One of my most anticipated reads of the year!! So excited that I got an audio-arc for this! The Audiobook was really well done! I enjoyed both the narrators.

It does have a little bit of Little Shops of Horror vibes but it is very much its own story/plot. The characters were great I loved Baby. I do wish it would have been a bit more on the horror side but I did like it regardless. The vibes are sooo good it's set in Ireland in an old dying mall/shopping center. The descriptions of the shops and the mall itself are really well done it made it very easy to picture it.

It's a really fast paced book perfect for a quick read!

Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin tells the story of Baby, a sentient carnivorous orchid, and its all consuming obsession of Neve. Shell gets a job at Neve’s floral shop in a dying mall. She has an instant attraction for Neve and becomes entwined with several of the mall’s other workers. I thought this might veer off into tongue in cheek territory but that’s not the case. The audiobook is narrated by Barry McStay and Lauren O’Leary, who both do a superb job in voicing the book’s many characters and points of views. Toxic relationships, found family, and starting over are themes at the root of this story. ALC was provided by Macmillan Audio via NetGalley. I received an audiobook listening copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was seriously weird. I love really weird books so that isn't a bad thing at all. I don't really know how else to describe this book other than little shop of horrors if you sucked all the comedy out of it. I mean that in the best way possible though. It was like if poison ivy was actually controlled by her plants. The duel pov made this so much better as well. I seriously just loved everything about this book.

If someone put ‘ botanical horror’ on the side of a white van I would get taken. This was everything I wanted it to be, it’s got a sapphic romance, evil plants, found family, and literal buckets of gore! I had so much fun listening to this because it’s dual audio so the pov change adds so much to this in my opinion. Thank you to NetGally and Macmillan Audio for early access to this audiobook in exchange for my review.

Oh, this was such a fun book! I love a weird, unpredictable, horror-filled read—and Eat the Ones You Love absolutely delivered. From start to finish, it had me hooked. The twists were wild, the tone was strange in the best way, and just when I thought I knew where it was going, it veered off into even weirder territory (which I loved).

The different perspectives throughout the story added so much depth and intrigue—it was such a creative and effective way to tell the story. I also highly recommend the audiobook. The narration was incredible and brought the characters and eerie atmosphere to life perfectly.

If you’re into horror that’s a little offbeat and totally unpredictable, this one is definitely worth picking up!

What’s cool about this book is that you can enjoy it on two levels. On the surface, it’s a horror story—a creepy tale about a carnivorous plant that takes control of one of the main characters, Neve. And even just at face value, it’s a lot of fun. Think Little Shop of Horrors, but more serious and less satirical.

But if you want to dig deeper, there’s a lot of symbolism to uncover—and that’s where the story really hit me. That’s why I rated it so highly. To me, it’s a powerful metaphor for mental health, attachment styles, and toxic relationships—how they can take root and completely consume you.

Would I recommend this book to everyone? Absolutely not. This is one I’ll keep close, reserved for people who I know will understand the deeper meaning behind it. I want to recommend it to those who are open to exploring those themes, who’ve maybe seen a “Neve” in their own lives.

I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

2.75/5 rounded up.

I was not impressed with this but I really wanted to be. I think the cover is so cool and the premise sounded really interesting, but it really didn't hit the make like it could've.

This was very slowly-paced and didn't feel very action-packed or interesting. This book focuses on the mundane aspects more than the actually interesting, whimsical and unique parts.

There is a spooky plant at the center of the story but it rarely in the story. Use your spooky plant!! I wanted a spooky story! And I did not get one.

I also found it a bit difficult to keep track of all of the characters and POVs that kept getting introduced.

I really just wanted so much more from this. It did bring up some interesting conversations every now and then, but I struggled to want to continue listening to this book. Maybe if it was shorter I wouldn't have as much of a problem with how slow and lackluster if felt??

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

When Shell gets a job at a florist in a dying Irish shopping center, she believes this might be the thing to restart her life anew. But what Shell doesn't know is that a sentient plant is keeping the entire center alive and has plans for her....

A great creepy read for anyone who loves Little Shop of Horrors, sapphic reads, and body horror.

