As an avid fantasy reader and lover of all thinks gothic and folk-lore , I was extremely excited when I read the description of this book on NetGalley. The also saw comparisons to Ava Reid’s writing style which I would say is an accurate description in a way.

You are slowly drawn in with the writing into this vastly different yet similar world.
Lark has made a deal with Verse’s God , Therion to marry him so that they can repay debts her family owes and revitalize the salt mines in their fledging city.

If you want angst and yearning.. it’s here. There is a very interesting love triangle of sorts that’s weaved in between two storylines that give context to the main course of the story. Her prose is on point. I have so many highlights.. the words drift off of the page and wrap around you until you feel it.

This is a dual layered story of hope and self discovery as we follow our main character.

Honestly, this book fell apart in the last 30%. While the prose is beautiful and conceptually the synopsis sounds great.. the execution was not. I would not count this author out in the future though, the wiring is beautiful and whimsical but this story just fell flat.

If you want a full vibes and whimsy read- this book is for you! But if you need some complexities with the flowery language.. this may not work for you.

content warnings (from author’s website): body horror; eldritch horror; bullying; discussions of death and grief; emotional and physical abuse from a parent; descriptions of blood, wounds, and bleeding; suicidal ideation

as though being expelled from her prestigious boarding school wasn’t bad enough, lacrimosa arriscane, or lark, returns home to discover her family on the brink of financial ruin. desperate to save them, she accepts a marriage of convenience to therion, the chthonic god her hometown worships. her betrothal goes horribly wrong, though, and when she begins to vanish from the mortal realm, her only hope is alastair felimath, her first heartbreak, and his alluring older sister, camille. as they delve into the gods’ folklore, lark can’t help but feel entranced by the siblings. when they perform a bacchanalia, though, they attract the wrath of something wishing to destroy both therion and lark.

i loved lyndall clipstone’s world at the lake’s edge duology, so i was very excited to read more from her. gothic books can be hit or miss for me, but so far, clipstone’s books have all been hits. this had such an interesting plot and the lush writing really drew me into the story. i loved the dynamic between lark, alastair, and camille. love triangles aren’t normally my jam, but i think it’s safe to say this was not a typical love triangle. i also enjoyed the book’s plot twists and reveals, some of which had me really feeling for lark. overall, this was a great book. i’m looking forward to more from the author!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book. This was a very atmospheric read, I really felt like I could smell the salt from the ocean the entire time I was reading this book. The romance was wonderful and multi-layered. I was very impressed with the way it was handled. The way things were described throughout the book were eerie and wonderful. I really enjoyed this.

Romantic and weird. Loved it. Clipstones writing is one of my favorites. Atmospheric and more horror than I thought Clipstone brought me back to personal times and emotions were heavy.

Thank you for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book is so atmospheric and the writing is phenomenal! Lyndall Clipstone is so great at making complex characters that you root for.
Tenderly, I am Devoured follows our main character Lark as she arrives back to her family home after leaving school. When she finds out that her brothers have offered the only place she’s felt safe up to pay off their parents debt she decides to take things into her own hands by making a deal with a god.

This was eerie, romantic, and weird in ALL the ways I absolutely adore. It's full of salt air, family secrets and that slow creeping dread that builds chapter by chapter. Lark returns home to a crumbling coastal village, trying to keep her family afloat and avoid being devoured- literally and metaphorically- by the sea god she is promised to. It's haunting and dreamy, with that kind of folklore feel that's both beautiful and unsettling.

The love tangle was surprisingly soft and emotional. I didn't expect it, but I LOVED it!! Probably my favorite I've ever read in that aspect. Their dynamic felt natural and honest, not dramatic, and I adored that. Also: big YES to messy queer longing and people choosing each other in strange, broken ways.

It's a slow burn, in the beginning, and a little hazy in places, but once it gets going, I couldn't put it down. The setting felt like it's own character: all stormy cliffs, tide-soaked ruins, and creeping rituals. Totally gave me that delicious gothic ache I was hoping for. If you like your books moody, mythic, and just a little monstrous (like I do) it is absolutely worth diving into. One of my favorite reads this year!!!

