I went into this not knowing what to expect. It seems people either loved it or hated it. Honestly I felt ehh about it.

I loved Amon💯 take me away with him. Ultimate touch her and die, uber protective and possessive man. He'd watch the world burn for her.

Darcy was ehh. I really liked her at the beginning but **spoilers ahead***
once she started to get her memories back I found her annoying and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's just the way she was written. I also figured out who Caleb was as soon as her memories started to come back there was no mystery for me there.

This book definitely could have been shorter and I think I would have enjoyed it much more. I struggled to get through the last 1/4 of the book and it's a long book.

I thought the spice was great though. Well written
for all the scenes

3🌟
2🌶

This is a purposely short review because I don’t want to give anything away. (Before starting the book, read the trigger warnings!)

The gorgeous writing, the gothic vibes, the interconnected stories of three generations of women - this book is going to be all the buzz. It’s a long book, almost 800 pages, but it really didn’t feel like it. I was so absorbed in everything going on. Again, read those trigger warnings and, if you think it’s for you, dig in because this is an incredible read!

Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance!

2 stars

I really struggled to connect to the main character, and the whole romance. I just think this book is not for me! I know a 5 star book for a lot of people and I definitely see why! I'm a little sad about it because gothic genre is one of my favorites, and I really thought I would love this because it combines it with fantasy and romance and historical fiction (really great combination). I would still recommend this to certain readers that I know would love this!

Fairydale is a novel that weaves together stories of three generations of women, and tells the stories of their individual relationships. There are so many things that I want to say about this book, but I'm afraid of accidentally giving away an essential plot point that may spoil things.

I will say that this book is a commitment, coming in at close to 800 pages. It's prefaced with a note from the author warning you that this book is a long narrative, detailed, and tells these three stories (which will all have immense bearing on the ending of the novel). You're fed details little by little, some from the present day (which when I say present day, I still mean the 1950s), some from the 1700s, and some from thousands of years before that. These things are woven together and given to us in parts to help give us the world building, tension, and lore of the main characters in a way that is not as overwhelming as what it could be. While definitely not condensed, I was worried that this story may feel overly verbose or draggy at times, but I was delighted to find that it was not the case.

My one bone to pick with the story is the way I feel that there were a few events that were built up to in a really dramatic way, only to be quite simple or even somewhat sparsely written - especially when this story uses a LOT of the internal dialogs of our main women as part of the story. While it was not completely a letdown, it did feel anticlimactic after all of the build-up to the events. The story excels as an epic romance; a love can conquer all kind of story that

(((SPOILERS HERE)))


Has a happily ever after and even some monster sex in it. I would give it a spice reading of 3 out of 5. This is a long story, with a slow burn that doesn't see spicy scenes until after halfway through the novel, and compared to its over 700 pages, only has a few bedroom scenes. However, I will say that this is a story that kept me interested enough in trying to figure out where the author was going with the story that I didn't miss it having a spicier story line.

Overall, readers who love the Romantasy genre, and enjoy a good, long story to keep them entertained for longer will like Fairydale and its many twists, turns, and secrets.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Veronica Lancet for the eARC in advance for review.

5 stars for this gothic, romantic, fantastic masterpiece. This was unlike anything I have ever read.

Fairydale is a dark, gothic, fantasy romance that takes place throughout 3 timelines but seemingly follows our FMC, Darcy. Having lived her life raised by nuns in an orphanage, Darcy had always had this longing for more. When she receives a strange letter in the mail requesting her presence in a town called Fairydale, Darcy knows she must go. But things in this town are not what they first seemed and Darcy soon finds herself with more questions than answers. Plagued by a mysterious man that haunts her dreams, and an even more mysterious man in her current life, Darcy is learning there’s more to her past than she was led to believe.

This story had me drawn in from the very beginning. The setting is so magical and gothic and also mysterious. There is so much tension and yearning between characters that leads to a delicious romance. The first half of this story will have you asking so many questions as you try to piece together the puzzle pieces of all 3 time lines. By the end your heart will be shattered, and rebuilt in the best way possible. I actually cried, laughed, and sat in the edge of my seat throughout this whole book. I recommend this book to anyway who loves fantasy, romance, gothic fantasy, mystery, monsters, etc. I would suggest checking the trigger warnings before reading as there is some graphic depictions and heavy topics.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an e-arc of this book and congratulations to Veronica Lancet on becoming traditionally published!

