4.5 Stars

This book was refreshing and truly a work of gothic romance and horror. Take The Secret Garden and mix it with Crimson Peak and you have Of Earthly Delights. There is a bit of magic, loads of disturbing moments, terrible family secrets, and what it means to truly love someone. If your toxic trait is being loved by someone whose toxic trait is destroying the world for the love they have, well buckle up for Hart and Rose.

I was so intrigued by the plot and premise of this novel. As I read, I had a feeling that there was going t be a huge twist... but I was not expecting what actually happened!

Until I got to the 60% mark, I was hoping that the novel would move a bit faster... but once I hit the big reveal I realized the pacing was worth it. The second half of the book was WILD and the ending was so appropriate.

I could not put this book down. I absolutely loved the writing style and characters. Rose and Hart’s love story is beautiful and tragic, and I’ll be thinking about this story for a long time.

I’ve read a few other books by this author and I enjoyed them very much. This one was no different. I tend to shy away from YA fantasy but I’m glad that I read this one.

It had fantasy mixed with some romance and it definitely kept me engaged and wanting to know how th story was going to end. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives. I think this allowed the reader to really get into the minds of the characters.

I have always found myself enjoying Moldavsky's work even if it's not directly up my typical alley, and Of Earthly Delights definitely continued that pattern. The mysterious garden vibes mixed with an obsessive love story had me engaged throughout and I really enjoyed my time with this one. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillian Children's Publishing Group for my early copy!

Rating: 4.5 ✨

Thank you Netgalley, Goldy Moldavsky, and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group / Henry Holt and Co for allowing me to read Of Earthy Delights in exchange for a honest review. This was a great, gut-wrenching, sad story about true love and grief. I definitely had a tear forming by the end of the book. I recommend this book if you like:
-darkly family secrets
-a mystery garden
-a love that never dies

This book was a journey that kept me guessing and feeling like I was on the brink of figuring everything out, but then continuously giving me twist after twist and keeping me on my toes. I absolutely loved every minute of it and it is such a good gothic upper YA. It was dark and brooding and romantic and heart wrenching. The subject of grief was done so well, I felt so much for the twins and what they both went through. It's difficult to discuss it without giving away spoilers. The only thing that would have made it so much better is if we pushed into the adult genre to make it a little more unhinged lol Anyway, I love Goldy's books, and this may be one of my favorites she's written! So happy to have read it.

a story of obsessive love and a garden that's more than a few pretty plants than meets the eye. i was hooked from the first page and was never able to tell what turn the story would take. the characters were interesting to read about and i enjoyed learning more about the garden and the character's connection to it. the story explores how far one is willing to go for love, even if it means destroying themselves. a really fun read!

DNFed at 30%. I was hopeful for this one because I did enjoy the setup and vibes, but then once I was settling into the story it started skipping large sections of relationship and plot development by just summarizing in a few lines. I did skip ahead to read the ending and understand why it was written that way, but it was not gripping for me to read summaries, so I put it down.

2.75 stars

I ended up enjoying the twist in this book, but I felt pretty disconnected from the characters. The setup was intriguing but something about the pacing or the emotional depth just didn’t quite do it for me. Once the plot picked up and the family mystery came to light, I got a lot more invested. I liked the atmosphere and the concept overall, but I think I wanted a bit more!

1⭐️

DNF: 15%

The disappointment that I feel towards DNFing this is going to run deep for a while. Discovering Of Earthly Delights this year was my chance to really fall in love with Goldy Moldavsky’s work (she is a new author discovery for me). Unfortunately, that will not be happening. I was able to read 8 chapters of this before I could no longer find the motivation to read anymore.

My DNF solely stems from the character: Heather Hargrove. As one will discover upon the first chapter, Heather and her twin brother, Hart, lost their mother 3-6 months prior to Rose and her father moving to Meadow Falls. It is within the first chapter that Heather walks up to Rose a party (one that Heather is just a guest at) and insults Rose. Never mind that Rose was invited by her brother. And when Rose stands up for herself, Heather decides to make Rose her enemy. Things get worse when Rose decides to start working at the town’s Hospice, only to discover that Heather works there as well. When Rose tries to talk to her, Heather simply stares at her and then about 5 minutes later, grabs her phone and walks out the door. By chapter 7, Heather is spying on Rose and telling her not make friends with “Mr. Davis” (because he’s old and will die soon) and how she is uninvited to a “weird” garden party hosted by her family simply because Rose is asking questions about what goes on at these parties. I understand that Heather just lost her mother but this doesn’t give her license to be rude towards someone she just met. Heather Hargrove was simply annoying and I couldn’t stomach her anymore.

I am a very hardcore YA Book Lover but…I am honestly over bullying appearing in these books. It is bad enough that it happens in reality, why should someone have to suffer through it in a book?!?!

