I applied for this ARC because I saw others online saying this book is a mix of cozy gothic vibes, dark academia, and overall just a fantastic atmospheric read. They weren't lying for marketing purposes.

The prose in this novel? I took an arrow in the heart from Cupid himself. I might be in love with Clipstone's writing style.

This book is slow, but if you enjoy really getting to know your surroundings and vivid descriptions, it won't harm the plot for you. There were a few parts that felt like it was dragging, which made it harder to push through, but I'm glad I did. The characters I felt missed a developmental mark, especially Lark.

Romance-wise, I was able to look past the sibling involvement. I'm almost surprised this isn't considered more of a dark romance but YA style. Which is something I actually forgot this book was, it doesn't feel truly YA.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, NetGalley, and Lyndall Clipstone for the ARC version of this novel!

I was intrigued by the premise and the world but found it hard to feel the urgency in the plot and there was something missing with the character building. The world building was great and it felt alive and real. I will recommend to readers who I think will enjoy it!

This book was so atmospheric and original i loved it. the characters although flawed were very easy to sympathize with. the prose was gorgeous and poetic and i highly recommend

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt Publishing, and of course Lyndall Clipstone for an eARC of Tenderly, I am Devoured in exchange for an honest review.

This was a 4.5 star read for me! I really enjoyed it!

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a lush, atmospheric read that leans into dark academia vibes—despite not being fully set in a school environment. The tone is immersive and rich, with beautifully descriptive prose. It struck that rare balance for me: poetic writing that still drives the story forward.

Lark was such a compelling protagonist—soft-spoken, driven, and someone who clearly loves deeply and quickly, sometimes to her own detriment. Her vulnerability made her easy to root for, and watching her navigate relationships, betrayals, and her own identity was impactful. I especially adored Lark’s brothers and how protective and affectionate they were toward her. The sibling bond felt strong and heartfelt, even amidst the emotional tension.

The romantic dynamic involving the siblings might be off-putting for some readers, but I personally wasn’t bothered, especially since the siblings are never romantically involved with Lark at the same time.

The ending wrapped up well while still leaving a few threads dangling—enough to suggest the possibility of a return to these characters, though I haven’t seen anything confirming this isn’t a standalone. On that note, I only wish Lark had been more fully recognized for the work that was taken from her. Watching Damson escape accountability for such a betrayal was frustrating, and I really wanted to see her downfall. I’d definitely be eager to read more in this world.

If you’re a fan of polyamorous representation and enjoyed A Study in Drowning, I think you’ll find Tenderly, I Am Devoured just as evocative and emotionally layered.

The real challenge in reviewing this book is trying to tell you everything I loved about it while not spoiling it. Because I thought I knew what this book was going to be about from the blurb but it was SO much more than that in all the best ways.

This story is a cozy gothic, which is new to me. I imagined this entire story through a “day dream” lens if that makes any sense lol the writing felt delicate and was absolutely beautiful in the way the author described things.

Our FMC who is kicked out of school and comes home to be betrothed to a god to save her family, all while also living next door to the man who broke her heart as a child. I promise that short summary doesn’t even begin to touch the tip of the iceberg of what happens but it was 100% enough to draw me in. I loved the sense of love and family that this story brought to life.

I don’t want to spoil anything but this is 100% worth grabbing at the bookstore during your next self-care Saturday! I plan on going through this author’s backlog too 😍

3/5
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry & Holt for an arc. All opinions are my own.

Characters: 2/5
Romance: 2/5
Plot: 3/5
Writing: 5/5

This book reminds me a lot of A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid mixed with Night in the Woods (the video game). The vibes were immaculate and the plot was pretty interesting. However, I found the romance and characters pretty underwhelming—especially Camille. I genuinely couldn’t tell you anything about Camille other than that she smells like sweet strawberries, and she doesn’t like math. I also think that any of the last 5 chapters could have been the ending, which made the end feel a bit drawn out. Maybe I’m just biased towards open endings, but I think this story would have had a stronger impact if it didn’t wrap up so neatly.

I don't normally go for YA, but this was such a beautiful read. Haunting, action-packed and full of romance. It had sublime world-building and a gorgeous story that unfolded in every positive way. Lark, Alastair and Camille are all complicated and flawed. But their building trust was a beautiful thing to watch. If you love Gothic, slow-burning and captivating stories please pick this up!

