3.75 stars!🌹✨❤️

This was a deeply romantic, whimsical, atmospheric read!

“The worst hurt doesn’t always come with open violence. Instead, there is a tenderness before you’re devoured.”

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In “Tenderly, I am Devoured” we follow our main character Lacrimosa (lark), after she has been expelled from school, and with no other option decides to return home to her two older brothers. Upon her return she comes to discover that the family’s salt mines are not doing well, and in a desperate attempt to save her family’s home and business she makes an agreement with a highly worshiped God Therion - to marry him in exchange for the mines/estates well-being. The night she is to be wed, something terrible takes place, causing Lark to slip away from the mortal world. She must confide in Alastair (the boy who hates her) and Camille (Alastair’s sister) in what is taking place so they can figure out how to save her before it is too late.

I really enjoyed the scenic atmosphere of Verse. It was so well described that I could taste the salt in the air reading about the place in which Lark lived. I LOVED the lush, glamorous details of saltswan, and everything regarding the mood of the book was perfect.

I really did have a good time reading about each character and thought they brought something unique to the plot. Poor Lark has been through so many betrayals - her family, her friends, her lovers. It’s no wonder she can’t trust anybody. She still is such a sweet and optimistic girl. Alastair is a complex boy with complex emotions due to his upbringing. Camille is fun and adventurous. Her brothers, well they are - regrettable but still important, nonetheless.

My ONE irk with this book is a major spoiler so proceed with caution.
I was not expecting and did not enjoy the romantic relationships within this book. The only reason it gives me unsettling feelings is because Lark picks BOTH the brother and sister duo. She has an interest and attraction to siblings - and when she decides to stay with both of them - forever as a trio - that was a little too off putting. It felt like a “why choose.” which is not my favorite thing in the world when it involves families (I am SO sorry.)

Everything else - was great. Eerie and whimsical.

What a thrilling book. It was like The Secret History dove into the Romantasy genre. Loved it. Thank you!

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a gothic fantasy that haunted and mesmerized me from start to finish. This book promises exactly what it delivers: a haunting, atmospheric romantic fantasy with a touch of folk horror that captivated me in ways I wasn’t expecting.

The FMC, Lacrimosa (Lark) Arriscane, is an absolute gem. Watching her grow throughout the story—from a girl reeling from betrayal and loss to someone discovering her own strength—was a beautiful, slow unraveling. Her relationships with the other key characters, particularly Alastair and Camille Felimath, never fell into the familiar, often frustrating “love triangle” trope. Instead, the relationships felt organic and real. There is a love and care between these characters that goes beyond typical romantic entanglements, and the book explores their feelings with tenderness and depth.

The world-building is absolutely stunning. The setting—gothic, dreamlike, and occasionally nightmarish—feels both cozy and menacing, with dark gothic vibes mixed in with sea gods and a pagan belief system.

I highly recommend this book to fans of dark fantasy, slow-burn romance, and lush world-building. It’s a dark gothic tale that’s both haunting and tender.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC and give my honest review.

This was a beautiful romantasy about a woman being betrothed unknowingly to a demon god before she was born into existence. As she tries to fulfil her destiny while exploring her love interests with a brooding boy from her school years and his older sister, she yearns to save her family by upholding the engagement to the demon god, Therion. Amidst all of this, she discovers something about her past that she never saw coming. This book is light on the spice, but has a slow burn feel and beautifully written language.

First, many thanks to the author, Lyndall Clipstone, and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of this book!

The story follows Lacrimosa “Lark” Arriscane after she is expelled from boarding school after an incident involving her former friend. I’m not going to go into too much detail about the story as to not give too many spoilers. Now, to the review!

I absolutely devoured this book (pun intended). It’s everything I expected and more. The writing style was a bit hard for me to get into at first, but after my brain rewired to understand it better it was smooth sailing. If you’re looking for a gothic, why-choose, queer romance then this is the book for you! It’s gloomy, moody, and atmospheric; the perfect recipe for the best kind of book, in my humble opinion. The book mainly revolves around the ocean and art so if you like either or both of those things then read this book. The pacing was good and I enjoyed that it switched between the past and present. I also really liked the theology system and the animal shifter gods. I want to know more about the other gods/goddesses.

