DNF at 51%

Thank you to the author for sending me an eARC of this book through NetGalley.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025 so I'm devastated to be writing this review. Unfortunately, this one is on me for not paying more attention to the marketing.

I thought I had done all the research I needed before going into this book. I knew the synopsis and the tropes. I was excited for the polycule romance, but I completely missed the part of the marketing that acknowledged the polycule was the fmc and two siblings. While I know the two siblings aren't together, a story where they date the same person is not something I want to read.

The relationship was the only thing that I didn't enjoy about the story. If it's something you're comfortable reading, I would still strongly recommend this book. Lyndall Clipstone has deeply enchanting prose that you can get lost in. This story feels like being torn apart by a knife wrapped in a glittery pink ribbon while floating though a salty sea. It's beautiful and emotional and addictive. If you love a slow-burn romantic story with an academia element, a stunning world, and writing you can't get enough of, then this is a great book for it. The romance just wasn't for me.

Review on Goodreads (sophreadingbooks https://www.goodreads.com/sophreadingbooks) as of of 6/15/2025

An interesting young adult romantasy. I liked the mythology aspect, the parallel to Hades/Persephone being together for specific seasons. I think it could have been written a little better, a little more clarity. I also think that it jumped back too much to what happened at the school. There was a lot going on for less than 300 pages, and none of felt like it was fully fleshed out.

Title: Tenderly, I Am Devoured
Author: Lyndall Clipstone
Genre: Gothic Romance
Format: eARC
Series: NA
Star Rating: 5 stars

A special thank you goes to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this book. Please know that this does not influence my rating or thoughts on the book itself.

tw: parental death, child abuse, drugging, drugging of children, child sacrifice

This book has fundamentally changed me as a person. I still think about this book every single day and how much I loved it. This book has become a part of my very soul. There are very few books that have attached themselves to my soul, and this one will always be number one. No other book will compare to this book. It is one of my all-time favorite books, and I want every single person to read this book so they can experience what I have.

One of the best things about this book was how queer it was. Lark was interested in men and women. She had a brother who had a male lover at one point. It seemed like mostly everyone was queer in some way. It was so lovely to see that, and my heart was singing with joy at the beautiful representation. It truly made my heart so happy, and I wish every single book had something like that in their books.

I also loved the world and the world building quite a bit. It felt dark and dreary, but it also felt full of life. It felt like such a lovely place to be. I’ve always wanted to live by the sea. I feel it would heal a fundamental part of my soul. I am also an Aquarius, so that explains a lot. I understand why Lark and her lovers love the place so. I would never want to leave.

This review has become such a hot mess, so I think I will end it here and hope that everyone will understand just what I’m trying to convey. Words are hard for me when I’m trying to write about a book that means so much to me. It’s like how do you put into words a book that has touched your soul. Its very existence makes life better. This book means so much to me. It will be one I will read multiple times. It will never leave my shelf. The world is a better place with this book in it. Thank you, Lyndall Clipstone, for writing a book I didn't know I needed.

After being expelled from her prestigious boarding school, eighteen-year-old Lark Arriscane returns home to find her family facing financial ruin. In a desperate bid to save them, she agrees to a marriage of convenience with Therion, a chthonic god worshipped in her coastal hometown. But when the betrothal goes wrong, Lark begins to fade from the mortal realm. Her only hope lies in the help of her first love, Alastair Felimath, and his sister, Camille. Together, they delve into ancient rituals, but their attempts to mend Lark’s bond with Therion only awaken a far darker force, threatening to destroy them all.

This was very beautifully written, perfectly poetic, descriptive in the most delicious ways. Gothic folk horror, cottage core vibes that was also soft and delicate and ribbons and lace and I very much enjoyed the opportunity to read this. Something that also stood out to me was the relationship dynamic that Clipstone has created, with a range of sexualities and romantic interests it felt very inclusive but not in your face. The dynamic between Lark and the siblings was especially sweet to see, especially as they navigate the volatile situation they have found themselves in.

I adored this book. This was very beautifully written, perfectly poetic, descriptive in the most delicious ways. Gothic folk horror, cottage core vibes that was also soft and delicate and ribbons and lace and I very much enjoyed the opportunity to read this. Read this in a warm, gentle Summer breeze if you can!

Such a good YA book. The premise feels so unique, as is the world building. I was captivated from the cover and title alone and the book followed through. It has perfect dark and gothic vibes with elements of horror and folklore. Lyndall Clipstone did just an amazing job of creating characters with incredible growth and emotional depth, who you really root for. The writing is poetic and lyrical and I highly recommend reading it.

An intoxicating gothic coming-of-age tale steeped in longing, devotion, and dark divine mystery.

After being expelled from her prestigious boarding school, eighteen-year-old Lark Arriscane returns home to find her family facing financial ruin. In a desperate bid to save them, she agrees to a marriage of convenience with Therion, a chthonic god worshipped in her coastal hometown. But when the betrothal goes wrong, Lark begins to fade from the mortal realm. Her only hope lies in the help of her first love, Alastair Felimath, and his sister, Camille. Together, they delve into ancient rituals, but their attempts to mend Lark’s bond with Therion only awaken a far darker force, threatening to destroy them all.

Told through a darkly poetic and wistful voice, this novel is more than a story; it’s an atmosphere, a mood, a tide that pulls you under. The novel’s lyrical style mirrors the artistic world Lark inhabits—beautiful, fragile, tinged with sadness. It reads like a fever dream at the edge of the sea.

Lark, our naive, open-hearted FFM, stands at the threshold of adulthood. Having grown up without parents and raised in relative isolation, Lark's yearning for connection becomes the novel's emotional core. Her susceptibility to love and heartbreak is raw, painfully relatable, and steeped in that all-consuming way first love hits. There’s also a couple LGBTQAI+ relationships at play that create a diverse cast, but also more complex and difficult to navigate dynamics. These relationships bring with it a little bit of mostly closed-door spice, which was a pleasant surprise.

But this book isn’t merely about love—it’s about the shadows that cling to it. It does not shy away from darkness. Themes of child abuse, cults, family betrayals, and the hidden rot behind supposedly beautiful things give the story a gothic heft that lingers.

Ancient, eerie, and intimate in terrifying ways, the divine presence in the novel is nothing short of mesmerizing. Their world, glimpsed only in fragments, is filled with awe and dread. These aren’t distant deities—they answer when called, and their magic is at once seductive and horrifying. The unsettling relationship between mortals and the divine shakes the boundaries of reality, adding a layer of horror that is both metaphysical and deeply personal.

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a story to savor and fear, to ache through and be haunted by. It will break your heart, and you’ll thank it for doing so.

I am probably in the minority, but I really didn't like this book. I felt like the book kind of fell flat for me. I felt like the characters and plot were a bit underdeveloped, and I found myself not really caring what happens to any of the characters. I also didn't really like the romance; it was very rushed and kind of came out of nowhere, especially her relationship with Camille.

I have mixed thoughts and feelings about this story. It took awhile to get into it. The middle chunk of the story was interesting and then the story fell flat again. I can't say that I found the characters interesting, but I liked that the was the representation of a polyamourous relationship. I do think it was a little strange for a YA book to have a poly relationship with siblings since that tends to be something in adult romance books and even New Adult romance books. The world building was done well. I just think the story was missing a few different elements that would have made it a great story.

I'm struggling with my review. At times, I thought maybe I wasn't smart enough to fully grasp the concept of what I read, but after finishing the book and reading other reviewers comments, I realize that my confusion was valid.

As much as I did enjoy much of the middle part of the story, the beginning and end fell flat for me personally and it felt as if the storyline was underdeveloped. There were many loose ends and some slight plot holes.

Another issue I had was with the romance itself. While I definitely loved the FMC's romantic growth with one character, the other part of the polyamorous relationship wasn't as believable at all. Not only that, I kept finding it so odd that the FMC was dating siblings, and Camille reassured Lark by saying "we don't do mind sharing" as if they already had a conversation that wasn't included in the story.

All that being said, this story may not have been a 5 star read for me, but give it a try if you enjoy these tropes:

✨LGBTQ+ Rep
✨Arranged Marriage (to a god)
✨Polyamorous Relationship
✨Heartbreak to Lovers
✨Dark Academia meets Cottagecore Vibes


TW: Please be sure to research trigger warnings before reading this novel


⭐⭐⭐💫 3.5/5 stars

I loved this book, it was dark and moody and gothic and yet somehow still light, the description of floral gothic is perfect for this book! I would say this book is perfect for fans of Alison Saft and Ava Reid, with a great balance of dark academia, gothic vibes and magic.

The story follows Lark, a girl from a rural village with dreams of curating a collection by her favourite artist all over the world. However, her dreams come to a crushing end when she is expelled from her course and has to return home, a place she has avoided since her last visit after falling out with one of her closest friends. But when she returns things are in a dire state, her brother’s mine has failed and the debt they owe to their neighbour is being claimed by the aforementioned friend. Betrayed, desperate and full of despair Lark makes a deal with her god, to become his bride in order to save her family. But things don’t go smoothly and she finds herself seeking the help of the last person she wants to be around, Alastair, her old best friend, and his sister.

Tenderly, I am Devoured is full of tension, longing, sadness and hope. The way that the story begins with chapters alternating between the present and the past really helps you get to terms with the characters and how they have come to be in their current position. The way that Lark feels so strongly really connected with me, and when we discover the reason she was expelled from school I was so devastated and angry for her!

Something that also stood out to me was the relationship dynamic that Clipstone has created, with a range of sexualities and romantic interests it felt very inclusive but not in your face. The dynamic between Lark and the siblings was especially sweet to see, especially as they navigate the volatile situation they have found themselves in.

Overall, this standalone gothic fantasy was a great read and I am looking forward to read more of the books by the author!

Thank you MacMillan Publishing for the ARC

I was initially interested in this ARC because of the awesome title (yes, it is that easy to win me over). When I saw it was classified as a "moody, monstrously Gothic fantasy" I knew I wanted to get my hands on an ARC!

