I loved the world created in this book! Gothic, dark, and full of mystery, I was sucked in from the beginning. The back story of Evelyn, the main character, is fascinating. I'm always here for portrayals of female characters with power, especially one with knowledge on herbs, medicines and poison. Her plant collection is a great detail!

However, I wish the detail also applies to the disease that haunts everyone in the book. I get what the author tries to convey, but the execution was lacking. The premise is haunting and left me with a "vibe" so to speak but if I think too hard about it, it doesn't really make sense. I think making the book longer would benefit the story more. Still, this was a great read and I'm looking forward for more stories set in this universe.

Having thoroughly enjoyed Caitlin Starling’s 2019 novel The Luminous Dead, I was very happy to learn that I wouldn’t have to wait long to read more of her work.

Yellow Jessamine (2020), Starling’s new novella, is completely different from The Luminous Dead but similarly features creepy atmosphere, a background of family trauma, and relationships filled with dysfunctional tension and longing.

Evelyn Perdanu is a wealthy woman in the city of Delphinium, a city that is slowly dying now that its surrounding empire has fallen to a coup. Evelyn is involved in shipping, and is also an herbalist specializing in “fixes to unfixable problems.” The story begins when one of her ships brings home a strange illness, and on the same night, she finds an equally mysterious man lying by the road near her house, injured and near death.

Yellow Jessamine will probably appeal to readers who also enjoyed books like Lane Robins’s Maledicte, with its decadent city setting and antiheroes. Starling sets the mood perfectly with the relentless rain that batters Delphinium, giving it the feel of a place that is dissolving literally as well as metaphorically.

Evelyn is kind of a terrible person — in the current climate, it’s especially hard to get behind a character who’s trying to downplay a deadly disease, not to mention some other awful things she does — but one has some sympathy for her as well. When we finally peel back the petals to find the tragedy at the heart of her life story, it’s devastating, and one of the most effective scenes in the book. It’s easy to understand what makes Evelyn as distrustful and paranoid as she is, but it can also be frustrating to read, especially when her ruthless actions undermine her own plans and goals.

Additionally, I felt that the story just needed a little more room to breathe. I kind of wanted it to be novel-length, so that there was more room to explore Evelyn, her relationship with Violetta, and the city and empire in which they live. Overall, I didn’t like it as much as I did The Luminous Dead, but it did satisfy the craving I sometimes get for gloomy cities and scheming poisoners.

Thank you so much Neon Hemlock Press for the ARC.

"Yellow Jessamine" is dark, entrancing, atmospheric and more.

Ever since I finished The Luminous Dead, I have been impatiently waiting for Caitlin Starling's next book to drop. Even though Yellow Jessamine is a novella, it still boasts that creepy and atmospheric writing that Starling is now known for.

In this novella, we have an incredibly wealthy shipping magnate who is watching her city crumble as a strange plague is ravishing the city.

I am always a bit wary when it comes to people writing about plagues since some people down play the gory details, which are honestly half the fun. Don't worry, Starling absolutely nails the horrifying disease as well as tops it with a truly gothic style cherry on top.

If you're looking for a quick read for spooky season, look no further.

Thank you to Neon Hemlock Press for providing a review copy through NetGalley. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

Yellow Jessamine is a book that creeps up on you slowly and refuses to let you put it down. It feels very Poe-esque in the way it infiltrates your mind and keeps you up thinking about it hours after you've finished it. The plot was next level and I delighted in how gothic and sapphic the story was. The slow tragic fade into death and decay was incredible. Truly Caitlin Starling excels at writing fantastic short stories.

I'm not really sure how I feel about this, I don't really have strong feelings on it one way or the other. There were definitely some incredibly interesting and atmospheric scenes but for some reason I found the plot hard to follow and was just slightly confused for the whole thing. I'm sure this will appeal to a lot of people but I think I just like things with a bit more of a straightforward writing style. Also while there definitely is a queer theme running throughout this book it is never really stated outright and definitely not presented in anything approaching an actual romance. This didn't contribute to my rating at all but I wanted to mention it because I know a lot of people read books tagged LGBT specifically for the romance aspect and that is definitely not the focus at all here.