There are really only two things I didn’t like. The first is that I felt that the relationships between Lark and the Felimath siblings progressed way too fast, especially with Alastair. Like, one minute they hate each other and the next they’re all buddy buddy again after a heartfelt talk. The way Lark describes Alastair’s betrayal, it feels like there should have been some more in between time for healing and forgiveness or maybe I’m just petty and bad at forgiveness and want to project that onto fictional characters. Who knows? The second thing is that I wish we were given more about Damson, Lark’s former friend from boarding school, and where she ended up after Lark left. We also don’t really get any insight as to WHY Damson betrayed Lark and kicked her to the curb for some new girl, which is something I would personally like to know. I mean, we get some idea as to why but never a full explanation. I wanted some sort of confrontation at the end of the book where they either yell it out or duke it out or something messy like that because I live for the drama and there was just not enough (she says as if the book wasn’t full of drama).

In conclusion, go preorder this book and read it immediately when it comes out July 1, 2025. Like, as soon as you’re done reading this review go buy the book. Buy it. Peer pressure always works. I will also be purchasing a hard copy when it comes out and I cannot wait to hold a physical copy in my hands!

This was my very first book from the author. I feel like it had so much potential! Might contain spoilers so read at your own risk.

The story overall was very predictable for me. I still read it through with hopes that it might catch me off-guard but the only thing that did was the random kisses between the MMC's sister and the FMC. It felt so forced and didn't make sense at all. It had so much potential but it was just another predictable book with LBGTQ rep thrown in there, but it was so random it didn't make any sense to me.

The cover is gorgeous, which is the main reason I wanted to read it. I liked that not all the details were told at the beginning of why she got kicked out of the school and made it seem like a big deal but then it just didn't really feel like THAT much of a big deal towards the end of the story. She chooses to make out with her love interest's sister while he was being hurt by his father after saying she would never let him get hurt. Make it make sense.

Anyways, quickly grew bored with this book and just had to finish it to give me two cents.
Would not recommend to my friends.

This is such a sweet and salty book. I loved the writing style and the simple poetry of the story itself. The author weaves a beautiful tale throughout this book that makes you think deeply on many things, from toxic relationships to the deepest loves.

This was my first book by this author, I’ve been meaning to read something by her for a while! I enjoyed this book, it’s a YA fantasy. The writing is very atmospheric and I did get gothic vibes, if I had to name a comp title I’d actually say House of Salt and Sea. I also liked the romance, and the LGBTQ+ rep. I feel like if it had been a little longer it could’ve expanded on plot points/more lore. I also felt like the boarding school exit was a little unresolved?

I see Lyndall Clipstone saw all of the recent beautiful horror book covers from other authors and she said "Hold my beer." This cover is STUNNING. I want this cover art as a wall print. I want it as a literal statue for my house. I want it on a t-shirt. Whoever hired the artist to design the art for this cover deserves a trophy and a raise increase of approximately 350%. This is probably the most beautiful book cover I have EVER seen, and I've read a TON of books over my life. Even if I hated this book (which I didn't), I STILL would have bought this on release day just to display on my bookshelf. This was a work of art before I even opened the first page. Give the artist all of his/her flowers. Incredible!

Now, onto the book. I don't know what I did to deserve the gift of having the last 3 arcs i read be absolute 5 stars, but here we are and I'm not asking any questions. Romance is not a genre that I read, ever, but give me romance mixed with horror/gothic vibes and I am SEATED!

To say that this book was absolutely perfection with the most lush prose would be an understatement. It truly felt like luxury reading this. "Tenderly, I am Devoured" is a love letter to moody, monstrously gothic romantasies. I've never read anything like it and doubt I ever will again.

Stunning work. Beautiful Cover. I need more!

Thank you to Lyndall Clipstone, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read this utterly gorgeous story.

