Fairydale is an immersive and emotionally charged gothic romance—with lyrical prose, complex supernatural mystery, and a love story that traverses timelines. If you’re willing to invest the time and navigate early structural confusion, the payoff can be breathtaking.

But if you prefer fast-paced plots, tight editing, and consistent characterization—this may not be your cup of tea.

I am torn with rating this book. It started off great I was truly so intrigued I had never read a book quite like this before! I loved the atmosphere and the mystery aspect. I loved both love interests. It felt like reading a fever dream in the best way. But sadly it started to lose me a bit towards the end. I feel like this book could have been 200 pages shorter and that would have significantly helped. It was a bit of a slow burn but when we did get to the spice it was great. I did enjoy the flashbacks at first but they started to be a bit much and felt like we needed to work so hard just to get a tiny piece of the puzzle. Overall I would recommend to the right person.

For this book, I did not realize the vast trigger warnings that were contained in this book. I found it a bit odd that the narrator was so naive and was only used mainly for lust, and the book was so long that I felt it dragged on for a very long time, and it wasn’t what I was hoping for from a very good premise and such. It gives me an uncomfortable feeling from being pinned and wanted by male characters that are so domineering, and it does not give me the great female empowerment that was specifically made at the point of “making the ultimate choice.”

I will give props in some aspects of the writing of the atmosphere that deals with the supposed gothic theme of the book, but other than that, I did not enjoy this book that I thought I would. And somehow this book is on NetGalley as an ARC, when it was published in 2022 on Kindle Unlimited? I was so confused about that.

But thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

To be honest, I had a hard time rating this book. I feel like I read three separate books that, honestly, did not flow well together. Some parts of the book I really enjoyed, but there were a handful of times that I was tempted to DNF it.

The plot was interesting and some twists were cleverly laid out, but the world building felt incomplete and fumbled for me. Overall, I think that my largest issue with the book was the writing style. I had high expectations after reading whatever you want to call that Author’s Note; but the novel was neither complex nor insightful, as promised. It was just unnecessarily long, monotonous for large sections and dialogue-heavy.

The book could have easily been 200 pages shorter and should have been further edited. It was like wading through 150 pages of fluff at a time to get to one chapter that was necessary to the plot and character development. The tone of the writing is inconsistent and uses phrases that weren’t around during any of the three time periods. It’s also very repetitive and filled with grammatical errors.

If you’re a reader who prefers a heavy inner monologue from the narrator instead of inferring your own opinions, then I think you’d love this book. I rated it three stars because, though it had its issues (in my opinion), the plot was solid.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this way more than I was anticipating. The mix of gothic, horror, paranormal, historical and romance was INSANE. At its core this is a romance book and I don’t think I have ever felt so deeply in the romance like I have this one. I won’t lie this book was hard to know what the hell was going on but honestly the audio saved me. I don’t think this book will leave my mind for quite a while.

I was ready for this to be a long journey of a book after what was noted in the preface. I gave it many chances, but it came to a point where the plot was barely moving forward. The multiple timeline flashbacks offer a crumb of relevant information while lasting entire long chapters. This was especially hard when I was not rooting for either of the love interests. When the characters started having intimate scenes, it all became gratuitous.

Another aspect that bothered me was how the seemingly obvious mystery was not being solved. Darcy is clever and intuitive but is blatantly missing what is in front of her face! There is so much evidence that she is ignoring. I can't say specifics without spoiling, but it was getting hard to read about.

I believe this book could be better if it was shorter or had more focus on mystery solving. I love romance in books, but it came to a point where the plot was being lost. I do want to know how it ends, but not enough to continue past the halfway point. There is the right reader for this book out there, but it's not me.

Unfortunate DNF for me. The main romantic relationship was a bit too out of my comfort zone and I did not feel comfortable continuing. I do believe lovers of darker romance would enjoy much more than I did but the red flags of the MMC caused this not to work for me past 20% or so! Interesting premise and very unique but just not something I could continue with especially with how long the book is!

