I really enjoy the concept of this book and thought the overall story was unique. At times it was hard to read as there were lulls in the plot and I just wanted the pace to be a bit faster. While I enjoyed this book overall I do feel it could have been about 200 pages shorter which would have made it easier to read.

I have very mixed feelings about this book, mostly stemming from the fact that it took until AT LEAST the 80% mark to start becoming less confusing. This 700+ page book was utter chaos for the vast majority of it. I read a lot of fantasy since it’s my preferred genre, but I was still lost with so many timelines to keep up with.

That said, once it finally started making some semblance of sense, it started to get much more interesting.

•pierced MMC
•fated mates
•virgin FMC
•3 timelines
•gothic setting
•magic

This would have gotten a higher rating if it had been a little easier to follow. The love story that happens across thousands of years & several alternative lives really is beautiful, but it just took way too long to get there.

Also…the tail…not sure how I feel about that part.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fairydale by Veronica Lancet is the kind of book that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go in the best, most unhinged way. It’s dark, a little deranged, and full of twisted fae politics that had me questioning everyone’s motives (and my own taste in fictional men). The heroine is sharp, guarded, and absolutely done with being underestimated, while the love interest is pure chaos with a silver tongue and a God complex I hated how much I liked. The plot doesn’t waste time, the world is rich without being overwhelming, and the emotional damage is genuinely earned. It slows down a bit in the middle, but honestly, I didn’t care. I was too busy spiraling. If you like morally grey tension, enemies who flirt like it’s a threat, and fantasy that actually has something to say, you’ll eat this up.

I'm sorry. I gave this book almost 15% but unfortunately, I don't think this story is for me. I found the FMC rather silly and the things she said and did just didn't make sense. I found it very illogical and annoying.

The author does write intensity and suspense quite well but I found those scenes to be over and wrapped up far too quickly. So I really can't give it a fair review. But thank you for the opportunity.

3.5-4⭐️

This was an ambitious, complicated, and lengthy book, but overall I did enjoy it! It is a captivating blend of gothic, horror, historical, paranormal, and romance elements! It is mysterious, deceptive, sensual, wild, twisty, devious, disturbing, dark, and deeply romantic. It will mess with your mind and have you wondering “what the heck is going on??” for a good majority of the book (while I enjoyed that mindf*ckery aspect, others may not haha). Definitely check the trigger warnings though.

We have multiple POVs (with a twist) in multiple timelines (told through nonlinear flashback chapters), an unreliable narrator, a very possessive, obsessive, and devoted MMC, a town full of secrets and corruption, lots of twists, deception, and reveals. I really enjoyed the enjoying sense of not knowing what is real versus not, what is manipulation/influence versus truth, not knowing who she could trust and whose version of history was correct. I love books that reveal things gradually through flashbacks and multiple/nonlinear timelines so I really enjoyed that aspect as well.

I will say that the chapters were very long. I feel like flashback chapters are typically shorter, and because these were relatively lengthy, it did feel a bit like I was reading three different stories at times. Rather than a main storyline with flashbacks, the three timelines almost felt like 3 full love stories intricately woven together and told in a way that strategically placed the reveals and maintained the mysteriousness and intrigue. I did think there were some pacing issues as certain parts dragged a bit and I do think the story could’ve been tightened up a bit in that regard. Toward 70% in, it started to feel a bit like a neverending story with all the winding roads the book kept taking with the various timelines. I do think she tied things together well (even if the reveals regarding the 500AD timeline felt a bit jarring against the rest of the story). I did think some twists were pretty predictable, but I still enjoyed the anticipated of seeing how the reveals would come about and those were often in unexpected ways!

A small benefit of being a bit behind on ARCs (sorry!) is that I was also able to listen to the audiobook.

Notes on the audiobook: this is a duet narration audiobook which is always a plus!! So at first, the male narrator sounds like an old man which was a bit off-putting (I thought he was just putting on a voice when he was voicing an older male character but then he sounded like an old man as the MMC too lol). This took some getting used to but it grew on me (and it was only in the present timeline and I had to remind myself it was on purpose because of the 50s accent lol. The accent in the 1700s and 500AD timelines was good though). Both narrators did a great job with accents, infusing emotion into their narration, and differentiating between all the different voices for the various characters (which really helped keep things less confusing with all the time period and perspective shifts).

I have to admit that I enjoyed this book more while listening than reading. When I “eyeball read” it, I was much more aware that I personally didn’t love the writing style and got a little annoyed with them speaking or acting in ways that didn’t mesh with the time period (eg. overly modern) and honestly all the various pet names started to feel a little distracting. The fact that I didn’t notice or care about these issues when I was listening is a testament to the narrators for really selling this story and its characters and having quite an impressive performance. I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed this one as much if I had just read it and hadn’t listened to the audiobook, if I’m being honest.

Thank you to Veronica Lancet, Atria Books, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little apprehensive going into this because of all the mixed reviews, but I honestly ended up loving it.

That being said, this book is definitely not for everyone. Check your triggers for sure!!
This is a slow burn, dark, and confusing story. Absolutely nothing makes sense in the beginning, but more things are revealed as the story progresses and everything starts to click into place. I loved the different timelines and how each one connected to the other.

