Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a novel that inspects the aspects of love and betrayal, following your heart while also meeting the expectations and obligations of others, and allowing mistakes to echo but not totally determine your future. The story of Lark is sad but hopeful, allowing the reader to see that there is always another path to be made, another wave to overcome, or, in Lark's case, another obsidian mirror with another story to be written.

I was excited to read this book unfortunately it did not meet my expectations. I guess it was because i was expecting something else and instead it just kinda dragged for me. I found the pacing to be quite slow and the characters lacked development.

Firstly, I would like to thank the author and NetGalley for accepting my request to read and honestly review an arc copy (my very first netgally arc!!!).
Since the first announcement, I've been eager to lose myself between the pages of this book. As the title narrates - I've been tenderly devoured.
This moody, gothic romantasy dusted with renaissance-esque atmosphere really drew me in from the start. The characters are very well-developed; the world-building was magnificent to the point where I just want to abandon my life and live in Verse!

The characters take us on a very chaotic yet emotional journey and now that I am finished, I am starved of their lives and world. The story leaves you wanting more of their lives and makes you feel like there could be more to their stories - whether its past, present or future.

If you are looking to read new books in 2025, I would highly suggest this soon-to-be-released title. And I do hope you love and treasure this story as much as I do!

Tenderly I Am devoured
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
🦢 standalone
🦢 soft horror elements
🦢 bi and polyamorous rep
🦢 romantic academia
🦢 promised to a citonic god

I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but have you seen this one? I fell in love and immediately knew I wanted an ARC. Tenderly I am devoured feels like reading a dark fairytale and was a yes to everything from the first moment. The story follows Lacrimosa, a girl who, in order to save her family from ruin, finds herself involved in a complicated situation, not only with a god whom she must marry, but also with a pair of brothers (Camille and Alastair) with what used to be childhood friends but with whom she now has no contact. One of the aspects that I liked the most about the book is the setting, atmospheric and creepy but at the same time romantic in the most literary sense of the word. The narration is absolutely beautiful and as a reader, I felt like I could see each of the spaces thanks to the detailed and poetic descriptions. The plot itself seemed like another great success to me. I was hooked from beginning to end, there is a marriage of convenience with a god but also a friends to "enemies" to lovers, with not one, but two people, sects and thanks to the fact that we have two timelines it is possible to know in depth the motivations of the protagonist. My only reason for not giving it a higher score is that looking back, there is a disparity in the construction of the characters. Lacrimosa and even Alastair get the best part but the rest did not have the same luck in that sense, and they were a little flat for my liking. Apart from that, it was a book that I enjoyed very much and I hope to continue reading more from the author.

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a darkly gothic and haunting tale of forbidden, polyamorous love, atmospheric prose, and emotional depth. The writing pulled me in quickly, with a pace that allowed me to read just as swiftly. Lark, the protagonist, must bind herself to the powerful chthonic demon, Therion, to protect her family's legacy and ensure her own survival. Navigating this perilous bond, she finds an unlikely ally in Alastair, the son of a rival house. As the stakes grow higher, the novel explores the complex nature of polygamy within a dangerous, supernatural context. The fast-paced, gripping narrative unfolds with dark secrets and lyrical, poetic prose. Tenderly, I Am Devoured explores the deep tension between desire, survival, and the unraveling of dangerous pacts, as well as uncovering family secrets.

"When I say I'll be his bride, he smiles at me, and his teeth are sharp,"

"I don't want to be something fragile, too delicate to touch. If I must be glass then I want to be the razored edge of a broken pane--sharp and dangerous."

If you are at all into or even curious about atmospheric books with beautiful prose that are a blend of romance and horror, you NEED to check this one out.

This is in my top ten of the year, and it doesn't even come out until next year. I guarantee I'll still be thinking about it then.

The atmosphere is so stunning. Set mostly at a seaside cottage, the descriptions were so gorgeous and made me feel like I was there

The characters are beautifully written. Lark is so soft but wields her own kind of strength. Camilla and Alistair are both suffering in different ways under their cruel father, but both love Lark so much. And Therion! So otherworldly but loveable too. They're all so complex, with amazing growth from their painful pasts.

