Thank you to Second Sky Books for sending me over a copy of House of Bane and Blood!
4.5 stars!

Oh my gosh I loved this book! I was hooked from page 1! I’m not a mafia romance reader so was a bit sceptical going in but I absolutely adored it! It’s an excellent mix of mafia romance and romantasy.

I loved all the characters - especially our FMC and our MMC (I definitely have a new book boyfriend!). The plot was face paced and held a hint of mystery that kept my hooked.

The ending was brutal and I need book two immediately!

4.75! ⭐️ Who knew this would be SO GOOD.
Mafia & peaky blinders meets fantasy romance, add in an interesting magic system… yes I’m absolutely here for it!!
I am so obsessed with Milla and Nico. Everything about these two is perfection.
Milla, I love absolutely everything about her. Strong FMCs are my favourite type.
Nico, I simply cannot. Morally Grey, possessive, touch her and die vibes to his core. Every time he said ‘whatever you want princess’ hehehe. I simply would also attempt to fight a demon beast for this man too.

“Whatever you want, princess. The heart in your chest, the air in your lungs, I’ll take whatever you offer me, and I won’t regret it. I never do.”

Thank you so much for providing me with an early copy of this book for review, I am so grateful for this opportunity.

Second Sky books you have done it again. I cannot believe I am saying this, but I have been so lucky to have early access to three of your books and each and every one of them have been 5 stars and have become absolute favourites. Not to mention that my book boyfriend list is vastly growing thanks to you. NICO? IM SORRY WHAT NOW? ARE YOU NOW MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE?? I just can’t, I finished this book last night and wanted to review it there and then but I had no coherent thoughts, just Nico thoughts and I am not sure that the world is ready for those to be shared. If you hadn’t guessed by now I loved this book so much, like SO MUCH. I have immediately downloaded the next one to my kindle and I will be staring (and finishing) it immediately. SUCH A GOOD BOOK! Camila and Nico literally had me squealing. The tension and love between these characters was just wonderful, I cannot get enough of them and I absolutely need more.I really enjoyed that this book was written in dual POV and that we got to hear both characters feelings first hand and go on their journey’s separately.

I don’t think I have ever highlighted a book so much on my kindle, at one point I was highlighting every other page. I just could not get enough! Some of the things coming out of Nico’s mouth, Oh my goodness. I feel like I could sit and write a book about how much I loved this book. Alas, I need to actually try and get myself back into reality. A reality where Nico doesn’t exist in my life, which is a life I am NOT HERE FOR. I am so excited to move onto book two.

Loved to see this book coming traditionally published - I initially read it upon its release a few years ago, but was pleasantly surprised to find the story and rating did not change for me even after being away from these characters for so long. Such an amazing story of a woman forced to make a choice for her family but pairs with an amazingly devilish man in the process.

3.5 ⭐

I wanted to love this but there were some moments that fell flat for me. All in all, entertaining with fantasy x Peaky Blinders vibes but my expectations were really high from what I was gathering off of BookTok.

The world building was intriguing, but also a bit hard to follow (I read a lot of fantasy and for some reason the magic system, politics, wars and history of the continents/islands were not clicking).

I did love all of the banter between the FMC and MMC, along with the side characters and found family.

The ending was exciting but again also seemed just mashed together? I do want to continue the series to see what happens and maybe it will clear a few things up.

Thank you to Netgalley and Second Sky/Forever for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

House of Bane and Blood is a spellbinding blend of enemies-to-lovers tension, dark magic, and mafia intrigue that had me hooked from page one. Alexis L. Menard weaves a gritty, gaslamp fantasy world where every secret burns and every kiss threatens war. If you crave morally gray love interests and high-stakes romance, this is your next obsession.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars

When I told people I was reading this I had several messages from people saying how good it was and now much I'd enjoy it and they weren't wrong.

The prologue is intriguing and gets your attention right away. The story itself has slight peaky blinder and carnival row type vibes.

The romance was filled with tension and denial with a slow burn! However when it did burn it went very quickly to love which I was ok with because they had both been idiots in denial for so long but it did feel a but quick at that point.

Spice. There is just a sprinkling of spice with one main open door scene so for me it was perfect and definitely did not overshadow the plot or take over.

The ending was brutal and I am really trying hard to stick to my months TBR rather than jump straight into book 2!!

