Fairydale by Veronica Lancet ♥️

After orphan Darcy receives a letter from the estate of a father she never knew existed informing her of his passing, she must travel to the mysterious town of Fairydale to attend the reading of his will.

“What could possibly go wrong in a town that rhymes with fairytale?”
Turns out, quite a lot!

From the moment Darcy arrives she is thrust into a whirlwind of unexplainable occurrences and odd behaviours from the townsfolk. There are secrets and non answers and so many things that just do not add up.

Amongst it all is Caleb Hale, a member of the outcast Hale family. His intense feelings towards Darcy initially catch her off guard, but she soon finds herself having feeling for him too, despite his shifting personas that bring a constant sense of whiplash. It’s not only the town that is putting Darcy in a spin, but her vivid dreams that feel so real that her reality begins to steadily slip through her fingers.

What starts as a gothic tinged mystery quickly evolves into something much more layered. The book spans three timelines that gradually converge into one sweeping love story that transcends time itself. The slow introduction of each timeline almost feels like reading multiple stories within the same universe, each fresh and distinctive, but still deeply connected.

Yes, it’s a long haul of a book, but never tedious. Just when one thread begins to settle, another timeline shifts in to refresh your attention and pull you deeper into the story. And you’re going to have to let things slide, like main character Darcy not pummelling EVERYONE with a million questions and just go with the flow of the book.

The author’s note at the beginning had me a little nervous that the story might be hard to follow, especially with its multiple timelines. But this wasn’t the case. Each storyline is clearly defined, and the transitions are smooth, making it easy to keep up as the story unfolds.

Fairydale comes with a number of trigger warnings, so be sure to read those first.

Fairydale was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me and I thank @simonschusterau @atriabooksaus and @netgalley for my copy.

this book & story is definitely an not for everyone but i absolutely loved it! If you love a gothic romance then you need to pick this book up now! The journey & the gothic vibes is truly one of a kind.

I don’t even know how to put into words what this book did to me. Fairydale is intoxicating, devastating, and unlike anything I have ever read before. It is gothic, it is horrifying, it is romantic beyond comprehension and it consumed me whole.

This story is more than a gothic historical romance. It is a fever dream of obsession, betrayal, and a love so dark and unrelenting it feels eternal. Veronica Lancet weaves together timelines, secrets, and shadows until you are gasping, questioning reality, and utterly entranced. Every word drips with atmosphere, and the coastal town of Fairydale becomes a living nightmare where nothing is what it seems.

Darcy is the kind of heroine who feels both fragile and strong, drawn into a web of deceit she can neither resist nor escape. Caleb is dangerous, magnetic, impossible to ignore. And then there is Amon. My god, Amon. He is the epitome of the obsessive, possessive, morally grey lover who would destroy the world for the woman he adores. His words are poetry, his devotion a madness that feels both terrifying and beautiful. He made me feral, aching, undone.

The romance in this book is not light-hearted or easy. It is raw. It is visceral. It is the kind of all-consuming love that scars you and brands itself into your soul. “I will find you in every lifetime” is not just a theme here, it is a vow, and Lancet makes you believe every word.

Yes, it is long. Yes, it is dark and twisted. But every page was worth it. By the end, I was destroyed, haunted, and already longing to reread just to feel it all over again.

If you crave gothic romance that bleeds with horror and fantasy, if you love morally grey men who would burn the world for their beloved, if you want a love story that is both beautiful and terrifying, Fairydale will leave its mark on you forever.

This is a heavy read, lots of twists turns and yearning but I wasn’t bored throughout captivated by Veronica’s writing style I enjoyed this book thoroughly

If you are the kind of reader that has triggers, I would suggest you check the content warnings first. If you don't, or want to read anyway then I would say that this book is best experienced with little to know prior knowledge of the plot if possible. But if you want to read on, by all means.

The book starts off as a small town mystery. Darcy has been told that she has been left an inheritance as an illegitimate child of her rich father. But in order to claim that inheritance, she must go to the small creepy town of Fairydale for the reading of the will. The weirdness starts right away, and it just continues to get weirder and weirder.

I honestly enjoyed the first 30-50% of the book. It was weird and I had no idea what was going on, but I just trusted that things would make sense when they needed to. The town of Fairydale was creepy and mysterious and I loved the gothic atmosphere and weird dreams. I enjoyed the feeling of not knowing if Darcy was a reliable narrator or if she was just losing her mind.

