2.5 ⭐️⭐️rounded up…

I was entertained just enough to keep going but honestly? This was not good.
The first 15% was just info dumping about the world and the people rather than letting us get to know both of those elements through the plot.
I felt like the characters changed motivations every two pages and never lingered on the same problem for long. It felt very repetitive. I say, I do like the concept of the book and there was a lot of potential in the story.

Overall, I probably wouldn’t read the second book.

This was such an interesting concept of using sex as magic and the power it can give to people through intimacy. This is on the right track to being a great idea, but I felt the concept of the king banning magic didn’t perfectly fit with the main plot of the sisters keeping their freedom. Over all I thought it was well written!

Cartoonishly diabolical. This book went downhill from about the 50% mark, getting more and more predictable, dull, and inconsistent with the rules the author herself set up.

I started out loving the Moulin Rouge vibes, the political intrigue and the romance. But everything ended up feeling very two dimensional, and like a copy paste of the romantasy formula. I almost gave up at the 80% mark (I’m not a dnf-er) when the word “stupid” just kept surfacing in my reactions. Some books are just bad. And this was one of them.

Something Wicked by Falon Ballard is not just a sensual romance— it’s a story about true love, family loyalty, magical gifts, and human rights. It takes place in Avon, a country going through government changes after the influence of a resistance group called the Uprising. The characters are forced to face their pasts, work through their prejudices, and make unforeseen allies in order to save their futures.

As a prolific Shakespeare reader and someone who has taught Macbeth multiple times, I found this novel incredibly fun to read. I especially enjoyed searching for the connections to Macbeth and Shakespearean history. Ballard does a fantastic job mixing fresh, creative elements with clever callbacks to the original work. With that said, I still think the book can be enjoyed by those who may not be as familiar with Shakespeare. I can’t comment on the Moulin Rouge aspects of the story, as I’ve never seen the musical.

The beginning of Something Wicked, approximately the first 20%, felt slow to me. I think it’s because the first part focused mostly on world-building, but the world still felt underdeveloped and flat to me. However, once the romance and action began, I couldn’t put the book down! I could relate to Cate’s hyper-independence, and I loved Callum’s devotion! The relationship between Cate and Callum is witty, flirtatious, and very spicy, which excellently juxtaposes Harold and Lady M’s connection. There were side characters that I craved more from, like Dom, Bianca, and Andra. I liked them, but they were a bit superficial, and I wanted their roles to be more crucial and detailed.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars. I loved spotting the Shakespearean easter eggs, and the story was fun and undeniably spicy, but I found myself wanting a bit more depth.

Thank you to NetGalley, Falon Ballard, and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC copy of the book in exchange for my review!

I feel as though this book wasn’t sure what exactly it wanted to be. At first, it seemed like a romance with fantasy elements, but towards the end of the book it was like the author tried to build the world and a complex political system all at once. I found it kind of hard to tell what time period exactly this would be modeled after as well. The ending felt very rushed and unresolved. It seems like it was left open for a sequel possibly? But I’m still left with a lot of questions.

Overall- I thought this was a strong concept and the first half of the book, while slightly insta-lovey, was very enjoyable. The plot twist & ending just seemed a little clunky though.

the plot is interesting!! very unique for sure. was i reading and enjoying it at times? sure! was i SO confused as to where we were going w the plot? absolutely. this is one of those books you read w low expectations bc the characters felt very shallow at times and the storyline was kind of all over the place. i'd recommend to people interested in the plot, it's still a good read, but don't try to over-analyze plot and world building that just wasn't there...

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this novel. I got the digital copy and I liked this book.The FMC is a woman that knows how to hostel but she ends up forming a bond with the MMC. He’s from a a different area as our FMC and they have to work together to solve a problem and save the people in their lives. It was a fun read.

I requested this book because I liked the cover, the title intrigued me, and I was further intrigued by the synopsis. I'll admit I was skeptical going in, only because I saw it had a low rating from other readers. I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised to really enjoy it. At first I was a little thrown off by jumping right into courtesan life but I quickly began to like the characters and invest in their stories. This book kept me guessing and kept me wanting to read more, and that's all I want from a book. The only thing I might change is to add a "to be continued" at the end. This is obviously not meant to be a standalone and it seems there is a lot more to unfold in this story. I look forward to the next book!

I so wanted to love this one. The cover is what really grabbed my attention (we all do it!) then the premise is what drew me in. And that’s where I should’ve stopped.

It lacked world building. For a story claiming a crossover of MacBeth meets Moulin Rouge it fell so flat for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and feeling like my time investment into the story was worth it.

I believe there’s something here, I believe it could be a wonderful worthwhile story if given another pass and time for execution. But as it stands, this would’ve been a DNF if it had not been an arc.

Good in concept but struggled in execution.

Right away, the concept of this book and its cover grabbed my attention and made me really look forward to this story. However, I ended up really struggling to enjoy this story as the book went on.

