Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putman | GP Putnam's Sons for sharing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise and cover EAT. Moulin Rouge vibes with a courtesan who uses her skills to heal people, all set against a backdrop of a political uprising? Count me in.

Unfortunately I fear the cover and premise set my expectations a little too high. The first half was heavy on the "sex lessons," which, while fitting for a courtesan's story (and who doesn't love a good smutty romance?) felt a little too Porn For Plot for my current tastes.

I was hoping for more depth in the world-building in the fantasy regard and more genuine character connections on the romance end, but everything felt a bit surface level. The characters didn't really click for me beyond physical attraction, and the political intrigue was briefly mentioned then forgotten.

The last 1/3 of the book was like the author tried to cram all the excitement into the final chapters, which was a bit overwhelming. The writing also felt a bit forced and immature, which made it hard to read at times.

On the plus side, I really appreciated that the story was told from the courtesan's perspective-- a really unique and interesting perspective for a fantasy romance! We love a sex positive author & characters. <3

Overall, it had potential, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. 2/5 stars.

2.5 ⭐️ rounded up

The blurb for this book hooked me, but I found the premise kind of strange once I actually started reading it. All of the discussion about Gifts while the FMC can't really even use hers (and let's be real, its main purpose is to make the smut necessary) seemed moot. There was also a lot of insta-love and abrupt plot development (like the killing period?) that could've used a little more development to make this flow a bit. Lastly, every time we switched to Cate's POV, she spoke in stilted, monosyllabic sentences that made the writing seem a bit amateur to me. I liked Callum's POV for the first 60%, but then his narration fell the same way. Overall, I did really like the world building and thought the setting was interesting, but the premise was thin and the pacing was way too fast.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 💄

I really enjoyed this. It feels fresh and unique compared to other romances and romantasies out there.

This was competently written and the blurb and premise of the story compelling, but I did found the characterizations shallow, and despite an interesting premise, the story felt cliche and did not pull me in. I did not like that there was more telling than showing. I am sorry to say that I stopped reading about half way through and DNF. I am not familiar with this author or other of her books so I cannot say how this ranks against her other works. I might try to make myself finish reading it and will update my review later if so.

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons and Falon Ballard for this ARC.

Despite it's Moulin Rouge aesthetics, Something Wicked lacks the punch and pizzazz to turn the old story it tells new again.

With its attention on the on-the-nose rebellion the Uprising and a class of superpowered women known as Gifted, it doesn't spend nearly as much time on what most readers are going to be there for.

I just wish it didn't feel so cliché. That's my largest gripe. I feel like I've read this before and I'll read this again but there is nothing to differentiate it from all the other drops in the bucket.

*Something Wicked* is a bold and sensuous political fantasy that weaves rebellion, magic, and forbidden desire into a darkly compelling narrative. Falon Ballard’s inventive world-building brings Avon to life—a country teetering on the edge of chaos where power is won through brutal rites and shadowy intrigues. The dynamic between Callum, burdened by loyalty and ambition, and Lady Caterine, whose intoxicating magic blurs the line between control and vulnerability, crackles with tension and unexpected tenderness. The novel explores themes of trust, betrayal, and sacrifice with emotional depth amid the simmering political stakes. Though the story’s intensity sometimes challenges the pacing, it ultimately delivers a gripping, provocative journey that lingers long after the last page.

3!

what a fun concept!

i was so excited to dive into this as i love some of falon ballard's other work. unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me. i found myself struggling to connect to the world (the political system, the rebellion, etc.) and therefore felt confused for part of it. i did enjoy the two mcs but with all of the spice in the book (and i understand why it was there), their "love" felt more like lust to me, even as they progressed into their relationship and it morphed into something more.

i thought the plot was intriguing and i was interested to see where the story was going to go. ballard's writing had me devouring this book in just two sittings! however, i did guess the "twists" (if you can even call them that but what i mean is i predicted two major things in the plot). i do commend and applaud ballard for branching into a new genre and thought that it was a great first step into this world! i do look forward to seeing how this story progresses.

thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this arc!

The first impression is sort of neutral. I didn't know what to expect because the description of the book is quite vague. I appreciated the easy and uncomplicated introduction to the world. Nothing unclear or secretive about the history or the setting. I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing as I'm sure other readers appreciate more complex world building.
The writing style is flowy and easy to follow. I'd like just a tad more descriptions of the environment and internal dialogue because I like to fully submerge into the book by reading details on characters feelings, emotions, struggles, etc.
The plot is a bit predictable, but I did enjoy the whole setting, different characters, and the main idea.

