Historical romance meets fantasy in one of the most unique books I have ever read. This book kept me laughing from prologue to epilogue as our hobgoblin narrator follows the tale of a young woman through a curse, a sapphic romance, and everything in between. The writing in this book was exceptional, whimsical, entertaining, and the characters were absolutely delightful.

This genre mashup left me wanting many more stories based in this fantastical world of faeries, gods, and witches. 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I suspect that "Mortal Follies" is a book that readers are going to feel strongly about one way or another due to its genre straddling (sitting somewhere between sapphic Regency romance and fantasy) and its unusual choice of narrator (the book is narrated by Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream, which added some humor and allowed for certain plot elements but also distances the reader from the main characters). Personally, I had a good time with this one.

Alexis Hall just pumps out the books these days. I was excited to read the book, but unfortunately I was not able to finish it. I just didn’t love the story, especially when compared to previous work. DNF @ 20%

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my early e-arc.

I liked a lot of things about this - the romance, especially, between the Duke of Annandale and Maerys, as well as the whimsical tone of the story. The curse was also a cool concept, and I enjoyed how it drew the two protagonists together. However, I wasn't such a fan of the narration - I found Puck's voice to be irritating and wish the story had just followed Gerogina and Maerys without the lens of his interference. It added a lot of tediousness to the story, and digressions that were not relevant and took me out of the main story. Also, although the sexual tension was EXCELLENT I need a good payoff in my romance novels, and I feel like while the build-up was good there was no....spiciness...to make it feel worth it.

***4.0 Stars***

Overall,
This was really cute. I love that Alexis Hall can right in so many different genres. While I am not always a big fan of a Midsummer Night Dreams, this was really entertaining. I definitely enjoyed it and literally laughed out loud at some of the antics the main character gets up to. I love a good Sapphic Romance and this does not disappoint. I would 100% recommend.

***Thank you Netgalley and DelRay for an ARC***

I made it to 25% before I had to dnf. The storyline was good, but the narrator ruined it for me. His constant asides to the reader were distracting and ruined the flow of reading for me. I could never just lose myself in the story, and it was extremely frustrating, to the point where I couldn’t continue the book. I’m sure for many readers this wouldn’t be a problem, and the parts of the story I did get through were great, hence the 3 stars. I think this is a case of the book just not being for me, but perhaps a perfect read for others.

I love Alexis Hall's books almost universally. I say almost because I started this book and then could not finish because it was just not for me. I am sure many many people are going to love the magical bent of this story and the fairy character but I just could not get into it. DNF

Review of Mortal Follies-
Tags: Sapphic romance, historical fiction, fantasy,
Trigger warnings, mention of animal sacrifices, illness, family death, abduction,

I absolutely adored this book, it almost has grumpy/sunshine trope feels thanks to the close knit group of friends alongside the main characters. It has fantasy, romance , whimsy, wonderful cast of diverse characters, and great queer representation. This is read via the perspective of a 3rd party fairy narrator and not the main characters which added an extra layer of fun and comedy to this beautifully told tale with the air of not so likely hero's facing off against the gods (or in this case goddess) if you love historical fiction this is absolutely a book to add to your TBR.

I love this book. It's a fresh take on historical romance, ancient gods and magic. Inspired by Shakespeare, narrated by a hobgoblin, this is perfectly done. There is a lot to tell but it never feels forced or dumped on you. An alternative Britain with magic and curses sets the stage. Maelys is cursed and must work with Georgianna to discover who cursed her and how to break it. A mystery and a romance with a stellar supporting cast. I can only hope to be as good a friend as Miss Bickle is to Mae. Read this book, you will be swept away!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an advanced electronic copy of Mortal Follies in exchange for an honest and unbiased review!

The adjective I kept returning to for this story was “silly” - and usually in the best way possible! Specifically Maelys’ best friend Lizzie (short for Lysistrata, because OF COURSE) keeps every interaction frothy and whimsical. She suspects that fairy magic is responsible for everything and that other magical beings lurk around every corner.

And she’s technically correct, since Puck narrates the story. From Shakespeare fame (there are several clever references to Midsummer Night’s Dream you might catch if you’re familiar with it!) Puck aka Robin give quippy commentary on the character’s actions throughout the story. This adds to the lighthearted atmosphere, but sometimes got in the way of my enjoyment of the events.