Yellow Jessamine is a queer gothic horror novella following shipping magnate, poisoner and pretend-widow Evelyn Perdanu as a terrifying plague of mysterious origin devastates her already dying city.

I will start by saying that I'm not completely sure I got this. Horror endings are some of the most polarizing things to read for me, as them not resonating can break the book, and I think that's what happened here. The ending made sense, and it wasn't necessarily underwhelming, but I still finished the novella thinking "that's it?": it didn't make sense to me on an emotional level. However, that's something so personal that I don't think it should discourage others from picking the book up, despite it being the main reason I didn't get much out of this.

Because there is a lot to love about Yellow Jessamine. A story that knows the potential of a creepy poison garden is a story I want to love, and so is a story that explores how someone's paranoia can be at the same time their strength and their downfall. It is a creeping spiral from misanthropy to paranoia, all rooted in a self-loathing so overwhelming that it masks every other feeling in Evelyn's mind.

That might be one of the reasons people aren't recognizing this as a queer book, but it is, and it's clearly queer early on. No, the main character isn't in a place where she can think about loving or anything similar. However, anyone who isn't forcing heteronormativity on the novel can recognize that Evelyn is meant to be a portrayal of a lesbian who happens to be deeply unwell, given that from the beginning Evelyn spends a lot of time thinking about her maid Violetta undressing her, describes Violetta as (quoting) "special", "radiant", and the only good person in the world, and becomes clearly uncomfortable when men show any interest in her.

Overall, I didn't feel strongly about this. Reading Yellow Jessamine felt like following something to its inevitable consequence, but the atmosphere wasn't strong enough for that to work: it should have felt creepy and ominous, but everything was too vague and barely-grounded. Maybe I would have liked it more had it sacrificed some of its readability (it is a quick read) for some heavier writing. More detail and clear indication of how things looked like would have made the whole story feel much more claustrophobic. You can't feel trapped in a manor if the book doesn't even really bother telling you how it looks like.

I still have a lot of respect for how casually messed up this book gets, and Evelyn is a fascinating if somewhat static (that's kind of the point! She is rooted) character to follow, but I don't know how much it will stay with me.

I want to preface my review by stating that I received an ARC through Netgalley, however the copy I received was very flawed. Luckily enough Starling saw a comment I had posted on Twitter stating the file was messed up and reached out and sent me another file. Super thankful that she took the time to reach out to me and send the second copy! Yellow Jessamine was my first Starling book but it will not be my last. I already have her first book on my radar and you should too ( The Luminous Dead).

Yellow Jessamine is not only a beautifully written book it is STUNNING ( gold foil!). I have nothing against E-books but this is a book worth splurging on a physical copy!
There is a lot going on in such a short book and the twists keep me flipping pages like a mad woman trying to figure it all out. Is there a plague?? Possession?? Is this woman just bonkers? I am not going to tell you! GO READ IT!

Overall I loved the creepy and gothic vibes prevalent throughout the book. I loved the main character Evelyn Perdanu although I probably shouldn't. Starling developed Evelyn and the other characters phenomenally. If I am honest, I cant point out a single thing I disliked about this book. One of my favorites of the year for sure!


I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A dark sapphic read that I actually didn’t like?? Who knew.

I think what disappoints me the most about Yellow Jessamine was how much I LOVED the beginning. A powerful women who inherited her fathers shipping company, needs to solve the mystery of a deadly plague that is ravaging her town and ships, all with a special interest in Botany and the help of her maid/assistant who she may or may not like more than she should.

Of course, the story got even more cool when we find out her deadly secrets. Let’s just say she’s a fan of Belladonna. Then everything just degraded. The plot got wild- not the good kind- the world building became more confusing, and I’m stumped on the character arcs.

I’ll admit- I was interested in the female villain arc for Evelyn. We don’t see much and they’re usually hated- another reason why it pains me to give this two stars- but I was underwhelmed, and really confused. The confusion led to my frustration, which evaporated the little enjoyment I had while reading. Seriously WHAT WAS THAT ENDING??

