*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

After an untimely and violent death, Gisela is cursed to haunt the local river of a spa town. And while things aren't all bad-- she is welcomed into her new spirit family with open arms, given riches beyond her wildest imagination, and has the chance to be almost sixteen forever-- Gisela is unable to forget the responsibilities of her human life and is willing to do anything to return to her little brother.

Kazik, acting as the village exorcist ever since the death of his deeply beloved grandmother, struggles to shoulder his newfound role and isolates himself from the people he knows. Despite his innate ability to remove the spirits that linger between the human world and the next realm, Kazik's power is starting to falter and the consequences could be disastrous for the people under his care.

The two teenagers, one mortal and one spirit, strike a deal-- Kazik will act as matchmaker and help Gisela seduce a local boy, Aleksey, to help her regain her humanity. If successful, Gisela could return home and there would be one less thorn in Kazi's side. However, love rarely follows a straight path-- and the three become entangled in a plot more convoluted than any of them could dream up.

I'm always on the hunt for books that have the Studio Ghibli feel (think: The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, Half a Soul, or A Fragile Enchantment), and this book delivered in spades. THIS FATAL KISS was dreamy, romantic and the perfect combination of fantasy and realism. It was unclear when this story took place (my guess would be the early 1900s, but I believe the author was specifically vague), but it had a timeless feel. The robust mythology, whimsical setting, and themes of environmentalism all created something truly magical (pun intended).

But not only does it deliver on the Ghibli side of things, this book delivered LGBTQ+ (primarily bisexual and polyamorous) representation and romance in spades. I also particularly enjoyed Gisela's relationship with the other river spirits-- Gisela was forced to grow up too early in order to help raise her brother, and it was so comforting to see her embraced by a new family so whole heartedly. The consistent love, encouragement, and affection was surprising, but it was a refreshing and realistic take on the importance of found families in people's lives.

Spoiler

And the scene between Gisela and Wojciech where he gives her permission (and encouragement) to enjoy living her own life and allow her family to take on the responsibility for their own care healed my inner oldest-daughter complex just a little bit.

While I love a good YA book as an adult, if THIS FATAL KISS had been published when I was actually a teenager, I think I would have been obsessed. As the first part of a duology/series (still unconfirmed), I'm very excited to see where the trio's journey goes next!

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Cecily Jane lives a quiet life as a happily single passionate librarian, and it seems all her dreams are coming true when she's accepted into a grad program for Creative Writing. Suddenly, her childhood wish of becoming a published author doesn't seem so far fetched. Determined to keep her head down and put in the work, Cecily is determined to create her own happily ever after (no marriage or children required). However, in a bizarre turn of events involving karaoke, a kazoo, and a nationally broadcasted kiss, Cecily finds herself married to the famous professor at her MFA program in a bid to save his job (and reputation). As sparks fly between the married (but not together) couple, Cecily and Nate may just find what they were looking for in each other.

I guess I’m the only one who found Cecily incredibly judgy? It was almost unbearable to listen to, her “pick me” girl attitude and blatant snap judgements of people while trying to hide her horrible behavior under the classic “I’m not like other girls so everyone must hate me” excuse. She was also incredibly cringey– like a person who is not a millennial was trying to write some caricature of the generation. Are we honestly expected to believe a 29-year old woman is so out of touch with pop culture she thinks One Direction is still a thing?

Over the course of the book, Cecily did improve as a character (and person) which made the story enjoyable at times-- the handling of her sister's marriage/book plot was thoughtfully handled and I loved the overall plotline. However, especially at the end of the story, it felt like Cecily had two personalities; she started off strong with her "pick me" attitude, and then after the marriage, she suddenly became a much more family-oriented and ambitious person.

Oof, and some of the humorous 'one liners' were pretty rough-- especially during the spicy scenes. The offending statements were (surprise surprise) usually from Cecily's point of view. It gave me the impression that it was supposed to remind readers that Cecily was fun and quirky, but they usually fell flat and made me physically cringe.

Spoiler

Like the phrase, as one other reviewer mentioned, "his full length springs forward like a clock on daylight savings time"... what are we supposed to do with that?

The true saving grace of this story were the dual narrators, Kelli Tager and Nick Mondelli. They each did a wonderful job of breathing life into the characters and story, and their dedication to voice inflections (especially on Tager's part) was wonderful and super engaging.

Overall, not my favorite romance book I've read, but also not the worst. It'd be a good choice for fans of marriage-of-convenience, forced proximity, and friends-to-lovers or someone looking for a quick summer read.