Though I wasn't familiar with The Mysteries of Udolpho, I am a fan of love triangles and gothic settings so I was excited to read The Alchemy of Moonlight. I'm happy to say the story did not disappoint on the swoon factor, though I did feel like the first half of the plot was much stronger than the second (which may have been affected by not knowing the source material!). Still, an enjoyable read.

This one didn’t really work for me. It was a slog to get through, but there’s a lot of potential there and would read other books from this author.

Overall an enjoyable queer read that hits those gothic romantic notes I’ve been craving.

At times I did feel this dragged on a little too long - I would’ve liked an earlier reveal for the werewolf plot. I also felt the romance needed some more yearning to really drive home the way Emilie navigates his feelings. Bram and Henri were both enjoyable love interests and I only wish the plot spent less time trying to set it up as a love triangle - I feel some time was wasted on the idea of ‘choosing’.

The pacing was generally good with a few slow portions. I also think the horror elements really elevated this story from just a gothic fantasy to a deliciously dark read fill of gothic tropes and a gloomy, tense atmosphere. The action is strong and the mystery elements are worked into the story so naturally. I also loved the dialogue and the internal narration - I truly felt for Emilie and was invested from page one.

I think anyone looking for a queer, gothic romance will enjoy what this story has to offer.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. These are my own thoughts:

I think readers will either love or hate Alchemy of Moonlight. I fall into the LOVE camp and fully did not expect to be as delighted and as engrossed in this gothic romance as I was. Admittedly, I did not see the twist coming in the middle of the book, but when it does!! Just wow, it wasn't what I expected at all and Ferraro is masterful in weaving together the elements of what makes a really good supernatural mystery.

I do agree that Emile is not exactly the main character I would have expected for such a fun supernatural romp, but I think his character made sense with what the plot needed to really go forward. If I'm perfectly honest, I can't recall AT ALL what he's supposed to look like or anything about him other than he has a title and an inheritance. While I can't really agree with another reviewer that he seems classist, I will say that there were aspects to his character that just didn't vibe well. Same with a couple other characters, and it's why, even though I REALLY ENJOYED THIS, I can't justify 5 stars. It's a very solid 4.

Reading the early reviews, this story sounded like it had issues that might hinder my enjoyment, but I decided to give the book a try because a friend of mine enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I could tell this book wasn't for me by a quarter of the way in, so I didn't finish it.

I can enjoy flawed and unlikeable characters, but it was just not fun to be in Emile's head. He's very fickle and honestly just classist, with an entitled view of the world. Maybe he grows throughout the story, but I wasn't invested enough to find out.

I was going to try and read further, but then Henri started being pushy and manipulative, which gave me the major ick. If he's supposed to be a love interest, I don't think I could ever root for him, even if he has a redemption arc.

I think this story might be enjoyable if you like the characters, but I personally didn't and so I decided to DNF.

A big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before anything else, I would like to take this moment to give my heartfelt gratitude to the publisher for granting me access to this wonderful queer book.

Lately, life has caught up with me, and I found myself in a predicament as I got swamped with a lot of ARCs that I either could not finish or unable to start reading. Which is why I am apologizing to both the author and the publisher for being unable to read and review this ARC. However, I will try my best to purchase a finished copy and review it when the time comes.

The plot of the book is intricately crafted, featuring unexpected twists and turns that keep readers engaged and guessing. The pacing is well-balanced, allowing for moments of introspection and quiet discovery, as well as thrilling action sequences that propel the story forward. The author's ability to maintain a sense of mystery and tension throughout the narrative creates a page-turning reading experience that keeps readers hooked until the satisfying conclusion.

Furthermore, the world-building in The Alchemy of Moonlight is immersive and imaginative. Ferraro creates a realm where magic and alchemy coexist, each with its own rules and consequences. The intricate details and lush descriptions of the setting enhance the sense of wonder and make the world feel vibrant and alive.

I really wanted to love this book but it was a complete disappointment. I only finished to find out what the big reveal was going to be and see how Emilie ended up with.

The first twenty pages were solid and then after that it went downhill. At first I liked the mystery but then it became so obvious that they were werewolves and the "mystery" became really tedious. I also struggled with it being in first person because Emilie's thoughts felt very bland and repetitive. I really struggled with both Henri and Bram being manipulative and controlling yet as the reader you are supposed to like them and root for Emilie to pick one of them??? Uh no.

The polyamory rep at the end was a nice plus but it could have been done so much better. It felt very forced and like the sudden reveal that Henri and Bram liked each other was just added in to make the poly relationship seem believable when more development could have been given to those two throughout the book and instead it wouldn't feel like they were just going to try because they both like Emilie.

Overall this is a 2/5 stars for me, only because I was at least curious enough to finish it and the poly rep but otherwise there were a lot of questionable things that made it lose points too.

