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heabooknerd's review against another edition
2.0
Unfortunately, BENEATH THE LOCH didn't really work for me. Considering how short this is, it spent too much time in the past showing how Mairi and Olphia were childhood friends, so once they were adults the transition from not seeing each other for years to suddenly being in love was too abrupt. I liked the concept of Olphia being a people-eating kelpie who helps Mairi out of a tough situation but Mairi was too hesitant about everything. She was so desperate to escape her new husband that it felt like the consent wasn't 100% there and sleeping with Olphia was just what she had to do to accomplish her goal, not something she actually wanted to do.
I know with novellas it can be hard to fully develop characters and their motivations but it really showed with BENEATH THE LOCH. With only Mairi's POV we understand her fairly well but Olphia is pretty flat. Other than being a monster she doesn't have much of a personality and we know almost nothing about her. Overall, I think this just suffered from being only 40 pages.
Content Warning: gore
I know with novellas it can be hard to fully develop characters and their motivations but it really showed with BENEATH THE LOCH. With only Mairi's POV we understand her fairly well but Olphia is pretty flat. Other than being a monster she doesn't have much of a personality and we know almost nothing about her. Overall, I think this just suffered from being only 40 pages.
Content Warning: gore
browniydgrl1's review against another edition
5.0
This short dark romance about a human and kelpie was beautifully written and drew me in immediately. The matter-of-fact gore was contrasted with the gentleness between the MCs. I really enjoyed the imagery of the setting and the sweet way the main characters interacted. I will definitely be reading more by this author. It has HEA.
lezreadalot's review against another edition
4.0
A wildfire could not be tamed. But it could be drowned.
As with all short stories/novellas, the less said the better. But I do have to note that I usually don't read much 'dark' romances, and yet this hit the spot for me in a very particular way? It didn't seek to fit an entire romance structure/plot into the length of a novelette, and it was eerie and atmospheric and sprinkled with horror; everything I expected from the blurb. I just have a soft spot for monster-girls!
kovost's review against another edition
4.0
*not exactly spoiler free technically speaking, i was too stunned.*
this book made my kindle app swarm me with an overabundance of romance books which is oddly hilarious to me considering this book was an extremely twisted kind of romantic.
for what the book actually is, i thoroughly enjoyed it. the writing is fantastic; immersive and horrific when needed. and the story itself kept me invested all the way through. (miracles really do happen because i managed to read it in one sitting! like the old times! we love to see it!) while you don’t get a ton of time with the characters, i found them interesting and engaging, all of them equally contributing to the story without being too much.
i will say that there is a NSFW scene, but it’s not really heavily hot and steamy and lasts maybe a page and a half altogether.
all in all, hot selkies and a little bit of murder. great spooky read!
this book made my kindle app swarm me with an overabundance of romance books which is oddly hilarious to me considering this book was an extremely twisted kind of romantic.
Spoiler
like i’m not saying brutally murdering and eating someone’s terrible husband to spare them a life of misery isn’t romantic in a very…uhh, sinister way. i’m just saying that i, too, would have hesitated.for what the book actually is, i thoroughly enjoyed it. the writing is fantastic; immersive and horrific when needed. and the story itself kept me invested all the way through. (miracles really do happen because i managed to read it in one sitting! like the old times! we love to see it!) while you don’t get a ton of time with the characters, i found them interesting and engaging, all of them equally contributing to the story without being too much.
i will say that there is a NSFW scene, but it’s not really heavily hot and steamy and lasts maybe a page and a half altogether.
Spoiler
i did ask my roommate like she would know having never even heard of this book if i was about to read gore porn considering the build up to the sex scene. the answer was no to the gore part, yes to the sex.all in all, hot selkies and a little bit of murder. great spooky read!
grey__'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
abrittlebee's review against another edition
2.0
As a general fan of monster romance, I decided it was high time I explore the sapphic side of the genre. Unfortunately, as much as I adored the concept of Beneath the Loch, I just found it a little lacklustre in terms of its emotional affectation, pacing, and horror elements. That is to say, beyond the lady loving, it left me wanting.
Starting with the easiest aspects to pinpoint. Beneath the Loch is 40 pages, meaning that is short even by novella standards. What this story attempts—a dark horror infused tale of lust, danger, and deception—would be equally as hard to tell in 100 pages. As such, the narrative feels rushed. We barely have any chance to acknowledge the characters or understand their relationship before we, as the reader, are forced to move on to the next plot point. The overall feeling left is that of a highlight reel as opposed to a fully developed story. To put it simply, for as grand as this concept was, it needed time to simmer and build tension. Similarly, while the horror elements (which I will not mention for the sake of avoiding spoilers) were present, they felt passive due to most of them occurring either off screen or with vague involvement. They felt a little glossed over, as opposed to embraced as an element of the narrative. Which, for a book attempting to ride the line between dark romance and horror, didn’t feel satisfying.
In the end, I probably wouldn’t recommend this, but I will be interested to see where this author goes in the future. As an alternative, if you’re looking for queer themed horror, I would suggest The Route of Ice and Salt by José Luis Zárate. For a specifically sapphic experience that’s more creepy than outright scary, The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould.
Starting with the easiest aspects to pinpoint. Beneath the Loch is 40 pages, meaning that is short even by novella standards. What this story attempts—a dark horror infused tale of lust, danger, and deception—would be equally as hard to tell in 100 pages. As such, the narrative feels rushed. We barely have any chance to acknowledge the characters or understand their relationship before we, as the reader, are forced to move on to the next plot point. The overall feeling left is that of a highlight reel as opposed to a fully developed story. To put it simply, for as grand as this concept was, it needed time to simmer and build tension. Similarly, while the horror elements (which I will not mention for the sake of avoiding spoilers) were present, they felt passive due to most of them occurring either off screen or with vague involvement. They felt a little glossed over, as opposed to embraced as an element of the narrative. Which, for a book attempting to ride the line between dark romance and horror, didn’t feel satisfying.
In the end, I probably wouldn’t recommend this, but I will be interested to see where this author goes in the future. As an alternative, if you’re looking for queer themed horror, I would suggest The Route of Ice and Salt by José Luis Zárate. For a specifically sapphic experience that’s more creepy than outright scary, The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould.
annaavian's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the concept of this novella a lot, I just wish it didn't end where it did. I wanted more of Mairi and Olphia's relationship. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it was a full length novel.
fyarae's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ladyfives's review against another edition
5.0
I suspected that S.D. Simper wrote the exact kind of stuff I’ve craved reading, and turns out I was right. Dark and bloody, lyrical and sapphic. Good content right here.