I made it to about 30% in this book and had to DNF it. I had a really hard time getting into this story and it was just not for me. I have had this on my "I will not give feedback" but it's been stuck there and I'm just going to give my honest opinion. I have read a few of her books but this one just wasn't one I could finish. Sorry!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This was another hit from Alexis Hall, I really enjoyed this book! In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I've already bought a copy for a friend for Christmas this year.

This book is absolutely beautiful, and while I love the concept, it just wasn't for me. I've enjoyed other titles by Alexis Hall, however, so I might try again at some point!

It took me a little while to get into this book, but I'm glad I stuck with it as it ended up being a unique and compelling story. It is narrated by Puck from a Midsummer Night's Dream who is able to invisibly follow the subjects of his story so that he can report on their actions.

He becomes interested in Maelys as public misfortunes continue to plague her. The Duke of Annadale steps in to assist and soon Maelys, her friends, and to some degree, the Duke are off trying to solve the mystery of what is causing Maelys's problems.

The characters are distinct and interesting, and romance is a slow burn, developing once you get to know them.

I'd recommend this book for readers who like f/f historical fantasy romance and unconventional writing styles.

Could not get into this but I want to try again with the audiobook. Alexis Hall is so popular but I haven't found the one that really hits me yet. On to the next!

Oh how I deeply wanted to enjoy this novel, but unfortunately I had to DNF it. I was enjoying the story in general, but the narrative style just did not work for me. At first I thought it funny and creative as it very much reads like a classic fantastical play narrative style, but it quickly became annoying and a tad distracting from the core narrative. This will not be my last Alexis Hall as I can see the potential for there to be a book I will like out there, but I cannot finish this one.

<I>First, a thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.</I>

Frankly, I don’t have many notes for this book.

Sure, it was tedious, but it was MY sort of tedious. It took a lot to feel I was completely immersed in this book, but once I was in, it was a done deal.

This is absolutely not going to be everyone’s style of book, and I agree - our narrator, Robin, can be a real PITA sometimes, but I found it endearing.

I’m a little confused how this is 1 of 2, but I’d give the next one a go.

I originally started this book quite a few months back, but ended up getting stalled somewhere along the way. That wasn’t necessarily the fault of the book (more my focus), but when it was finally my turn for the audiobook at my library, I jumped on it so fast! I often find that books I get stalled on aren’t necessarily bad books, but sometimes just books that work better for me in audio format. This was certainly true for this one, and I ended up enjoying the narration style a lot more once it was narrated by someone!

While it did take me a while to get used to the unique narration style, it did end up growing on me quite a bit. While I’m not sure if I necessarily like the extra distance it created within a romance book, I did like the quirks that our narrator brought along with them, and I had a lot of fun with it! However, it did make me feel a step outside the romance that the story often focused on, because we have this very obvious narrator with us every step of the way. It meant I couldn’t get as close to the characters themselves, or their romance, because I was constantly reminded I was basically spying on them from the corner. It resulted in me not really feeling the romance side of this story, though there were still plenty of other aspects I ended up being a fan of!

I really did like our main character, especially as she started coming into her own a bit more. I also felt like she was complemented quite well by the side characters, especially her best friend. It added this extra layer of absurdity, because of how silly her friend often was, but it made the fae/magic aspects of the book seem less out-there, and made our narrator seem a bit more normal as well!

I also generally did like the plot of this book, except for the part between about 70-90%. Basically, I loved the main plot of the book, but found the bonus end-game plot much less interesting, and almost frustrating at points. However, then I did end up how the story ended up wrapping up, especially how the narrator chose to end the story. I basically felt very mixed emotions by the end, because I was on a bit of a rollercoaster of enjoying the book, not enjoying it, and then enjoying it again right at the end.

I had a few issues with that chunk of the book between 70-90%, and I think it largely had to do with the pacing of the book. It had honestly felt like we had reached a potential ending for the book a few times over, except every time I checked where I was, there was still a decent chunk left to go. It was just really odd, because I felt like we were just waiting for something to happen again, right when a book usually has its climax. While the narrator did comment on this, and said a few times that they probably would have ended the story sooner had there not been a lot more exciting things still to come, it just kind of felt like the book lost its momentum for a bit. It seemed to just focus on the romance for a bit, but as I explained above, I never felt connected enough to that part of the book for me to enjoy reading a large chunk of the book focused only on them.

I also felt like our main character lost a lot of drive and energy in this part of the book, at least when it came to problem-solving later on. It felt like most of the answers were being handed to her rather than finding them herself, and it felt like she was sort of being carried along by the plot (despite having plenty of motivation to drive the plot herself). It made me start to like her less, which made aspects of the ending and final scenes less hard-hitting, even if I did end up liking them overall.

In the end, I ended up liking Mortal Follies, but had just a few too many issues to really say I loved it (though I did certainly love parts of it!) I do still enjoy Alexis Hall as an author, though, and will definitely keep reading more of his books in the future!

