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.

This was a fun read for me. Haha. Not a single dull moment.
Tons of spice with a fun plot. If monster romance is your thing, this one is for you this way my first monster/creature romance and it was very interesting to say the least.

So this is how I learned monster romances are not for me. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Omg this book is addictive! I read it back when the author had it on her website and I’m so glad she got a publishing deal because she deserves it. This book has all the spice and romance you could want.

This book was something else! Unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It will stick with me for a lifetime!!!! Read this if you like romance, monster or creature romance, thought provoking books, and you are out for a surprising good time!

THE SPICE!!!! Absolutely loved it. If you can't handle the heat, do not read this book, go back to YA books because this is not for you.

I love a good monster romance, so I was excited to read this (what can I say, I'm a little bit of a perv). I devoured this book in less than a day it was so good. It has everything you could want when it comes to a book in this genre, and then some. Very much recommend a read to those who enjoy spicy monster books.

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.

Full disclosure, I walked into this book expecting it to be kind of a silly, frivolous read that I didn't take very seriously. I wanted to read it because the plot sounded wildly unhinged (a la Lindsay's mom's review of it), and thought it would just be fun. Was it unhinged? Yes. Was it super fun? Absolutely. Did I expect to be totally and completely invested in and absorbed by the plot and basilisk politics? Never would have guessed. If you couldn't tell, I REALLY loved this book, and honestly I still think about it everyday.

The premise of the book is that our FMC, Tem, has never been kissed. She lives in a world where basilisk shifters "train" the young women in her town on the art of seduction, so they can win the Prince's hand in marriage. Long story short, there are a lot of deliciously steamy scenes that made this savant of smut swoon. I usually don't like books where the plot is secondary to the plot, or happens just to happen/for fan service, but Lindsay truthfully did a fantastic job making sure we got plenty of spice without making it feel oversaturated or boring. And the spice was so essentially to the plot in a way I've never seen before. I also loved that this book was totally unpredictable. I read a lot, so I tend to notice patterns and can pretty quickly predict what is about to happen. That did not happen with this book and I found myself saying, "what...?" multiple times (in the best of ways).

I came out of this book low key having a thing for basilisks and I don't know how to feel about that, and I think that's quite a testament to the world Lindsay was able to build.

Please read this book!

Oh boy did I enjoy this book. There was never a moment to feel bored, because it was fast paced… even with how long it is. This book is top of the scales (get it?) spicy, but it plays to the plot. It’s not spicy for no reason, the sex is all interlaced with the plot. Which makes it seem way less smutty, though, smutty it is. And in the best way. I’ll be honest, I saw someone give a bad review for this book and that’s what sold me on it 😂 you say cracked pelvis and give it a one star? I say absolutely yes and throw 5 stars at it 😂 you say there’s smut on every page and there’s no plot? I say “mom, let’s read this book.” This was just a fun read. I laughed, I teared up a couple times, I was shooketh and texting my mom at midnight at others. And I think the author is so funny, too!
Oh, and basilisks are my favorite shifter. 😇

Whooo! This book was a lot! I'm still processing it a week later. The writing is good. I enjoyed the world building and cared about the characters. It pushes the limits of the typical romance however. And there's so.much.sex. Be prepared and read the content warnings!

I recommend it. It's a book you won't forget and you'll want to talk to a friend about!

I genuinely thought I was going to love this, but I fear that was not the case. It started out strong - the concept was unique, Tem & her basilisk had me hooked, and I actually enjoyed the excessive spice. Unfortunately it all went downhill from there and Tem got more and more insufferable as it went on. I honestly couldn’t find a believable reason as to why these two men would be so obsessed with her. The way she flitted back and forth between them despite supposedly having this insane bond with one of them was just nonsensical.

I’m glad to have read this because I wanted to see what everyone was talking about, but I don’t think I’ll be reading the next one especially if it’s as long as this one.

Thank you to Bloom and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have such mixed feelings on this book, I’d heard a brief summary of what the book was about before reading so I already knew I was in for some weird reading but I’ll always try anything once to see if it works out for me or not 😂

My general consensus is that I did actually enjoy reading this book, but there are a lot of contradicting factors to the characters which is why I’m going with an in the middle three star rating.

So what did I like first.. I did like the love interest.. both of them (we have a love triangle situation which brings an interesting dynamic to the book based upon how the competing characters respond to this). I was a big fan of Caspen at first he seems to have a calm logical personality which drew me to him, however I did find towards the end of the book there were certain things he was okay with our FMC Tem doing that kind of put me off him. I was also a big fan of Leo’s character, despite his entry to the book as a smug arrogant prince I could definitely sense something beyond his surface level mask, and I enjoyed getting to go deeper and see his true nature come out, especially in the last chapter of the book that was from his POV I think this was maybe my favourite chapter of the entire book, I loved hearing his thoughts first hand.

I also liked the general plot even though it is definitely unusual, but that’s what makes it appealing to me as it isn’t similar to anything I’ve read before. I enjoyed seeing Tem get some form of payback against the mean girls and the way the village has shunned her. I also enjoyed how she was the master of her own life and the men in her life didn’t try to sway her or take away her choices.

What I didn’t like:

There was a lot of character traits between Tem and Caspen that were wishy washy where they ended up contradicting themselves. For one, Tem is supposed to be this naive innocent inexperienced girl who is wholly insecure due to years of insults and bullying, and sometimes she acted accordingly and then in the next scene she would have this unfounded confidence where she would be making demands from the serpent king or telling the human prince she knew she was beautiful and didn’t care about his compliments. This kept happening repeatedly and I was honestly getting whiplash from her 180 in confidence and perspective.

As for Caspen I touched on this before but he would go from scene to scene saying how much he loved her and didn’t want to harm her and then the next scene he would be totally happy for her to do these outrageous things that could cause her harm or emotional pain. I just couldn’t find any consistency between these two characters thoughts and actions and it threw me off.

Overall thoughts.. will I read the next book? Yes I need to hear more from Leo 😂

Thank you to Sourcebooks Bloom Books and Lindsa Straube for a gifted copy!

Truly living in serpent summer. KOTB/SOS has been an absolutely wild ride and easily one of my favorite recent reads. Enthralled by Tem's journey and the world Lindsay created. A captivating, sexy read--definitely NSFW. Team Leo forever.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the Deluxe Edition. The bonus Leo chapter is everything. Can’t wait for book two!