dnf!! after the two characters got together, it got SO boring!!! i could not handle the politics happening with the takeover

This is really my fault for requesting this book in the first place but it was just not for me. I actually love this author but it felt like too much of a departure for me. It honestly reminded me of the style of the Prince of Sin books in general vibe. I’m all for a romance but sometimes… there is a thing as too much sex. And that is how I felt about this book. Would definitely read more by this author but just not this vibe.

I’m afraid I might be too much of a prude for this plot-line. Shying away from spicy scenes is not in my nature, but I discovered that I don’t like my FMC having on page relations with multiple people (who aren’t the main love interest). To be fair, I don’t want to see that from my MMC either. Sex complaints aside, the world was hastily built, and felt fragile. The line between realistic and unbelievable was seemingly crossed at random. The pacing felt very off, and the time it took for the story to begin felt excessive. The story should be so cool, but coming in at 281 arc pages-there isn’t a ton of development time.

As a side note: this is one of the most eye-catching covers I’ve seen. Really beautiful, dramatic artwork. 10/10. Would hang on my wall.

I DNF'ed this book. I have read Falon Ballard's contemporary romances and enjoyed them, so I wanted to give this book a try. I am not into fantasy but because this was an author I enjoyed I felt like I would enjoy it. Wrong. I was bored and also did not like the premise. The main character is a woman with a special gift and she uses that gift as a sex worker where men pay her (or don't if they can't afford it) and she helps them during sex with her special powers. It gave me the ick.

Perfect perfect perfect!
I was SO EXCITED to see fallen jumping into a fantasy??? I love fallons writing, the strong voices she gives her characters and the swoons romances! This was NO EXCEPTION. I adored every single second.

3 Stars. Decent enough for a Romance Fantasy. I liked that the main couple was older than the average age range of this genre. It’s very insta lovey and all the friendships in this story felt very flat. Could’ve slowed down the progression of the main couple and focused slightly more on the girls of the club. I hope book 2 is in the twin sister’s POV.

The world building was standard for the genre. I try to not be too picky when the main focus is Romance.

I love Falon and I just think this book was so different from her usual writing it was exciting getting to read it. The world building was a lot to follow and understand in the beginning, so it was a slow start for me. The book overall was sexy and fun and I am excited to hear other thoughts on this book.

If sexy was a category this book would be in it. Following the story with a courtesan is set to have a level of spiciness to it. This was a interesting ride for me. I found myself enjoying that the story had powers, it gives an umph to it all. I did feel like something was missing for me but regardless of that it was enjoyed.

Falon Ballard’s Something Wicked is a bold, magical twist on Macbeth with just enough glam and grit to keep you turning the pages late into the night. Set in a world where political power and forbidden magic collide, this book blends palace intrigue, slow-burn tension, and a touch of the theatrical—think velvet-draped secrets and candlelit confrontations.

Callum, the exiled heir trying to reclaim his future, and Cate, a courtesan with a dangerous emotional magic, make for an irresistible duo. Their chemistry crackles, their stakes are sky-high, and every encounter feels like it’s balancing on the edge of something more.

This is a darker, more intense departure from Ballard’s rom-coms, but her signature sharp dialogue and compelling characters are still front and center. The world-building is lush, the pacing keeps things moving, and the romance walks the fine line between forbidden and fated.

A strong start to a new romantasy series—I’m definitely in for book two.

**Thank you NetGalley and Penguin/Putnam for the eARC! All opinions are my own.**

Unfortunately this just wasn't it for me. It felt really scattered in both world building and character development, and the relationship just fell flat for me. The two stars are for it being a quick easy read and for the Moulin Rouge vibes.

I really enjoyed this book! I was intrigued to read after reading Change of Heart by Falon and enjoyed it so much. Not your typical romance in the real world but that little bit of magic to create something unique. Obviously Something Wicked leans heavier into the mystical than that book did. This was my first dive into a mystical/magical world of people with powers and a mythical location and it didn’t disappoint.

It was a very sexy, sensual, emotional journey. I loved the world building and the setting. I thought that the history of Cate’s life was very intriguing and I found the honor and duty and structure of the challenge to find the new ruler that Callum had to deal with were exciting and creative.

This was a very unique, fast paced, spicy fantasy romance book. I loved the magic system, how the Gifted people working at the pleasure club, La Puissance would work to help customers. This was regardless of how much money they had to offer. This has been Cate’s and her sister, Andra’s home ever since they were kids.

I loved how our MFC Cate (Lady Caterine) is a courtesan with the magical ability to manipulate emotions of someone, if she is in the presence of one of their orgasms. I loved the emotional healing that could be done during one of the most intimate acts.

Everything changes once their father figure Harold gets married to Lady M. Everyone believes that she is there to help restore La Puissance, except for Cate. All the workers now have contracts in order to keep their place there. Lady M. coerces Cate into making her new customer Prince Callum to fall in love with her.

Prince Callum’s sister got him one week of ‘sex lessons’. Although he is using this time to see if the Gifted people are able to be trusted. Especially since he has been tasked with something he doesn’t think he can do.

I enjoyed the plot, the romance, and the spice. This was written well where I was very quickly sucked into the story. It doesn’t have a big amount of world building so it’s definitely a good fantasy genre starter!

I really liked this concept of the Gifted - people with special abilities. The country of Avon has worked to keep the Gifted in control for decades. No more than 4 gifted can be in the same room together. Gifted women are not allowed to procreate. For a Gifted person to have a job, they must have someone "sponsor" them.

Lady Caterine (Cate) has the ability to manipulate emotions when someone orgasms in front of her. This special ability was a little much for me. Cate's twin sister is a Seer so she can see glimpses in the future. They both live/work at La Puissance, Avon’s premiere sex club.

