Gothic romance is a genre that I don't read a lot but man I sure do love it. This one started off a bit slow for me but once Phantasma began I couldn't put the book down. I really liked the play on the seven deadly sins and how the contestants chose to try and beat each level. This book is a little gory and a little dark so if that isn't your thing then I would say to stay away from this one. If you are looking for a dark, romantasy with some sexy times with a ghost then I think you should definitely pick this one up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky/Forever for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5/5
A bloody, gothic feast of a debut, Phantasma will trap you inside its twisted walls and a manor full of secrets where bargains are struck and broken, and one necromancer will contend with its deadly competition to save her sister and receive the elusive wish granted to the surviving player. I have long been an admirer of Kaylie Smith ever since her young adult series debuted and Phantasma is quite possibly my new favorite gothic romance and book from her all in one. Combining a foreboding gothic atmosphere, a competition influenced by the nine circles of hell, and a cursed bargain with a mysterious stranger, Smith casts her shining romantasy with formidable claws. Ophelia Grimm confronts the seen and the unseen, what’s real and what isn't, and Smith enmeshes this with some stellar OCD representation. Phantasma is the very definition of having your cake and eating it too, it's smart, sexy, horrifying, rageful, and somehow all of those can coexist without being contradictory. I’m completely under Kaylie Smith’s thrall and not at all upset about it.

A full feature will appear on my blog closer to publication

Thank you netgalley for the e-arc! I had the best time reading Kaylie Smith's adult debut Phantasma! It checked all the boxes for a swooning and fast-paced gothic romance!

Despite the overuse of the word egregious and the misspelling of the word 'maggot', this has got to be one of my favourite books of the year so far.
Fantastic representation of someone with OCD and social issues. Brilliant banter. Exquisitely gorey and yet deliciously descriptive.
Sibling friendship and growth. steamy and unique spicy scenes and a MMC who girls will fall for.
This is basically putting the Hunger Games in a haunted house, making it gothic and adding ALL of the spice.
5 stars. Instant buy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

I am still fairly new to the fantasy world but did enjoy this read. I liked the inclusion of the Greeks, I found that very interesting, having a competition also made it very engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!

First things first...Poe is the best character, I won't take any criticism.

Secondly, I really enjoyed this! Its billed as a dark romantic fantasy horror, and that's exactly what it is. I wouldn't say it's horror in the classical terms, but there's body horror and gruesome situations.

The plot follows Ophelia, a Necromancer who has taken the reins of the family dynasty after her mother's death. She enters Phantasma, a mysterious event that suddenly appears, to find her sister, who had also entered.

Phantasma is run by Devils, and contestants have to compete through 9 levels to get the ultimate prize - but not everyone will make it out alive. In between that, we have haunts from ghostly creatures attempting to get the contestants to forfeit and drop out.

Ophelia is determined to find her sister, and she gets tangled up with a mysterious Phantom called Blackwell, who has certain powers and can manipulate his environments. With his help, she uncovers more about Phantasma, herself and her family...all with added romance and spice!

This was really enjoyable, and the plot was very engaging. The environment felt like a gothic version of New Orleans, with Phantasma being a character all on its own.

If Caraval was draped in luxurious gothic romance lace, twice-dipped in red, red blood, and sprinkled with ghost pepper spice... Phantasma is that and soooo much more.

🌹Forbidden Romance
🌹Hot, Playful Ghost Boy
🌹Who Did This To You
🌹Nine Circles of Hell Trials (think very high-stakes escape rooms)
🌹Nightmares Come to Life
🌹Sentient Manor
🌹Mystery, Intrigue, Missing Sister
🌹Ghost Cat

Phantasma is the book I've been searching for whenever I read a dark fantasy romance. It has lavish settings that are so easy to imagine and picture in one's mind. It has chills and so many thrills that make it impossible to stop reading. The romance is sizzling and sweet and healing for both Ophelia and Blackwell.

There's also OCD rep in the book, based partly by the author's own experiences (as stated in the Author's Note). Instead of just being thrown in, it's woven throughout the story, which leads to some chilling, some heart-wrenching, and some beautifully tender scenes.

This is a standalone and has a solid, satisfying ending. The last line is one of the best last lines I've read, and I did not want it to end. I can't wait for the second book, no matter who the MCs are in it, because Kaylie Smith is just that good.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

This was a fun read. It gave darker/gothic Caraval vibes and having to summon Blackwell by saying his name three times reminded of Beetlejuice lol. I enjoyed the world and the characters. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

This book changed me as a woman. Absolutely obsessed with the dark gothic vibes, with the tinge of fantasy and paranormal. Blackwell will forever be my love because this man made me become someone differnt. He was absolutely ravishing.

This plot in the story had me hooked from the beginning. Like REALLY hooked. I love stories where charcaters are playing games, and Ophelia and her sister Genevieve reminded me of scar and tella from Caraval and it made me love this book that much more. I love how this book ended, but it made me wonder…will there be more?

I have been now completely intrigued by Sinclairs charcaters and can’t wait to see more!

Thank you, netgalley, for this advanced read! All I have to say is damn. Lol. It's such a wild ride of a book. Blackwell and Ophelias epic love story is the middle of a hellish game was amazing! All the gothic New orleans vibes are my favorite vibes! 100% recommend this book if you like a good thrilling, spooky romance!

