestly have helped - the characters were incredible nonetheless. i do hope jasinska is planning a sequel, though - that epilogue felt incomplete.
overall, read this if you like fantasy, polyamory, "why choose?" romance, and good character development.

This was about everything I hoped for. It has a great balance between fantasy and romance, and both aspects were executed perfectly.

The worldbuilding is based on Slavic folklore, which provides a refreshing change from those based on Western culture. The atmospheric descriptions brought me to a whole different place, both in the scenes underwater and those set in Leśna Woda, the local spa town.
My only criticism is that is very vague what time period this is based on. It feels historic, medieval or even older, but then it mentions the bus and other more modern concepts, which threw me off a little.

The characters are compelling and they have quite a lot of witty banter and other fun interactions. There is an enemies-to-lovers plotline, which is a trope I don't gravitate towards, but I quite liked it here. For me it helped that they agreed to help each other, meaning they stopped counteracting each other quite early on, and seeing Kazik struggle with his conflicted feelings was rather entertaining. Last, but not least, they are in a complete love triangle, and not just a "love angle", making this an absolute win for the bisexuals.

I enjoyed this one! I'm on a kick of YA queer stories and this slotted in nicely. However, it didn't feel as polyamorous as it was pitched as initially, it felt more like a couple and the guy they both like, which is valid! But I was expecting solid throuple territory and I didn't quite get that. It was still very cute and very, very fun and witty and banter-y! I love Polish folklore, I love that Gisela had all her other rusalka friends around her and they weren't seen as bad or dangerous to most of the town.

The one thing I didn't love as much was the ending. I'm notorious for not liking an open ending in a standalone book, I want to wrap up a character's storyline by the end unless there's a sequel, and I've not seen anything about this getting a sequel? If it does I'll read it of course, I need to finish with our characters! But as it is, it felt a but unsatisfying at the end because we left on a "will they get to Aleksey? Who knows!" storyline and I would've preferred another two chapters or so closing it out. Or, a sequel announcement??? (hint hint)

This took me a moment to get into, but once I did it wound up being an easy read that was pretty entertaining. The concept was great and I loved the slavic folklore, it’s not something I see written about very often but this book still made it very easy to understand.

I also liked how easy this book was to understand but I will say it did have a very ya feel to it which may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Despite that I actually enjoyed that since it made it very easy to keep reading.

In terms of characters and romance, there were definitely two main characters who stood out over the other one. Gisela and Kazik read different from typical ya characters so I found them to be refreshing. Their relationship was also nicely developed in a way that felt realistic and even though some of the dialogue could border on cringe at times, I really enjoyed their banter. Aleksey however was a bit weaker; his character seemed interesting and he had some good moments but there was never enough of him to make me feel as invested as I did with the other two. I had similar feelings in regard to his relationship with Gisela and Kazik, it had potential but I would have liked to see more development between him and both of them because I definitely cared for the other two more.

Another thing that could have used more development was certain things in terms of world building. There were some parts of the story where it seemed to take place in an older setting, but then there were modern inventions. Trying to figure out what time we were in and trying to go back and remember other details about it could be distracting and I think the story could use some clarification on the time period.

Overall, this was an entertaining read even though there were some things that kept me from being completely invested. Judging by the ending of this book I’m assuming there will be a sequel, which I hope there is because I’m curious to see how some things will hopefully wrap up.

~Rating: ★ ★ ★ ✰ ✰.25~

I would round this up to 3.5- I'm not sure what I was expecting going into this book. I think reading the synopsis I felt that it would be a bit on the older end of YA, but it felt quite young. As far as the polyamory aspect, it didn't quite translate for me and felt a bit more like a love triangle instead.
The plot was fun and interesting, the idea of a water spirit working with an exorcist to become mortal again was very unique and interesting! I liked Gisela the FMC a lot! She was so fun and flirty and honestly hilarious- the banter was on point for sure. The author did a great job of conveying our three main characters' different personalities. The slavic folklore aspects with the different spirits and world building was super engaging and I liked that the time period was ambiguous. It was only when the characters used Zillenial slang that I even thought about when the book would have been set!
Overall I think the world building and storyline were interesting and engaging and this novel would be perfect for someone who enjoys reading very YA books!