To be honest, Callum seems to appear as very naive and inexperienced prince. As someone who was raised up to be the next ruler of the province, he was supposed to know more about the poor state of orphanages and surely he would understand that there would be more than enough people willing to commit a murder in order to have a chance at getting the crown. So it was weird to see that he was surprised by it. Like, there's enough evil people in the world who won't hesitate to draw blood for power or abuse the said power as the manager of the child care facility... Why does it come as a surprise to anyone? He seems to have a good heart, fit to be a ruler, but is severely under prepared even though it's mentioned more than enough times that he's been working on it his whole life. And training physically as well only to lose a fight to a woman and an inexperienced guy? And the way Callum immediately rejected Catherine after her betrayal even though she was trying to keep her sister safe? I have mixed feelings about this character. But I suppose all these moments make him human, very normal and very average. Interesting take, especially considering all the overly powerful morally gray male characters in the popular books.
The spice level is over the charts! It was nice to see quite beautifully described intimate moments of the characters who obviously started developing feelings to each other, so it's not just physical.
The plot twists are intriguing but I found the book lacking depths. It's almost like the focus is so much on the main plot line that it just feels flat. And the biggest plot hole I can't stop thinking about - what's stopping the next assassin to simply kill the person who just killed the king and claim he was the one who did it to become the candidate? Meanwhile, how did the twins not recognize Harold and Grecia as their parents? Children usually have unmistakable features inherited from their parents so it's easy to see the resemblance. It's hard to believe Cat and Andra didn't have any suspicions all this time ...
Another thing that just doesn't make sense for nobility like Callum and his family is having a shabby safe spot. For someone as rich as they were, they should definitely have had a more comfortable place paid for in the past.
The main idea of the book seems quite interesting but the execution feels like it's lacking something.

However, despite these minor confusing moments, I enjoyed the book that is definitely somewhat different from the others in the same genre. Hence, the solid 4 stars out of 5 rating.

I went into this book blind, guided by the amazing cover and author.
I'm not sure if I ever fully watched Moulin Rouge, so I'm sure I'm missing out on the comparison, but on it's own, I think Something Wicked has a unique take on professions, bonds, politics, and world . It's really setting up for more royal deaths and upheavals, more family reveals, and more intrigue.
I was very sad about a certain death. I'm not sure if it was necessary...
I enjoyed the bond part and how close Cate and Callum were. I enjoyed their relationship.
The book was a little slow for me, but picked up toward the end.
I'm glad Ballard was able to explore romantasy and get this published, but I think I'll stick to her contemporary romances.

Falon Ballard takes a bold leap from rom-com royalty to the chaotic, glittering realm of romantasy in Something Wicked—and the result is a wild ride that’s just as messy as it is mesmerizing. Billed as Moulin Rouge meets Lady Macbeth, the concept alone had me intrigued, and the book definitely delivers on steamy chemistry. Five-alarm fire), unique vibes, and a bingeable pace.
Personally, I was here for the drama, the ambition, and the Moulin Rouge-inspired madness—even if it didn’t always stick the landing.

If you’re a fan of big swings, bold characters, and don’t mind a bit of narrative whiplash, Something Wicked might be your next guilty pleasure. Just be ready for a story that’s less about structure and more about spectacle.

I personally didn’t vibe with this book the way I thought I would.

Still enjoyed the writing style !

Rating: 3

I am a big lover of Falon Ballard's books and was full in on wanting this read to be the same! The beginning for me started strong and I was immediately hooked and was eating up the storyline. Sadly around 60-65 % if fizzled hard for me when 90% of the book became smutty chapters and less about the story line. That was definitely not my cup of tea. As stated before its very steamy, but for me it took away from the storyline she hooked me on and started falling flat. Her spice writing I have no issues with, it was just almost every other chapter. I also am not sure I am a Callum stan, in the beginning I loved the brooding type vibe she set up but he insta loved so hard and was constantly giving emotional whiplash. Which our two things I do not like in a MMC. The magic system was interesting but Cates was definitely not something I expected, I had to read that twice to make sure I read it right.

She ended it on a fun cliff hanger which I loved and made me super curious so I do believe I will go out and read the next one. I applaud Falon for switching genre styles, its definitely super hard for writers to do and she also touched base on very sad and realistic issue women faced in that time period. Overall this was a very bingeable book for me and I enjoyed where she was taking the storyline and would love to read more, but there are components that made this a 3 star for me.

