this was the summer i turned pretty if belly just decided to hook up with everyone in the series with no reasoning beyond being “devastatingly in love with them.” the writing was beautiful at first & the gothic worldbuilding captivating, but once the plot unraveled alongside the characterization, i just grew frustrated.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

After a violent incident, Lacrimosa Arriscane is expelled from her prestigious boarding school and comes back home to find her family in financial ruin. To save them all, she agrees to marry a chthonic god, Therion, workshipped by Lark's isolated hometown. But when her bethrotal goes wrong, Lark starts to vanish from the mortal realm and her only chance to stay is seek the help of Alistair Felimath, her first heartbreak, and of her sister, Camille. As the trio start to research the gods, Lark is soon ensnared by the siblings' charm and by a fervent romance. In order to repair the connection between Lark and her bridegroom, they start to perform bacchanalia, but they draw the ire of something darker and crueler than Therion, someone who wants to destroy him and Lark, too.

Tenderly, I am devoured is one of the best book I've read this year. The writing, the prose are fresh and haunting, the setting is fascinating and eerie and the story is of a young woman who tries to save her family and herself from ruin by marrying a god. I mean, what's not to like? But there's more. We have fascinating siblings, Alistair and Camille and a polyamorous romance and I'm totally here for it. A moody and gothic folk horror perfect for Saltburn, A study in Drowning and Don't let the forest in? Is Clipstone spying on me to create the perfect book? I'm so in and I loved every single page!
Brilliant, intoxicating, eerie, fantastical and so intriguing I couldn't stop reading until the very end. Amazingly done. Lark is an unforgettable character.

I am absolutely floored by the beauty of this book. It is not at all what I expected it to be, and is, somehow, even more well done than I could have hoped. Lyndall Clipstone has done an exquisite job here, in crafting the characters and the world in which they exist on top of the chthonic lore that is so intricately tied into everything else.

Lark has been away from home for years, disgraced by her expulsion from school in her senior year and confronted with the reality that her brothers' salt business has all but run dry, forcing them to sell nearly everything they own to pay off their cruel neighbor and money lender. Desperate to save her family, Lark accidentally discovers that the only way to restore the salt mines is for her to marry their local god. Devastated by recent events, Lark agrees--only for the ceremony to go wrong, leading her down a dark path trying to make everything right, with the only people to help her the son and daughter of her family's debtor, the former having broke her heart years ago in a way Lark had never fully recovered from.

There are so many twists in this I didn't see coming. Some were plot related, some character related, but all extremely well executed. The descriptions are so lovely and eerie, creating this layered atmosphere, the language bringing you deeper in with each new aspect of the world revealed. I was brought in by the name of the book, and the prose absolutely justified my curiosity. This may be darker than I usually go with a lot of my fantasy, but it's so well done. I can't wait to see what Clipstone has for us in the future!!

So many thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review posted to StoryGraph: June 28, 2025 (https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/ee59f58d-07d3-467b-b075-df2dccad636b)
Review posted to Instagram: August 6, 2025 (https://www.instagram.com/p/DNCaJLXxtrn/)

This was a pretty good book. I enjoyed the beginning of the book but as it went along it did seem to drag a little bit too much.

This book drips with gothic atmosphere. It has moody coastlines, shadowy gods, and family legacies tangled up with dark folklore. It gave me A Study in Drowning vibes. It is a story that feels like an old folklore story.

The queer rep is fantastic, the characters are great, and the folklore is fascinating, layered and eerie. The love interests were unexpected, maybe even odd at times. But honestly, I didn’t mind it too much and liked that it was a unique choice.

If you like your modern-ish fantasy dark, weird, and atmospheric with more character focus, add this to your fall TBR!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

𝙏𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙮, 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙇𝙮𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝘾𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚 🦢

☆☆☆☆/ 5 stars.

"𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗 𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎. 𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚍."

First things first, I'd like to thank the author for the eARC! I really appreciate it ♡

Some things to expect:
•dark academia vibes
•gothic fantasy romance
•poly romance m/f/f
•childhood heartbreak to lovers
•childhood trauma/ abuse mentioned

This story follows Lacrimosa ( Lark ) after she is expelled from boarding school and must save her family from financial ruin caused by her parents'unpaid debts. She does so by making a deal with the local Swan God, Therion, to wed him in exchange for his help. When things go wrong, she is forced to rely upon her former childhood friends, Alastair and Camille, to not only discover the truth but to unbind herself from Therion.

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Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the setting, the characters, the vibes.
The beginning is slow, but once it picks up, it really picks up.
This is my first time reading anything written by Lyndall Clipstone,and I'm excited to read more. Everything was so beautifully written.
At first, I really wanted Lark to be with Therion ( lmao who doesn't love a romance with a god ), but as things begin to unfold with Alastair,my feelings changed. I loved his dynamic with Lark. I loved watching their relationship grow, the truth about certain things coming to light, and watching them heal from their past trauma together. It was all so satisfying and made my heart go 💓
On the other hand, where I loved Lark's relationship with Alastair, I felt like her dynamic with Camille was lacking in comparison. Lark + Camille felt underdeveloped to me. I didn't really care for their scenes together tbh.
I'm not sure if it's due to the fact that Camille is only mentioned for the first half of the book, and we don't meet her till later on? So things don't feel as deep to me with her as they do with Alastair.
Other than that, I have no complaints, and I loved the LGBTQ+ representation.
I recommend!!!