Was this book perfect? No.
Some parts were slow, repetitive, and unnecessary. I also found some things to be a little…. much. The book is also too many pages. I wasn’t a fan of the sex scenes and felt like some of them dragged out for too long. I felt like certain parts could’ve been cut or shortened, and the story would’ve still been just as impactful.

Despite the flaws, I still really enjoyed this book and thought it was a unique, beautiful story with gothic elements.
I don’t know what that says about me.

This book was new one for me. I really liked the writing and the storyline. I will recommend this book. The cover is gorgeous as well. The story made it so much better.

To be entirely honest, I had to jump ship so early in this. By 15% in I could tell I wasn’t going to enjoy this style of writing. It is so so so self-indulgent. It takes 3 pages to get one thought across, so much internal monologuing. I thought this would have prose and gorgeous writing, but it falls flat and almost juvenile. And the fmc was not my cup of tea. Naive and no personality. And meeting the mmc? Creepy and weird, and not in the hot way. It all reads more like a horror setup than romance. Honestly this author could probably write a great horror book. I’m also not down with the amount of SA nor scenes where men roll around in period blood with delight.

Fairydale is a place that is off from the moment she gets there, and not in a magical fun way. Normally I don’t just DNF a book this early on, but sometimes I can just tell it’s not going to be for me. And with it being sooooo long, I wasn’t willing to force myself to keep going. So I took a second look here at some reviews and saw the negative reviewers also struggling with some of the same things. Sorry, but I’m not willing to waste time on a book I hate before 50%.

🌶️: 5/5

Fairydale is one of the most unique and trippy books I’ve read in a while. Dark, gothic, and surreal, it feels like wandering through a fever dream where the town itself breathes with secrets. The mix of timelines and lifetimes makes it ambitious and atmospheric—part romance, part gothic mystery, part fantasy.

The love story is obsessive and soul-deep, the atmosphere is rich and unsettling, and the writing pulls you in. At times the pacing drags and the timelines blur together, but overall, the strangeness is part of its charm. It’s eerie, emotional, and unforgettable—perfect if you want something different from the usual gothic romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Book: Fairydale by @authorveronicalancet
Release Date: AVAILABLE NOW!
Rating: ♾️/10 🌟
Spice: 5/5 🌶️
TRIGGER WARNINGS! READ THEM!
Tropes: Fated Mates, Found Family, Why Choose, Morally Grey everything, Touch her and ☠️💥

Favorite Quote/scene:
""You're mad," I accuse lightly, though I seem to be the one suffering from the malady.

"Are we not all a little mad, Lizzie mine?" He draws back, a gentle smile on his face-one that's shadowed by great sadness. "But what if my madness recognizes yours?"

PLOT: Fairydale follows the FMC through three different timelines, each timeline leading to clues to answer the mystery in the town of Fairydale. Mysterious and odd deaths occurring, creepy interactions. This Gothic Fantasy Standalone is a must read.

Thoughts: Fairydale is an amazing read! I wasn't even 100 pages in and I had multiple what the heck moments already. I would describe this plot as a long curvy road with multiple roundabouts and no directions rather than a roller coaster of a ride. I loved the suspense aspect of it, the mystery, trying to track and follow and figure it out yourself before the characters. It made the story that much more intriguing and entertaining. The alternating timelines were fairly easy to follow, in the beginning I went back to check dates just to make sure I knew where to put the story in my brain. However, I was quickly able to remember the timeline when each story would begin. The FMC was relatable and her struggles were moving at times. The story is absolutely dark and reading the trigger warnings is a must. If you are a person like me who thinks, the more trigger warnings the better, then this might be the book for you!

eARC—Book Review—Fairydale by Veronica Lancet—Spoiler Free

Darcy is asked to come to the town of Fairydale after the father she didn’t know died and they need to read his will that she was included in. Once there, she encounters strange people and circumstances that lead to life altering revelations.

I went into this without knowing much about it. The story started like an odd mystery or suspense with some potential romance. There are so many twists in this and I kept doubting who was “good” and who was “bad”. It turned into quite the epic romance with some magic involved.

This was long…I do wish the chapters would have been broken up a bit or the book split into a duology. The last 25 percent had completely different vibes to me. All that said, I still really enjoyed it overall and wanted to know how the story ended.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

I was given an eARC to review by Netgalley, but all thoughts are my own.

I did enjoy this book, but for me, personally, it did take a little too long to get into it. Additionally, I felt as though it was approximately 200 pages too long. The story could have been accomplished with 200 pages less and likely would have ultimately been more entertaining because there were parts that felt like they dragged on a bit. That said, I did like the book overall and I would recommend it to the right reader. I would also be open to reading more by this author in the future.

Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley , for the eARC of Fairydale by Veronica Lancet.

I honestly don’t even have the words to explain what I just read. The bare bones of the story had potential, but at almost 800 pages it felt like a mishmash of different plots that just weren’t executed well. It really needed some heavy editing—and definitely some thought about nicknames and word choices.

