A dark, witchy, paranormal/fantasy romance with some sci-fi and monster romance elements, and a nod to Rapunzel. This book would be perfect for spooky season!

This book was quite an ambitious undertaking, with 3 timelines, at least 4 settings, and two magic systems. I’m really impressed that it was all tied together and wrapped up in a stand-alone.

Unfortunately, the writing wasn’t quite for me. I found the FMCs internal monologue a bit rambling at times, and both the banter and her monologue repetitive. I also felt like there was a lot of explanation when new information or clues were presented, so there wasn’t as much left to the reader’s imagination. I prefer when the author trusts me to pick up on the clues and form my own interpretation of what the characters may be feeling.

Thank you Atria Publishing and Simon and Schuster for the ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting read. The author's warning at the beginning promised everything I enjoy in a book: complex narrative threads, lengthy books, and extreme slow burn, all wrapped up in a paranormal, gothic, horror, fantasy setting. I would say that is a mostly correct description, although the romance felt more like insta-lust to me.

I think this could have been a lot shorter, as the pacing felt off. The level of detail was overdone and the chapters were too long for my liking. I found the book kind of a slog to get through. I think Darcy makes a lot of questionable decisions and really brushes things off that she shouldn't - her reactions are so toned-down that it took me out of the story. Girl! It's okay to react! Why are you NOT reacting?! Sometimes it felt like the story was just happening to her rather than her having a part in it.

I do know that a lot of people love this book, and I can see why, but ultimately, I don't think it's for me. If you like multiple timelines, morally grey characters, and a gothic atmosphere, I think you'll like this.

Okay I’m sorry but I couldn’t finish this 😭 I tried for a while but I just couldn’t. I’ve been in a reading slump and this is not helping so I must do what I must.
This was okay at first but then I got a bit confusing unless you were really really paying attention cause of the timelines. Which I do understand it was explained beforehand but I’m tired LMAO it was so much 🤧 it felt like after a while you didn’t know who was who, what was what, shit where was where. Also these chapters were wayyy too long for my liking. Why is the audiobook that long?? Almost 2 hrs for one chapters? Nope. I had to do what I had to for MEHH.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for a copy of the book. I am excited to leave a review.

Fairydale is a dark gothic historical romance. Veronica Lancet masterfully weaves a story that keeps you guessing right up until the very end through the use of an unreliable narrator and three different timelines. The paranormal elements add an interesting effect to the story. Darcy’s narration helps you feel like you are in the story as you are trying to figure out what is happening at the same time she is. Her feelings of being torn between both Caleb Hale and Amon d’Artan are palpable and relatable as she tries to discern what to do about her conflicting feelings. Both Caleb and Amon steal your heart as you learn about them despite how different they are. The bonus epilogue adds a beautiful flourish to the story as it further wraps up the story.

This book is dark with quite a bit of gore. Please check the trigger/content warnings before diving in. Your mental health is important.

Fairydale is it's own vibe! A torally original Gothic love story with paranormal/magical elements. This is definitely a story that needs attention since there is a lot of jumping back and forth in time.

I liked the read a lot. The plot is unique and complex, and the romance is a really strong element all throughout the story with varying levels of spice. It made a really great standalone read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Fairydale by Veronica Lancet
⭐️⭐️ - DNF at 50%,

I would like to say that I was REALLY excited for this one. I was both put off and intrigued by the authors note at the beginning- telling the reader that you won't like this story if you're not a fan of "complex narrative threads, lengthy books, or extreme slow burns.". Those things are all RIGHT up my alley. I am a huge fan of ultimate slow burns and the more complex the plot, the better for me. I could not find any of those things in this book- (other than the lengthy bit).

After DNFing, I spoiled myself on the rest of the story and read through some other reviews and I'm SO glad I did! This book was putting me in a slump and I was waiting VERY patiently for the romances to grip me, or the plot to pick up speed. I am a patient woman, don't get me wrong. But HALFWAY through this 731 page book, I actively disliked every single character except maybe Rhiannon.

