MoodReads - Romance Book Discovery

Beta soft launchEvery book’s tags are being checked by hand ✨ some categories are fuller than others while I work through them all ✨

Cover of Beautiful Brutal Bodies

Beautiful Brutal Bodies

by Linda Cheng

🥛clean·spoiler·Gorgeous Gruesome Faces #2·Ongoing Series

Why Read This?

A stunningly grotesque sapphic folk horror that weaves East Asian mythology into a haunting story of fame, family curses, and forbidden love. Kirkus Best Books of 2025 pick with lyrical prose that will live in your mind long after the last page.

Synopsis

Full of skin-crawling folk horror and sapphic romance, this feral fairytale and standalone follow-up to GORGEOUS GRUESOME FACES follows a reclusive songstress and her bodyguard who must unravel the occult mysteries of their past to escape from a cursed island. Tian is a singer-songwriter with a massive online following, known for her hypnotic vocals and ethereal looks. But behind the glamorous façade is a disturbing reality: raised in an isolated mansion, Tian is a prisoner in her own life. Liya is Tian’s childhood friend and her only close companion, tasked with protecting Tian at all costs. But hidden beneath Liya’s beautiful human exterior is a beastly secret: her teeth are far too sharp, and her appetite much too ferocious. When several fans mysteriously suffer fatal injuries while watching her livestream, Tian, along with Liya, are sent to a spiritual healing retreat on a remote island in the South China Seas. They are joined by Tian's musical collaborator Shenyu, a troubled idol whose recent brush with the law and string of bad boyfriends has him seeking his own new start. But the trio soon discovers that the island is no peaceful getaway. There is constant surveillance, bizzare rituals, and something terrifying lurking in the forest. Something not quite human. In order to escape with her loved ones, Tian must uncover her connection to the island’s blood-drenched legend -- and the truth behind Liya’s monstrous identity -- before the island claims them all as its final sacrifice.

At a Glance

3.58 ★ Goodreads
Spice Level🥛clean
Endingspoiler
PairingF/F
Romance Pacingslow burn

Top Tropes

forbidden lovebodyguard/protection detailhidden past revealed

Mood

darkeeriegothicatmosphericintense

Book Details

Goodreads Rating

3.58 ★

Page Count

336 pages

Published

2025

Primary Genre

Young Adult

Pairing

F/F

POV

First Person

Romance Pacing

Slow Burn

Cliffhanger

spoiler

Tropes

RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

sign in to see all 5 tropes

Mood & Vibe

Mood

sign in to see writing style, pacing & more

Characters

FMC: performer sign in to unlock

suicideself-harmviolencegoredeathdeath of loved onetraumabody horrorgriefmental illnesscaptivity

World & Setting

contemporary sign in to unlock

Reading Context

book hangover sign in to unlock

Similar Books

Cover of Hear Her Howl

Hear Her Howl

Kim DeRose

🥛·first person·
forbidden lovefirst lovedark academia romance
Cover of House of Dusk

House of Dusk

Deva Fagan

🥛·dual POV
forbidden loveundercover/spy romancebodyguard/protection detail
Cover of Wild and Wicked Things

Wild and Wicked Things

Francesca May

🥛·multi-POV
magic bondforbidden loveopposites attract
Cover of Misrule

Misrule

Heather Walter

🥛·first person
enemies to loversforbidden lovestar-crossed lovers
Cover of Lady's Knight

Lady's Knight

Amie Kaufman

🥛·mixed POV styles
hidden identityforced proximityopposites attract
Cover of Lady Dragon

Lady Dragon

AM Strickland

🥛·dual POV
forbidden loveforced proximitydragon romance
Cover of Strange Beasts

Strange Beasts

Susan J. Morris

🥛·third person
slow burnpartners to loversopposites attract
Cover of The Midnight Girls

The Midnight Girls

Alicia Jasinska

🥛·dual POV
rivals to loversenemies to loversvillain x villain

Short Takes

quick 280-character reactions for this book. drop a thought, rate the vibe, keep scrolling.

Sign in to share your take.

Loading...

Book Chat

Talk about Beautiful Brutal Bodies with other readers