I highly disliked the relationship from the beginning. Two people pining ridiculously over each other is mostly just frustrating and didn’t seem worth it.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton is a YA Sapphic romantic fantasy taking place in a version of 1890s Paris that is impacted by the fae realm. Sybil is a half-fae daughter of a duke living with Esme, an orphan who has many cats. The pair have strong romantic feelings for each other but have not acted on those feelings. While out hunting for posters to sell to pay for rent, the two are confronted by Maeve, a green fairy who wants them to steal the crown jewels of the Moonshadow fae kingdom so she can return home.

The Absinthe Underground moves at a fairly brisk pace, reading more like a novella to me despite its page length. The references to Parisian culture such as Alphonse Mucha, the club scene, the posters, and absinthe, all add texture that help the setting feel grounded despite the fantastical elements of a fae realm and fairies. I liked how Esme and Sybil are both quite sure of each other but are afraid to voice their feelings and I appreciated Esme having many cats with names like Oliver and Jean-Francois.

I would recommend this to readers looking for historical fantasy, readers looking for a portal fantasy where the portal is only part of the story, and readers looking for a sweet Sapphic fantasy.

3.5!!
Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a sweet fantasy story with sapphic romance elements that despite being high stakes at parts, felt like a cozy hug through the entire book.

THE STORY: the pacing felt a bit inconsistent at times, like the build up was very slow and then the climax felt like it was over so fast, but I did feel like it hooked me from the start. I loved the little plot twists in the story and how everything was connected and revealed I felt like it was such a satisfying resolution, even though some things were definitely left unanswered. THAT ENDING OMG it was everything I wanted and needed for the characters. I hope there will be a second book or maybe even a series because I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS WORLD. The setting based on Belle Epoque Paris was absolutely captivating

CHARACTERS: I fell in love with Sybil and Esme so so fast. They are kind, loving, but flawed and vulnerable women who have had to learn resilience and strength their whole life, sometimes even being maybe too independent and guarded. Their friendship and the development of their relationship was so beautiful and as a woman in a sapphic relationship myself I saw myself and my experiences in these characters so much. I just want to learn more about them and see them grow together. Lucien was also a lovely side character filled with mystery that I grew to love.

TROPES: sapphic romance, friends to lovers, thieving and heist, fae magic, black cat MC/ orange cat MC

I absolutely could not put this book down from the first page onward! Lush, dreamy, and absolutely beautifully built, this world is one I would gladly vacation in any time. Pacton always does such a wonderful job of hitting me right in the feels, and Absinthe Underground was no exception. Perfect for anyone who loves fantasy, historical worlds so richly built they pull you in and feel real, sapphic pining, or art. I can't wait to recommend this to teen readers at the library where I work!

Moulin Rouge meets the Fae world, and make it Sapphic.

Sybil and Esme are just trying to scrape by in a world that knew of magic and lost the way. Sybil, however, is half Fae. When she and Esme get hired by the green fairy (yes, THAT green fairy), they have to find a way to steal jewels from Queen Mab.

I loved the way real history inspired this story. Esme and Sybil were fun to read about, and I really liked how the Fae world was woven into the story. And I'm glad no cats were harmed in the making of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My only complaint about this book is that it isn't longer! Jamie Pacton created such a cozy fantasy world to set this adorable sapphic love story in. I loved all the little nods to late 19th century and early 20th century history combined with some of the more fantastical elements of fae and dragons.

Esme and Sibyl's relationship is also SO cute and believable! I don't see a lot of friends to lovers novels out there, and this one did such a good job of creating that shift. I also enjoyed their differences as characters and how they were such distinct yet cohesive personalities.

I am glad to see that The Vermillion Emporium (another book by Jamie Pacton) is set in the same universe, and because this book was so wonderful, I will definitely be adding that one to my TBR list. Also this cover is GORGEOUS and I am very much looking forward to adding a physical copy of this book to my own little library!

Publication date: 6 Feb 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC of this book. This book was an entertaining YA read, but I was disappointed at the lack of complexity in writing and character development. On the surface, this book is a sapphic, art nouveau, fantasy story with fae and fast paced heists. I enjoyed the type of fae and fae world in this book (reminiscent of the fae in Holly Black’s books). Unfortunately, I felt a lot of the plot and romance were not fully fleshed, and I struggled to become fully immersed in the story. I felt it could be much longer without the story dragging. The romance itself felt a bit too underdeveloped for the age of characters and the complexity/ adult nature of the other conflicts in the story.

