Tom Apollyon returns to his uncle’s pub in Cromer, struggling with his ability to sense auras and considering ending his life until he meets the enigmatic Theo Harper, who saves him from drowning. As their romance blossoms, they face a new challenge when Theo’s selkie skin goes missing, forcing them to reclaim it to secure their future together.

This is a slow moving historical romance that primarily focuses on the lives of Tom and Theo and their burgeoning relationship, with a side twist of “oh no, can we trust each other enough to solve this problem together?” This was personally a little too slow for me, and then I didn’t care for the sudden shift of other people’s perspectives. I understand why the author did it (I guess?), it’s just a pet peeve of mine. It is beautifully written though, and I did like the characters. I can imagine this being a great book in someone else’s eyes, this just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oliver Herber books for a copy of this ebook. Review is honest and my own.

This was my first book by this author, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was a little bit slow for me, but it didn’t take away from the story - I think the author's writing style had a lot to do with this, it was really expressive and cozy . I LOVED the historical coastal setting, I am a sucker for this type of book. The romance in this was lovely, although it might deter some readers that one of the main characters is in a relationship with someone else for a lot of the book. I didn’t mind, but I know that can be a trigger for some people. The only small problem I had was that it felt like a lot of the plot was a bit rushed, for a slow moving book. I still enjoyed it, but I wanted more!

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I absolutely loved this novel.
Such a great story with defined characters and a great plot.
What drew me in the most was how fleshed out the characters were
The writing style was fluid and relateable.
The cover was fascinating as well.
A reviting read overall
Definitely recommend adding this to your TBR!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley. This has not influenced my review.*

I really liked this book, a lot. The characters were all well written and thought out and you could easily tell who was who throughout the book's journey, which not all authors can do well. I felt that 90% of the book was engaging and had me gripped. A little bit of the dialogue parts were a little slow, however, so maybe take a look at that for the next book? I really liked it and would easily recommend to my followers at any point.

This is interesting, entertaining with mysterious characters. It's not really romantic, but it does have a love triangle with a twist. I enjoyed reading this book and it's happy ending.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.

A lovely, introspective book about Tom, a depressed man with heightened sensory abilities, and Theo, a selkie. A brief aside, the reader should not skip the author’s note with trigger warnings, which I won’t repeat here, except to say that I thought the author handled some difficult themes with great sensitivity.

This is a rather quiet and moody story but with plenty of bright spots as well. The atmospheric quality of the English coastal town of Cromer in 1901 sets a mood that matches the emotional tone of the story. There were fewer on-page selkie moments than I had expected. But the story is woven with presence of many characters who are something more or different than ordinary humans, and all of this aligns with queer characters in a really interesting way. Self loathing vs happiness in one’s own skin, trying to understand how we all fit in the world despite/because of our quirks and abilities, the importance of self love but also meeting the right person at the right time - so many interesting themes. Several characters struggle with the repercussions of difficult father-son relationships, showing how misogyny and stilted male emotions impact gay men in many of the same ways as straight men. Tom and Theo have an instant visceral connection, and I really enjoyed watching them navigate their growing connection along with the complications in their lives. The secondary characters are really intriguing as well. The writing is beautiful and I’m not sure I caught all the ideas and imagery the first time around; this will be on my reread list.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a bit of a slow read, but in a nice way. It felt comfortable if that makes sense. Honestly it felt like the title. It's not terrible exciting, but it's smooth. It's all a bit ephemeral, and a lot feels unsaid but again, in a good way. I don't know how to explain it honestly. I really liked all the characters. I love that there's no "bad guy". It was so nice. I kept waiting to hate a specific character but it never came. The main characters are great, and their connection was so comforting and just felt...right. I thought the ending was perfect and exactly what I was hoping would happen. It was what was deserved.

I enjoyed this, and it was well-written! I liked the characters and writing style and paranormal elements.

The main problem though is that it feels like the author tried to include too much. A romance between Tom and Theo. Tom’s powers that he struggled with and didn’t know how to control. Tom’s alcohol addiction and depression. The relationship between Tom and his uncle that they started repairing. The relationship between Theo and David that had no spark and wasn’t working but that neither had ended yet since they did care about each other in some way. The history between David and Tom. David’s feelings about his boyfriend being attracted to Tom. The selkie seal skin being taken (it’s mentioned in the description, but it’s barely even a blip in the book). Paul (Tom’s uncle) and a bit of his story. All of these threads were great ideas with potential! I was interested. I would’ve liked to know more and go deeper with them. But they just weren’t explored enough. And for a romance, the main characters didn’t seem to spend much time together, either in their lives or in page-time. The bulk of the book mostly seemed to be taken up by inner monologues.

