4 ⭐️ ARC • i do feel like i have just woken up from a soft fever dream (in a good way) & part of that might be sleep deprivation, because i stayed up wayyy too late reading this book.

first of all: love the vibes so much! soft gothic romance, a cottagecore floral gothic, if you will, atmospheric & soft. i love the greek mythology undertones & the chthonic gods & the folklore vibes.

lark was a bit of a mess throughout this book — an emotional, soft mess, who was falling apart at various points. while i see others critiquing that (and i get it) i do think it makes a lot of sense for what she has been through & her age. reading the “before” where she was at school with damson just made me so, so sad & sick for her — you see the writing on the wall, the insidious toxicity, & you want to look away or warn her, and the tableau is so incredibly unfair. (damson & jeune, count your days). i did love lark’s relationship with her brothers, it was something very soft and warm that humanized this a lot.

alastair is also intriguing to me — i was a little irritated with him & then once you learn more about his past, the truth, the pieces click & i found myself also in love with this sharp-but-soft boy, and rooting for him. camille was interesting too, but to be really fair, she was the one i connected with least because it felt like she was not as fleshed out as the other two.

therion as a god was very interesting to me. i wanted more from him in this book — more scenes with lark, seeing more of his powers & his world. but i did appreciate the symbolism of him being removed but still involved, watchful but still at a distance.

the whole book felt very much like a greek myth — and some things got a little weird just like greek myths. i did think it was gonna be more “big bad fight” and less “mythological inner battles/symbolistic battles” so it felt a little “that’s it?” but once i thought more it was in line with the story — some of my critiques were just that the prose/writing got a little repetitive, some characters/minor action points didn’t seem fully fleshed out/were throwaways, and some characterization fell a little flat.

all in all, i really did enjoy this book — it was a vibe & a different reading experience, which i enjoyed immensely. i was lucky enough to be an arc reader & the publisher so kindly sent me a physical copy (the cover is GORGEOUS & all the little details in the art in the physical book is stunning) but my long, rambling review & thoughts are completely my own!

(note: this is a polyamorous pairing, but it is not explicit & there is no “contact” between the siblings — it is written just that lark gets to love both alastair and camille)

Huge thank you to Macmillan Publishing and NetGalley for the Advance Copy!

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is part folktale, part gothic horror, and part love letter to the sea. This book is lush and atmospheric, so if you want to read prose as beautiful as the cover, you’re in the right place. The writing really transports you into the story. The descriptions of Verse and Lark’s cottage especially, with its salty sea air and chthonic rituals, had me totally transfixed. It felt dark, a little taboo, and a lot poetic. The pacing starts slow, but the writing and characters are so intriguing I hardly noticed. I didn’t personally love the romance in this book, or maybe I didn’t love the romantic aspects when they all came together. Each individual romance had some fantastic moments, but I hate when love triangles involve siblings. I don’t know why the trope has become so popular (looking at you TSITP 👀). I honestly want more stories told in this world! The lore has so much potential, especially with the chthonic gods and how they interact with the mortals. Overall this is a gorgeous read full of beautiful imagery and great characterization. If you want gothic vibes, this book is for you! 🖤

I was so excited for this book and I stood in line for AN HOUR!! to get a physical ARC of it but now that I’ve finally finished reading it, I feel… sad and disappointed.

SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️

What I liked:

💗 pastel gothic vibes

💗 dreamy queernorm setting

💗 the protagonist, Lacrimosa (yes, that’s her name, which, incidentally, is also the name I gave to an FMC I wrote when I was twelve). she is such an emo bisexual disaster

💗 love interest 1, Alastair (aka my ride and die)

💗 love interest 2, Damson (the best villain, tbh)

💗 the concept

💗 (most of) the lyrical writing


What I disliked:

🦢 too many underdeveloped, unnecessary, one-dimensional characters; e.g. Camille, Hugo, the Salt Priests (would’ve loved to know more about them, really), and even Lark’s brothers

🦢 missed opportunity by not building up the storyline with Therion. what was the point of this (practically powerless) “god” who “loves” Lark (why??) and needs to be brought to this plane (again, why??)

🦢 the plot. so much of it doesn’t make sense. the second half of the book is extremely messy, and not in a good way

🦢 incestuous poly romance. i have no issues with the poly part, but Lark’s two main love interests are siblings!!! who “don’t mind sharing”?! sorry, but I did not sign up for this

🦢 the ending!!!