While it’s easy to draw comparisons to Little Shop of Horrors, the only real similarity is the presence of a sentient plant. Eat the Ones You Love stands entirely on its own with a fantastic cast of characters, a deeply relatable setting, and emotionally resonant themes.

Set in a decaying shopping center in Ireland, this creature feauture follows Shell, who returns home after a devastating breakup and being laid off from her corporate job. On a nostalgic grocery run to a familiar mall from her youth, she spots a “HELP NEEDED” sign in a florist shop window. There she meets Neve; quirky, magnetic, and immediately intriguing, who offers her a job on the spot. As Shell is drawn deeper into Neve’s vibrant world of blooms (and her tight-knit friend group), she begins to suspect something strange is blooming behind the scenes. A seemingly unremarkable orchid hides dangerous secrets that could unravel everything.

The characters are beautifully fleshed out; complex, dynamic, and deeply human. Shell’s journey is particularly captivating. As the story unfolds, we witness her grow into someone more confident, daring, and grounded. Her transformation feels natural, and her emotional arc is both satisfying and relatable. It’s a story about starting over and realizing that losing everything might just be the beginning of becoming yourself.

The setting is perfectly eerie. There are shopping centers like the one Griffin paints so well scattered around the world—quiet, crumbling, and forgotten—making the environment feel hauntingly familiar. That realism adds a chilling layer to the atmosphere.

Griffin explores themes of obsession, desire, friendship, capitalism, and hunger through haunting prose. Shell’s evolving relationships felt raw and genuine, and the tension between past and future is expertly handled.

Most of the horror lies in the atmosphere. The sentience of Baby, the plant, is deeply unsettling, and its growing influence on the world around it is alarming. I do think the horror could have packed more of a punch with an extra death or two, and I found the relationship between Baby and Neve somewhat muddled (it hinted at fascinating complexity, but never quite came into focus). I was left curious (and slightly confused) about how their dynamic really worked.

That said, the ending was excellently executed. It was satisfying without being predictable, and it tied things up in a way that didn’t feel overly neat or forced.

I listened to this via audiobook and honestly, it felt tailor-made for the format. The narration was exceptional, especially the male narrator voicing Baby, who brought a whole new level of eerie gravitas to the story.

I’ll definitely be following Sarah Maria Griffin’s work from here on out. Fans of Little Shop of Horrors, creature horror, botanical horror, and beautifully weird fiction will find a lot to love (and fear) in this one.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A strange, sapphic Little Shop of Horrors indeed, though perhaps a bit less "B movie" than the original. Shell is the book's Seymour equivalent, a shy nebbish character who finds her confidence, and obsessive romantic sentiments for Neve (Audrey's equivalent?), after starting a new job at a mysterious plant shop. Unbeknownst to the innocent Shell, a carnivorous, hyperintelligent plant called Baby (Audrey II) is omnipresent in her new life, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

It was delightfully strange to experience Baby's twisted plantlike perspective of the human reality surrounding him. I can't think of another book that has been told from the perspective of an obsessive carnivorous plant, so props to Griffin for pulling this off. It was an addictive read, and the skillful storytelling was a large part of the enjoyment. More weird lit/mystery than horror, this one is all vibes for the first 2/3-3/4 of the book and is a bit slow to get to the horror aspects.

And, truth be told, the horror elements included are fairly mild. This could be viewed as a positive or negative; it might be a bit frustrating to some die-hard horror fans, but if you are not a fan of immensely scary horror, and just like to enjoy weirdness for its own sake (and who doesn't?), this may be for you. I can also see fans of Rachel Harrison enjoying this book, for the “horror lite” aspect and strong female character development.

I realize that this was billed as a horror with some romance, but the various romances played a much larger role than I had anticipated. I had hoped for the horror to take top billing with romance as a small subplot, but I think the reality was actually the opposite. This might suit a romance fan interested in exploring the horror genre for the first time? I would be curious to hear a romance reader's thoughts. Beyond this, I did overall enjoy the experience of this book, especially the “weird” elements.

As I was sent the audiobook to review, I must mention that Barry McStay and Lauren O'Leary were both fantastic narrators. Barry in particular enhanced the listening experience, with a dark, smokey timbre that was perfect for the role of the deadly Baby.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Maria Griffin, and Macmillan Audio for sending me this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Orchids are notoriously difficult to keep alive, who knew all they needed was human flesh?

