“Do not be alarmed, miss. She is merely a dissected grace, a slashed beauty…”

Slashed Beauties is an emotionally charged gothic feminist body horror told in two timelines, late 1769 and present day, that revolves around three Anatomical Venuses (ultra-realistic wax figures of women) that come to life at night to murder men who have wronged them.

This is such a wonderfully written novel. I honestly can’t say too much because I don’t want to give even the slightest bit away. The author has scattered little easter egg clues throughout the story.

I will say that if you want to read this specifically for murderous rampages you will most likely be disappointed, as this deals more with fem-horror and the loss of bodily autonomy more than it does the murders, although they do exist. There is quite a bit of historical information regarding how the slashed beauties came about, but I think it was necessary to show why anatomical venuses were created and the function they served. It also paints a detailed picture of the characters and how the present day situation came to fruition.

“The thing is a horrifying mix of intimacy and intent. Here the boundary between life and death is grotesquely, confusingly blurred.“

I received an ARC copy courtesy of
Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley, however my review is completely my own unbiased personal opinion, left of my own volition.

Slashed Beauties it set in two timelines. 1763 and the current day. Alys has finally gotten the final Anotomical Venus. Her connection can finally(hopefully) be broken (and as the story progresses, we will learn what that connection is).
London, 1763 where we meet Eleanor who falls under the spell of Emily. Emily uses Eleanor in more ways than one, and I have to say I felt so sad for her.
These two timelines come together in ways that I did not see coming. I must admit, I had never heard of Anotomical Venus’s, that were used in medical training. The story did not go in the direction I expected. The history behind these Venus’s was heartbreaking and sucked me into their story. It took me a bit longer than usual to become engrossed, but once I did, I had to know how it would end.

while i dont think this book is nearly gothic enough to market it as gothic, it still has really good vibes. starting with a very interesting premise (though reader take caution that premise is only a small fraction of this story) Rushby takes us to the past and present, both tied together by the myth of murdering anatomical wax figures called the Venuses.

What is their allure? Are the murders really these wax figures, modeled after real women who disappeared? Why does Alys, our present-day narrator, want to destroy them so badly?

Rushby, for the past sections, paints an ugly picture of women with little choice. Elizabeth, Emily, and Eleanor are ladies of the night, if you will, and Emily and Eleanor little more than a means to an end for the enigmatic Elizabeth. But the lack of autonomy is something that rings true throughout this story, and it really is heartbreaking, right until the end.

This book dives into the fascinating and unsettling history of the Anatomical Venuses wax figures of women created for medical education in the 18th century. I hadn’t known much about them before, so I appreciated how this story introduced me to such a morbidly interesting topic.

The novel unfolds in dual timelines. In the present day, Alys, an antiques dealer, obtains one of the three surviving Anatomical Venuses with the intent to destroy them, since they are rumored to be cursed and capable of avenging themselves on the men who exploited them. The past storyline follows Eleanor in 1769 London as she is lured into sex work by the charming Elizabeth, only to realize she’s being used in ways she never expected. These chapters reveal how the wax figures came to exist, while the modern chapters imagine their end.

The book excelled in its eerie, body-horror imagery, and the unsettling atmosphere kept me turning the pages. It’s a chilling mix of history and horror that lingers in the mind even after finishing.

Thank you Berkeley Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC

This was a chilling and suspenseful read that kept me on edge the whole time. The tension was nonstop, with creepy moments that really stuck with me. Dark, thrilling, and impossible to put down.

I absolutely ate this up.

It’s definitely more of a tragic historical fiction with sprinklings of gothic horror. It’s the reality of women’s life in the 1700’s that was the real horror. The absolute discarding of women and their health is at the center of this story and is completely heartbreaking.

After reading this, you will definitely be going down an anatomical Venus rabbit hole because yes, they are a real thing?! What in the absolute House of Wax hell. It’s crazy what people did before TV.

At times Slashed Beauties felt like a classic novel in the vein of Les Miserables, or even Charles Dickens (I’m looking at you Elizabeth, you Dickensian villain!!) where we are watching these humans scrape and strive for a better life against the grain of reality and society. I loved the addition of the Venus models and their storied history; a magical history of murder and revenge.

