Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I've been wracking my brain trying to decide if I should give this a three star or a four star because it's most definitely in between.

A gothic story about murderous wax models who show perverted men how they look like on the inside. This is true of the story for a couple chapters, but the majority of the book is a dual timeline where we follow Alys in the modern day. An antiques collector who knows the secrets of the Venuses and how dangerous they are. A compelling reason to read as she plans to destroy them for good. Then the timeline in the 1700s where we follow Eleanor, Elizabeth, and Emily. These three women have different tones of trauma and are victims of a world that doesn't accept or acknowledge them as more than objects (so not much changes when they become wax models, except for the murderous revenge). We follow them as they try to set up a respected establishment, but things do not go as planned.

I really enjoyed the story and the mystery that was threaded throughout. My reason for an average score is more to do with how it was sold. I'm not saying the story needed more violence, I actually really enjoyed how that wasn't the focus of the narrative here, but it seems to be sold and marketed as a gothic horror with murderous wax models when it is so much more than that. It almost feels like when it wasn't trying to fit in the supernatural elements and the horror, it was a really interesting historical narrative. Maybe it could have benefited from leaning more towards speculative or a horror mystery where we aren't quite sure if the magic is real.

In any case, it has given me new things to research and learn about. I will most definitely be booking a trip to see one of these Venuses and they grotesque beauty. I love contrasting themes like that.

I think this book had a lot of potential but it didn't live up to it for me unfortunately. I loved the idea of these anatomical models who were beautiful women sculpted in wax - House of Wax is one of my faves! Plus the connections across generations was intriguing.
However, I feel like the description, tags, and trigger warnings were a bit misleading. I was expecting much more gore and sex, but I didn't really get much of either. The opening sections where we follow Alys as she acquires Elizabeth are creepy as hell to be fair, but things slow down and for about 60% of the book, nothing much happens.
It's worth a read if you want some historical stories of women and a dash of witchcraft, but if you're after gory body horror I'd look elsewhere.

Thank you so much to VERVE Books for the e-arc!

3 stars!


The premise of this sounded absolutely amazing. I enjoyed it but not as much as I was hoping for, the premise gives off something different than what is delivered as I was hoping for more to happen within the story than just at the last section of the book. It was well written and I think the idea is absolutely amazing but didn't hit as hard as I had hoped

This incredible gothic story is based around ‘Anatomical Venuses’ - wax anatomical models created in the 18th century for medical students, and the myths surrounding them that they would come alive to seek revenge on men. Told in a duel timeline, we switch between 1769 and modern day, with the past story telling of three women who modelled for the wax figures, and modern day, where an art dealer seeks out one of the models in order to destroy it.
The story has plenty of twists and female rage, and whilst a slow burn at times, comes to a satisfying end with some surprises that I didn’t see coming. I will say that there wasn’t quite enough murder in there for me, and I felt that the ‘shock’ elements could have been more shocking. I loved the past story more (as I often do with dual storylines) but for three sex workers, there wasn’t really that much in the way of interaction with men unless those men were being asses. That said, I was gripped until the end. The middle was quieter but it picked up, and whilst the witchy parts were not my favourite, they were there for a reason and the story was wrapped up nicely.
This was a 4.5 and I would definitely read more by the same author.

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ wow just wow. i first want to thank netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

this book really exceeded my expectations. a perfect gothic horror tale that presents topics of misogyny, bodily autonomy and complex female relationships.
i thought the character work in this was great. as it says in the synopsis, we switch between eleanor’s perspective from her life in 1769 to alys in present day. i find when i’m reading stories like this, it can always be a hit or miss on whether i will actually enjoy both timelines explored. i think it was executed perfectly to where i was consistently intrigued with both storylines, never irritated when we would switch perspectives but merely eager to turn the pages as quick as i could to see where the story would go next.
the relationship between elizabeth, emily and eleanor was so toxic yet compelling. my heart hurts so bad for what those girls went through.

the atmosphere of the story was so eerie and i found myself tense/on the edge of my seat constantly.
even before i finished the book i was already thinking about how i’d likely love it more on a reread, going into it knowing what i now know.
i also love how much this taught me about what life was like for sex workers in the 1700s. and i hadn’t even heard of anatomical venuses before i picked this up either! it’s really so horrible existing as a woman, “being looked at is never good. but being seen is worse”.

This was, interestingly, my very first experience with body horror in book form – and I have mixed feelings about it. To be clear: it’s not that I disliked the book. I can see it appealing to a very specific audience, especially those drawn to dark feminist speculative fiction. But I suppose I went in expecting something different – or (to be honest) maybe even something a little better.

