This book was the absolute sweetest. Even if the love between them was held from the start, the tension of the heist made it much more special.

Absolutely great and unexpected turns and lovely overall.

The rating is a 4.5 but rounding up to 5 here.

Thank you to Peachtree Teen and Netgalley for providing me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review!

I was super excited to get approved for this book! The cover is gorgeous, the premise is stunning (Faerieland heist in a 1920s/Prohibition-flavored setting, with a cute sapphic romance to boot? sign me up!); all signs pointed to this being right up my alley.

But there was a strong disconnect I felt to the characters. Lots of telling, rather than showing, their feelings for each other and who they were as people. I wanted to care about them and their bond, but I really struggled to do so. The setting—which, again, is so intriguing and has so much promise—was not built as lavishly as it could have been. And the pacing was a struggle for me, as well. I never really felt a sense of excitement, even when exciting things were ostensibly about to happen or happening.

I think this book will absolutely find an audience that loves it, but for whatever reason it just didn't land for me. That said, if the premise intrigues you, I'd still recommend you check it out!

In concept, this book appealed to me a lot. Some of the descriptions, especially in regards to the Fae and setting in general, were lovely and rich. Esme seemed like she could have my heart as the introvert who just wants to read and be with her cats. It seemed like a great sapphic, friends-to-lovers, heist adventure.

However, I didn't feel very connected to the two main characters, which surprised me. Their interactions didn't have as much tension as their inner dialogue would have you believe. The writing style overall is not what I usually want from a fantasy, even a lower stakes one. The plot suffers from some pacing issues with the heist elements feeling rushed or easily solved.

That cover is incredible though. And I'm sure there are people who will absolutely devour this. Unfortunately, for me, it was just fine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the eARC in exchange for an HONEST review.

First and foremost, the things I liked:

The cover: 10/10. Beautiful.

The ideas in the fantasy elements had so much intriguing potential. The absinthe/green fairy mythos being linked to an actual fae creature? Wonderful concept for a fae premise.

2nd the thing I kind of liked, but didn’t fully sell me:

I’m not the biggest fan of romances in general for no other reason than I think they are not the most interesting stories to me. However, I do have an affinity for the use of the friends-to-lovers style trope more often than not. And since I was intrigued by the fantastical parts of the synopsis, I felt this had the potential to be one of the standout romances I actually enjoyed. Unfortunately, the way the trope was used, of two people already in love with each other, but refusing to have a conversation to figure it out is not as fun for me. Just because I know as the reader they both feel the same way, the characters not knowing but continuing to remain in each other’s orbit in some hope that there might be a chance, just makes me uncomfy.

The setup and execution of the heist plot line—without spoiling—gave me a side quest in Skyrim. You do a thing, it triggers a conversation, they have a mission for you with a promise of a great reward at the end of it, and your quest journal updates throughout the journey. There’s even a moment when our main characters reach their first location and there’ is overall quest relevant texts sitting on the table right inside the front door. And although this story tries to make the stakes more personal for at least Sybil than any random player’s avatar, there are parts of the setup that felt for me extremely contrived beyond it being a story so technically everything is contrived cause the author said so.

Finally, the reasons this book was not for me:

Between the few titles I have read in this genre and critical reviews of others I’ve seen, I’m starting to think “Romantasy” is a publisher euphemism for “in the style of fan fiction”. Which fan fiction is something extremely popular among readers that I don’t blame publishers and authors seeking to capitalize on it. Unfortunately, though, it’s not something I have ever connected with. However, if you love that style of storytelling and prose, I think you should stop reading this review here and start reading this novel now.

That being said, for anyone else who may not connect with the fanfic style like myself, and are more interested in a little more specifics—

The writing. Oh my god, the writing. Not only was the prose immature in a way that feels incongruent and insulting to a YA level audience instead of age-appropriate to teenagers, but there was also an ongoing lack of consistency in characterization, motivations, and desires from moment to moment depending on what the author wanted each character to be in a single line of interaction. And that is on top of what I hope is just missing scenes—not intentionally skipped over— from the ARC that will be put back in later that would have built out the romantic tension. Then there’s the execution of world-building. Info was thrown out so rapidly and hollow that I felt like I was getting pelted by deflated choux pastry.

