I have enjoyed Lyndall Clipstone's previous books in the past, so I had high hopes for this one; unfortunately, it didn't work for me. I like the beginning quite a bit, we have Lark returning home after being expelled from school, only to find her brothers in dire straits and having to do the unthinkable, sell the family home to settle the debts they owe. Lark won't hear it, and when the God Therion says he will pay the debts if Lark marries him, she agrees. I mean I was all in up to this point, and even up to the actual wedding. I thought the atmosphere was great, was excited to see what was going to happen next.

I think when reading the synopsis for this, I must have missed the part with polyamory was between Lark and the Felimath SIBLINGS. Now I do not mind polyamory at all, but the fact that it was between siblings, I didn't like at all.. So I probably would have skipped this one had I realized this before getting into the book, so that's definitely on me. And even though they did have history when they were children, I felt like Lark fell in love with both of them immediately after meeting them again. Which took a lot of the tension of the whole enemies part of it away, especially in the case of Alastair, who was okay with calling in the family debt and taking their house, leading to the whole marriage to a god thing.

Most of this book, beyond the sibling thing, just fell flat for me. I didn't love the characters, and it didn't end up gripping me at all.
While this one didn't work for me, Lyndall Clipstone is still an author I have enjoyed, so I'll definitely be interested in whatever she comes out with next.

Thank you so much to the author, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Netgalley for the eARC!

When most people think of fantasy narratives, they think of swords, sorcery, magic, and monsters. It's uncommon to come across fantasy books with a backdrop that resembles a more modern period. Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a YA gothic fantasy-romance that utilizes a modern-esque fantasy backdrop, featuring an unconventional queer relationship and a kindhearted female protagonist.

The story follows Lark, a young woman who has recently been kicked out of a prestige academy. Upon returning home, her grief over the shattered dreams of her future leads her to bind herself into a betrothal with a powerful god. But this betrothal leads to an unexpected, horrible circumstance that costs Lark's mortality, and through the help of a couple of her childhood friends, Alastair and Camille, they race against time to help Lark regain her mortality before it's too late.

I quite enjoyed the slower-paced plot. The focus on the mystery and development of Lark's relationship with the Felimath siblings formed a cohesive plot that kept me wondering whether or not a tragic ending would occur. I was intrigued by Therion's true connection with Lark, and it was nice to see Lark's reconciliation with Alastair and Camille.

However, there was so much more that I wanted out of the characters, the romance, and world-building. Lark felt more like a self-insert character than a fleshed-out female protagonist, her naivety serving more to progress the plot than an authentic, ingrained characteristic. Alastair and Camille felt like caricatures of love interest archetypes due to their lack of character development. And, chapters dedicated to the past could have easily been integrated into the "present" timeline of chapters.

Nonetheless, this was still an easy read for me since I liked the writing style. I'd (softly) recommend the book for anyone who wants to try out the gothic fantasy genre.

This book was such a Journey with the romance. This book had been on my tbr for so long and I finally got to read it. I sadly didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped to. The cover is beautiful, there were just some parts that honestly just fell flat for me and I was disappointed. There was a good premise but I couldnt stay engaged.

Thanks netgalley and the publisher for this For this eARC In exchange for an honest review!❤

Find my review on goodreads.com at °•౨Gracieৎ•° !

I really enjoyed this gothic romance.

The prose was beautiful, and perfectly suited the dark, ethereal tone of the book.

The characters were enjoyable as well. Lark is one of the first FMCs I’ve seen that’s not super dominant and witty, but softer, and I loved it. Not only do we see a more gentle FMC, but we still get bravery and selflessness, just without the typical bravado. Her growth was quiet, but not subtle. She felt a bit more damsel in distress at first (IMO), but tightened up and did it the way that best worked for her.

As far as Alastair and Camille, I thought their sibling bond was great, I understood it as someone with a sibling who has a different skill set than me, and it was great to see how they loved Lark differently, but just as strongly as the other.

Romantically, I think this book did a wonderful job of showing a healthy polycule with good communication.

