Aesthetically very reminiscent of the Gilded Wolves, with the magic and late nineteenth century Frenchness of it all, but the Holly Black comparison in the pitch is also very well deserved. Not to mention, sapphic-friends-to-lovers, which in my opinion is a doubly underrated trope in fiction.
This book moved pretty quickly, so at times it feels a lot shorter than the four hundred pages that it is– something that I can probably attribute to the fact that all but the last chapter take place in the span of about forty-eight hours. This fast pacing makes the romance in the book feel even more like a slow burn, but there was also rather notably a year of mutually oblivious pining before the events of the book, but sapphics are just kind of like that.
The ending, I have to admit, was kind of a bit too much Deus Ex Machina for me, but it is a YA book, and it did make sense the more I thought about it, it just wasn’t really a choice that I originally liked. The extensive amount of cats more than made up for this choice in my eyes though, and I would definitely recommend this book.

3⭐️

« This girl.
The things this girl does to me.
The things I would do for this girl. »

-Dual povs
-Sapphic best friends-to-lovers
-Slow burn
-Fae
-CATS.

First of all, thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
“The Absinthe Underground” is a YA romantasy book that takes place during the Belle Époque.

It was a quick cozy read. While the concept was intriguing and I liked the characters, particularly Esme, I found some parts to be a bit rushed.
I would’ve probably preferred a longer story, with more focus on Esme and Sybil’s story, but that’s just my opinion.

Really whimsical, comfy and cozy. I loved it. Fans of once upon a time would love this! I really liked the way the story progressed and how acquainted the characters were. I can see myself going back to re-read because of the nostalgia I experienced reading this!

i had very high hopes for this book since i loved the cover and the premise (fantasy set in the belle époque! fae! friends to lovers!)
unfortunately, they all fell flat and i wasn't able to enjoy this book as much as i expected to. though the easy and simple writing will be a positive point to some, i wasn't able to connect with the plot or the characters, and sometimes there was too much infodumping for my taste.
i'm glad i was able to read this work and i'll keep an eye on the author's future projects, but this book just didn't work for me.
thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree for this ARC.

Two best friends in a room! They might kiss! Yes we will. What?

Had me at dual POV friends to lovers. It was such a joy to follow their lovely romance. The scene opens up in Esme and Sybil’s cozy apartment of cats and curated thrifted furnishings on the top floor of a clocktower. Right away there's loads of beautiful worldbuilding and we’re placed in an exquisite world of fae, magic, and a culture reminiscent of 19th century Paris. They’re a classic ADHD-Autism duo, Sybil being impulsive, adventure seeking and always ready for what’s coming, paired with Esme, a voice of reason, homebody, crafty, tinkerer who can't help rescuing any cats in need. They’re lovable and flawed. And truly feel like teenagers. I’m used to YA being much more intense but they feel cozy and authentically young. They find themselves wrapped up between some Fae conflict and are enlisted in a heist. Thrilling and immersive, this story is a treasure.

For fans of Six of Crows and ACOTAR (for teens though). No spice but plenty of pining and ultimately a sweet romance.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!


The Absinthe Underground is about two best friends, Sibyl and Esme, who live in Severon, a sort of Paris in Belle Époque. Sibyl is a poster thief and she ends up stealing the poster from one of the biggest clubs in the city, which is Abinthe Underground. Just as she was about to sell the poster to a collector, the owner of this club finds out everything and then proposes a service to the two girls. The job is to steal the crown jewels of Queen Mab, the Fae queen. And from there, we will follow the two girls and find out whether or not they will be able to fulfill this task.

The book was a nice surprise, I confess that I was excited, but also not very hopeful, since I had never read anything by this author, so I was going to enter a whole new territory. The writing is fluid, it was super easy to see yourself immersed in the universe. For me, The Absinthe Underground was a mix of Moulin Rouge, Beleza Monstruosa (Brazilian novella), and Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of the Fairies. So there are references to the belle époque, there are magic doors, there are fairies and especially there is sapphic romance, since Esme and Sibyl are the main couple. I consider the novel a Friends to Lovers and especially Slow Burn (the book doesn't have hot). Their romance is very slow burn because they spend the entire book wanting to confess their love for each other, but that only really happens in 96% of the book, and the kiss only in 98%. So you have to wait a long time for the big moment.

I commented on my pros, now I'm going to talk about my cons. I think one thing that could be better in this book is that the author has developed the story more. I loved everything I read, but surely she could have elaborated on many more details that she presented. I could have explored more of the fairy world, because I thought it was all too fast. To have explored more the relationship between the siblings, Sibyl and Lucien, to have explored the romantic relationship between the girls, to have shown a little more of the city of Severon. Because it refers to Paris, I thought it was very weak the way she alluded to the French city. I was even waiting for it to be commented about Sibyl's mother being a fairy, why she has two keys that open portals, her mother was someone important? How did she get these keys? Did Sibyl have any power, or not? It lacked a bit of development. Another is that everything that happened to the girls, from having to steal the Crown Jewels, to escaping from the Queen's guards, I found it all too easy and too fast. It's a fast-paced story, things happen in a matter of 3, 4 days, but all of that was solved too easily. I wanted more drama, more blood, more fights.