Spicy: Dr. Pepper but there is a ton of spicy scenes.

Tropes/Vibes:
- Miscommunication
- Interesting Magic
- Macbeth and Moulin Rouge vibes
- "Giving Lessons"
- Instant Love

I would like to thank PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This is a romantasy. I liked it because it felt nostalgic, like the romance books from the 90s you could buy at the grocery store (think Johanna Lindsey and such). Was it the best book I've ever read? Of course not, but for me, it was a fun romp in a genre I don't normally read. 3.75 stars.

Sexy, intriguing, fun, suspenseful. Did I mention sexy? Great read, excited to see what comes next. Definitely recommend to any Romantasy lovers!:

This should have been amazing. Up until about sixty percent it was!
When I started reading this, I was shocked that it didn't have higher reviews. In the beginning of this book, there were STRONG moulin rouge vibes, and i was SAT.
But as the book went on, the uniqueness started to fade and it began to read like a very basic first draft. I felt like we lost all of the complexity and intelligence of the plot, and Something Wicked became more like Something Middle Grade. It makes me sad because there was so much potential 😭😭😭

a nicely written steamy book that was faced paced!
however, i was left wanting more depth to the characters and explanation of the world building, i couldn’t connect with the love story either because it was instalust and with not a lot of connection to it. I think the resistance commentary was nice sometimes but I think, it could’ve been transitioned into so much more since only the women were gifted ( it wasn’t explicitly mentioned but as far i remember there were no men who were gifted) and they were the ones who were oppressed with no reproductive rights or land rights without a man, this story had sooo much potential but missed the mark for me.

Oh my…….the cover is absolutely gorgeous. It instantly pulled me in and yeah requested the book on netgalley when I saw it. But well…. I have to admit… this one didn’t fully land for me. I mean I was kinda bored reading this. But the steamy scenes were top notch for me.

Neverthless, I struggled to connect with the political system which were described in here and what was the rebellion etc didn’t give me any idea what was going on the story. I also found myself wishing for more of the characters’ development of their bond.

Overall even though this one wasn’t quite for me, I know there are plenty of readers who will enjoy this.

I would like to thank PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons and Falon Ballard for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
2.4 Stars

"An uprising is happening in Avon and our two MC's, Cate a 'gifted' courtesan and Callum the Prince of Scotia lives are completely torn upside down. Everything they knew and the lives they've led up until this point are changed and when the decree for new leadership across the land calls for the blood of the last. What will they do to try and save they ones they love in the days that follow, and how do they're lives being entangled make everything so much better and yet so much worse."

Where to start with this one.
I will say the cover is absolutely beautiful and definitely drew me to this book, the plot sounded amazing! I mean a moulin-rouge- type courtesan as he FMC where she uses sex to heal her clients AND they're in the middle of an Uprising where people who are gifted are finally going to get freedoms and rights they've long been without, AND a mysterious and stressed out MMC who is not only a prince but also very skeptical of the gifted for the acts committed against his own mother... it all sounded so damn interesting...and yet...and yet.

It was all very disappointing. I think this is a case of a debut or very inexperienced writer. It just all feels so surface level. I had a hard time 'connecting' to any of the characters and everything was written so....forced, robotic, cliche, immature...? I don't know it's hard to put into words why this one threw me off so much. I just think it needs some real TLC to reach its full potential. Right now it's coming off more YA than adult Romantasy but maybe this book just wasn't for me.

I mean the scene with the tress was just... I almost dnf'd right there. It took me three days to come back to the book so I could finish it, begrudgingly. It didn't feel funny or real, like everything is so so serious and then THAT. It just felt like the story didn't know how to connect two pieces together in a believable heisty way and so they settled on this silly shtick.

I do not think I will be continuing this series.

I went in completely blind and found myself enjoying most of this story. It stood out due to the sex topics alone, but ultimately I still think some stuff fell short for me. Still, it is something that I think will appeal to romantasy readers looking for something new.

From a purely romance perspective it is an easy read, though I think it almost could have gone harder into some of the intimate moments. Which may be a differing opinion from the popular ones.

This was a fun book, and once I got past the weirdness of a prince deciding to "play along" when his sister scheduled him for sex lessons, I enjoyed it. I think the reason that Callum and Cate connected could have been better written, but I enjoyed the book overall and am anxious to see what happens next.