Thank you NetGalley for this e-arc!
3.5 stars

this fatal kiss gives us a story filled with intriguing slavic folklore. gisela is an entertaining mc who is doing her absolute best to return to the human world. her family bond with the nymphs and water goblin was heartwarming to see and i liked that in the end they supported her decision.

the lgbtq+ representation was done well and the polyamory relationship was interesting to see. i do wish the relationship between the three mcs was fleshed out more, but i also understand it was due to the plot.

the writing was descriptive and gave us a good insight into slavic folklore by describing what they were.

kazik is a cute mc but i’m more interested in aleksey and what is going to happen to him.
at times the story felt a bit too ya for my liking and i wished it was more serious, but the final third of the book picked up more serious/creepy tones. i do wish some parts were fleshed out more. specifically when the three of them are working together to return domek. it was more tell and not show and thought that was a missed opportunity to show some growth between the three mcs.

i enjoyed kazik and gisela’s romance more than gisela/aleksey and kazik/aleksey. kazik/gisela just felt more explored.
the ending felt a bit rushed and wish we had one more chapter before the epilogue.

all in all, this was a solid 3.5 stars for me, offering a unique insight into the world of slavic folklore.

3.5 stars

Gisela, a water nymph yearning to return to her human life for the sake of her family, faces a challenge: to regain her humanity, she needs a kiss from a mortal. Enter Kazik, a spirit hunter determined to rid the world of creatures like Gisela. Despite their opposing natures, a twist of fate forces them into an unlikely alliance. Gisela discovers Kazik's secret—he's losing his magic—and strikes a deal: she will keep his secret if he helps her getting a kiss from a mysterious mortal that she encounters. As Kazik takes on the role of matchmaker, their plan is fraught with unexpected complications. Old wounds and hidden, threatening their fragile partnership and forcing them to confront pasts events. Will they succeed in their quest, or will their haunting histories doom their plan?

The characters were refreshingly original. In most retellings or mythologies, nymphs typically play side roles, so it was enjoyable to see them featured more prominently in this book. Their unique powers were intriguing. Despite the detailed descriptions of their personalities and traits, there was a lack of vivid visual portrayal. This was disappointing, given the immersive nature of their world. As for the world-building it was well-executed, at times, with information revealed gradually throughout the story. I just wished for more detail again because, like the characters, the world was unique, and I could envision our reality with some fantastical elements.

As we follow the characters, it was so easy to love them; they were engaging and funny. The author did a great job immersing me in their dynamic. From enemies to friends and eventually lovers, their development was captivating. Regardless of the stage of their relationship, the banter, quirky responses, and humorous comments were a thrill to read. You could feel their progression, their struggles, and the stakes of their goals. However, despite the high stakes (life and death matter) they didn't seem to fully grasp the gravity of their quest, which could have been resolved sooner as many hints suggested.
I appreciated the polyamorous relationships, LGBTQ+ representation, and how these subjects were handled. The mindset, the confusion, I truly felt emotions towards them. It’s rare for me to read about these topics, but the author did an excellent job, and I’ll gladly read more of it.

"𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯."

At times, the story was predictable, with clues conveniently appearing at just the right moment, or descriptions suggesting significance but never being followed up on, which was unfortunate. Plus, the excessive repetition led me to skim through some parts that felt like I already read about. Despite these issues, it was enjoyable. It was a cozy urban fantasy with some elements of Slavic folklore and definitely an easy read.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book! I had a great time and really enjoyed it.
I honestly wasn't expecting to really love this book but it completly surprised me!
I thought the tone would be a lot more serious but it ended up being very funny, I read it in one afternoon and had a great time.

This Fatal Kiss is about a slavic water nymph called Gisela who makes a deal with a stuffy, uptight exorcist (who hates her) to help her kiss her crush so that she can become human again and return to her family. The only problem, her crush seems more interested in hanging out with both of them, together, then kissing Gisela and he might even be hiding a secret of his own.

This was honestly such a great time, I haven't read a lot of cozy fantasy but it's starting to become one of my favourite genres.
I really loved the dynamic between all the characters (especially Gisela and Kazik), their banter literally had me laughing out loud. I also really loved the magic system/worldbuilding, the mix of religion and magic is one of my favourite themes in books and I enjoy magical/inhuman people who don't act human and have their own sort of twisted morals.

The book felt well plotted, there was never any time that I was bored by a lack of action/plot and the progression of the relationships felt natural. I wasn't sure at first if it was going to be polyamorus because the blurb was a little vague and it kind of had love triangle vibes with the many jealous comments, but it pulled through in the end and their relationship was very cute.