But I think that all this that I pointed out doesn't interfere when it comes to enjoying the book. I recommend it, and it was a fun, cute and a magical read. The Absinthe Underground has a release date of February 2024.

Any book that begins with a nod to Oscar Wilde is off to a great start. I was engaged from the beginning and was immediately drawn to Esme. We’re both homebodies who would much rather read a good book and cuddle our cats than go on grand adventures. But just like Bilbo Baggins, with the right motivation we’re ready to jump headlong into a grand journey. Esme’s motivation is a charming thief named Sybil who she plucks off the street just like one of her stray cats. Sparks fly but in a totally platonic roommates way… totally.

This book was incredibly easy to read. The stakes weren’t very high, I’d almost call this a cozy fantasy if I’m being honest. The plot just chugged along without delay. I think we could’ve used a little bit more drama or something to make it more interesting and keep me invested.

There was a lot of repetition. If I took a shot every time the word clock or cat was mentioned I’d have absinthe poisoning within the first chapter. A few spelling errors peppered in there and formatting issues took me out of the story.

We always need more fantasy with wlw pining/relationships so I’m happy that this book exists and I hope it falls into the hands of people who will love it immensely.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This book is a YA fantasy set in a fantastical version of Paris, around the art nouveau and impressionism time periods. It follows two girls who are dirt poor and are forced to steal to pay rent and have food on the table. There are a lot of artists that create beautiful advertisement posters which are hung across the city. These posters are worth a lot of money if you can get them down without damaging them, because of the famous artists who made them. So of course, that’s what they steal.

One of the two girls is more headstrong and likes the thrill she gets when stealing, while the other is more cautious and would rather be reading books or fixing clocks. But they’re roommates, so they have to find some way to make money. The quieter girl works at a restaurant, but some days tips are really bad, which is when her roommate suggests stealing to make up the difference.

One day, they pick up a poster for a nightclub, called the Absinthe Underground. When they go to sell the poster to the collector they usually sell to, the woman who was the model for the lady on the poster happens to be there. She is the owner of the Absinthe Underground, and she doesn’t think the poster is worth anything, because she could have given one to the collector for free.

But then she offers the two girls a job, and since they couldn’t make any money on the poster, they’re forced to take her job. Her job is to travel into the fae world and steal the crown jewels right out from under the fae queen’s nose. Surprise! The fae world is real and the owner of the Absinthe Underground is fae. Sure, they’re good at stealing posters off of lampposts, but are they good enough thieves to pull off such a big heist?

What I really loved about this book was the atmosphere. The author mentioned at the end that she was inspired to write this book after she went to an exhibit of French posters from this time period. There actually were people who stole posters off the streets for money, which is why we have so many posters from this time in museums and private collections.

The author actually draws on real art to create the setting of her book. The city is very art nouveau, both in terms of the advertising posters and the architecture. And then when they travel to the world of fae, there are many scenes taken from famous impressionist paintings.

I also really loved the two main characters. We jump back and forth between their perspectives every other chapter, so we get to see how they both react differently to certain situations. Did I mention they have like 7 cats in their clock tower apartment? They’re all so adorable with silly little names.

If you were wondering if by roommates I meant “roommates,” yes. Except they both assume the other isn’t interested. It’s a very cute, very slow burn romance. Normally I’m not a romance reader, cause my ace brain just can’t process how quickly most romances evolve and why characters who barely know each other are so eager to hop into bed together. But this was adorable. They’re super awkward and don’t know how to talk to each other about their feelings.

This is the kind of romance I’m looking for. Just a couple of idiots in love who can’t acknowledge their feelings. It makes my ace brain very happy to have characters who feel romantic attraction first, rather than horny first. Sometimes book characters just need a good bonk, but no one is there to provide it (or no one wants to) and it makes me mad. Give me romantic attraction, or give me something to bonk fictional characters with. Do you want a happy book fox, or a book fox with a bonk stick? Take your pick, authors. Those are the choices.

Jokes aside, this book was really whimsical and cute. If you’re looking for a short, YA fantasy that has some fresh ideas and a unique atmosphere, I highly recommend this. It’s not out until February though, so if you’re interested, definitely write this down before you forget.