The last thing I enjoyed was the cthonic gods. I’ve never heard of that, but now I want more! I like the lore of it, so I hope the author gives us some of that again.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book for any gothic romance fans!

Books with stunning covers like this should legally have to be amazing.

This was not and I’m sad sad sad.

The fmc was kinda a mess & I just didn’t vibe.

Also siblings? Sibling? Hmm a choice. The concept is GREAT but I think a swing and a miss.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC! Review & opinions are honest & my own!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing a complimentary copy of this title for an honest opinion.

Lacrimosa, aka Lark, Arriscane is a young woman who is about to turn 18. Not only is Lark trying to navigate becoming an adult, grieving her dead parents, being expelled from her school, and being rejected by two people she thought to be close to, she has to come to terms with accepting a marriage of convenience to a chthonic god, Therion, in order to save her family and town from financial ruin. As she's being betrothed to Therion, the ceremony is interrupted and now Lark keeps going in and out of the mortal realm. In order to fix this problem, she instates the help of two of her childhood friends, Alistair and Camille Felimath. As the trio take their journey to understand the folklore, Lark starts to fall in love with both Alistair and Camille.

I really enjoyed this one. The writing was so pretty; a little flowery in some places, but not enough to bother me. Lark is a character that has a really good "coming of age" story and her character development was very enjoyable to witness. It hits different when you can see yourself as a character in a book, and I saw myself in Lark. She learns how to stand up for herself and love herself enough to go for what she wants despite what has happened in the past. I liked the religious undertones in this one, specifically relating to the relationship one has with their god (whichever entity you believe in).

The atmosphere of this story came off dark, which I loved. I was confused on what timeframe it was in, or if this world had it's own time system. I felt that the world-building was lacking a little bit. I'm still not too sure how they survive on salt in the salt mines - what is the salt's purpose?

This book gave me Gothikana and Nocticadia vibes, but not as spicy. There is romance in this, but it's not overpowering or too much in your face. If you liked the books I mentioned above and want less spice, this is definitely the read for you!

A beautifully immersive journey into this tragically dark gothic romance. Lark’s story weaves from past and present as she discovers her true purpose. Coming home to her brothers after years of being away at school - she promises herself to an old local god to save her family from complete ruin. She crosses paths with her neighbors, once friends , now their relationship pulled thin and tense with unspoken truths.

Lyndall Clipstones’ writing is atmospheric and poetic. As if I too were standing on the cliff - wind in my hair, salt in my lungs and the dark consuming presence of a god who hasn’t been given what he was promised pressing down on me.
Reminiscent of the comfort that classics such as Wuthering Heights bring me. ( greatly beloved)
I adored the relationship between Lark and Alastair. The depth that is explored between them and the overall gravity that pulls them together was beautifully done.

There were some moments that fell flat for me though. I will say that I went in expecting more romance up front, in that way I was left slightly disappointed. It is also marketed as a poly romance - where I felt that Lark’s relationship with Camille was not given the same exploration and depth that Alastair’s was.

A gothic romance that lacked a little bit of bite for me- I wanted it to push a few more boundaries and be a bit darker! The prose itself was lovely though- characters felt well sketched and the romance was serviceable, if not as intense as I had hoped.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillian Children's Publishing Group for an e-arc copy.

What drew me to this story was the concept of new folklore gods to learn about and seeing how this human-god betrothal went wrong. I was also curious to see how the author showed polyamorous love and relationships.

However, I DNF'd this book at 57% through.

I felt that at 57% I would feel the stakes and worry about what was happening to Lark, but I did not. The plot felt a bit unorganized and I didn't feel entertained. I almost felt bored and when I realized I was 57% of the way through with no lead as to what COULD be the problem in this story - I had to stop.

I think the author had a really great premise, but it didn't keep me engaged.

I featured Tenderly, I Am Devoured [obsessed with this title] in my July 2025 new releases video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5JWYTfUVq4, and though I have not read it yet, I am so excited to and expect 5 stars! I will update here when I post a follow up review or vlog.

↠ 3 stars ⭐️

I was immediately drawn to the stunning cover, and everything about the premise sounded right up my alley. Dark academia? Gothic atmosphere? Demon gods? Horror with a dash of romance? Sign me up. But unfortunately, it turned out to be only okay for me.

