I see what you were doing, sweet Miss Falon but for me, myself and I, I wasn't captivated. The story wasn't that interesting and they weren't engaging. Hey, you can't win or lose, it just wasn't my cuppa.
Stunning cover!

Thank you to Penguin House, Putnam and NetGalley for an arc. My opinions are my own and please do not take my opinion as hate. It just wasn't a hit.

#falonballard #penguinhouse #putnam #netgalley #Arc

I usually like Falon Ballard's books but this one really fell short for me. I couldn't remain interested, and nothing was pulling at me. DNF'd at 25%, sadly. But what may not be for me may be for someone else, so I would still suggest giving this a try if you are interested.

3.5/5 for me, Something Wicked had a lovely setting and the characters were intriguing. I loved that the MMC was someone who's beliefs were challenged and he had an open mind for change.

The plot is very weak and the world building was so shallow and almost non-existent. It seemed to me that the book was an excuse for smut scenes. Other than that, the cover is stunning.

What a steamy one Falon!! So glad this romantasy finally came to life! It was unique, and spicy, and I can’t wait to see how the story continues!

Something wicked hooked me from the beginning! The world building is really well done and easy to imagine I feel like Callum’s argument for his hatred against the Gifted is weak. How can you fault an entire population off the actions of one person. But I guess society does tend to do that. The story progresses really quickly I feel like everything is happening fast but it flows. This was a quick read that I finished in 2 sittings and I feel like it was a good palette cleanser. I would definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review! I loved that the world building was simple and easy to follow, which as a fantasy reader, it can be overwhelming, so I appreciated that stance from the author. However, the plot is a bit odd and could not really connect to the overall story. I can't explain this better except that two main characters are trying to use glorified prostitution to use each other for political power and at the same time peace except they are supposed to hate each other? The character connection LACKED. I am an easy to please reader, super down to earth but holy crap. I was looking for CRUMBS to just feel connected with these two characters. It didn't help when Callum magically let his entire guard down after being prejudice for HIS ENTIRE LIFE and the POOF gone as soon as he saw her??? The plot and characters just didn't make sense and did not match what the story was trying to say. I am not one to DNF a book but after 20% of the book I had to put it down. Overall, I kind of love the idea but the execution was done poorly.

Rating: 4.5

Let me start by saying it did take me a solid 20% of this book to get into the groove of it, but when I did and when I got to witness Callum and Caterine collide like meteors on a predetermined course; I was hooked.

Now, it does have a trope that I'm not a fan of, which is insta-love/insta-lust, but it played well into a surprise factor that I hadn't really put a lot of thought into at first.

The story was well paced, and when we hit the 60% mark with the first major plot point occuring, I was stuck wondering where we went from here. And boy did we take a ride!

I definitely recommend if you like more regency era/fantasy takes.

Thank you to Ballard and their publisher with NetGalley for the ARC.

Something Wicked is dark, delicious, luxurious, and sultry. Macbeth and Moulin Rouge’s ambience reign with Catherine and Callum as they attempt to revive the country of Avon. Falon's got something special here and it's alluring.

Putnam continues to have a treasure trove of books lined up and I can’t wait to read all of them. Thank you so much for my for my digital arc and now physical copy. ❤️

This one fell a little flat for me. Callum at immediate go was unlikeable--not grumpy, just out and out unlikeable. The political maneuvering and sex scenes were so at odds with one another, it made the book seem like two stories that should have been two separate books. Maybe instead of combining Moulin Rouge and Macbeth, it would have been better to keep them separate.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

This was just okay. I was a little disappointed because the blurb and the cover really gave me high hopes. It felt hard to follow and at some points not fully planned out. It seemed like Falon didnt know where she wanted the story to go next and then just kept going.

I usually like a romantasy vibe, but this one really fell short for me. I love Falon, but this one needed more time.

Wow is this the most beautiful cover! Now for the actual book..

Something Wicked was not fully fleshed out. The magic system was not explained well, especially bonds. Sometimes they could be broken other times they could be renewed? The concept just wasn't fully built. Same goes with some of the main drivers of the story, like the main prophecy that brought the sisters to the orphanage. What was the prophecy? It was literally never shared but a huge driver of the plot line. The entire reason the antagonist was built and the trauma of the main character, there's just no explanation.

The characters were one dimensional. Callum just got up and left the main fight because Cate told hime to. Even though the main antagonist was literally standing by, watching, and had just done something worthy of getting revenge. And he just walked away??

Finally, this book was marketed as a mix between Macbeth and Moulin Rouge, clearly with a character named Lady MacVeigh there were supposed to be some 1:1 comparisons. Lady Macbeth is my favorite character in literature, so in my opinion if you call your book something like Macbeth, the characters have to stand on their own. Macbeth is a story with complex characters, that's what makes it so good. In Something Wicked, Lady MacVeigh was a complete bastardization of Lady Macbeth in all the wrong ways. The main antagonist, Lady MacVeigh, is sadistic. She causes harm just for the fun of it. Which completely misses the entire point of what makes Lady Macbeth interesting. Lady Macbeth was not sadistic, she craved power and accepted necessary evils to achieve her goals. In the end she literally goes mad out of guilt. She's tough and hardened but not sadistic. Her actions are born from necessity. That being said, Lady MacVeigh is just evil to be evil. There was hardly any concrete reasoning for any of her motivations.

Feeling like this book just missed the mark in so many ways.

