I can't get over this book. I really enjoyed this so much. I couldn't put it down. It has some of my favorite things, magic, heist and sapphic love. It's been a hot second since I've read a sapphic book that had me turning the pages so much that I had to stop because i had to sleep. I want to read more by this author. It had such a good flow and the characters really pulled me in.

I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date. After sampling several books out this week, I decided to go with a different book for my review.

Cosy + Magic + LGBT = a good time

I very much enjoyed this book but was unable to completely finish it before running out of time, when I have the time I will finish the end of this novel. There were slight issues with pacing and I didn’t always understand and had to reread some passages.

The Absinthe Underground was a 3 ⭐️ read for me. It follows Sybil and Esme, best friends and roommates. Esme is shy and quiet, much preferring the company of her clocks and her cats. Sybil longs for adventure, and pays her bills by stealing posters and selling them to collectors. One night, while selling a stolen poster, the woman featured in the poster, Maeve, interrupts the deal. Maeve invites the girls to her exclusive nightclub, The Absinthe Underground, hoping to hire the girls as thieves. Maeve reveals she is a green faerie, and promises the girls riches beyond their wildest dreams if they are able to pull off a heist in the world of fae. Things aren’t always what they seem when it comes to working with the fae, and Sybil’s own family history may make this even more dangerous, and more thrilling, than either of them anticipated.

This book features

- dual POV
- LBGTQ rep
- Heists
- Urban fantasy
- Cozy vibes

Overall, The Absinthe Underground was a cozy read. The characters were endearing and fun and the romance was really sweet. Parts of the heist also had me on the edge of my seat. I just wish the book had done a little more. The biggest part of the heist felt like it was too simple to me, and then the ending felt rushed. I also really wish that Sybil’s familial ties to the Fae were explored more. The book was good, but I just think it had some unexplored potential.

As a fan of history and art, this book had everything! Romantic and lavish with LGBTQ+ characters with elements of magical realism. So so good!

3/5 stars

A fun little queer fantasy that I enjoyed reading!

I really fell in love with the writing of the book. It was descriptive and brought the characters to life for me. I definitely wanted to keep reading and thought the plot was interesting and progressed really nicely. The romance was cute, and I loved the pining and will they or wont they of it all

My biggest struggle was believability — I couldn’t see why someone would want two poster thieves to steal something from the fae? While I enjoyed the pining and the romance, I found it hard to believe this would work out romantically? Sybil wanted a life of adventure, of adrenaline and thrill, while Esme wants to mess with clocks and stay at home. This concept was never really expanded on or talked about when it was setting up to be a big issue between the two of them. And since it was never brought up, I felt the characters didn’t really grow.

It was a good book, but I think some work on the pacing would have been beneficial.
I found a lack of depth from the character and the pace was fairly slow and at times a bit boring.
This book would have probably been enjoyed more from people that prefer cozy fantasy.

This was a cozy, yet thrilling novel about two girls who, trying to make ends meet in a Belle Epoque-inspired city, find themselves getting caught up in a glittering world of enchantment and trouble. The characters were delightfully crafted, and the setting was intriguing and truly came to life on the page. I loved the unique references to real-world Parisian history while remaining rooted in the fantastical. For me, the protagonists were the true heart of the story and I absolutely adored their dynamic and all the love they showed for each other (and, by the way, they were roommates!!). I’d recommend this book for anyone looking for a fun sapphic read with equal parts sweetness, coziness, glamour, and danger.

The overall concept of this story was magical and everything I would want from a queer fantasy. However, I felt like we needed more from the characters. I wasn't really given enough depth to feel a connection to them, and that missing aspect unfortunately impacted the entire experience.

What a fun and charming read.
From the first chapter the characters had me. They're fun and enigmatic. I feel that the story moved quickly and was interesting enough to keep the readers attention throughout the book.
While it is somewhat predictable at times, it didn't take away from the story.
I had fun, I laughed, and I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All opinions are my own (and I’m so sorry this is extremely late!)

I hate to say this, I really do, but I think the reason why it took me forever to finish this book was simply because it was very lackluster. The cover is divinely gorgeous and I really am a sucker for a good cover, but more often than not, I get let down.

I believe this was marketed as a cross between Moulin Rouge meets Holly Black and I felt that it was none of these things. Holly Black, while I had some issues with The Cruel Prince (thus my only reference), leaned heavily into Faery lore and we don't see Fae (Faerie) until 57% of the book. For 56% of the book, Sybil and Esme are just straight vibing. Sure, they get sent on like two or three quests, but I truthfully cannot remember what they were doing apart from getting a map and getting a bag. Unfortunately, I know nothing about Moulin Rogue, but I feel like it didn't do it justice based on what knowledge I have.

I felt the plot was predictable and was just an extreme letdown. There were a few twists I wasn't expecting, but it was overshadowed by how I found the book just not enjoyable. There didn't seem to be very many elements of romance or fantasy and it just felt more convoluted. I believe that there are good elements to the story, such as the characters and their quirks, but it feels like a stretch. I often forgot who was who as they both didn't have a very distinct voice towards the end.

I understand that the author left some ends loose to come back to this world, but I won't be coming back.

I don't know if it was too YA for me or what, but I couldn't get invested in this story. I did not finish.

