What this book has to offer makes it a gem, especially in the YA world. It's a sweet FF slow burn, friends to lovers romantasy, fairy story set in a world much like 1890s Paris. This will hold the attention of anyone with a Moulin Rouge/Paris obsession. The heist element adds some excitement to this overall cozy read. Adults may find the world and relationship building lacking, but it is exactly what I would expect from a YA fantasy that drops you right into the story.
The unique story ideas and imagery in this book will make me watch for the author's next release. Well done!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for free access to this book.

I will say that I really enjoyed the vibe of Severon and related to Esme a lot but later lost interest, as such I only read until the 60%mark.
I did not find Esme or Sybil to be very convincing as thieves and the heist element of this book felt just lacking in the elements that I personally find the most exciting about heists (the setup and planning) which made it as enjoyable. If you want a friends-to-lovers lesbian romance with fantasy element and a heist element this is the perfect book. But if you are more interested in the heist element over the romance element it does not really work.

Also, when I read that it was friends-to-lovers I expected to get to see two friend fall in love with each other which this is not. It's more 'two friend are in love with each other but can't confess because reasons', said reasons being quite understandable.

I was so looking forward to this book, and I really wanted to like it, but unfortunately I had to DNF around 30% in.

The writing style was plain and immature, there was too much telling instead of showing and exposition dumping, and the word poster is used 144 times in the 300 page book. Maybe I will come back to this, but there are too many releases and other books that I wish to read instead.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨ 3.75 stars

Thank you to Jamie Pacton, Peachtree Teen, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.



"A willow, a word, a slip into the night. Your blood is a map to find your way home, little spite . . ."


The Absinthe Underground follows the story of Sybil Clarion—an adventurous seventeen year old who left her life of luxury to find the freedom she'd never had under her father's care—and Esme Rimbaud—a part-time waitress and mother of many cats, who's content to spend her free time tinkering with the cogs and gears of clocks—as they struggle to make ends meet in the busy city of Severon.

Roommates who share a tiny attic apartment in a clock tower, Sybil and Esme could not be more different. Sybil longs to sample every decadence the Belle Époque has to offer, where as all Esme wants is to have a quiet, cozy life. The one thing the girls do have in common is that they're both secretly, hopelessly in love with one another. And neither girl wants to risk telling the other their feelings in case they don't reciprocate, thus ruining their friendship. Talk about sapphic drama!

Sybil can't commit to job for long without getting bored, so when rent is due she plans to do what she does best to make a quick buck: steal rare posters from around Severon and sell them off to collectors who are willing to pay a hefty price. But Esme, who wants nothing more than to protect the girl she's in love with from herself, insists on tagging along on this particular night. Poster stealing isn't safe for anyone, and Esme is not about to let her best friend get into more trouble.
After a successful night of poster stealing, the girls take their haul to one of Severon's biggest collectors, and just as they're about to make a deal on a new poster for The Absinthe Underground, one of Severon's most exclusive clubs, the club's enchanting owner Maeve waltzes in. Rather than reprimand them, Maeve offers the girls a job thieving for her—the reward enough money for the girls to live comfortably for the rest of their lives without having to work or steal ever again. All they have to do is meet Maeve at the club later than night to hash out the details.

The Absinthe Underground is a club beyond Sybil and Esme's wildest dreams. Glamour all but drips from the marbled walls, floor, and opera boxes. People of all genders and orientations waltz and kiss, women in fabulous dresses perform on stage for all to enjoy (think Moulin Rouge), and everybody drinks to their hearts content.
Syb and Ez, being too poor to afford suitable garments for such a venue, are whisked away to Maeve's private dressing room to choose outfits from her personal collection, and once they're appropriately attired the woman of the hour appears to ply them with the famed Green Fairy drink that the establishment is named for before divesting her plans for the girls. Before getting into the details Maeve tells the girls some truths about their world that they might not be ready to hear or believe: not only is the world of Fae real, but Maeve herself is a faerie—a green faerie—who is stuck in the human world, and can only return home to Fae if Sybil and Esme steal Queen Mab's crown jewels and bring them to Maeve, and they have to do it on the equinox, which is in two days. All they need to complete the task are a few special items—one of which is the key Sybil wears around her neck, which she's never told Esme the origins of. Curious.
Though something about Maeve seems a little off, especially after she revealed her true appearance to the girls, Sybil and Esme are short on rent and short on time to come up with the money. This job for Maeve is their best chance not only making rent but a better life in full. They're not really in any position to turn it down. And so their adventure begins.