Paradoxically, what I enjoyed the most were the parts that many other readers seem to find slow – the historical chapters from Eleanor’s point of view, set in the late 18th century. These sections, which focus on the lives and experiences of sex workers during that time, were genuinely compelling for me. I’ve always found stories about women’s lives throughout history interesting, so these chapters really resonated.

That said, what didn’t work quite as well for me was the central speculative concept: the Venuses coming to life to murder men. I never felt fully convinced by how the magical system operated. The inclusion of witches and covens felt underdeveloped and somewhat disconnected from the rest of the narrative, which otherwise read more like historical or contemporary fiction. As a result, the speculative layer felt tacked-on rather than fully integrated. That’s why the ending, fell rather flat for me and lacked the emotional or narrative payoff I was hoping for.

I did quite like the characters, especially Eleanor, Emily, and Elizabeth from the historical timeline. They were interesting enough to keep me engaged, though I have to admit the character dynamics were painted in rather stark black and white. Despite many of the characters making morally ambiguous choices, it still felt a bit too easy to sort everyone into clear hero or villain categories.

All in all, a mixed bag. Some beautifully rendered sections and compelling ideas – especially around gender, agency, and historical trauma – but ultimately not as cohesive or satisfying as I wanted it to be.

4.5 ⭐️s!

A hauntingly atmospheric gothic horror that weaves a dual timeline between 1769 and the present day, Slashed Beauties is as chilling as it is compelling. In the past, we follow Eleanor; in the present, Alyssa — both entangled in a sinister legacy surrounding life-sized wax models of women known as Anatomical Venuses, or the eerie "slashed beauties."

According to legend, these wax figures are bewitched, cursed to come alive and exact bloody vengeance on men who have wronged them. The novel blends historical intrigue with supernatural terror, raising uncomfortable questions about justice, trauma, and the price of survival.

Fast-paced, macabre, and emotionally intense, this is a dark and gripping read with strong themes and necessary trigger warnings. A. Rushby crafts an immersive world full of dread and fascination. I was hooked from the first page — thoroughly enjoyed it!

I wanted to love this as the cover is phenomenal and the concept sounds great but unfortunately for me, that doesn't continue into the book. I'm all for a dual timeline but there seemed to be more going on in the present-day part of it. The historical side is very repetitive it wasn't until the 70% mark that I felt any kind of action to it. Even then it felt rushed and just lost me altogether.

Thank you to the publishers for the chance to read this for an honest review.

2.5 stars

A gothic feminist body horror in two timelines revolving around three Anatomical Venuses ultrarealistic wax figures of women that come to life at night to murder men who have wronged them

Told in dual timeline. The book will give you the vibe of eighteenth century london. It has a shroud of mystery and filled with unsettling happenings. The timeline of 1763 was quite intriguing and drew me in quickly. While the other timeline had buried mysteries and cursed connection. In the midst of darkness, secrets, and history, Antique dealer Alys ventures on an oddsey to find the reason behind her cursed connection to Venuses. She discover dark secrets and truth. While in other timeline, Elizabeth was city’s most desired courtesan. She was hiding so many secrets and her motives were questionable. When both timelines intersect, the truth comes out and it all makes sense.

4.5

Thanks to the Publisher

A gothic tale focusing on the Anatomical Venesus and their imagined origins. A clever concept with atmospheric writing, but fairly predictable with generic villains and a vague magic system. It had a lot of potential though, so I'll be interested to see what the author does next.

I absolutely loved this book! Drew me in from the very first word and captured my attention all the way till the end. SO good!!!

Thank you to Verve Books and NetGalley for the ARC of Slashed Beauties!

The story follows Alys, in present day, and Eleanor in 18th century London, as tends to be the issue with multi-POVs there always seems to be one POV that grabs people more than the other. In Slashed Beauties this was Eleanor for me. The characters felt more fleshed out and the plot was definitely more captivating. That isn't to say that Alys' POV wasn't interesting, following the legend of the Venuses and Alys' need to destroy them while being hounded by difficulties.

While I would recommend this to people, I would definitely warn them of the themes of this book as they do skew darker and perhaps difficult for some people to read, that being said I did enjoy this story.

This was such a cool, eerie read. Slashed Beauties blends gothic vibes, creepy wax figures, feminist rage, and a touch of witchcraft—all wrapped up in two timelines that actually work really well together.

In the past, we follow Eleanor, who gets drawn into a dangerous world of men, money, and control. In the present, Alys is trying to track down the last of three Anatomical Venuses—haunted, lifelike wax women—and finally destroy them. The more you read, the more the two stories start to reflect and echo each other in smart, emotional ways.

