This is more than a pretty cover! Very emotional, at times sexy and such deliciously creepy vibes.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for the ALC

Let’s start with that cover—absolutely stunning!! It's a perfect visual intro to the haunting beauty of the story inside. I was obsessed before I even hit play.

I wasn’t aware I needed romantic horror in my life until this. It’s a seductive, salty fever dream. The story unfolds slowly, steeped in a moody atmosphere, sea gods, salt priests, and ancient lore. Our protagonist, Lark, becomes entangled with the Felimath siblings (Alastair and Camille), and from there, things only grow more deliciously complicated.

I loved how rich and layered the world felt, especially the folklore surrounding Therion, the underworld god worshipped by Lark’s coastal town. The vibe is pure gothic perfection.

Around the halfway point, the first major twist hit—and wow! I definitely didn’t see it coming. The second half unravels with family secrets, long-buried betrayals, and passionate, morally messy relationships that practically smolder off the page.

Read this if you love:
✨Dark academia
✨Complex, emotionally charged relationships
✨Moral ambiguity & divine bargains
✨Lush, tangled romance—including sapphic threads

I am obsessed with this book. I read it and didn't think it could get any better but thoroughly enjoyed the audio book!

Even though there wasn't really much going on in this book other than a moody atmosphere, I enjoyed it. My main complaint is that the F/F is severely underdeveloped compared to the M/F, and could have been removed without affecting much of anything. It just felt tacked on in order to make this a little more interesting, but I found it frustrating. I also expected there to be more of an emphasis on art since that's supposedly the MC's passion. All the ocean vibes were perfect though.

This was not the normal kind of fantasy I read. It is a story of girl trying to save her family's house and land. She goes to an extreme to save it. I haven't read a book where a character to drawn to both guy and his sister. To me that felt gross. The book is beautifully written.

Thank you @booksforwardpr for the #gifted copy and especially Layne for getting me the audio while my eyes are being funky. Savior!

First off, this cover!! It could definitely hang on my wall as artwork. So beautiful.

But then, you turn the page and the prose is just as beautiful. Lush, gothic, and so atmospheric that you can taste the salt and feel the sea breeze. The world building was phenomenal if a bit slow.

Lark has had a heck of a time. Her school made being a dork at a cliquey all girls school seem like mini golf. What she endured only to come home and find out her whole life has been turned upside down yet again.
Rival families, a betrothal to a chthonic demon, a scandalous love triangle, and all the folklore make this one you won’t want to put down.

The audio was atmospheric and felt gothic. The narration was perfect.

What you’ll find:
🌊For fans of: Aquaman, Saltburn, Midsommer
🌊Sapphic
🌊Poetic prose
🌊Rituals and Gods
🌊Slow burn
🌊Complicated relationships

Tenderly, I Am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone is great for those looking to read…
🩶Gothic Romantasy
🩶M/F/F Polycule
🩶Flower-threaded Horror
🩶Saltburn Vibes
🩶Betrothal to a Swan God
🩶Dark Academia Meets Cottage Core
🩶Heartbreak to Lovers

I was unaware of some of the specifics of this going into & unfortunately this just wasn’t the book for me. I thought the writing style was very pretty & lyrical however.

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Spotify for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Ahhhh this is a tough one for me to rate. There were elements I liked about it, but also elements I didn’t. Overall I can see myself recommending it to others in certain situations, but I think maybe overall it’s not quite my kind of book. I’ll break down my thoughts below!

The things I liked:
- the vibes!! I’ve seen it described by some readers as romantasy (which I guess technicallyyyy it is because it involves gods) but I feel like that description doesn’t quite fit… It is very much a flower threaded, gothic, cottagecore, dark academia esque story. It felt very whimsical and the setting was incredible too, I could very vividly imagine what Lark’s cottage would be like and the surrounding area as well as Alastair and Camille’s house!
- I quite liked Lark as a character. She very much gives soft feminine vibes while still being a strong and smart FMC. I also enjoyed her love for art and that even though her dreams were ruined in a way, she still found a way back to it in the end
- I thought the storyline was very interesting and unique to anything else I’ve read! I definitely expected to see more of Therion (considering a bulk of the marketing for this book focused on Lark’s engagement to him) but I think the story played out in a satisfying way.

The things that left me wanting more:
- Alastair and Camille. As the two love interests in this story, I kind of just wanted more depth from them..? I was thinking this the whole way through, but now that I’ve finished the book I really just feel like I know basically nothing about these two characters outside their relationship to Lark. (and in Alastair’s case, his relationship with his father) it honestly makes me wonder if I’ve missed something?? They just feel like empty shells of characters with no real substance. Which made it real hard to root for any sort of a relationship unfortunately
- the relationship…. I guess this kind of builds upon that last point. I found it really hard to even want a relationship to grow between any of these characters. But beyond that, this book includes a polyamorous relationship (which to be honest might just not be my cup of tea to begin with) but the thing that really got me is that two of the members of this relationship are siblings??????? Like, that just kind of makes me uncomfortable… nothing ever necessarily happened between the two of them, but having them both involved in the same polycule just felt icky to me😭

Because this author is local to me, I really really wanted to love this one, but it didn’t quite work for me unfortunately. I could potentially see myself recommending this to others in certain situations (depending on the other person’s taste in books) but it wasn’t for me unfortunately.

This is a great forced marriage to solve a crisis tale, but fantasy world-building plus great characters. I love the cover and was intrigued by the lore. Will recommend to those who love romance.

Read this on ebook and wanted to snag the audiobook to listen to! The narrator does not disapoint and really brought the characters to life!

A dark gothic romance and a cover so beautiful! But sadly, this one was not for me. I found it quite boring, altough it sounded promising. The brother - sister thing was too weird for me. But my biggest issue was the narrator. Her style of reading might be great for others but I could not handle that.