While The Absinthe Underground is well written, imaginative, cozy, and dazzling, and while the Pacton's writing is atmospheric,—whether the girls are in the clock tower, hiding in the collector's wardrobe, at Chloe's cottage, trying to survive Lucien's trap ridden house, in Queen Mab's palace or at The Absinthe Underground itself—the highlight of the book for me was definitely the relationship between Esme and Sybil. Despite Sybil knowing everything there is to know about Esme, Esme knows little of Sybil's life before they met each other, yet she still trusts and loves Sybil completely. The girls' love for each other is so sincere and pure that it's truly lovely to read.
Pacton perfectly encapsulates the very special relationship between two sapphic teens that toes the line between between best friends and something more. She writes yearning so wonderfully that it almost felt like Sybil and Esme invented yearning themselves. If yearning were a paid job the girls wouldn't have had to take Maeve's job. They would have been out of that shabby apartment within a week of meeting.

The Absinthe Underground is incredibly romantic and made my heart flutter just reading about Sybil and Esme's feeling for each other. It's a testament to the love between women throughout history.
I hope that in any further books Ez and Syb get to live the life they planned together, full of painting, reading, drinking tea, sharing pastries, snuggly kitties and have adventures when the time is right. And I hope that they go back to Fae to bring Chloe back to the human world.

"What do you want to do tonight?" Esme asked, looking at Sybil. "Perhaps find an adventure somewhere in the city?"
Sybil took a long sip of her tea and gripped the key around her neck. "You know," she said, looking around their apartment. A smile flitter across her lips. "I think I've had enough adventure at least for a little while. Can we stay in tonight?"
Esme raised her teacup and clicked it against Sybil's. "I'd like nothing better."

If Holly Black and Barbie had a cute gay baby. I love them romance in this, I love the way it handled friends to lovers but outside of that I found the heist element a tab bit boring.

I wanted to love this one, but despite its lovely setting and adorable characters, I couldn’t ignore the glaringly obvious issues with the plot. The girls are presumably around the ages of sixteen to seventeen based on a reference to Sybil’s background, and while girls this age can be naive, the author also written both characters to be smart (book smart in Esme’s case and street smart in Sybil’s). It's a bit pet peeve of mine when authors write smart teenage girls and then completely dismiss those very qualities.

Yet neither of them seem worried that they’re meant to pop into a Fae realm, and steal the Queen’s Crown Jewels without being caught using a half-baked plan given to them by a random Fae they’ve just met. The synopsis makes the heist sound as though the Green Fairy is in need of saving, however, the way it is written in the book is extremely flimsy at best. This poor trapped Fae offers them her sob story and a job while plying them with magic infused alcohol…. Nope, nothing at all seedy or questionable about any of this.

Yet still the girls don't question it.


I also noted some worrying characteristics about the romance between Esme and Sybil that felt very reminiscent from the unhealthy romances of 90s YA novels. Esme will do anything for Sybil, unquestionably so, and this is all explained away under her wanting to "look after" Sybil.

It also concerns me that Esme brought Sybil back to her home without knowing anything about her, telling herself that "it’s never a mistake to help someone [...] even if it got her into trouble sometimes". The 'trouble' is not elaborated on, and while it is admirable to help people, bringing a random person who just wandered into your place of work back to live with you is not smart. Sybil could have been anyone.

I DNFed before they went into Fae. If February was less packed with new releases I might have continued with this one to see what the twist might be, but as it stands while it has many beautiful components, the actual main plot just wasn’t well written - at least not for the first 50%.

Thank you netgalley for the arc!

First I wanted to say I wanted to love this book so much….moulin rouge but sapphic and with heists? Right up my alley

The stuff I liked:
I really liked the idea where this was heading… I really enjoyed the museum heist (even though it was like 5 pages) .. and the fact that it’s sapphic (always a win)

What I didn’t like:
I don’t know when I began to be so critical with my reads but this was a fun short read …not memorable at all and the plot twist was solved in less than 20 pages … and I hate when everything comes so easily to the characters… they barely struggled because there was always a convenient escape/ solution to their problem. Another major problem was with the writing style 😭 very tell over showing in a blunt manner….

