First I would like to thank the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have read a few of Alexis Hall’s books and I was excited to see her newest release available on NetGalley. This is the story of two women in a time where people do not have a high opinion of them and if you do not fall within that expectation you are cast out and looked upon as a witch.

What I loved
- Narrator, I really enjoyed having a third-party storyteller who not only kept the story going but also added additional “flavor”
- Strong Women, there are a lot of characters in this story and so many of them are strong women. They stand up for themselves, what they want and everyone else be damned
- Magic, there are a lot of different types of “magic” that is explored in this story and additional bonus throwing stones at the traditional church system 😉

I had high hopes for this book but something about it really did not resonate with me. I think all of the pieces were there but it did drag in some points and there were plenty of points in the book where I wanted to throttle the main characters. Without spoiling things I can’t really say much else but this book literally put me to sleep at times. Now if you are one that likes a longer story with great magic references wittiness and a great LGBTQIA romance I would absolutely encourage you to give this book a try!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a galley in exchange for an honest review.

I like the book. The setting is fun and nicely developed. The characters are neat. The concept is cool. That is, the concept of the main character being cursed and trying to track down the person who laid the curse. That was fun. Except the story is only kind of about that. It's about curses and romance. Which is fine but I really assumed the balance would be a little more even. For me, the pace of the book suffers from that unevenness.

Three stars.

If you have been dreaming of a crossover between Bridgerton and A Midsummer Night’s Dream all centered around a sapphic relationship, Alex Hall has you covered in Mortal Follies.

I enjoyed the narration, but it was very stylized as it was told from the perspective of Puck (from A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and had magical elements that defined the plot and story progression. Now I personally have no problem with a fun deus ex machina moment or two, but it did get to the point where even I was giggling at the ridiculous nature of the plot progression at parts.

Hall does an amazing job of telling diverse and inclusive stories whiles exploring queer emotions and relationships in a realistic and nuanced way. And of course, where Hall always gets me is with the supporting characters, from witches to parents I would read a book starring every last one of the wonderful cast that was playing support to Miss Maelys Mitchelmore. Her relationship with her friends and family was everything I wanted and more, and as always I left this book with a silly smile on my face.

Mortal Follies falls into a certain niche of books that have been popping up in my recommendations, historical fantasy set in real world locations but with a decided lean into the magic of the old gods/ways/beliefs.

This particular one is set in Regency England at the end of the Napoleonic wars following the mishaps of Maelys Mitchelmore, who has the misfortune to be cursed by one of the old gods, and has to figure out who cursed her. She, her best friend Lizzie Bickle and cousin John Caesar, have a list of suspects and little time before something happens and Maelys's reputation is forever ruined.

The story's narrator is a hobgoblin, so this gave the book a little extra bit of whimsy that I can't decide if it benefited the story or a minor turn off.

4 out of 5 stars, and 1 out of 5 for any sort of spice - this was fade to black/closed door with only a little bit of build up before and after the fade.

Thank you to NetGalley and DelRay for the free eARC, this is my honest opinion.

I am obsessed with this book. I think this new regency fairytale genre is so much fun! Mortal Follies even takes it to the next level with some mythology mixed in as well. This is such a charming book with the snarkiest narrator I’ve ever encountered. I quite frequently laughed out loud by the descriptions provided by the curmudgeonly hobgoblin. The story centers around a young woman in society who finds herself cursed by some unknown entity who seems determined to ruin her reputation. The determined young woman tries to figure out who or why she was cursed when she begins to fall in love with one of her main suspects, Lady Georgianna (who has a tarnished reputation of her own and is suspected of killing her whole family with sorcery).

Perfect for fans of Olivia Atwood’s novellas and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

This book set out to do too much, and I think it suffered for it.

Rather than being told in first person POV from the main characters, the first person narrator is Puck (although he is referred to by different names) from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The way he tells the story is amusing—at first. After a while, I found that the things he inserted felt like repetitions, and it added nothing new to the story. In fact, it made me feel even more removed from the main characters, which is an interesting choice in a romance, because it led to me not being emotionally invested.