I never wanted this book to end, I could have lived in this world with its beautiful writing forever.

Thank you to Lyndall for the early review copy! This review was left voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a beautifully written Gothic romantasy centered on Lacrimosa Arriscane, an eighteen-year-old navigating betrayal, romance, and divine entanglements to save her family from ruin. The prose is poetic, the atmosphere haunting, and the story brims with raw emotion and dark beauty. While the dreamlike world and Lark’s vulnerability captivated me, I struggled to connect with her as a protagonist, finding her too easily influenced and yearning for more visible strength. Minor continuity issues and a loss of narrative focus toward the end dulled the impact slightly, but the book’s ethereal imagery and haunting tone remain mesmerizing.

Tenderly, I Am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone is a moody, gothic romantasy in which the main character Lacrimosa “Lark” Arriscane was expelled from her prestigious boarding school following a violent incident, who returns home in disgrace to discover her family at the point of financial ruin.

Desperate to save her family & their estate, she accepts a marriage of convenience to Therion, the chthonic god worshipped by Lark’s isolated coastal hometown of Verse.

However her betrothal goes horribly wrong & Lark begins to vanish from the mortal realm. Her only hope is to seek help from Alastair Felimath, the brilliant, arrogant boy who was her first heartbreak, and his alluring older sister, Camille.

Lyndall’s writing style is old school romantic prose without being stuffy and inaccessible. I almost felt like I stumbled upon someone’s personal diary and I shouldn’t be reading it (but of course I did).

The world building is exquisite and you feel like you are living in Verse walking beside Lark. The gods and the magic system in the book are unique, and because of that quite enjoyable, but not so complicated that they’re hard to understand.

The character development is superb as well. Lark is so endearing, she wears her heart on her sleeve and so desires to be loved. Camille is easy to love as well as she fiercely loves her friends and is so protective of Lark and Alastair. You come to love Alastair as well as you learn more about what he’s sheltered his sister from and all that he has endured. Lark’s two brothers even become quite endearing as the fumble through trying to raise an 18 year old girl.

I found the pace of the book to be just right for Lyndall’s writing style and for the storyline as well. There’s just enough action and twists to move the story along without disrupting the dreamy romantic vibes that you seem to float on through the story.

This book is everything I wanted in a moody, gothic romantasy. Lyndall has really created something magical here. I anticipate this being one of the best books of 2025!

This fulfilled all my classic literature with a gothic twist needs perfectly. I finished this book curled up in my bed , while envisioning a quiet landscape lurking with beauty and betrayal. I adored the flip between the then and now, it was so easy to follow and watch the story unfold. Lacrimosa is so innocent and naive but bares a quiet strength in her life. I felt so vindicated for her in the book, I wanted to reach out and get revenge for her. ALSO let’s say, I’m a major simp for Therion, our beautiful swan God.✨ the plot twist? Really got me, and seeing her relationship bloom with Alastair and Camille, was beautiful.
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One of my fav quotes:
Squaring my shoulders, I go to my dresser and pick up my comb. “I want this,” I tell my brothers. “I’ve seen the cruelty of the mortal world; I have no fear of gods and monsters.”
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✨Thank you so much to the author and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc.✨

Brew yourself a cup of smoky lapsang souchong tea and light a strawberry rose candle. Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a hazy fever dream full of swan feathers and salt encrusted gods (and kisses). Equal parts beautiful and brutal, Clipstone’s writing is at its finest here. She has always managed to set a tone in her novels and Tenderly is absolutely no exception. Gothic, dark and romantic, she balances our three main characters delightfully and I found our main, Lacrimosa particularly sympathetic as a lost but ultimately lonely girl, nevertheless full of love and passion with nowhere for it go. Alastair is a gentle soul, and I found his characterization very refreshing, even in its tragedy. This is not the typical mmc and I think the trio of characters benefits from this greatly. My only real complaint is that the novel was not longer. I longed for more scenes with Henry and Oberon, her brothers, as well as more with Therion. That being said, I realize this was Lark’s story above all else.
Clipstone’s world building is delicate and detailed and her way of describing scenes made for most of the books atmosphere. You believe you’re on the cold cliffs with the ocean air whipping by you and you believe you’re in a warm bath, safe, secure, loved and grieving. Honestly, cannot recommend this enough and I send sincere thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an ARC.