I’ll start with the good: the writing is absolutely beautiful, and the vibes are immaculate. It is lyrical, haunting, and atmospheric. I could hear the crash of the sea and smell of salt and brine, and Clipstone paints a gorgeous coastal setting and evokes so much emotion in her writing. And the plot was unique and intriguing.

However, several things fell flat for me.

⇢ I didn’t connect with the characters at all. Lark, Alastair, and Camille lacked depth and personality. And while I can appreciate the poly rep, I was not invested in the romance because I didn’t understand them enough as characters to root for it.

⇢ I would have liked to understand the world and the role of the gods more. I expected Therion to be a larger focal point of the story but he seemed irrelevant at times, almost like an afterthought. Also, what’s the Neriad? What is Tharnish? What’s their origin? What are their significance? I think this was supposed to be this world’s Iliad or Odyssey—but that remains unclear to me. I think this would have benefited from being a longer standalone to fully flesh out some of the world-building and plot points.

⇢ The pacing was slow at points, and I caught myself losing interest. Some of the flowery prose took away from my understanding of the events occurring. And while I love flashbacks in novels, some of the flashbacks here didn’t add much and felt disjointed from the overarching story.

⇢ I personally would not classify this as a horror. It was a folk fantasy with some darker elements… but definitely not horror. Maybe I have a different threshold or viewpoint of horror, but I personally felt very misled by that marketing and that definitely impacted my thoughts on this.

Ultimately, I really wanted to like this one more than I did. I still think it is a beautifully written and crafted novel that would be perfect for the right audience, but sadly, that audience wasn’t me. However, this was very reminiscent of A Study In Drowning, which I loved—so it's possible this was an unfortunate case of "right book, wrong time." Either way, I will still be checking out more from this author in the future because I believe their writing style has a lot to offer!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

With such a stunningly gorgeous cover and a heartfelt title, I was so excited to begin Tenderly, I Am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone. This was such a beautiful and atmospheric story of love and devotion. Though there were some pacing issues, the writing was lush, painting these wild and sublime landscapes that are characters in and of themselves. Vibes and aesthetics are really what propels the story with plot and character development coming along for the ride.

Though the story is mostly told in the "now," there are parts that flashback to Lark's past - both with the Felimath siblings as well as her time at boarding school. I loved see these bits of the past which reveal the decisions that ultimately led to everything falling apart. This didn't detract from pacing or story and was told in a very cohesive manner. Something that did feel a bit discordant was a scene at the very beginning between Lark and Camille. We hear that Camille has been gone for years at a boarding school, then university, since before even Lark went away. And yet, she returns and immediately there's this spark and connection. It felt more organic with Alastair whom we got more glimpses of in Lark's youth, than Camille who was barely there in the flashbacks. I suppose this book was seeing the foundation being built with Camille as who they are now versus witnessing the crumbling foundations of Lark and Alastair from youth.

Where some books are plot driven, and others are character driven, this honestly felt aesthetic driven. There are these large beautiful and wild backgrounds the characters find themselves in and the way it is described is so incredibly lavish and dreamy. This would make an amazing movie to watch. As a book, it's a bit more difficult. You have to go into this knowing the story and characters will not be as deeply developed or expanded on as the world. Characters are in love because they are in love. Characters are mean because they're mean. It's just a given and we're to accept it and continue forward. As long as you're okay with that, I think you'll really enjoy this!

Despite having some slightly racy scenes, Tenderly I Am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone definitely feels like a YA book that older readers may not be able to fully immerse themselves in. However, if you're looking for something that reads pretty with fun worldbuilding that doesn't get too deep, this should be enjoyable!

I loved the concept but felt this was okay. Is she bi or a lesbian? I found it completely confusing. Pick one. Hard to cheer for a couple when you can't tell who you are suppose to be cheering for. Interesting fairy tale. Is this a stand alone or only a series? Not sure.

I had high hopes for this one, but ultimately it fell flat. I liked Lark as a character and the vibes were excellent, but the romance with the siblings was so lackluster (I can't even remember either of their names).

