Beneath The Silvern Pond is a beautifully written and fantastically indulgent reimagining of The Frog Prince.

It's a very quick read and I absolutely loved every second of it. Definitely going to be a big hit with the sapphic monster romance enjoyers.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Goodness me, be still my beating heart. For such a short little novella, this one packs a punch in the gut. I have goosebumps even now.
M. A. Brown has woven an enchanting desperate tale of love and lust in the face of opressive and misogynistic expectations - a young woman, desperate for an escape finds her solution in the depths of a small pond.

Sumptuous imagery, well written and poetic language, this book hits all the right notes for me. Bloody incredible, there's nothing quite like a well executed fae sapphic tale.

Huge thanks to M. A. Brown and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for access to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was such an engaging read. Even though it’s a short novella, Lucrecia really stood out as a strong and compelling character. I thought she handled herself incredibly well given the circumstances she was in. The creature in the pond was written beautifully—eerie and fascinating—and the spice was definitely steamy. I loved watching Lucrecia take control and break free from the oppression and stifling future that awaited her. The story was beautifully written, full of atmosphere and unexpected love in the unlikeliest of places. I didn’t realize this novella was part of a larger series, but now I’m excited to go back and start from book one.

[ARC Review]
4.5/5 ⭐️

✦✧✦ Plot ✦✧✦
Lucrecia is presented and sold off to the highest bidder in marriage to resolve her family's financial troubles. Her family treats her cruelly, showing no concern for finding a suitor who won’t mistreat her as his wife.

"Dozens of eyes peeled my flesh, dissecting me, stripping me bare. I was a flower pressed into glass, admired for my beauty and not my worth. I was something to behold, but never to be loved."


The only freedom Lucrecia has is to physically distance herself from her life, retreating to a nearby pond. It's said to be home to a monster, and when her days are darkest, Lucrecia unexpectedly faces it.

"I could almost imagine that if I stayed this way long enough that I might begin to grow moss. My skin might become stone, and I would cease to feel anything other than the gently stroking of the shallows agains my soul."


✼✼✼ Thoughts ✼✼✼
I was hoping for flowery language, and Beneath The Silvern Pond did not disappoint. Lucrecia’s character felt tragically real in a way that ignited the spark of rage I always feel when I encounter oppressed and belittled women. But overall, Lucrecia is underestimated, and reading about the consequences that mistake brought upon her oppressors was utterly satisfying. The way I rooted for her? What a payoff!


✧✧✧ Read If ✧✧✧
At only about 40 pages, this novella is a quick read that still manages to pull you into its world. If you enjoy strong female characters and vivid prose, you should definitely give this a try.

🌊Novella
🌿Monster Romance
🌊Sapphic Yearning
🌿Some Spice
🌊Underestimated Heroine
🌿Touch Me And Die
🌊Possessive Vibes
🌿Revenge Arc
🌊HEA

"... and I understood that my monster and I were at last home."


📖 Dates Read: November 12, 2025
📅 Pub Date: November 28, 2025


Big thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and M. A. Brown for the ARC! All thoughts are mine - good, bad, or somewhere in between.

This was a fun novella! I absolutely always love Megan's way with flowery words and prose and she did a great job encompassing all the feelings Lucrecia goes through as she is being promised in marriage to a brute of questionable morals.

The monster in the pond was slightly creepy, but nice and possessive. Her and Lucrecia had an instant attraction to one another.

I loved the ending of the story and the absolute power move that Lucrecia did with her necklace.

As always with novellas, I am left with wanting more in the world!

Read if you love:
-Monster Romance
-Sapphic Yearning
-Possessive Vibes
-Forced marriage gone wrong
-Revenge