Vivid characters, a fast paced plot, and a wonderfully spooky paranormal plot for your Fall TBR!

Slashed Beauties is based on the real-life wax Anatomical Venus figures that were made in the 18th Century. Add some magic and you get a creepy tale about beauty, eternal life, and femininity.
In present-day Seoul, antiques dealer Alys has at last secured Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the final slashed beauty that her family has been trying to acquire for generations. These particular Anatomical Venuses were modeled after real-life sex workers to entice male medical students and have a shady past. Legend has it that the figures are bewitched and come to life at night to murder men who have wronged them. Now Alys must destroy the collection before this lore can be proven true.
In London, 1763, Elizabeth, queen of the Pleasure Garden, is collecting girls with no other options for her sérail. Eleanor, who has been abandoned and made penniless by a man, is picked up by this beautiful and beguiling woman who promises her help if Eleanor works for her. She agrees and finds another woman named Emily, who has already joined the endeavor. But as they build their empire, Elanor realizes there may be more to Elizabeth than she could have ever imagined. But it is not until they are approached to be models for an anatomist that she truly feels frightened for her life.
I found this book a slog to get through. The writing style was part of the issue, as was the pacing between the past and present. The prose is overly wordy, and the pacing is very slow. A. Rushby set up their past timeline over a short period of time, but laboriously stretches each day in minute details that make it seem like months have elapsed. As for the present, the author has to be so vague with Alys for the twist that you are unable to understand her actions and bond with her. I was frustrated with the present time period so much that I did not enjoy the novel as I could have.
There are a few things I did enjoy. The twist was fun and brought the story full circle, which is a great plot fulfiller. I liked the connection between Eleanor and Emily. This was the one bit of happiness in a book full of darkness, even if it is tragic.
Slashed Beauties is a creative story that was hard to wade through. It’s not something I would tell someone to move up their TBR pile.

Thank you to NetGalley and Verve Books for the ARC!

Slashed Beauties is a wonderfully eerie and atmospheric gothic tale that weaves together two distinct timelines in a way that feels both chilling and seamless. The story alternates between Alys, a present-day antique dealer who becomes entangled with a collection of cursed wax models, and Eleanor, a sex worker in 1769 lured by the promise of an elegant life but quickly discovering that her beauty and freedom come at a devastating cost.

The dual timeline structure is brilliantly executed, but it’s the historical sections that shine brightest. Eleanor’s world is richly detailed, from the opulence of high society to the exploitation simmering beneath its polished surface. Her story carries a sense of dread and inevitability, and the gothic atmosphere in these chapters is near perfection. The themes of beauty, captivity, and commodification of women are explored with sharp precision, creating both horror and heartbreak in equal measure.

Meanwhile, Alys’ narrative provides the modern gothic thread, linking the present to the past through the cursed artifacts. The tension builds slowly as she uncovers the truth, and while her storyline is compelling, it serves more as a bridge to the deeply haunting events of the 18th century. The wax models themselves are unsettling in the best possible way, adding that sense of uncanny creepiness that lingers long after the book is closed.

Overall, Slashed Beauties is both chilling and elegant, a gothic thriller that highlights the horrors women have endured across centuries. While both timelines work together to form the whole, the historical perspective absolutely stole the show for me,it’s lush, tragic, and unforgettable.

Slashed Beauties is, overall, an absolutely amazing, unique novel. I found the first scene to have a slightly choppy sentence structure that doesn’t match the later chapters set in the 1700s, but despite my short-lived qualms, the story is engaging and hooks the reader immediately. I appreciate that the author clearly knows a lot about antiquities. I also liked how well-researched the historical chapters were.

The pacing is good and the plot progresses without dragging at any point. I was able to predict each plot twist toward the end, but I read a lot of books in this genre, so that wasn't unexpected and didn’t affect my enjoyment. It’s a very emotionally charged, dark read. I found Eleanor more interesting as a narrator than Alys, but that may be personal bias since I prefer historical works to contemporary and usually avoid the latter unless it's a dual timeline.