For example: reading an intimate moment in a scene knowing you’re reading a fairy’s perspective of watching the characters get it on…felt a bit icky? The narrator intentionally doesn’t walk through every step of the spice, but I was still never not aware that Puck was there.

Georgiana/The Duke of Annadale was not overly likable to me. She mocks and demeans our main character left and right and while we get some background of her dubious past, it’s not enough to make me root for her and Maelys to get together. And since this is a romance, that’s a bummer!

If you’re a fan of regency romance, cozy fantasy, and sapphic romance with complex characters, you’ll enjoy this one!

Alexis Hall is a delight and I automatically click “request” or “buy” wherever a new book by them appears. I was fortunate enough to get an advanced copy from NetGalley (thanks Del Rey!) and have been so looking forward to reading it. Mortal Follies stood up to the anticipation and was just as much fun as expected. Who wouldn’t love a midsummers night regency romance with a Duke who shares a name with their hometown? Yes please. And as much as I was invested in Maelys and Georgiana, Lizzie kept me in stitches the whole time. A perfect happy read for fantasy, romance, and humor fans alike!

The absolutely best part of this book is the dialogue. Alexis Hall has a gift for making characters sound so very real in their ridiculousness sometimes, and it is one of my favorite things about their books. I was enchanted from the very first page, and my affection for the conversations between the characters carried me through even when the pace lagged elsewhere.
My only real quibble is that I cannot decide if the ending is a stroke of genius, or cheating. <3
But, I suppose that's Robin Goodfellow for you.

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book. I haven’t read any books of Alexis Hall before, and this one really piqued my interest due to its synopsis.

The best way I can describe this is if you’re a fan of The Importance of Being Ernst and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, mixed with magic and faeries, you’ll enjoy reading this.

Alexis Hall’s writing in this book was incredibly entertaining and light, and very much an ode to Shakespearean comedy. And while I enjoyed witticisms and folly, sadly, the storyline fell short for me, which is why it took a while for me to finish this book.

We start off meeting Miss Maelys Mitchelmore, who finds herself in an odd predicament during a ball where her clothes have begun to fall apart. With the help of the Duke of Annadale, on more than one occasion, we find that the main character has been cursed by someone, and to figure out who has done so, she asks for the help of her best friend Lizzie and the Duke herself, Lady Georgiana. Maelys finds her feelings for the Duke growing along the way, but the Duke pushes her away whenever she gets too close.

The first mystery of the book is solved about halfway through, and then the story starts to fall short and drags a bit. I found myself not feeling much excitement for solving the issue in the second half of the book, or feeling any sort of anticipation or anxiety. And the second half was solved in the last few pages of the last chapter, which was incredibly quick.

I feel like this book would have been better written as a play, than as a book. Our narrator, who is a faerie of sorts, didn’t really have much need to be included for the sake of a novel, but it would have made more sense for this to be divided in acts and written as a performance.

Regarding the romance, the anticipation built up left us needing more as we were teased plenty with dirty words and flirting, but no scenes to quench our thirst after the slow burn. Again, this would have made more sense as a play.

I would still read more of these stories if they were written, but hope for a bit more plot and excitement to occur rather than a quick resolve after a long dragging storyline.

Ratings:

Plot: 2.5/5
Characters: 4/5
World building/setting: 3.5/5
Romance: 3/5
Spice: 0.5 🌶️

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 ⭐️

The faerie narrator of this kept the characters at too remote a distance, which made it hard to engage with what it was going on. Not Alexis' best.

Thank you Del Rey and NetGalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I very muchedenjoyed this story! A sapphic romance set in a world where fairies, spirits, deities, and sorcery exist! After Maelys Mitchelmore she seeks the help of Lady Georgina Landrake “Duke of Annadale”, who may have killed her father and siblings, to figure out why she is cursed. Also joined by her cousin John Caesar and her friend Miss Bickle they go on a delightful journey to figure out what and who is behind this curse! What makes he book even more fun is that it’s narrated by a hobgoblin, though don’t call him that to his face, who is funny, wicked, and not afraid to cause some mischief! Alexis Hall astounds me with y being able to write a crowed so many different genres but still be able to bring a familiar humor and wit! Romance with a mix of fantasy, magic, and comedy! Can’t wait to read it again!