But back to the line-level prose—the repetitive and overwritten descriptions were not evocative and poetic. It was word soup. (There is a moment early in the book that the word “coiled” is used twice in one, two-sentence paragraph completely out of relation with each other that would lend it to being an artistic/characterization choice.) Again, I understand ARCs are unfinished material, and that may be just the case here. But even if it is, I question a publisher or editor who thinks a draft at this level is fit for any type of consumption outside of the publishing house. And if this was an author override of the editorial suggestion—I will definitely not be picking up future titles from Jamie Pacton, because she is simply not the writer for me.

I absolutely loved this. The characters, the setting, the atmosphere, etc. I especially liked the atmosphere as I liked the Belle Époque themes and the fae realm.

This was quick and sweet, and I had a great time reading this.

Also, the amount of cats is everything to me, and I’m so glad we got a kitten in on the adventure to the fae realm as well.

I unfortunately had to dnf The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton. This makes me extremely sad cause I had nothing but high hopes. Unfortunately, it felt like it dragged and the world building wasn’t there. It felt like this could have been part of a spin off series but I don’t think it is? I probably will pick this up again in the future and give it another try. But, at this time I did have to put it down.

They say don't judge a book by its cover but The Absinthe Underground is the exception that proves the rule. This stunnign cover perfectly encapsulates the feeling of falling into this magical world. The slow burn love is so sweet especially since you know it is required from page 1. The stakes feel high enough but also quite low. Our MCs are hired to be theives so they truly don't care about the political outcomes for the fae kingdoms. They just want to be ble to afford a cabin by the sea. And it feels a little odd to not feel invested in the fae realm or the consequeces of the events of this book but it is also very refreshing. This book is a beautiful whirl wind of magic and feels like falling into a Mucha painting, which is in fact my dream.

Overall a very sweet sapphic romance though a bit underwhelming. The writing style is very simple and well suited for a younger MG/YA reader, however it didn't really give off the dazzling fantasy and heist vibes that were promised. "Holly Black meets Moulin Rouge" is a huge disservice because it really doesn't match up with the excitement of those two styles. I would say more Barbie/Explorers Down Under vibes set in a cabaret. The storyline passes very quickly and everything just felt very surface level. While I didn't connect with the book currently, I think this is a book I would have absolutely loved in middle school.

Thank you NetGalley, Jamie Pacton, and Peachtree for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Historical Sapphic best friends to lovers go on a wild adventure through the dangerous streets of the Belle Epoque Severon (Paris) and the fae wilds. If the cover didn't immediately suck me in, the premise did!

I loved everything about this book, the slow burn, the adventure, the fantastical descriptions, and the care taken to interesting and new ideas. And cats. So many cute baby fluffies. The poster stealing was a really cool idea, although I am fairly familiar with Toulouse and Mucha as artists, I didn't know there was such a underground of poster thieves.

I really want more from all these characters, I want to know what happens to them after this. Here's to many more adventures hopefully!

4.25/5 ⭐️

This was such a cute, fun, and cozy fantasy that was the perfect break between my typical darker reads.

I’ve been looking for more sapphic fantasy and I absolutely loved the chemistry between the love interests in this book. It’s slow-burn friends-to-lovers done wonderfully.

The author did a great job of creating a dreamy, beautiful world to escape into.

The writing was a bit simple/predictable at times, but it is YA.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review.

This book was a relatively easy read with a great premise but fell a little flat in the execution. The world building was lacking a bit - it was presented as a fantastical world inspired by 1800s Paris but I feel like it would have been better to lean into the magical realism and set it in Paris so the references to real artists would have bolstered the world building rather than feel forced.
The plot and pacing also missed the mark for me. The book was largely centred on a heist but it all felt a little too easy, the conflict felt forced and was all very conveniently and quickly resolved. I have seen some other reviewers say it felt a bit like the animated barbie movies which perfectly sums up how reading this book felt. Not inherently bad but just not quite what I was expecting.
I would recommend to younger YA readers, I feel like this is something I would have loved when I was 13.