Absolutely stunning. Tenderly I Am Devoured is everything I want in a book, achingly lyrical prose, rich worldbuilding, and a story that seamlessly weaves together dark academia, fantasy, and LGBTQIA+ themes.

Lark, the main character, returns home in disgrace from her academic life, only to find her family teetering on the edge of ruin, and at the center of it all is the boy who was once her best friend. What unfolds is a story drenched in secrets, gods, cults, forbidden knowledge, and the beautifully fraught path from enemies back to something like love.

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic is so well done, slow burn, emotionally complex, and deeply satisfying and the queer representation is heartfelt and nuanced.

This book devoured me. I couldn’t put it down, and even now I’m still haunted in the best way. Lyndall Clipstone has written something both tender and brutal, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Perfect for fans of Tamsyn Muir, Leigh Bardugo, or those who love their fantasy with heart, teeth, and a touch of the divine.

“Don’t be afraid. You are mine, Lacrimosa. I will never harm you.”
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My Thoughts: The English major in me was quaking over how beautiful the writing in this book was! Every simile, every personification, the lyrical prose, and these characters, were written from the soul. From page one, I was teleported into a word that I want to live in. A cottage surrounded by the woods, with a view of a private beach. Yes, please!

In this story, Lacrimosa and her brothers are struggling to pay off a debt that their parents left them with after they passed away. In order to bring life back to their salt mines, Lacrimosa agrees to marry the chthonic god, Therion. On the night of their betrothal, something goes wrong for both Lacrimosa and Therion. After discovering she is disappearing from the mortal realm, she seeks out help from the Felimath siblings, her oldest friends, to figure out a way to get everything back to normal.

This whole book felt like a fever dream, but in the best way possible. If you like:
🎀Soft FMC’s
🎀Heartbreak to lovers
🎀Dark Academia meets cottage core
🎀Polyamorous relationships (m/f/f)
🎀Family drama
🎀Secrets

Pick this book up IMMEDIATELY! I loved everything about this one, and I’ll definitely be thinking about this plot for a while. She’s marrying a swan god for Pete’s sake! If that doesn’t draw you in, I don’t know what will lol.

I was very fortunate to received an eARC of this. Thank you Macmillian, NetGalley and Lyndall for sending me a copy of this book.

I started reading it in October when I received it. I am very thankful that I was gifted this book and The author is an honest lovely person and I can tell they have talent.

To be completely honest this book was not for me but that does not mean it isn't for you.

It's a YA gothic romance. It is not a bad book, not at all. It has a nice mix of horror, mystery and romance.

I thought the plot was interesting at times and it's what pulled my interest when I saw this pop up on the photo place.

It is VERY descriptive and I felt it was difficult for me to follow at times.

There is a poly relationship in this book while it doesn't involve the sibling directly, something about sibling sharing a lover and being around together put me off quite a bit. And they're trying to figure out where Lark's brothers are together. I just found it very confusing.

If you like mythology inspired reads and coming of age stories, then this is a great book for you! There’s some Hades x Persephone inspired aspects, chthonic gods, young love, heartbreak, friendship and a whole bunch of gripping writing to make you want to keep reading to figure out what happens to Lark as she grows up. I honestly couldn’t put this book down!

This book is a poly pansexuals dream (nightmare?)
Unfortunately everyone is so young (acting? they’re at least 20 I think?) all anyone does is kiss and dry hump.
Being shared between a brother and sister in a YA book was a choice !!!!!

I liked the plot… for the first 50% until I got so bored… but the romance was almost too much. It was unbelievable and not well written. I was completely unconvinced any of these people liked each other. They were incredible horny tho so good for them I guess!
Everyone was really annoying and SO FLAWED except the sister who’s just boring. Usually flawed is not an issue for me, but I would have liked to LIKE someone????

There were quite a few university flashback chapters that had nothing to do with anything.
That was so strange.