I thought this was a fun concept, I loved the slowly dying mall setting and the way you bond with people you work with. I wish there had been more of a focus on the plant (Baby) and their past deeds. The plant tells the story but I want more of their story!

Definitely travels into the unsettling body horror near the end and the conclusion was very satisfying!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Audio: audio narrator is very good, multiple narrators, would recommend the audio

Review: I don't know what happened with this one yall. I do think it's possibly a me problem. Let me tell you what I liked and what I didn't and you can decide if it's for you.

Liked: very unique premise (see dislike as well), multiple perspectives and characters, plants, LGBTQ characters, complex relationships, interesting atmosphere

Disliked: the premise was unique and before I say this, know I DNF'd this at 50 percent, but what I didn't like is that we have this weird killer plant but also it doesn't fully make sense in the story and comes off a little uncomfortable but I think this is a me problem and wanting to understand more. It's not that I don't love a killer plant, I do, maybe I needed to fully stick it out but I couldn't bring myself to care anymore. I think it was just a little too slow moving which I don't say often and I stoped caring enough about the characters to care if they lived or died in the craziest ways which is a good indicator I should stop reading the book. It was suspenseful but that really died somewhere and I'm not sure again, if this is a me problem or not.

⭐️3.75⭐️

This story focuses on Shell, who, after losing her job and fiancé, moves back home and finds work at a florist shop in a slowly decaying mall. She becomes entangled with Neve, the shop manager, and an orchid named Baby, who is secretly hungry for Neve.

This was a fantastic atmospheric botanical horror story that hosts a slew of deeper themes. It showcases love, loss, personal growth, and dark obsession through Griffin’s beautiful prose. Her characters also feel relatable, especially through the millennial lens of trying to find a job in a market that has no room for you.

The narration in this one was fantastic. Barry McStay does such a wonderful job bringing Baby to life, and it’s told through his perspective while he moves throughout the characters he has invaded. The only character unaffected was Jen, and while I loved O’Leary’s voice for Shell, I struggled to enjoy her American accent for Jen.

I personally would have liked Baby to be more destructive, and the ending left me wanting more from the story.

Overall, I enjoyed listening to this one and recommend it to anyone looking for a book with Little Shop of Horrors vibes!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the early listener copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Eat the Ones You Love is, I feel, about needing things you don't want and wanting things you don't need. Love, intimacy, friendship, consumerism, careers.

The story explores the life of Shell after she discovers a sign saying HELP NEEDED at a local flower shop. Enter Neve the florist. Shell has a thing for Neve and is quickly thrust into obsession with not just her new boss, but flowers, and the mall in which they work. She tries to escape her past by erasing it, filling her Instagram feed with flower arrangements instead of her previous life. Shell ignores her old friends and parties with her new mall buddies. She is running from her past blindly into her new future, which may not be safe.
At the heart of the mall is a strange orchid. Part Audrey 2 and part The Thing. Baby is a controlling and hungry narrator who is able to get inside and partially control people, while also consuming others. He chooses the ones he wants and the ones he loves. I think Baby is a great way to have a first person omniscient narrative. It's interesting to feel like you can see into character's heads without them being the narrator in their own stories.
I found this to be a fun look at how much people will yearn for, lust after or covet someone or something to just get over it and move on once it's/they've been obtained. We eat what we love, we consume it, we move on. That's my takeaway at least. The mall that was once the central hub of their town is collapsing around them in disrepair from neglect. A symbol of all the things we find so incredibly important left abandoned to wilt and die.

Excellent narration by Barry McStay and Lauren O’Leary. Some fun and unique audio and vocal tricks in there too. Made it a fun listen for sure.

The two narrators give great performances, tackling several voices and accents with ease. They were a joy to listen to, but the story itself fell rather flat at the end.