*Sigh*

Just because this book wasn’t for me, it doesn’t mean that it won’t be for the next reader. Take caution though. This book does start off super slow and the gothic atmosphere takes a while to appear/ feel. But again, if you find yourself wanting to read this then I honestly think you should.

Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for granting my request for an Advance Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!

What an absolute wild ride this book was, and I enjoyed every second of it. Even the parts I couldn’t quite follow, but wow, did it all make sense in the end. There was definitely moments I felt uneasy while reading this, but there was also moments of pure whimsy and romance. The balance between them was pretty perfect and while I felt the book was moving too quickly in the beginning, little did I know the journey I still had left to read.

This was a departure from what I usually read, and I’m so glad I requested it.

First off - this cover is absolutely stunning and only adds to the over all feel of this modern dark gothic love story. Second, the writing in this book is simply beautiful and lyrical in the best sense possible adding to the over all feel of the book as much as the cover. Rose has moved to a new town to finish off her senior year. In this story filled with mystery, secrets, and darkness so much unfolds.
I really liked that there were multiple layers to the story and the author did such a great job at weaving a complete picture of all the characters so that everything came together.

Rose moved with her dad from New York to Connecticut after her parents divorced. On her first night there, she met a boy named Hart at the gas station, who she believed was destined to be the love of her life.

Rose & Hart’s relationship progression seemed like a series of montages: it’s going smooth and fast. Not too many details, just enough to show that they’re all over each other. At a glance it looks like normal teenage love, except there’s a lot of foreshadowing that gave a sense of foreboding. Not to mention the rumors that has been circulating about the vast property where Hart lives, Hemlock Hill.

First of all I loved the setting: it’s atmospheric and mystical, giving vivid imagery. And though I wasn’t invested with the romance (I could feel something’s wrong with it since the beginning) I liked its part in the grand scheme of things, how love turned into obsession. Kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put the book down. I enjoyed the slow build-up, how it’s gotten more and more unhinged as I turned the pages. The peak was neat and staggering.

However, this is my personal issue, I’m disappointed that this book features a zionist book which is not relevant to the plot at all. Like, no book titles needed to be mentioned and the plot wouldn’t be affected, but the author decided to put it anyway. So it’s saying something. Also… THE ENDING WHAT THE HECK. There’s no closure nor clear resolution. Could be a potential for a sequel but for now this seems to be a standalone so I’m mad about that lol. Please let this be a duology at least!!

Of Earthly Delights is such a devastatingly eerie story where you should always be careful what you wish for and never, ever try and bring back the dead.

This book had a really cool concept that was executed pretty well. Rose and Hart were great characters and god that ending was devastating.

4/5


Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

4.75/5 stars

This was the gothic YA story that I have been searching my entire adult life for. I would have devoured this as a teenager and I cannot emphasize enough how much I love gothic literature! The garden. The mansion. The brooding twins. I love dual pov and fully expected it to alternate chapters, but was pleasantly surprised when it was halves of the story in different pov; sometimes I find that the alternating every couple of chapters sets me on edge because I want more of one persons pov so this was a great choice in writing style. Although this is YA, the story was well written for adult audiences who want a gothic love story.


This is an arc review, but my thoughts are my own and not paid for in any way by the author or publisher.

4 ⭐️
I have an entire note on my phone full of my emotions while reading. If it didn’t have a ton of spoilers I’d include it. Lots of yelling. Lots of questions. Trying to figure out what was happening because I knew that other shoe was gonna drop I just didn’t know when or how. And boy. It dropped. I was captivated. Annoyed that I couldn’t figure it out quickly enough.

The writing is poetic and beautiful. Getting past, present, and future information in one paragraph is confusing but effective.

…it was amazing and I highly recommend it but only if you go in blind.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, and Goldy Moldavsky for an eARC copy of Of Earthly Delights in exchange for my honest review.

4.5. This is so well-situated in the gothic romance sphere; the narrative is such that I couldn't stop reading and wondering what eerie event would happen next. The POV switch halfway through is also creative, as is the twist toward the end. The ending feels less satisfying, but overall I loved the story and the lore of the garden.

I walked into Of Earthly Delights expecting a dark, decadent descent into gothic madness—and I got it… mostly. The atmosphere? Impeccable. The vibes? Deliciously eerie. But I forgot this was YA, and my adult-reader heart kept craving something a little more raw, more unrestrained.

This story aches to be told through a more mature lens. Still, it’s a haunting, stylish read that lingers like a shadow at the edge of your vision.

Captivating book that pulls you in as you experience loss, love, and secrets. The author’s vivid descriptions of the garden settings in relation to Rose’s feelings growing for Hart, as well as her experiences is beautifully written. The slow reveal of haunting secrets keeps you wanting to read more and more. There are time jumps in the book that were a little confusing at first, but as you read further, you connect the pieces. Overall, I recommend this book to others for the descriptive and exquisite writing, romance, and mystery.