There are a lot of plot holes are details that are just never explained, and it really left me wondering a lot about the general world building. There are aspects mentioned and brought up, but the book never furthered them in any manner. Some of these ranged from questions about the government, politics, the power system (was it genetics or just luck?), and so many other things. It felt like the world-building was never fully finished, but rather actively avoided.

Next, I sadly did not believe in the relationship in this story, as it was mostly physical and nothing emotional. I wanted more conversations to occur about things other than what occurs in the bedroom. Plus, the <spoiler>"bond" in the book just felt like a way to force the characters to be made for each other, rather than having emotional chemistry</spoiler>. There was just so much I wanted from these characters but never received, and it felt like one minute the MMC disliked her (but still thought she was hot), to suddenly being infatuated.

Lastly, the miscommunication trope that was thrown in for three chapters at the end also felt purposeless. It wasn't believable and made me think the characters had boinked out all the brain cells in their head.

Overall, I wanted this story to be great, and it had the right idea. However, its worldbuilding and characterization/relationship growth were severely lacking, and left me very disappointed.

Thank you netgalley for the arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to love this book. The cover was amazing, the summary sounded intriguing, and the plot had promise. Unfortunately, this really fell flat for me. I would have liked more world building, i felt confused at some parts. I get the main characters are bonded, but I did not dig the instalove trope. I didnt really feel a deep connection between them besides lust . The storyline moved slow and then fast. Is this going to be a series? I asl because there was a lot of things in the plot that wasn't tied up or left hanging. I did like the flash back, news articles, and journal entries between the chapters. Overall, this would be a great beginner romantasy book for those just jumping in the genre, but if you have been in it for awhile it would pass.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

Falon has ventured into a new genre, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me.
The world building was not what it needed to be and the plot was hard to follow at times.

ok i really liked this! the characters connection was amazing. the plot was a little lost for me half way through, though. super spicy but well done!

I have not been able to read this book due to mood reading but I still have it on my Kindle and plan on reading it once the mood arises.

I will post my review on Goodreads.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

The crossover between Moulin Rouge and Macbeth was very enticing and coupled with the gorgeous cover, it definitely drew me in.

I appreciated the strong female story line and the concept of found family but did struggle to become immersed in the world and connect with the characters on a deeper level. The magic system was interesting and one that I hadn’t previously seen.

For me, some of the storyline felt rushed/forced and didn’t allow for a more organic unfolding of character bonding.

Overall, I did enjoy it and would read a sequel should one come out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the digital copy in exchange for honest thoughts. Much appreciated!

Shockingly based? Like truly, blueprint for a revolution AND a sexy, smart, tender romance? Okay, diva.

Something Wicked is a bold, witchy romance with magic, heat, and a whole lot of tension.

Falon Ballard throws us headfirst into a world where power dynamics, politics, and pleasure collide—and while the stakes are high, the steam is even higher. The setup was rich with potential, especially the concept of a pleasure club intertwined with supernatural gifts, and I honestly wish we could’ve spent more time there. It felt like the kind of place where sensuality and sorcery could co-exist in fascinating ways.

The romance between Cate and Callum is intense, undeniably hot, and built on that instant magnetic pull that turns into fated mate-level chemistry. If you’re in the mood for fantasy-flavored spice, it delivers!

I genuinely appreciated the normalization of her courtesan work and pleasure as power. It’s not a perfect blend of high fantasy and erotic romance, but it’s fun, fiery, and unapologetically steamy.

This book was a quick read for once I started reading it! Very much enjoyed Cate, Callum and most of the side characters! There were a couple things about pacing and plot that felt off and made the book drag in a couple places but I enjoyed reading it!

Thank you for allowing me the chance to read this book early.

The cover of this book is absolutely stunning and instantly drew my attention. Unfortunately, the cover art is the best part of this book. The premise sounded really interesting- a blend of Macbeth and Moulin Rouge?? And the first few pages drew me in really quickly, but it was downhill from there. The characters were very flat, unlikable, and boring. They would reach conclusions that made absolutely no sense to the point that I thought I was missing something. Why is the peace-loving uprising group requiring the prospective leaders to kill the kings? For a CHANCE at governing?? Why is the king okay with this? He was so resigned to his fate. Everyone grumbled about this a little bit but completely accepted it. And the whole sex-lessons premise never really made sense. It all just felt so contrived and boring, I barely got through this book. So sorry. Thanks for the chance to read it early though.

This is one of the best covers I’ve seen in a while. I would like to see a special edition of it with fancy sprayed edges. While I did enjoy the story, I wish there had been more depth and context to it. I would have liked to have more background on the side characters, more world building and more information about fated mates.

Something with the formatting on the kindle was completely off. This didn’t affect my overall rating for the book but it is something I think needs to be mentioned. It was incredibly distracting and took me out of the story so often I considered DNF-ing the book more than once.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read this ARC!