I love fairies, Robyn Goodfellow, the regency era, and books with LGBT plus rep. I went into this book fully expecting to love it, but it wasn’t for me. I needed clarification on the world building. Also, I read lots of books with adult language, and I’m 200 percent fine with cursing in books I read. The use of adult language felt kind of awkward. I felt lost and adrift while reading. I think more scaffolding with the old god system towards the start of the book would have helped.

The LGBT plus rep was amazing and was the best part of the book. I enjoyed the Duke’s character.

The most important thing to know before starting is that Mortal Follies takes place in the world of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and that the book immediately assumes that you know the characters in it. If you haven't yet read it or watched an adaptation, you don't HAVE to go out and do so before reading this, but it'd definitely help in appreciating the humor and the characters presented here. Just know that characters from the play like Oberon and Titania are mentioned, and the themes of gods, witches and fairies are too.

With that said, the worldbuilding that we do get for this particular tale is still pretty nice in the sense that we get told most of the information through our lovely narrator, Puck, Oberon's jester and also a fairy. This feels more like a historical fiction (sometimes even a parody) sprinkled in with the fantasy elements both in the foreground and background which that adds a sort of magical realism feel to it. There are definitely magical things that are up-front, particularly with the curses and the presence of goddesses and witches, and we follow all of the events through an almonst omniscent narrator who isn't quite involved in the action but knows all about the magic. He's super sarcastic and sassy (and at times utterly bored), and it was fun to follow him as he observes our main cast.

The characters are also either vaguely or entirely aware of certain magical things going on in the world, particularly Lady Georgiana and hilariously Miss Bickle (in which we see Puck confirm or deny whether things are real or not) that it made it fun to see the ladies and gents try to figure out how to solve Mae's predicaments with the currses. And quite honestly, ALL of Miss Bickle's lines were hilarious to me and her comedy relief completely worked for me. The book is also kind of split into two different threads that make it feel like a two-act play in a way too, which can kind of throw you off, but it still worked for me.

The only thing I didn't quite connect with was, honestly, the romance between Mae and Lady Georgiana, which I know is unfortunate to not entirely click with as that's kind of the main focus. While I did like the banter between the two, I felt the build-up didn't work for me. I don't mind insta-attraction being a part of their dynamic, but it still felt a little forced -- I think mostly because I didn't particularly click with Mae in the first place. 😅 Part of me wonders if it's because we have the tale told from Puck himself rather than Mae, but I'm not sure that's quite it either. I think it's just that she personally seemed kind of solely focused in her desire for Lady Georgiana, and I wanted some more depth. That said, I LOVED Lady Georgiana's dialogue to Mae when they do talk about their dynamics and I felt Alexis did a great job there.

Definitely a fun read, with great writing, but I can totally understand how some people felt about Puck being a narrator with a lot of quips and comments. I was a fan of it, but can see how others thought it dragged things out -- particularly whenever he's bored by humans. But can you truly blame him when he's from the world of Fairies? 😂

Is there such a thing as an Alexis Hall book I don't love? I don't think so. This was such a decadent, delicious foray into sapphic regency romance, full of glorious writing, sexy intrigue, and wit.

The beginning of this book started out so well. I really liked the way the story was narrated by Robin Goodfellow, which provided some fun commentary on the characters and their actions.

But a little over halfway through the book, after the big mystery surrounding Maelys is solved, the book seems to flounder a bit. It becomes more focused on seduction and less on plot. And then some spicy scenes start to happen. And Robin Goodfellow is still narrating what he is watching. It's no longer charming and fun but creepy.

I tried to push through but finally gave up at the 75% mark. I did enjoy the first half and wish the second half didn't go the way it did.

I love regency romances, sapphic stories, and beautiful covers. Put them all together and it's a NEED for me. I haven't yet read Alexis Hall's other books, but I've heard great things about them.

So, the story is told to us, the readers, from an outside perspective. Because it felt like it broke the fourth wall it took longer than usual for me to fall into the story. The characters almost felt disconnected from me at first. However, once I got past that disjointed feeling, I started to appreciate the tongue-in-cheek commentary of the narrator - especially when the book was unexpectedly dark (and would have been more so without them).

What really makes a book for me though is the characters, and I enjoyed them all! I liked the brooding Lady Georgiana and Maelys' bravery. I even liked all the side characters. I'll definitely be checking out the authors other works, and picking this up in audiobook so I can listen to the knavish sprite and all the latest hot gossip.