Very appreciative to have had a chance to read an ARC provided via NetGalley!

Starting with the positives - The vibes and descriptions are really nicely done. Like, I know exactly what Pinterest board I would make for this book: ribbons, seafoam, swan feathers, old books. You can tell what the atmosphere is meant to be and the author does it well, down to the particular word choices and metaphors. Also, some of the writing is downright poetic, which I did appreciate (even if it felt like that got in the way of plot at times).

The meat of the story, though, really fell flat for me. The characters didn’t feel complex, which made it difficult for me to care much what happened to them. The narrative switches between present and past, which I didn’t mind, but between those sections the writing switches between first and third person, which was jarring. The plot pacing was halting - often, a problem was introduced and then immediately solved, so we didn’t get to feel the tension. This story had a lot of really good ingredients, but the execution fell short.

That said, you can tell there is a lot of heart in this book, so it’s worth a try if the vibes are calling to you! Overall, though, it just wasn’t a win for me.

I was really excited for this one. From the blurb I thought it was right my alley but sadly it wasn’t. I was bored pretty quickly even though I was intrigued and that‘s what kept me going. But then I was kind of throw off by one for the trope. I will keep in mind the atmosphere of the story which I liked (it reminded me of A Study of Drowning).

Going along with the title, I also devoured this book. I hadn’t read anything by the author before but now I’ll definitely check out more of her work!

For me, the strongest parts of this book were the writing and the atmospheric setting. It was stunningly written and I felt like I was there with the characters and could almost see the beautiful scenery which means a lot since I have aphantasia and generally can’t picture any scenes. The world building, while not the strongest, was still pretty intriguing and I liked that there were regional differences in religion and would’ve loved to see more of that and the other gods.
The Characters were also pretty interesting although I wish they had been developed just a bit more, especially Camille wasn’t that three dimensional since she’s only mentioned in the first part of the novel and actually appears later on.
Lark and Alastair were both decently developed and I liked the tension between the two of them. Lark especially was so very endearing and her passion for art helped reignite my own.
My favourite character was probably Hugo, he was only a minor character but I would love to read another novel or maybe a novella about either him or the salt priests in general.

At first, the book was alternating between the current timeline and Lark‘s past at boarding school up until we found out why she got expelled. While the past chapters added slightly more dimension to Lark‘s character, they didn’t do anything to further the actual plot and seemed to have just been added to make the book a little longer and despite finding them quite enjoyable, I also found them rather unnecessary.

*Tiny spoiler for the romantic interests:*
Additionally, what I liked and at the same time didn’t is the addition of polyamory. Generally, I love reading about polyamory but I didn’t love that both of Lark‘s love interests are siblings and she ends up in a polycule with them. Personally, I would’ve preferred it if Alastair and Camille hadn’t been related and all of them had just been friends and then ended up in a throuple, that way we could’ve gotten more yearning and tension from all of them.
*Spoiler over.*

Overall, I still had a really fun time reading this book and didn’t want to put it down and for that I would rate it about 4 out of 5 stars.
If you want to read a beautifully written and atmospheric book then I definitely recommend you pick this up!

Stunning! Admittedly, I did DNF the first book of Clipstone's that I tried to read (Lakesedge) but I knew with this one I had to give her a second try and I can say I am glad that I did. This book is lush and beautiful and the characters are messy. I had an absolutely delight joining them on this journey.

You can expect Hades and Persephone vibes, big feelings, ribbons and lace, some salaciousness, and some genuine horror. The tenderness of the book is balanced with some pretty hard hitting realities that many teens do face.

The world is fun and bares just enough resemblance to ours to keep readers engaged and on their toes at the same time.

First off, thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as an advanced copy. I absolutely loved the folklore, setting and story each character was going through. The dual timeline helps everything come together beautifully with what is happening in real time and makes you understand and appreciate certain characters so much. I appreciated that the characters were all relatable in their own way.