I also struggled to figure out and remember whose POV I was in sometimes. And sometimes something would be worded in a way that made me confused, like the POV character seemed to know a little too much about what another character was thinking or feeling (and I’m not talking about Tom’s empath powers). Also, speaking of POVs, I didn’t really see the point of including David’s. It wasn’t used in a way that added anything. At first I thought perhaps we were getting it because this would be a surprise throuple romance, but no. (I suspect he may get his own book though.) Same for starting the book with Paul’s POV, it didn’t add anything.

The writing was lovely though! It had sort of old-timey eloquence to it that I enjoy.

The historical coastal setting was nice too.

I also liked the characters. Tom and Theo were easy to like. Tom was struggling with his empathy and related supernatural powers that he didn’t understand, drowning his troubles in alcohol, sometimes having depressive bouts. Theo was long-lived and sort of started just moving with the current of life but maybe not so much really living it. David wasn’t the most perfect or likeable person, but he wasn’t bad either, just someone’s whose upbringing affected him. Paul was sort of prickly and cold toward Tom, but admitted to his flaws and mistakes.

Some readers may take issue with the fact that this is a romance and one character is in a relationship with a different person for most of the book. But it’s a spark-less, failing relationship that both characters were planning on ending. And personally, I like when books explore and portray the complications and messiness that life can have, especially when it comes to relationships. Plus, I like that no one was made out as a villain.

Tom had empath powers. Paul had similar powers. Theo was a selkie. David had some sort of witchy powers. I can’t say any of it was used in the story much, but still, I like those sorts of things.

This is one of those books I’m really struggling to decide on a rating for, because it had all the foundations to be a great book, it had good writing and ideas and characters, but it just didn’t delve deep enough into all the things that were included. But, despite my complaints, it was still a good book, and I enjoyed it.

A slow, sweet, contemplative historical romance with a hint of magic! Perhaps a bit too slow and internal for me personally, but I think this could work for a lot of historical romance readers if you go in with the right expectations (I wanted the plot to be more substantive). Like Silk Breathing reads like a character study of a few people (there are a couple chapters from POVs outside the main 2 characters), adrift in their lives and making their ways in a small coastal town. Heavy topics are handled gently with grace, such as grief, alcoholism, and depression/suicidal ideation, and I appreciated the author's note regarding this content - the book itself focuses on recovery and living with these issues. Tom runs his aging uncle's inn and one night encounters Theo walking along the beach; a connection sparks between them and from there the book centers learning more about the characters and their past and current situations and what they might do to have a life together. The blurb mentions the theft of our selkie character's skin as if it it's a mystery to be solved in the book, but it actually doesn't take place until about 60% and the thief is readily apparent. I'd recommend for anyone who enjoyed Cat Sebastian's Page & Sommers series or Alexis Hall's A Lady for a Duke!!

Content Warnings my ARC didn't have: attempted suicide, depression, death, grief, alcoholism, cheating (kissing only), fade to black, point of view chapters from two side characters

This was a lovely little seaside jaunt of a book. It had some heavy themes but they seemed to be more accepted as something that simply was instead of a Big Dramatic Thing. The subtlety magical world building made me want a deeper dive into the lore of witches and selkies and witch hunters. The two main characters were also lovely and the slowburn relationship was nicely developed.

It's just a nicely packaged simple little story. I wasn't expecting much and it gave me a lot even without Theo ever shifting into a selkie on page.

<i>I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.</i>

Like Silk Breathing wasn't what I expected it to be based on the blurb but still fell in love with it. It's a beautifully written story with a melancholic, yet dreamy atmosphere. This was a paranormal romance story in an alternative-historical setting steeped in a bit of slice of life for that period.

I wasn't expecting the book to be very character driven and have a focus on depression as was shown in the portrayal of Tom. The way it was described felt so real and hit a bit too close, I had to stop at some points to take a break. Those moments where Tom felt light and clear made me smile in contrast.

The characters were interesting including Paul, Benson, David and Mrs. Lloyd. I liked how their relationships with each other were explored throughout the tale. All of them were bound by fate, their lives meant to meet and be entangled for better or for worse. There was an attempt to show the similarities between Tom and his uncle Paul and their situation but this got lost somewhere during the story.