In a nutshell, I was expecting a high concept gothic fairy chaotic bisexual story with a temperamental god and a girl and another girl and another boy maybe but instead got an unpolished plot and a bizarre poly romance involving siblings 😭

3.5 stars! I can't tell you where I heard about this book, it's just. A title I kept hearing. So when I came across it on NetGalley I just requested it because of the beautiful cover and the mention of Gothic in the summary, lmao. I was shocked to get approved.

That being said, first thing I want to get out of the way: this is a great book, but it has a misleading summary. Yes, technically all the things listed happen, but its... Not what you may expect from reading that. Am I crazy? Are summaries supposed to be that misleading? Moving on.

The pros: The worldbuilding is just. *chefs kiss* Beautiful. Amazing. So enthralling. It's not even super vast, we only hear about what we need to, but it's so masterfully done. The inclusion and repeated symbolism within a fictional painter and his fictional works is just fantastic and so fun to read. Also, the characters!!! My god!! I loved them all!! Also, we get several flashback chapters in the first half, where we switch from 1st person to 3rd, and that change is also handled masterfully, it's not confusing at all. Those flashback chapters also add amazing tension while simultaneously providing context. I also really loved the whole plot of this story, the twists in it, it was just so fun and so beautiful and so ethereal.

The cons: Firstly, I hate to say it, but while the pacing in the first half is fantastic, it's not as great in the second half. Sometimes movement of time is unclear (they drove to a place over the course of several days but got back home in one?), and sometimes the book itself just moves too quickly. I said I loved all the characters and I do, but there is one we are introduced to somewhere around 60% into the story, and we meet him around 75%, and he winds up being very important but.. we have so little time with him, so little build-up. I find him fascinating, but sadly everything with him feels way too quick. On a related note, I think we spend way too much of the book thinking one character is a villain when they are not, and that really plays into the ending being really fast. I don't say this often, but this book could've used another, like, 50 pages at least. I also have to say, while this is marketed as a polyamorous romance... it doesn't often feel like it. Lark is in love with both Felimath siblings, and they both love her back. It doesn't lead to anything incestuous, and I do like their relationship. What it really comes down to is Camille. While we hear of her for the first bit, we don't meet her until, again, like 30% into the book, so we have way less build-up of that relationship than we do with Alistair. Even after they're all together, Lark and Camille have their moments, but the narrative really surrounds Lark and Alistair, and Camille is kind of just along for the ride. I really loved her, but she didn't have that big a role to play. All her relevance was in sub-plots. She didn't quite feel forgotten, per se, but I do think it wouldn't have been that hard to write the story without her in it, or at least without her in the romance. Which is too bad! I would've liked to see her more connected to the main plot.

As always my cons list is longer than my pros but I think I'm just better at writing them out. So don't get me wrong! I really liked this book, I think it's very solid and so incredibly atmospheric, I had a great time!!!

"He's a selkie kept too long ashore, a boy who recites the words of a dead language like they're made of gold."

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a balm to a broken heart, a promise of love and life through mistake and error, an ode to the stormy seas, and the Gothic love story I thought I'd never find the equal of after reading A Study In Drowning - although this may have my heart slightly more than even that story does.

The art themes and descriptions woven through this story are achingly beautiful, and from start to finish I could see every detail of Verse and beyond in my head. I love the buildup and development of Lark's character and the switch between Then and Now, it continued to bring added depth and fleshed out not only her story but the background of a world I long to visit.

I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the romance - I haven't read many poly/M/F/F stories, but my heart ached every time I fell further in love with them and with the love they all shared. It felt unique and pure in the loveliest, longing of ways and I'm sad I have to surface. I hope against hope that there is more to this world and these characters - Clipstone has created a lore that is one of the most unique I've read in a long time, and I'm still yearning to hear more about the rest of the world.

I cannot recommend this story enough and I can't wait to check out Clipstone's other works!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title!!!