The final chapters of the book had quite a bit of action, though the stakes didn't feel very high (which I prefer in cozy fantasy) but the actual ending was kind of vague and felt slightly unfinished. I hope this means there will be a sequel, but there weren't any loose ends to tie up so it could go either way.

I definitely recommend this book if you like more relaxed fantasy (it felt a little bit like romantasy, but with more plot) and cute, realistic relationships between awkward teens (+ some sweet found family between dead nymphs and their weird pseudo-dad goblin).


My review on storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/cc9703e6-cc8d-439f-acb9-0b7f2afff0b8

thank you for alicia jasinska and netgalley for the arc for this book! this is a very cute ya romantasy read perfect for the pride month!

this story follows gisela, a water nymph who desperately wants to be a human again, but for that she needs a human who loves her to kiss her. she allies with an exorcist for him to be her wing-man so she can get the guy. But kazik the exorcist also has a thing for the guy. And the guy kinda likes them both and might have something to do with how gisela ended up as a water nymph?

Loved
- the mythology
- the lgbtq rep <3
- the story and the idea
- names were cute <3
- the main three characters

Didn't like
- the formatting
- the plot : i think this was too ya for me and many parts could have been edited shorter.
- the writing : this doesn't feel like a finished book, rather it feels like a first draft were all the ideas are awesome i have to give it that but where show don't tell was so forgotten the whole way. some one here said it very good that some parts it felt so much as over explaining things that i already had realised from context clues but then it was again written out. Also: fair warning, this is very ya, and the characters seem to be pretty black and white in their believes and how the story works at first.

I would have loved more polyamory vibe, now i feel we had so many promises what could have been and then it was the end :( i wanted to see them all have a hea.

3,5 stars, pretty enjoyable but would have benefitted from more editing.

Alicia Jasinska is writing some of the only YA I enjoy reading these days and I hope she never stops.

Her debut, The Dark Tide, was fun and fresh and held lots of promise. The Midnight Girls was (and is) my favorite by her-- so joyful and lovingly written. This Fatal Kiss has some of her strongest characters, the best world building, and most complex main relationship so far, and it's a blast to read.

The dynamic between Gisela and Kazik was believable and well-developed, and it had a really good arc from rivalry/annoyanceship to romance that was fun to watch. Gisela and Aleksey's relationship was more generic but still a solid sweet romance. I absolutely loved the way Aleksey thought about Kazik in his inner monologue-- a very accurate depiction of intense, involuntary infatuation.

My favorite elements were the family bonds between all the water nymphs and how Jasinska portrays Kazik's (catholic) guilt over falling for a demon that was a really good way to portray religious & social trauma's LGBTQ people face while building a world of magical realism where real-world homophobia is more or less absent.

If you're going to pick up a fantasy YA, let it be written by Jasinska! You won't regret it!

Thank you to NetGalley and PeachTree Teen for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

4⭐️

**ARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

To be honest, this was way more interesting than I expected. The concept was unlike anything I've read before, and the writing was surprisingly poetic and immersive. It wasn't exceedingly descriptive. In fact, it was quite fast to read.

It started to turn a little grim and creepy about halfway through, but not too much.

Maybe it wasn't my cup of tea, but I have to admit that it was a good read. The characters were cute, and, like I said, the vibes were immaculate. It kind of reminded me of Spirited Away and The Little Mermaid. I had a wonderful time reading it. Although, the ending left me wondering... is this the start of a series?

I'm such a sucker for fairy tales and this hit all the right spots for me!

The romance was a little predictable but enjoyably so. I could tell who was paired off with each other but I enjoyed watching them slowly fall for each other. (p.s. there's an enemy to lovers trope that is <i>delectable!!</i>) As this is targeted for YA audiences, the romance doesn't get any more heated than a kiss, which feels appropriate story-wise too.

The writing was great and I have no complaints. The pacing felt a little slow at first, but my interest increased immensely as I got further in. Each of the characters were interesting to learn about and I really liked them by the end. The ending was so good, I hope this author writes a sequel! According to the beginning, it is based on Slavic folklore, which I knew nothing about until I started reading this. The trigger warnings and pronunciation guide were also handy and I appreciated them.

