Loved this book, I don’t believe my brain was working when I read it because I was confused most of the time. Once I got towards the end and everything became clear, my jaw was in the floor! Looking back at all the hints I don’t know how I didn’t see it!

Petronille’s story broke my heart. The abuse she endured, both verbal and non-verbal, made me ache for her. I despised her parents, and her stepmother especially—every scene with her made me want to throw my kindle across the room. And the truth about what they did to Petre? That revelation was absolutely nauseating. I was disgusted, furious, and deeply moved all at once.

Arkady, on the other hand, was the perfect counterpart to Petronille. Mysterious, complex, and shaped by his own trauma, he was impossible to pin down. Moving from one abusive foster family to another carved scars into him, but it also forged the strength and depth that made him such a compelling character. With Petronille, he wasn’t a monster, neither of them were. They were survivors, protecting themselves the only ways they knew how, and finding a rare understanding in each other.

The romance between Petronille and Arkady felt authentic, slow-burn, and deeply satisfying. Instead of rushing into insta-love, they explored one another’s darkness, tested boundaries, and gradually grew into something beautifully twisted. The steamy scenes were stunningly written, intense without ever feeling cringe, and I devoured every single page.

The pacing was just right, the atmosphere deliciously gothic, and the writing itself was beautiful. I.V. Ophelia’s prose pulled me in so completely I felt like I was walking through early 1900s New York alongside the characters. The last 10% of this book left me absolutely speechless! What a ride. As a gothic romance lover, Fruit of the Flesh was everything I could have hoped for and more.

Perfect for fans of gothic romance, decadent writing, dark family secrets, morally gray characters, and love stories that blur the line between ruin and redemption.

“My dear girl, men are practically born craving the fruit of the flesh”

Fruit of the Flesh was a true joy to read! The poetic writing mixed with the New York Gilded Age era’s dark side made for a story I didn’t know I needed. I absolutely loved it.

Oh, Petronille. Petre. I see you. At first glance, you think you’re seeing a spoiled privileged girl, used to getting what she wants. But then you start to peel off the layers and layers of hurt, loneliness, and misunderstanding, and you realise she has never had any control over anything in her life. Her emotions are like shattered pieces of a mirror, trapped in a pressure cooker about to burst. She is quick to temper and bitterness, using barbed words to protect herself. No wonder she’s exhausted.

As you can tell, I felt a lot with Petronille.

Then we have Arkady, arrogant and aloof, who despite all their differences is perfect for her. More than any of them know or want to see.

The story is relatively fast-paced, with foreshadowing that will keep you guessing until the end, while the dark aspects of the era and story fascinated me and kept me wanting to read more. I also really appreciated that this book made me look up some historical facts regarding the time period that I didn’t know about. Especially when it comes to the early 1900s ballet.

Ophelia’s writing in this book is eerily beautiful, adding to the atmosphere of the story. While this type of poetic writing isn’t the easiest to read as a non-native English speaker, it made me take my time and really read the book. This book is so beautiful, in so many ways, while still appealing to my fascination for the macabre.

The ending? So extremely satisfying. I’m in love.

I very highly recommend this book!

Fruit of the Flesh is a dark gothic romance, set in the early 1900s NYC, following our FMC, Petronille, a young retired ballerina, and our MMC, Arkady, a struggling artisan, who have entered into a marriage of convenience at the very beginning of our story.

Petronille and Arkady were both complex characters to get to know, but one thing is for sure is if Petronille was in a modern day age, she would be a number one fan of Charlie XCX – brat! She is a brat and with no apologies, and seeing Arkady help humanise her but also let her freak flag fly, was incredible! I loved them both so much! And mamma mia, that spice. It was like nothing I’ve read before; I loved it SO much and loved how it again matched the tone and setting!

It really felt like stepping back in time reading this as it was so atmospheric, especially Petronille’s home. You could also truly feel the love that Ophelia has for the gothic era and setting whilst reading this. The conversations and descriptions matched perfectly with the era and the dark tone of the book, it was truly delectable! It also had me learning words for items I never hadn’t know beforehand, shout out to my newly learnt word of chatelaine!

I was shook with everything we learnt in the last 10% – finally all the crumbs coming together to make one delicious pie! I had a great time reading this and can’t wait to jump into more of I.V. Ophelia’s brain!

“I did not know if I believed in God, but I believed there were things in this world that could move the soul, art being among the most powerful next to death.”

I was transfixed from the first page. I devoured this in less than 24 hours, I couldn’t put it down.

The writing is so hauntingly beautiful, atmospheric, and transcendent. I felt like I had been transported to the gilded age, like a fly on the wall. It was refreshing to read a novel so unique and seemingly original.

This gritty gothic romance was everything I could have wanted and more. Typical of the her previous outstanding work. It’s why she has cemented herself as being a standout in her craft and why she is an auto buy/read author for me.

Arkady and Petra were such interesting, haunted, complex, morally grey characters. It was enthralling to witness their journeys unfold. Both individually as well as together. The way they complimented each other and taught each other lessons, gradually opening up and being honest and vulnerable with each other, was such a delight.

Petra our FMC at first, comes across as flippant, pessimistic, selfish, and spoiled. However, as the book progresses we learn that we haven’t even scratched the surface of who she is and what she’s been through. Talk about character growth.

Arkady our MMC is a tortured artist, whose intentions are unclear at first. He can be distant and cold, but he is exactly who Petra needs and he pushes her to be better in so many ways.. oh how I love him. I held a soft spot for him as soon as I learned of his backstory, being able to relate to it myself in some ways. His motivations while a bit depraved, were also understandable imo. IYKYK

The spice was dark and delicious, on par with what we can expect from these 2 morbid characters. It was just the right amount, and didn’t take away from the plot. While they both were flawed and def unhinged, they were also kind of a perfect match for each other.

The ending, well let’s just say, WOOF, I did NOT see that coming. It came as such a surprise and left me shook. But it also made so much sense looking back. The ending took the book to a whole new level.

Fav Quotes:
“Cathedrals for all eyes that can see, muses for all those that can feel.”
“My dear girl, men are practically born craving the fruit of the flesh.”
“There is nothing of greater worth, when the world is in my hands”
“Self depreciation is second nature. It lives under your skin, and makes a home in your heart until it rots in comfort.”
“Forget the Kiln, I could burn up in an instant from his touch alone.”
“May you live as long as you like, and have all you like for as long as you live.”

Anyways I haven’t finish yet.
I love the style of the writer. Though if you know her previous book, her stories are mostly p*rn before plot

Audiobook: narrated in dual style by Luna Rey and Teddy Hamilton. I was surprised at the beginning that this was chosen as a dual narration, both Luna and Teddy complemented each other beautifully, blending their chapters seamlessly with the characters, and delivering an organic performance. Luna has such an amazing voice i cant wait to experience her in more books. This audiobook is a masterpiece!