Genre: adult historical urban fantasy romance
Rating: 3/5⭐️
Rep: queer, with lesbian MC, and gay side characters
Triggers: internalized homophobia, insects (bees), ritual animal sacrifice
Emojis: 🐝 🗿🧚‍♀️🎩

I had an overall good time with the story, but I really think the writing style really hindered my enjoyment and I had to push myself to read it at times.

The queer relationship is quite nice, with an exciting twist in the historical romance with the addition of nefarious fairies and spirits, supernatural curses, and vengeful gods.
Combining the usual Regency setting of London and Bath, giving a Jane Austen feel to the story, with whimsical fairies reminiscent of Shakespeare is a really fun and innovative twist, and I really enjoyed this combination.

I also loved the sad but true depiction of queer characters and how they found ways to still be free, albeit in a total secrecy, inside their own spheres. I wish it would have been more prominent in the story, but as we follow ladies, they are not as free with their movements and cannot actually join those spheres.

I loved Miss Bickle, who is the main character’s best friend, and is completely nonsensical and always searching for the supernatural 😂
She might not be the most reliable for everyday society issues, but she certainly knows a lot about supernatural ones and can help you in a pinch to solve riddles, get fairy-made garments, or find ghosts (maybe not that one 😅)

Now, you might ask yourself why I didn’t give a higher rating, and that is due mostly to the writing style.
The author decided to add in a narrator that is recounting the events, as a hobgoblin storyteller from the fairy court of Lord Oberon. While a fun gimmick at the start, it becomes tedious really fast, when for every scene the narrator tells us which appearance he took (either a bird, mouse, insect, or even mist and shadow), and how he inserted himself in the story (which nearly never goes beyond undoing someone’s tie, or transforming their dreams)…

Mortal Follies is a tale of curses, love, murder, and whimsy. We are being told this story from the perspective of Robin, a little stinker of a hobgoblin who has parted ways with his king for reasons unknown. No matter, because this isn't his story, it's Maelys and Georgiana's story.

Maelys has been cursed by a man whose entitlement ends up being his demise. Maelys spends the first half of her tale unraveling this mystery with the help of her eccentric and handsomely wealthy friend Lysistrata, her cousin John, and the brash yet accommodating Duke of Annadale, who despite her title is a lady and also a suspected witch.

Mortal Follies was a silly goofy time with surprisingly high stakes. The narrator, while insisting on not being a main character, was the star of the show for me. I loved his voice, his shenanigans, and his reluctance to interfere with his subjects. A major benefit of having a narrator who acknowledges the audience is that as readers we can be spoken to directly and succinctly which really helps when explaining the magic and lore of the world we're learning about.

Maelys and Georgiana didn't really make sense to me, though. The relationship went from 0-I would die for you in what felt like no time despite the story taking place over several months. Historical romances move along at a faster pace when strictly speaking of timelines but Mortal Follies lacked a lot of romantic tension because we were so focused on figuring out who cursed Maelys in the first two acts. It's important to note that I struggle with the four-act structures that Alexis Hall loves so much but even so, it felt like Hall sort of forgot he was writing a romance until the last third of the book.

Overall, I loved this story but it was lacking in a few major areas so it's 3.75 stars, rounded up, for me.

I am a *huge* fan of 'Boyfriend Material" so I knew from the start this little gay magic book would be a fantastic read, and I was correct in every way. Filled with the perfect blend of romance, magic, and humor, this book is a delightful summer read for anyone seeking some magic in their romantic life.

Personal Review: A young noblewoman must pair up with an alleged witch to ward off a curse in this fresh and delightful novel with hints of Jane Austen.

Synopsis: It is the year 1814, and life for a young lady of good breeding has many difficulties. There are balls to attend, fashions to follow, marriages to consider, and, of course, the tiny complication of existing in a world swarming with fairy spirits, interfering deities, and actual straight-up sorcerers.

Miss Maelys Mitchelmore finds her entry into high society hindered by an irritating curse. It begins innocuously enough with her dress slowly unmaking itself over the course of an evening at a high-profile ball, a scandal she narrowly manages to escape.

However, as the curse progresses to more fatal proportions, Miss Mitchelmore must seek out aid, even if that means mixing with undesirable company. And there are few less desirable than Lady Georgiana Landrake—a brooding, alluring young woman sardonically nicknamed “the Duke of Annadale”—who may or may not have murdered her own father and brothers to inherit their fortune. If one is to believe the gossip, she might be some kind of malign enchantress. Then again, a malign enchantress might be exactly what Miss Mitchelmore needs.

