I loved Lyndall Clipstone’s last book but sadly, Tenderly, I Am Devoured was not for me. I found the plot to be lacking complexity and I don’t think it is described accurately. It’s not really horror. It’s gothic and I do love the way she writes but I didn’t enjoy the plot of this story.

It felt as though it didn’t have much plot and there wasn’t really a reason to include the before sections. Damson wasn’t connected to anything in the now chapters and therefore the whole story of before could have been one chapter for background.

That being said, the rest of the now section lacked depth. I wanted to know more about Camille and Alastair and also Therion. The Salt Priests plot was also not followed through at all. It felt like an afterthought because there really wasn’t anything happening for most of the story.

Without the character development, I also found the romance plots to be lacking.

Overall, I’d read this author again but wouldn’t recommend this particular book.

⭐️⭐️

A captivating tale by Lyndall Clipstone. I was enchanted by this gothic romantic fantasy.

The unfolding of Lacrimosa’s tale in the past and present had me desiring to know about this world and these people. For lovers of art, Clipstone intricately weaves rich history and storytelling of artists past with the present day characters. As usual I fell for the dark cthonic god that is clearly meant to make people run, but I’m here for his feathered glory.

Clipstones prose is always enchanting and I find myself swept away as I partake in the elegance.

Feathered elegance, minor possession, cultish rituals and a boy a girl and girl finding their way in life. If you enjoy stories with tangled romance, dark gods, and young women finding their way, you’ll certainly enjoy Tenderly, I am Devoured.

There were some aspects that had me wishing for more. The poly style relationship with young adults felt like it needed a little more conversation around it. The brother/sister aspect is something I wish I was aware of before reading, it’s not crossing lines of taboo but something I wish I had recognized in the marketing. There were also moments that I wish more connection had been made between what the characters were going through instead of jumping to the next scene.

After being expelled from her school and her dreams, Lark returns home to a bare salt mine and a home on the brink of financial drought. However, while spying on her brothers, she hatches a plan to save the land that raised her: she'll marry Therion, the god her hometown worships. On the night of her wedding, though, she's interrupted first by her Camille, childhood-crush-turned-enemy's alluring older sister, then by her childhood-crush-turned-enemy himself, Alastair, who saves her from... something? The point is that, while Lark is now married to Therion, she was ripped from him, meaning he'll be mad that he has no access to his bride. Lark reluctantly convinces Alastair and Camille to help her bring Therion back, but their journey is more than they bargained for.
If I had to describe this book in one word, I'd call it ethereal. From the cover to everything in between, there's an otherworldly sense around the plot, the characters, and the setting. The romance was floaty in a sense that felt just out of reach, yet the yearning was so palpable that I could taste it as sharply as I felt the salt on my tongue. I was so invested in Lark's journey at school and why she was expelled, rooting for her passion for the arts, which I felt reflected in myself.
And the poor Felimath siblings. They may come from richness, but the darkness of their father is more powerful than any light the gold could shine. They're so sweet with Lark, though. It was endearing how caring they were with each other and with Lark, helping their childhood friend through her perilous quest.

Hauntingly beautiful and intimately wrought, Tenderly I Am Devoured is a gorgeously soft gothic tale soaked in salt, sorrow, and longing. Lyndall Clipstone has crafted a story that is dark yet delicate, eerie yet full of emotional tenderness—a fairytale for the haunted heart.

Set in a world of crumbling estates, wind-bitten coastlines, and half-remembered magic, this novel is lush, lyrical, and profoundly atmospheric. The writing is nothing short of poetic—so vivid and sensory-rich that you feel the sea spray on your skin and the ache of the tide in your bones. Few books feel this immersive. It’s one of those rare novels that reads like a painting in motion, where setting and emotion blend seamlessly into every line.

This is what you might call “soft gothic”—it has the familiar moody aesthetic and themes of isolation, hidden trauma, and beauty tinged with decay, but with a gentler, almost girlish tone that gives the entire book a quiet vulnerability. There’s a softness even in the darkness, and the result is something both unique and emotionally resonant.

The heart of the story is Lark, a protagonist written with raw intimacy. Her emotional journey feels deeply personal and unguarded, like peeling back layers of grief, yearning, and transformation. You feel her unraveling, her uncertainty, her quiet strength—and it’s this emotional honesty that gives the novel its soul.

Though the pace begins slowly, it’s purposeful—giving the reader time to settle into the world’s rhythm, to breathe with it. The final portion quickens with tension and momentum, but it never loses sight of its emotional core.

Lyndall Clipstone writes some of the most atmospheric stories I’ve ever read—her books always make me want to curl up in a stormy cabin with a hot cup of tea while rain lashes the windows. Tenderly, I Am Devoured was no different. This was my first dive into a more traditional gothic romance, and it absolutely delivered.