I would recommend this to someone looking for a light hearted read maybe a new reader … I think this is ya so definitely would recommend to a barely getting into reading teen who is looking for something new to try.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for a copy of this!
I really loved this book. The world building was fantastic. The characters are very likable. The writing is very intricate and detail oriented.
They live in a CLOCK TOWER with SEVEN cats.
Oh, the pining. So swoon-worthy. Very slow burn. So much envy.
Sybil and Esme are everything to each other. And me, lol.
Would read future releases by Pacton. Would want a story of their adventures in Fae.

-they were roommates
-mutual pining
-“I don’t have/need anyone but her”
-cat mom
-clock repairer
-thief and adventurer
-fae
-complicated family dynamics
-sapphic!!

Cats. Gays. Romantasy. Must I say more?
Jamie Pacton is an extremely underrated author and I hope this book gets the accolades it deserves. A lot of people are comparing this book to Howl’s Moving Castle and I’d have to agree. The whimsical adventure feels almost Ghibli. Love this author and can’t wait to read more from her.

This is yet anotehr book that I've read this year that has some really great concepts that are just not fully explored. This book suffers from a lack of world building in the fae world, and the majority of the story is set up, making the major scenes feel rushed and uncompleted.

The set up was fantastic, I saw nothing that made me think this was going to be less than a 5 star read. Two Queer girls, living together with their hoard of cats, spending the night on Parisian streets hunting for some of my favourite posters in history to steal and sell on to pay the rent was such a good story in itself.

The fae world plot line really bogged this story down, I didn't feel like it was as richly described as the girl's own world, and we didn't spend a lot of time there. The story started hurtling to the finish line as soon as they entered the world, and for me the ending for one character I really liked felt unresolved.

I immediately fell head over heels into The Absinthe Underground. As someone who loves historical fantasy stories, this one is a must. It not only features a unique and detailed historical fiction setting, one that I rarely get to visit, but also combines it with the Fae. And these Fae have hidden nuances, a bit of a bite, and some lies. You know one of the first things I loved about The Absinthe Underground were the queer feels and swoons.

LOVED this from the first page. By the end of the first chapter I'd already preordered a copy. And now I'm thinking of getting it on audio too. Absolutely stunning book.

I don’t know how Jamie Pacton does it, but both times I’ve read her fantasy books, I’ve fallen deeply into them and not surfaced until the story concluded. I love this immersive fantasy world inspired by 1890s Paris.

The chapters alternate point-of-view, flipping back and forth between Esme and Sybil’s perspectives. Esme is organized and orderly. Sybil is pure creative chaos, but somehow, the pair really works. I liked the differences between them and watching them navigate those differences in their friendship and as participants in a dangerous heist.

The girls pine for one another a lot throughout the story, which was okay, but sometimes felt a little bit distracting from the other elements. The romantic arc progressed perfectly, though. I loved that– it’s so sweet.

The Fae elements felt both magical and otherworldly, which I find I really like as well. The magic elements were used in very cool ways in connection with the plot.

All in all, this is another hit for me with this author. I think fans of Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fae series or Roshani Chokshi’s The Gilded Wolves books will very much enjoy this one.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

I first want to thank Netgally and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

I think this was a very fun fast paced read. The cover art is GORGEOUS and I loved the historical details that were added in. The Magic system was a little confusing at first, but once I got into it a bit more I was fully immersed. The writing style immediately captivated me.

Im rating it Three stars, only because I wish there was more to the story! I want an expansion on certain elements and characters, <spoiler> like Lucien's arc, the heist scenes and the entirety of the Fae realm felt a little rushed. </spoiler> I want more! I also think that the romance could be a little more fleshed out, I want to feel their yearning! <spoiler> That kiss at the end was spectacular and I can truly say I waited the entire book for it to happen! </spoiler>

3.5. this book has amazing vibes and i was drawn to it by the cover. i really was looking forward to the plot but in many parts it fell flat. i also felt that the balance between YA sand new adult wasn’t clearly defined, which left some parts feeling underdeveloped. overall i enjoyed reading it but was wishing for more!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this e-copy. This is an honest opinion.

"The Absinthe Underground" by Jamie Pacton is a sapphic friends-to-lovers historical romantasy inspired by 1890s Paris. Sybil, eager to escape the constraints of high society, manages to scrape by stealing rare posters and selling them to collectors. Esme, content at home with her clocks and cats, grudgingly agrees to accompany and protect Sybil. When caught selling a poster by Maeve, the glamorous subject of the artwork, the girls are invited to The Absinthe Underground—a club Maeve owns. Maeve, a Green Faerie trapped in the human world, makes an offer that could change Sybil and Esme's lives: a heist in the Fae realm in exchange for freedom.