Maybe, I’ll re read some day but for now: I recommend to people who genuinely read and love horror. It’s not my genre and maybe I’m missing the bigger picture. I did also find Evelyn was an intriguing MC, and it was nice to see more sapphic dark reads. However, please dm for content warnings, especially if you’re sapphic- I cannot write them here without spoiling.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Caitlin Starling really excels at creating a claustrophobic atmosphere and building up dread slowly, and those aspects were my favorite parts of the book. The events take place in a small city and the last half of the book is primarily set in the home of Evelyn Perdanu outside of town. I think this structure really emphasized the slow feeling of isolation. Evelyn's mental state deteriorates throughout as well and adds to that feeling. Her relationship with Violetta is unhealthy and codependent, a dynamic that Starling writes very well.

Unfortunately, everything else about this book fell flat for me. The plot felt cobbled together and the reveals of certain twists were underwhelming. The secondary characters were all underdeveloped, especially Violetta who is so prominent in the book.

“Yellow Jessamine” was one of the first books I requested from NetGalley because it sounded mysterious and I love a good mystery. It is about a shipping heiress who is living in a quiet town, but something terrifying has found its way to shore; during one of the returns of her ship, Evelyn and other people notice how some of the men appear to be catatonic. She is so confused by it, but it becomes dangerous when these strange beings try to speak to her. This idea is wonderful, but the ending feels a little rushed and not as exciting as one might hope. Evelyn as a character tends to stay to herself, but her assistant Violetta helps to ease some of the social anxiety that is part of the story. I do recommend this book if you like a good mystery, but keep in mind that the ending may not be what you expect it to be.

This is a dark, speculative tale. Starling does an excellent job of maintaining atmospheric horror throughout, I look forward to checking out other books as well!

Yellow Jessamine was an excellent horror novella with sapphic undertones. It was incredibly well written, and the ever escalating tension and paranoia were palpable.

I’d like to echo what several other reviewers have said - this was a good novella, but would likely have been an excellent novel. The pacing made sense for a novella, but just as I'd begun to feel invested in the characters and their relationship, it ended.

I'm definitely planning to check out The Luminous Dead, and will be recommending Yellow Jessamine to a few friends who I know will enjoy it!

Caitlin Starling has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Her work is always impressive and Yellow Jessamine is no different.

Yellow Jessamine was my first adventure with author Caitlin Starling and it will not be the last. I love eerie and creepy and dark (and even depressing), and this novella has it in spades.

The author has done a lot of research on plants and their uses. That was impressive. I also loved her style of writing. It was lush in detail with an engaging plot and interesting characters. Permanently veiled Evelyn Perdanu is not the kind of woman who will warm your heart. Death clings to her like a lover. But maid Violetta seems to carry a torch for her mistress though.

This novella has a queer label on it, but I found that rather a stretch to be honest. However, other reviewers seem to be happy so I let you decide for yourself. The book is a great read regardless.

There was a problem with the ARC I received. It was illegible. They used some old-timey script that was miniscule. If you tried to enlarge it, it would all blend together and so I had so try out various e-readers until one picked it up. But then that one wouldn’t display the last two chapters and so I went back to squinting my way to the end with the original file. No fun and I hope they will fix this for future publications.

I love the cover art! Well done!

f/f but it was a hell of a stretch

Themes: veiled, death runs in the family, a new plague, herbalist, poison, a city under siege, a tattooed stranger.

4 Stars

* A free copy was provided by Netgalley and Neon Hemlock Press for an honest review.

Evelyn really made this book. Whilst the ending left me with a lot of questions, I really liked the atmosphere of the story, and I absolutely loved Evelyn

Why experience a real life pandemic, when you can read about it in fiction??

This book was incredible. Creepy, mesmerizing, and hauntingly written. Quite dark, and a little messed up.

It's also very short, and I read it in a little over 24 hours.

I read The Luminous Dead earlier this year, and honestly I can't believe it's written by the same author. The creepiness is definitely there, but the writing style and setting was just so different, but really well done.