Sadly, this was a chore to get through. I wish I DNF it— I was tempted to many times, but didn’t want to leave a review without having finished it.
The plot was…boring…and the writing was not for me. By the halfway point, the only thing that’s happened is she gets married. The plot was very shallow and lacking intrigue. I also really hated that the poly relationship involved siblings. While the siblings are not romantic/involved with each other, it’s very off-putting how close they are and are always hanging out together with their mutual lover, Lark. I also didn’t really like any of the characters.
The writing was too flowery for my liking. It was a lot of fluff that actually didn’t say anything.
I’m sure this is for people who just like the vibe of the book, but it was unfortunately a big no for me.

Thank you so much to author Lyndall Clipstone, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), and NetGalley for providing me this eARC for free in exchange for an honest review!

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is not my first Lyndall Clipstone novel, and it certainly will not be my last. Clipstone has a talent of crafting somewhat eerily cozy gothic tales that serve to pull you in from the first page. This novel follows our heroine Lacrimosa "Lark" Arriscane as she returns home from boarding school after a mysterious incident. She can no longer return to her education, and upon returning home, Lark finds that her family is essentially broke. To remedy this, Lark and her two brothers plot to marry her to a cthonic swan god in exchange for an abundance of salt/money. With interference from the world and the various groups that inhabit it. an accident finds Lark stuck between two worlds. Follow our heroine and a cast of mysterious siblings from her past, Alastair and Camille Felimat, and this story has a recipe for chaos (in a good way).

Going into this, I knew that I already liked this author's writing. Though it was familiar, I did find that this story still surprised me at times--primarily with its main trio. I don't really want to say too much (no spoilersss) but I did wish that that Felimat siblings and their connection to Lark was expanded upon a bit, both in the past, and in the present timeline of the story. I know that the plot is relatively fast paced, but I do wish there was more time to get to know them as characters separate from Lark. The setting and lore were quite interesting, as I do not believe I have read something as unique as this.

I will say that I do wish the author branched out a bit more with her plot, as I did feel as if Tenderly, I Am Devoured shared quite a bit of themes that I remember from her previous works, Lakesedge and Forestfall. The concept of a girl getting tangled with a water-based god and his different plane of existence is just too similar. However, I believe that readers who are new to this author will not be bothered by my nitpicking. I urge anyone interested in a queer gothic story drenched in a relatively unique kind of folklore to give this story a read!

I loved how detailed and poetic this world was!! The themes were so complex with elements of horror & sapphic romance!! The storyline is so unique and refreshing, perfect for those looking for a dark romantasy thriller!

In this book, we follow Lark, an aspiring artist who was raised by her brothers. Following her expulsion from her school, Lark finds herself in a situation where she must marry a cthonic god in exchange for her family's financial well being. This world is whimsical and dark and dreamy.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Lyndall Clipstone and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for access to this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

Look at this cover of the newest 4.75 star read from Lyndall Clipstone!
Do you like Gothic Romance? Do you like when the FMC will do anything for her family? Or an FMC who is a little c-tthroat in a world she's not really meant to be that sharp in?
Lacrimosa marries the god worshipped by her town after a disgrace sends her back home. When the god starts to have some planar difficulties, Lacrimosa turns to her first heartbreak....and his alluring sister, to help her.
Reminiscent of For The Wolf by Hannah Whitten, Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a gothic, hopeful, and tenderly written story. Lark comes into her own in such a beautifully written way that it was simply a joy to read!
Get your copy on July 1st!

This book was such a trip! I am in awe of the prose, the descriptions, every little vivid detail adds so much depth to the story. I really loved the unique worldbuilding and extremely complex relationships. There were so many secrets and subplots going on at any given time and it was fascinating when it all came together.

Tenderly, I am Devoured spans a whole spectrum of shades of gray. Crisp cottagecore white, through shades of gray morals and all the way to some black hearts. This is definitely a story that I could reread and discover new things like little Easter eggs here and there.

There were several revelations about Lark that I never would’ve guessed. We jump back and forth from “now” and “then” so we get to see Lark’s development as flashbacks from her perspective. I genuinely like Lark as a character. While reading, I felt mad with her, sad with her and happy with her. More Therion please 😉

Fav tropes:
Seaside 🌊
Gods 🦢
Slow burn ❤️‍🔥
Portals 🪞
Betrayal 💔
Academy 🏰
Cults 🌼
Sibling bonds 💞
Arranged marriage 💍
Trauma healing ❤️‍🩹
Inclusive ✨

Fav quotes:
“I’ve seen the cruelty of the mortal world; I have no fear of gods or monsters.”

