thelesbianlibrary's Reviews (357)

Laura Sheridan is a sheltered girl from small-town Mississippi starting her freshman year at St. Perpetua’s College. There she meets Carmilla, a gorgeous but snobby senior whom Laura is immediately taken by. And after discovering they are in the same elite poetry cohort Laura becomes wholly obsessed. Fueled only further by Carmilla’s blatant aversion to her. So when their enigmatic Professor De Lafontaine invites Laura to her and Carmilla’s private lessons she thinks she has found her chance. However, she quickly realizes she may be in over her head.

Carmilla Karnstein is De Lafontaine’s prize pupil, having moved from Austria solely to study under her. So when undeniably talented freshman Laura threatens to take her favor, Carmilla knows she must do whatever she can to stay on top. But it seems the more she tries to push Laura out of her life, the more she digs her heels in. Slowly Carmilla realizes she may have met her match…and she likes it. However, nothing could have prepared them for De Lafontaine's bloody world of secrets, poetry, and murder. Will Carmilla and Laura succumb to the darkness, or is their growing bond enough to keep them in the light? The timeless story of Carmilla gets a brooding sapphic makeover in An Education in Malice.

What a haunting and captivating book. I knew I would love the writing style because I enjoyed S.T. Gibson’s previous work. Plus I loved the original Carmilla, but I did not expect this story to go the way it did. Of course, though, it did not disappoint.

As always S.T. Gibson’s writing on a line level is the highlight. Her utilization of the senses is captivating. And the amount of annotations I have is insane. The way her writing lures you into a false sense of security only to rip it from under you in the same paragraph is perfection. And you feel you are the character as they are so unique and relatable, despite the completely insane contents of the book.

The dual POV is crucial to the story. Seeing the events unfold through Laura and Carmilla’s eyes gave depth and contrast to their characters. Laura’s internal conflict regarding her desire for Carmilla and sexual proclivities fueled her character’s actions. Seeing Carmilla through Laura’s eyes versus Carmilla’s reality gave realism to the story. Not to mention the tension between them was dark academia to a T. I could not tear my eyes away from the page whenever they interacted.

In my opinion, the point of dark academia is a unique style of tension. Where, despite the reader knowing the “climax” there is still much left to uncover. And since this is a retelling many readers are familiar with the general story. However, true to form, the suspense is in how the plot points come to fruition. I can’t reveal much without going into spoiler territory but several plots are running concurrently throughout the story and each one left me stunned.

The multiple storylines keep you on your toes. I loved the contrast of Carmilla and Laura’s relationship with that of their professor. Each of them had a unique experience and being able to see it from both POVs allowed for a buildup of palpable tension. Not to mention the secrets De Lafontaine was keeping from both of them that start to come up around the halfway mark. It completely changes the trajectory of the story from a polyamorous sapphic academia rivalry to a vampy murder mystery with enough spilled blood to last a lifetime.

All in all this Carmilla retelling in a 1950s all-women’s college is a dark must-read. From the body-tingling descriptions to the gasp-worthy plot this book is a great time. Plus you can never go wrong with a plus-size MC. Quick reminder though to please read the trigger warnings!! If you like sapphic vampires and gothic books then this is the book for you. Happy reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for sending this eARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

CW: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Drugs, Kink, Public Sex, Gore, Murder, Uneven Power Dynamics (disclaimer included in the book as well)

Natalie Keane has a picture perfect life, a successful career in acting, a gorgeous home, adoring fans. However, behind closed doors she is a different person. Ever since she was stalked and kidnapped 8 years ago she has jumped at every noise, wary of every shadow. So when her life is potentially put in danger once again she will stop at nothing to ensure her safety. Even if that means pretending her new bodyguard Taylor is her girlfriend. The closer they grow though, the easier it may be to lie…until the only person she’s lying to is herself.

Taylor Vaughn is no stranger to danger as resident bodyguard to the stars. And after three months of desk duty from a back injury she is ready to get back into the field. So when a position opens up for A-lister Natalie Keane she can’t help but jump at the chance. However, as the charade continues Taylor starts to realize what she feels for Natalie may be more than a professional concern for her safety. Will they be able to let their guards down and accept the love they both deserve? Or will fears and anxieties from their pasts keep them from truly exploring their feelings? Celebrity relationships and fake dating have met their ultimate match in, Covery Story.

What a beautiful slow burn romance. Rachel Lacey consistently does an amazing job of creating relationships that feel real. And recently I’ve seen more lust than love in some of the books getting a ton of hype. Which is amazing and I love that but I sometimes miss the genuine feelings of connection that I found in this book. Their chemistry is the perfect example of why taking the time to really develop a relationship pays off.

Natalie is a tough nut to crack and with good reason. She has untreated PTSD stemming from her attack and even before that was an introvert. Naturally it would be grossly against her personality to immediately jump into a romantic or sexual relationship. So when Natalie does start to open up it means more because you know what it took for her to get there. Which lends itself to a mature and well thought out romance between them.

Not to negate the spice though as the premise of Taylor being Natalie’s bodyguard is beyond hot. Taylor’s desire to protect Natalie’s phyiscal and emotional wellbeing sets the stage for some serious hot under the collar moments. And consent!! So much enthusiastic consent was present when they did get under the sheets. Not to mention their conversations flowed at a realistic pace. They didn’t info dump all their trauma two seconds after meeting. They took their time and got to know each other until they felt comfortable enough being vulnerable. Which made me swoon!!

The characterization was on point here. I’ve already touched on Natalie’s introversion but Taylor is a caregiver at heart so the things she does for Natalie feel natural, rather than just trying to get something from her. The portrayal of Natalie’s PTSD also felt genuine and showcased how much one incident can completely derail your life, especially if you don’t get the necessary help. And there was no one “i’m cured moment”, which always makes me want to slam the book shut. This story let Natalie work things out on her own time and with help from Taylor and a therapist I have no doubt that she would eventually have almost complete relief of her symptoms.

Obviously romances are more character focused and utilize familiar tropes because that’s what readers want with the genre. And this book delivered a fun, flirty and fresh take on the workplace/fake dating tropes. The stakes were just high enough to make it a page turner but not too high as to create unnecessary stress. Even the plot point of Natalie’s stalker was handled with care and never felt unrealistic. A factor of this was the characters being in their late 30s, which I feel is underrepresented in popular romance. Plus no third act breakup!! Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a good “get her back moment” but I think they are so often fueled by wanting forgiveness for a cruel act. Whereas this books big “wooing” moment was out of an effort to show her that she does want to get serious, instead of trying to make up for something.

All in all this steamy and slow burn celerity workplace romance is a must read. From the emotional maturity to the heart pumping award shows this book is a page turner. The soul-mate worthy match of Natalie and Taylor will have you in tears by the epilogue. If you like romances that have depth to them while also delivering on the spice then this book is for you. Happy reading!

Thank you so much to Rachel Lacey for the signed ARC copy. I actually cried when I received this in the mail, it means the world to me.

CW: Alcohol, Anxiety, Depression, Kidnapping (off page reference to and memories), PTSD