The writing of this book is lyrical. The way the author weaves a soft sense of sensuality and longing through pain and anguish is absolutely stunning. That said, parts of this book felt pretty repetitive. Not enough that it overshadows the beauty of the story, but definitely enough that I took notice.

𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱, 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.

There's something so beautiful and delicate and romantic about everything Lyndall writes. Flower petal soft yearning threaded through with the sharpest anguish.

𝘞𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮; 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦.

Love, family and living fully despite betrayal and hurt. The bond between Lark and the Felimath siblings and Lark and her brothers is achingly sweet and unbearably poetic.

𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘭'𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘵.

Lacrimosa and her kissable chthonic god and her brooding selkie boy 🤍🦢

𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵.

Lark and her sweet, brave, strawberry sunrise girl 🎀🍓

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5

Talk about atmosphere. The writing in this book is spectacular. I loved the descriptions which put you there on the cliffs and caves of Verse, chilled and barefoot and sandy. The society created here, with their own cthonic gods and rituals, was really special. The twists the story took really interested me, as well.

I would say that the story starts a tad slow, but I am usually not a gothic fantasy reader and had to adjust a bit. It was totally worth pushing myself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC copy!

2.5 STARS

**Possible spoiler alert: Specific plot details outside of what the book's synopsis has already shared are excluded, but details surrounding some of the relationships are shared.**

The book started out amazingly. I like when not all of the details are immediately revealed and there is a timeline jump from the present to the past, and bits are slowly revealed as the present day storyline unravels. It had some mystery, which made me hyper-diligent in my reading because I was actively gathering clues to figure out why certain things were occurring.

The bulk of the writer's writing style was BEAUTIFUL! "There will always be a scar on me in the shape of the truth." She is definitely talented in the way she weaves words to tell her story.

It had so many great moving parts, all parts that gave this story great potential. The plot as a whole is where this book faltered for me. It felt like all of the pieces didn't fit together. The "throuple" situation with the brother and sister duo was icky and weird. There was a moment where Lark is kissing Alistair (the brother) while his sister, Camille, is caressing Lark's neck. It is weird as heck to imagine my sibling and I dating the same person, much less them stroking any part of that person's body while I'm being kissed by them. I just could NOT get on board with this, and it ruined the suspense and slow burn of her and Alistair reconnecting. By the time they kissed, I was so icked out I didn't even care.

This book had a beautiful chance to be a place for young adults who are in these situations, where they're experiencing bisexuality and aren't fully formed in their identities or sexuality, yet, and it could have served as a soft landing place for them to begin to explore those thoughts and feelings conceptually if they weren’t already exploring them on a physical level. But all of the relationships weren’t fully fleshed out. We kept being told about how Lark connected with these characters without the author having scenes to flesh out how those connections were built. As much details were shared about Lark’s relationship with Allistair and Damson, even significantly less was shared about Camille. That relationship surprised me and it didn’t make sense to me. It made me take Lark less seriously.

I LOVED Larks’ brothers. I would not change anything about them. I adored them for their deep love for Lark and the selflessness they showed in caring for her. Her initial anger did not make sense to me, not at the level she harped at her brothers about regarding the secret they were guarding. If they hadn’t done what they did, she would not exist. They were selling off everything in their house to be able to support themselves and support her while she was away at school. They never asked her for a thing. And they not once tried to manipulate or persuade her to marry Therion. SHE did, despite their multiple attempts to dissuade her. So her being mad? It seemed bratty and immature. Feeling like her trust and connection with them was minimally frayed because they withheld that information from her would have made more sense than the temper tantrum she had. They were willing to sell their home and their land so that she didn’t have to be forced into a marriage with Therion. They were not the bad guys. She was a drama queen and unlikeable with how she handled her initial reaction. Again, an unfriendly reaction would, of course, have been warranted. The level at which she blew up did not feel justified.