I was so lost and confused but hopeful throughout this book. I love Lancet's books, but this one was just... Odd. I felt like so much of the story was purposely confusing for no reason other than to be confusing. And these guys... they are not good. Not in even a morally-grey meaning, they are just not good people to her. And Darcy- she was frustrating. Poor choices, willfully ignorant, low standards. The story could have been about 200 pages shorter to be honest. I'll still read Veronica's future books, but this one was a miss for me.

Fairydale was a very interesting read. I honestly never could predict what was going to happen next. So many twists and turns with the element of time travel. It is a bit long, but it’s a great read. This would be a fantastic book for spooky season!

I genuinely don’t even know how to explain what this book did to me. Fairydale is one of the most intense, mind-bending, emotionally gutting love stories I’ve ever read. It’s gothic, it’s paranormal, it’s historical fantasy—and somehow, at the center of all that chaos, is a romance so raw and heartbreaking it hurts.

This story unfolds across three timelines, and will have you questioning your sanity—in the best possible way. It’s confusing, wild, and absolutely gripping. I couldn’t stop reading, and at the same time, I didn’t want it to end.

The emotional depth here is unreal. Longing, pining, angst, tension, heartbreak—it’s all there, and it hurts. But it also makes every moment feel electric.

If you’re looking for something that will completely wreck you and make you feel everything all at once, Fairydale is it. I’m obsessed.

Oh wow! What a ride this book took me on!

This may be a long book but there are so many details and intricacies that I was completely enthralled the entire read!

I was so intrigued when I read the premise of this story and man, the book blurb was just the tip of the literary iceberg. For the entire first half of the book I was constantly thinking “am I being gaslit right now.” There were just so many pieces of the puzzle and I was determined to make them fit together! It was so much fun making my mental list of theories and seeing how the story played out.

This story is fated mates at is absolute best. Although this is a common trope out there, the way this story plays on the mates theme is unique. Add in the yearning and heartache and you have a great slow burn romance.

About 75% the book there is quite the twist that really changes up the story but I was all here for it. It also upped the ante in the spice department.

If you’re looking for a dark fantasy romance that messes with your mind and completely sucks you in, then you need this book.

2 stars ⭐️ I hate DNFing a book but I didn’t connect with this book. I felt like I was having to force myself to continue and at 40% it was just so slow. The blurb had me excited for a dark gothic historical romance but maybe it wasn’t the right time for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own 🫶🏼

If you enjoy a morally gray, obsessed MMC this might be the book for you. In my opinion I feel like it's an epic love story. This book include flashbacks/dreams that take you a long multiple time lines, but it's not hard to follow. It is 600+ pages but I don't think it could have been any shorter for everything to come together.

This book was deep, dark, sexy and I loved it. These characters are everything!There were parts where I couldn’t stop reading it was so good. The story telling was so well done.

Fairydale is a mysterious town filled with curious people and I loved the way that the story unfolded. I was just as in the dark as Darcy and I loved her journey in unraveling the mysteries of the town and gaining back her memories all to save the one she loves.

Sela and Amon have a beautiful tragic love story that I will be thinking about for days to come.

Tropes:
Fated mates
Touch her and 💀
Gothic historical fantasy
Slow burn
Morally gray anti hero
Magic

I've had this on my tbr for quite awhile now but I didnt feel a pull toward it until I recieved an earc from netgalley. Now im wondering why I waited so long. This is what you call a "God tier" book. The slowburn, the tension, the Gothic vibes, the magic, the setting. I was here for all of it. So beautifully done and written. Literally spellbinding.

The plot of the story was very dense, but to be fair, there was a disclaimer at the beginning (which I really appreciated). The opening immediately grabbed my interest, as a reader I felt like I was being thrown straight into a murder mystery. Within that mystery there were elements of magic and supernatural. This made it confusing at times and hard to figure out where each character fit and how important they were.

