It's the new year and what better way to kick it off than by talking about one of my favorite authors of last year. Cirrus Rae's first book that isn't related to the Masked Mascs series is out. And I was lucky enough to be on the ARC team. If you've not seen my previous posts about her Masked Mascs series, I recommend checking them out. I very quickly fell in love with Cirrus's characters and writing style. But I was a little apprehensive about reading this book. Because what if my enjoyment only extended to the Masked Mascs books?
If you like unusual shapeshifters, claiming, and psychic connections with your partners, I recommend you take a stab at this book. It has a different tone than the Masked Mascs series, it's not an erotic thriller but rather a monster romance, but her characters and connections still shine through. Please make sure to check the trigger/content warnings before reading and remember that they might not include everyone's personal triggers. If you need to stop at any point, please do. Prioritize your mental health. Have fun and happy reading!
Series: Untitled Duology, #1
Author: Cirrus Rae
Publisher: Independently Published
Publication Date: December 30, 2025
Genres: Adult, LGBT, Monster Romance
Pages: 220
Ilona came to Cutwood to escape control, but one encounter with Larz, a mysterious, tattooed, split-tongued scorpion‑shifter woman forces her to face an impossible decision she never thought she would have to make: surrender to a claiming that binds her forever, or risk losing the only love strong enough to fight the shadows of her past.
This book contains mature content and is intended for readers 18+
Please read trigger and content warnings below. If these are too much for you, please take care of your mental health and skip this one!
Finish Date: December 25, 2025
Format: Digital
Source: ARC from author
Representation: Sapphic
Purchase: Amazon
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...melting into sync with her was as natural as breathing.
Venom Within Her is the start of a new duology. No more masked stalkers and axes, this time Cirrus Rae is leading readers into the realm of monster romance. I read very little monster romance, primarily because I haven't seen a lot of it within the sapphic book world. But I was immediately interested in the idea of this one. Especially becuase the monster wasn't a vampire or a werewolf, but rather a scorpion shifter!
One of the things that Cirrus Rae does best is crafting characters that stand on their own, but that flourish together. Ilona is a very sweet character and so easy to like. She's a bit skittish and unsure at times which helps lend to Larz, and me, wanting her to feel safe and protected. I'm a sucker for a character who has been dealt a tough hand getting a sweet protector who just wants them to be safe. Larz originally seemed a bit badass and abrasive to me. Not in a bad, unlikeable way, but she felt like someone I would have to learn to love at first. However after one chapter in her POV, that was gone. Larz, with her tattoos and split tongue, seems larger than life at times, but she's so freaking charming. Both characters are sweet with their own fraught histories, but when they get together that sort of fades into the background. Together they bring out the best in each other, and the kinky at times too. They were hot as hell together, but also unbearably cute at times.
The world that Cirrus hints to and briefly shows in this book has me. I want, no I need, to know more about it. I was ecstatic to learn that this was going to be the first in a duology, because I wanted so much more time with this world of monsters and magic that Cirrus created. It isn't like a fantasy novel, fleshed out and sprawling, but it is there woven through the story. Larz has lived in this world for years and speaks of it with such a care and vulnerability that I can't help but want to see more of it. Ilona only gets brief glimpses at this world in this book and I would be very interested in seeing how she reacts as she learns more about it.
I loved the heat and chemistry in the Masked Mascs books and it is no less hot in this book. Larz and Ilona are fiery together, as I previously mentioned, and there sex scenes were written extremely well. I sometimes find myself getting bored of sex scenes, but Cirrus has a way of writing that them always feels fresh and unique to me.
I struggled a little bit with the writing in this book, but I'm not sure how much of that might have been me. I was sick at the time and on meds, so my brain wasn't always willing to focus. This book tried it's damndest to keep my attention fixed on it and I think it did a great job at it. But at some point in the future I'll have to give this book another read to see if it can hold my attention the entire way through again.
Venom Within Her could have gone a few different ways for me, but I am very happy with the way it went. I really enjoyed this book. From the characters and chemistry that always captures me in Cirrus's books to the easter egg of one of Cirrus's other books making an appearance. The nickname and some of the interactions between Larz and Ilona had me swooning. The daddy kink was unexpected but had me by the throat. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I cannot wait until the second one!
About the Author:
Cirrus Rae is a 30-year-old spicy, dark romance author based in California who focuses solely on fast-paced, filthy, sapphic stories. Her debut series, Masked Mascs, was just the beginning of a growing world of lesbian chaos and obsession. From masked slashers to paranormal shape-shifters, you'll never be bored when picking up one of her books.
Her main goal is to make sure that sapphic dark romance gets the bookshelf space it deserves!
She’s here to make sure dark sapphic romance gets the shelf space it deserves. She can be found online at TikTok, Instagram, and Goodreads.
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