Firstly, I want to thank the publisher for proving an ARC on NetGalley.

The prose was absolutely gorgeous, containing extremely descriptive scenes and flowery language that made my brain happy. The plot was lacking a little for me, and I mostly continued reading for the aesthetics. The narrator wasn’t my favorite, it felt a tad convoluted but the other arcing message and themes are great.

Prepare yourself for an enchanting tale, a captivating sapphic regency romance that unfolds in a realm brimming with divine beings, ethereal spirits, and formidable sorcerers. Our protagonist, Maelys Mitchelmore, an intrepid young woman, embarks on her entrée into high society only to discover that a curse has befallen her. Determined to break this enchantment, she embarks on a quest for answers, seeking aid from none other than the enigmatic "Duke of Annadale," the illustrious Lady Georgianna Landrake. Uncertainty cloaks Lady Georgianna's true intentions, lending an air of intrigue that captivates Maelys's curiosity to no end. Alongside her steadfast cousin, Mr. John Caesar, and her loyal confidante, Miss Lysistrata "Lizzie" Bickle, Maelys ventures forth into the Bath society's intricate web, unraveling the enigma of her curse while simultaneously navigating the depths of her heart, where her emotions for the Duke reside. This triumvirate of delightful companions is sure to regale you with their escapades and enthrall you with their relentless pursuit of the truth.

Myth: 3.5/5

I quite adored Miss Mitchelmore and Lady Georgianna, but their story felt like two distinct stories, only slightly interwoven. The setting and world were fun, a Victorian England with faerie clothes a common-place item, and curses, while frowned upon in polite society, are not unheard of.



Magic: 3/5

We have an ousted fae narrator, Robin. He switches forms and shapes to blend into the scenery to tell the story, though I found this a little overly explanative for how and why he ended up being in each scene. I was happy to just assume he was there.

Besides fae charms, this book also plays with the vengeance of the gods, though I wasn’t completely sure on this one. It seemed to use parts of the Roman pantheon.

Overall: 3.5/5

This book definitely had lots of whimsy, a fantastically broody, wealthy, and gossiped-about female love interest, and characters that had the best intentions.

This book has more than its fair share of whimsy. It takes place in a historical world where all sorts of fantastical creatures are known, and at turns feared and adored.

Our narrator is a capricious sprite, currently exiled to the mortal realm, telling a tale of long ago when all he had to do was follow humans for his own amusement. He has never met a tangent he didn’t like, and has so many of the best lines - which is only fair as he’s the storyteller here.
It is a chaotic way to tell the story, and I loved it for that.

Maelys Mitchelmore has fallen victim to a series of odd and dangerous events. She also finds herself intrigued by the very woman who may or may not be the one who cursed her clothes into disintegrating and wasps from chasing her into a river where she could have drowned…which seems unlikely since she is the one who rescued her…unless…is the Lady causing these events just to set herself up as a hero?

Lady Georgiana, often referred to as The Duke of Annandale in sort of a rude way, is the main love interest slash prime suspect. As much as she draws Mae to her, she then rebuffs her as soon as feelings seem reciprocated, saying she doesn’t want to be a corrupting influence.

The big reveal - and climax to the curse storyline - came at the halfway point, which seemed like an odd choice. It did leave the second half of the book for Mae and Georgiana’s romance to build though, so I wasn’t hating it. It’s just that that it seemed like two separate books. Both enjoyable but missing a certain flow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC

Mortal Follies is a whimsical sapphic regency fantasy romance between noblewoman, Miss Mitchelmore, and societally speculated witch, Lady Georgiana, in a world full of magic, sorcerers, fae, and petty gods and goddesses. Miss Mitchelmore finds that she is cursed by some mysterious enemy, so she seeks help from Lady Georgiana, otherwise known as the Duke of Annadale, whose questionable reputation marks her as potential suspect, and yet Miss Mitchelmore cannot help but be intrigued by her. In addition to asking help from Lady Georgiana, Miss Mitchelmore, her cousin Mr. Caesar, and her best friend Miss Bickle, go about trying to solve who’s behind the curse and how to break it, all while Miss Mitchelmore is figuring out her feelings for a certain duke.

The chaos within this book involves blood, sacrifice, the wrath of the gods, and a carriage chase. This story, itself, is adventurous and fun and an overall entertaining way to combine regency romance with the fantastical layer of magic, fae, and goddesses in a world that’s more accepting of queer relationships than greater cishertero societal norms of the time would have readers believe. I might have liked to have seen a little more on page time between Miss Mitchelmore and Lady Georgiana, but there is a certain push and pull between them and their bickering that felt /right/ and true to the characters and how and why they are the way they are.

This historical romp of a story is narrated by the most humble, troublemaking fae storyteller, Robin, whose parenthetical quips and tangents have a cheeky sense of humor. He plays witness to the stories he tells, so his presence (while not necessarily /always/ known by the other characters) can be found in a sparrow, a vengeful wasp, or even the mists and shadows between people. Robin speaks directly to the reader, and I found myself laughing alongside his chaotic narration— I loved him; he was so fun.

Thank you, Del Ray and Netgalley, for the ARC!

I received a copy though NetGalley for review.

So I didn't mind the humorous, whimsical narration given by Robin.
They narrated a tale of two young women, one a notorious rake, murderess and clearly, obvious witch The 'Duke' of Annadale- Lady Georgianna, and Miss Maelys Mitchelmore- granddaughter of an Earl.
They informally meet when Maelys Mitchelmore finds herself the victim for supernatural mischief when the dress she is wearing at a ball suddenly disintegrates leaving herself in a very compromised position hiding outside of a Ball. Georgianna stepped out to smoke a cigar, something well breed ladies typically do not do, but as she's already notorious she doesn't much care for most people's opinions.

This tale really felt like two books in one, so it felt slightly disjointed for me.
I did enjoy both Georgianna, and Maelys as characters, although felt like Maelys was sort of roughly formed to start and more influenced by what happened to her and the people around her a bit.
Their romance at least felt genuine, and it was refreshing to see two unconventional women step forward to claim their desires.
And that her friends and family were supportive of her endeavors.

I DNF’d because this was not a book for ME but I think if you love a historical fantasy setting (think 1800’s), you will LOVE this book.

The narrator made it hard to follow some of what was going on in the story. This is told from the perspective of a brownie/sprite (speaks in 1st person) describing what is happening to other characters (3rd person)

The constant switching between 1st and 3rd person in addition to the narrator calling characters by their last names but in conversation, the characters refer to each other by their first names, just made this a hard book for me to follow.

However, I will certainly be checking out the authors other works and I think this was such a creative concept for a book!

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.