I also think the romance was more of a subplot than the actual focus, and the least interesting part of the book. Instead, the plot surrounding Maelys's curse is much more compelling. I was expecting the focus to be on the romance once that part of the story was resolved, but what happened instead is that the second half dealt with Georgiana's backstory. An interesting plot in its own right, but the book ended up doing too much by including it. I also think it led to a feeling of "same old" in the way it was executed.

3.5 stars rounded up. In theory this should have hit all my boxes and it had a lot of fun things going for it but ultimately I wasn't as in love with it as I wanted to be. This seems very much like a you either love it or hate it sort of book. I myself had mixed feelings.

I loved Boyfriend Material so when I saw the author had a new book out I requested it. It is a very different sort of book and I respect Alexis Hall's range. "Genre-fluid" is an apt term for his writing. This is a historical fantasy romance, a meeting of Bridgerton and A Midsummer Night's Dream, but make it sapphic. Although there was a lot of historical accuracy here, you have to suspend disbelief around the way queer folks were treated in society, just like in Bridgerton. The universe was fascinating, in which faeries and magic are accepted by greater society and the old gods walk among the humans.

It's told in the voice of an omniscient narrator who is particularly zany and irreverent, as you would expect from a faerie whose role is to collect stories. Ultimately I didn't care for the narrator, though. He rambled in often tedious ways and made the book longer than it needed to be. The irreverent tone was almost too flippant in a way that grew on me in parts but in other parts I found annoying.

I also struggled with the pacing. This is the story of Miss Maelys Mitchelmore, who had a happy childhood with loving parents, delightful friends, but is unlucky in love. Her friends summer in Bath for the season, where Maelys is stricken by a magical curse and saved from scandal after her garments disappear at a ball by the mysterious, brooding Duke of Annadale, a woman who inherited her estate after her whole family died of strange, magical circumstances.

Thus follows lots of sapphic pining, Miss Mitchelmore's lesbian awakening, the two ladies saving each other from mortal peril again and again, a feminist streak of women taking their power back and living life on their own terms, and general fae wackiness.

I felt like the curse was wrapped up a little too snugly; I figured out who the culprit was right away and by the 50 percent mark of the book we were moving on to the next mortal peril. I also didn't like the chemistry of Maelys and the duke after they got together. I loved the brooding, gender-defiant duke but I didn't care for the general arc of their relationship.

I felt like one hundred pages of sprite capriciousness could have been cut to tighten up the romantic arc and the mystery. It was just a little erratic for me and predictably resolved.

But the characters were wonderful; I especially loved Maelys's fanciful friend Miss Bickle, who is obsessed with anything supernatural, and the tone of the narrator had its moments. I had hoped that Miss Bickle would be getting together with the Ambassador from the Other Court, but maybe we'll get that in the next book. This wasn't the book for me as much as I had hoped, but it did have lots of good things going for it that kept me engaged to the end. Finally, a romantic comedy that's actually funny in lots of places, if a bit dialogue and banter heavy for my personal tastes.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Always a big fan of Alexis Hall and this book was no dissappintement I really enjoyed and I'm glad I got to read an e-ARC of this book.

I really struggled connecting to the narration style in this one. I think there are a lot of people who shop at our bookstore who will like this, it just wasn't for me.

DNF. As much as I love Alexis Hall. This just didn't hit the mark for me. Maybe it the retelling from an narrative structure. Usually that doesn't bother me, but it kept me disconnected from the characters and I was not feeling it. Maybe one day I'll give it another shot.

I wanted to love Mortal Follies, and I ended up only liking it fine. It has a lot going for it: an interesting narration from a spirit named Robin, who simply observes humans and interferes for fun, but mostly collects stories, a fantastic lyrics ridiculous side character named Miss Bickle, and a world in which fantasy intersects naturally. But it just kinda dumps you in the world and goes along a thin plot line.