Around the 30% mark, the story became a bit of cluster f***, jumping between past and present. I’ll got a bit confused during that, but once things started to clarify, I found myself drawn back in. I had a feeling that the MMC would turn out to be Caleb, but I definitely wasn’t expecting how that reveal would happen.

I really enjoyed learning about the FMC—how she came to be and the role she plays throughout the book. Her storyline was a major part of the story in a satisfying way but fell a bit flat towards the end. While it wasn’t an overly spicy book, there were definitely some steamy scenes—especially toward the end. Let’s just say all the orifices got their moment (IYKYK).

I also appreciated the emphasis on familial ties. Those relationships played a key role in helping both the FMC and MMC and added emotional weight to the story as it unfolded.

The ending felt a bit rushed and convenient. After over 600 pages of turmoil, the resolution came together almost too quickly and too neatly. I did enjoy the read overall, but I occasionally got caught up (or lost) in the back-and-forth timelines and tangled plotlines. Still, the supernatural elements were a highlight and kept me intrigued.

""We fit so well together, Sela, don't we? Your cunt's stuffed with my cock and your ass with my tail"

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish Fairydale. I stopped around the 30% mark. I picked this one up because it had come highly recommended by readers whose taste usually aligns with mine, so I really thought it would be a hit.

I did appreciate the author’s immersive world-building and the rich, gothic atmosphere she created, but the story just didn’t work for me personally.

I found the writing to be a bit repetitive at times, and although I think it was more about my own impatience than a flaw in the book itself, I struggled with the pacing. The main character felt slightly irritating to me, but again, that may have been a reflection of my frustration rather than a true issue with the characterization.

What ultimately led me to put the book down was the feeling that I wasn’t getting any real answers. The mystery deepened as I read, but instead of becoming more intriguing, it started to feel more confusing. Given the length of the book, I wasn’t sure I had the stamina to keep pushing through without more clarity or progression.

That said, I can see why others might love it. If you enjoy slow-burn psychological stories with heavy atmosphere and complex relationships, this might be worth exploring for yourself. It just wasn’t the right fit for me.

Thanks so much to the author and publisher Atria Books for the eARC through NetGalley! All opinions are my own!

Unfortunately, Fairydale was not for me. I went in to this recognizing the trigger warnings and knowing that I could skip things that made me uncomfortable. I do that occasionally without it impacting my thoughts of the book or the story. The things included in those trigger warnings weren't the source of my dislike. I found the female main character to be naive and immature. But not necessarily in a redeemable way, more of an annoying way. There were times during conversations between the main characters that I physically cringed. I had the hardest time staying engaged with the story. There was a lot going on. The cast of large cast of characters made the story hard to follow at times. I just don't think I am the target demographic for this.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.75
This book was just very hard to keep up in the beginning the story was all over the place until about 75% in I finally started to understand it the pay off was good but I feel like it could have been polished a little bit more and made more clear and concise

What an incredible story! My mind is honestly blown how we started out with Darcy learning about an inheritance to…well, no spoilers, but ALL THAT WENT DOWN. There were so many moments that I had no idea where this story was going but I really enjoyed the ride.

This was incredible storytelling! When you think you have it figured out, Veronica Lancet rips the rug out.

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow....

I received this ARC and even though I knew about it when it was Indie published, I didn't really know about it. And so I decided to go in completely bling....and boy, oh boy, am I glad I decided that.
I believe everyone should go in blind, and just with the premise that:
This story is about an orphan woman in the 60's that receives a letter to go to her biological father's will reading (because he died) and when she gets to the infamous town of Fairydale everything isn't as it seems.

In all honesty, everything goes to hell. LOL.
I've never been quite as amused while being gaslight by a story, and the reason why it isn't 5 stars for me is because at times I found myself lagging and dragging throughout the story. Other than that, I'm glad I finally read it.

Alright if my coworker sees this they are gonna kill me because this was recommended to me by them They read it originally before it got trad published. I DNF’d it. It was so confusing, like someone just pops out the casket and then just dies and withers away? Like what? I will admit I love the idea and concept of the book and will try again once it comes out but I just couldn’t A whole month of me just trying to get back to it but I’d get bored or confused. Genuinely cool idea but overall confusing storyline By the end of it I only got about half way through before I finally decided it was mute that I could not do it anymore and I wanna read other things