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.

ARC Review – House of Bane and Blood by Alexis Menard

I went into this one with really high hopes—the premise is everything I usually love: two rival magical families forced into marriage to save their city. On paper, it’s the perfect setup for an enemies-to-lovers romance. But somewhere along the way, the tension and spark between the characters got lost, and the plot veered sideways.

It ends on a cliffhanger, and honestly, I’m not sure yet if I’ll continue the series. That said, there were parts of the worldbuilding and dynamics I did enjoy, so maybe I just wasn’t in the right headspace for it—or maybe there really are some holes in the story. Either way, it left me a little conflicted.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

*He's a mistake, the most gorgeous one I'll ever make*

*"Evil little heiress"

Agggggghhhhh my God fk off, why did I have this on my tbr for so long lol
Get it read folks, I loved every minute of it and Nico is now on my book Bf list and I'm not sorry.

If you are a fan of peaky blinders, grishaverse, 1920s mafia, 1920s industrial, steampunk vibes and magic then this is for you.

With a marriage of convenience and rivals to lovers for an added bonus.
I've had the pleasure of already reading this before being traditionally published and this book is just something else. One of my fave reads this year, hands down no joke get it read guys

This book was thrilling and so addictive!! A book that gives the best Peaky Blinders vibes mixed with an intricate and unique magic system. The world-building was so well written and really sets up perfectly for future books in this series. And the romance?! A marriage of convenience, rivals to lovers slow burn that had me in a complete chokehold. A refreshing romantasy read that I’d highly recommend.

This is a plot heavy Romantsy. Set in an Urban setting. The writing means that I had to read quite closely in places. Throughly enjoyed this twisty turning book. Arranged Marriage, enemies to lovers, one bed.

2.5 ⭐

I had beef with this book since Chapter 2. Camilla's brothers sold her off in marriage. I've read plenty of arranged marriage books that weren't this irritating. In other books the king or someone made the decision and the bride was powerless. I think what made this so frustrating is that Camilla is supposed to be the heiress, the person her father designated as the owner. So just say NO! Fire your brothers. Disown them. Throw them off the family train. But no. Camilla not only goes along with her brothers' plans, she takes their spy with her. Then one brother decides to "donate" her shares of the company. C'mon Camilla that's theft.

I didn't understand why Nico and Camilla couldn't be together. Nico offered to null the arrangement after the six weeks, but her brothers don't know that. They didn't communicate the entire book. Camilla thought Nico didn't want her, Nico thought Camilla didn't want him. It was annoying.

Ultimately, everyone stomping on Camilla's agency is what made this book so irritating. I read another review say Camilla takes no bs. Well she was taking it from her brothers every single day. Besides that, I had no emotional attachment to the characters. Nico was obsessed since day 1, but why? The magic was interesting, but not enough to save my feelings for this book.

3.5 ☆

I really loved the premise of this book, and it felt a lot like Peaky Blinders but with magic, which as a plot seems incredible on the surface. Sadly I had a lot of issues with the pacing. The first 10% I was pretty hooked, then it was medium interest until about 75% when I realized it was so slow. Then the last 10% was AMAZING. I wish the whole book pulled me in as much as that ending!

Lots of tropes we all know and love in here, rivals to lovers, marriage of convenience, touch her and die, found family. Camilla and Nicolai had a great romance and also I just really loved Camilla from start to finish. The yearning, incredible. The ending, incredible. I will probably still continue the series after reading this one!

Thank you fo netgalley for the opportunity to read thus one!

House of Bane and Blood is a darkly addictive blend of mafia intrigue, magic, and slow-burn romance that had me hooked from the start. The world feels gritty and alive, with just enough danger around every corner to keep the tension sharp. Think Peaky Blinders meets romantasy, with a unique magic system layered in.

The highlight for me was the chemistry between Milla and Nico. Their banter is sharp, their mistrust palpable, and the gradual build from reluctant alliance to something much deeper is handled so well. It’s a romance that simmers rather than rushes, which makes the payoff that much sweeter.

If I had one critique, it’s that the worldbuilding was occasionally a little dense in places, and I wanted a bit more clarity on the magic system. Still, the atmosphere, character dynamics, and constant undercurrent of tension more than made up for it.

With its gritty blend of dark magic, cartel politics, and a marriage of convenience that evolves into something far more, House of Bane and Blood captivated me from the start. The atmosphere feels alive and dangerous from the very first chapters, as though every shadow in the city hides a secret.

The push and pull between Milla and Nicolai was what kept me hooked. Their chemistry is undeniable—their sharp banter and simmering tension leapt off the page. It’s a gradual build, with mistrust, attraction, and constant high stakes all layered in. Because their relationship wasn’t rushed, the emotional beats landed with even more impact.

The story itself is packed with twists, some I saw coming and others that completely blindsided me. That balance kept the pace sharp and the stakes high, making this a dark and twisty romantasy I didn’t want to put down.

Recently I have felt like I have been in a bit of a reading slump. This book pulled me out of it and really brought out the romantasy lover in me. It's very different from all the other romantasy books I have read in the past. I'm obsessed with the urban Peaky Binders vibes. Combined with the war between humans and magic users, guns and politics, this might become one of my favourite romantasy.

The banter between our main characters is great, and I always love an mmc who is ruthless but a softie for his family and love interest.

I'm so excited to start the next one and find out what happens next!

I went into this one with probably unreasonably high expectations because of BookTok, but I must say, this is definitely one of the better BookTok book obsessions.

The vibes of this book are absolutely impeccable. It felt like a combination of Peaky Blinders (one of my favorite shows ever) and Romeo and Juliet. It feels like a modern classic with an older book style. The vibes were immaculate.

I’m absolutely going to finish this duology (I think it’s a duology?). I had a really fun time reading. It felt cozy in a dark world, which makes zero sense, but it just feels like a comfort book to me.

Overall, this book is really fun. Whether you love or hate the characters (you’ll definitely love and hate some characters), this book is still an incredibly fun time.

Thank you very much to Second Sky/Forever and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in e change for an honest review.