The FMC is extremely confusing to me. Horrible, terrible things are happening around her. Inexplicable insane things and she is not only unfazed in the moment, but seems to forget about the ordeals soon after. Caleb is extremely unnerving but NOT in a hot way- and trust me, I love dark romance but this was not it. I kept waiting for both nicknames: "Darcy Darlin'" and "Lizzie mine" to not be cringey, and it yet it got me every time.

Many Spoilers ahead and also trigger warning: SA
I really really was turned off by the bait and switch for this part... Darcy believes at one point to have been drugged and SAed by the main love interest, which means us the readers believed it as well. However, its quickly explained away by Caleb that thats not what happened, and Darcy just kind of accepts that and moves on. I think from there on Caleb was kind of ruined for me. Amon as well, as they are one and the same.

I was promised slow burn, and instead I got insta-love in the first 10% with the biggest plot twist being an Our Infinite Fates type twist. After all the dreams of Lizzie and that reincarnation of her, its really not hard to believe there were other iterations of them, so no. Not really a twist.

Reviews are quite divisive though, and I understand there is a big following and love for this book which I respect. There is something for everyone and this just wasn't for me!

<i>Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the e-arc</i>
Read the trigger warnings before starting the book!
Overall I'm not sure 100% what happened but I loved it! This was a potato chip book for sure for me! Amon is a great MMC. Touch her and die and he'll burn the world down if anything happens to her. I thought he was great other than being a little too possessive for me. Darcy was pretty good. She made weird decision and some how couldn't put two and two together for just about anything that happened in the book. Overall this was so fun to read and I'm so glad I finally gave it a chance! an almost 1000 page romance is scary but this one was worth it.

I have had this book on my to be read pile for a long long time! I am so excited to finally read it! I loved the gothic setting on this book. There were also so many twists and turns throughout this book.

Arc review:
So I digress, I did read this book before it got picked up by a publisher but I was all too eager to dive into it again. This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Every genre you’d think could be compiled into a book, it’s in here. Fantasy, suspense, romance, supernatural, paranormal, EVERYTHING.
The tropes:
Dual timelines
LOTS of secrets
Gothic
Love triangle…or is it…? 👀
Possessive MMCs

Boy I tell ya, I wish I could see inside Veronica’s head, because this book was a WILD RIDE. I have never, in all my years of reading, experienced something quite like this book. INSANE.

Was there a lot of time jumping (which I don’t love) and back and forth in this book? Absolutely. Did I love it anyway? Hell yes I did.

I’ve heard so much about it in the last year or so, and to be honest, I didn’t find it as confusing/weird/shocking as everyone said it was. Maybe that says more about me😅
The story was there, the romance, everyone had a personality. I loved it!

This book was very interesting to me, but also a bit confusing at times. I found myself needing to go back to review details or trying to remember plot points a couple of times because I was a little confused near the middle/end of this book. It was interesting for sure, a mystery in many ways, and an oddity that I loathed at times yet enjoyed immensely others. All in all I am thinking this book may have done a bit better broken into two books, or maybe even three, in order to clarify some of those points and to add more detail (because this was already a long read). It was good, but confusing more than it was anything else.

Book Review: Fairydale by Veronica Lancet
💜💜💜💜💜 | 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 🥵 SSPPIICCYY
📅 Releases: August 19, 2025

ARC courtesy of NetGalley & Simon & Schuster—thank you!

Gothic, seductive, and absolutely unputdownable. When orphaned English teacher Darcy O’Sullivan arrives in the eerie coastal town of Fairydale to claim her inheritance, she finds herself caught between an ancient evil demon named Amon and brooding war veteran, Caleb Hale.

“I might be evil personified, but you’re the only one I’ll ever be good to.” 🖤

This story is twisty, spicy, and soaked in secrets. Nobody is trustworthy, reality begins to unravel, and the bonus epilogue? Pure perfection. The writing is lush, the spice is 🔥, and the emotional payoff after all the plot twists and turns is unforgettable.

