I recently read Midsummer by Alethea Faust. It’s a short novella (can be devoured in one sitting) featuring a group of campers hiking through Finland, a bear-shifter knight, sapphic romance, solstice parties — both the human and fae kind — plus a smidge of public nudity and spanking. If you’re looking for something short, sweet, and kinky, this is perfect.
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Midsummer by Alethea Faust
🥭🥭🥭🥭.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
(you can find my rating and spice system here)
POV & Tense: Single POV, first person, present tense
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Shifter Romance, LGBTQ+ (FF Romance) [Novella]
Tropes/Themes: A broken relationship, A crappy boyfriend, Infidelity (but you won’t feel too bad about it), Fated Mates, Bear Shifter, Fae Revelry, Light BDSM
Location: Set in Finland
Synopsis:
It was supposed to be a romantic camping trip, just Jenna and her long-term boyfriend, Travis, hiking through the Finnish backcountry. Instead, Travis invited his friends along, and things have grown awkward between them. When Jenna wanders off during the solstice, stumbles into a fey revelry, and runs into a gorgeous bear-shifter knight, it just might be fate.
Gather six more flowers today, and carry them with you. They will lead you to your one true love.”
My Review:
Midsummer is packed with so many details and wonderful moments. I LOVE that this is set in Finland at the summer solstice, the Midnight Sun. One of my favourite things is traveling via a good book, and I found myself looking up photos so I could picture the Finnish backcountry in all its splendour. Faust has done an excellent job depicting a relationship approaching its breaking point, and Jenna immediately had my heart and empathy.
The solstice festival sounds like a lot of fun. I can imagine a happy place where many people from around the world might gather and celebrate, and throw inhibitions to the wind. Cleverly placed throughout the story are several signs pointing to Jenna’s fated encounter with the bear-shifter. I love how Jenna goes from worrying about being eaten by a bear to realizing being ‘eaten’ isn’t such a bad thing 😏. The fae elements are fantastic, and I adore that the bear shifter is named ‘Bruinda’ (it’s such a perfect name).
The spicy moments deserve an A+ (you may need to fan yourself). And even though this encounter occurs during a single night, there are moments that show there is depth to Jenna and Bruinda’s attraction. It feels like there is potential for a long-lasting relationship.
Midsummer, a snapshot in time, wraps up nicely with a satisfying conclusion. I’m curious about what might take place afterward. I’ll let my mind wander and consider the scenarios. And if the author were to expand or continue the story in the future, I would be all over it <3
My head swims when I realize that there’s no hiding here. I’m half naked, but I’m exposed in so many more ways than that. Yet instead of being frightening, it’s…freeing.”
Author Stalking (but not in a creepy way):
Alethea Faust is the author of paranormal romance, best known for the Sex Wizards series (which is on my TBR).
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