“…the entire world, and all the good it has to offer, will be limitless, and yours.”


Thank you Lyndall Clipstone and NetGalley for the eARC of this amazing book.

Alright… I’ll start with the good. This was written very beautifully. It was so easy to get sucked into it at times with how pretty everything was described. The world building was stunning and so atmospheric. You honestly can’t go wrong with anything gothic and coastal, but… I can’t get behind the fact that the polyamorous romance was associated with siblings, even if the siblings did nothing with each other. I also found the pacing to be very slow the first 60ish percent and then way too fast in the end. Some of the “Then” chapters felt almost unnecessary most of the time as they didn’t really add anything to the story. Overall loved the idea and the prose, but I can’t get over the way the romance ended up. Why choose romance is fine, why choose with siblings is definitely a choice.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Kids for providing me with a digital copy. All thoughts are my own!

This was hauntingly beautiful. The prose is gorgeous and I was entirely swept away by this one. There was a deep melancholy that clung to me for a lot of this book and I could have swore I could smell the salt of the sea and the mines.

This one alternates timelines and Larks past genuinely broke my heart a little bit. She’s so eager for connection, so desperate to please, and it leads to her getting hurt by cruel people and I just wanted to wrap her in my arms and hold her tight.

Thankfully, both Camille and Alistair are there to do that for me. I loved the pull she felt towards both these characters and the way they were both happy to share her. This trio was utterly wonderful and their love for each other shone through the mild codependency.

I loved the plot with Therion; the fantasy, god and otherworldly elements he brought to this story. It was absolutely fascinating and I kind of wish we had more of him in this story because he came across as quite likeable in that cool, aloof, God-like way.

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a lush gothic read filled with folklore, horror, love and mystery. All of the characters were so well thought out and you can't help but love the 3 main characters as they embark on a wild journey filled with love and sea gods. The setting by the seaside and inside the mines was lush and so well written that I felt like I was a part of the story. This was a gorgeous gothic read with so much detail and I had such a hard time putting it down!

This was, truthfully, immaculately well done. It came to me at a point where I was beginning to get disinterested in books that could be described as gothic, but this pulled me right in again. The way Lyndall writes with the ability to pull you in to a brand new world, while somehow also setting a tone of comfort and almost nostalgia? I couldn't explain it. Nevertheless, this was lovely and great and I'm honoured to have gotten it early.

The cover is stunning and drew me in immediately! The atmospheric writing is absolutely dripping with gothic, salty, achingly beautiful imagery. Vibe readers will absolutely devour this one!

That said, the gorgeous writing and vibes sometimes can distract from what all felt a bit underdeveloped to me. The flashbacks to school and Lark's toxic codependent relationship with ex-best friend were definitely the most well-fleshed out. I was missing more of the swan god throughout the entire story. I think the doomed childhood friends/crushes relationship always has potential to be powerful and poignant, but it really didn't work with BOTH siblings here for me. Camile wasn't developed enough as a character for a meaningful relationship with Lark, she was just the one who was there.

Overall, I enjoyed the writing and vibes, but some of the depth and development fell a bit flat for me.

I feel like the cover of this book fits so well. Tenderly, I Am Devoured is both dark/gothic and flowery. I don't really know how to explain it. The atmospheric cottage by the sea ruled by a chthonic god, the romance, the eeriness, so many elements make this story beautiful and haunting.

Expelled from school, Lark returns home to chaos. Desperate to stop further financial ruin, she agrees to marry the god Therion; however, the ceremony is interrupted. Afterwards, Lark starts having visions and losing time. It's like she's being consumed. She turns to her friends and neighbors for help. The romance between Lark, Alistair, and Camille was wonderful. I'm glad that there wasn't unnecessary drama about the polyam romance, just acceptance.

I can't wait to reread this book when I get my hands on a physical copy.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

This book is like a beautiful hazy fantasy. I absolutely loved this book. The way she writes wraps you up in this incredible world of fantasy and love. The sensory overload that is this world is so well done and carefully thought out. I can not wait to see what she comes up with next.

Tenderly, I Am Devoured was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I am so incredibly pleased to say it did not disappoint at all.

