Book: The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson
Reviewed by Anonymous
Rating: 5/5
Harlow Carrenwell's kiss is poison. Her family couldn't be more thrilled and keeping this knowledge a secret they use her as an assassin against their opponents. But Harlow prefers to use her poison to seek justice for abused women. With a system set in place to vet her clients and marks Harlow spends her spare time ridding the town of the worst of the worst. Until one night her poison misses the mark. To make matters worse it turns out that he who won't die is Harlow's new betrothed, Henry Havenwood. Now he knows about her secret life AND that someone tried to take him out. Henry and Harlow both have their own ulterior motives on behalf of their familes but it turns out that this mission might be more difficult than either of them anticipated. Oh, did I mention that Harlow and Henry are from separate cities each walled in to keep out the vampires that live in the forrest and now Harlow has to move miles away with Henry to the other walled in city/fort where they also are rumored to practice freaky ritual sex magic?
Tropes & Themes
forced proximity via arranged marriage
vigilante justice
vampires
magic
political intrigue
touch her and die
MCs in their 30s
Trigger Warnings
references to SA, DV, child abuse and neglect
poisoning, violence, blood, murder, ableism
grief, depression, PTSD, suicidal ideation (in the past)
primal play, voyeurism, and explicit sexual content
Final Thoughts
I had no idea what to expect going into The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson but once I started I couldn't stop. The Poison Daughter was so intriguing and addicting I finished it within 24 hours. It was hot and spicy and dramatic while also tackling some difficult themes that hit me pretty hard a few times. I did not expect to relate to Harlow the way I did. I absolutely recommend The Poison Daughter but I would suggest taking a peek at the tw/cw first.