I just couldn’t find enough interest to finish this one. As a reader, you're thrown into the story with no real context—there’s barely any world-building or backstory, except for vague glimpses through third-party letters. Characters are underdeveloped, so even the hinted-at love interest feels hollow and unearned. It’s hard to care about what’s happening when you’re not given much reason to.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

That was creepy and strange, but in a good way! The tension just grabs hold of you and drags you along. I enjoyed it!

This book was strange. Did that make it bad? Not at all, it was highly entertaining in places.
The story is told mostly from a plants POV, but I kinda loved the plants creepy personality.

Taking place in a floral shop, it truly shows that sometime working in retail is pure hell!

The narration was WONDERFUL, and really at times made this book

Welp that was utterly weird. A lot of it was told from a plants POV. THE writing style was good and I’d read more from Thai author again.

This audiobook was awesome. I've noticed there is a difference in the reviews between those who read this book and those who listened. I was a listener and I really enjoyed it. Lauren O’Leary did a great job juggling voices and accents but Barry McStay really stole the show with his jealously menacing narration. The decrepit mall was a great setting to let the botanical horror play out. I thought the writing was slick and was perfectly matched by the narrators. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

While the description obviously gave Little Shop of Horror vibes, I was really pleased to find that this was definitely its own unique story. I was also glad to have listened to the audiobook because the multiple narrators all did great jobs, adding humor, emotion, and a wonderful creepiness to the text.

I don't want to give anything away, so I won't go into the story much, but if you're looking for a unique horror novel that has both physical and psychological elements, then this is a good book to pick up.

This was a fantastic, sapphic retelling of Little Shop of Horrors.

I really enjoyed the choice to tell the majority of the story from the POV of the plant. I think that was a really clever way to keep the mounting horor of what the plant is plotting in the forefront while set against the backdrop of a sweet little crush and growing some found family.

The audiobook was excellently narrated by a male and female narrator, both with thick but easy to understand Irish accents.

Definitely a fun time!

A quirky, atmospheric book about a malevolent plant in a mall in Ireland, on the brink of closing for good. Add in a sordid workplace romance, dark humor, and an unforgettably atmospheric setting. This story follows our FMC Shell, a struggling graphic design artist who lost her fiancé and lucrative job in quick succession, forced to move home with her parents. When she sees a 'HELP NEEDED' sign in the window of a flower shop in the run-down local mall, she figures it could be a nice change of pace and maybe even spark her creativity. It doesn't hurt that the florist, Neve, is stunning and sparks an instant attraction between them. Little does Shell know, Neve may be beyond the help she so desperately needed.

I listened to this on audio and it was truly a joy. It changes POV's between Shell and Baby (the bloodthirsty orchid) and BOTH narrators were incredible!

Such a strange, imaginative book. This is that well-balanced combination of horror, literary, and fantasy/sci-fi that I absolutely ADORE. The writing style for Shell's POV was relatable and deadpan, a lot of focus the struggles of finding friend groups as an adult. I felt like this depicted work friendships in retail in a really fun, realistic way. This was mostly sapphic but it's worth noting that Shell is either bi or pan and does have a fling with a guy as well. When we pivot to Baby's POV it gets much more ominous as the plant gives major stalker vibes. Loved the scenes where Shell was exploring the seedy back halls of the mall, I do find myself wishing there was MORE gory plant action. Overall this was very enjoyable and I think audio is the perfect format for this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sarah Maria Griffin for the audio ARC of this book.

Feral, creeping, penetrating and dreadful. I could listen to this narration/read this over again everyday. The setting was perfect: a hopeless liminal space that felt endless and rotten, and a plant with similar vibes to Little Shop of Horrors mixed with You. The writing was absolutely captivating, the characters felt real, and I was able to envision every aspect of this story in astonishing detail. One of my favorite reads of 2025, I will be recommending this to everyone I can for a fantastic creeping garden horror. And the accents in the audiobook version were so soothing! The characters being Irish and this being read with Irish accents was another greatly appreciated aspect of this audiobook.

Engaging and immersive. A recommended purchase for collections where cozy horror is popular. (Pair with Delilah Dawson's Bloom)

A perfect blend of queer romance and Little Shop of Horrors. While the writing was strong, it never overshadowed the plot. The characters were well-developed and interesting. I loved this one and have been recommending it to everyone.

✧ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰʀᴇᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ, @MacMillanaudio

➤ 𝚂𝚈𝙽𝙾𝙿𝚂𝙸𝚂

Shell Pine is having a rough go of it. Freshly single, unemployed, and back living with her parents, she stumbles into a flower shop at the mall and lands a job with Neve, a gorgeous florist who might be exactly what she needs. But Neve has bigger problems than store displays or bad exes, like the man eating orchid growing in the back room. His name is Baby, and he is deeply obsessed with Neve. He wants to grow, he wants to feed, and more than anything, he wants to devour the woman he loves.

This is a twisted little tale of toxic love, retail nightmares, and what happens when desire turns carnivorous. It is about hunger, obsession, and the terrible things that bloom when no one is looking.

➤ 𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚄𝙶𝙷𝚃𝚂

This one had all the ingredients I usually go for, and somehow still left me feeling like I ordered a spicy dish and got mild salsa. The setup is fantastic. A rundown mall, a lovestruck florist, and a man eating plant named Baby quietly plotting murder from the food court? Sign me up. There are clear Little Shop of Horrors vibes, a healthy dose of body horror, and a solid nod to the strange intimacy of retail work. Shell and Neve have some interesting chemistry that keeps things moving, and the nostalgia baked into the mall setting hits in all the right ways. And honestly, Baby steals the show. I could have read the whole book from that carnivorous creep’s point of view and been happier for it.

