A darkly atmospheric psychological horror romance that will have you doubting reality.

University science student, Sydney, is accepted to a mysterious foundation that researches deep in the wilderness of Western Canada. As soon as she steps off the private plane, strange things start to happen.

The description of the plants, wilderness and animals are amazing. I used to live in BC, and felt like I was right back in the nature of Whistler. Karina did a great job of building the tension and the horror.

The pacing lagged a bit in the middle for me with more mystery and not enough answers. The ending was a bit too complicated to wrap up and I didn't believe the romance.

🍄 Unreliable narrator
🍄 Mushroom puns
🍄 Undead forest creatures
🍄 Forest isolation
🍄 The trees have eyes (maybe literally)

Thank you to NetGalley and Metal Blonde Books for the ARC.

This book is best read on your lovers boat, while eating mushrooms.

4.5 stars

I feel like I’ve seen this book everywhere lately and it absolutely lived up to the hype! I went into it having no idea what to expect and I definitely think that’s the way to go. I’ll try not to give anything away, but I will say that it’s the perfect spooky romantic thriller for this time of year. The dark atmosphere & creepy vibes were *chef’s kiss*. I really had no idea where things were going, what was real, or who to trust. This will mess with your head and you’ll never look at fungi the same way again.

There were parts that genuinely had me spooked and twists that I never would have guessed. Also, a woman in stem MC never misses. For the dark romance girlies, we have a protective and obsessive MMC who delivers the spice (with kinks). I’ve read a couple of Karina’s other books and enjoyed them, but this especially has me wanting to dive into her backlog.

Thank you to Metal Blonde Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars!

THIS ONE WAS CRAZY!!!!!!!!!

I recommend going into this psychological thriller with as little information as possible! Karina Hall did a phenomenal job with this one - I am so impressed and would highly recommend folks who love solving mysterious mind fucks add this to your TBR immediately.

The way this book discusses neurodivergence and ADHD hit home for me along with the focus on mushrooms, of which I am a fan of all varieties ;)

I'll admit that the romance was a bit off-putting at first, but as the story continued I had a deeper appreciation for the relationship that unfolded.

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and Metal Blonde Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. I would love to read more from the author.

I have read Karina Halle stories in the past and enjoyed them, but something about this particular book felt stilted and a tad juvenile. Ultimately, I DNF'd around the 20% mark.

I gave this 3.5 stars! I enjoyed the way this book was written! Very atmospheric. The cover is also gorgeous and will look excellent alongside others in the genre when it’s released in paperback.

I went into this book blind and it turned out very differently than I expected.

Sydney has been expelled from college for sleeping with her professor. She’s been accepted into this prestigious research program in a romper forest to help find a cure for Alzheimer’s. Once there her mind starts playing tricks on her and she doesn’t know who to trust and that includes herself.

Parts of the book really drug on but other parts kept me on the edge of my seat. It did have some fun twists and turns and the storyline was very original and detailed. I was just expecting more romance. It was just very different from books I normally read not saying that’s a bad thing

4,5 stars. A perfect fall read that kept me hooked from the beginning to the very end. I keep this review purposefully vague and short, because I don't want to accidentally spoil something. And in my opinion, the less you know going into Grave Matter the better.

The atmosphere and overall feel of the book: it was eerie and at times also creepy, but that's what made me fall in love with the book even more.

It was also made very well from psychological aspect. It kept me questioning what was real and what wasn't. Plus I didn't know at all who was telling the truth and who wasn't.

The plot twist was great. I did not expect that all.

And the spice. It was very well written, and in my opinion there was enough of it.

I really hope a lot more people find this book and like it as much as I do.

I was captured by this story as soon as I started! I love Karina Halle’s writing style. She described these graphic scenes in such a vivid way and I just love when someone’s writing can create the image so clearly.

I would dive into this book blind and just rolllll with it. It’s suspenseful and creepy and you won’t be able to put the book down!

I ran to request this book because I have seen so many people talking about it. It absolutely blew me away!! When I tell you I could NOT STOP READING!! OMG!
This gothic paranormal romance was haunting, suspenseful, spicy, and so exhilarating! I loved the sci-fi aspects and atmospheric setting. Everything about it was just right up my alley as a reader. Blending gothic themes with modern mycology was genius! Shoutout to the author for all of the amazing research she put into this book. The way she created such a fascinating world surrounding fungi was incredible. This is a story that I recommend going into blind, so I’m not going to give too much away. All I can say is, hold on for the ride!!!

Grave Matter by Karina Halle was a captivating surprise from start to finish. The storyline hooked me right away, with just the right touch of "spice," which was a bit outside my usual reading tastes but a welcome change—especially after my first Splatterpunk novel gave me one too many nightmares. Grave Matter offered the perfect blend of intrigue, suspense, and well-timed “spice.”