I realized something with this book - I am not Alexis Hall's audience. I loved Boyfriend Material. I loved Something Fabulous. Virtually everything else I've tried to read has been slow and monotonous. Too much telling and now enough showing so I never really connect with the story or the characters. This author has a very British style of story telling (understandably so) and I've realized over the last couple of years that while I love British comedy and tv, I DON'T love British books. So yeah, this is very much a "it's not you, it's me" situation, and I've learned my lesson and will stop requesting arcs for this author.

okay but that cover though? absolutely stunning!! i’m obsessed with it. onto the story: i really enjoyed this queer fantasy. i loved the magical aspects and the witches and fairies and just everything about it. the perfect queer romantasy read.

This book was challenging for me to get through. I don't know if it was reading a book set in the 1800s as I haven't done that in a while or the plot or both. There was just not a lot that was captivating to me here. I kept hoping that things would get better and they really didn't for me.

Miss Mitchelmore has started a new season in the town and is recognizing that her time to get married is getting closer and closer. A few strange incidents happen that seem to involve some supernatural beings and in each of these instances she is saved by the Duke of Annadale, who is in fact a woman. After SEVERAL chapters of searching and talking about what could be ailing her, she realizes that she has been cursed. Then we spend SEVERAL MORE chapters trying to figure out her cursed her. Throughout these chapters, Miss Mitchemore is realizing that she gets flutters in her stomach whenever the Duke is around but not really when men are around. I have to say I was a little surprised when we find out the person who put the curse on Miss Mitchelmore. That went sideways kind of fast.

After that situation is taken care of, Miss Mitchelmore moves on to determine if what she is feeling is reciprocated which takes SEVERAL more chapters. Then when you think things are going well- she is cursed yet again. This girl just can't seem to catch a break.

This book seemed to want to have a lot happening without a lot actually happening. There was a lot of detail described around the era and the surroundings but really just not a lot of plot in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the published for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book so badly. It sounds like something I would absolutely devour and be absolutely feral about. Unfortunately, something about it didn't click and I found it to be a slog to get through, to the point where I was skimming just to get an idea of what was happening. Maybe it was the style of narration that made it fall flat for me, as that was something that annoyed me even in the beginning when I was riding the high of 'this is going to be so good'.

Whatever it was, I gave it my all and really did want to enjoy it; but, our stars were not meant to align.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC!

A laugh out loud funny story of Miss Maelys Mitchelmore in regency England falling in love with Lady Georgiana Landrake who is suspected of murdering basically her entire family all told from the perspective of a hobgoblin.

3.5

This was such an interesting premise for a read and the way it was narrated.

I enjoyed our narrator with their storytelling, but also at times struggled to follow the story due to it.

I think overall it had the same magic of Alexis Hall's writing with great comedic moments, swoon worthy romance and characters I love.

I wanted to love this book and while I loved Maelys, Georgiana, and their supporting cast of characters... the narrator was a bit much. The author did a wonderful job of weaving together historical fiction with fantasy and romance to create a wonderful story. I just felt the narrator tended to muck up the flow a bit too much despite enjoying Robin's wit and laughing along with him.

A big saving grace for me was Maelys' friend Lystrata and her delightful insights into the world they live in. Mortal Follies has a wonderful wit and the voice of traditional Regency-era satires on top of its use of Miss Bickle's concept of the world running along like a wonderful gothic novel... truly a delightful character which made the book more enjoyable for me.

Every time I read an Alexis Hall book I am always appreciative of the diversity and inclusivity he includes with his characters on top of real emotional nuances in the relationships he creates. One of the few authors that's avoided the tropes/pitfalls we can see in a lot of romance stories of any genre.

I received an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

This was witty and charming. Honestly would read Alexis Halls commentary on just about anything, so it’s no surprise I loved this book.

DNF. After two attempts, I really could not get into this book. I don’t think the third party narrator was enough to grab my attention, and the characters weren’t compelling enough to take that into their own hands either. This could definitely be for someone but it’s not for me.

Alexis Hall cannot fail! Mortal Follies is sugar-spun whimsy and things romantic and wistful.

Highly recommend for everyone, but especially those enchanted and bewitched by A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

I am the worst and didn’t finish this before pub day, but Alexis Hall can do absolutely NO WRONG in my opinion!!

This book was not for me, even though I desperately wanted it to be. Fans of Alexis Hall's other works might enjoy this book since it is up the same alley. I personally just couldn't get past voice of the narrator because I didn't find them to be as comical as I would have liked. It felt like it was trying to hard to recreate the voice of Shakespeare's Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream, but never could quite reach the intended goal.

