Brilliant, hilarious, and sweet.

I can honestly think of very few books (maybe the Book Thief?) where the narrator is not really part of the story but is a character themselves with a distinct voice. Here, the best part of the book is the narrator. Puck is hilarious, witty, and fills his narration with asides about his own opinions and anecdotes. (Reminds me also of Bartmaeus). The book is just hilarious line after hilarious line, I couldn’t highlight everything that made me laugh because the whole book would have been yellow.

The plot is also fun and fascinatingly creative, taking place in a familiar regency world where gods and fairies are just part of the brickwork. The romance is very sweet, and the supporting characters are fun and colorful.

The plot structure is unexpected and interesting too. We’re used to action plots running alongside romance plots, with the characters naturally getting together at the peak of the action resolution. But of course that’s not his things work in real life. So i found it jarring but also refreshing that when the instigating plot is resolved, the characters still remain with their individual hang-ups that need to be overcome for them to have a relationship. And then, once i was impressed and settled into this new style, the plot started up again with a surprise! I enjoyed the non-traditional format, just be aware to have your expectations adjusted.

The main draw here is the narrator character though. The voice is just utterly unique and so brilliant and engaging, while also calling back to some fun literary references. Its delightful to read something that feels new and exciting and creative.

This is a magical sapphic historical romance told from the perspective of the fairy Puck. Do I have enough descriptive adjectives in there? While I am a huge Alexis Hall fan, this was a rare miss for me. It was good, but not something I couldn't put down.

I loved the characters (though Puck was a bit much after a certain point). The magical elements were interesting, but I felt like the undercut the romance more than I would like. It honestly felt like the book was trying to do too much.

If you want something different and like your romance heavy on mystery and magic, this could be a good choice. The writing and word choice are lovely, as I expect from Hall.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

3.5 stars

I absolutely love the cover for this book, which was what initially caught my eye. But after reading the synopsis I was all in. Sapphic Fantasy Regency romance?! Yes, please!

This was, admittedly, my first Regency romance so this story was a fun way to dip my toes in the genre. This book is told through the omnipresent POV of a hobgoblin who has quite a few opinions. Similar to the narrator in Bridgerton (Lady Whistledown), we are able to observe the comings and goings of the characters but with the convenience of magic to explain away some of the trickier details.

In the beginning, I found the narrator entertaining, a bit snarky, but still fun. But eventually, his boredom and opinions of the characters started to leak into the overall enjoyment of the story. If you take into account that it's purposefully done since that is the nature of his kind, it's not surprising but it is still something I personally struggled with.

Now, for the leading ladies! Mae is our "damsel in distress" who has been unfortunately cursed and by her side, she has her cousin John Caesar and her best friend Lizzie. The reluctant hero of the story is Lady Georgiana, aka the Duke of Annandale.

I was unsure of how the sapphic topic would be approached in this setting but I loved the way it was done. The subtle hints and allusions between the women was perfect. I would also love to have Lizzie as my own wingwoman as well. She was, honestly, probably my favorite character in the book.This is not the book you want to read if you are expecting spice. This is a classic romance that, I feel, focuses more on the self-discovery and emotional connection between the characters.

About halfway through, I felt like the plot had played out nicely but there was still so much of the story left to be told. We end up diving into a bit of a subplot that takes up the remainder of the story. The stitching of the two plots could have been more seamless but it didn't completely upend the feel of the story.

Overall, this was a very unique and fun read! I would absolutely love to see a future book about Lizzie and her antics. Give her story a narrator that is just as silly as she and I'll be there!

Favorite out of context quote: "Lizzie, I declare you think far too much of horses and pounding"

I loved this little concept, of having the narrator be a character, one who is compelled to tell the story and who can sometimes interfere in the results. This little imp does seem to have our leading lady’s best interests at heart, even as they muck about in her life.

Georgiana constantly reminded me of Gentleman Jack. In her mannerisms and confidence, as well as her knowing that people don’t like her, yet continuing on with her life anyway. She’s more of a recluse and less confident amongst society as a whole, even as sure as she is.

I loved Maelys and her friends, as well as the various snafus she ended up in. The very first one, her clothes disappearing and her subsequent reaction, had me laughing out loud. It was quite a way to open the novel, and it had me hooked from the first page.

Maelys and Georgiana’s budding relationship was very sweet and eventually spicy. Their love was palpable and believable.