Clipstone weaves a story of romance and family from salt and swans. I binged this in (almost) one sitting because it is that difficult to put down. The characters swim out of the page and lure you into the mines with them, sharing their adventures, hopes, and fears.

The romance is full of yearning and acceptance. I loved their dynamic and the way they protected one another throughout the novel. I extend apologies and gratitude to my friends for listening to my screams about how perfect this novel is; I know it was incomprehensible most of the time but I was trying not to spoil anything.

I fear this review does not fully encapsulate my feelings towards this book, but I hope I come close enough. I am impatiently waiting for Clipstone's next release.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Henry Holt and Co. for an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The gods are not far, and they hunger. Tenderly, I Am Devoured is Lyndall Clipstone's best work to date, in my opinion of course. The story immerses readers in a darkly atmospheric world; her writing, sumptuous and eerie, delicately explores the depths of human emotion.

Lacrimosa, Lark for short, hasn't been home for nearly four years after leaving for her dream college to study art. She returns home disgraced, haunted, and feeling adrift. When she finds her home in shambles, her brothers desperate and scrambling to pay off their debts, Lark feels as though her life is spiraling out of control. To get a sliver of her life back, to help her brothers and keep their home, she agrees to a desperate plan. She will marry their god, Therion who represents the ocean and the wild parts of the woods. In return, Therion will replenish their family's empty salt mines.

But the marriage is interrupted and Lark's entire world becomes somewhat hazy. She starts losing time and experiences visions of the sea, an angry god, and the sensation of drowning. Lark turns to her childhood neighbors—her first friends, her first crush and first heartbreak—for help. In doing so they are all dragged into the pain and terror of a disappearing god and their own hardships.

While there are many challenges the trio face externally, there are internal complications for these characters as well that I felt more connected with. Lark's internal struggle with her self-worth, aspirations, and capabilities is profoundly relatable; I, myself and many readers will find echoes of their own experiences within these pages. The author’s note reveals that this story is deeply personal to Clipstone, reflecting many of her own feelings and challenges.

"Sometimes it feels like there's a limit to all the good things in the world. That by the time I realize what I want to do, now, instead, it will be too late."

As Lark grapples with her own self-worth, her relationships with her neighbors become central to her story, creating a haunting exploration of love and its complexities. There are many different types of love that are explored in this novel, good and bad, platonic and romantic, but the central romance between Lark, Alistair and Camille is poignant, and I admired that there wasn't an external conflict once the characters accepted their polyamorous relationship, allowing the story to focus on their individual struggles with self-worth in the context of love. This gives Lark and Alistair in particular a lot of growth as characters and love interests.

"I've seen the cruelty of the mortal world; I have no fear of gods or monsters."

I have only one hangup with this book, which does, unfortunately, drop it down a star. Without spoiling anything, I felt that the antagonist wasn't adequately fleshed out enough for me to totally comprehend the reasoning for their actions. It felt contrived, and well, a little weak compared to the rest of the story. The theme of love and self-worth is revisited repeatedly among most characters, including Lark's brothers. However, the antagonist's lack of this exploration leads to their interactions feeling somewhat hollow

Overall, Tenderly, I Am Devoured balances dark themes with moments of tenderness and growth, making it a memorable tale. I'm eager to read what Lyndall Clipstone has for us in the future, as her ability to weave a mesmerizing and aching story leaves me wanting more each time.

~3 ⭐~

↪ 𝓿𝓲𝓫𝓮𝓼
◊ cottage by the sea
◊ dark academia
◊ romanticized folk horror
◊ misty, salt-soaked
◊ brokenhearted x lovers

↪ 𝓹𝓻𝓸
○ the locations felt very real
○ good prose
○ adored the dark/gothic-ness
○ the cover is ✨stunning ✨

↪ 𝓬𝓸𝓷
⪧ i didn't quite love Lyndall's writing style.
⪧ polyp romance m/f/f -- i wasn't aware that this was the romance and it took me by surprise. needless to say, it wasn't for me.
⪧ i was so board. i was waiting for the plot to pick up but it took so long to, i was ready to put the book down by the time it got interesting.
⪧ I didn't connect with any of the characters + the fact that lark's relationships felt very forced.

↪ 𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
I wish I could have loved this book, but it just wasn't for me. before you read please look at CW's and TW's < 3 have a wonderful day lovelies.

𝓶𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓖𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓬!