Wanderland Reads | Will It Hurt? : A Spicy Sapphic Witc...
Will It Hurt? : A Spicy Sapphic Witch x Vampire Romantasy
Lily X
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"Magic, blood lust, shadows but make it sapphic? YES!"
A wytch prone to chaos. A grieving, murderous vampyre. When hate turns to heat, can they work together to bring a loved one back from the dead? A wytch and a vampyre walk into a bar—except they don’t. It’s a cafe. And they almost kill each other first.
But snap judgments never last. If only Jinn didn’t desperately need a wytch to cast a retraction spell, and Aisla Laxmi wasn’t the only one available for miles. The hate is still there, but so is something else. Something that’s way more complicated. As their forced partnership begins to feel a little less forced, the two start to believe they might actually have a chance at bringing a loved one back from the other side… Or do they?
Four nights. Two powerful beings. One goal.
"Although it is a book with clear supernatural elements, Lily did a great job of emphasizing the human side of the characters. We all love vampires, but usually don’t consider the struggles behind immortality."
"The connection between Aisla and Jinn was incredibly captivating and undeniable throughout; their chemistry was breathtaking and the spice was 🤌 'chefs kiss' perfect - the Shadow Strap scene is so sinfully good you'll need a cold shower 🔥"
"Will It Hurt (yes, yes it will but it hurts sooooo good!!) has all the feelings from regret to pain to anger to hatred, sadness, romance dominance, peace and all your wildest fantasies come to life. Now, where can I get my hands on a shadow strap 🤔"
Books Discussed
Love After Trauma: Stories That Make Space for Healing
Healing isn’t linear, and neither are these stories. Sapphic romances that include therapy, self-reflection, and recovery arcs let readers see that healing and love can coexist.
Books like Battle Scars by Meghan O’Brien or Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner show characters working through trauma without being defined by it. They fall in love while learning to regulate emotion, set boundaries, and communicate—skills that mirror therapeutic goals.
In therapy, I might ask:
- How does this character balance identity and love?
- What cultural or familial expectations shape how she expresses desire?
- Where does she give herself permission to want more?
Pleasure and Power: Reclaiming Your Body
For trauma survivors, especially those who’ve experienced body-based harm, pleasure can feel inaccessible or unsafe. Reading stories where diverse bodies and sexualities are celebrated—like Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner or The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite—helps reconnect the idea of pleasure with safety and agency.
In bibliotherapy sessions, I ask clients to note:
- How do these characters talk about consent?
- What language makes desire feel safe?
- How do power and vulnerability coexist in this story?
Here is a non-comprehensive list of books I recommend:
Why Inclusive Love Stories Belong in the Therapy Room
Inclusive romance teaches something therapy alone can’t always provide: an emotional blueprint for connection. Readers internalize what safety feels like through story. They learn pacing, repair, and communication by seeing it modeled repeatedly and gently.
When clients see love that looks like theirs—two women, a trans character, a fat protagonist, a disabled heroine—they see proof that their body and identity are worthy of tenderness. That experience, even in fiction, begins to rewire shame into self-compassion.
Recommended Books
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