My ultimate review of this book is that I am not the right audience. I think my younger self - fifteen and desperate for the sort of romance I saw in period movies and romance novels, wistfully dreaming of attending Oxford and being as pretentious as possible - would have loved this novel. It is all atmosphere and feelings - desperate, pining, erudite ones. Adult me was irritated. The world building is sketchy at best - motivations and drive for both the human characters and gods are not well defined. And it's been some time since I read two female characters with as little agency in their own tale as Lark and Camille. Lark's tragic backstory was the epitome of "are there no responsible adults around?" so much so I nearly DNF'd at the reveal of her fallout with Damson Sinclair. 15-year-old me doodling boys' names in her notebooks and tentatively writing fanfiction would be all in on this. But I think its audience is very much of a certain age.

🕯️THIS FREAKING BOOK. Tenderly delivered EVERYTHING that makes YA Folk Horror one of my favorite genres. It was equal parts dark academia, lush cottagecore, and wild fever dream. The writing was like a haunting melody, filled with poetic prose, and vivid imagery. I was swept away, and completely surrendered as the story pulled me under.

🕯️The story follows 18 year old Lark, as she enters into a marriage of convenience with a swan god, in order to save her family from despair. When things go awry, she calls upon the boy who broke her childhood heart, and his sister, to help save her- but the three put into motion a series of events that plunge them all into further danger.
Tenderly was a gorgeous, luscious, romantic, visceral tale, that was hauntingly beautiful, terrifying, and yet somehow cozy. Please don’t sleep on this one. If you love any of these vibes, I implore you to dive in immediately:

🦢Seaside horror romance
🦢M/F/F poly romance
🦢Betrothal to a swan god
🦢Soft girl heroine
🦢Hedonistic rituals
🦢“Who did this to you?”
🦢Flower threaded horror

Tenderly, I Am Devoured absolutely swept me away to the world of Verse. When Lark is abruptly expelled from school, she returns in disgrace to her brothers. To her surprise, Lark’s brothers have been keeping the truth about their financial struggles from her. As their bills come due, Lark decides to strike a dangerous deal to save their salt mine. When her old friend Alastair and his sister Camille return, Lark must reckon with the broken bonds between them all as her deal turns out to have a steep price.

I loved this book! Lyndall Clipstone is such a descriptive writer who makes you feel as if you’re standing on the cliffs as the ocean rolls before you. You can feel the sting of the wind and the taste of the salt as Lark returns home without having achieved everything she thought she would. I loved Lark’s relationship with her brothers and how close they are. Alastair and Camille are a compelling sibling duo and I loved how their relationship with Lark was explored. Alastair and Lark’s banter is excellent and I was so curious to find out the truth behind why their friendship fractured. One of my favorite tropes is a chthonic god/goddess and Clipstone delivered! Tenderly, I Am Devoured is one of my favorite books of 2025 and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Readers who love friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, chthonic gods, and atmospheric writing should check out Tenderly, I Am Devoured!

Thank you to Lyndall Clipstone, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

This book is a wonderfully whimsical journey into the strangely magical essence that surrounds small coastal towns.
As someone that lives in a Coastal town bordered by the North Sea, I found one of my favourite things about this book to be the descriptions of the setting. They are gorgeous. Lyndall writes in such an immersive and decadent prose, and she gives such justice to the beauty of the coast and the sea. I feel that part of my heart belongs with the ocean and Lyndall's writing similarly leant such awe and reverence for it.
If I am honest I did not really feel much horror, but I do feel the marketed "fever dream" tone is definitely true. It felt like the edges of reality and dream were blending with an unsettling feeling.

I do think that perhaps the main characters were too kind to Therion. Why was this old god so obsessed with being betrothed to a girl 18 years ago and still? I understood why he was unwilling to let her go once he had been sent away and being untethered from her meant he could have faded from existence, but I feel the humans should have had more comtempt for how he treated Lark like she was an item that belonged to him, whether she wanted it or not. Honestly, he deserved a slap.

I did like the characters and found them to be layered and intriguing. The romance between them was sweet, and I saw the beauty of women through Lark's view of Camille. I do think Lark came across naive when you saw her flashbacks to school though, and I don't understand how she was so deeply in love with both siblings after not speaking to them for years. You can't know someone after that long apart and especially not seeing eachother during formative years.

