This why-choose romantasy attempted to present a strong, sexy heroine and a dangerous competition for a crown, but it missed the mark on both. Tem is rarely confident in choosing both the prince and the basilisk, and the resulting lack of sexual tension is not enough to justify all of the intimate scenes. Tem presents more as a clueless, and therefore reckless characters than a woman worthy of all of the special attention she gets. The prince reveals himself to be the most complex character but doesn't get enough screen time.

A wild ride--there were so many parts of this book that took me completely by surprise! I'm excited to handsell this to readers who are looking for true fantasy erotica. While the world-building and character development could have been flushed out more, this had excellent sex writing and readers looking for something much spicier than Sarah J. Maas and Fourth Wing will enjoy this book!

I don't think I want to hear the word claw ever again......
Kiss of the Basilisk (fka Split or Swallow) is a one-of-a-kind experience I won't soon forget - for better or worse. Following Temperance, the poor daughter of a chicken farmer as she begins the tradition of sex training with basilisk shifters to become the future queen. Yes. That is actually the plot of the book.
Okay, I know I sound like I'm being harsh about it, but I actually did enjoy my time reading this, it is truly a fun ride.
The initial plot of Tem beginning sex training was a very small portion of the book, as the plot swiftly advances to higher stakes, which was enjoyable; although it did feel very long. I think this book could have been cut down maybe 200 pages and we wouldn't have missed out on anything integral.
I also am slightly salty because this girl is team Leo all the way, and I don't forsee my dreams coming true *sigh*
Regardless, this novel delivered what it promised - sexy snake smut, and it did it well! I will be continuing with the sequel when it comes out.

It reads like The Selection took a wrong turn into a late-night fanfic rabbit hole, where character development and plot coherence were gleefully sacrificed at the altar of bizarre, over-the-top smut. Tem, the protagonist, is somehow both painfully naïve and gratingly smug, while the men exist solely as anatomy with no discernible depth. The book lurches through absurd plot twists, jaw-droppingly strange sex scenes, and shifting motivations that defy all logic. While it may be entertaining in a “how did this get published?” kind of way, the relentless parade of toxic dynamics, uncomfortable “romance,” and anatomical nonsense left me more bewildered than amused. If this is your kind of chaos, power to you—but for me, it was two stars and a long, deep sigh.

I’ve been follow Lindsay’s chapter releases on her website since she started releasing them and have been captivated since. I would wake up and first thing reach for my phone to read the next chapter that had gotten posted. I was addicted instantly. It has been so fun to read and i’m so sad for it to be over!

WE ARE SO GRATEFUL to have thrown her pub day and her join us out our book club!

Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straude is an erotic fantasy that certainly knows how to turn up the heat, but unfortunately, it falls short when it comes to delivering a solid plot or emotional depth. With its sizzling chemistry between characters and steamy moments, the book will appeal to readers looking for a quick, passionate read, but those hoping for a well-rounded story may be left disappointed.

While I enjoy the way that sexual elements were incorporated into the narrative and the worldbuilding, the protagonist make me confused with this book.

I feel like Tem is two separate characters in the separate sections of the narrative. Her behaivor depending on what characters are around make it hard for me as a reader to get a sense of her personality.

It starts off strong and I enjoy her insecurity but I feel like there are moments with the prince that are bizarre and unlike the personality that Tem has to begin with.

Damn haha what an unexpected book!!! I was absolutely enthralled by the story and smut the first half and couldn’t put the book down.

While I still super loved the second half, I got a bit of emotional whiplash from Tems emotions and her general personality. Not my fav FMC haha, so knocking off a star for her 😂. Absolutely can’t wait to find out what happens next though and that extra challengers chapter left me breathless 🥵

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

When I'm in the right mood for it, I'm a big fan of an unhinged book. Kiss of the Basilisk did not disappoint. I think a lot of the off-the-wall details in this book were created for the shock factor rather than it being relevant to world building, but hey, if it works, it works. Lindsay Straube has figured out how to get people talking about her book and whether you like it or hate it, you're still probably going to finish the book and then start a conversation about it. I did not have a problem with any of the extremely weird stuff in here, though it did have me making faces at my kindle. I will say the weird was so hyped that I expected more--but maybe I feel that way because I accidentally read a spoilery review and kept thinking there was more coming.