A Moulin-Rouge atmosphere meets a beautiful, friends-to-lovers in an enchanting story. I enjoyed that this story felt cosy, the stakes didn’t feel world-ending as our characters went on their adventure. Esme is a wonderful character who I felt I could especially relate too, she feels like a breathe of fresh air amongst all the fantasy protagonists that are front and centre at the moment. I wish there was further exploration into consequences for some of Sybil’s actions, as I enjoyed her spontaneity, but felt as though a lot of her actions were really quickly repaired. I did really enjoy this story & would reccomend it as a bookseller for people who are interested in YA cosy fantasy.

Sapphic romantasy is here to stay and I couldn't be happier! Aside from the absolutely stunning cover, I was so excited to read Jamie Pacton's next work, especially knowing it had fae! The prose and atmosphere absolutely dazzled, I could definitely see the comps to Moulin Rouge. The heist kept me on my toes, unable to look away from the page. An amazing read!

Thank you Net Galley for the e arc. Unfortunately I did not finish the story. I read fifty pages of the story and the book lacked direction and depth. Also, while reading the book on my kindle the formatting of the book was off.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity

Not my cup of tea

Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt nicht, wie ich dieses Buch bewerten soll, da ich es aufgrund relativ kurzer Ausleihdauer (ohne Verlängerung) nicht lesen konnte.

Man, there was so much hype surrounding this book (not to mention the gorgeous cover), and it just didn’t live up. Given the whole context and aesthetic it sets up, I was looking for something with a sort of Moulin Rouge vibe – overwrought and angsty and dramatic. But I guess there was just way too much going on to really establish a coherent vibe. Basically our main characters Esme and Sybil, roommates and best friends who are also in love with each other, get roped into a scheme to steal Queen Mab’s jewels for the owner of popular club The Absinthe Underground.
There’s a lot of jumping around, from the streets of Severon to the Absinthe Underground to the main character’s brother’s house to Fae and back again. And there are so many different dynamics going on – Esme and Sybil’s relationship, Sybil’s family history, all the dynamics of Severon, the worldbuilding of Fae, the characters in Fae, and there just isn’t room for them to all get fleshed out properly. There’s nothing to anchor the story or hold it all together; it’s just a bit all over the place.

2.5 so rounding to 3 (for a great concept)

I have been waiting for this book for over a year like I added it on Goodreads before I even had a cover and unfortunately, I was so underwhelmed.
Sapphic, Friends to lovers romantansy with fae, a hidden world, and a Moulin Rouge vibe? Sign me up. I don’t know what I expected but this wasn’t quite it. I got through this pretty quickly and I overall enjoyed the writing style however, all of the characters felt off. Not quite one-dimensional but not fully formed either, somewhere in between. My favorite characters we only see briefly (Chloe, Hyacinth, and Lucien) and our two main characters are fine. But just fine.

I think the romance also felt a little odd because right from the start we know they’re in love with each other, clearly. They both think about it constantly and don’t get me wrong, I understand the pining for your best friend BUT I think it could’ve been done better. There wasn’t much tension between the, and I think that because you don’t get to see the build-up of their relationship, it’s just kind of eh. Like happy for them but I also don’t really care? I almost cared more about their dream cottage and cozy life than what was actually happening in the moment.

Everything also felt like it wrapped up just a little too well. If this were marketed as a low-stakes heist type of cozy fantasy, I think I would’ve had different expectations. But to be fair, I actually haven’t seen much marketing for this at all, a mutual on booksta (@amodelwhosread) recommended it forever ago and I’ve had my eye on it since. I came across the arc on net-galley (shoutout to NG for the arc in exchange for an honest review btw) and that put it back on my radar.

Overall, I liked this enough. It was fast-paced, low stakes, and the world-building was interesting (although I still have so many questions). I’d love to read more set in this universe and will likely pick up more from this author! Would love a sequel heist to get our girl Chloe involved too. Maybe a magic cat thrown in for funsies.

What is one of your most anticipated releases of early 2024?

One of mine is The Absinthe Underground by @jamiepacton! I have been looking forward to this book for months, as its mix of a sapphic love story with a 1920s inspired fantasy world was just too intriguing for me to resist.

Lucky for me, I was able to read an early copy of The Absinthe Underground for my tour stop today with @coloredpagesbt! Their tour celebrating the release of this fantastic new book runs from 1/21-2/3, so be sure to keep an eye out for posts from the other hosts!

The Absinthe Underground absolutely blew me away! From the first page, I was swept into Esme and Sybil’s world. With daring heists and thievery, romance, and Fae magic, The Absinthe Underground has something for every reader. The thing that really made this one a five-star read for me was its use of some beloved romance tropes (things like “friends to lovers” and “they were roommates”) in fresh ways, given the fantasy elements of the story. I am always delighted to see tropes reimagined and reinvigorated, and this book did that! I have read all of Jamie Pacton’s previous releases and I’ve got to say, this is my favorite book of hers so far!

In addition to reading a digital copy of The Absinthe Underground, I listened along to the audiobook version provided by @librofm, which enhanced my whole reading experience! The audiobook version was narrated by Jeremy Carlisle Parker, who is becoming rather prolific in the world of sapphic audiobooks! I really enjoyed hearing her bring the characters to life. The magical world and romance of The Absinthe Underground made for a compelling and easy-to-listen-to audiobook!

My Recommendation:
If you love fantasy romance novels, you need to grab a copy of The Absinthe Underground! I would especially recommend this book to anyone who has a love for the 1920s, with its world of jazz and liquor!

Thank you to @peachtreeteen for the advanced readers copy!