If anything, I wish we would’ve been able to have been thralled into the world of the Gods more and learned more about Therion.

After being expelled from a prestigious city art school, Lacrimosa (Lark) Arriscane returns to her remote village, only to find her family on the brink of ruin due to a dying salt mine and mounting debts. To save her home, Lark agrees to marry Therion, the village’s enigmatic swan god, and spend half of each year with him in the underworld. While avoiding spoilers, it’s safe to say that Lark’s journey becomes deeply entwined with the village’s elite siblings, Alastair and Camille, who harbor secrets of their own.

This book is steeped in atmosphere. The ethereal and gothic descriptions of the salt mines, cliffs, woods, and the Felimath and Arriscane homes are mesmerizing. The vivid imagery and the story’s dreamy, surreal tone pulled me in completely, while the gripping plot kept me turning pages. I was captivated by Lark’s courage, her compassionate nature, and the depth of her love, as well as by the resilience of the characters as they navigate betrayal and pain.

One of the most striking aspects of this novel is its refreshing approach to love stories. Free from societal expectations, the romantic and emotional arcs celebrate queer love without centering on struggles for self-acceptance. The dynamic between Lark, Alastair, and Camille is richly layered, exploring sibling bonds, romantic connections, and friendships in a way that feels authentic and heartfelt.

I can’t stop thinking about the haunting image of Lark’s feathered wrist—it’s a detail that lingers long after the story ends.

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this!

I devoured (pun intended) this book in 2 days, even though I’ve been in a super bad reading slump.

I really enjoyed this! I loved seeing the relationships all develop. I loved that there wasn’t jealousy and never a point where she felt forced to pick.

The tension and suspense of the book was well done, I felt like I needed to keep reading to figure out how to connect the dots and see what was gonna happen next. I was so glad there was a happy ending, I was terrified I’d end up crying because I got so attached to everyone.

All the characters had reasons for everything, even the antagonists. Like even when he was doing something awful, I knew why he was doing it.

The dreamlike quality and creative mythology of Divine Rivals meets the lyrical atmosphere of A Study in Drowning with the complicated relationship dynamics of Your Blood, My Bones.

A rich story with lyrical descriptions and lush settings, the created mythology was interesting as was the deep backstory of the characters. The polyamorous love triangle with the main character and siblings was a unique twist. Good to be aware of mentions of child abuse before reading if this is a trigger.

In all honesty, where do I even begin? Tenderly, I Am Devoured was pretty much everything I hoped for - and more. I fell for the cover and stayed for the blurb, and when it was announced that you could apply for an arc I didn’t even hesitate.

Tenderly, I Am Devoured may have an absolutely gorgeous cover that speaks to me on so many levels, but the content outmatched it. This book has such beautiful prose; and the descriptive writing painted such a clear picture for me as I dove deeper and deeper into it. Perhaps diving into the depths to find my own Swan God. I fell in love with this book hard and fast, and found myself being as in love with the setting of TIAD as I was with the moors of Wuthering Heights.

Gothic and poetic, a lovely mix of folk horror and romance. The horror elements were eerie (and did have me thinking of Lovecraft for a hot second), which I’m all about, and the love between Lacrimosa and the siblings were so different. Where it was hard and painful between her and Alastair, hurting my bleeding cancerian heart, the love between Lacrimosa and Camille was sweet and innocent, making sure to heal that very same heart.

It’s safe to say that I’m absolutely obsessed with this book and I can’t wait for its release, so that I can get my hands on a physical copy. I’ve never wanted to annotate a book as much as I want to with this one.

This book devoured me. Not so tenderly. I was thoroughly captivated by the authors storytelling. The representation of love despite gender was beautiful, however, and maybe this was a trigger I dont remember, I was a little weirded out between the love triangle between siblings and the fmc. Maybe I just can't relate, I was never very good about sharing my toys with my siblings. I also felt like the fmc was rather thirsty for love. I guess it makes sense for the emotional maturity of an 18 year old. There were many heavy adult situations, so mind your triggers.