Leo is, hands down, my favorite character, which I did not see coming from the very start of the book. It seemed like what you see is what you get, but that was not the case. I kept wondering is Straube was going to create some sort of throuple situation, but in the end I'm very grateful she didn't. Why? I do not like Caspen or Tem. At all. I don't know if I can read another book with those two as the main characters, and they're the sole reason I couldn't rate this book higher. Caspen is absolutely awful, they kept having the same conversation over and over again for 500 pages, and there is nothing exciting about Tem to warrant her having two princes completely in love with her. There's never even a statement of why they love her or what they love about her, and honestly, I really needed that explanation because I couldn't find it. And shame on her for taking away Leo's free will, convincing herself she won't do anything, and then STILL giving him an order that he can't refuse. Just because you think he wants to do just that doesn't mean you should force him?? He's a king. He has responsibility now, supposedly.

Anyway this was a wild ride. I genuinely have no idea what a sequel would be about, but I'm hoping that Leo is the main character and Tem and Caspen continue to live in their cave and not care about anyone else because I'm not sure I can handle another 500 pages about them.

This book is just everything! I salivated for it. It was everything I could hope for and more. It was one the hype was there and did not let me down at all. I devoured it and savored it at the same time. Everyone needs this beauty immediately! A million stars.

Phew - I feel like I may not have been the right audience for this book! To be fair: I don't mind some spice in my books, especially when it is done in a tasteful way and lends to the plot/character development. I did NOT get any of that here. The smut was SMUTTY and really random and far-fetched. Point being: the smut was way too distracting and not my cup of tea. Thank you, NetGalley!

I thought this book would be right up my alley. It sounded intriguing and like something I would be interested in. I made it 72% before deciding to DNF. I thought as a character Tem was flat and Caspen was weird and borderline abusive whenever Tem did something he didn’t like. I have seen no reason why either character loved the other because all they did was have sex—they never talked. And I get it, it’s a smutty book, but the smut wasn’t even that good either. I hate to be so critical because I really wanted to like it. I follow the author on instagram and she’s so funny, I hate that I didn’t enjoy her book. But it was just so bland.

I really wanted to love Kiss of the Basilisk. The premise had so much potential—a fantasy world with a dangerous romance, a morally grey heroine, and a unique take on basilisks—but unfortunately, the execution didn’t work for me. I was expecting something atmospheric, thrilling, and full of tension, but unfortunately, the execution didn’t live up to my expectations.

The biggest issue I had with this book was the pacing. At over 500 pages, it felt unnecessarily long, and the story dragged in several places. While I love a slow-burn fantasy, I need the tension and stakes to build in a way that keeps me engaged. Here, the book was weighed down by repetitive scenes—particularly the romantic and intimate moments (and yes, I am aware that the plot of this book is centred around this). At first, the chemistry between the main characters was compelling, but after a while, it started to feel like the same dynamic playing out over and over again without meaningful progression. Instead of deepening the characters' relationship or adding to the tension, these scenes often stalled the narrative.

This brings me to another major issue: the imbalance between the romance and the plot. I don’t mind when a fantasy romance leans heavily into the romance aspect, but I still want strong world-building and character development. Unfortunately, the romance overshadowed almost everything else in this book. The fantasy elements and the overarching conflict felt underdeveloped in comparison, which was frustrating because the setup had so much potential. There were glimpses of interesting world-building, but they often took a backseat to the love story, leaving me with more questions than answers.

The protagonist, Temperance (Tem), had the potential to be an intriguing lead. She’s morally gray, independent, and navigating a dangerous world—but despite these qualities, I struggled to connect with her. Her characterization felt inconsistent at times. There were moments where she was calculating and strong-willed, but then she would make choices that completely contradicted that. I also found some of her inner monologues repetitive, particularly when it came to her feelings toward the love interest. Rather than showing her emotions through actions and organic interactions, the book relied a lot on internal back-and-forth that didn’t feel fully developed.

Speaking of the romance, while I enjoy morally gray love interests, the dynamic in this book didn’t always work for me. There was a lot of intensity and tension between Tem and the male lead, but some of their interactions felt borderline toxic rather than compelling. Power imbalances can be interesting when done well, but here, I often found myself questioning whether their relationship was meant to be romantic or just unhealthy. Of course, this is subjective—some readers might love the dark, push-and-pull nature of their dynamic, but for me, it wasn’t executed in a way that felt believable or engaging.

Another issue that pulled me out of the story was the inclusion of a few plot points that felt exaggerated to the point of being hard to take seriously. Without going into spoilers, there’s one particular scene involving an injury during an intimate moment that just completely lost me. Instead of adding to the drama or emotional weight of the story, it felt almost absurd, and I couldn’t get past how unnecessary it was. Moments like this, where shock value seemed to take precedence over storytelling, made it hard to stay immersed.

Despite my frustrations, I do think this book has an audience. If you’re someone who loves romance-heavy fantasy with steamy, dramatic tension and don’t mind a slower-moving plot, you might enjoy Kiss of the Basilisk more than I did. But if you’re looking for a fantasy where the world-building and storyline are just as strong as the romance—or if you prefer character relationships that feel more nuanced and developed—you might find this book as frustrating as I did.