The tale is one of quiet beauty—its prose darkly lyrical, each page steeped in salt and shadow. The seaside is not just a backdrop but a mood, heavy with memories and mystery.

It’s a story wrapped in gothic romance, filled with slow-burning tension and characters drawn with striking depth. Lark, at its heart, is a heroine both strong and aching—her path tangled in family secrets, broken friendships, and the looming presence of a god bound to forest and sea.

What unfolds is intimate and unsettling, a descent into old griefs and older powers. I was wholly captivated. A story for those who love their fiction laced with dread, longing, and the soft chill of something ancient stirring.

This book completely stole my heart. Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a gentle, haunting, and profoundly emotional journey. From the first page I felt the beauty and the ache entwined in every line. It is a story that tastes like longing and loss yet offers the sweetest balm of connection and healing.

The main character is delicate and fierce at once. Watching them navigate grief and desire feels like watching a heart learn to beat again. The way Clipstone writes about longing feels like poetry. Every scene resonated. Every word landed like a soft exhale.

The romance unfolds slowly but steadily. There is an intimacy that is both tender and raw. You root for every whispered moment and ache for what’s held in silence. The dynamic between the characters is authentic and earned. Their growth feels earned. Their moments of hope feel earned.

This is not a loud or fast story. It is a soft echo. It holds space for grief and for healing and for the beauty that is found in small, subtlest acts of kindness. It reminds you that even when sorrow feels like an ocean it can also soothe you.

If you are craving an emotional, reflective read that stays with you like a gentle melody, Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a stunning, quiet masterpiece.

I saw a blurb that described this book as “romantic folk horror where Saltburn meets The Secret History,” and they spoke no lies. Reading Tenderly, I am devoured felt like walking into a renaissance painting hung in a guilded frame. It was gothic, it was ethereal and I have never wished I was betrothed to a Cthonic swan god so badly (adding this to the list of sentences I never thought I would say). I knew I was going to love it, but it exceeded all of my expectations.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅:

♡ m/f/f poly romance
♡ dark academia, cottagecore vibes
♡ she’s betrothed to an ancient God
♡ family secrets, haunted legacies
♡ folk horror atmosphere

Tenderly, I Am Devoured was such a beautiful story about growing up, familial responsibilities. and finding your place in the world. Lacrimosa is recently 18 and expelled from her boarding school under odd circumstances. She returns home to her small seaside village to find her two older brothers struggling to keep their family salt mine open. Obviously the next logical step is to agree to a betrothal with a chthonic god of the sea named Therion. During the marriage ceremony, Lacrimosa and Therion are attacked. Lacrimosa pairs up with her estranged childhood friends she has complicated feelings for in order to save Therion, and herself, from fading from the world. Relationships are explored along the way, and I personally loved the development of the relationships between Lacrimosa and the friends, the friends and Therion, and how it all played out in the end. Tenderly, I Am Devoured was atmospheric, dark, and hopeful all at once. Therion is very Howl-coded in personality and appearance from Howl's Moving Castle, and I loved that aspect so much.

4.5 ⭐️

I’m not going to lie at first it took me some time to understand what the heck was going on😅🤭
But after I started understanding I started getting hooked on it.
& let me just say this off the bat I FREAKING DISLIKED MARCUS! How can a dad be soo cruel to his own kids.
I had mixed feelings about Hugo.. I felt bad for him, but I also didn’t like him.
& then at first I wasn’t sure who I was rooting for if it was Lark with Camille or Lark with Alastair or Lark & Therion
🤭😅
But then as I read I understood they were all connected and had a special bond.

Some of my fave quotes

“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 & dangerous.”

“I know how it feels to love someone who is like a poison. To want so desperately to please them, even though it wounds you.”

“If I was brave, it was only to save you.”

This book felt like slipping into a fever dream: haunting, poetic, and full of aching emotion. I’m not even sure I could explain the plot if I tried, but I felt everything. The atmosphere is stunningly gothic, the prose is lush, and the whole thing wraps around you like fog. If you’re into slow-burn, emotionally intense stories that live in metaphor and mood, this one will absolutely devour you.