It was marketed as a slow burn, but it really wasn’t. It leaned much more toward insta-love, and I was constantly confused. Our main character Darcy is supposed to be from 1955, yet so many times she read as if she were from present day. The same goes for our other lead, Amon. It was just… a lot. I could technically keep up with the storyline, but it was confusing how things were supposed to be happening, and so much was left to be inferred that I finished the book thinking, What did I just read?

The only reason I didn’t DNF was because I’d already put so much time into it and wanted to see how it all played out. But honestly, I just couldn’t with the storylines, the characters, and the overall execution. I don’t know if the content warnings really emphasize the level of spice in this book, but did accurately describe the content aspect of the book. Fairydale reads and leans more towards horror than Dark Romance.

I don’t give low ratings often, but this was a hot mess. I genuinely don’t understand the glowing reviews—it makes me wonder if we all read the same book.

Darcy travels to Fairydale for the reading of her biological father’s will, carrying with her a lifetime of unanswered questions. Raised by nuns, she feels both cared for and incomplete—her true “missing piece” revealed not as family, but as a soul-deep love that spans lifetimes.

This romantasy is sweeping in scope, spanning three lifetimes over 700+ pages. While some sections in the older timelines felt drawn out, they were vital to showing the enduring love between Darcy and her soulmate. The story balances familiar tropes—“touch her and die,” only-one-love, virgin/virgin-but-somehow-experienced—with unique twists involving ancestral trauma, reincarnation, and the power of truth versus manipulation.

What stood out most to me was how seamlessly the backstories were woven into Darcy’s present, through dreams and a magical gem. Each lifetime added clarity and reinforced the theme that our essence remains constant, even as memories and circumstances change. The pacing was steady, the cliffhangers natural rather than forced, and the characters’ devotion to each other shone through.

I did note a few distracting details—like unanswered questions about how Darcy paid for things after her belongings were stolen, or the knowledge that you shouldn't feed cats poisoned rats—but they didn’t outweigh the strengths of the narrative.

At its heart, Fairydale is a story of love that transcends time, woven with magic, danger, and moral complexity. The villains weren’t one-dimensional; instead, they highlighted larger themes of power, acceptance, and freedom. While I wished for more nuance in how immortal beings might realistically interact after thousands of years together, the romance and emotional stakes still carried the story.

For me, this was an immersive, engaging read—one that kept me turning pages late into the night, despite its length. Fans of romantasy will likely enjoy its blend of magic, reincarnation, and eternal love.

I received a free advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A love story that expands centuries throughout time. One that keeps going and reconnecting through different bodies, but the same soul.

This one is hard for me to review because it had a lot of potential but it wasn’t fully reached for me.

The story was really good and I applaud the creativity behind it. It truly was a saga! But I think that’s also why it’s not a 5 star for me. There was just so much story and events crammed into one book. I think this is one of those stories that would have done better as a series rather than a standalone.

I know lots of readers enjoy this but ultimately this one wasn’t for me. I just couldn’t connect with the instant love and loyalty that Darcy had towards Amon. It’s explained in the end but I still would’ve liked her to question things more.

Overall, you can tell that the author put a lot of thought and work into developing the story. But I think she needs to improve her writing and work on her pacing.

This book is ama ing. the plot, the twists all were very unexpected. It did use a lot of words at times. But I enjoyed the story and would recommend it.

The reviews on this book are pretty polarizing, either overwhelmingly positive or negative. I feel pretty neutral about the whole thing. The story was compelling and certainly unique, but the reviewers don’t lie when they say this book was LONG.

I typically don’t mind a chunkier book, but this felt grueling to get through. The beginning of the book stumbles around with ambiguous weird things happening for far too long. The real meat of the book comes in the last 20% of the book feeling rushed, wrapping up far too simply.

I leave it with a three stars because, again, I enjoyed the story the author told us, I just didn’t think it was done in a particularly refined way.

This book was a wild ride (and not a quick ride, but it was wild from start to finish). There are so many moving parts that at times it can be hard to follow (which the author does warn readers about be the start of the book, but I'm not sure that makes it more acceptable).

I'm struggling to condense all of my thoughts into a written review, but I think that, overall, I have very mixed feelings. The synopsis I read did not give me any indication of what the hell this book was going to be and I was thrown by that.

The author spent quite a lot of time creating the world of the story, but at times I was still confused. I disagreed with MANY of the choices made by the FMC and was confused by how blazé she was towards many of the events that happened around her (PLEASE TAKE THE CONTENT WARNINGS SERIOUSLY).

Re: things mentioned in the content warnings - A lot of the events with things mentioned felt incredibly unnecessary and not handled with much care at all

I think the only reason I stuck with this book was because it had a similar romance line to a book I read as a teenager and I was holding onto the hope that it would get better. The romance felt quite forced and it played on popular tropes with poor execution.

I can see where the author was going, but I feel like the mark was missed.

thank you Atria books and Netgalley for an e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I don't want to say much so as not to spoil this for others, but what a ride this book was! The first half was frustrating to get through but the second half really sold it for me.

I enjoyed the gothic atmosphere, the multiple time lines, and the way everything came together in the end.
However...700 pages was a bit too much.
Overall, I loved this couple and they truly were made for each other.