But here’s the thing. For a horror story about obsessive love and flesh eating flora, this felt surprisingly safe. The tone bounced around, the multiple perspectives diluted the tension, and I kept waiting for the horror to actually sink its teeth in. Instead, it mostly hovered around weird and slightly unsettling. The audiobook helped amp up the mood, but the story itself never fully committed to the scare. It is not bad, it just never quite bloomed the way I hoped. Creepy, clever, and occasionally fun, but I was expecting to be devoured and instead got nibbled.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary audiobook for review!
Two excellent narrators for this thrilling and chilling tale! Both narrators are Irish and/or from the UK/London; they do such a great job bringing this book to life that I must recommend the audiobook over reading the physical/ebook.

If you want to experience this spine-tingling story of Baby, a not-so-nice man-eating plant, I highly suggest the audiobook! If you are a fan of the US play, Little Shop of Horrors, this book is for you! If you want an engaging audiobook, with a character that will make you laugh and cringe all at the same time, then grab and listen to the story that Baby wants to tell you!

Shell isn't having a great time in life. She lost her job and has to move in with her parents. But when she sees a help wanted sign for a local florist, and is greeted by the beautiful shop owner, Neve, things may be looking up! Well, maybe, if you ask Baby, a cheeky and moody plant, he may have another view.

The story is well paced, with elements of love and friendship. Very enjoyable, and the audiobook is very well done.

Audiobook/Narration: 4/5
Book/Overall Story: 3/5

Oddly enough, I don’t have too much to say about this read… And I think that’s kind of disappointing. I mean, this book had such a fun concept. Who wouldn’t love an Eco horror with its own Little Shop of Horror vibe? An unsettling and jealous plant with a thirst for life! Sign me up! Plus it gave us a really nostalgic and relatable setting to hold on to. I enjoyed the rundown mall scene, the fear of constantly rotating stores, and the strange sense of home you build at the very place you can’t wait to clock out of. In addition, I can see plenty of readers relating to this cast of characters and exploring that sense of camaraderie that so often occurs when working in a customer service role, specifically retail.

That being said, I’m grateful I had the ALC for this read. The audiobook definitely elevated the reading experience. It lured me deeper into the story and amplified the tension and eerie elements that were lacking from the physical book by itself.

Which brings me to the exact reason this book was not a winner for me….It needed more.

More horror. More tension. More fear. It just lacked that ooomph for me. That doesn’t mean it’s a terrible read, just a little boring for what I expected. It was an interesting expression on obsession, sapphic love, and possession. Though with its multiple POVs, and shifts in tone, I wondered if I should DNF it. I became less interested in the other characters and was drawn to the perspective of Baby, the plant. I felt it would’ve been more captivating told entirely from its perspective, even though it read as darkly comedic more so than terrifying.

Regardless I gave it three stars. I would recommend this to people wanting to try a different take on horror on someone looking to get into horror without feeling overwhelmed.

Thanks to NetGalley, Tor books, and Macmillan Audio for this ALC.

With hints of Little Shop of Horrors, Eat the Ones You Love gets off to a strong start. It’s bizarre and unsettling and kept me reading eagerly, but somewhere along the way, it started unravel, and in the end left me wanting less rather than more.

Barry McStay and Lauren O’Leary do a good job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Sarah Maria Griffin, Tor Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC Audio Copy!

I knew nothing about his book going into it, but I was completely captivated by the cover, and I love plants, so the idea seemed really intriguing for me. It took me a bit to get into this book, and I was a little confused with some of the POV switches, at no fault of the book, I blame it on me just being a little distracted, so I ended up restarting the book in a different headspace and I am really glad that I did. It helped me to really get invested in the story and then I was completely obsessed with the plants POV chapters. Such a quirky and fun read.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ALC, all opinions are my own.

The summary of this book really excited me, but once I started it I am just hating the main character. I also didn't expect to have the book from the POV of the plant, which I also do not love. DNF at 20%

This was quirky and dark. I really enjoyed listening to the narration on the audiobook. I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it as much reading it. The book reminds me of Little Treeshop of Horrors, which I love.

Gleefully creepy!!

This book is for those who yearn for third spaces, making friends in your thirties, and needing a restart.

We start out from the POV of Chelle, while she is recently broken up and starting a new job at a flower shop. But she is by no means the main character of this story. That title belongs to Baby, the carnivourous venus fly trap that is utterly in obesession with Nieve, who also happens to be into Chelle. (a truly messy love triangle).

This book is poetically written, but that doesn't mean it's not wonderfully gory.

Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

Thanks to NetGalley, the Publisher and Author for an eAudio ARC of this work in exchange for my review.

"Eat the Ones You Love" is about a rundown mall in Ireland with a florist shop and is primarily told from the perspective of a sentient and quite obsessive plant. The book doesn't really get gruesome as much eerie and creepy with the narration building tension. The characters are full of real flaws and quirks and the location of the story was described very well.

The narrators of the audiobook and the performance made the story pop. In fact I can't imagine reading without it and feeling the same vibe.

I really quite enjoyed the experience and was immersed from beginning to end.