*Review will be live on my blog on November 17th

A lighthearted Sapphic regency romance for fans of Freya Marske. I would have loved more worldbuilding and fae integration - as it was, the omnipotent narration of Robin felt somewhat detached from the remainder of the story, I often found them pulling away from the plot at rather convenient times under the guise of 'fleeting fae interest', leading to a decent amount of later telling, rather than showing.

I did not enjoy this book very much. For some reason, this author's books are super hit or miss for me. I believe that many others will enjoy it, but the humor and whimsy just weren't right for me as a reader.

I really wanted to like this book. I have previously liked all of the Alexis Hall books that I’ve read. Unfortunately, this book was a little too strange for me to fully invest in it. The characters were likable enough. I always love having a Bizarre group of queer friends, but the storytelling style was just too hard for me to get into. All of Alexis Hall’s books are written very well. The characters are enjoyable the plot is silly and fun, but this just wasn’t the book for me.

Told from a fairy's perspective, we get the story of Miss Maelys Mitchelmore. When she is about to enter society, she finds her plans hindered by a curse. She has to team up with Lady Georgiana Landrake, the "Duke of Annadale," to break her curse. What she didn't expect was to fall in love with her. It's an entertaining tale told from a very creative perspective.

I wanted to enjoy this book so badly! It checked off so many of the boxes I look for in contemporary YA--romance, queer characters, historical setting, intrigue, commentary on issues faced across the boundaries of time and background and class....

But it didn't work for me. Between the plodding pacing, the tediously overwritten narrative voice, and thinly stretched plot (the book was twice as long as the plot had room for, and it showed), there just wasn't an entrance point into the book for me. I didn't connect to anything or anyone, and it didn't improve by the time I'd given up around 2/3 of the way through.


***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

3.5 starts for this fun, regency era romp. It dragged a bit at certain times, but was an overall enjoyable read for anyone looking for a sapphic romance with a Bridgerton-era atmosphere

3.5 stars. This book had a promising description but just had an okay execution.

The one absolute thing I loved about this book was the audiobook narrator. Nneka Okoye has been one of my favorite narrators ever I have listened to. I might have to see what else she has narrated just to hear her again. I also liked the narration in the book of it being told by Robin, the fae. I can see other people not liking that aspect, but I actually did. The writing was also well done and fit the time and place (besides a few curses here and there).

What I didn't really like was the actual plot. It was not compelling at all. At about 60% of the book, I felt like the main conflict was over, and I had no clue where it was going. For like 20% after that point, it rambled around and did nothing. The characters were interesting (especially the best friend), and I liked them, but the romance felt more like lust than anything that would actually be a relationship. What did Maelys know really about Georgiana besides that she was hot? She never got to know her hobbies, her beliefs, etc.

Overall this book was a mixed bag but I am glad there is more queer fantasy out in the world.

While Mortal Follies is a "Shakespeare-inspired" tale, it more so a historical Sapphic romantic fantasy novel, and that is quite literally the thing that I love more than anything else in the world (other than maybe Star Wars?)
Maelys Mitchelmore is cursed, and it is kind of a problem, since she's trying to join high society and all of that, and because "the Duke of Annadale" Lady Georgianna Landrake is probably the only one who can help her. They not only need to navigate society, they also need to navigate the world of fairy spirits and gods who are not too keen on them.
Maelys is a really relatable, if sometimes frustrating main character, and the Duke of Annadale is absolutely amazing as a love interest, giving the same vibes as all of our favorite morally gray love interests.
As a fan of Olivia Atwater and Lex Croucher, this book was the perfect blend of the two.

I love the variation of genres in Alexis Hall's work. Each one is fun and unique and I always make sure to add their new titles to our library.

I loved this one so much I bought my own copy! I am excited to look into rereading it.

i thought i was going to love this but i didn’t. i just felt like something was missing.

thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC!

Mortal Follies is the first book in a new fantasy historical romance series written by Alexis Hall. Released 6th June 2023 by Penguin Random House on their Del Rey imprint, it's 416 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a slow moving romantic historical fantasy with a F/F lead. It's well written, and the historical (alternate timeline) background seems to be well researched and believable. It moves ponderously in places, and overall the pacing is on the very slow side, especially in the second half of the book. It's also in first person narrative from the PoV of a literal Puckish sprite, à la Midsummer Night's Dream whose constant asides and direct asides to the reader get to be a bit much in places.

Normally Regency fantasy romance is a no-fail winner. This one is a mixed blessing due to side-plot lines which go nowhere, lack of world building, annoying narrator, and glacial pace (especially in the second half).

The author is clearly, undeniably, talented and knows his craft; it shines through the writing. The execution and/or possibly a less-than-ruthless editing process in this particular volume led to a less-than-stellar end product.

Three stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.