FAQ

Dark romance first, and everything that borders it: gothic romance, dark romantasy, monster and villain romance, and the occasional horror-romance hybrid. If a book leans on a morally grey love interest, a heavy content load, and a heroine who has to claw her way out of something, it is probably my lane.

I will read a lighter book if it is sent to me or a friend recommends it, and I will say plainly in the review when something sits outside my usual reading. I do not review erotica with no story, hateful content dressed up as edgy, or anything involving real people written without consent.

Every review carries an overall rating out of five, plus separate marks for writing, characters, and world-building, and a spice rating out of five. The full breakdown, including the times a five is really about how much a book meant to me rather than the craft, is on the How I Rate page.

The short version: the craft marks answer “how well was this done,” the overall answers “did the book deliver what it set out to,” and the spice number comes from the actual read, never a guess based on the cover.

Yes. Every review here comes from a complete read, cover to cover, with no skimming and no skipped sections. If I could not finish a book, there is no review and no rating. I would rather stay quiet than judge something on a partial impression.

You can ask, through the contact page. Tell me the title, the tropes, the content warnings, and the format you can send (EPUB is easiest). I read dark romance and its neighbours, so a sweet contemporary is not a fit.

Sending a book is never a guarantee of a review, and it never changes the rating. If I take it on, I will give you a rough timeline, and I post the review honestly whether it lands at a five or a two.

Yes. A three, a two, and the rare one all get posted here, same as the fives. Honest is the whole point of the blog. I do try to be fair about it: I review the book, not the author, and I say what did not work and why rather than just being cruel about it.

From the book’s own content note where it has one, plus anything else I hit during the read. They are a guide, not a guarantee. A list can miss something, and one reader’s dealbreaker is another reader’s Tuesday. You know your own limits better than I do, so please use your judgement alongside mine.

Yes. The plot summary stops before the book turns, and I do not reveal the ending, the twist, or who lives. If a review ever needs to discuss something spoilery, it goes behind a clear warning.

Some of the outbound book links may be affiliate links, which means if you buy through one I might earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It does not affect the review, the rating, or which books I read. Searching for the title yourself works just as well. The full detail is on the Terms and Disclaimer page.

A line or two with a link back is fine and welcome. Please do not republish a whole review somewhere else. Full details are on the Terms and Disclaimer page.

The full write-ups live here. Shorter versions go up on Goodreads and, for books I rate four or five, Amazon. You can also find me on the socials linked in the footer.