I'm so happy we're getting more adult fantasy romance! This was such a fantastic read--spicy, spooky, and oh so swoon-worthy. I loved the gothic atmosphere of this book and how it bordered on horror at times. I'm a sucker for trials in any fantasy, it's one of my favorite tropes, and I enjoyed how this one was done. We know from the very beginning that not all is what it seems in Phantasma, but there were twists and turns in this book that I never saw coming that blew me away.

I loved Ophelia and Blackwell's relationship so much. The banter, the chemistry, the build up to their relationship--everything about it was *chef's kiss*. I'm also really glad this seemed to be a standalone as we got a happy ending for everyone, but I wouldn't mind getting Genevieve's book next (;

This book is my new personality, I loved it so much! Ophelia was the perfect FMC, she had a lot of growth and went from being timid due to only knowing what her mother taught her to opening up and discovering more about herself. Ophelia also suffers from OCD and I think it was a great representation, and how Blackwell talked her through some of it to help calm her down. Blackwell was immediately loved from the first introduction, he was supportive gentle swoony but still kept things spicy with Ophelia. For a brief moment I didn’t like Ophelia’s sister but once they reunite she redeems herself. I loved that this was set in New Orleans and focuses heavily on Devils/Phantoms/Necromancy and the trials Ophelia went through were so unique! After the first few chapters I was hooked and didn’t put this book down, can’t wait to see what else the author releases!

I am going to give this a four star rating. Based on the writing itself which was good. The story structure seemed good. I should have done more research before I requested this book becasue this type of romance isn't really my cup of tea. I wish it was. more of a slowburn. Just not my genre of book. I loved the cover and I think if you are a fan of dark romance you will totally enjoy this one.

This was my first time reading anything from Kaylie Smith, both it won't be my last. Dark, fun, and a little spicy 2.5 🌶️.
Phantasma had me excited right from the start. A deadly game trope turned enemies to lovers had me from the start. A dark fantasy that will have you holding your breath until the very end.
Phantasma is a deadly game that lures you in with the promise of your wish coming true. But what is the catch? You must survive, and you must not fall in love. When Ophelia's sister goes missing she must enter Phantasma to find her. A maze with 9 challenges, where contestants will do anything to win, fighting a new monster at each level, killing their rivals, and even making deals with a devil. As Ophelia struggles to face each challenge she is offered a bargain for her help, and ten years of her life, he will help her clear the levels all she has to do is call his name Blackwell 3 times and he will help her clear the level. Blackwell is charming, attractive, and doesn't seem dangerous. But in Phantasma things aren't always what they seem, and losing her life isn't her only concern.
Wow this book was disturbing and delicious, one of my favorite reads this year!
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review,

It might just be me but I didn't realize that this one would be super dark. I'm not in the mental headspace to want to try to read this. This isn't a genre I usually get into and now I see why. If dark romance is your thing, I'm sure you will love this. I just had to DNF this one and it wasn't for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review.

Oh Kaylie, where do I even begin? First off, let me just say that this book vastly exceeded any expectations I had for it (and TBH they were high because of how much I loved your other books).

Gothic NOLA holds a special place in my heart and you brought out all of the beautiful spooky pieces with such perfection I felt myself immersed from page one.

Ophelia, oh how I love you. As an anxiety ridden human who’s had a voice similar to the shadow’s I love how that was represented in such a way to show the battle that truly goes on inside someone’s head.


Without giving every single character my praise and love (except Cade- screw you) I will end my review by saying that once again Kaylie hit this one out of the park and into the stars.

Truly the best book I’ve read in a very long time. Thank you #netgalley for the ARC, #phantasma needs to be on everyone’s shelves this fall.

I was drawn in by the cover and when I saw A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Caraval  I knew I had to read it and it did not disappoint.

This book had everything I love in it – forbidden romance, creepy Gothic atmosphere, banter between characters, deadly competitions, spice, and over coming personal demons.

I highly recommend this book

https://www.instagram.com/karen.holding.92/
https://www.goodreads.com/karenh77

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

⭐ 3.5

This book entertained me when I needed the most (my phone broke)
This was a lot of fun! I love the atmosphere I liked the writing and I love deadly games, especially when it's not just people-trying-to-kill-eachoter and actually has some different dynamics. I would be excited and curious to see what the next level would be like.

However, the romance (as always, lately) was disappointing. One of the reasons I wanted to read this was because I've always wanted to see a romance with a ghost but I needed more emotional connection before anything. I need authors to care about emotional connection like they used to, I don't care if there's destiny involved, I need to know how and why they love each other. I don't think it was instalove though, but it was a fastburn imo. They did have a nice dynamic so I wasn't so mad, I just didn't feel anything.

And about the main character, I liked her most of the time but she annoyed when she went from being too innocent for the place she chose to be to being rude to Luci unprovoked because she apparently was being too innocent (?)

Overall, like I said, it was such a fun book and I loved the ending! I will keep an eye on whatever the author writes next!

Overall, it was a slightly disappointing read. I believe I hyped it up too much in my head. It had such a fantastic premise but the execution lacked a little bit. It was too smutty for me (and especially, it happened way too quickly for me to enjoy what came after). The plot was quite interesting (though something happens at the end and I don’t know if it was supposed to be a big reveal or not but I guessed it very early on) and the universe was definitely the best part of the novel. But I did not particularly love the characters — Ophelia was a bit too naïve and reliant on Blackwell. Nevertheless, I recommend this novel, and its universe will probably stick with me for a little while.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I found myself unable to put down this gothic fantasy. A bit gruesome and steamy, I was enthralled by the mystery and the romance. Definitely one I plan to own for my book shelves. Highly recommended.