The magic was neat. The imps and fairies and creatures that permeate this world and remain unseen, but are also acknowledged as being real. The gods are very very real, and have a known impact on the world. It’s a fun way to do it, to weave this magic into known history and society, make it an accepted part of life and yet society remains as stuffed up as ever.

I love how varied Hall’s work is. I never know what to expect and this book just proves that. Even based on the summary, I could have never guessed the tone. While my favorite books of his remain those grounded in the modern world, this one is special and super fun.

I’m walking away from this book feeling kind of meh. I liked the romance and plot just fine but the narrator was kind of unbearable. Told from the point of view of a fairy who searches for stories to hear and tell, the narrator is often snarky and pulled me out of the plot by continuously blatantly repeating descriptions and events we’d just witnessed. It just really fell flat for me. I do think many people will enjoy this, it’s just not my cup of tea.

The last few Alexis Hall books have just not worked for me, I think I’ll be taking a break for a while.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Who’s ready for another Alexis Hall adventure?

This is the perfect novel for anyone who ever wished Bridgerton was a little more magical. It’s 1814, and Miss Maelys Mitchelmore is ready to enter high society and meet her match, even though most of the men she’s met so far are not quite to her liking. Unfortunately for her, it seems that she wasn’t as wonderful as she thought either, as she discovers that someone has cursed her in the most vile of ways! Dresses are becoming tattered, cakes are turning to rot, and Mae is becoming the latest town scandal. Let’s hope her cousin, best friend, and newest mysterious acquaintance can help defend her name (and possibly her life).

Fantasy and historical romance don’t seem like the perfect match, but Hall is a fan of surprising his readers! It was hard to see where this story was going to end up in the end, but the wait was well worth it. The star of Mortal Follies is its sarcastic, blunt, and always hilarious narrator, Robin. While the story itself was at times wordy, their storytelling skills will make anyone laugh out loud and make up for the flowery subtext of the era.

Everyone, be sure to pack Mortal Follies in your beach totes this summer! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 50%. While I appreciated and enjoyed the variety of queer rep, this one just wasn't for me. Having an outside narrator was a weird choice that just made me feel detached from the characters and plot rather than providing a meaningful framing device, and the narrator was just obnoxious. I also didn't really see the romantic connection or how it developed between the two protagonists, and the heiress friend was insufferable. I stopped reading at the point where she explained how she ships real people she knows. The writing style also felt more juvenile than the intended audience.

This is definitely one of the weirder books we've read lately: it's a historical sapphic romance, narrated by Puck (aka Robin Goodfellow, aka Hobgoblin), set in a world where mythological creatures, magic, and curses are real. Puck is writing this story in the present day, but he recorded it for posterity (in his mind?) in 1814. He follows Maelys, a debutante in Bath who's been afflicted by a curse, as she attempts to rectify the situation. She does so by enlisting the aid of the Duke of Annadale, more properly known as Lady Georgiana Landrake, who has a suspiciously good knowledge of curses, herself.

Mortal Follies is a total romp. Puck's narration is a major high point, as he presents the story from a detached but interested perspective (while taking every opportunity he can to malign Shakespeare). That said, perhaps because of that detached narration, we didn't feel the emotional high points of the romance as much as we could have. At times, the book felt more like an experiment in writing than like a romance. We had a ton of fun reading it, and Hall has never written a book that hasn't made us laugh out loud at least once.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the book.

I just loved the faerie narrator. I was also a fan of Miss Bickle. She is such a supportive friend. I enjoyed the story and thought there were some really funny parts throughout. I was rooting for the romance even though I didn't always love the Duke. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC of this in exchange ofr my honest review.

In the past, I have bounced off Alexis Hall's books, which is not a count against the books or the writing and mostly due to not being in the right mood for a strong narrative voice. However, in this book, the story is very much told to the reader, so the opinionated narrator works.

As for the story, it was fun and surprisingly brutal for a romance. But I guess that could be expected from a lightly magical, fae-involved historical romance, right?

Overall, I enjoyed the story. The combination of romance and magical mystery was good, but I wish we could see the couple happily in love more. Between the romantic tension and the repeated acts of self-sacrifice, I am unsure if we ever really enjoyed Mae and Georgiana together until the very end.

This has sparked my interest in trying to read Boyfriend Material again.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the ARC!

Thank you for letting me read this arc!!!