Unfortunately this one did not work for me. The pretty writing was like an overabundance of lace; it got old fast and detracted from the rest of the story. It lacked substance to me, and underperformed where it should have done well.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When I saw that the author of Lakesedge had a new book out, I knew that I had to read it right away! Tenderly, I Am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone is a Gothic YA fantasy that revolves around Lark, who is betrothed to marry Therion, a chthonic god worshipped by her hometown. When things don't go according to plan, her only hope is with Alastair, a boy who betrayed her in the past and and his sister Camille. Can the trio repair connections that have been destroyed and save their hometown from both the gods and the chaotic forces of nature?

Overall, Tenderly, I Am Devoured is an amazing gothic YA fantasy that is like The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina meets Midsommar. One highlight of this book is the elements of horror that the author weaves into the book. Another highlight is the author's characteristic lovely, beautiful writing style that had me rereading lines on every page. After reading the plot summary, I was nervous that there would be too much sex, but in reality, there wasn't any, and this book is perfectly appropriate for YA. One final highlight is the nice LGBT representation in this book. If you're intrigued by the synopsis above, or if you're a fan of YA fantasy in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book, which is available now!

I loved the themes that this book touches on! It was darker than I expected (although the title should definitely have tipped me off to the darker content within the story). I was fascinated by the conversations about gods and how we worship them. The complex family dynamics also intrigued me. Unfortunately despite the intriguing themes the execution didn't quite land for me. However, if you're looking for a why choose story with siblings then this could be the book for you.

Lacrimosa Arriscane is determined to do whatever it takes to make her family proud, especially after her shameful expulsion. She’s faced with a dark choice that might be the only way to save her family from ruin. Tenderly, I Am Devoured offers a somber and moody look at how far someone is willing to go to protect their loved ones. While the premise is quite interesting, the characters feel a bit shallow and underdeveloped, which makes it harder to connect with them. The story’s pace is quite slow, and the frequent flashbacks can disrupt the flow, making it feel a bit disjointed. Overall, the book takes its time to pick up steam, and the different elements sometimes feel a bit scattered, making it a challenging read to follow.

I was unsure of this book to start with but quickly fell in love! I loved the lore and gods and thought it was a well paced book.

It gave me chills at times and I loved it!!

The premise of this book is exactly what I wanted to read. I also saw that this book was blurbed by IV Ophelia, and that made me even more excited to read this!

This is a very gothic, atmospheric, mysterious, and dreadfully romantic YA book. Although it was a relatively short book, it was quite a slow burn but I didn't mind because of the beautiful writing. It's said that this book is perfect for fans of Saltburn, For the Wolf, and House of Hollow but I unfortunately have not read any of those to truly compare. The only other books that I could compare the writing and aesthetics to this is Ava Reid's A Study in Drowning duo-logy or Lady MacBeth (both books I love and own). So if you like any of the compared books listed then I highly recommend this! The only problem I had with this book was the last 15-20% of the book otherwise I binge read this.

I liked the plot… for the first 50% until I got so bored… but the romance was almost too much. It was unbelievable and not well written. I was completely unconvinced any of these people liked each other. They were incredible horny tho so good for them I guess!
Everyone was really annoying and SO FLAWED except the sister who’s just boring. Usually flawed is not an issue for me, but I would have liked to LIKE someone????

I was first drawn to Lyndall Clipstone's Tenderly I am Devoured by its striking title and beautiful cover art. The aesthetics of the book are captivating, and they immediately promised a dark, lush, and atmospheric read. However, my initial excitement was a little dampened upon discovering it was a Young Adult novel and not a full-fledged adult fantasy as I had hoped. Despite this, I decided to persevere, convinced that a good story could overcome my genre preference.

I made it about halfway through the book before I ultimately had to put it down. This wasn't because of a poor plot—in fact, the storyline was genuinely compelling and filled with intriguing ideas. The core concept had me invested and curious about where the characters' journeys would lead.

The primary reason I couldn't continue was the pacing. For me, the narrative moved too slowly to hold my attention. While some readers might appreciate a more deliberate pace that builds atmosphere, I found myself waiting for the tension to build and the plot to accelerate, but it never quite reached the point where I felt completely compelled to turn the page. It's a shame, because the potential of the story is undeniable. Perhaps at some point in the future, I will pick it up again and give it another try, because the promise of the plot is still there, waiting for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily. 

Listen, this is one of the most beautiful books I've read. The writing - floral; the imagery - vivid; the flow - steady; the characters -lovely (most of them). Everything was just so, so pretty.

In this story, we follow Lark. She is a young woman who recently returned home from a boarding school where it is hinted that something terrible occurred involving former friends. She has an injury on her arm and pain in her heart. I imagined Lark's home as a cottage perched on the edge of a steep cliff, beyond which a cold and stormy sea lay like a silent, watchful beast. In this reality, chthonic gods are worshipped. Lark's family reveres Therion, chthonic god of the sea and woods. Her family owns a salt mine but it's recently gone dark; there is no more salt to be harvested. Salt is the energy equivalent in this world; it powers everything. Their failed salt mine has led to the family's financial demise, and Lark and her brothers are the only members left in their family. It has fallen to them to bear this burden.