I’ve been describing it as “soft gothic”—it has that deliciously dark, moody tone you'd expect from the genre, but it still maintains a soft, almost girlish vibe throughout. It’s eerie and romantic, but never bleak.

I don’t typically gravitate toward poly or “why choose” romances—I usually find myself rooting for just one pairing—but Lyndall completely won me over. I found both Alastair and Camille equally compelling, and the dynamic between them felt emotionally believable and beautifully done.

It was also a super fast read—I devoured it in just two days (which is saying a lot when you have a toddler!). I’ll always pick up a Lyndall Clipstone book, and this one proves she’s only getting better with each release.

4.25⭐️


i tenderly (aggressively) devoured this book.

this story felt incredibly intimate on so many levels, and it was clear how personal it was to the author — it was woven into every page. our main character, lark, felt completely laid bare throughout the story, and i felt very sympathetic toward her during certain moments.

my favorite part was the descriptive, poetic writing style — it drew me into the setting right away. it was transformative; i felt like i could see, smell, and taste everything. it’s one of the most atmospheric books i’ve ever read. it reminded me a lot of a study in drowning, with that same dark, ethereal, fairytale vibe that i personally love and am obsessed with. i really hope the author writes more stories set in this universe, because with such beautiful worldbuilding, i’d love to see everything expand.

plot wise, it had some twists i didn’t expect, which i enjoyed. i didn’t mind the slower pacing — i was just enjoying the ride, in awe of the beautiful writing. i also love books with dual timelines that eventually connect, where everything slowly falls into place. there were a few things i would’ve liked explained a bit more, but at the same time, i got the sense that some of the unanswered parts were intentional, not accidental.

i did wish for a little deeper character work, as i felt i couldn’t fully grasp some of the characters, especially camille. still, the relationships in this book were so nuanced and interesting. there was a lot of physical and emotional intimacy explored, and the dynamics felt complex and unfamiliar to me in a way that kept me on my toes — which i really liked.

huge thanks to author lyndall clipstone for kindly sending me an e-ARC.

I wanted to love this book so much. The cover is amazing and description sucked me in. But the book just didn’t do it for me. I think it was the pacing for me. I thought the plot was great but everything just seemed to happen so fast. Maybe I would have appreciated a longer book to have more build up between things. I didn’t have time to really get to know the characters and care for them. I just didn’t feel for them at all.

That being said I did like a lot of things with the book. I loved this world we were in. With Gods being semi present and worshipped based on where you lived. I loved the FMC overcoming so many things and learning she has a whole future ahead of her. And I loved the mystery/adventure we went on in the book.

I think I would have fell in love without this book if I had more time to live in it with the characters. Thank you so much for the eARC. I am very grateful to have received it.

I suppose this is what I get for requesting an arc based solely on the title/cover, because wow no this story isn’t even what’s in the blurb. Like the blurb is overtly NOT what’s in the story.🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

That wouldn’t have helped me either way, because I didn’t read it before getting it, but now that I have, I’m just so …..

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a huge disappointment to me. The premise was so intriguing, but amidst the plentiful grammatical errors, extremely repetitive phrasing and word usage, the story fell very flat.

My honest opinion? This is not ready for publication. The bones are there. but the story felt spilled, leaked all over the place, verbose, and not well fleshed out. Hugo’s entire character made no sense, and while his reasoning was convicting, her actions were inconsistent and incredibly confusing. Therion was a letdown. He’s a god, but can’t protect himself from a teenager with two half-uttered spells in a dead language? He wants a bride - but why. He loves Lark - for what reason? His character meant nothing to me. Camille was much the same. We developed no connection to her. And you’d like to tell me they’ve been separated a decade - 10 years - and they are in love? You know that means Lark was EIGHT YEARS OLD when she left, right?! Wow. Alastair made sense as a character. His actions were sensible for the situation he was in, but every scene with his dad was shallow. I kept waiting for a moment of release, of strength, but the closure at the end was not adequate. The only character I felt conveyed any real depth was Damson. She was fleshed out nicely, her portrayal of narcissism very concise.

Overall, my impression of this book was that it was still very much a draft that needs a lot of fleshing out.

