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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was sent a digital arc of Savage Blooms by S.T. Gipson. Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books/Redhook!
First off, this was such an interesting blend of elements. This had multiple POVs, a queer polycule (m/m/f/f), kink exploration, folkloric fae, and chronic illness representation. I will give this one kudos for such a unique mix! I loved how everything was woven together.
However, I do have some hangups with this story. The characters fell flat for me. They felt very type cast into whatever kink role they were portraying and I didn't feel like they were developed. Since I didn't like the characters I wasn't invested in their relationships.
I also found the plot lacking. This book delved more into character dynamics, which is not a bad thing! I had just expected a different plot/smut ratio than it had. I know that this is book 1 in a trilogy, so I'll be curious to see if that ratio shifts at all.
There were a few times where I got a little annoyed with the repetition of there being a big mysterious secret. I would have preferred to draw my own conclusions about there being more than meets the eye but felt like I was being spoon fed. I would have LOVED a big plot twist but the "reveal" was very predictable to me.
On the plus side, the atmosphere was great! It was dark, moody, and erotic. The cherry on top was folkloric fae, which I've been meaning to read more of. S.T. Gipson's prose in this was beautifully done.
Overall I gave this one 3.75⭐️. I think I could have forgiven a lot more if the characters or the plot were more developed.
Savage Blooms releases Oct 7, 2025. If you do decide to check it out then please, as always, check the trigger warnings!
First off, this was such an interesting blend of elements. This had multiple POVs, a queer polycule (m/m/f/f), kink exploration, folkloric fae, and chronic illness representation. I will give this one kudos for such a unique mix! I loved how everything was woven together.
However, I do have some hangups with this story. The characters fell flat for me. They felt very type cast into whatever kink role they were portraying and I didn't feel like they were developed. Since I didn't like the characters I wasn't invested in their relationships.
I also found the plot lacking. This book delved more into character dynamics, which is not a bad thing! I had just expected a different plot/smut ratio than it had. I know that this is book 1 in a trilogy, so I'll be curious to see if that ratio shifts at all.
There were a few times where I got a little annoyed with the repetition of there being a big mysterious secret. I would have preferred to draw my own conclusions about there being more than meets the eye but felt like I was being spoon fed. I would have LOVED a big plot twist but the "reveal" was very predictable to me.
On the plus side, the atmosphere was great! It was dark, moody, and erotic. The cherry on top was folkloric fae, which I've been meaning to read more of. S.T. Gipson's prose in this was beautifully done.
Overall I gave this one 3.75⭐️. I think I could have forgiven a lot more if the characters or the plot were more developed.
Savage Blooms releases Oct 7, 2025. If you do decide to check it out then please, as always, check the trigger warnings!
medium-paced
I wanted more plot and world building from this. The big twist at the end was a bit confusing and I did not really understand why it was necessary. Despite this, I did still have a good time with this and i'm sure I will pick up more books by this author in the future.
dark
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
🕯️ Bookish Thoughts
Oh boy... I did not like a single character in this book. Actually, I hated all of them. The entire book was messy, and not in the fun way. The pacing felt painfully slow, and I kept waiting for something to happen beyond the main characters hooking up on repeat.
Oh boy... I did not like a single character in this book. Actually, I hated all of them. The entire book was messy, and not in the fun way. The pacing felt painfully slow, and I kept waiting for something to happen beyond the main characters hooking up on repeat.
I think I expected more gothic, faery dark fantasy vibes. Instead, it leaned heavily into character dynamics and emotional drama. That would have been fine if any of the main characters were remotely likeable, but they were all deeply toxic. And not the fun kind of toxic. Just exhausting and draining to read.
That said, the writing itself was beautiful. I really do enjoy ST Gibson’s style. I just didn’t connect with the execution of this story. I was relieved to reach the final page.
🖤 What to Expect
• Gothic setting
• Faery magic
• Morally gray MCs
• Found family
• Hidden secrets
• Slow burn
____
📖 Final Score: 3.5 stars
📅 Pub Date: October 7, 2025
Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
📅 Pub Date: October 7, 2025
Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
Thank you so much to Little Brown Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eArc of this upcoming book!
Previously I’ve only read An Education in Malice by S. T. Gibson, but it’s one of my favourite reads from this year so I had high hopes going into Savage Blooms, and it did not disappoint.
Savage Blooms is darkly atmospheric, gothic, mystic, moody and very much horny.
This book immediately drew me in. Both the unsettling vibes of the gothic Scottish manor and it’s ties to mystery, Fae magic and folklore, and the palpable sizzling lust between the characters had me hooked.
The story is told in multiple POVs. Four POVs from present day and one from the past. This made the story highly addicting as I slowly understood more of each characters wants, fears and motivations, and also the underlying mysteries and secrets.
The characters are flawed, messy, queer and easily aroused, but somehow it makes them more human and relatable, and I absolutely love them all in their own way. The romance between the characters was queer, poly, kinky and very well written. And I will be looking for this kind of romance again in other books.
The representation of chronic illness was a positive surprise. I’m used to reading inaccurate and tedious descriptions of endometriosis in books, but Gibson really made me feel seen and represented in a way other authors haven’t been able to do when mentioning endometriosis.
