Thank you to Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was more interested in the atmosphere of the book as that seemed to have been one of the strengths of the book. The description of the world was one of the strong elements. I found myself loosing interest here and there, but powered through. It was an entertaining read and somewhat cozy, but no wholly cozy.

This book had its ups and downs. I related to Esme a lot, with her being a people pleaser and afraid of taking big risks. I loved all the cats, but never really understood her fascination with clocks. I thought it would be relevant later in the book but it never was, it was just one of her little quirks.

I liked the fae world and a lot of the book reminded me of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries. This could just be because they both involve fae with similar characteristics and with Lucien researching fae as well.

I found the plot to be a little slow at the beginning and I lost interest and the connection to the characters after a while. I don't know what it was, but I cared more about Oliver the cat than Esme or Sybil.

This book was fine, but I don't know if I would really recommend it.

Thank you to Holiday House, Peach Tree, Pixel+Ink and NetGalley for an Advanced Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sapphic friends-turned-lovers romantasy with beautiful world description and intriguing and mysterious characters. Sybil is a poster thief trying to pay her portion of rent when her and her roommate Esme, who has a tendency to take in strays, cats and humans alike, are presented with a well paying heist opportunity which takes them on a journey through Fae and back.

This book had beautiful descriptions of the world that you could picture easily as you were reading. The character development was more than I anticipated from a 300-ish page book which I liked a lot. If you are a fan of beautiful prose you will enjoy this story and where it takes you.

It is my understanding that this is a standalone and there were a few plot points that I felt could’ve been tied up a little better but I wasn’t all that mad about them and it didn’t take away from the overall story telling. Overall I had a very enjoyable time with this story and the characters.

This book was the warm cup of tea I needed! I have read Jamie Pacton’s other books and know I already like her writing style and that was the same in this book! Absolutely love the author’s style as well as the plot and vibes of this book! The main characters were super cute and I loved the slow burn, secret love. This fantasy book was exactly what I needed to relax, unwind, and escape to a world of fae, magic and heists! Loved this book!

Esme & Sybil are flatmates who’s secretly in love with each other from the very beginning. But Sybil has another secret: she’s secretly half fae. They live on a very tight budget to the point that they’re willing to steal posters to get extra money from poster collectors. It’s a very risky activity so Esme made Sybil promise that that night would be their last time stealing posters.

That’s their last night all right, because one of the poster owners caught them at their transaction with a buyer and hired them to steal something from fae.

So this story is leaning heavily on heists, but it irritated me so much how they pine for each other in every chapter. Just get it over already my God. the plot isn’t too original but at least it’s bearable to get through.

I've been a fan of Jamie Pacton's book for a while, so when I saw she was writing an art nouveau era friends-to-lovers sapphic fantasy, I knew I had to read it! I loved the world-building in this, and the chemistry between Esme and Sybil was slow-burn and super sweet.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🧚🐈‍⬛🕰️💎🐲

The Absinthe Underground is a cute quick read about two best friends who end up on a heist to steal the Fae Queen's jewels after being caught stealing a poster of the model. The world dabbles in magical creatures, Fae, and keys that unlock doors to other worlds.

Best friends, Sybil and Esme are best friends and roommates (and are totally in love with each other, but too scared to say anything) and are in dire need of rent money hence why they agree to go on this heist, even though it's dangerous, in a world of the unknown and there are plenty of things that could go wrong. I enjoyed the storyline and how the mission played out. Lots of twists and turns that keep you wanting to know more.

I feel like this was written in a way that there could be a book two coming, but even if there isn't, I recommend this book. If you like fae, magic, dragons, sapphic friends-to-lovers, and heists, then this book is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley for the copy of the ebook. This review is left voluntarily.

This had a lot of potential but ultimately, it fell flat for me. I was really excited for the sapphic romance, but I couldn't get invested in the characters and their struggles. I think that this book will ultimately find its audience, but it just wasn't my cup of tea and was, overall, just very forgettable (hence the short review).

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

The Absinthe Underground is a lighthearted sapphic fantasy that has the magical feel of a Disney or Hayao Miyazaki movie. In fact I would love to see either of them tackle this story because I can envision the art deco inspired animation. If you like magic, lgbtq stories, Paris, or art history you should definitely give this book a try.

I'll start off this review by saying I don't think I'm the ideal audience for this book. I prefer books with a little more teeth, and this leans more toward cosy.
I enjoyed the setting, and the initial premise. The descriptions of the girls' real world were interesting and relatively vivid. The plot felt more middle grade to me, if you take out the alcohol. The stakes weren't very high, and the motivations not very complex.
The cover is stunning and is a large part of why I picked this up.
For anyone wanting a sweet, cosy sapphire fae book this would be perfect.