So, this book was a first. Most of the book is told from the perspective of a sentient plant. Shell lost her job, left her fiancé and has moved back in with her parents. She sees a job opening at a florist and gets the job. Her boss, Neve seems nice, but as we see from another perspective, Neve has a secret or two. This book was fast paced and fun (for horror, that is). The friends of the main characters lend themselves to insights on Shell and Neve. This book also reps LGBTQ relationships. I think the most compelling and interesting component of this book was the POV of the plant. How unique! Definitely a great book.

a love letter to starting over, not because you want to, but because you have to--and how it might not be as much of a blank slate as you think.

A stunning, strange gem.

Sarah Maria Griffin’s Eat the Ones You Love is a lush, unsettling horror novel set in a dying Dublin mall. It follows Shell Pine, who takes a job at a florist run by Neve—unaware the shop is home to Baby, a sentient, obsessive orchid. Told with poetic, visceral prose, the novel explores love, hunger, and control through a bizarre, beautifully eerie lens. Unnerving and intimate, it’s a fresh twist on horror and heartbreak. Eat the Ones You Love is dark, tender, and gorgeously written—a horror story that blooms with obsession and beauty with prose that are pure magic. All the stars!

Unsettling, exploration of friendships, possession, manipulation, and moving on.

Disclaimer: I read this as a physical and audiobook tandem read. I got the ALC through NetGalley and the physical book through Tor. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The audiobook was done very well. This is dual narrative by a male and female. And I feel like that was the perfect way to do it the voice of the plant in particular was fantastic. It is an Irish author in an Ireland setting so having narrators with the accent was just perfect. It's at the mood and tempo and gave that Irish feel for the location. I really enjoyed it. I felt like the narration was done very well. The tempo and emotion to the novel really captured the characters and the emotions.

This is not horror in the way that it's going to make you jump scared. This is bone chilling unsettling because it's the feeling of somebody watching you and analyzing you without knowing who or what is doing so. The setting of the shopping center being in a dilapidated state, as well as the constant viewpoint of the plant really gave a trapped and almost claustrophobic feel. The mystery and secrets surrounding Neve and the plant really added to the overall feel of uncomfortability.

The characters were easy to either root for or not. Although I do feel like the plant was a pretty charismatic considering he was supposed to be the "bad guy". There were times when I found myself actually thinking he might not be as bad as it seems until, you know, he is lol which is the sign of a really well written villain because they have to be charismatic to pull off what they are attempting. The plant may have ended up being my favorite part of this book altogether lol

Some of the side characters did seem a little like side character "fluff" and were never really fleshed out or experienced in any real way. Honestly, I feel like some of the friendships were just filler and could've been eradicated from the story altogether.

I really liked the codependent relationship that was described between Neve and Baby. It was deeply concerning and added an overall icky feel to the book. Which is exactly what this kind of novel needs to cement that uncomfortable feeling. It was a little weird how quickly Shell was obsessed with Neve though. I didn't quite understand it, and it got very repetitive throughout the book to hear how obsessed she was. But it did add to the air of possessiveness throughout the book, so it did fall in line with the plot, and therefore not too bothersome.

Overall, this was a stellar debut. I was really interested in it, and it kept my attention for the most part throughout. Coupled with the stellar narration I absolutely will be looking forward to more from this author in the future.

Eat the ones you love

The summary of this book was so bizarre- I went in blind and had to pause to be like…what am I reading ?! About chapter 13 I was finally like WOW, okay,…. Still wow, but I get it.

Shell recently lost her finance, moved in with her parents and is struggling to find work. She is intrigued by a “help needed” sign at a flower shop and her life changed forever. Neve is the shop owner and florist, that Shell quickly finds an attraction to. Shell isn’t the only one with eyes on Neve, Baby is a carnivorous plant that gets a POV in this book and he is obsessed with Neve wanting to consume and devour her- literally. And yea, I don’t know what else to say here other than don’t let the odd summary deter you, this was a refreshing, abstract, quick read that had so much more substance than you would imagine when you get a plant POV.

This book was full of nostalgia for me with the mall vibes and dynamics there ! If you can let go of the whole plant as a character thing and just have fun, you’ll enjoy this. But- how did the plant know about the social media accounts and so many life details ??? Anyways… Themes of possession, obsession, and character growth.

5 stars for being so abstract and still keeping my attention. Never read anything like this….maybe Last House in Needless Street in terms of not understanding what you’re reading and abstract POVs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 4/22/25!