Thank you to all involved for the chance to read The Absinthe Underground as an eARC! I had heard about this book through a couple of online platforms and thought the idea was so exciting- this is such a magical, whimsical, queer adventure that 14-year-old me would have been ENAMORED with. The beautiful cover of this YA novel is what drew me in in the first place, and depicts the exact atmosphere of this book. This felt like a little sister of Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall; I would also consider this book to have similar writing/vibes to books by Allison Saft and Skyla Arndt, so if you're a fan of any of their works, I think you'll enjoy The Absinthe Underground!

My only complaint is that the eARC formatting did not transfer well, so that did take me out of the storyline a bit. Overall, I think if you're a fan of magic, sapphic pining, thievery, and cats, you'll enjoy this book. The Absinthe Underground will be out in February of 2024!

Thanks to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the free eARC in exchange for my unfettered opinion.

How I wished to love this fantasy novel set in Belle Epoque Paris. It has so many potentially wonderful elements: Paris! Absinthe! Art posters! Fey! Two girls in found family/Sapphic love! Lovely book design! What a glorious idea: famous La Fée Verte is an actual Fey who runs a club called The Absinthe Underground!

Unhappily, it was just not the book for me. I wasn't swept up by the setting or the characters. I wanted to connect more with both, and at the 27% mark, I'm calling it.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

This is a cozy sapphic fae heist romance. I had to like it. And it was indeed very cute and I very much enjoyed reading it.

I found the setting and the story to be very original and the characters were adorable. Friends to lovers with mutual pining? That’s hard not to like. Also Sybil and Esme feel like ADHD/autism solidarity. A bit stereotypical maybe but not too much. (Sybil reads a bit too selfish for my taste and Esme a bit too naïve but they are still very lovable).

The writing was rather simple so it’s a very light read. You do not need to think while reading it, the book tells you everything.
The story, especially the heist, is also very simple. It’s a bunch of tasks they have to fulfil and the solution is always just around the corner. So even when there is a bit of trouble you know it won’t be there long.
Now are these pro’s or con’s for the book? I can’t decide but I did have a nice time.

the absinthe underground is a short and cozy romantasy novel following two best friends who are sent on a treacherous heist by a fairy who happens to be trapped in their world. its concept is brilliant, and it also happens to have one of the most gorgeous covers i’ve ever seen, but the story itself leaves a lot to be desired.

my biggest problem with the absinthe underground is the writing style, which is surprisingly simple for a story that’s supposed to be “decadent” and “lavish.” because of it, i didn’t really feel any of the magic and wonder the author tried to convey, and a lot of the book’s more dramatic moments lost their thrill for me and ended up feeling clunky and unsatisfying. the heist the main characters are sent on is also very simplistic in general, which might’ve been less of an issue for me had the writing been more elaborate.

i was also disappointed by the romance. i love a good best friends to lovers story, but that’s mainly because i love seeing the depth of the connection between the characters involved and how they’ve grown to understand each other over time. in the absinthe underground, we don’t know much about the main characters’ history as best friends, aside from how they met, and since the book mainly takes place over the span of a few days, there wasn't much room for development in the present timeline. as a result, there was a lot of telling rather than showing, so the love story was a huge letdown for me.

overall, while this was a quick read with a cute ending, i personally wouldn't recommend it. still, the ideas behind it are very creative, and i’m excited to see what else the author comes up with.

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing this arc.

Ohhhh I'm sad about this one. This has one of the most beautiful covers I've ever seen with a premise that had me hooked. Unfortunately I think it desperately needed a heavier editor. There were a few times a character would repeat something we were just told a page ago as if it were new information, and it was particularly jarring. They also REALLY wanted to drill into the reader that they were *friends* and the constant repetition of it just made the development feel thin. It would have felt more natural if they hadn't both been aggressively pinning from the beginning as well.

I also wish more time was spent world building. I got the impression that this was not an openly magical world, but Esme was just... Ok with everything happening outside of not wanting to steal the jewels (which in itself was kind of wild "hey you were able to steal this poster can you go to this other world and steal a heap of jewels from a queen for me?")
I'll probably try it again if we get an audiobook version because I was SO excited for this book.

This book had me enthralled from start to finish, the images painted within the words of this book were so vivid and detailed, I can almost image the little apartment in which the two main characters live. I can see the club where the Absinthe is sold, I can see the lands of the fey and the beings that inhabit it. this book, is not just an amazing story that had me on the edge of my seat, but it was an aesthetic journey through art, culture, and passion. when I tell you this book has Vibes I mean it. it was beautifully written, beautifully described and beautifully researched on top of that!

The mutual pining was just the icing on the cake. I was yelling 'just kiss already!' more than once at this book, which caused both my cat, and my mother, some concern to be sure! Not only is the mutual pining so perfectly written, the characters themselves are well written with large (and small) personalities that make you feel as if your actually witnessing real people going through this adventure. i literally cannot rave about Esme enough, the way she tinkers and fidgets with things in her pockets and just wants to stay at home with her cats, absolutely my kind of character.