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and the book’s kind publisher for approving me for an ARC of this book. This book has a beautiful cover that conveys what are, in my opinion, the best aspects of the book. I loved the first part of the book because of the setting and imagery of Severon, Esme, Sybil, their house, etc. It was all very aesthetically pleasing and radiated "comfy" vibes. I remember even thinking that it felt like a game of Animal Crossing because it felt that cozy. Had we stayed in Severon, I think I would have enjoyed this book more. Perhaps I am maxed out when it comes to fairies, but all the charm I felt slowly leeched out as we moved to the fey realm. I would have loved to seen Sybil running through the streets of the city with Esme trailing behind with her tinkerings and getting them out of trouble. They're so cute together! The fey plot just didn't do it for me, but, to be fair, I think most fey books would have a hard time impressing me. The plot just moved to fast through the power of coincidence and the fey realm really robbed Sybil and, especially, Esme of a chance to use their defining characteristics. All in all, I think the book has some great bones/foundation and the author knows how to target her intended audience. I would definitely be interested in reading her other works.

I dnf this book at 40 %, unfortunately it wasn’t for me which is a shame because i absolutely love all the ways this book was described, moulin rouge meets holly black sapphic with a heist ?,? Yes please ! But when i started it i keep waiting for this moment when the story really starts and you can’t put the book down but it didn’t come and after more then two weeks trying to read this book i decided it was time to stop and move on.
I didn’t like the writing,the characters were a little boring and everything was too easy you couldn’t feel the difficulty of the heist.
For the good side i really liked the world

Thank you to Netgalley, Holiday house / Peachtree /pixel+ink, peachtree teen for the earc in exchange for a review.

Historical sapphic fantasy with fae elements, I was sold on that part. Unfortunately I could not get through the book. I put it down at 58%. The positive being: It’s lighthearted, the theme and the descriptions of the scenery, particularly when they got to the fae realm was quite lovely. I couldn’t quite get through the story as it dragged a bit. The characters also seemed difficult to relate to. Sybil and Esme have their cute quirks but fell a little flat to me. I also found myself a little disinterested in their interactions. With Sybil disregarding Esme’s feelings in many situations. Overall 3 stars.

The ode to art nouveau painters was nice too. I.e. Mucha and Toulouse-Lautrec. As an art history nerd myself, I quite liked that in the beginning of the book.

This book is only 300 pages but felt so much longer. It took me such a long time to read. There was so much potential but it just… didn’t really deliver. I was pulled in firstly, by the gorgeous Alphonse Mucha-inspired cover art. Secondly, by the promise of a magical heist set partly in a world inspired by belle epoque Paris and partly in a magical fae realm while also featuring a sapphic love story. What more could you want? To actually feel invested in the story, it seems. It has a lot of things I should like but it just wasn’t working the way I wanted it to. I feel like I’m starting to sound like a broken record because I’ve had this issue with the last 3 books I’ve read. There’s just something missing that makes me not really connect to the characters and story.

What I did really appreciate about this story was the vibes. Esme and Sybil living in a clock tower surrounded by books, old clocks and numerous cats, Esme wanting a quiet cottage to live a peaceful life with those cats, a Moulin Rouge-inspired club with patrons getting drunk on absinthe, a magical fae kingdom, dragons, queer people, queer fae, mutual queer pining, the MC’s (literally) being “roommates”. But that’s mostly what this story was, vibes. A lot of potential, but very mediocre execution 😣

2.5 stars ⭐️

I had such a fun time following Esme and Sybil on their adventures. The imagery here is excellent and there are so many locations and side quests packed into this punchy, short fantasy novel. Aside from a few spelling errors and some convenient plot devices, this was a wonderfully charming story and I would be interested in learning more about the Fae realm Pacton has created. Perhaps Chloe and princess Hyacinth's story?

Magical and unexpected, this adventure between Sybil and Esme was fantastically designed. All the great elements of a faerie tale with a lot of human magic mixed in. I loved the way Sybil and Esme both skirted around their feelings, both afraid of what would come next. Then they're thrown into the world of Fae and everything gets turned upside down. Unlikely allies and friends help them reach their destination, but netting back in one piece may be impossible. This was such a fun story, and had great aspects of romance and family.