It was after the halfway point that the book lost momentum for me. This was a long book and at the end of the day I just think it was overly ambitious for a standalone with the different timelines and the direction the plot took.

The key theme of this book is an intense love story and while it takes a bit to get there, it is easy to see why this book has such a passionate following.

I think this book will appeal to readers who like dark romance and mystery, and either enjoy guessing what will come next or being taken by surprise.

Narration: first person POV, 3x character / timelines

Spice: 4/5

Tropes:
- Small town
- Paranormal
- Secrets & Mystery
- Forbidden romance
- Gothic atmosphere
- Morally grey MMC

I honestly haven't read a book in so long where I couldn't predict any of the twists and turns until about after the halfway mark. Fairydale is the gothic, spooky, creepy romantic story that dreams are made of. If you like American Horror Story/Nosferatu, any kind of creepy spooky media then this is gonna be right up your alley!

This is definitely one of the wildest and most unpredictable stories that I've read in such a long time. It kept me on my toes and intrigued the whole time. This book is huge (over 750 pages) and despite that I felt like I absolutely inhaled this book. I loved that the whole story is from Darcy's POV and that we have no idea what's going on until she knows too. Putting all the pieces together and trying to figure out what the bigger picture is was so worth it.

The last third of the book was a little bit slower given that there are extra long flashbacks that are necessary for the plot and the story also takes a whole different turn. That being said I enjoyed this book very much!

OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
SPICE RATING:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 5/5

WOW, just wow!
This was a loooong book, but it was the most amazing ride ever! Vintage gothic feels with mystery and suspense. I was hooked from the first page!
In the beginning i had so many questions and i loved that i couldn’t see exactly where the story was going. It was a little confusing at first but once we started with the different characters histories - some of it started to make sense!
The converging storylines were interwoven seamlessly and painted a portrait of the whole story that left you wanting more and more.
Veronica Lancet has created a beautiful love story that invokes a sense of dread and anticipation when reading.
I love the MMC - who doesn't love a morally grey killing machine with questionable choices...
And our FMC - she was so lovely and likable. I enjoyed seeing her learn more about herself.
The ending was great - love a good HEA!
Can we have a sequel? because i need to know what happens next!

This book will take you by surprise with all of the twists and turns, the story is truly a journey.
Definitely read the trigger warnings if you’re stepping into dark romance, I’m not the biggest dark romance reader but I did enjoy the premise of this book.
I would love to read more from this author.

Review of Fairydale by Veronica Lancet
* * * * *
A gothic romantasy that takes you on a journey, tons of swoon-worthy liners for all those romantics, and timelines that are bound to put your head in a spin.

Darcy is caught between worlds and situations, all thanks to one massive change in her life she didn't see coming. Now, she's stuck between two men who occupy her thought and actions.
A slightly complicated read, especially with the length and twists, but still enjoyable once you get sucked in. the love triangle situation is unique, and with all the cheesy angst, you are bouncing between who you prefer. Though, it was clear who the winner was...let's be honest.
Gave it a four star as it was in the mood for this read.

Fairydale by Veronica Lancet ✨

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this ARC from Netgalley, and was quite sceptical about this one!

Not going to lie, the first 40% or so did take a while for me to get into- a loooot of world building, some of which was quite confusing. It took me about a week to get that far into it!
The last half of the book though- I was NOT prepared. Shit got wild real quick, and all that world building absolutely paid off. My emotions were wild, and there was a whole load of ‘holy f it’s all coming together’ moments 🤣
By the end of the book, I was well and truly in love with it (and Amon 🫶🏻🤤). The ending was fkn amazing- the revenge, the closing of the storyline and the HEA ❤️

Key points;
- Dark romantasy
- Fated mates
- Touch her and die (👀)
- Love in multiple lifetimes

I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars- I absolutely recommend this book, but prepare for a long ride!

“What if I told you that you belong to me in a way no other woman belongs to a man? That I might be evil personified, but you’re the only one I’ll ever be good to”

This will be perfect for those who love tropes such as

🖤 Morally grey and obsessive MMC
🖤 Innocent FMC
🖤 A whole lot of spice
🖤 Gothic & Dark
🖤 Historical
🖤 Paranormal

OK, this one put me through the wringer regarding different emotions! I was confused, intrigued, angry, mystified and even the odd bout of disgust. If you’ve read this book, then you know what I’m talking about! And if you’re not disgusted, you need therapy 🤣😭 if that’s your kink, you do you boo, but I am judging you 👀👀

I enjoyed the aspect of going between the different time periods and how it all unfolded. I think that’s what kept me so intrigued throughout the book, the need to know what happened and all the mysteries that take place.