All in all, this is absolutely going on my Top 5 list for this year!

I was intrigued by the premise and world, but the writing was too simplistic for my taste, and the characters felt flat to me, so I couldn't really get invested in their romance.

Thank you so much for the ARC.

For Sybil Clarion, the Belle Époque city of Severon is a wild, romantic dream, filled with cafés, cabarets, and glittering nightclubs. Eager to embrace the city’s freedom after running away from home, she’s traded high-society soirées for empty pockets and barren cabinets. At least she has Esme, the girl who offered Sybil a home, and maybe—if either of them dared—something more.

This was wonderful. I love a good sapphic fantasy romance and this delivered! Wonderful characters, excellent world-building, and a swoon-worthy romance!

"The Absinthe Underground" is a ya fantasy romance standalone written by Jamie Pacton.

It is a book that drew me in right away, a little because of the beautiful cover and a little because of the intriguing plot. I didn't really know what to expect, but I started the reading with pretty high expectations. And I was not disappointed! Bewitching, elegant and enchanting, it completely won me over. I became attached to Sybil and Esme, the two protagonists, and I was absorbed by the lavish setting! In my opinion it is not a perfect tale, I perceived several flaws, but honestly I don't care! It managed to involve me, to excite me, and that's what matters to me!

The story takes place in the city of Severon, inspired by the Paris of the Belle Époque. A lively, wild and dynamic place filled with cafes, patisseries, theaters, cabarets and glittering nightclubs. A place where the rich with their luxurious mansions, expensive clothes and gilded lifestyle are alternating with the masses of the poor, forced to live on crumbs, in miserable and precarious conditions, amidst grueling shifts and less than lawful activities. I was enchanted by this seductive setting, vividly described through an evocative, refined and sophisticated prose. Otherwise, the world building is decidedly nebulous! Just as an example: the book does not tell where exactly Severon is located and tells nothing about the outside of the town. Information, when present, are thrown out quickly and then abandoned, without any detail. Not to mention the magic system, the Faeries or the world of Fae, intriguing in the premises but poorly developed. Honestly, in this case, it didn't bother me that much because my focus was all on the characters and so who cares about the rest!

The story has several plot holes and various convenient situations, which occasionally made me turn up my nose. Many events seem to happen just like this, without a clear logic, with important situations handled with extreme haste. It is a pity because I  really loved the ideas in this book, but their realization did not satisfy me. I still managed to enjoy it in the end, thanks to my interest in the characters and the fast pace, however, I expected more.

Sybil and Esme, protagonists with their respective third person povs, won me over with their intensity! Sybil is a girl from a rich background, escaped from the high society in which she grew up, driven by a desire for freedom. A skilled thief, she has traded a wealthy existence for a life of empty pockets and rumbling stomachs. Specializing in stealing posters and selling them to collectors for money, she lives with her best friend, Esme, in an apartment in the clock tower, along with their cats. Esme, for her part, is a girl who grew up in misery. Daughter of a troubled mother who died when she was a child, she has made her way through orphanages, hunger and poverty. She works as a waitress in a club and loves books, cats, clocks and other various gears. Sybil is an impulsive, adventurous and extroverted person, disorganized to the highest levels. Esme on the other hand is introverted, organized, reflective and quiet. In theory, they could not be more different, yet their cohabitation and their deep friendship are fantastic! I loved their relationship so much, which is strange, since this is a friends to lovers, trope that I am not so fond of. However, here I found it handled very well, thanks to a wonderful slooow burn and flashbacks that show the origins of their relationship!

All in all, it is not a perfect book, but I loved it so much!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I love the dynamic between Sybil and Esme. I love how they never even questioned loving another woman, just questioned how that would change the friendship. The storyline was very fast paced and kept me engaged. However, I did find the story fairly low stakes overall so it wasn't something that was very intense. Overall, I really enjoyed this book!

This was a really nice and quick queer romantasy read. It's not that long, and it reads quickly because of the simplicity of the plot (though sometimes I wish it wasn't so simple). The characters and their relationship are definitely the focus though, not the plot, and those two things are done well enough even though sometimes I wish the story would explore the characters a bit more thoroughly.

Comping to The Cruel Prince and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries made me very excited to read The Absinthe Underground, but I quickly realized this book doesn’t come close to TCP or EWEOF. So much info dumping in the first few chapters made the characters and story immediately feel flat. I’m pretty generous with info dumping, especially in YA, because that seems to be the growing trend/expectation to tell the reader everything they need to know about the world in the beginning. But Absinthe Underground never stopped, never gave the reader the opportunity to figure things out or experience the world and characters for themselves. This made the romance feel very dull. No tension between them. Unfortunately this book is a no from me.