Kirsten's Reviews > Grave Matter

"HORROR romance with fungi?”
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
Audio performance : 🎧🎧🎧🎧.5

Genre: Contemporary romance
Sub Genre: Horror romance with paranormal

Tropes:
- Check trigger warnings
- Forbidden romance
- He falls first
- Mystery subplot
- Professor x student, Red flags
- Crawling
- Cums in his pants,
- Jealousy (him)
- Stalking

Other:
- Format: Audible, Kindle Unlimited, Whisper sync
- POV: Single POV
- Narration type: 1st person
- Character gender : F/M
- Narrator names : Rachel Leblanc
- Comparison titles: Nocticadia x fungi nightmares

👨‍👧 Characters
Okay, first off we have to remember this is a standalone. That means the characters are solid but they’re not these over the top, larger than life icons you’d find in a sprawling series. And honestly? That’s what makes it work. The vibe? Chef’s kiss. Especially because we’ve got an unreliable narrator thrown into the mix. I LIVE for that twisty little mind game energy. It keeps you guessing, keeps you questioning, keeps you hooked.

🌎 World Building & Magic for Fantasy
Holy. Shit. If you’ve read Nocticadia buckle up because this gives off those same eerie vibes. Creepy. Unsettling. Paranormal but in this grounded, academic, contemporary way that just crawls under your skin. Imagine fungi, yes fungi becoming this entire otherworldly horror show. Straight up dark academia meets haunted lab horror.

♥️ What I Loved
This book was my first real taste of horror romance and oh my GOD it had me clutching my pillow, hiding behind imaginary trees, waiting for something to leap out and terrify me. The creepy suspense mixed with romance? Perfect. The academic fungus study? Weirdly addictive. The plot twists? Did not see them coming. This book is like the ultimate October read moody, creepy, and unnervingly romantic. It’s got just the right level of “I shouldn’t be this obsessed with a spooky fungus study but HERE I AM.”

💔 What I Didn’t Like
Honestly? I had fun. This was a ride. Was it the all consuming, knock me flat five star experience? Maybe not. But it was different. It was fresh. It was weird in the best way. And most importantly: it was worth every single page. This is one I’d still recommend without hesitation because the vibes alone? Worth it.

📝 Overall Thoughts
This book is a whole damn vibe. Creepy, fun, unique, a little academic, and a LOT unsettling. It’s the perfect pick if you’re stuck in a slump and need something that’ll shake your reading brain awake. Different? Yes. Memorable? Absolutely. And if you want something that straddles the line between horror, romance, and fantasy? This book is literally waiting for you to pick it up.