I applied for this ARC because I saw others online saying this book is a mix of cozy gothic vibes, dark academia, and overall just a fantastic atmospheric read. They weren't lying for marketing purposes.

The prose in this novel? I took an arrow in the heart from Cupid himself. I might be in love with Clipstone's writing style.

This book is slow, but if you enjoy really getting to know your surroundings and vivid descriptions, it won't harm the plot for you. There were a few parts that felt like it was dragging, which made it harder to push through, but I'm glad I did. The characters I felt missed a developmental mark, especially Lark.

Romance-wise, I was able to look past the sibling involvement. I'm almost surprised this isn't considered more of a dark romance but YA style. Which is something I actually forgot this book was, it doesn't feel truly YA.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, NetGalley, and Lyndall Clipstone for the ARC version of this novel!

I was intrigued by the premise and the world but found it hard to feel the urgency in the plot and there was something missing with the character building. The world building was great and it felt alive and real. I will recommend to readers who I think will enjoy it!

This book was so atmospheric and original i loved it. the characters although flawed were very easy to sympathize with. the prose was gorgeous and poetic and i highly recommend

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt Publishing, and of course Lyndall Clipstone for an eARC of Tenderly, I am Devoured in exchange for an honest review.

This was a 4.5 star read for me! I really enjoyed it!

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a lush, atmospheric read that leans into dark academia vibes—despite not being fully set in a school environment. The tone is immersive and rich, with beautifully descriptive prose. It struck that rare balance for me: poetic writing that still drives the story forward.

Lark was such a compelling protagonist—soft-spoken, driven, and someone who clearly loves deeply and quickly, sometimes to her own detriment. Her vulnerability made her easy to root for, and watching her navigate relationships, betrayals, and her own identity was impactful. I especially adored Lark’s brothers and how protective and affectionate they were toward her. The sibling bond felt strong and heartfelt, even amidst the emotional tension.

The romantic dynamic involving the siblings might be off-putting for some readers, but I personally wasn’t bothered, especially since the siblings are never romantically involved with Lark at the same time.

The ending wrapped up well while still leaving a few threads dangling—enough to suggest the possibility of a return to these characters, though I haven’t seen anything confirming this isn’t a standalone. On that note, I only wish Lark had been more fully recognized for the work that was taken from her. Watching Damson escape accountability for such a betrayal was frustrating, and I really wanted to see her downfall. I’d definitely be eager to read more in this world.

If you’re a fan of polyamorous representation and enjoyed A Study in Drowning, I think you’ll find Tenderly, I Am Devoured just as evocative and emotionally layered.

The real challenge in reviewing this book is trying to tell you everything I loved about it while not spoiling it. Because I thought I knew what this book was going to be about from the blurb but it was SO much more than that in all the best ways.

This story is a cozy gothic, which is new to me. I imagined this entire story through a “day dream” lens if that makes any sense lol the writing felt delicate and was absolutely beautiful in the way the author described things.

Our FMC who is kicked out of school and comes home to be betrothed to a god to save her family, all while also living next door to the man who broke her heart as a child. I promise that short summary doesn’t even begin to touch the tip of the iceberg of what happens but it was 100% enough to draw me in. I loved the sense of love and family that this story brought to life.

I don’t want to spoil anything but this is 100% worth grabbing at the bookstore during your next self-care Saturday! I plan on going through this author’s backlog too 😍

3/5
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry & Holt for an arc. All opinions are my own.

Characters: 2/5
Romance: 2/5
Plot: 3/5
Writing: 5/5

This book reminds me a lot of A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid mixed with Night in the Woods (the video game). The vibes were immaculate and the plot was pretty interesting. However, I found the romance and characters pretty underwhelming—especially Camille. I genuinely couldn’t tell you anything about Camille other than that she smells like sweet strawberries, and she doesn’t like math. I also think that any of the last 5 chapters could have been the ending, which made the end feel a bit drawn out. Maybe I’m just biased towards open endings, but I think this story would have had a stronger impact if it didn’t wrap up so neatly.