Thank you to Netgalley for the E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Sorry it took so long! NOT for lack of interest, but... real life things are rough right now, and the attention span needed to really dive in to this and enjoy it were not happening very often. i was determined to finish this before the publication date though, and here we are!

I LOVED this. the whole idea of using a spirit like Sweetrobin to tell a story, observing the story in various ways, from a wisp of sunlight to a bird in the tree and from a distance of being in the future and recalling 'these are the events as i saw them two hundred years ago.' so we have a potentially unreliable narrator, because he's a trickster spirit AND it's been two centuries. OR we have a very reliable narrator because he states many times that he loves telling stories and wants to get all the details right. ORRRR he's somewhere in-between, possibly embellishing or moving things along when we could have stayed for more of a conversation, but still giving us what we need to understand.

the romance was frustrating but sweet. the fade-to-black type sex scenes were a surprise, since Hall's other books usually go into quite a bit of detail in those scenes, but it makes sense that Robin wouldn't necessarily want to describe all the things mortals get up to.

Maelys, Lizzie, Caesar, and the Duke of Annadale were all strong, well-written, well-rounded people, and even the side characters had depth and quirks.

I loved all the humor, as i always enjoy with Hall's other books. They (he?) know how to write a scene to be serious when it's needed, but still drop a well-timed quip if the character already has that as a nervous trait. the writing style of sounding like a 19th century novel was nice attention to detail, but may have lent a reason it took a while for me to get through this (I famously have a hard time with 'old-timey' styles of writing).

I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone who enjoys queer romance.

Thank you to Random House for providing me this eARC for review. I love this book.

Persons I found the narrator (Puck from a Midnight Summers Dream) hilarious. This was like reading Bridgerton but with more of my favorite fictional elements included. For instance, the Sapphic element to the story was beautiful and was a refreshing change from the compulsory heteronormative nature of historical fiction. In that way it reminds me of a recent read that I adored, The London Seance Society, because both feature a Sapphic pairing in England with paranormal influences.

I also loved this reimagined England where paranormal forces are known and accepted, rather than Christianity being the only option available to the fictional community.

I recommend this to every queer historical romance reader because it was beautiful to see a story such as this gold within the genre, full of magic and diverse representation.

This is my 3rd Alexis Hall book. The first, A Lady for a Duke, was a charming, refreshing take on regency romance. The second was Murder Most Actual, a newer release mystery that explored modern relationships within a closed-circle “who-done-it” setting. This book is a whimsical fantasy similar to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in that it feels like something you would experience whilst heavily drugged after major surgery.
Basically Alexis Hall writes whatever the heck she wants and she does it well enough that I will say “yes please” no matter how weird or different from the last it is. She’s just checking off the genre checklist and can do no wrong.

So now to our story. It’s bizarre. It’s hilarious. It’s sweet.

It’s hyped as being “a queer fantasy Bridgeton”, and really how can it be better said than that?! We have our witty, and sometimes salty narrator, we have reluctant love, full of playful banter, and a little bit of drama in the form of curses that must be broke. It all felt like a wonderful fever dream and I would be happy to see this become a series.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my unbiased review!

When it comes a fun romp, Alexis Hall is always good for a ride. Mortal Follies does not disappoint in that regard. Miss Maelys Mitchelmore has been cursed and is rapidly on the way to becoming a social scandal. To break the curse, Maelys has to reach outside her own social circle to find help from less respectable parties: Lady Georgianna Landrake. Lady Georgianna comes with her own rumors of curses and witchcraft. But when it comes to surviving the Bath season, a lady can't be picky about her survival.

As always, Alexis Hall captures a fun and ridiculous tone along side the most genuine and kind friendships. This book is warm and sweet and catches a particular kind of chaos all at once. It took a little getting used the narrator voice. But the ease of the Hall's worlds is always a nice break from the day. Absolutely a perfect summer read.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this! I thought it was fun and it kept me entertained. I couldn't ask for anything more and I can't wait to see what Alexis comes out with next!

Nobility, Old Gods, fae, and perhaps a witch or two, create a unique experience in this historical, sapphic romance. Mortal Follies isn’t one to skip. Miss. Mitchelmore is the subject of this tale, for a tale is just what it is. The entire book is in third person objective narrative. Miss. Mitchelmore, is the subject of a curse that becomes increasingly problematic. With the help of her friends and one Duke of Annadale, she works to negate the curse.