Overall, I thought this was a cute story! Some parts of the story picked up more than others, but I think the general plot was interesting and the main characters were likeable. I liked the heist concept woven with the fae realm. That was unique and fun! I also appreciated the queer rep. My only negative was that when the pacing would lull slightly, it took me a bit to get back into the story. However, I would get pulled back in and enjoy what I was reading. If you like YA heist, fae, or queer book vibes, I think this one is a good choice!

A richly crafted queer friends to lovers YA romantasy… I loved the decadence in the descriptions and the characters’ journeys.
It does read fairly young- but not in a bad way. Just worth noting bc “YA” is pretty broad.
Will definitely read more in n this series and from this author.

This magical heist is a cozy, quick read with an adorable sapphic, friends-to-lovers romance and larger than life characters and settings that sets its scene between dreamy 19th century Paris and a fantastical fae realm.

Overall I found this book to be extremely charming. The author does a great job developing a unique setting in Severon. In the first few chapters I found myself imagining a lush mix between Moulin Rouge and Hugo. Additionally, I thought the budding romance between the main characters Sybil and Esme to be a cute take of a classic, sapphic, slow burn romance between friends who are afraid to cross that line between friends and something more.

While this book was a quick and easy read, I found the plot and character development to be lacking. Many of the characters that I would've liked to see fully fleshed out often lacked motivation making it difficult to relate and root for them. I wanted to know more about what was driving them and what had happened to them prior to the events of the story but many of these details were missing making the characters feel one dimensional.

The plot twists in the novel were predictable and the main development of the story ultimately fell flat for me as the antagonist of the story felt cartoonish with motivations that were underdeveloped.

At times this book felt confused about its own audience. The writing style felt appropriate for a young adult audience but the subject matter and dialogue teetered on the edge between too mature for a ya audience yet too immature for an adult audience.

Overall I enjoyed my time with this book as it was a fun and quick read with vivid imagery but it is not a story that I imagine I will be thinking about long after.

Thank you netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review

Home—especially with Sybil there—was Esme’s favorite place.


Soft soft soft soft soft soft soft soft this whole book was just so soft I could end my review here. But I'll do it properly.

This book has fae (not in a triggering way for those like me who avoid such books because of the mind control part) it has dragons (only a little) it has mutual pining. SO MUCH MUTUAL PINING. Sybil and Esme are so so so sweet and cute together and their love for each other was so heartwarming!

I loved how cozy the book was. It was kinda like reading from the pov of a sidekick I feel like you'd only understand once you read it but it was a bit low stakes and just felt cottage core.

“I’d be happier if I were at home, reading a book.”


because it was always better to have a book than not have one.


I really loved how the two characters are so different. You have esme who just wants to be at home, read her books, take care of her cats and drink tea and then you have sybil who's always looking for something to give her an adrenaline rush. Together though, they'd do literally anything for each other. I find that very beautiful 😭

There was just something irresistible about Sybil’s dimples, the way she laughed, and her eagerness for the world; it made desire coil in Esme, insistent and unfamiliar.


They're so so sweet. They had me kicking my feet with the amount of longing they have for each other and the small bits of flirting they dare do.

My whole review right now is just CUTE CUTE CUTE. Pick it up if you want something lovely and cozy to have fun with!

This was such a fun and fast paced read that I enjoyed immensely. The setting was probably my favorite- from the amazing speakeasy vibes to Fae, the worlds were incredible.

Esme and Sybil are adorable. I enjoyed how their relationship evolved and how they really trusted each other.

But I really hope to be back in this world because I need answers though!

A case it's not the book, it's me. I just couldn't get into it but the premise is intriguing so hopefully one day I'll give it another try

While the premise of this story is very intriguing, the writing lacked in some aspects. The overall story is fun but I feel like it would've been better with some more pages. We don't see the mcs fall for each other as that happened prior to the story.

The magic element is very fun and whimsical. I wouldn't say it's a high stake story but it leans more towards cozy fantasy. The sapphic element is done very well!

I did quite enjoy this story and I'm curious to see how the author will improve over time!

A sapphic historical fantasy/heist billed as “Moulin Rouge meets Holly Black”??? Of course I had to pick this up! And this cover? Probably one of my favorites— I’d love to own this as a poster or something. So stunning!