The vibes of this book were immaculate. The gothic feel worked amazingly with this book.However this book definitely could've been at least 50 pages shorter. I also think the love triangle could've been better developed. In the end I really didn't care who the MC ended up with. Overall I think this book is good just lacking in some areas. If you read this book solely based on the vibes it's honestly really good.

The Alchemy of Moonlight follows Emile, who has procured work as a servant for Count Montori to escape his aunt. Emile finds himself in enticing romances with two men, Bram, a local doctor, and Henri, Montori's nephew. Emile eventually realizes that things are not all as they seem as strange and unsettling things continue to happen around the house.

Overall, this was very well written and interesting to read. The characters were slightly one-dimensional, but the plot by far made up for it. It took the predictability of a werewolf story and created a thrilling sense of dramatic irony that was engaging and exciting. The pacing was slightly off at some points in the beginning and it felt very rushed. I also felt this way with the development of Emile's relationships with both Bram and Henri.

This is probably one of the only romance books where you could completely cut one of the love interests and have mostly the same effect, but Bram had little impact on the plot. His scenes could have easily been given to Annette, a character whose only purpose was to advance the plot and to help Emile. Emile also did not have much of a personality aside from his situation, and to some extent, I understand the lack of it in such a plot-driven book, but I was still mildly disappointed.

This book was very enjoyable and well-executed. Thank you to the publishers and to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

Great read from the very first page. Beautifully written, I wasnt bored for a moment. I would recomend not reading the first chapter while eating, a mistake I sadly made. Whitty humour and amazing descriptions made me feel like I was living the story not just reading it and I finished it in a day.

I’m not really a fan of supernatural books. I’m not sure why but I wanted to give this one a try since it has queer romance. The story was fine but I felt like it was really slow at parts and too quick at other parts. The mystery aspect was fun but the “big reveal” could have happened sooner to play into that more. I didn’t really have any connection to the characters, either, so it just felt flat.

Emile is in hiding and works as a servant for Count Montoni but strange things are happening at the estate. Also Emile is starting to feel things for a handsome doctor and his life becomes even more dangerous after that.

I really liked the vibes that came from this book and I loved the atmosphere. I loved the different personalities of the characters and how the author portrayed them.

I also enjoyed the love triangle and couldn’t stop rooting for the different characters. The writing style is also something I liked quite well and the mixture of Horror and Fantasy was a really great blend.

Overall this was a nice read and I can only recommend this if you love a love triangle in a historical setting and which is also set in the fantasy genre.

The Alchemy of Moonlight is an excellent read. I quite enjoyed this read, despite the slow pace at the start. The story really started kicking off in part three, so if you're not a fan of slow paced/ slow burn books this is not a book for you.

The Alchemy of Moonlight is a gothic horror that is written very much in the traditional gothic form. It's a slow burn of a plot that ends up brimming with tension as we get closer to the climax. It's so brilliantly done! This was a lot more of a horror than I expected! The horror doesn't really start horroring in full form until the last part, but the early glimpses of it and the last part more than made up for it! There is one scene in particular that is so grotesque and perfect, I had to reread it twice because I was so enthralled in what was happening. This book is so atmospheric and the gothic aesthetic and setting really pulled me in right away. The characters are also really great too!! Emile was such a fun main character, albeit painfully oblivious sometimes haha. I loved him and his love interests! Bram stole my heart right away! Henri took some time for me to warm up to, but once he got there, I adored him. Overall, this was a really amazing YA gothic horror. The mystery is felt throughout and I loved the slow burn of it all. The tension was brimming as we got closer to the climax and it was all so well done. I was hoping to love this book, but I'm surprised by how much I loved it! I really look forward to reading more by David Ferraro in the future (and also wouldn't be upset if there was a sequel to this)!

This was a fun easy shifter romance/mystery. I'll admit that the pacing was a little off BUT I love some character driven plot and that is ultimately what we got. I'm intrigued to see what the author writes next and will hope for some general improvements