Halle skillfully weaves dark romance, horror, and sci-fi into a seamless, unpredictable mix. I genuinely had no idea where this story was headed, and that uncertainty made each turn even more thrilling. Sydney’s character was beautifully written, especially her experiences with ADHD (a struggle I understand all too well) and her life-changing loss of her grandmother to Alzheimer’s. Her journey was a true roller coaster, with each challenge peeling back layers and hinting at something deeper beneath her experiences. Although I didn’t expect to enjoy the “spicy” scenes between Sydney and Dr. Kincaid, they felt undeniably well-crafted and essential to her story. Halle has a knack for knowing just how much “spice” is the right amount.

As a fan of inescapable island settings, Grave Matter didn’t disappoint. Vancouver Island, with its eerie weather and stormy backdrop, almost became a character itself, heightening the story’s sense of danger and suspense. Overall, this book was expertly crafted. Though I may not venture far down the “spice” trail again, Grave Matter left me with a new appreciation for how seamlessly different genres can come together to create something truly memorable.

A dark romance with a horror/thriller aspect to it, loved it. You are brought into a rollercoaster of emotions and trying to wrap about what could be happening within the plot. The author did such as amazing job with keeping us all on our toes!

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the eARC.

Wow, I was not expecting this! I'm left speechless. As a huge fan of mystery, thriller, and horror titles, I haven't delved into dark romance or horror romance until now, but this book has certainly piqued my interest in exploring more of this genre.

The beginning is a slow burn, but I found myself increasingly intrigued by the peculiar world of fungi and the dark, atmospheric setting. The remote island adds an eerie layer, and every intern is required to have counseling sessions with Wes Kincaid, our dark and mysterious romantic interest. As the story unfolds, the tension builds, leaving readers questioning whether Sydney's experiences are a product of her own mind or if Madrona is concealing deeper secrets.

As horror elements begin to creep in, so does the romance. The chemistry between Wes and Sydney is undeniable, though it sometimes feels a bit rushed. Their relationship is primarily steamy, and while I didn't mind this initially, I began to wonder how Sydney could trust Wes as more secrets pile up. As their romance develops, the mysteries surrounding the island intensify, and the pacing picks up significantly as we learn more about Madrona's research and what Sydney is uncovering.

Overall, I would give this a solid 3.5 stars. The twists towards the end really solidified my enjoyment of the story, and I look forward to seeing where this genre takes me next!

This was 4.5 stars for me!

I love a good story that includes science of any kind. The amount of research Ms. Halle uncovered on mycology was intriguing. I have a major in biology so I absolutely loved the nods to the science. It always fascinated me that fungi were to unique and the take on fungi being used in medical manners was so interesting.

I also loved the plot and thriller aspect of the storyline. I had NO idea what to expect reading this and I honestly couldn't put it down. The characters were all well developed, I loved each of their places in the story and fell in love with the friendships and relationships created.

Definitely pick this one up if you want a WTF IS HAPPENING -THRILLER-DARK ROMANCE.

I read Grave Matter in two days. It definitely grabs you and pulls you in! It's dark, sci-fi and spicy! Sydney has the internship of a lifetime, working for the Madrona Institute in a very isolated location. She doesn't tell them that she has actually lost her scholarship to Stanford because of some very poor decisions on her part. She and the other students are waiting to get to do the "real work", when strange things start happening to her. She has hallucinations - or are they? Ghosts, rotting animals, plant life coming to life....things are not adding up. Given her massive attraction to her teacher/psychologist Wes, she's not sure who she can trust, even herself.

This book started a little slow, but definitely picked up. It has a lot of twists that I did not see coming! I would recommend - thanks NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy!

What a fascinating book! I read it for the Halloween vibes and if that is your thing, you'll love this new Karina Halle book!

4 stars! Holy moly - at no point did I know where this book was going, but I was along for the ride no matter what! This was my first Karina Halle book, and I’m glad it was her first thriller that I read first.

This book was very engaging and well written, I definitely felt creeped out at several (several) points, yet wanted to keep going. The spicy parts were 🌶️🌶️🌶️ and balanced out the horror nicely!

Everything about the story - the subject (fungi), the setting in a gloomy isolated area, the characters and their secrets - made this a truly thrilling experience.

I loved Sydney, and was definitely loving Wes even though I was equally as scared of him for probably 70% of the book. I would love to see a novella of the story from his POV! Overall, I would recommend this book!!

Thank you to Karina Halle, Metal Blonde Books, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. I am providing my honest review after reading.

“We Will Literally Feast On Your Corpse.”

Grave Matter is a dark, standalone, psychological thriller/romance. I recently finished Gothikana, Nocticadia and Starling House so I was looking for more of the same…spooky, dark and bookish/ academic fantasy. This definitely met the criteria and satisfied the craving.