I really liked how the dual POV wasn’t just a gimmick—it meant something. The pacing kept me interested, the horror was unsettling without being over the top, and the themes—about grief, survival, and reclaiming power—really hit.

If you like dark, feminist stories with a slow-build unease and some genuinely creepy imagery, I’d definitely recommend this.

What a brilliant and creative novel. I was completely drawn in by the historical sections, especially Eleanor’s story—her character struck a unique balance of naivety and sharpness that made her arc feel both tragic and compelling. The 18th-century setting was so richly written, I felt completely immersed. Elizabeth, while thoroughly unlikeable, was such a vivid antagonist that she became one of the story’s standouts.

The dual timelines worked well, though I found myself more invested in the past than the present. Alys’s storyline, while intriguing, leaned a little too heavily into witchcraft, which didn’t quite match the tone set by the eerie, unexplained magic of the rest of the book. I would have loved to see the wax figures maintain their sense of mysterious menace without needing that explanation.

Still, the plot was utterly gripping. The mix of horror, magic, history, and revenge was original and thrilling, with twists that kept me racing to the end. While some characters could’ve been more memorable, this was an addictive and macabre read I’d definitely recommend.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and VERVE Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Goodreads.

This didn’t work for me

I kinda feel like I should apologize for putting this book on your updates feeds, because a woman with a torn open back might be a little too much for some people. The cover does fit the book remarkably well though, and it ultimately was what caught my attention in the first place. It's a fictional story about the morbid real-life history of the so-called Anatomical Venuses, or Slashed Beauties – anatomical wax figures of women that were used for medical education purposes. And because men apparently can't learn anything if a body isn't prettily laid out before them, the wax models were a strange mix of beauty and violence, sex and death. It's such an interesting topic, and I'm really glad that this book introduced me to it.

The story is told in dual timelines. Alys is a present day antiques dealer who finally gets a hold of one of three Anatomical Venuses. Her goal, however, is to destroy the wax models, because they are said to be cursed with coming to life and murdering the men that harmed them. The other plotline follows Eleanor in 1769s London as she starts life as a sex worker after she got talked into it by the elegant and generous Elizabeth. Eleanor is promised a glamorous and easy lifestyle but slowly realizes that she is used in more than one way. The past storyline shows how the wax figures came to be in the first place while the present-day chapters are about their end. I was more invested in the past storyline, mostly because the present-day destruction of the wax figures was connected to witchcraft and that just didn't fit the overall story at all in my opinion. I would have preferred the supernatural aura surrounding the wax models to be some kind of unexplained magic rather than witchcraft with evil intent. The witchcraft also took away the opportunity to make this a true revenge story, because the wax women were always controlled by someone. It would have helped too if the characters had stronger personalities. I found both Alys and Eleanor to be quite unremarkable. That doesn't mean that I didn't like to follow them around, but they were both way less intriguing than the side character of Elizabeth, which made for a unbalanced constellation of characters. So yes, I had some problems with this book, but I still had the most interesting reading experience. It's more of a 3.5 star book for me, but I would recommend it if the topic sounds compelling to you.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and VERVE Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this dark and twisty novel, and days after finishing I am still struck by thoughts of it at times, and want others to read it so I can talk about it with someone. This is a tragic story, a horror of more than visceral proportions, beautiful and wicked. Its setting, its characters, its prose, its pacing - everything has a thick, tremulous texture to it. Simply divine!

I understand that this is an uncorrected proof version of the novel, but it felt like getting just a glimpse of it.
I mean, the story is strong, but the execution falls flat. It's so confusing, like the editing process was just at the very beginning. It needs massive interventions, that might make it a brilliant book. So far, it feels like an embryo of a cool book. Pay attention to the repetitions, there are way too many. I know it's more common in the us market but it was very annoying.
The concept was great, it needs to be heavily revised and the story will truly shine!

4.5 stars
What a brilliant and creative book. I adored Eleanor as a character, she was both naive and clever in her actions. The historic setting for her chapters were so fleshed out and well researched that it really felt like I was living in that era with her and Emily. I also liked Elizabeth, as far as unlikeable characters go. Her unflinching cruelty made her easy to hate and root against, a perfect combination of characters for a story like this.

The plot, inclusion of magic, history, immortality and everything else was so unique. It had elements of other fantasy-esque stories I’ve read, but the horror aspect made this stand apart. I found myself racing towards the end, desperately trying to fit the puzzle pieces and figure out what was happening. I won’t give anything away, but there are a few twists towards the end that were plotted and planned super well. A thrilling, macabre and addictive book.