Couldn’t get into this book. I struggled staying interested and connecting with the characters. I loved the cover art for this book.

i’ll start by saying the cover of this is so stunning, and when i first saw it i knew i wanted to read it from the gorgeous cover alone. (yes i judge books by their covers, we can’t all be perfect.)
THEN when i saw it marketed for fans of saltburn and a study in drowning, as well as being described as a “moody, monsterously gothic romantasy”, i was eagerly anticipating this release so i was thrilled to get an arc! but did it deliver? well enough!
i will say that the prose was haunting, lyrical and elegant without being purple. the writing in this was absolutely gorgeous. i LOVED it! i was enthralled by the setting, but it was so vivid, descriptive, and raw. Verse was beautiful.
BUT it was honestly say there were some slow and boring parts. i also think the relationship in this book wasn’t perfectly fleshed out? it just felt a little all over the place. which i understand due to the nature of their falling out or whatever. which is okay, it just didn’t flow in a way i would have liked to see. and camille didn’t have too much of a personality?
the plot was captivating and interesting, but later became a little slow. i also feel like lark didn’t get the closure or completion she needed.
my hopes were super high for this, though i didn’t hate it. this book was a fever dream, overall lovely! thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for letting me read it!

Sometimes you get stories that are written so beautifully they are like paintings on a page; Tenderly I Am Devoured is one of those. Sumptuous, filled with vivid descriptions that transport you to Lark’s ocean and salt tinged home and like a tide, drags you from there, to the city, to the estate, before returning back to the start. The last 20% was more action filled, and I almost missed the slow pace of the first portion that allowed you full immersion into the heartbeat of the story.

The love story/ies threaded through were the least interesting part of the book. No incest, which based on the blurb, was a mild worry for me. Not the biggest fan of Hugo and his machinations, but we got so little time with him, that of course his development was stunted in comparison.

This is the perfect mildly horror-esque gothic story to sink your teeth into by a fire with a cup of steaming tea and blistering snow-laced winter winds (or churning waves) roaring outside.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and Lyndall Clipstone for the eARC.

This was a pleasant surprise of a read. I get why it’s being compared to Saltburn but it’s not quite that. The vibes are staring-across-an-ocean and Greek myth. My only criticism is about how many people were instantly in love with Lark for almost no reason. But the resolution was very well done with only mild drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All thoughts are my own.

This was a beautiful story with characters that feel so real they pop off the page. This was fairytale-like, almost like a dream told in narrative. If you want a gothic love story, queer characters, and a wonderfully woven story- this is the book for you. I highly recommend this.

"Tenderly, I Am Devoured" by Lyndall Clipstone is a haunting gothic horror novel with a captivating romance. It follows Marlena, haunted by visions, as she uncovers dark secrets at a secluded estate. Clipstone's writing creates a chilling atmosphere, exploring themes of grief, obsession, and hidden truths. Marlena's connection with the mysterious caretaker adds emotional depth. It's a must-read for gothic horror fans.

I actually really loved this book. It was really beautifully written and it all felt like a rever dream to me as I read it. It was refreshingly different and new from any other story I’ve read. I loved seeing the characters come together and fight for each other and the strong bond and love throughout the book.

Thank you NetGalley for an E-arc i absolutely adored this book!

“If I must be glass then I want to be the razored edge of a broken pane - sharp and dangerous.”

Lyndall’s books are always for the girls who never grew out of their Beauty and the Beast phase, and I appreciate it. There are many monsters in this book, mortal and not, and not all of them have an appearance that matches their monstrosity, or are even wholly monstrous. Some are formed by tragedy, and others are simply cruel. Clipstone takes traditional gothic themes of the shattered family, tangled and twisted lovers, houses that hold living secrets, and a monster that yearns for the human heroine, and expertly brings them into life in modern writing. Tenderly, I Am Devoured could fit on the shelves between Wuthering Heights or The Fall of the House of Usher. With every book, Clipstone’s writing strengthens. I love the Lakesedge duology, but TIAD has taken its place for my favorite Lyndall Clipstone work. The shades of gray align seamlessly with the dark setting to create a masterpiece of gothic literature.

On a less serious note, Damson deserved more. I hope that cut scarred and she has to look at it in the mirror every morning before going out to her empty, massively successful life.

This book surprised me! I saw the cover and was intrigued. I read the premise and was a little unsure. The writing was so well done! It was captivating and poetic. There were secrets and twists that kept me interested. I absolutely loved Lark and Camille. Alistair grew on me. I'm so happy I read this.

4.5 I really enjoyed. The story was compelling and the writing was skillful and quite beautiful. The characters are well developed and interesting. Some of the relationships were a bit hard to root for but that felt intentional to some degree. Not everything is tied up in a bow, but it gets you thinking! Recommend!

This book was hauntingly beautiful. I was immediately in love with it all —the atmosphere, the characters, the folklore. I felt like I was in Verse and could see, smell, and taste everything the characters did. Well done and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Poetic and unforgettable, I’ll forever be enthralled by Lyndall’s writing. This was just as beautiful all her other books, she truly has a way with prose.