I think there are sometimes books that you do not know how to properly write a review for as you cannot even begin to form your experience reading. This was one of those books for me. Since getting this netgalley I have reread this book three times. Everything about it is a comfort read for me. It is just one of those books that reminds me why I love reading. I love it so much I had to get a physical copy for my shelves because I think the cover is just stunning. Getting into the story itself, as someone who lives for dark fantastical reads it was from start to finish in my opinion perfect. This was my first experience with this author and I am now a life long friend. I have recommended this book to so many loved ones and will continue to do so probably until they tell me to shut up. This book fully encompasses why I love reading.

the writing got pretty redundant & this author loves the word "crimson", but it had all the autumnal gothic vibes that I've been craving, so i had a pretty good time 🤷🏽‍♀️

I actually got all the way to the 80% mark in this one and realized I didn't care about any of these characters or what happened to them.

Full review to be posted soonish.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I actually never finished this book.. it's good, but I'm just not digging the YA vibe. I knew it was YA going into it, but I guess I'm just not a big reader of YA like I used to be. I will still recommend this book and our library has purchased a copy.

The opening chapter was extremely promising and drew me in. It was dark and mysterious and I was here for it, but then the rest of the book came and I was underwhelmed. I found it extremely boring and the book was mostly done by the time I realized there was even a plot. The cover is great though!

I still don’t know what to think of it… it was nothing like what I had expected it to be but I was really pleasantly surprised by the inventive magic system and the way that this book explored the themes of love, loyalty, and faith. All of that being said, the ending was surprisingly satisfying for a book that has a sequel. I’m not sure that I’m going to read said sequel but either way I definitely have fun reading this first one and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good Ya Gothic romance.

I received an arc of this book from MacMillan and I was definitely excited to read it. The plot was interesting, and so were the characters. I did, however, feel like the plot was not unique, and I the ending did not surprise me.

I enjoyed Lakesedge for two reasons. One was that the book managed to surprise me. The story itself wasn't the most unique, but it managed to take some interesting turns especially towards the end. The second reason is because of the relationships between the characters. I'm not sure if I cared about any of them individually, but I'm a sucker for a found family story with a dash of romance.
The only thing that gave me pause was Leta's relationship with the Lord Under. I get that he's evil and she's using him, but there is also an affection between them that feels weird seeing as they met when she was a child. It would be the one thing holding me back from wanting to dive into the second book because of the focus on that relationship and how it would make me feel. I love a good Death Personified romance, but this time it just felt a little off. But I will give book 2 a chance!

I absolutely loved this book!
The characters are compelling, the writing is beautiful and it's the YA gothic fantasy of my dreams. It's full of mystery and atmosphere as you learn more about Lakesedge, Rowan, the monstrous Lord Under and Leta herself. Nothing is ever what it seems and you can't wait to find out what will happen next.
There's a beautiful estate, a creepy lake, magic rituals, characters you can't help but love and hidden secrets.

This book was absolutely captivating from the very beginning. I loved the dark, creepy storyline. I loved the dark retelling of The Secret Garden. I loved that I personally got some Phantom of the Opera vibes too with the cover and parts of the story. I loved the ending although I need the second book this instant! I cannot wait to see what happens next year!

DNF at 15%

I don't normally DNF books this early. Normally I give them at least 25% to get good. But this one deserved no more of my time. We were on a 7 hour road trip today, and I didn't read a single page. All because of this book. This book had me dreading reading. So no, I won't be continuing it. Can't tell you why this one is so hyped, but I won't be jumping on that hype train.

I really wanted to love this book because I am a major fan of gothic novels! However, there were many disturbing scenes that made me uncomfortable. Still, the novel is very well-written! I do recommend this for fans of the paranormal genre!

A thrilling gothic tale. Well written and perfect for those looking for something paranormal adjacent.