Ultimately, this was a book with great potential, but it didn’t quite deliver for me. I wish the plot had been tighter, the characters more layered, and the romance more balanced with the fantasy elements. I’ll be curious to see what the author writes next, but sadly, this one just wasn’t for me.

I have such mixed feelings it's honestly hard to start a review. You can't take this too seriously because so much of it is "WTF did I just read??". BUT those vibes are also what make it so fun. Some of the writing comes off juvenile, but that fits with the FMC's naivety. It is SPICY- so much so. The ending is kind of all over the place and leaves me wanting more from a character I loved more than anyone, but here's to book 2.

Give us half stars Netgalley!! 3.5 stars, but 4 chili peppers.

“There were far worse things, Tem realized, than to be loved by two people. She had no desire to live an ordinary life—a life devoid of passion and challenge and truth. She had always been destined for more. Her path may not have been a conventional one, but it was hers, and she wouldn’t trade it for anyone else’s.”

☺️💕

Bravo Lindsay Straube 👏🏼 The way this book had me in a chokehold. At first I didn’t know where we were going but damn I fell in love.

“I’d rather have half of you than all of Vera. Even if it means sharing you for the rest of my life.”

Leo is my favorite character out of the two males. Yeah Leo put that bitch (Vera) on her ass and I was happy AF about it 😂 👏🏼


Rita Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🔥

If I could give this 10:5 chilly peppers for spice… I would. I know stranger to shifter/monster romance novels so when I saw this a basilisk, I was intrigued. I knew going into this. This was going to be spicy, however, I don’t think until you read it you can truly be prepared. The spice is the story, so there is some plot, but lots of peppers. We also have a love triangle to content with and a girl learning how to please. For me personally, this would’ve been a five star if the plot was a little bit heavier on things outside of the bedroom. But I do understand why the author wrote it the way she did. And I enjoyed it and would recommend if you’re looking for something way out of your norm.

This was INTENSE and unhinged. I don't know if I could have prepared myself for reading this based solely off the description alone, but what a wild ride. Honestly don't think Monster romances are my speed, but if they are yours, you are in for a SPICYYYYY ride. Fast paced, smutty, with a unique plot. Make sure that you read the content warning for this book, there is so much spice of alllll different kinds for 500+ pages. Magic and world building were interesting, but that didn't seem like the point of this book to me honestly. I would recommend this book for very specific audience.

Thank you Netgalley and Bloom for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I went into this book not entirely sure what to expect, as I’ve never read a shifter romance before, but wow, did it blow me away! This was an easy five-star read. The chemistry between the main characters was electrifying, with just the right amount of push and pull to keep me hooked. The steamy scenes were intense, but they never overshadowed the story itself. Instead, the plot was rich, well-paced, and full of depth, making for the perfect balance of romance, tension, and intrigue. I was completely captivated from start to finish, and I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a compelling and passionate read!

Thanks to Bloom Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own

I'd like to start by saying what the hell?

For context, Tem is a chicken farmer, who is among a bunch of several other 20-year-old village girls vying for the hand of a prince in the Bachelor- non-descript village edition. But first they must all train in the art of sex, and no one in the village is more qualified for that role than the Basilisks who live in caves at the edge of the forest.

That's all you need to know going in because the rest of the plot is just smut OD'ing on Adderall.
Caspen is Tem's Basilisk teacher and he's got a six pack and a personality disorder. They're engaged by their second meeting (unbeknownst to Tem) when he gives her a claw dildo because such is the Basilisk way.
Without completely assassinating Tem's character, the world revolved around her for no reason. We know nothing about her except she hates her chicken farm

The world-building was as elaborate as the set of an elementary school play. The women here have no backstory, no agency, and absolutely no influence on the plot. Vera was a two dimensional cut out of Taylor Vaughan, none of the mothers had any role or history. Daphne was a robot, and Leos and Caspen's mothers didn't exist. The fathers were villains because what else would they be?

I wasn't expecting an epic for the ages (though I would have liked some forewarning of pelvises breaking), but everyone was terrible and the plot was a house of feathers in a hurricane. I will say that even though my brain screamed to DNF at every chapter, the twists were a dopamine hit, and everything here was a twist.

I truly had no clue what I was getting into with this book, but it was unhinged in an impossible to put down kind of way. I agree with the intro to the book that it is best to go in as blind as possible so I will avoid any spoilers. I will say, while I found myself frequently frustrated with ALL of the characters, I still enjoyed the book for exactly what it is - a smutty good time.