3.25 stars

I wish this had been marketed completely differently, because the focus on the Moulin Rouge/Holly Black similarities (which to me were pretty much nonexistent) did this book such a disservice. This book is about a heist, and portal magic into a lush fae world, with a really sweet sapphic friends to lovers storyline. I went into this expecting something very different and was luckily pleasantly surprised, but I know that won’t be the case for everyone!

I’m going to be totally honest, I didn’t enjoy the first 20% of this and I probably would’ve given up on it if I hadn’t committed to reviewing the book. Sybil was insufferable and weirdly cruel to Esme, despite claiming to love her, in a way that didn’t just feel like a character flaw but bad writing. It felt like the author was intentionally making the main characters comically bad at the beginning so their character development would be more obvious by the end, but it really wasn’t necessary. The entire beginning of the story also felt like a lot of “filler” content and I really struggled to get through it.

That being said, after the 20% mark, this book just kept getting better and better. The descriptions of the settings were breathtakingly vivid and incredibly detailed — at no point did I find myself rereading anything because I’d initially imagined something wrong (which happens to me with a lot of other fantasy books). The characters started to feel more fleshed out and interesting, and I finally started rooting for Sybil and Esme.

I probably would’ve enjoyed the first part of the heist more if things didn’t go right for them at every turn (the small things that went wrong felt pretty inconsequential) — it just felt like the story was moulding to the characters’ desires instead of being shaped by their choices — but I’ve found this to be pretty common for YA/teen books so it wasn’t a huge issue.

Ultimately, this could’ve easily been a 4 star read if the beginning had been better, because the majority of this story was absolutely incredible. The sapphic friends to lovers storyline was so tender and cute, and I really enjoyed how the author completely transported us from one vibrant setting to another. I especially loved the depiction of the 1890s club scene! Their first visit to the Absinthe Underground was one of the most memorable parts of the entire book and I thought the author did a really great job of transporting you into the scene by using all your senses.

Despite what I thought of the beginning, I enjoyed the book, especially the little twist toward the end! I kind of wish there was a sequel planned because there’s so much potential for a continuation of this story, but it works really well as a standalone regardless.

I got an ARC of this, and while the story seemed interesting there was quite a bit of info dumping and repetition that make the story move very slowly. I would have been able to push past those problems but the book itself was so badly formated that at times paragraphs would mix, chapter would start mid sentence and then jump to the start of the chapter, than back were it left off making this a pain to read.
I might pick it up when it's published and the formatting issues are gone.

DNF 31%

while the description and the gorgeous cover drew me in, this was not a book for me. in what is basically fantasy paris, two girls who are in love with each other but refuse to admit it steal posters (???) to make rent, before being drawn into a quest to steal fairy jewels for a nightclub owner.

constantly i felt like this book was teetering on the edge of something bigger. there are so many interesting questions here - the districts in the city, why the city's economy seems to run on stealing posters??? which is apparently a successful enough career that more than one street urchin has taken it up, why those posters want to be collected, literally every single thing about fae as a world - and none of these questions are answered. every plot hurdle was solved so conveniently too, which left the story feeling like a and then they did this... and then they did this... recount instead of a compelling narrative.

none of the relationships in this book felt developed either. esme and sybil felt weirdly sexualised and forced as love interests, with so much internal monologuing about omg i want to kiss her so bad. all the side characters were caricatures, and just popped up at opportune times to do unrealistic things to help the plot along. like wdym lucien just managed to break out of fae off screen at exactly the right time to have a dramatic entrance?? and literally everything about chloe... some random human girl who managed to disguise herself in fae for ages and helping the mc's out immediately with no build up, and then still ending the story being stuck in fae where she didn't want to be in the first place. huh???

and like sorry, but there is NO WAY that those girls decided yep we are just gonna hand over these magic jewels to this random lady thats hired us with no critical thinking that she might be in any way a little bit suspicious??? especially esme staying silent when she literally has just been told by lucien that omg maeve she's such a liar lol... like girlie WHAT.