The beginning of this book gave me such wonderful Beauty and the Beast vibes and I was all for that. Violetta and her brother are abducted by "The Monster", Rowan, and brought back to his estate on the cursed Lakesedge in order to help purge the lake of the corruption. As the story progresses, it drastically diverges from the Beauty and the Beast storyline and into much more sinister waters of the underworld. This book had all the makings of a great read for me, but the last half was so sluggish and I felt like I read the same tense scene over and over at least 3 times. It just lagged too much for me. It had good promise but fell short. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC. 3 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

I gave it a good try but I just found the main character Leta too annoying to continue. The other elements in the book just weren't strong enough to get me to stay.

Wow. This book was utterly amazing.

The whole premise was interesting and the world building was top notch. The only complaint that I have is mainly that that the book seemed to simultaneously drag on and move on way too quickly all at once.

I loved it though.

The slight enemies to lovers storyline was very cute and well done. Clipstone referenced several times some pretty old practices. <i>Seal on your heart, seal on your arm</i> That is referenced in several historical fiction books and I absolutely love it. It's so freaking romantic.

The magic was very intriguing. The whole dark and light parallel was so so well done.

Honestly, I need a second one 'cause that was a very big cliffhanger.

"I can think of countless foolish things I want to do. In the end, I do the most terrible of them all. I lie."

⭐⭐💫

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are honest and my own.

Content warnings: self-harm, injury, gore, physical abuse, parental abuse,

Lakesedge follows Violeta, an orphan girl desperate to keep her little brother Arien safe from shadows and darkness that swirl and haunt him at night. Their adopted mother of sorts seems to think this is a sign Arien is evil or possessed, and is abusing them both. While she debates whether running away is an option, a local lord with a reputation for evil (rumor has it he drowned his whole family!) takes both Violeta and Arien to his haunted estate for mysterious reasons. Will Violeta be able to discover his hidden motives, all while hiding her own?

I was most drawn in by this absolutely stunning cover, and was intrigued by the idea of a YA gothic fantasy. This is not my typical sub-genre, but I enjoy branching out! My favorite part of Lakesedge is the atmosphere. The author does a splendid job of making scenes leave you with chills almost reminiscent of Erin A. Craig in House of Salt and Sorrows. Sometimes the writing did suffer from repetition. I enjoyed learning the definition of a new word to me, bower, but then bower was used to a frequency that took away its magic. Some scenes that held appeal or intrigue were remembered by the MC on so many occasions that they twisted into scenes I was annoyed at having to reread yet again.

I enjoyed the plot with Rowan, the found family trope in the manor, Violeta's sense of humor in the worst of situations, and the chemistry between Violeta and Rowan! Unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy anything about the Lord Under (the entire time I was imagining Lord Voldemort ahjfdgkfg and I also found most interactions cringy considering how they met), so my intrigue towards the end of the book was too low to want to continue the series.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy atmospheric YA fantasy, complicated romances, and monsters in both a figurative and literal sense!

Gothic Dark magic awaits the reader. I felt that the ending was a way to grip the reader into reading the next book and man did that win me over. I loved every creepy page and can not wait to get the next one. The feel and atmosphere are just perfect for the story and I love the characters.

Violeta is fierce about protecting her brother Arien. Sometimes when he sleeps, dark shadows surround him. When he has an episode in the village during the day; he runs into the woods. He hides because he knows people will be afraid of him. Lord Sylvanan rules the village and he finds Violeta and Arien in the woods and promises that he can help with the shadows. They travel together to Lord Sylvanan’s grounds and discover that he also deals with darkness and guilt. His first name is Rowan but Violeta doesn’t trust him to not harm Arien. They see Rowan’s shadows and how he has to make sacrifices to the Corruption so it won’t take over their world. Slowly, she begins to trust him and tries to help stop the Corruption. Arien is taught to use his magic by Clover, the alchemist who resides in Rowan’s home. The housekeeper Florence takes good care of all of them. Arien grows stronger and believes in himself as Clover helps him grow and direct the shadows. Lord Under appears to Violeta, Leta for short, and she recognizes him from when she made a sacrifice to keep Arien safe when they were younger. She trusts him but she shouldn’t trust him completely. Lord Under watches over the souls of people that have passed on. Their hearts live on in trees within Lord Under’s world. His domain is falling apart too and he’ll do anything to save it. Interesting, unique world. 4 stars!