Something I absolutely loved was the FMCs protection snake tattoo familiar as this isnt something I had ever seen before and lead to some surprisingly tender moments as the snake liked Nico and was curious about him

3.75 ⭐️ the beginning of this book was STELLAR. If the rest of the book had kept that vibe this would have easily been a 5 star book!

The banter was UNMATCHED and honestly the best part of the book.
The “plot twists” fell flat but I will be reading book 2 to see if we are able to bring back that original vibe

I was immediately hooked into this book. The characters immediately grab your attention and make it hard to put the book down and the story is very fast paced so it is even more difficult to find a good stopping point when reading! This story was incredibly interesting and unique, I felt a little confused at first and felt that that the reader was left out of the world building a little bit at the beginning but at about 20% all of the sudden the difference between remnants, benders, natives, lessers, bleeders, etc were explained to the readers. Before this point, I felt that I was flying a little blind. The love story that developed between Milla and Nico was so fun to watch, their banter was hilarious and watching them trying to ignore their obsession with each other was so delicious. The whole plot and story of the first book had me gripped and I did not see the plot twist coming, I immediately got the second book and intend to read it as soon as I can! This book made me feel all the feelings, it had so many highs and lows, and I felt like the characters were so genuinely flawed but not to the point where they ruin the story. I loved seeing Milla grow being free from the pressures of her family and find safety in another. I cannot wait to see how this series end in the final book.

Thank you NetGalley and Second Sky/Forever | Second Sky for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I ended up really enjoying this story overall. The world was engaging, the pacing kept me turning pages, and the ending wrapped up in such a strong way that it left me satisfied and curious for more.

That said, the magic system was a bit difficult to follow at times. I would have loved more detail and explanation, as some of the descriptions felt too vague to fully immerse myself in how it all worked. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment completely, but it did keep me from giving this a full four stars.

Still, this was a good read with solid character work and a finale that tied things together really well. If you enjoy fantasy with dark edges and are okay with a bit of ambiguity in the magic, this one is worth picking up.

⭐️ 3.5

2.5 ★ [DNF around 50%]

I went into this with high expectations but was underwhelmed. The premise sounded so promising—A mafia-inspired, steampunk-esque Romantasy with a rivals-to-lovers, arranged marriage romance. I thought I’d love it, but I ended up bored most of the time and zoning out.

The world-building and plot was very weak IMO, which made it hard to stay invested. There was a lot going on, but it wasn’t explained well enough to make sense of it all. The magic system had some cool ideas, like remnants, benders using elements, bleeders, moving tattoos but it was all very surface level.

Then there were the gangs and law enforcement—the Nine Crowns, Firenzes, OIC, Society, Inspector, Collector—too many names thrown about without enough ground work. It’s like the author didn’t want to info dump, but by trying to avoid it, she ended up leaving things unclear which made it feel messy.

The actual romance was fine, though it leaned heavily on well-worn tropes. A lot of ‘my wife,’ ‘princess,’ ‘who did this to you’ moments. Unfortunately, I feel like I’ve read similar tropes and the romance alone isn't enough to make me want to keep reading. Giving it 2.5 stars for the potential.

Thank you to publisher for copy.

I absolutely loved this book. House of Bane and Blood delivered everything I want in a story: enemies-to-lovers tension, a deliciously slow burn, forced proximity, and even a fake marriage, all wrapped up in a mafia romance… with a fantasy twist. Honestly, incredible.

The world-building pulled me in right away. The story is set in a post-industrial city divided by magic, the atmosphere feels fresh and layered, with just the right balance of grit, glamour, and danger. It’s the perfect backdrop for Camilla and Nico’s story.

Camilla (our FMC) and Nico (our MMC) come from rival families, but when circumstances force them together, sparks fly in every possible way. Watching them navigate distrust, duty, and undeniable chemistry was such a satisfying ride.

If you love romance tropes blended with a unique fantasy-mafia setting, this book is a gem.

HOLY HELL. I am shooketh. 🖤

This book was chaos, spice, danger, and obsession all rolled into one delicious, unputdownable read. Definitely a 5⭐️ from me.

From the very first page the world pulled me in — the magic system is clever, layered, and felt so fresh compared to anything I’ve read recently. I could picture every detail without it ever feeling info-dumpy.

And the vibes? Mafia, but make it magical. Rival factions, dangerous alliances, powers that could kill or save, and a tension so sharp you could slice yourself on it.