Lark's childhood friends, Alastair and his sister Camille, come from a different socioeconomic background, and while their friendship had been close as children, it is strained now. Camille is away at school and Lark hasn't seen her for years. Alastair has turned cold and snobbish, insinuating that her lower station in life makes her beneath him. This hurts Lark for the obvious reasons, but also because there were brief hints of romance between them that Lark now refuses to pursue.

I won't go into the reasons but Lark is tied to Therion and the only way to save their family's salt mine is to marry him. The way things develop after the wedding night were suspenseful and enchanting. Truth comes to light on the real reason Alastair became so withdrawn and cold, Therion's life becomes endangered, scary moments of possible possession occur, a salt priest hellbent on revenge takes dangerous and consequential actions.

I adored the land of Verse, the strong role nature and the landscape played in the plot. Lark's brothers were precious and I think the author's portrayal of the genuine and nurturing love between Lark and her brothers was so sweet and endearing. I felt this book was written with a lot of heart, the passion for nature and mythic gods was palpable. The free love between the characters was also very refreshing and pure. I absolutely recommend this to anyone with a whimsical heart and a love for magical realism.

4.75/5

this book was so atmospheric and i adored the gothic atmosphere of it. i thoroughly loved the prose (nothing gets me like fancy, poetic writing). although i didn't really connect with the characters, i liked the story!

I absolutely adored this book, if you like dark academia, forbidden romance in a dark setting with lyrical writing then this is for you! the family dynamics are very well written and overall flow of the book is well done. highly recommend this love, horror and obsession story!
Thank you Net Galley and publisher for this amazing ARC!

I thought this book was ok. I liked the vibes and gothic atmosphere of this novel. I really liked the flowery prose, I think it really made the book feel magical. I just couldn’t really connect with the characters. I also think there were too many unanswered questions by the end of the book.

I eagerly awaited Tenderly, I Am Devoured when I first heard about it last summer. I had just finished Clipstone's Unholy Terrors and I adored that book and was eager to read more of her work. I received the arc last year as part of Clipstone's arc team, but a personal tragedy meant that I wasn't in the right headspace to participate in the readalong and it wasn't until it was almost release date, that I remembered I had this arc. Apologies to Lyndall Clipstone that this review is so delayed. I did have the best intentions to read Tenderly on time.

Told through a dual timeline, Tenderly, is the story of a girl who has a lot of longings. Nicknamed Lark, Lacrimosa Arriscane, has returned home after being expelled from her boarding skill. Lark's experiences with school and her fascination with her friend Damson are all told through flashbacks. Both the reader and Lark are left to grapple with the past while working through the present's trials and tribulations. Namely, Lark's family's salt mine has run dry and in desperation, her brothers have made a pact with their family's chosen god, Therian to take Lark as his bride. Yup, we have a Hades and Persephone bit going here, but luckily that's not the focus of the story so it doesn't feel derivative.

Lark is a very passionate character. She feels things deeply, is easily hurt (hence the name), and spends a lot of her time feeling lost and alone. She has few connections and those connections that she does make, consume her wholly. She's fascinated with certain characters and her own identity sometimes feels subsumed by them. Other authors would turn this into a horror novel with Lark turning into Single White Female, but not Clipstone. She treats Lark gently and creates a fully realized character and her backstory with Damson were some of the best parts of this book. Damson was another character that felt real in her behaviours and narcissism and while it's easy for the reader to see what's coming, it's not surprising that Lark doesn't see it and is surprised and lost and turns toward ritual and magic.

What was disappointing was the other secondary characters. Alastair and Camille and the polyamory relationship were not as fully realized for me. Clipstone spent a lot of time developing the backstory for Lark and the events that lead her back home to Therian. We are told that she's had a fascination with Alastair and Camille since childhood. That Camille was sent away and Lark missed her. That Alastair threw their friendship aside and Lark felt hollow. But in contrast with the Damson scenes, I never felt Lark's hollowness at losing these two people who supposedly meant so much to her. When they meet again and the scenes blend toward romance (separate scenes each with Lark since this is a YA novel and these two are siblings), I found myself flipping pages because I didn't feel the slow build that Clipstone intended.

The setting was magical and I Clipstone's writing made me feel the wind in my face and the salt in the air. I could taste the salt in specific passages and I loved how Clipstone set up this world. It feels like turn of the century newness mixed with mythology and old ritual. I love Ciipstone's writing and her ability to set a scene. I just wish this romance didn't feel so hollow.

I'm looking forward to Clipstone's next work.

Thank you to Lyndall Clipstone and Netgalley for the arc for review purposes.

The prose was way too flowery for me, with the same words and similes popping up over and over. The story dragged, the relationships didn’t feel natural, and the villain’s ending came out of nowhere. I liked the setup at first, but by the end I was bored and disconnected from the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.