I can't decide if I loved or hated this book - I have such mixed feelings. It started really slow, then slowly progressed to being one of the most insane, intriguing and weird things I've read in a very long time. I LOVED the first 40-50% or so, it was intriguing and exciting, super suspenseful, it felt a lot darker than I thought it would go, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. At some points it was a 5-star read and then at other points it was a 2-star.

I don't even know where to begin when talking about it. So much happened, but at the same time nothing happened. I felt like the ending felt rushed and like a completely different book – which is odd seeing as though it was a 700+ pages. The main conflict of the book was literally solved in the last 5-10% of the book and that felt too easy. However, to the author’s credit, every time I thought I knew something, she switched up and took it in a different direction.

This book could’ve been 200 pages shorter and I’m so sad because the beginning I was honestly thinking this book is 10/10 and I was obsessed… I had a great time reading it, but I do think this could’ve been shorter or at least split up into a duology or a series.

If this was AO3 it would absolutely have the 'dead dove do not eat' tag.

I wouldn't consider myself easily triggered, but when the MMC rapes the FMC then doesn't acknowledge it and gaslights her into thinking it didn't happen, that's a no for me.

DNF at 20%

Standalone
Original series (not a spin off/not same world as previous series but there is another series after with the same world)
Spice: 5/5 (Explicit and Plentiful based on romance.io)
Available on Kindle Unlimited
First Release Date: 2022

This book is a little odd but I loved it! So many romantasy books can run together but this definitely stands out! It borders on dark romance. It mostly has gothic vibes which I'm about.

I would definitely recommend this book!
Specifically for:
- dark gothic lovers
- high spice readers
- readers looking to read something a little different! (It's worth it)

Here's the link:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7470673515

This version of Fairydale has a bonus epilogue which gives us some closure and just a little more romance from our favorite couple!

Fairydale by Veronica Lancet was haunting in the most unexpected way. I went in thinking it would be a dark fairy tale, but it ended up being so much more layered and emotionally intense. The writing is lyrical and soft, which makes the darker turns of the story hit even harder. The town of Fairydale itself felt like something out of a dream, beautiful but rotting at the edges, and the characters were just as fragile and complex. There’s this quiet horror threaded through everything, not always in what’s said, but in what’s left unsaid. It explores grief, obsession, and the blurred line between love and control in a way that’s deeply unsettling. I found myself rereading certain lines just to sit with them. This book doesn’t scream; it whispers, and that’s what makes it unforgettable. If you’re drawn to stories that are eerie, emotional, and poetically written, this one stays with you.

This book is a journey with many phases.

To me, some of the phases nailed it and some left a lot to be desired. It immediately hooked me in, and then just as I was about to lose interest and DNF (the FMC Darcy starts out very naive and things start to feel unrealistic) we are introduced to Elizabeth who lived hundred of years before.

I found myself more interested in Elizabeth’s story so when it shifted back to modern day Fairydale I lost a lot of my interest. I found overall that I was much more interested in the narratives from the past. Other than having to ignore some phrases and things that didn’t fit it with the time period, those sections of the book pulled me in and intrigued me the most.

Eventually the story in the present does pick up and become more engaging. I felt like this book was too long and I can definitely understand how it’s polarizing, sometimes I hated it and sometimes I loved it.

The major win for me was the love story coming together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

I was sure to love this novel, sharing all the hallmarks of my favorites - historical, gothic, nonlinear, a little paranormal... Sadly, the writing style just isn’t for me and I gave up mid-way to skim the rest of the novel.

For a reader who enjoys a lot of internal monologue this might be a better read; I felt like the book was talking at me instead of absorbing me into its world. I just couldn’t connect emotionally with the characters - I thought I was getting somewhere with Darcy but once the two love interests got involved it seemed like all plodding plot - yes there are some pretty interesting twists but they are dulled by the sonorous march of dialogue with unbalanced world building. I actually set it aside and read another book to refresh before trying again. It’s just not for me. This was a very long book that felt like a journey to nowhere.