Firstly, this cover is epic and I adore it. I love the Art Nouveau vibes. I also really like the historical fantasy elements in the beginning and the more whimsical turn as the characters delve into the faerie world. The vibes and the atmosphere in this are top-notch. I also adore the friends-to-lovers sapphic romance that is contained within; even though sometimes they seemed so vastly different people. They have one another's hearts at the forefront of their decision-making. I also loved the cats!

However, I do think there was something left wanting by the overall depth of the world-building and the plot. Often, I was left asking why things were a certain way in the world but the answer wasn't given or was just due to "plot-reasons". There was a lot more 'telling' than 'showing', in general - which is just something I'm not fond of.

The enchantment of the settings and the VIBES were amazing, but I wanted a little bit more depth.

Sybil and Esme, the two best friends in this novel, accept the challenge to steal the crown jewels of a fairy queen in this incredible standalone novel. The Absinthe Underground came out yesterday, and I’m so excited for more people to discover this amazing book!! 💚

My favorite parts of this book were the vibes (think historical Paris!) and the characters themselves. Sybil and Esme were so clearly fleshed out and well rounded, and I loved knowing from the very beginning that they were so different and yet still managed to be best friends. It was the kind of real and raw friendship I really appreciate in novels! 📚

The sweet sapphic romance was so fun too ☺️ I loved this book! Make sure you check it out!

This book hooked me in the first chapter. Two sapphics pining after each other living in a clock tower with SEVEN CATS, and one of them steals posters for a living ? Amazing, I love it.

Desperately needing money to pay rent, Sybil and Esme risk stealing a poster advertising the Absinthe Underground, a club that has the entire city in a thrall. However, they both get caught by the club's owner, Maeve. Instead of calling the police, she offers them a deal : in reality, Maeve is a Green Fairy, and she needs Sybil and Esme go to the fae realm and steal the Faerie Queen's crown jewels before the end of the Spring Equinox. The two women embark on a dangerous heist, all while trying to deal with their feelings for each other.

I loved the setting of the Belle Époque in France, and the illustrated posters, and the club (the Absinthe Underground), and pretty much everything there. Now I want to read more novels in this time period.
I think we could have had more setbacks and twists during the heist, all its different stages were great but I think they could have been more developed.
I love characters pining, especially so if it's queer, but, and this is a personal preference, I would have liked to see their feelings start to develop and THEN have the pining. Like, I want to know exactly why and when you fell for each other and this could have had me more invested in their relationship.
Also, I would love a sequel, particularly if it's centered around Hyacinth and Chloe, that would be so great ! I feel like the author has room to explore the Fae world even more.

I had a blast reading The Absinthe Underground. It's a big jumble of Art Nouveau and cats and fae and books and clocks and tea that feels like it was designed specifically to appeal to me.

Overall, this is best described as a cozy fantasy romance set in the Belle Epoque era of an imaginary city. The romance is sweet and charming, the vibes are interesting and artsy, and the characters are cute and likable. Pacton did a great job of taking a unique concept and turning it into a deeply entertaining story.

It was honestly hard not to give this a five star rating, just because I enjoyed it so much. However, I wish the prose had been a little more descriptive, just to really sell the Art Nouveau feel, and the plot needed a bit of work. A lot of the heist plotline either made no sense or relied on characters being as dumb as possible and refusing to communicate. Why in the world is the ability to peel a poster off a wall the only required qualification for robbing a heavily guarded royal safe? Why wouldn't Esme bother to spend five seconds mentioning the critical information she'd learned to Sybil? Ultimately, the romance made sense, but little else did.

Luckily, the connection between Sybil and Esme and the appeal of the world Pacton created was enough to make up for those issues. I had so much fun reading this book and will definitely be trying more of Pacton's books in the future.

This was such a good fun read, with high stakes but not SO high that you ever actually fear for the cat in the story.
I love the two main characters’ dynamic of being best friends but both secretly wanting to be more. And the fact that they’re both women has nothing to do with them not getting together yet, which I appreciate seeing in this kind of book. A lot of books that similarly are reminiscent of olden-day time periods will have societies that are more homophobic towards queer main characters, but not this one.
The things this book was missing, though, were world building, character development of any kind for the other characters (there was a lot that wasn’t explained), and more depth to the villain (her motivation is super typical and just wanting power for no actual reason, so that’s where the story fell flat).
But overall, this was a really good book and a fun adventure.