I will say that the book being in second person it took me a while to get into. I feel like the story flowed well and it was a cute sapphic read.

I definitely will be buying a physical copy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC of this!

This was just too long/slow for me compared with the typical queer historical fiction, and despite a very interesting premise it didn’t hold my attention as well as I would’ve hoped. The characters were sort of bland with the exception of the faerie narrator and the friend Miss Bickle. There were decidedly funny bits, but not enough of them for me, and it felt like it really dragged in the second half. I’ve liked the author’s work in the past, so I think with different characters I might’ve enjoyed this differently, but overall it felt just ok.

Paranormal regency era sapphic romance with an absolutely stunning book cover. It’s a fun read with an interesting perspective/narrator. The narrator is a spirit that follows two cursed women and is quirky and could be potentially funny but could also get annoying. I liked the different take on the writing style and creativeness for world building. That being said, it wasn’t as engaging and felt like it was a bit too long. It did feel like Bridgerton with magic, so I think it’ll have a specific audience that will absolutely love it.

Mortal Follies is the most creative book I have read by Alexis Hall. The knavish sprite that narrates this book is such an utter delight and provides many a comic relief. Our knavish sprite is here to tell the story of Miss Mitchelmore, her curse that, among other things disintegrates her dress at a ball, and the unwitting heroine, the purported witch the Duke of Annadale.

This book has some very delightful characters, the knavish sprite for one and Miss Bickle. It is so extraordinarily sapphic and is just wonderful. How the curse and how Miss Mitchelmore and her friends investigate to find the perpetrator and break the curse, is absolutely hilarious and adventurous.

That said, this book was tough for me to get through. It really felt like it should have ended about 60% through, but then it kept going and going. Another reason that I had a hard time finishing it is because the Duke of Annadale is supposed to be the heroine and love interest, but she is not only unpleasant, but also outright mean. It is hard to root for someone like that.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Fans of Alexis Hall will definitely want to check it out. It was original and fun, if a bit of a slog.

3.5 stars

I enjoyed the world building and the side characters the most. Lizzie might have been my favorite character. I did not like the whole narrator aspect. It was funny at first and then dragged on to where I skimmed a lot. And Lady G also wasn't my favorite. I wish Mae could've found someone that actually cared about her.

Enjoyable, great pacing, exciting settings kept me hooked. Fun novel that will be the perfect to lose yourself in. Thank you Net Galley for ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

"=Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall is a delightful and impeccably crafted romance novel. Set in an alternate Regency era, the world-building is both intricate and charming, transporting readers to a fantastical realm that is both familiar and unique. This novel is a perfect blend of historical and fantasy elements, all woven together seamlessly to create a truly captivating story.

I could not get into this story at all, and after trying to force myself to keep reading I ended up DNF'ing at about 40%.
There is sort of an introduction at the front where the narrator introduces himself and I didn't mind it so much then, but throughout the rest of the story, it was so annoying and I found myself actively disliking it. Also, I found the writing felt overly formal to me, more like reading an actual historical novel, like Pride and Prejudice, than a modern-day historical romance. Which isn't a bad thing just not my preferred style. I think with these two big things going on I just couldn't properly get into the story.

I'm really enjoying the fantasy historical romances where magical rules are a counterpoint to strict societal rules. Maelys Mitchelmore finds herself under a curse, and Georgiana (known as the Duke of Annadale and suspected murderess), keeps showing up to help her. Mae must decide if Georgiana is friend or foe as she tries to navigate supernatural forces. The narrative device (the narrator is an "unnamed" fae observer) lends a very dry and Austenian humor, and the magical atmosphere is rich and textured. The romance is mediated by the narrative device, but still very emotionally resonant. I loved Mae's friends and family, especially Miss Bickle and the Mitchelmores, and I wanted to know much more about the larger world and side characters by the end. My only complaint is that Mae's curse is the premise, but it is resolved about halfway through the book, and a new mystery takes shape for the second half. This broke up the plot a bit too much for me, but both mysteries were enjoyable and intriguing.

This book was EVERYTHING. Honestly, just everything. Magic, queer, romantic, full of mystery and drama - 110% catnip. I can't wait for it to be published so everyone can enjoy what has to be one of the coziest fantasy books (with pleasantly dark little twists) that I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Come be madly in love with Georgiana Landrake with me, please. This infatuation must be shared.