I enjoyed reading this. The world in Jamie Pacton's THE ABSINTHE UNDERGROUND is richly developed and vividly rendered; it was a particular highlight of the novel. I've already recommended it to several of my creative writing students and they are very eager to read the book.

I really enjoyed the Absinthe Underground. The characters were well developed and I could visualize the world they lived. I do feel that once the action started, some things felt rushed and not as flushed out as the beginning. I would love to read more by this author in this same world. Also, loved the queer representation.

When I read that this was a moulin rouge-esque, steampunk-y, fantasy heist with fae and also SAPPHIC I was thrilled.

The glittering setting of underground clubs and secretive heists was great, along with the premise of stealing/reselling rare posters. (I love street gremlin, gotta-make-money-somehow-vibes.)

The actual plot development and character building fell flat for me, but I really appreciated the idea of where the story was going!

Overall a fun debut – would love to see more stories in this world.

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CW: alcohol consumption, death of family member, grief, blood, imprisonment, violence

Arc received by the Publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
#TheAbsintheUnderground #NetGalley

Such a great cozy book! I love the characters and the world building! Can't wait to see what else this author brings to the table!

4 ⭐️

This was such a sweet friends to lovers romance and a fantasy that felt cozy while still being high stakes. I had a lot of fun reading it and it really sucked me in towards the end. I love both Sybil and Esme and really enjoyed their adventure.

Now we just need a story about Chloe and Hyacinth 👀.


*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.*

The Absinthe Underground was an amazing book, and definitely a five star read! Jamie Pacton DID NOT disappoint!
I adored the characters and the dynamics as well as the setting of the book and tbh? Sybil and Esme live in my dream home! That is all, haha!

Such an amazing adventure!

It was a great idea to use Belle Epoque Paris as an inspiration for the world - the content of the book turned out to be as beautiful as the cover. Sybil and Esme are very likable characters, both so different, and yet, they worked together so well. I followed their adventure with bated breath.

Sybil and Emse become entangled in a heist. But it’s not a regular kind of heist, they have to go to another world to steal jewels belonging to Queen Mab, queen of Fae. It’s not an easy task, and before they go into Fae they need to steal some other things that’ll help them in the heist. And so the story begins - Sybil, a thief yearning for an adventure, and Emse, a clock repairer dreaming of peace, despite their differences explore something new, supporting each other.

I was so invested in the story, I couldn’t put the book down. It’s a solid sapphic young adult fantasy book, with a friends-to-lovers trope and a magical world. It may not meet its full potential (I’d like magic to be more explained), however, it was such a compelling story, I wish it had more to tell. Sybil and Esme’s apartment felt very homey, Severon had an amazing Belle Epoque vibe (Mucha and Toulouse-Lautrec!), and Fae - I could feel real magic there. It was a very enjoyable read (me want more!).

Thank you NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars! Rounded up because I enjoyed myself, and think this would be solid for the target audience.

The Absinthe Underground is a relatively cozy young adult fantasy featuring fae, a friends-to-lovers romantic subplot, and early 1900s vibes, and I had fun while reading it. I liked the world Pacton created quite a bit, and while the overall story read a little younger than I had anticipated, I think it’d be a very solid read for teen readers in the 13-16 age bracket. Despite the simplicity of the plot and characters, I thought the writing captured the beauty of the world very nicely. It is a little on the more tell side of show and tell, but I wasn’t personally all that bothered, though again—the plot is rather thin and I do think the execution could’ve been stronger. It’s a quick read with a sweet ending and there are tiny, baby dragons, so while the execution wasn’t quite what I’d been expecting (mostly, I had assumed this would be on the older end of YA, sort of in line with The Cruel Prince, since this was comped to Holly Black and the Moulin Rouge), it was still an overall good time.

{ dnf @ 50%}

I really wanted to like this book (or at least finish it), but unfortunately I couldn't connect with it, I found the beginning confusing while NOTHING happened. I'm a big fan of cozy fantasy, but I couldn't like this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
I really wanted to love this story. The GORGEOUS cover, sapphic love, art nouveau, fae, & a magical heist. There was so much potential with the story.
From the start of the book, and throughout the rest, we are blatantly told how the characters are feeling and why. Every emotion and thought is followed by an explanation, leaving no room for inferences or for the reader to come up with their own ideas or conclusions. Maybe this is the writer in me but… show your reader, don’t tell them.
I felt almost no connection to the characters and it was a bit predictable I’m so sorry. This felt like a low level YA book but with sexual themes & alcohol use?