Tom and Theo were likeable and their romance is a slow-burn. Within the story, Theo is in a relationship with David but it has been deteriorating for sometime now. Both struggled on how to end things and thus complication arose from that indecisiveness. The romantic relationship between Tom and Theo was a slow build-up but their connection was lovely. I wished we were given a chance to see these two properly together and not just in the last few chapters.

The supernatural elements in the story were subtle and fit nicely with the way the world-building was done. I'd have liked it better if there were more details regarding Tom's power and Theo's background as a selkie but what was provided was enough to not be much of a deterrent in enjoying it.

Overall, Like Silk Breathing was a delightful with its gorgeous prose, lush, dreamy atmosphere, endearing characters and nuanced portrayal of depression. I'd recommend giving this a try if one was into slow-burn romance with their historical fantasy.

This would be 4.25 stars out of 4 stars for me.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and I have chosen to publish my fair and honest review.

The writing style put me off on this one almost immediately. I couldn't stay interested in it and it kept sending me around in circles. I couldn't connect to the plot or the characters and I ended up DNFing at about 25% so I'm not sure if it got better. I really wanted to like this one but just couldn't stay invested.

Like Silk Breathing was an interesting take on a Selkie romance. While I had a good time with this story, I did struggle a bit to keep all of the characters clear and separated in my head during this narrative. I'm not sure if it was the Tom, Theo, Paul of it all with period-appropriate white guy names or if the characters were just not unique enough to keep straight in my brain. I'm also not entirely sure why I expected a little bit of spice or heat to this story, but if you are looking for that this will not be your jam. This is a mild but sweet story that deals with some heavy issues. Trigger warning for suicide, alcoholism and closeting.

Thank you Netgalley and Oliver Heber Books for granting me access to an Advanced Reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I thought, at first, this was going to be a mystery. It's much more a slow reveal about folks who are blessed with different skills/abilities..

This is a beautiful story with a lot of emotions. I enjoyed the plot. But there were a few things I found about the writing style that took me out of the story.

The switching POVs were a bit confusing. I often had to hope that I would read the name of the person who was speaking so I would know whose voice I was reading. That being said, it was interesting to have the different perspectives.

The dialogue was written in a way that often resulted in a line or two being followed by a lot of exposition. Then when the dialogue picked up again I had completely forgotten what had been said. Perhaps it would just benefit from editing.

Overal, an enjoyable story.

Content warnings: In case you don’t see the content warnings in the author’s note at the beginning: grief, loss of a loved one, depression, mental health, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt

"In his version of the myth about a man who stole a selkie’s skin, the selkie kept the man."

This was not the story I had expected based on the blurb. I had anticipated more of a suspenseful, action-y paranormal romance, in an alt-historical setting.

This is actually a much more internally focused book, rather than being concerned with a larger external plot. I found it to be a captivating and emotional look into mental health and especially depression as we see it through Tom, who I related to rather strongly. I would say I may have enjoyed it more this way, than if it had been what I had originally expected.

The way depression is described was intensely on point. I felt very seen by this book, and in a positive way, even if it hit harder than I’d expected. Especially with the progression we see with Tom throughout the book.

“Today is. . .” Tom paused as he replaced the pen. “Not inky. No.” He glanced up at Theo. “Yesterday was. I was drowning in ink.”


<b>The writing:</b>

The writing in this had a dreamy sort of historical feeling to it. It really helped set the tone for me, once I adjusted to it. It’s almost poetry at times, describing feelings and emotions and even just scenes.

The paranormal portion of the story seemed more allegory or myth-type analogy for exploring the relationships between the characters - Tom, Theo, Paul, David, even Benson and Mrs. Lloyd. It was still part of the plot, but much more myth than paranormal romance level.

<b>Romance:</b>

The romance is intensely slow burn, and also fade to black. Fade to black to the point that I almost missed the allusion to them spending the night together. I think I would have liked a little more on page, since they had fairly intense chemistry that had been stymied by Theo not leaving David for most of the book. It’s not a book that highly detailed explicit scenes would fit, but more than just a kiss would be nice.

Outside of the physicality chemistry component, I did like the pull between Tom and Theo. It was made more visible via the magic component of this world, but I also felt it in their actions and conversations. I found their connection to be well balanced and very sweet.

<b>Criticisms:</b>

As far as criticisms, the ones I have are mostly minor. The several POV - always a choice. It worked okay here to have David’s POV, so that we could get to know him and his actual lack of malice. The one that confused me was the opening chapter with Paul. That felt …out of place. It wasn’t necessary to set the scene, so mostly I was confused by it. I was able to pick up all the background information throughout the story anyway.