Callum was supposed to rule after his father, but after the Uprising, his father has been dethroned. Callum will do whatever it takes to live up to his father's legacy and vision of their country (even kill his own father?).

I did really like Cate and Callum's chemistry. The idea of being bonded gave me Twilight vibes. BUT the bond concept wasn't fully developed in my opinion. In one chapter the bond is so powerful, you can't imagine living without that person. In the next chapter, Lady M and Harold have lived apart for years without much of an issue. It all didn't make complete sense to me. As I read other people's reviews, I see many mention the lack of world-building, which I slightly agree.

My issue with the book is that the "fight" scenes were not full thought out in my opinion. The scene where Callum is fighting someone right outside the door of his father's bedroom, but no one hears all that commotion is so unbelievable. There were at least 4 people in that bedroom and at least 3 of them were Gifted. How did they not hear Callum coming? In another scene Callum and Cate march into what I imagine to be a small castle to fight (and reason?) with Lady M and her Gifted army. They both know how out-numbered and out-Gifted they are. Why in the world would you just march into the front doors without a better plan? Then the final fight scene was again just chaotic and unbelievable.

Poor fight scenes aside, I did enjoy this storyline. I look forward to seeing where this country, Uprising, and Cate & Callum's relationship go in the future books! I will definitely be picking up the next book in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

This was a fun read. I felt that the storyline fell a little flat, it had the potential to be great, but it felt a little too rushed. The world building was the biggest problem I had, I feel like there was very little world building at all. There is a hint of a big political plot, and it felt like that storyline just got forgotten. I felt very little connection or interest in the main characters other than maybe Dom (who was a minor character). I feel like this story lacked any sort of flow. Like Lady M appearing out of seemingly nowhere, and all of the girls at the club just giving in. Like I said this was a fun read, i just had too many questions and not enough answers to throughly enjoy it! That being said, I am interested to see if there will be a book two!

thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and Falon Ballard for this eARC!

The cover is absolutely gorgeous and is what caught my attention first, and the premise of the book had me very intrigued.

I’m giving this book 3 stars. The world building fell really flat to me and was barely expanded on so it made me not really
care much about the characters and storyline because nothing was ever fleshed out very much.

I think with a little but more editing and fleshing out the characters/storyline, this book has a lot of potential to be a really great read! Overall I had a fun time reading and am glad to have had the chance to read this early!

Something Wicked kept my attention for the most part, although there were some parts I felt drug on. I liked the magic system, I felt like that was done uniquely but I wish we dived more into it... same as with the world building. The premise was awesome, I was really excited to have received this book as an ARC but I felt like some of the storyline fell flat for me. I will definitely read the sequel, i'm hoping for a little more clarity and depth with the characters and world building in the second book! Excited for whenever that one will be released!

It was a good book overall. I sorta enjoyed reading it—there were definitely moments that kept me turning the pages. The dynamic between Cate and Callum was okay, though it didn’t completely sweep me off my feet. One thing that held me back from loving it was that the story felt very familiar. It reminded me a lot of other books in the genre, with similar tropes and character types, so it didn’t quite pull me in as much as I’d hoped. Still, it had charm and wit, and fans of cozy fantasy romance or enemies-to-lovers stories will likely enjoy the ride.

This was, honestly, such an enjoyable read for me.
I did receive this book as an arc, to be totally transparent, but it was such a fun story to get into. I know that sounds odd, seeing as the subject matter (women being prosecuted and treated as less-than and having their rights stripped away, etc.) was quite heavy, but the magic system introduced here felt unique and exciting. I loved discovering each characters different magical skills, and I do wish we got a little bit more of that through the book.
The romance was, surprisingly, so good. I am not a fan of the insta-love trope at all, but I adored Cate and Callum’s dynamic! He is so gentle and he really cares about the people he loves and righting all the wrongs his family has contributed to. Cate is strong-willed and loyal to those she loves, as well. I wanted more of the side characters like Bianca and Meri! I felt we barely got to know them, and I would’ve enjoyed more time to do so.
I did find myself a bit confused when trying to keep up with who was who and what was what, and the ending felt a *tiny* bit anticlimactic, but, overall, I really enjoyed this read!

Something Wicked is a darkly enchanting debut that blends the glittering decadence of Moulin Rouge with the brooding tragedy of Macbeth, resulting in a story that feels both familiar and refreshingly original. The characters are definitely the heart of this book—Callum, in particular, stood out as a complex, compelling figure whose journey I really enjoyed following. The character development overall was strong, with satisfying growth arcs that kept me emotionally invested.

The magic system was intriguing and the world had so much potential—it felt lush with possibilities, and I really appreciated the unique touches that made it stand out. I did find myself wishing for just a bit more world building, though. At times, I felt like the setting was so rich that it deserved more space to breathe. Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded a longer book to allow both the world and characters to develop even further.

That said, the stage is clearly being set for a sequel, and I’m excited to see how the story expands from here. Oh—and if you're wondering about the spice? It was excellent—perfectly balanced and very well done.

Overall, Something Wicked is a promising start to what feels like a seductive, magical series. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes next!

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for the advanced copy!

The cover is stunning, and I thought the premise of the book sounded interested. However, this book failed to grasp my interest. The romance felt entirely lust heavy, where the the couple did not have any real chemistry despite the fact they were "bonded." The story lacked depth to me, and it all felt very flat. I was hoping there would at least be a balance between an interesting plot & spicy scenes, but it seemed this book heavily focused on spicy scenes rather than giving depth to the characters and story.

This book may be enjoyable for people who like spicy books, but it wasn't for me.