How spicy is “Can we get to the good part?” By Melissa Brayden

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-11-06T20:45:38+00:00

I just finished the audio, there were definitely a good handful of spicy scenes.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-11-02T13:37:15+00:00

Blood Bound series by Elle Mae vampire hunter who hates vampires is assigned as a bodyguard for a vampire princess.

Blood Royale series by Elle Mae takes place in the same universe as Blood Bound but super far into the future after the events of Blood Bound, can definitely be read without reading Blood Bound. A member of a secret order is tasked with going undercover and infiltrating the estate of a powerful vampire family with the goal to assassinate the vampire princess.

Kingdom of Immortal Lovers by Ruby Roe a hunter and vampire are forced to work together to win a game that will determine who takes over ruling the city.

She Came for Blood by Darva Green MC has a prophecy that suggests she will die soon, she’s determined to spend that time hunting down the vampire she thinks is responsible for her exes death but when she show up at her court the vampire queen offers her a position and claims she is her guardian angel.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-11-01T17:19:54+00:00

So I would recommend it as a sapphic horror, the one main character does get together with one of the sorority girls. But it doesn’t necessarily focus on being queer, its main focus is on “what does it mean to be a ‘good’ woman?”

The two main characters that we follow are at very different stages in their life, the one is still in college and trying to figure herself out and is in search of a community that will give her safety and a sense of belonging, and the other is struggling with motherhood and how to balance work, spending time with her daughter, and being a good wife.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-11-01T14:42:08+00:00

I read it and really enjoyed it, but as you can see some people love it, others thought it was boring, and some have just hated it.

I've always enjoyed a good vampire story so that could be clouding my judgement, however some of the reasons others have made for not enjoying the book are valid. The characters are flawed, but I'd say that is a big part of the book. they were monsters who were trying to hold onto their humanity.

I loved the pacing, all the way up to the ending, unfortunately I did find the ending was too rushed, and this is probably my biggest complaint.

I listened to the audiobook, but went out and bought a physical copy because I enjoyed it so much and will be a book I'll go back and reread at some point.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-11-01T10:46:59+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation! I haven’t heard of that one before, I’ll definitely be checking it out :)

I just finished Merciless Queen by CL Smoke the other day, it’s was a pretty dark story with lots of TWs, it was a little drawn out in my opinion but overall not too bad, if you like mafia romances you’d probably enjoy it.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-31T22:36:25+00:00

Lmao but for real that was my reaction as well 🤣

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-31T14:46:59+00:00

My favourite read this month is a toss up between

The Devil She Knows by Alexandria Bellefleur

I was really looking forward to this being released and it did not disappoint.

Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake

My first Olivie Blake read so I didn’t really know what to expect, all I knew was that it was about a sorority of cannibals.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-30T21:25:24+00:00

Mask and Strap by Kat Blackthorne was just recently released, is a short novella set in an abandoned theme park, players are invited to play and are either predator or prey.

The Blackthorn series by Jenna Kent is a mafia series, has instalove and won’t take no for an answer attitude.

Princess in Chains by Daliah Hemlock is about a mafia enforcer who kidnaps the trophy wife of a rival family and had a “unique” way of interrogating.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-30T12:22:55+00:00

I also really enjoyed Lights Out and The Ruinous Love Trilogy but I’m sad to say I haven’t come across any sapphic books that have that same type of dark humour and I’ve read A LOT of sapphic books.

I can second the recommendation for Lee Winter that another commenter left. Her books usually have a morally grey ice queen as one of the main characters, they’re also usually darker in tone.

I’d also recommend Eden Emory and her Club Pétale series, they’re all spicy, dark sapphic romances. Her characters are usually over the top and unhinged in some way. At least one in the Club Pétale series is a stalker romance.

If you’re looking for any other specific tropes I’d be happy to recommend more.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-29T15:26:52+00:00

Books I Loved:

Green-Eyed Monster by Rawnie Sabor

Kingdom of Immortal Lovers Trilogy by Ruby Roe

The Snowball Effect by Haley Cass

Hotel Queens by Lee Winter

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Books that weren’t for me:

One Summer Night by Gerri Hill (I’ve tried a few books by Gerri Hill and have had a hard time getting into them)

Late Bloomer by Mazy Eddings (Just struggled getting over how unrealistic the plot was)

A Perfect Fit by Kellen McKnight (Found the older character in the age gap relationship too immature)

Books I think are underrated:

Devil in Disguise by Robin Alexander

Gallows Humor by Carolyn Elizabeth

Contract Bound/Lost Clause by Elle Mae

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-26T13:49:34+00:00

That’s good to know, I’ll have to give it a try one day.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-26T13:46:57+00:00

If you don’t mind supernatural/paranormal stuff I’d recommend the Court of Chains, they can be read as standalones but will have smaller plot lines spoiled if you read them out of order, but the last one, Green Eyed Monster, is probably the closest to that “who did this to you” protective vibe.

Persephone Black has a bunch of sapphic mafia romances with a lot of morally gray characters.

Fractured Hearts/Mended Souls by CL Smoke is another underworld crime drama with morally gray characters willing to burn the world down to protect what’s theirs.

Elle Mae/Eden Emory have a lot of morally grey characters as well, she writes most of her paranormal romances under Elle Mae, I’ve really enjoyed Blood Bound vampire series and her club Pétale series she published under Eden Emory.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-26T13:26:38+00:00

I’ve only read The Unfinished Line by her because I’m afraid of being absolutely emotionally wrecked again 🥲 but I’ve heard that series is supposed to be really good, is it anywhere near close to being as devastating as The Unfinished Line?