This book was a great fun and spicy read. I love Romantasy books that are fast paced and have an insta-love connection. The plot had twists and turns which really kept me entertained. If you’re looking for a boom that gets you out a reading slump this is it! It delivers a great plot with spice and a wild ride.

Something Wicked was an unexpectedly fun and spicy read that totally pulled me in from the start! I didn’t go into it expecting a super serious or deep story, but that’s what made it so enjoyable—I could just relax and have a great time with it.

The story was fast-paced and full of twists that kept me on my toes. Just when I thought I knew where things were going, the plot would shift in a new and exciting direction. I especially loved how the tension built up, both in the storyline and between the characters (and yes, the spice was on point 👀).

It was the kind of story that’s just pure entertainment—from the clever plot to the fun characters and the steamy moments in between. If you're looking for a wild ride that doesn't take itself too seriously but still delivers a gripping plot, Something Wicked is definitely worth picking up.

Was a unique story! I liked the premise and the twists and turns with Harold, Grecia, the Uprising’s “purge” contest, and Cate being a courtesan. Not the biggest fan of the insta-love between her and Callum and I hope to see more of their relationship develop in the subsequent books. I also wish to have seen more mourning with his father and sister’s murders. I know there was a bit of a time crunch in this universe to get things tied up in regards to the killing period but I felt like it was a rush after the contemplations about killing his father. I liked the flashbacks and excerpts.

This book started out so strong but seemed to lose its way about half way through. I did love the characters and I was getting on board with the world building while it was all being set up, and wish it had carried through to the end. I still enjoyed the resolution but the second half of the story felt like it was a different book and lost some of the cohesion of the first half.

This book was absolutely phenomenal. I’m not typically a romantasy person but this absolutely exceeded my expectations. I honestly wish that I had the words to describe how much I loved this. I finished this in two small sitting about 2 to 4 hours apiece. It was absolutely amazing. The writing was amazing. It may have not made sense at the beginning, but it ended up all coming together.

The chemistry between Cate and Callum was everything that I could hope for in my real life. This is a story about love, loss and decisions. And while certain things didn’t turn out as they probably hoped it all came together in the end.

I received an advance audio copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have enjoyed Falon's books and this new series definitely veers from her others. At first blush, it seems to have the typical elements of a book with mythical elements; however, it takes an immediate twist when, in the first chapter, we learn that the FMC's Gifts can only be used when she pleasures her clients/patients/IDK into climax. I mean, where do authors come up with this stuff? LOL. Of course, it should come as no surprise that the book gave me Moulin Rouge and Hunger Game vibes (here for it) and I am definitely excited for the next book. Do wish that the idea of Cate and Callum was more believable - sorry but I don't think marrying her will change her image. But I am along for the fictional ride! 4 stars.

I wanted to love this one so badly. I LOVE the cover for this. it is truly stunning. I felt that the world building was a little difficult to follow.

Not gonna lie, I requested this book for the sole reason that this is the sexiest cover I've ever seen in my life. I'm not even a romance reader. And I can't believe I'm writing this, but if this book would have been only smut with a little magic and WITHOUT the insufferable political plot, it wouldn't have been half bad. But instead I got a book that just didn't know how to balance sexy times with *checks notes* the uprising of an oppressed group and the overthrowing of a monarchy. Basically everything about the overarching plot fell flat for me, I did not care. And the romance (if you want to call it that) wasn't so good that it could carry the entire book.

It didn't start out too bad. Caterine is a famous courtesan at a pleasure club where she provides more than one kind of relief. She has the ability to manipulate the emotions of the people she's intimate with, making her a Gifted – a woman with supernatural powers whose mere existence is strictly regulated by laws. But luckily there is a revolution and the old ways of the monarchy come to an end. Much to the displeasure of Prince Callum who always supported the restricting laws of the Gifted. He really said: women's rights? Nuh-uh. And I was still supposed to root for him, somehow. And the way his country was undergoing the biggest change possible and this book focused on the prince getting sex lessons with a courtesan. Honestly, I have no idea how you would make these two things work together in a book, but "Something Wicked" surely couldn't handle it. Cate and Callum both have prejudices against the other, but they are both just so hot that they throw their principles out of the window immediately. Their relationship is nothing more than instalust, but the author is trying to sell me a romance. Somehow they are in love after a week of sex lessons, even though they know nothing of each other. Not that there is much to know, really. Both characters have like one single thing in their past that is talked about multiple times, and nothing else. I think the author realized the lack of personality too, because she then threw in something about bonded couples (read as: fated mates) and I guess that's one way to explain the attraction of two people who have nothing in common. The only thing they share is sex, and it's also their only way of communication. Cate's sister is missing? Sex. Callum's father is dead? Sex. I might be exaggerating, but not really. The smut wasn't half bad (minus the use of terms like her "channel" or her "sensitized folds"), and I really think that this could have been a decent book if it focused on the pleasure club that's also offering magical services. It was actually pretty neat how a courtesan's work was simply portrayed as a normal job. I'm just surprised that this book was so politics heavy when that's clearly not the strong suit of the author. Many things were kinda nonsensical (the new ruler has to kill the old ruler, what?) and it was just one big infodump in the beginning. Both POVs are first person, so it felt completely unnatural that the characters randomly started inner monologues about the country's history. It's not the worst thing I've ever read, but there are far too many issues here for me to even remotely call this a good book. It's marked as a series on Goodreads, but I learned my lesson and I will only swoon at the next cover (hopefully) without actually picking up the second book.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.