There was a scene where Hugo, Allistair, Camille, and Lark were having dinner with Allistair and Camille’s cruel father. At some point, the father demands Allistair accompany him upstairs, and it is obvious Mr. Felimath is angry. Lark KNOWS the man is most likely going to physically abuse Allistair. But she decides to make out with Camille first, and THEN go upstairs to try to intercept any abuse that the father might inflict on Allistair. I did not understand HOW she could be slightly in the mood to kiss ANYONE knowing what could possibly be happening to Allistair upstairs. There was no urgency in her trying to get to him. I did really like this line: “I am small and soft, nothing but a fierce heart and a borrowed dress, but in this moment I know I would tear out MARCUS FELIMATH’S throat with my own blunt teeth before I let him put his hands on Alistair again.” (I guess unless it gets in the way of a mini make-out sesh with Allistair’s sister downstairs, but THEN when she's done, she will tear out his throat and blah blah blah.)

The ending of the book began to pick up again. There was another weird moment where Camille and Lark kiss, I think while they’re trying to connect to Therion, and it made zero sense. Everything about those two being romantically involved felt incredibly forced and like she just wanted someone in the book to have a female on female relationship. I felt like Damsen and Lark fulfilled that box if it was something the author was trying to check off. Even though they were not a fleshed out couple for me, they made sense to me because Lark was coming off of a rejection and broken heart from the boy she loved, so I was not surprised she latched onto Damesen the way she did.

I would not recommend this book to my friends, fellow librarians, or purchase it. If the hiccups were better developed, this could be an incredible book, and then I’d happily purchase it. I appreciate NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Henry Holt and Co. for the digital review copy of this unique romantasy in return for my honest feedback.

**I have a joint Goodreads account. There is a note in the post that I am posting as Josh R. Thank you again for the opportunity to read this book!**

Beautiful prose, but the reliance on sensuality as the massively overplayed note made the book feel repetitive. It was driven by who Lark would kiss next, and when two of those people were siblings who felt dangerously close to also kissing each other, it became difficult to read. I am not a fan of incest or incest-hints.

Beyond the borderline incest (the two siblings do not ever actually kiss, but the sensual tone that dominates the book carries thoroughly through their actions so it's almost less believable that they haven't), I thought the relationship with her brothers, the setting of the salt mine and the sea god were all very interesting. I would probably have adored this book, written in this style, if the focus had stayed on these facets. But Lark seemed to be under some sort of spell where anyone her age (or immortal) that she interacted with became an immediate romantic obsession, with or without reason. The overabundance of romantic interests (4!) for one MC made it difficult to sort out what made any of them unique or necessary. Alistair was my favorite, as his arc from friend to rival was mysterious and dark--but then it almost immediately just becomes a physical obsession between him and Lark (and his sister) without a clear emotional shift for him as to why. I would have loved some paring back of the other romances in order to truly focus on one, or maybe two, as Clipstone is clearly excellent at writing romantic vibes and it would be fascinating to see her dive deep into one that felt like more than just exploratory sex. The "this is exciting because we're doing it on your father's desk and he could catch us" was the most honest note in all of the relationships, because for once there was a reason for them to feel as passionate as they did.

I also desperately wanted Lark to just have a friend, but when she chooses making out over helping her brother while knowing he's being abused, there is perhaps a reason she has no friends.

I genuinely enjoyed this book. Lark’s tale had me from the beginning and I thought it was a great idea to have some chapters be distributed the way they are with flashbacks in between. It gave me the sense of having to keep going to find out what happened at her school or why she hated Alistair. Once all of that was discovered, it makes the reader understand more and then dive back to the plot.
I think this book was more character-led and still I didn’t dislike that fact. I only wish we had a bit more background on the gods/myths to understand more of the folklore in the book.
Alistair and Lark were great round characters but I also wished a little bit more for Camille. The introduction of Hugo was quite well, a side character with a bit of history. And I think Camille deserved that too. As for Lark’s school situation, I also wished we could see more of the outcome there since it was so unjust. I still liked the ending we got, they definitely deserved it.

In this book, Lyndall Clipstone displays a talent for creating a lush atmosphere that I found reminescent of A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid. The setting is excellent, the prose rich and full of beautiful imagery. The prose is the strongest point in this novel, and I did struggle connecting with the main character, Lark. Her flashbacks to her academy days were equally as intersting to read about as her bethrothal to a swan god, and gave her more life. I was actually sad when those chapters ended.

