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Lethal Kiss
Taylor Grothe
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A blood-soaked love story of rage, revenge, and belonging, Taylor Grothe's adult debut is a sapphic horror/romance that's as grotesque as it is beautiful.DELUXE EDITION―a drop-dead stunning paperback featuring vivid sprayed edges!Something ravenous lurks below the marble floors of Preston University…Marcella might be a monster, but she’s careful. After getting hired at Preston University, she intends to lay low and keep her meals discreet.Trapped in the rat race of academia, all Lacie wants is to make tenure. This will be her year, and nothing is going to stand in her way.That is, until bodies start dropping.Marcella swears it isn’t her doing―as if she’d be that sloppy. Whatever’s killing their coworkers is older, and far less restrained. Lacie doesn’t know who to trust, but better the monster you know…The deeper they dig, the more they’re drawn to each other… and the more something else is drawn to them.After all, desire has teeth of its own.
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Posts about this title from Boozhoo Books
Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Jun 14
[Hi Friends,\ \ I thought I would make my May reading update public this month. I typically will keep these paid members only, mostly so I can be a little more honest than I can on social media. I'm not saying now is the time to upgrade, but today I released a WHAT FEEDS BELOW update, an update on the THIRD book from our imprint and will likely be doing a cover reveal for our second book CRACKS soon (so yeah, maybe I am saying now is the time to upgrade!)\ \ Before I get into the update: I LISTED 150 books for sale, many under $5\ \ Shot out to anyone who buys multiple books at once because I have a ton of big boxes I'm dying to get rid of!\ \ I read 15 Books in May. And got a little bit of everything this month.\ \
- Old School Indian by Aaron John Curtis\ \ \ \ This was our book club pick for Good Day To Read Indigenous and I thought it was fantastic. It's a coming of middle age story, and to be honest, I think we need many more of these! It follows Abe, a man with a debilitating autoimmune disease who in a last ditch attempt to get healed, goes back to the Rez to consult a healer. The prose here is perfection. The characters are SOMETHING ELSE. There is so much about language and love. If you didn't get a chance to read along for book club, I still suggest checking this one out.\ \ \
- Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke\ \ \ \ Well, it was a book. Anyway. There are 2 things that are true about me. One, if everyone is talking about it, I want to talk about it. And 2. I LOVE BOOKS ABOUT INFLUENCERS. This book was...fine. I was entertained for at least 65% of the book. The ending totally fell apart and pissed me off. I don't think it is worthy of all the hype, but I also don't find it interesting enough to be worthy of all the attention and criticism either.\ \
- Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas\ \ \ \ There are times when you read a book and you know this book is going to be for me, but other people might hate it and this is definitely one of these books. It's a book for anyone who loves a book with immaculate vibes over plot. It's dark academia gothic that is impeccably written. Do we need to know what the hell is going on anyway?\ \
- Lethal Kiss by Taylor Grothe\ \ \ \ TAYLOR IS A MASTER AT HORRORMANCE. This book made me want to read 10 more books just like it. Sapphic. Gory. Dark Academia. Monsters. It drops 10/20 and it is one I THINK YOU SHOULD PREORDER RIGHT NOW.\ \
- Heartbeat Braves by Pamela Sanderson\ \ \ \ This is an Indigenous romance that centers around the Crooked Rock Urban Indian Center, it's book one of a four book interconnected series. We follow Rayanne who is just trying to do a good job and make changes and then a new leader puts his nephew, Henry, is charge and Rayanne has to work with him. I usually do not care for workplace romances, but because of the unique setting and the cultural significance this one really worked for me. I enjoyed all of the characters here, so I'm looking forward to continuing the series.\ \
- Native Love Jams by Tashia Hart\ \ \ \ Short and sweet Indigenous romance. This follows Winnow and Niigaani and they have a rough first meet, but end up working so well together. I love a book that centers on FOOD. This is a very sweet story, with memorable characters that is LAUGH OUT LOUD funny.\ \
- When Stars Have Teeth by Dani Trujilio\ \ \ \ WHOA this Indigenous romance was STEAMY. Buffy does not want a man, but she finds one anyway. Buffy works at the Urban Indian center and just wants to get her job done but is struggling with a non-native board. Santiago is a HOT immigration lawyer. She wants a booty call. He wants BUFFY.\ \
- The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez\ \ \ \ This is an atmospheric fantasy reimagining the golem story. It's folklore. It's sapphic. There is political intrigue and yearning. It's a moving tale with impressive prose.\ \
- Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson\ \ \ \ HOLY SHIT. THIS IS THE BEST ROMANCE I HAVE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. This book releases October 6. PREORDER IT IMMEDIATELY. This is a romance about a book critic and a debut author who gets DESTROYED by said critic. This is ENEMIES to FRIENDS to THIS BETTER LAST FOREVER OR I WONT SURVIVE. A lot of interesting stuff about creativity, on the publishing industry, the book world, social media. I NEED MORE PEOPLE TO READ THIS. The banter. Did I mention the banter? WHEN THEY FINALLY BECOME LOVERS. OMG. Every time I put this book down, I would think about it. I will 100% reread this annually.\ \
- We Are All Guilty Here (North Falls #1) by Karin Slaughter\ \ \ \ Karin Slaughter is the best living thriller writer. You can disagree in these comments, but you'll be wrong. Everything she writes blows me away. The twist at the end of this book. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? No, not that twist. The twist after that twist. Two teenage girls vanish. A detective with baggage thinks she's solved it. Fast forward, two more girls vanish.... but it can't be the same man? Can it? Just give Karin Slaughter the awards every time she picks up a pen. Please.\ \
- Girl, Forgotten (Andrea Oliver #2) by Karin Slaughter\ \ \ \ So, naturally, I had to go on a Karin Slaughter binge. Who killed Emily Vaughn on prom night in 1982? All of her friends are suspects. This is a sequel to Pieces of Her and while I think they can be read as separate stories, there are connections to the first book that just make starting there worth it. PLUS, all Karin Slaughter's thrillers are to die for.\ \
- Every Summer After by Carley Fortune\ \ \ \ Wow, I think Carley Fortune just unseated Emily Henry as my fave contemporary romance author. This book was perfection to me. A second chance romance about Persephone and Sam, told in the present and as their time as teens. All we know is they split up because of something Percy did...and MY GOD when we learn what. I thought I would hate that. I didn't. It worked so well for me. This couple. Could NOT put it down.\ \
- Meet Me At The Lake by Carley Fortune\ \ \ \ Decided I was going to read all of her books in pub order. This should have been a book for me. Dirty Dancing references. A couple who spends an entire day together like the Before Sunset/Sunrise movie trilogy but NO. NO. What. NO.\ \
- The Lemon Twist by Élan Les Vies\ \ \ \ This is mystery set in the 80s that follows an ice skater suffering memory loss who gets a postcard from her sister that's been missing, with one word written on it: HELP. Lots of puzzles to solve. And a TWIST like no other.\ \
- This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune\ \ \ \ Heck yes. The joy I felt reading Every Summer After is back! This follows Lucy who falls for her best friend's brother (A trope I thought I would hate. NOPE!) They have to stay apart, but yet they hook up every year. I LOVE SUMMER ROMANCE. What can I say?\ \ \ \ \ \ Have you read any of these? What's on your June TBR?](https://boozhoo.binderybooks.com/item/vb8wwYWR4PqkMlE9vH5x/)
15 books
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Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Apr 25
Community Event: Support Indie Bookstores Day
10 books
14
Posts about this book from across Bindery
Two Stories Bookshop\ \ Queer-Owned Shelves🌈\ \ • Jul 8
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[Alright, y'all, we have another interview on our hands and this time with the inimitable Taylor Grothe! Taylor is a nonbinary author of both YA and adult horror, so I thought it would be great to chat with them about their upcoming release Lethal Kiss, which you should DEFINITELY BE READING when it releases October 20! Grab a Snickers and strap in! \ \
- What was the biggest inspiration for writing Lethal Kiss, which features perhaps the hottest revenant to ever exist in the history of literature? I might be biased, though.\ \ \ Hahaha thank you so much! I am very partial to Marcella myself!\ \ The seed of Lethal Kiss came from my experience at university and in academia generally. I am who I am (i.e. a glutton for punishment and an overachiever) I decided to design my own major and focus on fairytales and folklore—and ended up focusing on the intersection between Nordic saga tradition and continental Arthurian romance. I went to Duke University, a school with a very fine Medieval Renaissance department, and spent a lot of time in the Rare Book Room researching old texts and holding medieval manuscripts in my hands.\ \ And yet, even though I really loved the work I was doing, I often felt roundly dismissed by the white cis male academic establishment. There was a sense that what I was doing was “girly” or unserious in scope. I had a particularly bad experience with a professor who ended up as the MedRen department dean. So you could say that this book comes from both a place of passion in medieval studies as well as absolute spite. I wanted to critique academic culture through a queer, hyper-femme lens.\ \
- Cassie from Hollow was working through her autism diagnosis and how to be a person with it. Lacie seems to have a far better management system as an assistant professor. I know you've mentioned your own ASD before. When it comes to writing your characters, how do you determine how much of yourself you want to share in them?\ \ \ It’s so important to me to have my characters be neurodivergent in general and autistic in particular. I don’t know, really, if I could write my characters as neurotypical. But, to your question: characters often come to me fully realized, so it’s not really a conscious choice. Their ASD is absolutely nonnegotiable in edits—all my editors are on notice from the outset! And while I like to think my characters all have parts of me in them, they really are just themselves. We’re all in a Venn diagram with ASD at the center.\ \
- Did you model Marcella on any specific inspiration? I saw her as a perfect mashup of several of my favorite "mentor" characters, so I’m curious!\ \ \ Let me be so real with you: I was like, what is the hottest I can make a character and get away with it, without making her feel like a pastiche? Lethal Kiss is satirical and campy, but I wanted Marcella to feel like she was the strongest, most aggressive, zero bullshit character I could—at least on the surface. I was really keeping my eye on Jennifer’s Body though; I love Megan Fox’s unhinged portrayal of Jennifer.\ \
- So your official debut was Hollow, a YA horror novel featuring autistic rep as well as LGBTQIA+ rep! Which did you actually write first, Lethal Kiss or Hollow? If Hollow came first, did you know you wanted to break into the adult genre with horror as well?\ \ \ I wrote Hollow first! But it had long been my goal to have a career both in YA and adult books, and the markets are very different, especially in horror.\ \
- If you could distill Lethal Kiss down to one song, what would it be?\ \ \ An impossible question! I would say I Am Not a Woman, I’m a God by Halsey.\ \
- Monstrous Beautiful Things is coming up next for you from Peachtree Teen and I know The Mage and the Liar Knight is coming out next summer. Are there any other novels in the works that you'd like to mention?\ \ \ There are but I can only hint at one: my next Nightfire book! Think a grief horror in a haunted house plus mushrooms. It’s also a horror romance, but more literary.\ \ LITERARY HAUNTED HOUSE HORROR PLUS MUSHROOMS???? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP. Anyway, I sincerely hope you'll pick up all of Taylor book's because they are all amazing. I devoured Hollow in one sitting! Plus the rep in their books is incredible, and ahem that scene in Lethal Kiss...so good! I'm reading their next book Monstrous Beautiful Things on my Kindle now and y'all aren't ready! \ \ Till next time!\ \ Ryn](https://twostoriesbookshop.binderybooks.com/item/Sc34bUKn4LKMoitPvEQ2/)
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ofpagesandprint\ \ Dahlia\ \ • Jun 26
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[To continue the Pride Month celebration all year long, I wanted to share some of the amazing queer books on my TBR! Some have already released, and others are available for preorder. 🫶\ \* Pitches from the publishers.\ \
- Mirrorwoven by Bori Cser - A lush YA fantasy debut novel full of masquerade ball scheming and sapphic love-triangle angst.\ \
- Lethal Kiss by Taylor Grothe - Jennifer's Body meets Ninth House in Taylor Grothe's adult sapphic horror/romance debut that's as grotesque and blood-soaked as it is beautiful.\ \
- Right Beside You by Tucker Shaw - In this fresh, speculative blend of queer romance and coming-of-age, Eddie meets Theo in present-day New York and Francis in a New York of the past...torn between eras and his heart, he must make a decision that will change his life forever.\ \
- I Can't Even Think Straight by Dean Atta - Big decisions and messy relationships. It's all part of life for Kai. A must-read queer coming of age story for fans of Sarah Crossan and Sex Education, written in verse.\ \
- All-Nighter by Cecilia Vinesse - Booksmart meets Today, Tonight, Tomorrow in this page-turning romp about two archnemeses—the valedictorian and the class slacker—who band together for a whirlwind night after discovering that they need each other to achieve their very different sunrise goals.\ \
- Out of Step, Into You by Ciera Burch - A sapphic contemporary romance following childhood friends turned cross-country team rivals who are forced to work together to win the state championship—for fans of She Gets the Girl.\ \
- Homeward for a Spell by Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos - In this cozy queer romantic fantasy, two members in a motley crew of adventurers must confront monsters, hostile landscapes—and their growing attraction for each other.\ \