Having only read on other book by Alexis Hall, I was quite excited to be given the chance to read this. Mortal Follies starts with an introduction to the hobgoblin, that proceeds to narrate the story. I quite enjoyed the prologue and felt it really set the voice of the story for me. While not as close of a following to the characters as I would normally prefer, I found myself picking apart and enjoying the development of our hobgoblin. Semi reminiscent of Shakespeare’s work, I find myself vaguely comparing it to A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

I loved the imagery in the book, at one-point Robin described himself as perching like a spider in the corner. The description of how the dress disintegrated in her hands, was also stunning. This caries through out the book and left me with incredibly detailed visuals. It leaves a magical feel to everything, that is enhanced by the hobgoblin’s narration.

There are points where it feels like it is both rushed and dragging almost as if the focus is on the wrong part of the story. It wasn’t enough to detract from the book for me but it was a slight issue. I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House- Ballentine for the opportunity to read Mortal Follies. I received an advance reader copy and am leaving this review of my volition.

‘Mortal Follies’ by Alexis Hail was beautifully written and highly entertaining. Absolutely recommend!

4/5. Releases 6/6/2023.

For when you're vibing with... Regency romance with a fantasy twist, Shakespeare influences, meddling fairies, and like... a lady duke who's got Gentleman Jack vibes, but on steroids. (If you know, you know.)

Miss Maelys Mitchelmore is entering society with a magical conundrum (perhaps even a soon-to-be-deadly CURSE) following her around. Which is troublesome. But just as troublesome is her run-in with the so-called Duke of Annadale, Georgianna Landrake, a mysterious (and very sexy) woman who's suspected of killing her father and brothers. Fortunately, Georgianna is suspected of being a witch, which is what Maelys might need--however, it turns out she might require the Duke of other things, as well.

Alexis Hall is a brilliant writer and could not possibly displease me with this. Obviously, I enjoyed it a lot. More on that!

Quick Takes:
--The story is framed by an interesting narrative device (think a capricious fairy that follows everyone around spying on them--exactly that). It really serves Hall's unique voice, and adds a bit of style and even more wit to the story. It also does remove you a bit from the leads; you're not in Maelys or Georgianna's heads the way you would be in say, Viola's (A Lady for a Duke) or Peggy's (Something Spectacular). But I still very much felt close to them, and it added a Shakespearian twist to the romance.

--There's so much playing with the Regency romance conventions in this one! Of course, despite not legally being the Duke, Georgianna is referred to as the Duke of Annadale throughout the novel, and God, she makes a great one. Brooding, seductive, intimidating, incredibly dramatic. Hall does a great job of underlining distinctions that separate a sapphic Regency romance from a het Regency romance, while at the same time really showing us that like... you can do both with a lot of these tropes. The amount of times Maelys threw herself at Georgianna while Georgianna steadfastly went "I shall not ravish you" (before doing something sexy that made Maelys throw herself at her again)... perfection.

--The whimsy is strong in this, but so is the drama and the magic and the darkness that comes with that kind of magic? I was really worried there for a minute! There's also a great pondering on the essence (and importance) of a happily ever after towards the end that's delightfully meta and lovely.

--It's not an Alexis Hall book without a great supporting cast (giving the lovers hell while also helping them get together) and this is no exception. You get queer found family vibes (though lighter than in the Something books), as well as a character that MAYBE invented shipping?

--I can't emphasize how good the imagery is with this one; maybe the most compelling I've read from Alexis Hall yet. Like, imagine a heroine beginning the book with a dress that's essentially magically disintegrating, then hiding in the hedges in horror before being rescued by a mysterious, alluring, shadowy woman who offers her a cloak and kisses her hand? GIVE ME FAN ART.

The Sex Stuff:
This one does have sex in it (about three scenes, technically), but it's very subtle and not explicitly written. I've read Alexis Hall's take on the variation of explicitness in his books--and I trust why he did this, as it does serve the narrative device of the book well. But I do wish it had been a little more explicit, as what we do read is BANGIN'. Think like... tied up with ribbon... and light foot stuff (girls can do it too!). I did really enjoy the progression of intimacy in Georgianna and Maelys's relationship, however, and the way in which Georgianna gave without allowing Maelys to give in order to resist showing true vulnerability. Well done.