Alexis Hall delivers like always! Loved this book. It was especially fun to read something from this author in a fantasy setting. I really enjoy the way this author finds unique stories to tell but always imbues them with just the right combo of heart and humor.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

When I started reading this book, I didn't realize it was a sapphic romance because one, I basically never read book blurbs before reading books, and two, although I requested the book because of the gorgeous cover, I didn't look at it that closely to really notice the two characters entwined at the top. So it was a pleasant surprise for me when I really got into the story in June (when I read the book) to realize it was a perfect read for Pride month.

The narrator of this tale is a hoot. Although I found myself getting annoyed with some of the ways he made sure we the readers knew he was keeping himself well hidden. Like I'm not really sure all the form changes were really necessary for him to observe the characters, but he did, so we got to hear about it. He really came across as a person who wants more attention that they're getting, without wanting to draw attention to themself.

My favorite character in this tale was Miss Bickle. She has some serious Luna Lovegood vibes about her in the best way possible. She's a real ride or die for Miss Mitchelmore, in spite of the obvious danger. She's just honestly the kind of friend everyone should have.

There were so many quotable lines in this tale, that it was a wee bit difficult for me to narrow down my favorites. There were so many times I found myself giggling over the narrator's or one of the character's lines, making this book just a real joy to read.

Overall I give Mortal Follies 4.875 out of 5 stars.

If you’ve ever read a historical romance and thought, “This could use a few more curses,” boy do I have a book recommendation for you!
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It is, in fact, an unfortunate curse that brings together the love interests in Alexis Hall’s new, sapphic, historical romance. When Miss Maelys Mitchelmore finds herself the subject of a painful and embarrassing curse, she must, along with her cousin and best friend, discover who cursed her and how to remove it. Maelys is helped by the mysterious Lady Georgiana Landrake, who keeps showing up whenever Maelys needs rescuing and knows more about magic than most people in polite society. As more about the curse is uncovered, the more danger the two ladies find themselves in, and soon both their reputations and their lives are at stake.
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One of my favorite aspects of Mortal Follies is its narrator, the fairy Puck of Midsummer Night’s Dream fame. Puck is merely a neutral observer of human misfortune, but their biting wit lends a unique humor to this magical romance.

Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall is a romance that rather defies being set in a singular category. It is the year 1814, and life for a young lady of good breeding has many difficulties. There are balls to attend, fashions to follow, marriages to consider, and, of course, the tiny complication of existing in a world swarming with fairy spirits, interfering deities, and actual straight-up sorcerers. Miss Maelys Mitchelmore finds her entry into high society hindered by an irritating curse. It begins innocuously enough with her dress slowly unmaking itself over the course of an evening at a high-profile ball, a scandal she narrowly manages to escape. However, as the curse progresses to more fatal proportions, Miss Mitchelmore must seek out aid, even if that means mixing with undesirable company. And there are few less desirable than Lady Georgianna Landrake—a brooding, alluring young woman sardonically nicknamed “the Duke of Annadale”—who may or may not have murdered her own father and brothers to inherit their fortune. If one is to believe the gossip, she might be some kind of malign enchantress. Then again, a malign enchantress might be exactly what Miss Mitchelmore needs. With the Duke’s help, Miss Mitchelmore delves into a world of angry gods and vindictive magic, keen to unmask the perpetrator of these otherworldly attacks. But Miss Mitchelmore’s reputation is not the only thing at risk in spending time with her new ally. For the reputed witch has her own secrets that may prove dangerous to Miss Mitchelmore’s heart—not to mention her life.

Mortal Follies is a book that I have trouble categorizing. It is a historical romance, a fantasy, a LGBTQIA+ romance, an adventure, and has a Shakespearean feel with the narrator. I liked the cast of characters and the diverse and quirky personalities for several of the secondary characters. I thought the story and worlds building was well done, and the characters were multidimensional and highly entertaining. I am a fan of the author, so my enjoyment is no big surprise here. I only had two little things that bothered me, one was that I figured out the person behind the curse way to quickly. Second was that I had some trouble with the pacing- although this might have been more on me trying to break a reading slump with a favorite author. It just felt like it took forever to get to the end, and even though I enjoyed the ride it just felt slow to me. Again, this might just be because of my mindset while reading and I do not hold it against the author at all. In fact, I have two more oft heir books in my reading queue and I can wait to get to them.

Mortal Follies is a romance with many twists and turns. and much that fans of historical or fantasy romance will enjoy.