I wanted this to be better, but it really turned out to be Booktok nonsense. The premise was interesting but the book was written too quickly and felt underdeveloped.

Stunning cover and the premise truly grabbed me into wanting to read this. However, the execution with the characters and plot fell flat for me. It could have been fleshed out and developed more in my opinion and it was just an alright read for me. I think people could enjoy it though and would recommend it.

I haven't read many of her other works to make a comparison to this book, but I may want to read one in the future to see how this holds up compared to many of her contemporary works.

I think for a romantasy the world building was not much and a reason it fell a bit flat, the poltiics and world etc just were not expanded in great detail to what it could have been. I would have loved to learn more about the gifts and how it started etc, there is just information that could have been added in to get the reader more involved, interested, informed, etc in this world and story.

Something Wicked was an enjoyable read. It stood out from other books from it's beautiful cover art and as well as Cate, the FMC. Her back story, job and what she can do was refreshing. Loved the connection between Cate and Callum.

Dual POV, which was fun getting into both of their heads and seeing what was going on.

Interested to see where it will lead in book 2.

I received an advanced copy of this one and I really like Falon Ballard’s writing but something about this one wasn’t for me. It felt off from her normal writing. The spicy scenes were great but it fell a little flat on the plot.

Thank you for the ARC!

I really liked 2 of Falon Ballard’s books and when I heard that she was doing something different and especially after seeing that gorgeous cover art, I was very interested in this book. Yet to be honest it was rather disappointing. It’s somewhat a political fantasy romance but the world building is not very engaging and the romance is very insta-love, making the whole book a bit of a PWP. It’s very gripping though, I’ll give it that as I finished it in almost one sitting.

I liked this, didn’t love it though. Cool idea and I love the cover art! The world building wasn’t enough for me though so I was never fully invested. I think others may enjoy it more than I did though!

Falon Ballard is one of my new favorite authors. I picked up her debut on a whim and loved it and ever since then I’ve read everything she put out. This was amazing and so different from what she’s written before. I highly recommend

It was... okay. Honestly, I don't have much to say (which is a shame because that cover is stunning). The premise grabbed me immediately, but the execution was just... okay. The characters felt flat, the romance was "meh", and by the end I just didn't care.

This story is far from simple. Enter Lady Caterine, a courtesan with a dangerous and rare gift: the ability to manipulate emotions through the power of intimacy. As the two unlikely allies work together to help Callum achieve his goal, they find themselves drawn to each other in ways neither can resist or understand.

What makes La Puissance stand out is its intricately woven plot and the chemistry between Callum and Cate. The tension between them crackles, blending elements of fantasy, romance, and political intrigue. Cate’s gift adds an unexpected layer of complexity to their relationship, making every moment between them feel both intimate and perilous.

The world-building is immersive, and the stakes feel real—this is a story about more than just personal ambition; it’s about the fate of an entire country. As Callum and Cate face not only their own desires and fears but also the dangerous forces at play within the heart of the country, the narrative takes unexpected turns that will leave readers on the edge of their seat.

This book doesn’t shy away from difficult emotions or morally gray characters. With betrayal, sacrifice, and dark secrets, La Puissance is a thrilling ride that keeps you hooked from start to finish. If you're a fan of complex characters, political intrigue, and high stakes with a touch of sensuality, this book is a must-read.

The description and the cover are appealing and drew me in, unfortunately, the story fell flat to me. The plot and characters felt hollow. I love this author's rom-coms, but romantasy was not a good mix with their writing style.

Moulin Rouge meets Lady Macbeth is a very intriguing concept, but unfortunately it's just not executed well here.
the world building in this book was one of the primary issues that i had. the plot line was hard to follow, and i never felt a connection to any of the characters. there is a hint of a political plot, but it wasn’t executed well enough in my opinion. the last third of the book is when it definitely picks up, which is why this one redeemed itself a bit. i do think that there is a lot of information and action in the last 100 pages, and it honestly overwhelmed me.

i do realize that this book is about a courtesan, but there was just too much focus on the “sex lessons” for me. the first half of the book is just a lot of spice, as well as these lessons, which i didn’t enjoy as much. sometimes there are scenes with the MCs where i felt no chemistry between them other than physical attraction.

however, that being said, i appreciate the way that this book is told from the courtesan’s POV, which is less common in books. i feel like a lot of the time, they are portrayed as the enemies, or just viewed as “lesser” in general, so that was definitely an upside to this book.This book is in the romantic, sci fi and fantasy genre. I absolutely love the cover and that is what ultimately caught my attention! It starts off strong, then slows down a bit. The spice in this book is intense! Whew! I think that Callum and Cate had a strong chemistry! I had a difficult time with the world building in this story, for some reason. This is a fast paced, hard to put down book. I read it in just one sitting. I know that this is the author’s first romantacy novel and I think she did really good with most parts of the book! Be sure to read the content warnings of this book. I will definitely be reading her upcoming books in this series! Overall, I rate this a 3 out of 5 stars!

As someone who is a fan of Falon Ballard's rom coms i was really interested to see her transition into the world of romantasy.
This book has a lot of different ideas going on at one time and I think some of them worked and some of them didn't. For instance, I enjoyed the magic aspect with the different gifts at the club and wish that we had explored those aspects more. Instead we delved in length about the political aspect country which felt less interesting and like something that has been done before. I also felt like the aspects with lady M and Harold got confusing with letters. There was a lot of information dumping happening that was overwhelming as a reader. I enjoyed the romance but it unfortunately fell into the category of instalove and felt like an after thought because of all of the other events happening in the book. I am interested to see how the rest of the story unfolds and will read book 2.

