But Not Too Bold is more mystery than horror or monster romance and yet monster mommy could be pretty scary at times. This novella is a master class in tension and I'm very glad I got to experience it.

You should read this books if:
• you believe spiders are friends and not foes, AND
• you value quality over quantity, OR
• you enjoy unconventional pairings.

I'm looking forward to reading whatever Hache Pueyo comes up with next!

*Thank you to Tor for providing me an e-ARC of this book.*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy for review, in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Review: The synopsis of this sounded really interesting. However, I have tried multiple times now to read it and I just get so confused. I think this might be a me problem. I think But Not Too Bold struggles with a similar "problem," of other horror novellas where they try to pack in so many thoughts within a smaller amount of pages that it's difficult for me to follow. I do think readers who traditionally love more thought provoking short stories will enjoy this creepy novella!

I am a hard sell on a novella but I found this one to be absolutely delightful. The writing style has a quality that really drew me in and made me feel like I was reading a darker faery tale but for adults in the best way. Hache Pueyo is now an author I cannot wait to read more from after she broke my track record of only 4 star novellas and captured me from her very first sentence in this work.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

But Not Too Bold is such a unique, gothic, sapphic monster romance that instantly caught my eye. The atmosphere is wonderfully eerie, and Anatema—makes for an unforgettable (and unsettling) character.

I really appreciated the haunting setting and the idea of locking and unlocking memories, which gave the story a dark fairy-tale feel. But despite the beautiful writing and originality, I struggled to fully connect with the characters and found the pacing uneven. The novella felt too short to deeply explore the romance or mystery, so I finished it wanting more depth and tension.

Overall, it’s an imaginative and gothic little tale that monster romance fans might enjoy—but for me, it landed as an interesting but ultimately just-okay read.

I was enchanted by this novella. It’s dreamy and uneasy all at once.

There’s a mystery, but even though I was invested on finding out the solution, it was the world building that kept me reading. A truly unique story and voice. Recommended!

Gothic horror meets sapphic monster romance …. Um say less. This was fantastically written and such an interesting genre bend.

Such an incredible novella. I had a fantastic time reading But Not Too Bold. A perfectly gothic romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback. This novella flew by. The characters were strangely charming. Hard to come up with comp titles, it was unique and fun.

I was not expecting this monster romance to be as sweet and cozy as it ended up being. I liked the writing and how the mystery was revealed.

I really enjoyed this sapphic monster romance! Thank you so, so much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this title!

Blurb:
The Shape of Water meets Mexican Gothic in this sapphic monster romance novella wrapped in gothic fantasy trappings

The old keeper of the keys is dead, and the creature who ate her is the volatile Lady of the Capricious House⁠—Anatema, an enormous humanoid spider with a taste for laudanum and human brides.

Dália, the old keeper’s protégée, must take up her duties, locking and unlocking the little drawers in which Anatema keeps her memories. And if she can unravel the crime that led to her predecessor's execution, Dália might just be able to survive long enough to grow into her new role.

But there’s a gaping hole in Dália’s plan that she refuses to see: Anatema cannot resist a beautiful woman, and she eventually devours every single bride that crosses her path.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but this definitely wasn't how I saw it going. I'm not mad about it, though. I didn't realize I'd be reading a creepy love story, but I enjoyed it a lot. The author was very creative in her writing of this story. If you like weird books that are queen coded and sort of horror. then this one is for you. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

But Not Too Bold starts with Dália becoming the Keeper of the Keys of the Capricious House. BUT the mistress of this house just happens to be a massive spider lady named Anatema. Anatema requests Dália’s help to solve a mystery, leading to the two spending a lot of time together.

I went into this expecting a monster romance, but it was actually a monster love story. I was truly invested in the mystery and in the romance. With this book being under 100 pages, I do wish it was longer, but I can’t complain because it’s such a short and sweet read. I would love to have learned more about the Archaic Ones, but it has kept me wondering about them for days after finishing this book.

I’d highly recommend this as an intro to true monster romance or, honestly, for anyone looking for a quick fantasy-horror read.

Sapphic monster romance meets gothic horror?!! This was so good!!

This is a short one so I won’t say too much! We follow Dalia who is a young woman becoming the new Keeper of the Keys after her predecessor was eaten by the Lady of Capricious House. But Dalia isn’t afraid, even after being tasked with finding the thief or be eaten herself - she was raised for this after all. While trying to solve the mystery Dalia and Lady of Capricious House’s relationship starts to change. The question is will this end in a happily ever after or death?

Hache Pueyo blurred some genre line with this one, merging gothic horror and sapphic monster romance BUT throwing in a dash of mystery!! And their writing style was so captivating.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

The cover of this is so bold! The colors and the imagery is just 🧑‍🍳 💋

The story itself was so eerie and suspenseful. I was locked in for some answers and loved the visuals that seemed quirky but lovely. Looking forward to discussing with a friend.

Not gonna lie this book sucked me in just from the cover alone, but it’s also good to see that the contents within the book was as equally lush and entertaining. I will definitely keep a lookout for this author.

Thank you to @tordotcompublishing for the beautiful #gifted copy of
But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo. And to @netgalley for gifted the digital copy.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🖤 Gothic Romance Meets Monstrous Intrigue 🖤

This book was such an unexpected delight! It might sound strange to call a gothic monster romance pleasant, but I truly didn’t know what to expect—and I was completely captivated. The story felt fresh, the atmosphere was deliciously eerie, and the characters were so richly developed.

Anatema stole the show for me. The way she creates intricate models in memory of each of her brides? Hauntingly beautiful. She’s both terrifying and oddly endearing, which makes her dynamic with Dália even more mesmerizing. And Dália’s innocent oblivion to her own allure—and its effect on Anatema—was so well done.

Oh, and if you have arachnophobia, consider this your official warning: this book has its fair share of creepy (crawly)moments that had me on edge!

But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo is a strange and atmospheric read. I loved the visuals of the novella – tea made from poppies, Dalmatians roaming, colourful tarantulas. I look forward to reading it again and spending more time in this eerie world. Altogether 4.5 rounding up to 5. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing me an eARC to this fantastic book!

The suspense was amazing, I never quite knew what to expect here. The back and forth where you're wondering if our protagonist is going to be eaten was delightful and the questions of who deserves respect and humanity, and how do we care for outcasts within our community was dealt with really well. I'm always a fan of books with the premise that everyone is deserving of love.

This Sapphic monster romance will pull at readers' heartstrings and leave them wishing for more. I will recommend this to anyone who enjoys gothic horror and romance!

5 out of 5 stars

What did I just read? No, seriously-what was that? This book is weird in the best possible way. Imagine if gothic horror, sapphic yearning, and fever-dream fairy tales had a love child, then set it loose inside a haunted mansion where the mistress of the house is a literal spider-woman who may or may not eat people. The writing? Absolutely top-tier. Every sentence drips with eerie beauty, wrapping around you like silk before sinking its fangs in.
It's unsettling, hypnotic, and unlike anything else l've ever read. If you want something deliciously strange, this is it.
But fair warning-if spiders make your skin crawl, this book might not be your cup of tea. There are a lot of them. Crawling around. Being eaten. You've been warned.
Verdict: If you like eerie, poetic horror, monster romance, and books that feel like waking up from a dream you almost understood-this one's for you.