I loved this! Eve has a penchant for storytelling, and I devoured this book within a night.

There's so much I liked about Wallflowers and Demons: the strong FMC, the dark (and strong) MMC (and the banter between them), the horror bits, the gothic romance meets really spicy, monster smut... all of it bound together to make an incredibly unhinged and depraved, but also truly great story.

I will definitely read more by Eve Devearoux. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the author for this ARC.

Wallflowers and Demons: Ashwood by Eve Devearoux is a bold and intriguing blend of historical romance and supernatural horror, set in the 1800s. With Bridgerton-esque elegance clashing with bloody, demonic chaos, it's a book that forges its own lane in genre-bending fiction.

The story follows the unlikely pairing of a Chinese Princess and a Duke, an engaging dynamic that promised a lot of potential from the start. The opening was particularly strong—beautifully written and richly atmospheric, immediately pulling me into a world of courtly manners and creeping darkness.

However, as the plot progressed, the pacing became a bit too fast and sporadic for my taste. The narrative seemed to jump ahead without giving scenes enough time to breathe, which made it difficult to stay fully grounded in the story. I also struggled to visualise the demon forms as they were described—while imaginative, the detail felt a little too abstract to form a clear picture in my head.

That said, I admire Devearoux's ambition and creativity in fusing period drama with elements of gore, horror, and the supernatural. It’s a daring mix, and though this particular genre might not be for me, I’m genuinely glad I gave it a try. I’d absolutely be interested in exploring more of Devearoux’s work, especially if she delves into genres more aligned with my usual tastes.

Princess Katherine Xu marries Duke of Ashwood even though both of them don't want the marriage.... And that's only the start really....

Lots of suspense. Lots of of spice. The steam starts early.... The plot is a bit twisty too. The horror parts start half way through the book. Lots of warnings in the beginning of the book so readers should be prepared. Overall, a perfect gothic horror story with a dash of spice..

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

This is a review based on an ARC obtained through NetGalley]

This is a spoiler free review.
The book starts with a long list of content and trigger warnings. Read them all carefully, and close the book if any of the above make you hesitate. They are present throughout the book, in basically every chapter.

I am not a native English speaker, so I’d consider this a medium-paced book: its use of a higher registry, mandatory since this is a Regency era book, may slow down fast-paced readers like myself, especially if not used to this kind of language. This is not a pro or a con, in my opinion. It is just a fact an I am stating it as such. If you prefer a more modernised use of the English language, this may not be the book for you. It doesn’t influence my rating.

The beginning throws you in the story almost immediately, giving little background of the characters.
The POV switches between the FMC and the MMC, giving a nice visual of both of their minds, and since one is, in fact, a monster, it’s nice to know how and what he thinks, and some other minor characters in some instances.

The descriptions are nice and paint a pretty picture of the surroundings and the characters, and while i did find some mistakes, more so in the second part of the book, I’m not counting them because, as NetGalley reminds on its site, the ARCs are not the finished product and some variations may occur. I do not know if these errors have been edited out before being published, therefore I can’t consider them a problem in my review.

The explicit scenes start pretty soon in the book. And I guess that’s kind of the point of the book itself. I’m not usually an avid reader of eroticas, and you may think that choosing one that has so many warnings is a bit far fetched on my part, but I actually liked it. They’re well written, and I didn’t find myself confused, which may sometimes happen with these kind of scenes (how many times have you found yourself asking how many hands are being used?).

The plot is intriguing enough to not think of this book as just an excuse to write smut, but an actual horror story with open door scenes, even though some true horror arrives only in the second half of the book. Everything before is pretty tame in comparison, but I’m also an avid horror reader and I might be kind of desensitised to it.

I’d say the chapters are medium-long, something I’m not used to, but a nice change in pace from my usual. They never feel too long, or too short. Just right, which is something harder to achieve than it may seem.

The FMC is not a damsel in distress, which I appreciate greatly. She’s smart, thinks quickly, and can - and will - put up a fight if necessary.
The MMC isn’t the most sympathetic character, his split personality with the demon is quite dark, violent and vulgar, but it fits well with the story. I wouldn’t really say that he’s charming, although described as handsome.

I enjoyed the story, and only one smut scene left me wondering if there really was any need for it at all. One thing that I didn’t really like is a secondary plot, that could’ve been intriguing and mysterious, but was ended very abruptly with almost no explanations, almost as if the author didn’t know what to do with it.

My favorite quote is: “You deserve to be perceived fully, to be chosen without hesitation, to have that love standing beside you in body, mind and soul. Without equivocation, and not merely tolerated or excused away. For love is not idle intention. It is deed and presence. It is appearing when times are most arduous. It is desirable to be near, even when weariness or inconvenience abound. Therefore, the true question is not whether you can abide such man, Duchess, but whether you are prepared to endure the shadow of love whilst your heart withers in silence.”

Did I enjoy the book? Yes.
Would I read it again? Probably not.
Will I read the second part? Most likely yes.
All in all, I’d say 4/5, because I liked it, but not loved it.