I won’t put any names to my review as I think that would spoil it for others but the FMC/MMC relationship frustrated me to no end in the first half. Like girl! You’ve just met him!! But towards the end you understand the WHY!

The spicy scenes are spicing and some went a bit too far for me. I’m no prude by any means but even when I told my partner about that particular scene, he even made the disgusted face. I also think he was concerned for me and what I read 🤣😭

Did I enjoy this? Yeah, it was a wild ride and I wanted to crack the puzzle, which I did at the 20% mark, so I was very proud of myself haha! But in saying that, I feel like it was written by two people? The first half felt like completely different writing to the second half? And why are the chapters SO LONG! I also think this could have been 150-200 pages shorter. Too much waffling and repeating the same sentences.

All in all, I had a good time but not a great time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Fairydale is a dark, gothic historical romance with strong paranormal and fantasy elements, weaving together fated mates, morally grey characters, and an all-consuming love story that spans millennia. The book starts out in 1955, and follows Miss Darcy O’Sullivan, an orphaned English teacher from Boston who learns her biological father has died—and left her an inheritance. The catch? She must travel to the mysterious coastal town of Fairydale to attend his funeral.

From the moment Darcy arrives, she’s swept into a world of odd residents, strange rumors, and unsettling deaths. She meets Caleb Hale, a brooding and dangerous man who challenges her to embrace her sensuality, but she’s also haunted by dreams of Amon d’Artan, a charming nobleman from two centuries past. As the tangled web of lies, deceit, and inexplicable events unfolds, Darcy’s journey becomes as much about self-discovery as it is about love and survival.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It’s very long, and by the end, I felt as though I’d read three different novels in one due to the vast time span and shifting layers of the story. At times, the plot’s complexity made it challenging to follow, especially given the sheer volume of deceit and twists. Some sections of the writing felt underdeveloped or rushed, which took away from the impact of certain scenes.

However, the love story at the heart of Fairydale is intense, passionate, and beautifully enduring. The connection between the characters—and the way it survives everything thrown at it—left a lasting impression on me. While it may not be perfect, this is a story that lingers in the mind long after the final page. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy gothic romance with heavy paranormal threads, intricate plots, and morally grey heroes.

Gothic historical and paranormal romance meet in this beautiful story about an orphaned English teacher who receives an intriguing invitation to her deceased father's town to collect her inheritance. From the moment she steps into Fairydale, something isn't quite right. Whilst Darcy finds herself drawn to Caleb, from the infamous Hale family, during the day, during the night her dreams turn to Amon d'Artan, a nobleman who lived two centuries ago.

This story is complex, and whilst it feels like a gothic historical tale at first, the paranormal, horror and fantasy elements are so well intertwined. It is packed with tension, longing, and heartbreak spanning different timelines and time periods.

Please check your trigger warnings! ❤️

Thank you Simon & Schuster for an e-arc! All opinions are my own.

🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 Fairydale
✒️ @authorveronicalancet
💫💫💫💫💫

If you could rate a book 6 stars, which book would it be?

THIS BOOK!
HANDS DOWN!
100%
READ IT!

Fairydale is a dark, paranormal romance with three timelines that have you on the edge of your seat and wanting more.

We meet Darcy, an orphaned English teacher in Boston. When a mysterious envelope arrives, claiming that she is part of the will for the father she never knew, she packs everything up to visit Fairydale. A sizeable inheritance has her arriving in the town, but the odd people, rumours, and deaths have her staying. Especially the extra mysterious Caleb Hale and the man of her dreams, literally in her dreams, Amon... who lived over two centuries ago.
When an ancient evil threatens the town, Darcy must choose to fight or sacrifice it all.

As soon as I started reading this book, I could not stop. The plot is impeccable, the world building is astounding, and the characters are incredibly written (I did have a slight issue with Darcy's internal monologues. She talked to herself a lot 😅).
The romance was interesting at first. It took a little bit for me to get behind what was happening. It is not your usual love triangle, and when the reveal happens, I was shocked. I did not see it coming. The love is villainous in creation, but it's a dedication that spans all of time.

Please be aware that this is dark, and I mean you need a torch with a long battery life. Please check the warnings before reading.

Thank you so much to @atriabooksaus for an eARC of this book! I saw that you recently got the physical copies, and I am very happy to adopt one of those 🤣