- Lost Girls of Hollow Lake by Rebekah Faubion - After a group of teens visit a dangerous island where three are left behind, the surviving girls realize they must return to confront the sinister force hunting them. This dark YA thriller is perfect for fans of Yellowjackets.\ \
- The Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham - A lush and immersive queer “Sleeping Beauty” retelling about escapism, grief, and dreaming of a better world.\ \
- Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli - A sapphic YA romance about friendship, unexpected love, and self-discovery.\ \
- When You're Brave Enough by Rebecca Bendheim - A heartfelt, gorgeously written debut middle grade novel about best friends, first crushes, and coming out—perfect for fans of Kyle Lukoff and Jake Maia Arlow.\ \
- The Unruly Heart of Miss Darcy by Erin Edwards - Mr. Darcy got his happily ever after in Pride and Prejudice, and now it’s his sister’s turn in this swoony queer romance, perfect for fans of Bridgerton.\ \
- The Southern Sorority of Superstitious Witches by Katie Ortiz - In this spellbinding Southern Gothic novel, three women weave together old Southern folklore and magic to fight sexism and educational discrimination in post-Civil War Alabama, perfect for fans of Hester Fox and Louisa Morgan.\ \
- A Prince Among Pirates by Katie Abdou - A charming nobleman accidentally joins a pirate ship and falls for its debonair captain in this swashbuckling queer debut that’s perfect for fans of F.T. Lukens and Our Flag Means Death.\ \
- Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris - In this fresh-yet-familiar gothic tale―part historical fantasy, part puzzle-box mystery―the worlds of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes collide in a thrilling exploration of feminine power.\ \
- Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove - The queer love child of pulp horror and classic sci-fi, Of Monsters and Mainframes is a dazzling, heartfelt odyssey that probes what it means to be one of society’s monsters—and explores the many types of friendship that make us human.\ \ \ Happy Pride Month!\ \ Join for free or login](https://ofpagesandprint.binderybooks.com/item/2hptbj6vK2Mzc6Q5XVXV/)
Books on My Pride Month TBR! 🌈
16 books
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Two Stories Bookshop\ \ Queer-Owned Shelves🌈\ \ • Jun 16
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[If you like horror, romance, and sapphics, then boy do I have the book for you. LETHAL KISS by Taylor Grothe (out October 20, 2026) is a horrormance with sapphic characters. It's also a monster romance, which was my first! I'm not generally a romance kinda person, but when you mix it with some horror and mystery, apparently it's right up my alley! Let's get into it.\ \ WHAT WORKED (for me!):\ \
- Characters\
\
- Marcella is DIVINE omg, step on me please\ \
- Lacie is adorable but also relatable\
- Setting\
\
- Dark academia? Hell yeah\
- Pacing\
\
- It didn't feel like it moved too fast or too slow!\
- Spice\
\
- Okay so generally smut in published books gives me the ick for some reason but this was soooooo good.\ \ WHAT DIDN'T WORK (for me!):\ \
- Honestly? The only thing that didn't really work for me was the way Marcella called Lacie "little lamb" all the time. That was it. (I'm not a big fan of cutesy nicknames like that, babe works just as well lol)\ \ \ Thank to Tor Nightfire for the e-ARC which I devoured in April on a business trip. This was just what I needed at that time and I loved every minute of it. I highly recommend for your spooky season line up and please consider ordering it from us! \ \ Till next time!](https://twostoriesbookshop.binderybooks.com/item/0qnbsvUXHF1BUqIE4x5i/)
REVIEW: Lethal Kiss by Taylor Grothe
1 book
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Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Jun 14
15 books
8
Two Stories Bookshop\ \ Queer-Owned Shelves🌈\ \ • Apr 25
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[It's Independent Bookstore Day and I know I'm late on getting this post out, but that's because I did a crawl to ten bookstores today with my friends! \ \ If you don't have a local store, please consider making us your home store on Bookshop.org and Libro.fm! \ \ Here are some books we recommend for today!\ \ Ryn:\ \
- Lethal Kiss by Taylor Grothe (Out October 20, 2026)\ \
- Seek the Traitor's Son by Veronica Roth (Out May 12, 2026)\ \
- Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (yes, we adore Star Wars in this house)\ \
- The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White\ \ \ Tori:\ \
- The Sluts by Dennis Cooper\ \
- Boy Parts by Eliza Clark\ \
- The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty (this is Tori's favorite book of all time)](https://twostoriesbookshop.binderybooks.com/item/ypN5YJtIDHGVAhRcWsqw/)
7 books
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Boozhoo Books\ \ Naomi\ \ • Apr 25
Community Event: Support Indie Bookstores Day
10 books
14