Tenderly, I Am Devoured introduces us to Lark, the youngest sister, who returns home after being kicked out of school, finding her family's farm on the brink of being sold due to mounting debts. Desperate to save her family, Lark agrees to a marriage of convenience with Therion, the chthonic god worshipped by her isolated coastal hometown. When their betrothal is interrupted, Therion is banished from her world, but Lark still feels him connected to her and lurking, waiting to pull her back in. She was ready to make the sacrifice to marry him and go to his world for the salt season, but things did not go to plan and now she has to find out how to live her life in peace. Her only hope lies with Alastair, her arrogant first heartbreak, and his older sister, Camille. As this trio delves into ancient folklore, Lark finds herself ensnared in a fervent romance with the Camille AND Alastair. They perform ancient rituals to try and connect safely with Therion and explain what went wrong and to find a solution that saves them all. The story weaves between past events, revealing why Lark was expelled and her history with Alastair, and the present with working out how to survive.

This book was so uniquely beautiful and amazing. When I thought it was going in one direction, like a Hades/Persephone retelling, it took a totally different path, which I really enjoyed. The mystical world presented here was unique but never felt overcomplicated, making it easy to immerse myself. It explored great themes of family, love, and the eternal struggle between good and evil. The narration was excellent, and I particularly loved Therion's creepy, deep voice, which added so much to the atmosphere.

Thanks to NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 7/1/25.

Beautiful, haunting and so whimsical. Reads like a fever dream. Beautiful prose and stunning descriptions. Loved the narrator.

Tenderly, I Am Devoured was strange and unlike any romantasy I’ve read (although I haven’t read many). It was beautifully written and had a fairy tale quality to it. I’ve read and enjoyed all three of Clipstone’s other books and this was no exception.

As always, Clipstone’s writing was vivid and lyrical. I absolutely loved all the descriptions in this book, from sights to smells, down to what the characters were wearing. I felt full immersed in the world of Verse, especially because I was also listening to the audiobook. At times I felt like I was right there with the characters at Saltswan, looking out at the sea. The author stated that they were inspired by Saltburn and I can definitely see how it influenced this book. Tenderly, I Am Devoured stands on it’s own, though.

The book wasn’t super plot heavy, it was more about the emotional journey the characters go on. The story goes from the present to different points of Lark’s past. I really enjoyed the time spent with Lark at Marchmain Academy and I would have liked if we had gotten more. I wanted to spend more time during the beginning of the relationship between Lark and the Felimath siblings as well. I found the salt priests and gods to be interesting and would have liked to know more, especially about Therion. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Lark’s world.

The book includes a romantic plot involving polyamory which isn’t something that I’ve often seen depicted. Kudos to the author for representing poly relationships. The intimate scenes were handled very well and weren’t graphic. The book was more about Lark finding herself so I didn’t think any more intimate scenes were needed.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. If you’re looking for a summer read you can get lost in while you listen to the ocean waves or drink some tea, this is it. I’d recommend this to readers who like romantasy with a dash of horror (this author is known for writing flower threaded horror). Also, if you’ve never read Lyndall Clipstone’s other books I highly suggest you do. My suggestion is to read Unholy Terrors next! Thank you to the author and Mcmillan Children’s Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC for review.

AUDIOBOOK:
As far as the audiobook goes, the narrator did an excellent job of bringing the book to life. I really liked listening to the story. Each character had their own distinct voice. I particularly liked the voiced used for Therion. The way Therion would say “Lacrimosa” was just perfect. I’d recommend listening to the audiobook while reading the physical or ebook at the same time. I’d like to thank the author and Spotify Audiobooks for providing me with an ALC of the audiobook.

Unfortunately, I don’t think this book is for me. I’m not invested, and I didn’t care for the audio narrator. Maybe I’ll come back to it in the future.

Thank you for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first read by Lyndall and it won’t be my last. Her World at Lake’s Edge series has been on my tbr since the first book released and will now be moved up the list! I really enjoyed the narration. The love triangle was a bit unhinged, but it really brought something more to the story. I see why it’s advertised to people who like Saltburn. Also, the cover is to die for. Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen in exchange for a review.

Nothing about this book really wowed me. It didn’t feel gothic to me, and the ending was so slow. I just finished and I don’t know what else to even say about it. Meh 🫤

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

tenderly, i am devoured was a fantastic queer, dark academia novel with an emphasis on art and a mythical chtonic god called therion.

the only thing i couldn’t wrap my head around? — the polyamorous couple including siblings… that aspect was not for me at all.

as for the audio — the narrator did a great job!

New adult romantasy where most characters are bisexual and it’s pretty normalized in the culture. A why choose that also has Persephone/Hades vibes. It was entertaining enough but was lacking in world building for my tastes. But if you want short and sweet, standalone, and jumps-right-to-the-point fantasy- this is perfect.

Absolutely stunning. Tenderly I Am Devoured is everything I want in a book, achingly lyrical prose, rich worldbuilding, and a story that seamlessly weaves together dark academia, fantasy, and LGBTQIA+ themes.

Lark, the main character, returns home in disgrace from her academic life, only to find her family teetering on the edge of ruin, and at the center of it all is the boy who was once her best friend. What unfolds is a story drenched in secrets, gods, cults, forbidden knowledge, and the beautifully fraught path from enemies back to something like love.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic is so well done, slow burn, emotionally complex, and deeply satisfying and the queer representation is heartfelt and nuanced.

This book devoured me. I couldn’t put it down, and even now I’m still haunted in the best way. Lyndall Clipstone has written something both tender and brutal, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Perfect for fans of Tamsyn Muir, Leigh Bardugo, or those who love their fantasy with heart, teeth, and a touch of the divine.