I will not be sharing my thoughts on social media. I can see that many have loved Fairydale and while I don’t understand it, I’m not going to contribute to negativity about something someone worked so hard to produce and so many others enjoy so well.

Thank you so much to Atria and NetGalley for this eARC!

Fairydale had a promising start, and I was genuinely intrigued during the first quarter. I loved the eerie, uncertain tone, not knowing if Darcy was truly unhinged or if something more sinister was going on kept me turning pages. But unfortunately, the story lost its grip on me halfway through.

Caleb’s intense fixation on Darcy felt more unsettling than romantic, and that dynamic just didn’t work for me. It crossed into red flag territory fast, and I couldn’t root for them as a couple. While the flashbacks added depth and were one of the stronger elements, once the central mystery began to unfold, the tension fizzled. Knowing the stakes made the rest of the plot feel predictable and, honestly, a bit flat.

It’s a cool idea, but the execution didn’t deliver the dark, gripping vibe I was hoping for. I feel like avid fans of dark romance, mafia romance will enjoy this.

I did love the multiple timelines and true love aspect but the writing style wasn’t for me. I was confused for most of the beginning before things started to click. This was really like a mystery/thriller fantasy. I haven’t read a book like this before. Something that unintentionally knocked it down a star for me was the FMC. She was a little too naive for me to like. Knowing it’s the 1950s helped but still considering the circumstances, I would’ve liked to have her more of a backbone.

I would be interested in reading other books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for this eARC in exchange for a honest review!

Fairydale was nothing like I expected. This is truly a slow burn with lots of twists and turns and it’s a book that really defies genres. I appreciated the spooky and gothic vibes but this story was very long! The characters, Darcy in particular, were very well written and I really enjoyed getting to know them all. The plot had me really needing to concentrate and re-read, this book definitely took some effort. Overall I liked the book vibes and characters but wished it would have been a bit shorter.

Fairydale was a wild ride—I was confused for much of it, but I think that was intentional. The story itself is layered and complex, and I appreciated the author’s ambition in exploring a love that transcends time. That theme was genuinely sweet.

That said, the dark gothic elements were overwhelming for me at times. There’s definitely an audience for this kind of story, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I found myself bug-eyed and scratching my head more often than not. If you like your fantasy strange, immersive, and a little unsettling, this might hit the mark for you. IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR ANYONE WHO LOVES A SPOOKY VIBE

Fairydale is a story of love defying all odds. I loved this world and seeing the perspectives of the characters over time. This story was atmospheric, eery and immersive. I was transported to a world where demons are real, magic is important, and love is the only thing that matters. I loved this so much thank you for the ARC.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read!

This was a step outside of my normal reading que of TBR’s. There are things I loved about it and things that just weren’t for me.

The gothic, dark atmosphere and multiple layers of story going on are fabulous. I enjoyed the characters, their “past lives”, and the setting.

But this book definitely will have triggers for some, and they are pretty well advised. There’s also a warning to be prepared to dive deep into this, and it’s not a light story. The multiple timelines I can see getting confusing to readers, and I really had to actually keep focus on where I was, and who I was reading in each chapter.

This one wasn’t for me, but I would still recommend it for dark romance lovers, especially for books with a haunting vibe.

I will start by saying this book took me a long while to finish. IT WAS A LONG ONE! I had to take several breaks to finish it.
Some parts did feel pretty repetitive to me so I was like.. "COME ON HURRY UP AND GET TO THE POINT!"

I was lucky enough to receive a copy from Netgalley.

this book takes place in 1955 and has 3 different story lines so towards the end I was like WTH is going on here haha. I will say I did enjoy the different time lines and it all finally came together at the end and made so much more sense.
It was a true Dark Gothic Fantasy with witches demons and other paranormal aspects to it. Once I got a hold of the storylines it all started to give me the " AHH haaa!" Moment where it all clicked and I really enjoyed it. I think if you enjoy Fantasy and paranormal reads you will probably enjoy this one just BEWARE it is a very long read and kind of drags on a bit.