This cover immediately drew me in-I mean COME ON, it's stunning. Unfortunately, the story didn't quite live up to the hype caused by the cover or the comp titles of Moulin Rouge meets Macbeth. I had a hard time connecting with the main characters, and they ended up feeling overall one-dimensional. I can't believe me, of all people, is saying this, but I honestly wish there had been less focus on the sex and more on the actual story. For example, the magic/bonded aspects of the story are kind of just glossed over, and I would have loved some more insight into how those things work in this society and the implications. Overall, I just needed some more clarification, and maybe some more emotions and heart from the main characters versus just overall lust... cause that physical attraction was DEFINITELY there.

2.5 Stars Rounded Down
Pub Date: December 2, 2025

I’m having such conflicting feelings with this one.

The world building in this book was one of the primary issues that I had. The plot line was hard to follow, and I never felt a connection to any of the characters. There is a hint of a political plot, but it wasn’t executed well enough in my opinion. The last third of the book is when it definitely picks up, which is why this one redeemed itself a bit. I do think that there is a lot of information and action in the last 100 pages, and it honestly overwhelmed me.

I do realize that this book is about a courtesan, but there was just too much focus on the “sex lessons” for me. The first half of the book is just a lot of spice, as well as these lessons, which I didn’t enjoy as much. Sometimes there are scenes with the MCs where I felt no chemistry between them other than physical attraction.

However, that being said, I appreciate the way that this book is told from the courtesan’s POV, which is less common in books. I feel like a lot of the time, they are portrayed as the enemies, or just viewed as “lesser” in general, so that was definitely an upside to this book.

Thanks to Putnam for the gifted ARC!

I love Falon’s romance books and was really excited that she was getting into the Romantasy genre as well. This is a perfect way for her romance following to dive in to a little fantasy! It’s very basic magic that doesn’t need a whole lot of world building, with a lot of focus on the romantic relationship and some fantasy world politics. This has major Moulin Rouge vibes, so if you enjoy that and also Romantasy, you have to read this one!

I fear expectations were higher than the reality for this one. The concept was immaculate, but the execution just lacked depth in every single way. I had a relatively good time reading it, but the fantasy realm couldn't decide on a time period, I didn't like the instalove of the main characters, and I felt like the epigraphs interspersed tremendously undermined any suspense we could've had surrounding Lady M and Caterine. I get trying to introduce the MacVeighs and imply certain family ties, but I though it was a bad decision to tell the reader everything as it made me think Caterine was even more "perfect" in a very unlikeable way. I liked this more than I did Falon Ballard's contemporary romances, but I would say the quality is still worse considering I constantly just had to laugh reading it at times. I was going to rate it three stars, but if I can't use halves, based on how I described the reading experience to other people, it cannot be above a 5/10 experience. Good for a slump in the sense that it was quick, but not very enjoyable for me personally.

If you combined Hunger Games with Macbeth and Moulin Rouge you get Something Wicked! I have read all of Fallon's other books and I did not know what to expect from a romantasy standpoint. I really enjoyed reading this book! There was a lot of action, mystery, tragedy and romance- I could not put it down. I am not a huge romantasy reader, but I appreciated that the world building was easy to understand.

I loved Cate and Callum and how loyal they were to the people they loved. I am already looking forward to the second book in this series! This book does have an HEA but also has a bit of a cliffhanger that gives a hint as to what will be going on in the next book!

I recommend if you love romantasy or if you enjoy an action packed drama filled romance!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

what a beginning to a new romatasy series!! i have been reading falon ballard’s books since her debut contemporary romance and to see her step into her first adult fantasy was an absolute privilege! the heat, the lore, the characters you can’t help but feel for at every turn- you best believe i ate this up!

now, my only (minuscule) complaint would be how potentially shallow their relationship was perhaps 🫣 they were fairly lust based, but they have the space in the series to develop further, here’s hoping!!

Overall, this is a fast, steamy, and easy read—perfect for anyone looking to get out of a reading slump.

For a fantasy novel, the world-building is pretty minimal, and nothing is overly complex, which makes it super accessible. The FMC is a talented courtesan with a unique gift: she can influence people’s emotions when they orgasm in her presence. The MMC needs some emotional healing, and a big chunk of the story takes place in the bedroom. Their dynamic shifts from enemies to lovers, and there are definitely plenty of spicy scenes. I found their relationship romantic and engaging, and I really enjoyed the overall vibe of the book.

There’s a bit of political intrigue sprinkled in, but it’s all easy to follow—nothing too deep or hard to grasp. While the FMC and MMC do face some challenges, everything is resolved fairly easily. In the end, it’s a fun, steamy book that’s great for passing the time, though it’s not the kind of story that’ll leave you thinking long after.

Big thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons & NetGalley for the ARC! All thoughts are my own.

Okay this is totally on me. I did NOT read the plot description otherwise I would have never requested an arc for this book. But I’ve really enjoyed some of Falon’s other light hearted romances and so when I saw the cover of this with the blurb about Macbeth and that it was her first step into romantasy, it was an instant add to the TBR. However, this book was definitely not for me, to me it felt like a fever dream written while miss girl was ovulating, dnf for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC