This book is dark, seductive, and romantic. This story is set in the 1800’s, and while I’ve read similar books in the past, this one takes the cake. The writing, how each character speaks, the descriptions - perfectly done - it really sets the tone and puts you in that era mentally.

There is a lengthy list of content warnings at the beginning of the book, and I recommend taking the time to read through them throughly.

I absolutely loved the FMC. I think she was a well done character who shows elegance and grace, without being frail and weak. She carried her weight throughout the story, as well as the weight of others, and she was enjoyable to follow along with. The MMC I ended up loving too, although many times I wanted to throttle him. He’s a morally grey - and at times morally black - character, and honestly quite unlovable from the start. He’s pretty cold and standoff-ish, and it’s easy to dislike him. But hey, we ignore the red flags, right?

This book is marked as an erotica horror romance, and while the smut was *chefs kiss*, it didn’t take away from the plot and gave you just enough to get the idea and then some without it completely taking over, which I enjoyed. It didn’t feel super heavy on the horror aspect, but I also read horror as a palate cleanser so I think I’m a bit biased lol. It’s not horror like “omg this is terrifying, what is that??” it’s more like lots of gore, an unsettling vibe, with hints of psychological thriller - at least how I viewed it. But once again, don’t take my word for it because I read horror for fun.

I didn’t have many issues with this book - if at all - save for the few moments I was confused about how we got from point A to point B, but I circled back to reread those bits to piece it together myself. That has no effect on my rating as it was a “me” issue. I’m giving this book a 4/5 star rating because while I thoroughly enjoyed it, I didn’t absolutely love it. And that’s okay! I’m glad I read it, and will still definitely recommend it to people. I’ll most likely read the next book because I do want to see how it all wraps up in the end!

Unfortunately, this book is not for me. I didn’t mind the parts of the story that required the trigger warnings but I couldn’t connect with the characters. Parts of the story felt choppy and the change in point of view was a bit abrupt at times. Overall I wasn’t immediately interested as I began reading and therefore wasn’t very invested in the rest of the story.

This book is complicated to review. I enjoyed the story as well as the MMC and FMC themselves; however, there were a lot of distractions, which made me have to rate it a bit lower.

First, I think this book still needs a couple of passes at editing. There were many grammar mistakes, typos, repeated sentences, etc.. It felt like it missed a review stage before being published.

Second, the writing itself was pretty choppy. I kept having to go back to ensure I didn’t miss something. Scenes transitioned quickly and messily. At least once, there was a significant scene change within a single paragraph. Points of View were also sometimes inconsistent within a scene while still under a specific individual's POV.

I would consider it a spicy monster romance; I loved those parts! However, I question the number of trigger warnings the book had. I expected it to be WAY worse, but maybe that says more about me as a reader than the book itself. I’ve read other novels that felt much more intense with questionable content.

I thought the plot was exciting, and I was on the edge of my seat wondering how things would turn out. I certainly didn’t guess the ending, and that’s always fun to me.

Overall, I wonder if the release was a bit rushed. With a little more work on the writing and transitions within the story, as well as some good editing, it could be a real treat!

I am curious about what happens next…

Weird and wonderful. A mixture of supernatural horror and historical fiction blended into a murder mystery. With each turn of the page you real don't know what you are going to get, and yes, some bits are a bit hot too! It took a bit of getting into a it is very different, but well worth persevering with.

Thank you Eve Devearoux for allowing me to have a copy of, these opinions are my own!!!

Ok… come for the dark sinister monsterish vibes and the epic plot… then stay for the hot unhinged filthy mouthed demon brut that loves you in the only evil way he knows how… or come for the hot demon monster filth and stay for the dark sinister monsterish vibes and epic plot… either way… you’re going to come.

It’s like Bridgerton but dark and gloomy and full of horror and gore but also a filthy mouthed demon sex god.

I loved every second! The story was great! The writing was immersive and fun! And the filth was a scary good time!

#demons #monsters #horror #gore #demonsmut #notyouraverageduke #loveconquersall

Okay... that was an experience.
I’ll be honest: when I saw the trigger warning list spanning almost eight pages, I considered backing out. That’s a lot. I was apprehensive. But, having heard some buzz about Eve Devearoux and being curious about the mix of gothic Regency + monsters + totally unhinged smut, I decided to go with the flow... and, surprisingly, I got hooked.
The synopsis already warns you that it’s Jane Austen, but feral—and yeah, that’s exactly what it is. Don’t go into this expecting logical plotting or classic structure. It’s drama, horror, lust, blood, and moans, all blended like a cursed potion served at midnight in a damp castle. And oddly enough, it works.
Katherine is a strong heroine, but the real standout for me was Duke Dorian Storm. He’s much more than the typical “dark and brooding” archetype—he’s chaos in human form, layered with suffering, violence, and vulnerability. Their interactions have genuine tension, and the writing manages to be both poetic and visceral. There were moments I read with my eyes wide, fingers hovering over the pause button. But there are also unexpectedly emotional moments of connection.
Now, I won’t lie: there were times when the story took me out of the mood. The ultra dark tone and grotesque twists can be overwhelming for anyone not into these extremes. Some parts lean into the absurd, requiring total surrender. I went along with it, but it’s not a book for everyone. Still, I admired the audacity of it.
In the end, Wallflowers and Demons is exactly what it promises: a wild, sensual, and sinister tale of love, desire, monsters (literally and metaphorically). I did enjoy it, despite the initial shock with the content warnings and the sometimes too much tone.
Big thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing the ARC. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on Eve’s future works—because if anyone knows how to write romantic chaos with style, it’s her.

I absolutely LOVED the premise of this book, and overall I really did enjoy it. I just feel like it could have been executed better.

Here are some of the things I think could have made the book better

I LOVED the idea of the MFC being Chinese, but I feel like the author made her too “English”. While I understand that this isn’t totally out of the norm, historically wise since during that time frame there was a desire to be more “English”, and yes I understand that the character went to an English school, and was probably converted to Christianity. With all that said, she was still so English that at times I wondered if there was a reason to make the character Chinese at all, besides the racism (which was well done). I just would have liked to see more Chinese culture in the book.
The world building could have also been better. It got confusing at some points, and seemed to jump around a lot.
At one part of the book we read a chapter about Katherine’s best friend riding in a carriage to what i thought was to go to Katherine’s wedding ball, but then that goes nowhere. Though I understand that her friend is the subject in the next books, so maybe it was just a teaser
I read the ARC version of this book but there were a lot of editing mistakes in the version I got. Not a huge deal to me but thought I should point that out.

Here is what I LOVED about the book.
Dorian Storm. I mean who doesn’t love a dark mysterious demon shifter? He is everything a MMC should be in my opinion.
The love triangle with Lord Gabriel was so well executed. I don’t think I’ve read a better love triangle that isn’t a reverse harem situation.
The book is SPICY! In all the best ways. But definitely check the trigger warnings, there are a lot of them. But honestly for as many trigger warnings as there are, I really thought the book would be darker and smuttier. Not that it wasn’t dark and smutty it certainly was, but I was a little concerned going in but I’ve read worse.

Overall, I think the book is WELL worth the read and you definitely pick the book up!

I’m glad I gave this book a try! It’s not my usual go to for reading, but I was really happy with the plot and characters. I will say, the farther I got into it, the more sporadic the plot seemed to get and was a little harder for me to follow. That being said, I still loved the book as a whole!

absolutely AMAZING story!!!!!! i loved reading this so much. an amazing mesh of horror and romance!!! i was immediately sucked into this story and i just kept reading once i started. i LOVED Dorian and Katherine SO much and im so excited for more from this series and to see what happens next!

I loved this! Eve has a penchant for storytelling, and I devoured this book within a night.

There's so much I liked about Wallflowers and Demons: the strong FMC, the dark (and strong) MMC (and the banter between them), the horror bits, the gothic romance meets really spicy, monster smut... all of it bound together to make an incredibly unhinged and depraved, but also truly great story.

I will definitely read more by Eve Devearoux. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the author for this ARC.

Wallflowers and Demons: Ashwood by Eve Devearoux is a bold and intriguing blend of historical romance and supernatural horror, set in the 1800s. With Bridgerton-esque elegance clashing with bloody, demonic chaos, it's a book that forges its own lane in genre-bending fiction.

The story follows the unlikely pairing of a Chinese Princess and a Duke, an engaging dynamic that promised a lot of potential from the start. The opening was particularly strong—beautifully written and richly atmospheric, immediately pulling me into a world of courtly manners and creeping darkness.

However, as the plot progressed, the pacing became a bit too fast and sporadic for my taste. The narrative seemed to jump ahead without giving scenes enough time to breathe, which made it difficult to stay fully grounded in the story. I also struggled to visualise the demon forms as they were described—while imaginative, the detail felt a little too abstract to form a clear picture in my head.

That said, I admire Devearoux's ambition and creativity in fusing period drama with elements of gore, horror, and the supernatural. It’s a daring mix, and though this particular genre might not be for me, I’m genuinely glad I gave it a try. I’d absolutely be interested in exploring more of Devearoux’s work, especially if she delves into genres more aligned with my usual tastes.

Princess Katherine Xu marries Duke of Ashwood even though both of them don't want the marriage.... And that's only the start really....

Lots of suspense. Lots of of spice. The steam starts early.... The plot is a bit twisty too. The horror parts start half way through the book. Lots of warnings in the beginning of the book so readers should be prepared. Overall, a perfect gothic horror story with a dash of spice..

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

This is a review based on an ARC obtained through NetGalley]

This is a spoiler free review.
The book starts with a long list of content and trigger warnings. Read them all carefully, and close the book if any of the above make you hesitate. They are present throughout the book, in basically every chapter.

I am not a native English speaker, so I’d consider this a medium-paced book: its use of a higher registry, mandatory since this is a Regency era book, may slow down fast-paced readers like myself, especially if not used to this kind of language. This is not a pro or a con, in my opinion. It is just a fact an I am stating it as such. If you prefer a more modernised use of the English language, this may not be the book for you. It doesn’t influence my rating.

The beginning throws you in the story almost immediately, giving little background of the characters.
The POV switches between the FMC and the MMC, giving a nice visual of both of their minds, and since one is, in fact, a monster, it’s nice to know how and what he thinks, and some other minor characters in some instances.

The descriptions are nice and paint a pretty picture of the surroundings and the characters, and while i did find some mistakes, more so in the second part of the book, I’m not counting them because, as NetGalley reminds on its site, the ARCs are not the finished product and some variations may occur. I do not know if these errors have been edited out before being published, therefore I can’t consider them a problem in my review.

The explicit scenes start pretty soon in the book. And I guess that’s kind of the point of the book itself. I’m not usually an avid reader of eroticas, and you may think that choosing one that has so many warnings is a bit far fetched on my part, but I actually liked it. They’re well written, and I didn’t find myself confused, which may sometimes happen with these kind of scenes (how many times have you found yourself asking how many hands are being used?).

The plot is intriguing enough to not think of this book as just an excuse to write smut, but an actual horror story with open door scenes, even though some true horror arrives only in the second half of the book. Everything before is pretty tame in comparison, but I’m also an avid horror reader and I might be kind of desensitised to it.

I’d say the chapters are medium-long, something I’m not used to, but a nice change in pace from my usual. They never feel too long, or too short. Just right, which is something harder to achieve than it may seem.

The FMC is not a damsel in distress, which I appreciate greatly. She’s smart, thinks quickly, and can - and will - put up a fight if necessary.
The MMC isn’t the most sympathetic character, his split personality with the demon is quite dark, violent and vulgar, but it fits well with the story. I wouldn’t really say that he’s charming, although described as handsome.

I enjoyed the story, and only one smut scene left me wondering if there really was any need for it at all. One thing that I didn’t really like is a secondary plot, that could’ve been intriguing and mysterious, but was ended very abruptly with almost no explanations, almost as if the author didn’t know what to do with it.

My favorite quote is: “You deserve to be perceived fully, to be chosen without hesitation, to have that love standing beside you in body, mind and soul. Without equivocation, and not merely tolerated or excused away. For love is not idle intention. It is deed and presence. It is appearing when times are most arduous. It is desirable to be near, even when weariness or inconvenience abound. Therefore, the true question is not whether you can abide such man, Duchess, but whether you are prepared to endure the shadow of love whilst your heart withers in silence.”

Did I enjoy the book? Yes.
Would I read it again? Probably not.
Will I read the second part? Most likely yes.
All in all, I’d say 4/5, because I liked it, but not loved it.