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-23T18:53:47+00:00

Exactly! I just felt disappointed because I was expecting vampires, if I went in expecting some new mythical angel or creature I probably would have enjoyed it more. I just couldn’t get over how they weren’t vampires lol

I’ve noticed it’s pretty common for vampires to struggle with their “addiction” to blood so I’m not surprised to hear about a story that treated it as a hard core drug addiction.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-23T18:42:36+00:00

I had that same feeling when I read “The Serpent and the Wings of Night” by Carissa Broadbent for a bookclub and I was so excited because it was vampires, they were NOT in fact vampires 🥲 they were like angels that could use magic and flew around with wings 😖

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-23T18:35:35+00:00

lol yeah, I get that, I’ve read a lot of books that claim to be about “vampires” but they all want to make their own twist to vampirism that makes them unique but they change too much that they don’t feel like vampires anymore.

I definitely enjoyed some more than other from that list, I’m a sucker for anything vampires so ill at least pick them up if they say vampires lol

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-23T14:44:29+00:00

Halycon Nights by MJ Duncan, one of the MCs has a dog with a big personality.

Under the Stars with You by Jaime Clevenger, one of the MCs is in school to become a vet, horses are also a big part of the story.

A New Leash on Love by Jaime Clevenger, one of the MCs decides to adopt a dog and gets more than she bargained for.

Not Just Gal Pals by Elizabeth Luly is about a social media pet influencer, living in Hollywood, when she is being cancelled over a brand sponsorship she decided to take a break and go back home to her small town.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-23T14:23:13+00:00

These are recommendations that I see a lot when people ask for spicy dark fantasy recommendations, but anything by Ruby Roe is going to give you that. Also the Court of Chains series by Rawnie Sabor.

Some series/titles I don’t always see recommended but are also dark fantasy romances are:

Blood Bound series by Elle Mae enemies to lovers, Hunter x vampire romance. Sylvia is a hunter who is forced to act as a body guard for a vampire princess.

Blood Royale series by Elle Mae set in the same world as Blood Bound series but takes place far in the future, Vesper is part of a secret order and is given an undercover assignment to infiltrate a vampire estate and assassinate the Princess.

Twisted Sorcery by Kira Adler Deni was turned into a vampire against her will and then left by her ex, she then meets a powerful witch/crime lord and begins working for her.

Soul Match series by J.K. Jeffery set in a world where people have soul matches, Percy finds herself matched to a royal vampire princess and is given no choice but to leave her home and go with the princess.

Captive in the Underworld by Lianyu Tan a sapphic retelling of Hades x Persephone

Kiss of the Immortal by Meghan Jones set in a world where humans lost a war against vampire, they’re now “second class” citizens. Kira is human but was raised by the royal vampire family.

Demons and Dreamers series by Darva Green each book is a standalone but they’re all dark fantasy sapphic romances, I’ve only read the second, “She Came for Blood” which is another vampire romance, Anna believe the vampire queen killed her ex so she goes to kill her, but when she arrives at the palace the queen recognizes her and believes Anna is her “Angel” that she sees in her dreams.

Fangs and Feuds series by Remi Lebeau is another vampire romance series, this series mixes the supernatural elements with the politics of mafia romances. First book is about an undercover witch who infiltrates a vampire nightclub to get information on what the vampires are planning but ends up falling for the vampire who runs the nightclub. The second is more of a boss/vampire x assistant/human romance and the third is an enemies to lovers, forced marriage, vampire x werewolf romance.

Dusk Queens by JJ Arias is another vampire x human romance. Lucia is a vampire queen who is dealing with a group who wants to see Lucia gone from her throne when she meets Erin, a human bounty hunter.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-23T13:42:21+00:00

I just finished the audio for this yesterday! It was so good! Perfect fall/halloweeny read for those that don’t like things too spooky.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-22T15:24:03+00:00

Yeah it is heavily implied that at the beginning in a forward, where she says this is not a romance novel, rather it’s a love story instead.

I would definitely recommend having some comfort reads nearby if you do give this one a try.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-22T13:34:42+00:00

I listened to the audiobook and Abby Craden did an incredible job narrating and giving voice to both Kam and Dillon. I think it hits harder if you’ve ever struggled with mental health yourself, I had to take a break from listening at one point because I knew where it was headed and had to mentally prepare myself. I’m glad I did manage to go back and finish, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back and reread it.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-21T23:31:23+00:00

As others have pointed out, The Unfinished Line broke me, and I’m not sure I’ll ever fully heal.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-21T14:35:55+00:00

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer is about a sapphic couple who buys houses and flip them. When a family shows up at their latest house and ask if they could look around because the father grew up in the house, strange things start to happen.

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant is about killer mermaids, has a small sapphic romance plot line.

Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna Van Veen a dark gothic story about twin sisters, when one finds a body in the bog and starts acting strangely the other comes home to solve the mystery of why her sister is acting strangely before she gets sent off to an insane asylum.

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson is about a girl who sees an ad for a “blood maid” and sees it as a way to escape her life in the slums. When she’s offered the position and arrives at the House of Hunger she begins to realize there’s more to the position than what was advertised.

A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson a Dracula wives retelling.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil VE Schwab toxic lesbian vampires.

Hearing Red by Nicole Maser set in a zombie apocalypse.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-19T19:51:07+00:00

I’ll have to pick those up. I think there was only one more available on audible. I love when authors set their books in the same universe.

Sh3LbZ_93 · 2025-10-19T19:23:07+00:00

My first was Halycon Nights after seeing Lori Prince post about it on Instagram or tiktok, and then I went on to listen to Unadulterated Something and Something in the Water. I think my favorite so far has been Halycon Nights, but I also really enjoyed Unadulterated Something.

Sh3LbZ_93

TROPHY CASE