For me, this probably would have felt more engaging were it a hundred or so pages shorter. Still a fun and unique read though!

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Del Rey for the e-ARC!

This probably has to be my fave book from Alexis Hall!! I was hooked from start to finish. I can't wait to read more fantasy books from them!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley for this ARC!

Even though I received an ARC of this book, honesty is the best policy.

I really, REALLY wanted to love this book. I truly did, but for me, it just fell flat. I love the author's other works, but this one just didn't do it for me.

I loved the sapphic romance and the concept of this story, but the execution of just wasn't my cup of tea. I felt like the fae being narator took away from the plot, rambled on at times, and just broke the flow of dialogue and scenes. The world building was minimal at best and at times I wish there was more elaboration on fantasy aspects.

All in all, not my favorite from the author, but I'll still continue to read his books!

Unfortunately I just could not get into this book at this current time. I think I will enjoy it though, so I will try it again at a later date.

Oh man this should have been an outta-the-park hit for me. It checks so many loves! Regency romance, Sapphic, magical realism, a Puck-type narrator! But ugh this was way too...well...British? It reads like an over the top Shakespearean sitcom. Think dry yet slapstick humor - what I've always associated with British TV. And as much as I love Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream, he at least keeps his interjections to the margins and scene changes. The sprite here, Robin, inserts thoughts between nearly every sentence, taking the flow right out of the tale. I honestly think this will be a huge hit for British readers who can appreciate the humor, but for me it's a complete cringe-fest.

**Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the eARC**

I don't know. I didn't like the way this was written. I honestly was really confused. I didn't like the point of view. I didn't like the way they talked. I read smut so I'm use to the way they were talking but it just didn't seem to work for this book to me.

Alexis Hall really likes their cold distant characters. Overall, I finished the book and enjoyed portions of it. I did understand the characters and the overall helplessness they faced in which their actions meant absolutely nothing in the face of greater beings. What I didn’t like was the narrator, it just felt voyeuristic most of the time and made the entire story feel bland if that makes sense. I truly believe if it had been written in one of the ladies povs or switching povs it would’ve been more enjoyable.

In a Nutshell: The greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment. 😢 This was potentially MY kind of book – a historical Sapphic romantic fantasy. But it didn’t click at all. Lacklustre in every way except for the stunning cover.

Story Synopsis:
1814. Miss Maelys Mitchelmore, a new entrant in the high society of Bath, discovers that she has been cursed. What starts as a minor irritant at public get-togethers becomes worse with time as she discovers that she cannot even leave the house without endangering herself or anyone in her group. She has already sought the assistance of her family, but she knows that to get the matter settled quickly, she should enlist the help of Lady Georgiana, who doesn’t come well recommended because of her murky past.
The story comes to us via the first person omniscient narration of Robin, a hobgoblin who has chosen to narrate to us Maelys’s misfortunes in the hopes of earning some rent money.

Bookish Yays:
😍 The cover.
😍 The representation, which shouldn’t be surprising considering the author.
😍 A couple of good quotes.

Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 The omniscient narration by Robin – begins with the right mix of mischief and humour, but soon becomes tedious and repetitive. His personal remarks break the flow of the narrative. This point was especially disappointing because I had been thrilled at the thought of a hobgoblin narrating a human story.
😐 The “curse” – this plot idea was unusual for sure. But the resolution of this happens at the halfway mark itself and the rest seems like a convoluted way of extending the book.