I wish the UK cover was the same as the US as it captures the fever-dreamy feeling, whilst the UK cover makes it look more YA romantasy, when it is more than that.

A lush gothic romance filled with romance, betrayal, and secrets. When eighteen year old Lacrimosa "Lark" is sent home from her boarding school to discover her family in financial ruin she decides to seek help from the chthonic god worshiped by her coastal town... only things go wrong and the only people she can rely on to help her are Alastair- her childhood friend and love who broke her heart and his sister Camille, the girl who is stealing a kiss from her on her betrothal night. Thrown between her feelings for the two siblings as well as the possibility of a god coming for her... what's a girl to do? This was such a beautifully written story and is the perfect read for a moody day. The atmosphere and world that Lyndall writes never ceases to captivate me. I adore her writing so much and the way she creates such beautifully gothic and lush worlds. The dynamic and romance between the characters was so well done as well and I just adored this book.

Release Date: July 1, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Tenderly, I am Devoured is a dark fairy tale made memorable by lush, sensual prose. If there’s such a thing as “seaside Gothic,” this book definitely qualifies, given how much the ocean and the shore dominate the setting. (In that regard, it reminded me of Erin Craig’s House of Salt and Sorrows, though this book seems to be aimed at slightly older readers.)

Though the Gothic elements emerged slowly, the novel has some truly haunting moments, and both the main plot and the romance arc kept me guessing until almost the very end.

This is definitely a book for the upper end of the YA readership. The lead character is eighteen years old. and the book contains on-page sex scenes, though they are not detailed or explicit.

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a gothic, romantic fantasy with some horror elements. I absolutely love Lyndall Clipstone's writing. Her writing is very profound and poetic. I really enjoyed reading about Lacrimosa. She returns home to her bothers after spending years away to attend school. There are dark family secrets and she is reunited with her former childhood friends. I am obsessed with the story and I can’t wait to purchase a physical copy. The cover is absolutely stunning. One again thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC and this amazing opportunity.

Well that was interesting. Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
First of all, I love Lyndall Clipstone's writing- it is so beautiful and poetic.
I loved the creepy, dark, gothic vibe.
Also, I would probably read this author again.
***spoilers ahead***
Second, the FMC seemed to fall in love with literally everyone that she gets close to except her brothers. It just seemed a bit weird to me that this girl is unable to have a healthy friendship with literally ANYONE because she ends up loving them. Is that really love?
Third, I could not get down with the idea of siblings sharing a romantic partner. Maybe it's for some people, and that's great I guess, but it's not for me.
Overall, it was an okay read, not amazing.

The world of Tenderly, I Am Devoured is fascinating with a totally unique magic system and set of Gods. The writing is gorgeous, so much so that it is jealousy inspiring as a fellow author. Sometimes main characters can get a little annoying but I fully supported Lark the whole time. I adored Alastair, but while I liked Camille too I was not as emotionally connected to her. I struggled with what to rate this because with every high fantasy novel there’s a big learning curve to the world and it was a bit slow to get into it, so it took me a while to read but then I was completely sucked in. There were some aspects that weren’t my favorite. I felt some of the intimacy to be underdeveloped with not all of the love interests created equal, leaving it feeling dissonant with the tone. This is a book for yearning and it felt like a disservice to the beautiful tension that was otherwise building. I also do love a “Why Choose?” romance but it was a little much for me in the end. If you can have everybody then it kind of makes it feel like nobody is special. I also didn’t feel like some of the side characters were as well-rounded as they could have been, so I didn’t fully believe all the dialogue or motivations of a couple of them. Lastly, while the language was so beautiful, there was a ton of repeated language and imagery that seemed unintentional and sometimes I felt like the descriptions would have landed more if they were ended a bit earlier. With that all being said, this was a fabulous book and I greatly enjoyed reading it. I rarely knew what was coming next and found the tension of the conflict to be incredibly well-executed. I will be buying a physical copy as soon as possible!