A YA gothic romance with a slice of horror/mystery, it follows Emile, a marquis who is running away from home to avoid having to marry.⠀
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He wrangles a staff position at a noble estate (he's v bad at it). There he meets Henri, the Duke's nephew, as well apprentice doctor, Bram. When he finds a severed hand in the gardens... the machinations begin. Emile plots to keep his inheritance, while investigating the murder, as well as the strangeness of Duke. All while trying to decide who he actually wants to smooch.⠀
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If you enjoy:⠀
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🖤 gothic romance⠀
💀 mysteries⠀
😬 forced proximity⠀
🕸️ contemporary style prose (anachronistic language) & possibly...⠀
🐺 🌕⠀
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then you should check TAoM out!
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While I did like how things turned out at the end, this book wasn't quite what I'd hoped for. V much so "it's not you, it's me", in that TAoM is, essentially, an insta-lovey romance with a gothic horror setting, & a smaller focus on the mystery itself.⠀
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Plot aside, I couldn't get behind Emile! He's kind of a brat, and the concept of not being a pampered noble? *Emile shudders!* He was honestly just a bit dim, and so enthralled with his own emotions, he seemed to change his opinion/goals with the wind.⠀
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Only by reading a handy dandy Tor.com article (https://www.tor.com/2021/12/14/turns-out-the-much-maligned-mysteries-of-udolpho-is-good-actually/) about the OG book did I (possibly?) grasp the intent of this, but it did not translate with flipped genders. Emile's experience/treatment would not be the same as a woman's in this era, & so it just comes off as melodramatic. Emile acts trapped in ways that he's, frankly, not. Is Emile powerless? No. Does he act it? Abso-freaking-lutely.
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So while this was mostly a miss for me, plenty of people will enjoy it as a largely fluffy romance, with an edge of the grisly and gruesome. If that sounds like your thing, give it a go!

I loved this! The cover immediately grabbed me and tho I’m more of a vampire fan, who could say no to gay werewolves. I was overall very happy with the story and writing. And *spoilers* I was so happy to see the love triangle ditched in favor of a poly werewolf pack.

Gay gothic YA with a supernatural twist? Sign me up!

The Alchemy of Moonlight follows marquis Emile as he disguises him as a servant to hide from his aunt who threatened to disown him. He quickly stumbles into a mystery while under the service of Count Montoni and tries to hatch a plan to blackmail his way into reclaiming his inheritance. Of course, nothing is as it seems with the Montoni family, and as his complicated feelings for Henri and Bram continue to increase, so do the stakes surrounding the mystery he's thrown himself into.

This read wasn't anything mind-blowing for me, but I still had fun with it! I enjoyed watching Emile stumble his way through things he didn't understand, and it was interesting to meet both Bram and Henri and get to see their dynamics as they developed with Emile. I will say, it got old a bit quickly to constantly have Emile whining about how hard it was to choose, but I'll let it slide for the payoff.

The plot felt very slow moving at first, but as it got closer to the end, a bunch of things happened back to back and it was a bit much for me personally. It got to a point where every chapter was like "okay we're FINALLY safe" only to have Montoni kick down the doors big bird style five seconds later. Oddly enough, I think I had an easier time staying invested in the slower beginning of the book than the end because the end felt like it was just jammed with too much at once. I think I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more if it'd been a little longer, because I don't know that I really fully got the chance to process all of the back to back revelations and events.

I liked seeing the way things worked out in the end, though! I do wish some of the decisions that were made had a little bit more foundation laid for them in the earlier sections, though. I spoiled myself for one of the big things, and I was EXCITED for it, but ultimately I found that there wasn't enough groundwork at the beginning for it to be fully satisfying. I liked it, don't get me wrong, but it didn't wow me the way I wanted it to.

Overall, I do still think there's a lot of people out there who would enjoy this! I think a lot of the things that didn't work for me were very much personal preferences, and I think anyone who's a fan of gothic YA and werewolves should give this one a shot!

ARC received from Netgalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was first drawn in by this book’s cover! What a beautiful piece of art. Now that I’ve read the book, I think it gives the reader a good sense of what is coming without giving too much away.

This book is Young Adult, although at times I would say it reads a bit younger. It’s also billed as a gothic, fantasy romance. The fantasy is definitely covered! Don’t read ahead if you don’t want spoilers!



This story being when Emile is in hiding. After his father’s death, he was basically driven away from his inheritance by his Aunt because he is gay. He has landed as a servant in the house of Count Montoni. While it’s a big step down from his previous station in life, he won’t be forced into a loveless marriage for the sake of his inheritance.

While with the Montoni family, Emile makes a couple of acquaintances that have the potential to alter his life greatly. He meets Bram who is a local doctor and sees past Emile’s role and treats him as an equal and friend from the moment they first meet. He also becomes more acquainted with Henri. The nephew of the count is a handful. He’s used to getting what he wants and he wants Emile.

In addition to Emile’s deliberation over his feuding love interests, he discovers that there is something nefarious going on. Bodies are found, spooky encounters in the dark, secret passages, and whispering.

There are some twists and turns you won’t see coming and the story is solid.

DIDN’T WORK FOR ME

This didn’t quite hit the “gothic” mark for me. I can’t really put my finger on it except to say that Gothic is much more than a spooky setting. In my mind, gothic is the state of mind of the characters, the entire setting, the foreboding, and the dread. I’m prepared to accept that this may just be my personal idea about the genre.

Bran and Henri were great characters, but I felt that Emile was less developed for some reason. Other than being really conflicted about his love for two people, I don’t feel as though I got to know him very well beyond the conflict he was having with his family.

I’m not sure I read much chemistry between the characters, and therefore the ending felt a bit forced and fast for me.