This past summer, I came across a post on Instagram by Lily X (she/her/hers), a queer author of color, recommending some spicy sapphic books, including Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao. She seemed like she knew what she was talking about so I ordered Make Room for Love on a whim and ended up really enjoying it. The next time Lily X popped up on my feed, she was promoting her own book, #1 Amazon bestseller Will It Hurt?: A Spicy Sapphic Witch x Vampire Romantasy. I already trusted her judgment, so I immediately ordered it. Will It Hurt was everything Lily X promised and more.
Will It Hurt is written from dual points of view. Aisla Laxmi is an Eclectic Witch (“averagely good at any type of magick but gifted in none”). Aisla is a neutralizer—just like her mother and grandmother before her. Simply put, she mercy kills vampires at their request. In Aisla’s free time, she enjoys tea and some good ol’ vampire smut. Jeanette “Jinn” Waters is a self-assured 150-year-old vampire. Jinn has a fraught relationship with her mother who is a Blood Wytch (a powerful cross between a vampire and a witch). Jinn’s daughter, Belle, has recently disappeared, and Jinn is becoming increasingly worried about her prolonged absence. When Aisla and Jinn cross paths, sparks fly—but not in a good way. When the dust settles, the two must decide whether they want to join forces to find Jinn’s daughter and risk stoking the fire between them.
I loved this book. To begin, I really appreciated that Lily X featured a South Asian lead. What’s more, she went beyond merely identifying Aisla’s South Asian heritage. She discussed how Aisla’s perception of her brownness in a white-dominated society had evolved over time. Lily X also seamlessly wove in the history of Aisla’s covenstead in a way that left me curious to know more as opposed to bored from too much exposition. I also really enjoyed how funny the novel was. Lily X did a masterful job of creating not only witty banter between Aisla and Jinn, but also hilarious inner monologues for each of the characters that had me smiling and laughing out loud more times than I could count.
Will It Hurt also featured a good amount of spice, which was creative and well-timed given the pacing of the story and the development of the characters. Without giving away any specifics, there is definitely sex on the page—no fade to black here! That being said, the sex wasn’t gratuitous. The plot of Will It Hurt was unique and interesting, and the sexual tension and depictions only enhanced the book.
I also appreciated the overall pacing of Will It Hurt. I get really invested in the books I read and I often feel frustrated when I finish a book and the ending is abrupt. Lily X took the time to see her plot through and bring finality to each of the storylines she had developed. While I still felt the familiar melancholy I typically do at the end of any good book, I was thankful that Lily X gave me a sense of closure. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is already a fan of sapphic romantasy or is interested in diving right in.
Lily X describes herself as a sapphic fiction writer who loves happily ever afters, interracial romance, and gratuitous smut. Her Instagram is full of spicy sapphic recommendations. You can find her on Instagram @LilyXBooks. Will It Hurt is the first in the Bitten By Magick series, and the next installment, Choke On My Name, will be published on December 1, 2025.
Trigger warnings for death, blood, and violence.
Raquel R. Rivera (she/her/ella) is a Latina lawyer and lady lover from New Jersey. She is in a lifelong love affair with books and earned countless free personal pan pizzas from the Pizza Hut BOOK IT! program as a kid to prove it.
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