Grave Matter starts out the same with the FMC visiting a new site, one not frequented, secluded and cloaked in secrets. Sydney Denik bumps into Wes Kincaid and its lust at first sight which is usually a turnoff. Fortunately, Karina makes their story a slow burn with sprinkles of s3xual action early on to appease those who are impatient. The explicit dreams is a clever way to work around the slow burn as technically nothing happened between the two MCs.

The story was a tad slow with Sydney’s multiple visions and abnormal encounters which had me scratching my head, leading me to think either she had Alzheimer or she was a ghost. I had so many theories of how the story would go and was pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness and unpredictability of the ending.

So the plot… Sydney is a poor, homeless, family-less Stanford grad student who just loss her scholarship due to a forbidden relationship with a professor. Luckily, she got accepted into a special summer program to study mushrooms and help the Alzheimer research at the Madrina Foundation. As long as they don’t kick her out, she is okay for a bit and she can make a difference in the disease that took her grandmother from her.

Unfortunately, the graduate program is not what it’s advertised to be and her professor who is also assigned as her psychologist is incredibly attractive and distracting. She doesn’t want to fall into the same situation as before but Kincaid stares at her like he wants her as well.

Strange things keep happening to Sydney: Amani disappearing and reappearing even after she is supposed to be off the island, girl hanging from a tree, same girl calling to her, animated animal corpses… Dr. Kincaid says her mind is making things up to adjust to the new environment. She doesn’t tell anyone for fear they would think her crazy and she would become an outcast. She finds herself confiding in Kincaid more and more against her better judgment. The pull to be with Kincaid gets too strong and they give into each other’s desires.

Her new friend, Lauren, sees how Kincaid treats Sydney and cautions her. Sydney doesn’t want to believe he manipulated her. But slowly Kincaid’s lies unravel… can she ever trust what he says? Does Sydney keep her mind straight enough to discover the secrets hiding at the Madrona Foundation?

I really enjoyed this. The ending was completely unexpected and quite a twist. Definitely first of it’s kind. There were a few minor loose ends that needed a sentence or two of clarification but I still highly recommend this.

Lastly, a big thank you to Karina Mackenzie, Metal Blonde Books and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book.

TROPES/ THEMES: remote/secluded location, Alzheimer research, student-professor relationship, neurodiversity, ADHD, Shibari, obsessive MMC, women in STEM, slow burn

Grave Matter kept me turning pages to the end. It's a fast-paced, entertaining read with great suspense and some chilling scenes. I enjoyed the premise and the setting. It was atmospheric, creepy and horrific. There are a number of rather abrupt kinky, steamy scenes and sensial details. The depiction of fungi fascinated me. There are wonderful nature descriptions, and terrific eerie and scary moments. I related to the MC's discomfort with strangers and empathized with her ADHD challenges. The dark undertow of the research facility kept me hooked.

Distractions: The MC's extensive inner monologues were a bit much for me, and I disliked the present-tense narration. My enjoyment in reading about a woman in science was undercut by her overriding focus on sex. I'm fine with graphic dom-sub sex scenes, yet the lust focus here felt out of balance, particularly considering the MC's circumstances.. 
The various assumptions about "the natives" came across badly.
The ending gets bogged down with prolonged exposition, trying to tie up everything. Certain assertions were implausible.

Overall, there's intriguinging speculation and great surprises. It gets very dark in interesting ways. The main characters deepen in the course of the book, although I found the antagonists a bit flat. I recommend it for non-squeamish readers of spicy, kinky, gothic romance, speculative fiction, psychological suspense, and horror readers.

Thank you, Metal Blonde Books for the eARC via NetGalley for consideration.

This story is a fun smutty blend of horror, thriller, sci fi, gothic, dark academia, and fantasy. It’s a perfect book to pick up in the fall, especially in spooky season as it will definitely get you in the mood. We have Sydney, the FMC who arrives on Vancouver Island and she is running out of options. She has seized the golden opportunity to study at this tight-lipped research facility and foundation. Soon, she finds herself with an insatiable desire for Professor Kincaid. He’s the resident psychologist and her teacher.

The steamy scenes in this book were on point! I was sweating while reading. I don’t want to give too much of the plot away but it was definitely enthralling and haunting.

I went into this book not quite knowing what I was getting myself into. I never heard of the horror romance genre, but it had tropes in it that I liked so I wanted to give it a try. I liked the book, I thought the island was creepy and what they were studying was interesting. I liked the mysteries surrounding the island, it seemed you couldn’t quite trust anything or anyone. There were some crazy moments in the book that kept me interested. There are quite a lot of trigger warnings, but nothing I thought was too much or disturbing.

Thank you netgalley and Metal Blonde Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.