Bookish Nays:
😢 The plot development – I still can’t understand how a premise with so much potential ended up as such a dud.
😢 The world-building – almost non-existent.
😢 The characters – monotonous. Everyone seemed to have only one role to play. The only one I came close to liking was Miss Bickle.
😢 The pace – Affected because of the narrator’s tendency to ramble and provide unrelated observations. The flow drags quite a bit in the second half.
😢 The length – I don’t mind reading 400+ pages, but give me 400+ pages of content, not clutter. The basic premise wouldn’t have required more than 200 pages; the rest was just fillers.
😢 The secondary plot tracks – So many of them are introduced just for the heck of it, and many are left unresolved., Why were they even necessary in this story? Especially when the narrator reminds us time and again that he is telling us the story of Miss Maelys, the rest of the arcs are irrelevant.
😢 The fantastical and mythological bits – Should have been the highlight but something was off in every unworldly plot point. It felt like the pieces from three separates jigsaw puzzles had been assembled into one hodgepodge picture.
😢 The frivolous use of cuss words. I don’t mind cuss words if they fit in with the character’s personality. In this book, not a single such word use was merited. Even a fantastical historical setup isn’t convincing when the leading ladies curse like sailors. Also, the phrase "that whiny prick Jesus" popping up in one character’s conversation. I'm all for humour and have even laughed at jokes on or about Christianity, when they are *in good faith*. But there's always a line of respect that shouldn't be crossed. To me, this phrase shattered the line.
😢 The humour – starts off well but soon seems forced. There’s ‘funny”, and there’s “trying hard to be funny.” This book, sadly, falls in the second category almost the entire way.


This book has so many elements I either love or like in fiction: historical, fantasy, same-sex romance, mystery, humour, and mythology. But they just didn’t come together harmoniously. Let me put it this way. If you gather all my favourite ingredients in a scrumptious dish but then burn it in the oven, you can’t expect me to relish the flavour just because the ingredients were great. The final product matters.

I hardly ever give out 1 stars. So when a book gets the minimal rating from me, you should know that it tested my patience in every sense of the word. This is only the second ARC ever that I'm rating a 1, and I hate doing this. But any higher rating would mean that I am lying about my experience. I had expected to blitz through this book in a day, given its premise. But I had to forced myself to continue it, and it is a minor miracle that I reached the finish line.

My apologies to the team behind the book and to the fans of the author, but this one gets a strong no from me. I can't recommend to anyone except those who wish to buy a physical copy as the cover art is so gorgeous to look at.

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and NetGalley for the DRC of “Mortal Follies”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Truly very sorry that this didn’t work out better.

𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 is a story about the beginnings of a romance between Maelys and Lady Georgiana aka the Duke of Annandale as told by Robin the hobgoblin. It’s also about curses, petty gods and goddesses, and how terribly inconvenient they are. Good times!

Maelys is cursed so she and her friends set about to find out who cursed her. On one such occasion when the curse is in full effect, she’s rescued by the Duke of Annandale who has a wicked reputation and rumors that follow her. Mae feels instant gratitude for the many times she’s been rescued by her and forms an attachment whereas the Lady Georgiana is cold and keeps her distance. The entirety of the book is overcoming the curses, and Mae seeking to get with Lady Georgiana.

The writing, as always, is delightful. There’s definitely more whimsy to it especially with Robin interjecting with notes throughout. I quite enjoyed learning about the curses, and how Mae and her eccentric friends would break them. I also loved Robin’s anecdotes about the various mythical creatures. I wasn’t fond of the middle part of the book where Mae pursues Lady Georgiana only because the latter was constantly standoffish, and poor Mae kept trying in her sweet way. It happened repeatedly which was tedious to me. It felt unnecessarily drawn out (and a little bit cruel on Lady G’s part) when the reason behind Lady Georgiana’s aloofness could’ve been revealed sooner. It got interesting again when the tables were turned and Mae and her besties had to do the rescuing and with great urgency.

I had fun reading it even if the middle felt slow to me. It’s a good summer pick if you’re looking for a bit of an otherworldly and offbeat sapphic romance adventure.

Many thanks to @netgalley & @delreybooks for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 is available now!

A young noblewoman must pair up with an alleged witch to ward off a curse in this irresistible sapphic romance from the bestselling author of Boyfriend Material.

I was really looking forward to this book. It's a delightful novel that delves into romance, friends and a pesky little curse. The book really plays out in two halves, with the first being a mystery and the second a love story. Recommended for fans of fantasy and romance.

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for letting me review this book.