Now as for the story itself, this was a fun lil lighthearted ride! Definitely one to read more for the romance than the action itself. I love Sybil and Esme’s relationship and their dynamic as a whole. They are so perfect for each other, even when Sybil gets them into loads of trouble. The stakes themselves aren’t particularly high. It feels like problems get solved almost right away without any sort of suspense though that being said, I still had an overall good time and I hope others do too when this comes out!

A cute cozy fantasy!! The vibes were immaculate and I loved the imagery when they entered faerie. While I thoroughly enjoyed the concept (sapphic friends to lovers take on a heist that brings them to faerie), it fell somewhat flat. The story began strongly, but the heist was rushed with no plot twists, problems they encountered were underwhelming, and all solved in an unsurprising manner, making it feel like there weren’t any real stakes. You’re telling me they were able to just walk into a museum, set off a distraction, grab what they came for, and run out?

The magic system was severely underdeveloped (Sybil is half fae and the only thing she can do is enter faerie?), to the point where I wondered when she was going to have her powers uncovered to save the day. This would’ve also made it a grander reveal to Esme that she was half fae, and an introduction to her family history. This secret from Esme actually held no weight, which is surprising considering they are supposed to be best friends. In actuality, they had no banter, and the only way you knew they were falling for one another was the internal dialogue saying “I love her/I want to be more than friends/what if I kissed her.” I want YEARNING!!

A smaller gripe, the author takes time introducing two new characters in faerie, but leaves their plot completely undone. This may be for the opportunity to write a sequel, but their ending seems to go against Sybil’s character.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐


Overall Review (spoilers)

I honestly keep going back between three stars and four stars on this. It was a really cute sapphic heist book with fae themes. However, the book doesn’t deliver what it promised. We were suppose to get a heist, more time in the fae Absinthe Underground, and more sapphic romance. But honestly, we barely got to see any of the Absinthe Underground, the fae world was not explored nor discussed enough, and the heist didn’t feel like a heist so much as a poorly put together plot. This book was cute, and I love the relationship between Ez and Sybil. But I do not feel like the marketing lived up to what the book actually is. If the book was advertised better I would have 100% given it four stars, but I do feel like I was misled.

That being said, you should still give this book a chance. The relationship between Ez and Sybil is cute and the slow burn of it was adorable. The fae world, what little we see, leaves you wanting to explore more. And honestly though the heist was no Six of Crows, it was still charmingly poorly planned out. If you want a fun light-hearted book, I recommend this.

Plot Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Genre: fiction, mystery, heist, ya, sapphic

Trigger Warnings: blood

If you like a short and cozy queer romance + heist with historical fiction in Paris around 1800s/1900s. "And they were roommates..." This is for you.
This story has Fae and magic that is intricate historical fiction setting.
I really enjoyed how the author made known of the main characters' queer emotions and swoon. Friends to lovers at it finest.
They are both hard working people. One of them is stealing posters, whether they are cheap or expensive and illegally selling their do a dealing. The other works as well, but she mainly finds comfort fixing broke clocks, her almost a dozen cats and tea (relatable).

I have realized that not many love friends to lovers. I do. And so, you can feel the consideration, the restricted affection they have for one another. Honestly their are times where I just wanted to put their together so all their stolen glances and proximity will done.
Unfortunately, something was missing. Sybil and Esme are interesting characters, but they seemed to lack growth, together and individually. While they had cute and fluffy moments, there are times they felt incompatible. Sybil being reckless and Esme too careful.

For me this book could be so much more, it was just not quite hitting the mark. The plot was fast paced and engaging but somehow cozy at the same time. That was definitely the stronger aspect. The characters however felt rushed and we didn't get to see a lot of their emotional development. Their arcs were very much "telling" instead of "showing".

However this book definitely hit in the bingeability category, it was very hard to put down!

I was granted the opportunity to read this novel by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I am not the audience for either Sapphic romance or cozy fantasy, but the Art Nouveau cover convinced me to give this a chance. In short, this is a cozy Romantasy set in a world inspired by the Belle Époque period and Fae mythology. I enjoyed the author's simplistic but artful prose, but as often happens to me with a cozy fantasy, I found myself skimming and forcing myself to return to paragraphs. Some of the leaned into Fae mythos did not work perfectly, but the "Fae can't lie and must twist the truth" is difficult to work with as a writer.

I think for those looking for a clean/sweet Sapphic romantasy or a cozy fantasy leaning into Fae tropes will be pleased to read this book! I think the execution mostly worked, but I'm not the perfectly targeted audience. It was still a joy to read.