I am so unequivocally wrecked. Reluctant allies to lovers/enemies to lovers but one of them is just pining the whole time has to be one of my favourite genres. This easily became one of my favourite reads this year so far which was unexpected but very exciting. I am so honoured that I had the opportunity to receive this book as an eARC because it was such a surprising delight. 

A Study of Blood and Ichor follows outcast witch Ava, a demonologist with the biggest guilt complex I have ever seen. In comes our resident demon-possessed emo boy Rory (I unfortunately still can't get behind that name) who is very deliciously self-loathing. The book takes "I Can Fix Him" to a whole new level when Ava makes it her life mission to free Rory from his sexy brain parasite Vain. I have never read or even thought of a polyamorous story with this kind of premise and I found it brought a welcome contrast to everything else I've seen in the genre. 

When I say the slow burn was real I fucking mean it. the slow burn was slowly burning for way longer than I thought it would it almost started pissing me off. I've become so accustomed to stories with such a fast pace that it was kind of nice just to ride it out with the characters. I loved all 3 of the characters so much getting to see their different POVs was so much fun within the context of their dynamics with one another. The way she starts learning to distinguish between the two men and how her relationship with each of them formed in its own time and in varying ways. 

Her coven (or whatever it is referred to in this world) fell into the background almost immediately and I was so wishing there would be more closure in that. A huge part of her character journey was her getting over her insecurities and guilt that came with not only being the cause of her sister's death but also being an outcast among her peers. Her not being accepted by them or her family played a whole role in her development throughout the story and I would have loved to see the actual fallout of her defecting to be with a demon. I would have loved at least one confrontation beyond the initial discovery that she betrayed them.

I really hope my mom never finds my Goodreads. If she ever discovers that I not only read a romance book between a witch (evil) and a demon (eviler) but that I loved it she will send me to Zambia and never let me come home.