<b>Overall,</b> I ended up really enjoying this, but not for the reasons I had originally anticipated. I would not recommend this as a typical paranormal romance, but more if you’re looking for a contemplative, emotional read with a strong focus on mental health and the connections we have to people. It ends on such a sweet and hopeful note, that I felt was well balanced to the darkness earlier on, without completely erasing the permanent struggle that is depression.

This was a great story! I've read a lot of queer fantasy and this is definitely close to the top of my favorites. Tom and Theo come from two different world but feel an instant attraction to one another. Unfortunately for them, an ex/current lover, a missing skin, and other supernatural forces seem to want keep them apart, despite their desire to be with each other. Like Silk Breathing was an interesting and sweet fantasy romance that I greatly enjoyed reading.

Overall I liked this one, but I didn't absolutely love it.

This is a historical with supernatural elements, and while I never felt overly confused about the worldbuilding, I did find myself wishing for a bit more detail when it came to the witchy bits. Theo is a selkie (part selkie?) but other than his fur, increased lifespan/physical abilities, and a mentioned longing for the sea, I never felt like I had a real understanding of what being a selkie meant for him, or how it impacted him. Similarly, Tom is some sort of witch, and despite having his POV, I honestly didn't feel like his abilities were really very strongly incorporated into the narrative, to the point where I often forgot he had them at all--given that at the beginning of the book he's driven to a suicide attempt in part by how overwhelming he finds these powers, I wanted to see them more present in the book.

The book also starts in a very confusing way, with the first chapter set about a decade and a half before the main narrative from the POV of Tom's uncle, Paul--I honestly thought I'd grabbed the wrong book, as the set up in this chapter very much made it seem as if this would be Paul's story. I honestly don't think it did much for the story other than introduce some very side characters and kind of set up the story, but all of that could have been done easily through the main narrative. Similarly, throughout the book we occasionally get chapters told from the POV of David, Tom's ex-lover and Theo's current lover, and while I do understand why the author felt that was necessary, it was a little odd to have the romantic rival have POV chapters--I wouldn't be surprised if David got his own book.

Something about the writing style here didn't 100% work for me, either, and I have a hard time pinning down what about it rubbed me the wrong way. Something about it felt a little confusing, as if the author expected the reader to have more knowledge than we'd been given. It was fine, but I did find myself being thrown out of the story and having to reread sentences/passages because the meaning was a little opaque.

As for the character, I did really enjoy both Tom and Theo and thought their connection was lovely. I do wish we had more of a chance to see them properly together and developing their relationship, as until the last chapter, Theo is involved with David, and both Tom and Theo have agreed not to do anything until Theo has properly broken off with him. Which I do appreciate! But it ended up feeling a little frustrating that he doesn't actually break up with him for the entire book despite having feelings for Tom this entire time. I can appreciate there were practical reasons for why he didn't, but it was still frustrating.

Partially because there is absolutely no smut in this book. Which, had I known that ahead of time, I frankly wouldn't have bothered reading, because I want my romance with smut. Particularly when there is an entire book's worth of delayed gratification, and then when they get together we basically get a single kiss. There was some great chemistry, and not having any sexual payoff was both disappointing and didn't actually feel organic to the story--this story felt like it was building towards smut, and to not include it seemed an odd choice.

So, overall a mixed bag. Honestly, if there'd been a sex scene, I'd probably say this is an author I'd keep an eye out for and be open to reading more of their stuff, as this is their debut and most of my issues aren't reasons I'd write off an author. However, my personal preferences being what they are, the lack of smut in this book makes me think that is likely what I could expect in future releases, which means this is probably not an author for me.

This book and myself just didn't click I had to give up and walk away. I also felt like the first chapter with Paul probably didn't need to be there. But that's just my opinion.

That was a delight. Truly a delight.

Okay, so the style this is written in might be hard for some folks. It feels older--in a way I adore, but it did take a chapter or two for my brain to settle into the cadence of it. For a while, I was left scratching my head because we're introduced to characters that aren't really the main characters, but I know well enough to trust that authors will bring me back around to make it make sense. And I wasn't disappointed. It didn't happen exactly the way I thought it might, but I was pleased all the same. Theo and Tom are such amazing characters. Their hearts are beyond generous and open and I love them immensely. The portrayal of depression/melancholy as 'inky days' was so freaking beautiful. A great deal of the nuances of this book and these characters really resonated with me. Grief, love, acceptance, dark days, hope. This book was everything. I *highly* recommend it.