The main trio in general could have been more developed as well, but these a minor gripes. I enjoyed the story and the world-building, though I wish we could have seen more of it.

Reccomended for poetic prose, beautiful atmosphere, and interesting lore. Clipstone has put a great deal of heart into the novel, and I believe that more than shines through in the story.

4.5 stars.

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is as dark and lovely as its title and cover might suggest.

This novel is filled to the brim with longing and feels like it was written for tender-hearted dreamers, big-time yearners, folklore enthusiasts, and, of course, swan lovers.

I'm naturally skeptical of things that are compared to The Secret History and A Study in Drowning because those books are very near and dear to my heart, but I do think that there are elements of both of those in this story. This is especially true if the bacchanalia from TSH fascinated you. Clipstone's take on it is, of course, different, but hers is a gauze-draped, dreamy and surreal thing that was utterly captivating.

I think that my favorite part about this book was its characters though. Lacrimosa, Alastair, Camille, and Therion were such fascinating characters and I especially enjoyed experiencing the latter three through Lark's perspective. She's such a lover and that bleeds into every interaction she has with the important people in her life.

The romance also had me kicking my feet and giggling. There's just something about friends to rivals to lovers that hits every single time. While I wish the tension between Lark and Alastair had been left to simmer for longer (their resolution was a bit rushed in my opinion), it was still so good. I also just really loved, as an enjoyer of things that come in threes, how Lark's life was so neatly divided into trios. That recurring theme--especially as it applied to her love life--was such a well thought out detail.

I think that the only reason this book isn't a five star for me is because there were times where it felt almost a bit too repetitive. Many of the same turns of phrase were used over and over again, and while they were as lovely the second or even third time I saw them, I did wish for a bit more variety.

Overall though, this was a fantastic read. Lyndall Clipstone is on my radar and I'm eager to read her backlog -- especially if her other books are as full of as much yearning as this one was.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own :)

Expelled from her prestigious boarding school following a violent incident, eighteen-year-old Lacrimosa Arriscane returns home in disgrace to discover her family on the point of financial ruin. Desperate to save them, she accepts a marriage of convenience… to Therion, the chthonic god worshipped by Lark’s isolated coastal hometown.’


Tenderly, I am Devoured was such a peculiar story. Although not particularly my cup of tea, I did appreciate the tale and the prose. I just had a difficult time wrapping my head around Lark’s relationship with the siblings. What was that like? Did she swap beds nightly, going from brother to sister? I’m left curious to know exactly how that situation was peacefully & happily navigable for all.

Regardless, I am always grateful for the opportunity to read an arc. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)!

Pub date: 7.1.2025.

"...The worst hurt doesn't always come with open violence. Instead, there is a tenderness before you're devoured."

A huge thank you to Lyndall Clipstone for allowing me to read and review this story via NetGalley. ❤️

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is my favorite work from Clipstone yet and is a reminder as to why she's one of my favorite authors. I can always find myself easily engrossed in the worlds she creates and Tenderly is certainly no exception to the case. Her prose can describe a scene and characters' emotions so vividly and beautifully, and they shine so wonderfully all throughout this story. This is the most beautifully written book I've read this year, and I just know so many other readers will fall in love with it like I did when it releases in 2025. 💗

“𝐌𝐞𝐚 𝐘𝐯𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐫𝐡” 🪷🦢✨

I finished Tenderly, I am devoured in one sitting and I am OBSESSED. As many of my pookies know I’m a huge fan of gothic fantasy, adding a sapphic element to that was all it took for me to click ‘request an arc’. Clipstone wrote a stunning, enchanting and magical novel about love, friendship and betrayal. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loved ‘A Study In Drowning’ (taste 😌💅🏼).

✨ the vibes ✨:
- art references
- m/f/f polyrelationship
- WHO DID THIS TO YOU 🧎🏼‍♀️🧎🏼‍♀️🧎🏼‍♀️🧎🏼‍♀️
- a unique magic system with gods
- dark academia-esque
- the secret history x a study in drowning