This book was so fun to read! I need to pick up a copy as soon as this comes out!

* Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I really enjoyed the characters in this book (including the minor ones), but I felt that the setting (though interesting) could have been established better, and that the pace of the plot was a little off. I was provided with an advanced copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun read!

The shorter chapters and three POVs helped make the story quick to read, and it was easy to get sucked into the world. I loved the variety of spirits and supernatural creatures seen throughout, the way they interacted with each other (especially the sisterly bonds of all the water nymphs), and how they fit within the mortal world.

The characters were also really well crafted and interesting. Kazik struggles with his faith and desire for community while finding it impossible to fit in because of his magic and calling to protect humans from spirits. Gisela struggles with selfishly pursuing her own ends, but is motivated to do so by the desire to return to her life as the selfless sister who dedicated her whole life to caring for her little brother. And Aleksey... ooh, boy, the struggle with his darker side was so juicy. I appreciated how well everything was laid out with his situation - I called elements of it VERY early on, which is a testament to how effective the hints and foreshadowing were.

And the romance between the three of them? So fun, and tense, and confusing for everyone involved.

I also loved how queer this book is. Gisela, Kazik, and Aleksey are all attracted to multiple genders, one of the water nymphs is trans, and several are lesbians. While the world isn't queer normative, there's minimal presentation of queerphobia in the text.

I have only two tiny complaints. Some queer rep was a little too ambiguous. I recognize that the characters maybe wouldn't have the language available that we do today, but it's quite unclear what Gisela and Yulia's gender identities actually are. Both express a sense of not being female, and I believe Gisela specifically commented about not feeling male, either, but use she/her pronouns and use feminine-coded language. And while I say that might be a symptom of the time period, I really can't be sure because I don't know what era this is? Buses and landlines phones exist, but there's no clear indication of what decade this book is set in.

Overall, however, this was an excellent read! Looking forward to seeing more of these characters in the future, if that ending is any indication.

Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for the ARC!

In the small spa town of Lesna Woda, it's Green Week once again. It's the time of year when the living leaves offerings to the spirits in the hope of keeping themselves safe. Gisela, a water nymph, is trying to claim a kiss so she can return to the living. In her way is the town exorcist, Kazik. When he finally has the chance to exorcise her his powers fail, thus giving her a chance to strike a deal. Help her get a kiss. As it turns out Kazik also has a crush on the guy she has sights on!

The interactions between Gisela and Kazik are fun and snappy, they’re such joys to read! Gisela also has a bit of a mystery to her. She doesn’t remember how she died, and that hook kept me going. Kazik getting flustered all the time is very funny to me. Boy, you are 18! You should be in the club! The last part of the triangle is Aleksey… well he’s alright. I can’t really say much. He does have some very good moments! Overall, I think they’re a very cute triangle!

I enjoyed my time reading this book, and from how it ended looks like we might get more!

Thank you Peachtree Teen and Netgalley for providing this ARC!

This Fatal Kiss was an interesting and moody read. Gisela and Kazik are compelling characters who you want to read more about and understand. Gisela's banter in the book is very funny, while Kazik remarks on a lot of feelings and experiences many people can relate to. The plot is focused on Gisela trying to become human again with the romance playing into that happening. I think the plot started off quickly with the confrontation between these characters, but it did lose some steam in the middle with the ending happening very quickly. Overall, it was a good book, but it was just missing something for me to feel really invested. I wish the stakes felt higher within the love triangle, and that the world building was a bit more clear.

3.5/5

Excuse me while I'm busy having feelings. This queer book with an ACTUAL poly love triangle is so good. It was everything my queer soul needs. I laughed I cried I screamed and trembled.

OMG??! I love this book so much. The writing captured my attention, it's easy to read and very interesting. I feel like I'm in a Studio Ghibli world, the characters have a special place in my heart. Kazik and Gisela's banters are so funny. Even Gisela and Wojciech's interaction. I would never forget the line, "my sweet, deranged summer child" (pls my humor is broken). I read a similar folklore before and it helped that I'm a little familiar with the terms. Though I still love the explanation for each spirits.

The way they just accept everyone's gender is what I love the most. The misconception of being bisexual was also handled properly. Can we all just be this understanding and open in real life?

If you like found family, mystical creatures, and polyamorous love story, this book is for you. And please tell me there's book 2 because you can't just end this like that.

rating this 4.5 stars