This was a very cool book. I really enjoyed the illistrations and extra writing that the book offered. I highly recommend this book to people who enjoyed the series.

“If you can learn to love that which despises you, that which terrifies you, you can dance on the shore and play in the waves again, like you did when you were young. Before the ocean is friend or foe, it simply is. And so are you.”

The only thing that could make a book by Ava Reid more beautiful than the writing itself is the numerous captivating illustrations throughout that only adds more depth to these characters we have grown to love since A Study In Drowning. This novella is like the secret ingredient that cultivates all the elements we love of Effy and Preston as a couple, and of them individually. It felt like such a well crafted conclusion to their story, so tender and heartening.
It was bittersweet seeing so many references from the previous books, discovering more about the characters from their personal entries. While also uncovering more about the literature and lore that are the basis of theses books we all have grown to love by Ava. The world building in this series is truly phenomenal, I always appreciate all the details she puts into her work.
This novella is a complete work of art in every form, and I cannot wait for others to relish in it.

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and HarperCollins Children's Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up An Archive of Romance on December 9, 2025.

This book is one of the most visually stunning things I've ever read. I love the concept, the execution, and just the pure VIBES that this book emits. I didn't quite know what to expect when I opened it, but the visual components absolutely blew me away. I did just finish reading A Study in Drowning and A Theory of Dreaming recently, so several of the written components were familiar, but I love the extra slice we saw into Preston's time at Hiraeth via his diary entries, as well as the letters from Angharad and Antonia.

No spoilers, but the ending epilogue section was also the sweetest thing ever and 100% makes me glad this book exists. I can't wait to see how beautiful it is in person!