Overall, I think the story was unique and refreshing. Aside from bing aesthetically similar to Don't Let The Forest In (another book that I loved), I truly haven't read anything quite like this. I really liked the two main characters and thought they were well developed. Thank you clipstone for not forcing another far-fetched insta-love story into my hands!

The issues I have are the side characters and side plots. I think some of them were not as well-developed as I would've liked, and I think the side plot that revisited the past could've had more of an impact on the main story.

Read this IF: you are a fan of young-adult romantasy and are sick of the tropey plots, and are interested in mythological/escapist worlds.
You may not like this if: you want a traditional romance plot OR if you are going into this expecting a super dark and gothic story. It is not that.

Overall Rating: 3.75/5 Stars!

I was really excited to receive this ARC but once I got past the first chapter, I found myself very disappointed with this read. There was so much that this story could have done but it fell flat with underdeveloped characters and flowery writing.
While I thought the idea of a throuple with our main characters could work, the relationship with Camille was very underdeveloped and felt too much like instalust. I didn't understand how their relationship jumped ship so fast.
I did think the mythology and magic of the world was interesting but even that left me with more questions than answers. I was always waiting for something to happen and we were kind of there with the engagement but then it fell to a sluggish pace. I would skip a chapter to see how things develop and the characters were basically in the same position I left them in before.

This book is such a vibe. The descriptions are lush and the whole book feels almost like a dream. This book had me crying by the end after a few unexpected turns and I am not usually a crier.

I really wanted to love this but so just couldn’t connect with the story or characters. My favorite thing about it was Lark’s relationship with Alastair and Camille but even the beginning with Alastair fell a little flat for me. Lark’s hatred for him was built up to be caused by some huge, awful thing he did to her but when we find out what happened, it didn’t seem to quite live up to the reaction.

I also kept waiting for Therion to step into some kind of bigger role. Considering the premise of the story is that Lark is marrying a god, we really didn’t see too much of him and it was kind of lackluster when we did.

I liked the storyline and how things played out, I just wished we got a little more depth to things. A lot felt like it just happened with no reason.

A yes and a no? Buckle up because this was a difficult review to write.

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a moody, gothic fantasy romance in which a young woman is betrothed to a cthonic god in order to save her family from ruin. This book is all vibes — folk horror paired with moody atmospheric setting.

I liked the lush writing and overall storyline. However, I felt the execution fell short in some aspects. Parts of this felt underdeveloped, and the overall plotting could have used a little more polish. This was a slower-paced story. I would have liked fewer flashbacks to keep the momentum moving forward, and some scenes could have been removed or reorganized for a better flow and overall structure.

Some of the relationships worked and felt fully realized, while others felt a little too shallow. I particularly liked the dynamic shown between Damson and Lark. It felt very real. I wish a bit more nuance was explored in the relationships between Lark, Alastair, and Camille.

Overall, a great premise. I definitely think many readers will enjoy this one.

My rating: 3.5⭐️

This cover is beautiful, just like all the covers for Lyndall’s books. And the inside was no different, I loved every second of it.
Each character was different and unique in their own way and I loved that. Lark, Alistar and Camille had different personalities but all together they meshed beautifully. They each had their own flaws, but at the same time had their own strengths.
The book has heavy gothic vibes and some folk horror and I loved that. This book also is a sapphic romance.
The only thing I found weird was the romance of the whole brother sister thing. Although Alistar and Camille never “shared” Lark together at once, they were still technically sharing her love and that threw me off a bit. Otherwise the romance was good.
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book offered a delightful shift in pace for me, blending YA gothic fantasy romance with a touch of folk horror! The poetic writing style, impressive world-building, unexpected plot twists, and a truly well-crafted love triangle made this book a pleasure to read! Our main character, Lacrimosa (Lark), is both gentle and relatable, which I adored. I was particularly fond of the distinctive storyline, polyamorous romance, family mysteries, and the dark academia/cottagecore atmosphere of this book! I highly recommend this book for your next read!

I loved EVERY SECOND of this story! DEVOURED is lush, intoxicating, romantic, & delightfully creepy! The atmosphere and setting practically drip off the page. The world of Verse is exquisitely described, & Lyndall’s prose is BREATHTAKING! It feels decadent, luxuriant, & opulent without being overwhelming & fits the tone of the story perfectly (most of my notes are just highlighted phrases with “stunning” on the page flag).
And these CHARACTERS! Lark especially really spoke to me. I loved her development throughout the story from a shy, overwhelmed, insecure girl who just lost her chance at her dream life to the confident, peaceful, happy woman she becomes by the end of the story.
This is also one to add to your future Pride Month reading lists—queer-norm society with a polyamorous relationship & a FMC who’s the poster child for bi chaos (according to the author herself)! DEVOURED was recently named an Indie Next pick, & I can ABSOLUTELY see why!

This was a beautiful book. But I’ve loved everything that Lyndall Clipstone has written, so I wasn’t surprised. As always, the atmosphere was stunning; gothic and dark seaside. Clipstone always does sibling relationships really well, and this was no exception. This story was romantic and Romantic and I absolutely devoured it.