A tale curses and whodunits narrated by a fae…

The narration definitely gives the story a whimsical Midsummer vibe, but I felt I was reading two stories in one. I really liked the story. It was intriguing and often humorous, but I didn't necessarily love it, and I think it had to do with ambiance.

Mortal Follies is one of those books that deserves a proper ambiance (and mindset) to add to the whimsy of the story. Whether it's sitting outside on a cool summer night, nestled in your reading nook, or cozied up near a fire pit with your favorite beverage. Whatever your choice, it'll add to the experience.

3.75 (Thank you to netgalley for providing an Arc)

First of all, a sapphic fantasy set in a regency-esc era with curses, gods and fairies?? Sign me up.

At first i was worried having a narrator tell this story would be hard to connect to book but i take that back. It was such a unique way of telling the story through the lens of a fairy who loves telling stories plus it was told in a way that had me laughing out loud. Watching our narrator Robin go from telling the story from a distance to starting to care about the characters was so charming and Robin ended up being one of my favorite characters. Also the few times they split from the story and we got to see little details about them personally was really well done.

Miss bickle was another one of my favorite characters. She was so wholesome and funny and you could really tell she cared for Miss Mitchelmore and wanted only the best for her. I loved her obsession with the fairies and how that actually helped out in the end.

I really liked Miss Mitchelmore and the Duke of Annadale as a couple however i wish we had more scenes of them together. This story was more plot based and we had lots of beautiful settings described and really stunning writing but i just wish there was more romance. The main leads do interact with each other quite a bit but i wish at least through the halfway point they were able to talk through things without a curse looming over their heads. I wish we got more about Georgina’s family and how she grieved and how she overcame her trauma. I wish we were told more about Maelys’ likes and dislikes and quirks in her personality. I get we have a narrator who doesn’t know some details but i’m sure it would have been able to be added somewhere.

Now this book took me way longer than normal to read. I think it’s because in the beginning it was really hard to connect to the story and also to figure out who’s who. The character are referred to by both first name and last name and sometimes even nicknames which was hard for my pea brain to keep up with at times Lol. It’s also written in a historical style (which is such a talent to do so well) and it was a little challenging to understand what the hell they were saying at some points. It’s just been a minute since i’ve read a historical romance honestly. It did get wayy easier after a while and then of course it all started growing on me.

The last thing i’ll mention was the way this book ended. I felt like the ending was way too rushed. I liked how it ended plot wise, but i feel like it was just the beginning relationship wise for our ladies. Which sucked cause i really wanted to see them at least come to an agreement in the relationship and i feel like we really didn’t get a satisfying ending for them. The relationship to me felt too new and fragile to end it where we did. I know that they live happily ever after but boy did i want to see them be happy together!

All in all this book was really enjoyable there was just some things i wish were done differently. (Also that last line??? huh??)

If you liked Longshadow by Olivia Atwater i’m sure you would like this book. We’re being fed so well with cute sapphic fairytales and i cant wait to see what comes next!

Someone needs to stop me requesting historical romance. I should know by now I don't like it.

I really like Alexis Hall, but this book just didn't land for me. The characters and writing themselves are fine -- as is expected for an Alexis Hall book, this is where the novel shines. But as many have pointed out, the narrator concept is just ... too much. I would rather the book have lacked that element. IMO, it would have been more engaging if I felt like I was present with the characters at all times rather than the narrator telling us what's happening/happened as if it was just a story, because that did take something out of it. I usually love fairy tales and faeries, and the combination should have been stellar, but instead it was just average.

Still, I'll probably read the next thing Alexis Hall publishes anyway because I will always chase the high that Boyfriend Material gave me

This book was incredibly hard to get through. It would not have been as bad if it were not for the obnoxious narrator. It was trying to be quirky and missed tremendously.

A sapphic Regency era fantasy reminiscent of A Midsummer Night's Dream with goddesses and fairies and curses? (OH MY!) I found this to be a very enjoyable and silly read, the mischievous gossiping narrator added an extra level of comedy, and the love interests had good banter and a level of realism in their relationship. Overall, a cute and quick read.