The banter had me grinning, the chemistry had me feral, and the plot twists? Absolute chef’s kiss. The way the secrets are revealed right up to the very end kept me hooked, and now I’m basically pacing my house waiting for the sequel.

✨ Tropes that own my soul:
💔 Enemies-to-lovers
❌ Forbidden romance
⚡ Secret abilities
🫠 He falls first (my weakness, every time)
🔫 Mafia-style wars
🖤 Morally grey love interests
👨‍👩‍👧 Found family feels
🔥 Touch her and die

I’m not exaggerating when I say I inhaled this in a single weekend and I regret nothing.

Huge thanks to Second Sky Books and Alexis L. Menard for the ARC — my heart is yours and so are my tears.

3.75 stars rounded up! This book had been on my TBR for a while, so I was excited to see it pop up on NetGalley and felt lucky when I was approved to read it. I appreciated how different the setting and the magic system (however, a little confusing) of this book were from most of the romantasy books I've read. I loved the banter and there was so much great tension. There was great burn the world down/touch them and you die energy from both Milla and Nico. Milla was such a fierce FMC and could more than hold her own. I didn't find any of the reveals to be that surprising though. I wanted to love this a little more than I did, but am interested to read the second book to complete Nico and Milla's story!

Thanks to NetGalley and Second Sky/Forever | Second Sky for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

When I saw the words describing this book as “six of crows” and peaky blinders I just knew I had to try this one and I was not disappointed.

We meet Camilla, an heiress of the railway in the city, being forced into an arranged marriage. On the night before her wedding arrangement, she meets the mysterious Nico. When her marriage gets disolved, Camilla finds out Nico is part of her rival’s family and must marry him now to clear her family’s debts.

The overall plot of this book is the highlight of it all. The powerful family’s are trying to be on top and control the city with bribes and corruption. So when Nico and Camilla try to fight it, they find that the problems surrounding the city are deeper than they thought. I love Camilla and Nico’s chemistry and their banter. I think my favorite part of this book is when Camilla meets the family and Nonna. I also very much like how Nico is smart to scheme in the city and win everytime. This books will always have you at the edge of your seat. Add the slow-burn, enemies to lovers romance and you have a great intriguing story. Now, to wait for book 2.

Read this when it first released and absolutely adored it. Alexis pulled at my heart strings when it came to the Italian essence and mafia - vibe!! Such a great ending to a witty, spicy, and fantasy-filled story.

House of Bane and Blood is an exciting & addictive dark romantasy with steampunk and mafia vibes. It was giving Peaky Blinders, Six of Crows, and even a bit of Romeo and Juliet. The marriage of convenience x rivals to lovers romance between Nico and Camilla was perfectly done and the chemistry was off the charts.

The magic system was really interesting and the mysteries kept me guessing. My only issue is that I found myself confused about the world building every so often. The ending was really good though and had me racing to turn the page. I definitely plan to read the next one!

Thank you to Second Sky and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my gosh this book is great!! I loved the fast and vibe! The tension and excitement and action. This is my first book with this author and a really enjoyed her writing style!! I’ll definitely read more from her!!

Goodreads won’t let me currently leave a review for this book but as soon as it’s working I will

This one had such an intriguing premise—a paranormal/steampunk/magic mafia mashup with a marriage-of-convenience twist—that I really wanted to love it. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite live up to the promise.

The start is gritty and atmospheric, but also confusing. By about 50 pages in, I was still struggling to get a clear picture of the worldbuilding and magical system. I know we don’t want giant info dumps, but in this case, some grounding exposition would have gone a long way.

Camilla and Nicolai’s dynamic had its moments (I do enjoy a reluctant alliance with sparks), but the overall plotting often felt shaky. Some choices really pulled me out of the story—like Camilla being stabbed in the spine by a monster and the immediate reaction being “alright, bath time” rather than summoning a healer. On top of that, odd phrasing (“her thoughts braising a plan”) and copyediting slips distracted from the flow.

That said, the blend of genres is intriguing, and I did like the dark, smoky atmosphere of this world. If the writing had been tightened and the plotting made more logical, this could have been a really strong read. As it stands, I DNF’d around 75%—torn between liking the premise and feeling frustrated by the delivery.

While this was a pass for me, lovers of steampunk-esque, mafia inspired romantasy will probably find enough fun here to enjoy the read. For that reason and despite being a DNF for me, I give it 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky/Forever for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I pretty quickly realized this wasn’t for me. The writing in this is distractingly clunky, and I just couldn’t get into it.