⚠️ Content/trigger warnings advised—this one goes dark.

I really enjoyed this book up until 60% percent in. I just didn’t really agree with some of the decisions that the main characters made.. The story itself goes goes through different timelines which you have to make sure you are keeping track of or else it can get confusing, but I really enjoyed that, it was interesting to see the how different their lives were at the time for the characters. The MMC and the FMC are truly devoted to each other and they would truly do anything for one another which is very sweet.

Over all I rate this book 3.5 stars because I did enjoy this book.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

2.5 ᯓ★

okay literally WTF was this book. jesus it was like this author just threw together a bunch of bs & called it a book. the writing was meh, the characters were meh, and the plot was just ??? that funeral scene was just the start of everything but my god did that whole thing confuse me. I legit read it and stared at the wall like did that really just happen … and then they went to lunch after ??? like did that not just happen in front of everyone ??? everyone was just totally normal after like that’s a regular thing that happens. the insta love in this was not it either. our fmc finds this man creeping around this old church and she already is drawn to him ?? like girl what pull yourself together ?? this is a hard NO from me

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 & 𝘼𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨!!

Fairydale by Veronica Lancet blends gothic mystery, paranormal romance, and a touch of horror into a sprawling, atmospheric tale. In 1955, Boston schoolteacher Darcy O’Sullivan travels to the eerie coastal town of Fairydale to claim her inheritance, only to be drawn into strange happenings, dangerous entanglements with the intense Caleb Hale, and haunting dreams of a nobleman from centuries past.

The book excels in setting—moody, vivid, and dripping with suspense. The love story is ambitious, spanning millennia, and Amon’s dark devotion will appeal to fans of morally gray romance. However, the pacing can be slow, Darcy’s reactions to bizarre events sometimes feel too muted, and the tonal shifts between gothic tension and explicit romance may not work for everyone.

Overall, Fairydale is an immersive but uneven ride—perfect for readers who enjoy atmospheric, unconventional love stories and don’t mind taking the scenic (and strange) route to get there.

4.5!!
I loved this book! It can definitely be a little frustrating how long it is, but I was patient and it was worth it! The story definitely needs the length to be told to its fullest extent.
This is definitely a super unique story and readers will either love it or hate it! But I loved it.

What did I just read? But in a good way!!! There were so many twists turns and unexpected events planted and written with the purpose of confusion for the reader and Darcy. I was confused until about the 80% mark when finally everything started to click into place.
Amon D’artan is the book boyfriend all book boyfriends strive to be, he would drag himself through the deepest depths of hell to get back to his love.

"His arms around my body had been like an arrow to the heart, targeting my one weakness and exploiting it. Because it hadn't been just one hug. It had been warmth, and gentleness coupled with a scorching heat that made me think of only one thing.

Home.

His embrace had felt like home."
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This book consumed my life for a week straight. Utterly consumed me in the best of ways. Has one of the most beautiful love stories I have read to date. The perfect embodiment of "I will love you in every lifetime."

If you enjoy a dark, gothic romance filled with mystery, plot twists, pinning, yearning that will have you kicking your feet, and so much more, you will enjoy this read. Go in blind. The first 30% of the book will have you questioning everything, but be patient! Your questions will be answered. Don't let the 700+ pages, and the 3 different timelines you follow intimidate you. It was very easy to follow. 🤍

Fairydale will be re-releasing August 19, 2025
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I had to quit at part 2 I really enjoyed part one but the pacing of part 2 is so slow.and even though I understand its a slowburn the world buolding itself is what I found slow.

This book was incredible. This was definitely a 4.5 star for me. I would say I did feel a little bit lost while leaving this fuck but then it all comes together and it will all make sense. There’s a little bit of like paranormal. And fantasy and horror type feeling chokes in this as well. This gives gothic romance vibes. You get soulmates / fated mates and a slow burn. Definitely don’t look anything up even when you get confused because it will make sense in promise. I overall really enjoyed this and I thank netgalley for sending me an arc of this book.