My Beneath the Loch: A Dark Lesbian Romance Book Review - No Spoilers
Plot Summary
"Beneath the Loch" by S.D. Simper is a dark, lyrical novella that blends fantasy, horror, and romance in a way that’s memorable and fresh. The story follows Mairi, a young woman haunted by her childhood encounter with Olphia—a kelpie (fae) girl she once befriended by trading a kiss for the gift of gills. Years later, as an adult facing an unwanted marriage, Mairi finds herself drawn back to the same riverside, desperate to escape her fate. When she meets Olphia again, the boundaries between danger, desire, and hope blur. The novella moves between their innocent, lonely beginnings and the charged, dangerous reunion, weaving a forbidden love story packed with tension and beautiful violence. The writing feels immersive, the tone atmospheric and eerie, wrapping a simple narrative in a haunting, fairy tale setting where every promise and kiss carries sharp edges.
Why I Love This Book
I love how this book embraces the monstrous and the beautiful without pretending they can be separated. Olphia is dangerous, scary, and at times the perfect nightmare—yet her connection with Mairi is threaded with fragility and even sweetness. The tension between wanting and fearing, loving and risking everything, hits hard. The dark fairy tale mood is exactly my thing: eerie, atmospheric, and just unsettling enough without ever feeling hopeless. I appreciate how the novella doesn’t force a “full redemption” or turn the monster human for the sake of romance; instead, it asks if love can survive horror and difference. The story delivers on violence, spice, and dreamlike prose, but it’s the glimmers of tenderness and the hope of a happy ending—for two women, in a genre that often dooms its queer couples—that keep me returning to reread.
I’m drawn to stories where the rules of magic matter and bargains have real, often brutal, consequences. Mairi’s courage, Olphia’s strangeness, and the charged dynamic between them make this quick read feel meaty. The novella format works—it doesn’t drag out the romance or dilute the sense of danger, but packs everything into dark, dazzling scenes. This is a book for those of us who want love stories to bite back.
Who Will Like This Book
If you love dark fantasy or horror-romance blends, this is for you. It’s perfect if you’re craving a queer story that leans into the monster romance genre—a strong heroine, a terrifying yet magnetic fae/shapeshifter, and forbidden love with sharp edges. If you like atmospheric, eerie settings, fairytales with teeth, and a bit of violence alongside your romance, you’ll feel right at home. It’s ideal for readers who want sapphic romance with an HEA that refuses to play by typical romance rules—or anyone who’s always rooting for the monster girl.
Tagged As
dark romance, lesbian romance, monster romance, fae, kelpie, fairy tale, fantasy, horror, novella, forbidden love, spooky, sapphic, dangerous heroine, sweet but deadly, atmospheric, queer HEA, open-door, quick read, violence, tender/terrifying dynamic, found family, strong heroine, dark fairytale, magic, mature themes
Steam Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️| Moderate