This was such an original concept and I loved the journey it took me on! In Slashed Beauties, we follow two women in dual timelines. Alys, a present day antiques dealer with a mysterious past, whose sole purpose is to destroy the Venuses - three anatomically correct wax figures said to be spelled to destroy lascivious men. The second follows Eleanor, a woman in 1769 who has been abandoned by her lover, and seemingly rescued by Elizabeth, who promises family and safety in return for her work as a courtesan.

I found Eleanor’s story to be more interesting. The exploration of women’s autonomy, misogyny and utter helplessness during the Georgian time period were tragic to read and seemed very well researched. Through all of her hardships, she remains kind and hopeful, and her story was truly heartbreaking.

Alys’s story fell a bit flat for me in the middle, I felt it took too long to figure out what her history with the Venuses was and why she wants to destroy them. Though I did enjoy how everything came together in the end, I wish there would have been more clarity on how exactly the magic worked with the wax figures. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a gothic thriller with horror elements, female rage, and maybe a little witchcraft. And definitely check your trigger warnings!

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley Publishing Group, and A. Rushby for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a short thriller slasher novel that I devoured. With it being September I need all the spooky covers and thriller s to add to my TBR and I’m so excited to read this one

Unfortunately I just could not get into this book. The premise sounded so interesting but in practice it was not working for me.

If you like

- Gothic
- Witchcraft
- Body horror
- Female rage / revenge
- 1st POV dual timelines

then Slashed Beauties may very well be for you. The first timeline: young, naive Eleanor is from 1769. After she is abandoned by the man she ran away from home to be with, she believes she's found her savior in the vivacious Elizabeth, who promises her employment, friendship, and a future of independence. Before long, she realizes that Elizabeth is not as she initially portrayed herself, but of course it's too late. The second: Alys is a modern-day antiques dealer and collector. However, the antiques she specializes in lean toward the macabre. Her life's mission is to collect and destroy the Venuses - three anatomically correct medical figures that are imbued with magic enabling them to corrupt and destroy men of a certain kind.

Hyper-realistic wax anatomical medical dolls?? I mean, how could I not. I had no idea such a practice ever existed and I was especially excited to see the imaginative limits to which Rushby would go with such a fascinating concept.

Let me be clear - there is almost nothing happy about this book; in general it's pretty morbid, bleak, and at times frustrating, but I couldn't wait to return to it each day. Sporadically throughout the dialogue and narration was awkward and a bit cheesy (these instances were like strange speed bumps within the plot because for the most part the writing was polished and flowed smoothly). I would have liked a more climactic ending yet I wouldn't call it disappointing by any means.

Final verdict: I was pleasantly caught off guard with Slashed Beauties, and I highly recommend it as an eerie, brooding fall read. It was a great kick-off to my 2025 Spooky Szn.

Thank you to A. Rushby, Berkley Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Slashed Beauties will be published and available on September 23rd.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Slashed Beauties had such a compelling premise — gothic feminist body horror, wax figures that come to life, dual timelines, and the eerie idea of Anatomical Venuses bound by dark magic. On paper, this should have been a favorite read of mine. Unfortunately, while the concept was strong, the execution left me wanting more.

The atmosphere is definitely there. It’s dark, unsettling, and dripping with potential. I did enjoy the blend of historical and modern settings, and the feminist themes tied into the story’s horror elements kept me entertained with intrigue. However, I often found myself waiting for the narrative to dig just a bit deeper, maybe into the characters’ emotional lives, the mythology of the Venuses, or the horror themes itself.