Evelyn as a character was just *perfection* I loved everything about her, from her backstory, to her motivations. The ending did confuse me a little, and you're left with a lot of questions, but it fits the overall aesthetic of this story.

The epilogue though...I love it and I sort of want to see more about Violetta.

3.25 Stars. This was an oddball little book. Parts of it I liked quite a bit, others not so much. I’m glad I read it but it wasn’t really what I was looking for. However, I do see myself reading more of Starling in the future. While I didn’t love all her story choices, she impressed me in her writing skills so I will be keeping my eye out for her new books.

I wanted to read this story because of two words, sapphic and horror. I didn’t realize that this was also a historical fantasy? and a novella too. I like novellas, especially when they are hearty in length and closer to book length then a short story which this had that feel at around 170 pages according to my Kindle.

I do want to point out I had some major issues with my early ARC copy. Not sure what happened with the formatting but all the words were stuck together with no spaces. The copy was in an old-timey script which I could not darken or enlarge to make reading easier. And it got even worse because sometimes the first letter of a new sentence was actually stamped over the last letter of the sentence before. Think of an old-school typewriter typing two letters right on top of each other. It was not easy for me to read. No one else mentioned any issues so I think it was just me that had this weird problem and I would not worry about it affecting you as a reader. I did not let the formatting reflect in my rating at all since that would not be fair, but there were times I know I skipped over a word because I just could not figure out what it was supposed to be. Plus, I had to read at a much slower pace which I know did affect my enjoyment some.

The two reasons why I wanted to read this book were two reasons for a bit of disappointment. For one, I would not call this sapphic horror. Instead, I would say this was a book with LGBTQ characters, and in my mind there is a difference. It is not until the book is almost over that it is even discussed at all about a possible WLW pairing. I would actually be tempted to say that the whole things was a gimmick, but I do know from Starling’s debut that her mains were in a WLW relationship in her book The Luminous Dead. I think the problem ended up being a lack of time in a novella so Starling didn’t build up the relationship that would have needed a sapphic tag.

I also found that I was not crazy about the horror. I was hoping for a bit more scary horror, but this was more creepy horror. I don’t know what it was but this book felt to me a little like what ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ would be if it was not a comedy.

On the good side, this novella stared really well. I was hooked into this time and place that could almost be a real historic setting that I wonder if it was loosely based on something real. As I mentioned before, Starling writes very well and I found myself getting lost in her prose and I could not wait for things to start happening. I also was a fan of the main character. She is super odd and weird but I love a morally grey character. A lot of this book was her having to come to grips with all she has done and having a taste of her own medicine so to say. The problem is instead of this happening in a super creepy way, I felt things just got a bit convoluted especially towards the end. I understood what was happening, but I still wanted to scratch my head wondering what am I really reading? I love weird but it was almost too weird for me. It had such a good set-up that I think it just fell a bit flat in the end.

This was not the book I hoped for but it did have some really nice writing and some good parts. I would not read this if you are looking for sapphic horror. I would read this if you are looking for good prose, a morally grey main character, and lots of weird and slightly creepy stuff. I purchased The Luminous Dead last year but have not read it yet. After reading this book I’m really excited to read TLD since I now know that Starling can absolutely write.

The lesbian daughter of a shipping tycoon runs a tight ship, but then people start dying. Is it the plague or something else.....

This is a book with few characters and a claustrophobic setting. Full of tension and mystery, packed tight into just over 100 pages.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I'd like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This was a new author and genre for me, and I liked it. It was rather short, and a quick read. Very atmospheric. In some ways, it almost felt too short, I think I would have enjoyed hearing a little more about the characters and their story lines to flesh out the story overall.

And for a book labeled as LGBTQ, I felt that was a bit misleading. The characters had feelings for each other, but that was kind of it. For me, tags like that on a book help me decide when to start a book or what to expect, so I was almost left feeling like I missed a chapter somehow. But overall, this was a good and fast moving gothic feeling novella. I'll be sure to look for this author again. :)