LAKESEDGE is a debut that I was eagerly awaiting, and it did not disappoint. From a well-drawn world that felt as magical as it was dangerous, a plot that was compelling--if not a little trite in YA--and a romance that teens will love, Lyndall Clipstone is an author to keep one's eye on. Having also now read FORESTFALL, I am eagerly awaiting her most upcoming novel, UNHOLY TERRORS, which looks like it will be just as dark and delightful.

Lush, atmospheric, haunted tale of your dreams (and nightmares too). I enjoyed getting to know these characters and the magic system in this fantasy. The romantic tension and mysterious setting keep you wanting more!

DNF @ 23%

I am so sad that the writing style of this Gothic fantasy debut just didn't work for me! I tried reading this a couple of times over the last year of my life, with my most recent attempt spanning nearly 3 weeks, and the narrative didn't manage to pull me in. To be honest I was a little confused and kind of bored, which should be mutually exclusive feelings.

I think there are sometimes books that you do not know how to properly write a review for as you cannot even begin to form your experience reading. This was one of those books for me. Since getting this netgalley I have reread this book three times. Everything about it is a comfort read for me. It is just one of those books that reminds me why I love reading. I love it so much I had to get a physical copy for my shelves because I think the cover is just stunning. Getting into the story itself, as someone who lives for dark fantastical reads it was from start to finish in my opinion perfect. This was my first experience with this author and I am now a life long friend. I have recommended this book to so many loved ones and will continue to do so probably until they tell me to shut up. This book fully encompasses why I love reading.

the writing got pretty redundant & this author loves the word "crimson", but it had all the autumnal gothic vibes that I've been craving, so i had a pretty good time 🤷🏽‍♀️

I actually got all the way to the 80% mark in this one and realized I didn't care about any of these characters or what happened to them.

Full review to be posted soonish.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I actually never finished this book.. it's good, but I'm just not digging the YA vibe. I knew it was YA going into it, but I guess I'm just not a big reader of YA like I used to be. I will still recommend this book and our library has purchased a copy.

The opening chapter was extremely promising and drew me in. It was dark and mysterious and I was here for it, but then the rest of the book came and I was underwhelmed. I found it extremely boring and the book was mostly done by the time I realized there was even a plot. The cover is great though!

I still don’t know what to think of it… it was nothing like what I had expected it to be but I was really pleasantly surprised by the inventive magic system and the way that this book explored the themes of love, loyalty, and faith. All of that being said, the ending was surprisingly satisfying for a book that has a sequel. I’m not sure that I’m going to read said sequel but either way I definitely have fun reading this first one and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good Ya Gothic romance.

I received an arc of this book from MacMillan and I was definitely excited to read it. The plot was interesting, and so were the characters. I did, however, feel like the plot was not unique, and I the ending did not surprise me.

I enjoyed Lakesedge for two reasons. One was that the book managed to surprise me. The story itself wasn't the most unique, but it managed to take some interesting turns especially towards the end. The second reason is because of the relationships between the characters. I'm not sure if I cared about any of them individually, but I'm a sucker for a found family story with a dash of romance.
The only thing that gave me pause was Leta's relationship with the Lord Under. I get that he's evil and she's using him, but there is also an affection between them that feels weird seeing as they met when she was a child. It would be the one thing holding me back from wanting to dive into the second book because of the focus on that relationship and how it would make me feel. I love a good Death Personified romance, but this time it just felt a little off. But I will give book 2 a chance!

I absolutely loved this book!
The characters are compelling, the writing is beautiful and it's the YA gothic fantasy of my dreams. It's full of mystery and atmosphere as you learn more about Lakesedge, Rowan, the monstrous Lord Under and Leta herself. Nothing is ever what it seems and you can't wait to find out what will happen next.
There's a beautiful estate, a creepy lake, magic rituals, characters you can't help but love and hidden secrets.

This book was absolutely captivating from the very beginning. I loved the dark, creepy storyline. I loved the dark retelling of The Secret Garden. I loved that I personally got some Phantom of the Opera vibes too with the cover and parts of the story. I loved the ending although I need the second book this instant! I cannot wait to see what happens next year!

DNF at 15%

I don't normally DNF books this early. Normally I give them at least 25% to get good. But this one deserved no more of my time. We were on a 7 hour road trip today, and I didn't read a single page. All because of this book. This book had me dreading reading. So no, I won't be continuing it. Can't tell you why this one is so hyped, but I won't be jumping on that hype train.

I really wanted to love this book because I am a major fan of gothic novels! However, there were many disturbing scenes that made me uncomfortable. Still, the novel is very well-written! I do recommend this for fans of the paranormal genre!

A thrilling gothic tale. Well written and perfect for those looking for something paranormal adjacent.

The beginning of this book gave me such wonderful Beauty and the Beast vibes and I was all for that. Violetta and her brother are abducted by "The Monster", Rowan, and brought back to his estate on the cursed Lakesedge in order to help purge the lake of the corruption. As the story progresses, it drastically diverges from the Beauty and the Beast storyline and into much more sinister waters of the underworld. This book had all the makings of a great read for me, but the last half was so sluggish and I felt like I read the same tense scene over and over at least 3 times. It just lagged too much for me. It had good promise but fell short. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC. 3 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

I gave it a good try but I just found the main character Leta too annoying to continue. The other elements in the book just weren't strong enough to get me to stay.

Wow. This book was utterly amazing.

The whole premise was interesting and the world building was top notch. The only complaint that I have is mainly that that the book seemed to simultaneously drag on and move on way too quickly all at once.

I loved it though.

The slight enemies to lovers storyline was very cute and well done. Clipstone referenced several times some pretty old practices. <i>Seal on your heart, seal on your arm</i> That is referenced in several historical fiction books and I absolutely love it. It's so freaking romantic.

The magic was very intriguing. The whole dark and light parallel was so so well done.

Honestly, I need a second one 'cause that was a very big cliffhanger.