This wasn’t a bad read by any means — the idea is original and chilling, and there are moments that really shine — but it didn’t quite deliver the impact I hoped for. Readers who enjoy gothic horror with strong feminist undertones may still find it worth picking up, though like me, they might be left wishing for more.

this was interesting, unique and terrifying in a very real way. it’s not exactly what i was expecting, but satisfying nonetheless. i feel like it didn’t fully deliver, as the description didn’t feel exactly accurate to the story. i wanted creepy waxed women slaughtering men to exact their revenge, instead i got a slow character driven story full of sadness and women’s suffering. with the blurb promising so much murder too, there was hardly any. i didn’t find the characters personalities all the likable either, they just their autonomy torn from them.
the author is very talented but this sadly fell flat for me, i really wanted to love this but i would still recommend it if the premise sounds interesting to you.

Wow. I’m so impressed by this book. It’s all a warning tale we know. A young naive beauty trusts a beautiful young man and elopes. Only to be abandoned in the dangers of a new city penniless. The journey that ensues is just jaw dropping misfortune after misfortune. She has a crash course in love, realities of a cruel world for women, and betrayal. The author tugs at the fear all women have past and present of men and the dangers society holds for us just for being women. Add witchcraft, murder and incredible feminist dialogue and you got this amazing story.

Slashed beauties follows two women on two vastly different timelines. Eleanor is an eighteen year old left in 1763 London by a man who convinced her to run away with him. With nowhere to turn she is taken in by a woman who promises to give her a home and a family only to be lied to and betrayed. Alys lives in present day Whitby with her roommate as an antiques dealer. Her most recent object of interest is an anatomical wax figure that she’s been on the hunt for. You soon find out that Alys has past ties to this wax figure and two others, all with the same name as their 1760s counterparts. The plot is impressive and original though I don’t believe it should be categorized as a feminist horror novel. These women committed crimes against men that wronged them, yes. But they only did this because they were forced to by other women, having no autonomy over their actions. This aspect of the book was fairly disappointing.

Alys was a very likable character going through a very challenging and emotionally exhausting situation that I always wanted to know more about. Eleanor on the other hand was very naive and her inability to leave situations that put her in danger was very frustrating to experience. Overall, I really liked the dual timelines and hearing about both of their stories. At times I was completely enthralled in this book and enjoyed reading it. Thank you to NetGalley & Berkeley Publishing for this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!

Goodreads describes this book as a gothic feminist body horror story and honestly, that cover alone had me sold. I immediately submitted a request for the ARC, and lucky me, here we are! That said, I went in expecting more horror, maybe even a little more murder (is that wrong to say?). What I got instead leaned much more into the historical fiction side of things, which was surprising but not disappointing.

The story unfolds across two timelines. In the present day, we follow Alys, an antiques dealer on a mission to track down three anatomical Venuses—wax anatomical models that are rumored to be cursed. According to legend, they came to life at night and killed men who had wronged them. A creepy, compelling hook, right?

The second timeline takes us back to London in 1763, where we follow the lives of three courtesans. It's not hard to guess that these women might just be the models for those infamous Venuses. This part of the novel dives into their realities—poverty, survival, and the harsh judgments society placed on “ruined” women. It’s rich with historical detail and deeply human moments.

While I personally hoped for a bit more horror and a darker tone, the blend of gothic atmosphere, historical fiction, and feminist undertones still made for a captivating read. There are some well-placed plot twists and deeper themes that gradually unfold, especially around autonomy, justice, and female rage.

Berkley eARC
I love a good gothic horror, and this one delivered! I was immediately drawn into the past and present timeline, and I loved them both equally. In the present day, Alys was working towards getting rid of some Anatomical Venuses that were said to come alive at night and murder men. In the past, we learn about Elizabeth, Eleanor, and Emily, who are the three women the Venuses are modeled on. This book was a slow burn, which made the character development rich, and it left each chapter with some wondering of what was going to happen next. I liked how both timelines focused on survival and how these women were going to work to make it through the next obstacle in their way. I liked the horror aspects. It's body horror, and it worked really well for me. I love when I learn about something new while reading, and Anatomical Venuses were something I had never heard of until I read this. It was fascinating. If you're a horror fan, this is a fantastic one to add to your fall TBR.

This was a great story. I liked the dual timelines and it kept me guessing until the very end.
Many thanks for my gifted copy.

Full review will be on Instagram @coffee.break.book.reviews closer to pub date.