Another great entry from this author. I hope he stays in the historical or historicalish sphere for a long time to come, because he kills it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this book! Like a queer Bridgerton meets A Midsummer Night's Dream. I enjoyed the writing, though it took me a little while to really get into the story. Once I did, however, I was hooked. Will definitely be recommending this to anyone who loves a fun and frothy historical romance!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House – Ballantine for the opportunity to read an advance copy. What follows is my honest review.

Rating: 2.5/5, rounded up because honestly most of what I didn’t enjoy about this book comes down to personal taste alone.

Mortal Follies is a fun book full of sapphic romance, easily angered old gods, witches, and a fair bit of mischief and mayhem.

Credit where credit is due: Alexis Hall is an excellent author. The idea to have this story be written from the perspective of a hobgoblin watching from the outside and chronicling it into a tale for Oberon is so creative and genuinely very fun. It leaves room for interpretation—how much is real and how much is embellishment? But this is where we get into personal taste. Because of the perspective, you don’t get any deep or complete sense of the characters and the story itself has plenty of gaps. A lot of readers won’t have any problem with this, and the whimsy will more than make up for any shortcomings in characterization, but unfortunately it left me very unsatisfied.

The pacing, however, is something that deeply bothered me for reasons other than personal taste. The main plot wraps up around the halfway point, and the next ~40% is some relationship drama and development, with some heavy handed simple lounging around. At 92%, another major plot and challenge is introduced, which to me is far too late in the story to do so. It’s then wrapped up in that last 8%, meaning it’s very rushed.

I usually adore Alexis Hall's books, but this one just fell a bit flat for me. I think the premise was good, but the fae narrator just took me out of the story too much and I didn't feel invested in the characters. I need to feel connected to characters in order to really enjoy the story. For those who like romance with a touch of magic, and a regency retelling of Shakespeare's Midsummer's Night's Dream, this might be up your alley. I DNF'd at 44%.

Charmingly chaotic and queer, Alexis Hall creates a historical romance where wicked sorceresses lend their lovely cloaks, chickens can foretell the future, and mortals remain fools in the face of true love and friendship. While lacking the emotional "oomph" as their previous novels, Mortal Follies is the type of summer read to help you relax and laugh as Puck (yes, that Shakespearean Puck) narrates a swoony tale perfect for fans of Bridgeton.

All opinions are my own. NetGalley provided an ARC.

4 stars

A historical fantasy romance with deities, gods, goddesses, fairies, witches, and curses.

Miss Mitchelmore was a young debutante that found herself cursed when her dress started to unravel during a ball. She was rescued by Lady Georgina the Duke of Annadale and could escape from a scandal but the curse itself remained. Therefore, She and her best friend Miss Bickle, and her cousin Mr. Caesar started their investigation. They struggled to solve the mystery of course but with the help of the Duke of Annadale, they made progress. Miss Bickle was my favorite side character. She was a delightful Miss with peculiar opinions.

The story was narrated from a fairy’s POV. Robin was an excellent narrator, a funny one, and also a mischief that couldn’t stop bugging mortals. The narrative surely made the book more interesting during the uneventful parts of the book. The downside of it was that it made me feel removed from the romance. While I found Lady Georgina and Miss Mitchelmore an interesting couple, their chemistry and romance were somehow aloof to me.

I love to read more books from this world, especially about Miss Bickle.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an arc copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Pub Date: June 6, 2023

While this book isn't bad I struggled to connect to the characters. It seemed right up my alley with some fantasy elements but I really have been struggling with romance lately. So if you enjoy romance books this may work great for you!

The narrator was a hobgoblin observing events (which could be really funny with how they described something or compared humans to their race) so you don't really get any sense of emotions or thoughts of the characters they are watching. I also felt like there where two plot points, one of which gets wrapped up at about the 50% mark and then the other one took off so, while everything was connected, it also felt like two books.

While I didn't love this as much as Alexis Hall's other works, the delightful writing is still there and still brings me great joy. Having a narrator who is not a part of the story, but an observer from the realm of Fae was an absolute delight and a style I haven't seen before. The characters are delightful (Miss Bickle was my personal favorite because she was so ridiculous) and the plot was wonderfully twisty. When the issue that began the book was resolved before I was even halfway through I was shocked, but there was definitely more to be dealt with. The Duke (a derogatory name due to her family's deaths) and Mae are a lovely couple, but they could use a lot more communication. My only other reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is the amount of animal sacrifices. There is a warning at the start of the book, but I did not anticipate so many of them (3 or 4 in total) or them being so detailed. Fair warning.