🦢 Chthonic Gods
👩🏼 Lacrimosa Arriscane
🧂 Salt Mines
🤝🏻 A Deal With A God
🎨 Art
🏛 Academia
💔 Betrayal

WOW, this book. I'm kind of at a loss for words. If I could say one simple thing about it, it's one of the most beautifully written books I've read in a long time. It makes me yearn to be in Verse, at Lark's home by the sea, to swim in the waves & experience the setting.

I can not give enough praise to this book. It's unique. It's interesting. It makes me wish I could read it again for the first time.

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is my honest feedback about the book as an avid reader.*

I finished the last small portion of the book with both the ebook & the audiobook, & love the narrator. They did a really great job.

Huge thank you to the author & NetGalley for letting me read & review this book. 💜

I highly recommend you go grab a copy! It's available now! I certainly will be adding at least one edition to my shelves for my forever collection. 💜✨️📚

It's hard to pin down what I think about this book. Did it keep me sucked in? Yes. Do I have any idea what I read or why? No. It's got a lot of emotion and feelings, though.

I had a hard time connecting with the characters, well written and I like the author's style. I just think maybe the premise is not for me.

A hauntingly beautiful gothic novel rife with lush prose and compelling characters. Highly recommend this book.

3.5 stars! first off, this book would be a delightful movie. it would translate so well to the screen - make the story really come alive.

nearly always in a love triangle, i am 100% on the side of one love interest — but not here, which is very rare, and shows how well the dynamics were written. i loved both camille and alistair. their love story gave us beautiful lines like this: “lark, the entire world, and all the good it has to offer, will be limitless, and yours.” same goes for the “then” and “now” split timelines, both of which i enjoyed equally. loved the relationship between lark and her brothers.

unfortunately, i think the author needed to make it clearer much, much sooner that the “hallucinations” first lark, then all three of them, experienced, was actually them slipping into the chthonic realm. most of the time i felt ~very confused when lark slipped between worlds and skimmed due to my confusion, because i felt things were under explained. some things also got a bit repetitive, like the use of the phrase “he is a selkie kept too long ashore” and more generally, physical descriptions of the sea, the sky, the fields, the sunsets. all of that could have been trimmed down to not tire out the reader so much. there was too much purple prose for my comfort. lastly, i felt that of the two main antagonists (i won't spoil who, as one comes along later), one was too flat and cartoonishly evil, and the other was portrayed in too sympathetic of a light.

ultimately, however, i did really enjoy this story and thought it was very original - great gothic vibes. BEAUTIFUL cover!

thank u to netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is the kind of book that wraps around you like mist—eerie, poetic, and quietly intense. Lyndall Clipstone’s writing is rich with atmosphere; the setting feels alive, almost like a character in itself. It’s one of those stories where you’re not entirely sure what’s real and what’s metaphor, and honestly, I loved that.

The gothic undertones and emotional depth really worked for me. It’s less about fast pacing or action and more about lingering in the feelings—the longing, the isolation, the unraveling of identity and desire. There were moments that made me pause just to sit with the weight of a sentence or an image.

That said, it’s definitely a mood piece. If you’re looking for a tight plot or constant movement, this probably isn’t it. But if you’re in the right headspace, it hits hard in that dreamy, aching kind of way. Think Crimson Peak meets A Dowry of Blood—lush and laced with shadows.

Not for everyone, but if you’re someone who appreciates a slow-burn gothic with lyrical prose and a touch of the grotesque, this one’s worth sinking into.

I wanted to love this. Old gods, a setup that gives me Hades & Persephone vibes, a little dark academia?? It was marketed as something that I could have (and should have) loved. But, unfortunately, I... didn't. The pacing felt really rushed, and the relationship between our main character, Lark, and the love interests (yeah, there are, like, three of them) felt extremely messy. I wish we had gotten more time in the flashbacks while Lark is at Marchmain Academy - where the dark academia vibes would have blossomed - because I was extremely interested in Lark's relationship with Damson, but what happened between them at the school was brief, and while I understand that it wasn't the focus of the book and the plot, I would have loved to see it fleshed out a little bit more. Overall, I think this had so much potential and it just fell a little flat for me.