Id like to say that this is a case of a book finding the wrong reader but NO, this book is just plain bad ya'll! first of all, I'm annoyed that the content warning page told me to read with 'compassionate engagement with themes that may be a challenge for me,' NO. There's nothing redeemable about these relationships nor is there anything to feel compassionate about. this is just toxic relationships and bad writing! these characters are cardboard cut outs banging each other, they have zero personality. it took me reading the reviews of this book to find out one of the characters is supposed to be black? and that's only revealed on Instagram apparently? who does that? this is truly just porn in written form. and Gothic? don't know her ... taking a sweeping Scottish manor house and then throwing weed gummies and tesco, and bumble in there was so jarring I almost dnf'd. that's a crime. I read this book in like 5 hours, not because I thought it was good but because I couldn't believe how utterly bad it was. the romance takes place over 10 days and I'm sorry but my cootchie would be so sore after this much weird sex with people I just freakin met. why do Nicola and Andrew trust these people enough to have sex all over Eileen's house and in the yard? the only cool thing was the fae stuff but it was just ignored for....more incest yay #smh
Thank you to Little Brown Book Group and Netgalley for sending me this ARC!
As we all know, S.T. Gibson is one of my auto-buy authors, so I always look forward to reading one of her books.
Savage Blooms is moody, gothic and well, horny. There is instant attraction, everyone is bisexual, and tension that sizzles.
The prose, as always, was perfection, and the attraction and sexual tension were so well written that it had me blushing on several occasions!
This book is written from 5 perspectives, which can sometimes feel overwhelming, but it didn't feel disjointed when switching - in fact, I was eager to finish the current POV to see the next person's reaction to what was happening.
I wasn't expecting the 'ancient enchantment' aspect in this book to be Fae - but I was delighted when I saw the direction the book was taking. I wish we had seen more of the Fae and their backstory to set the plot in motion faster. However, based on the ending (no spoilers, don't worry), I am sure we will see everything I felt was missing in book 2.
A very solid 4 stars. I expect the next book in this series will be above and beyond, and I look forward to reading it!
As we all know, S.T. Gibson is one of my auto-buy authors, so I always look forward to reading one of her books.
Savage Blooms is moody, gothic and well, horny. There is instant attraction, everyone is bisexual, and tension that sizzles.
The prose, as always, was perfection, and the attraction and sexual tension were so well written that it had me blushing on several occasions!
This book is written from 5 perspectives, which can sometimes feel overwhelming, but it didn't feel disjointed when switching - in fact, I was eager to finish the current POV to see the next person's reaction to what was happening.
I wasn't expecting the 'ancient enchantment' aspect in this book to be Fae - but I was delighted when I saw the direction the book was taking. I wish we had seen more of the Fae and their backstory to set the plot in motion faster. However, based on the ending (no spoilers, don't worry), I am sure we will see everything I felt was missing in book 2.
A very solid 4 stars. I expect the next book in this series will be above and beyond, and I look forward to reading it!
dark
mysterious
tense
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Orbit Books, for the ARC!!
*Basically four bisexuals matching each other's freaks in a Scottish manor, while evil dark underground fae lurk in the shadows.*
Adam and Nicola set out to uncover the truth behind Adam’s late grandfather’s eerie bedtime stories, leading them to a remote Gothic manor in Scotland. The estate’s enigmatic lord, Eileen, and the brooding groundskeeper, Finley, guard more than just crumbling halls - they’re hiding a dark secret that slowly ensnares the couple in a web of superstition, twisted desire, and deception.
I fear this may have unlocked something inside of me.
Fair warning: This isn’t your typical Gothic romance. With its unapologetically weird, kink-forward edge and eerie sensuality, it’s a book that will either enthrall or unsettle (or both). Check the trigger warnings, and if you’re here for the strange, the darkly erotic, and the uncanny, step right in.
*Basically four bisexuals matching each other's freaks in a Scottish manor, while evil dark underground fae lurk in the shadows.*
Adam and Nicola set out to uncover the truth behind Adam’s late grandfather’s eerie bedtime stories, leading them to a remote Gothic manor in Scotland. The estate’s enigmatic lord, Eileen, and the brooding groundskeeper, Finley, guard more than just crumbling halls - they’re hiding a dark secret that slowly ensnares the couple in a web of superstition, twisted desire, and deception.
I fear this may have unlocked something inside of me.
Fair warning: This isn’t your typical Gothic romance. With its unapologetically weird, kink-forward edge and eerie sensuality, it’s a book that will either enthrall or unsettle (or both). Check the trigger warnings, and if you’re here for the strange, the darkly erotic, and the uncanny, step right in.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book ostensibly takes place in Scotland, but I’d have believed if it someone told me it took place in Madrid, Montana, or any other place. That’s how little the world matters in this book. So, if the location is this grand estate … is the estate, then, a character, a place of note? Nope. It’s a big gray box with bedrooms, and other rooms meant for fucking in. That’s it. Call it Craigmar or The Manor or the Shack. It’s all the same, with zero personality, zero weight, zero charisma.
So, with no setting, what about the vibes? Are there vibes? No, no there are not. There is also no tension between the characters, no sense that they’re logical, thinking, feeling beings. Instead they’re four bored people who want to fuck — and do — in a variety of pairings and trios. So, the sex scenes must be good, right? No, no they are not. They’re bland, boring, and it feels like the author is smashing dolls together.
The dialogue is all hollow, people talking at each other in the blandest of voices while inwardly, supposedly, seething with angst and lust. There’s not a single interesting moment in this book, not a single character I’m going to remember beyond this review, and nothing to recommend this book for. So, what about the hook, the promise of faeries and a curse?
They show up in a few chapters from a character long dead (Adam’s grandfather), stories from Eileen and Finley — both of whom might be lying — and a moment in the pond that might be real or not. So, no. No evil faeries. No faeries at all, to be honest.
This book isn’t gothic, it isn’t erotic, and most of all, it isn’t fun to read. Honestly, I was bored, and pushed myself to finish just because I wanted to see if it ever went anywhere. There are plenty of people out there who like this book, and good for them. For me, I regret the day I spent making myself read it.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.