I have never picked up an arc quicker, I started it as soon as possible after being approved and I'm so glad I did as this was phenomenal.
I completely fell in love with these characters, with Sorcha our main character who I understood and saw myself in from page one. I also loved her friendship group, Agnes, and even the unlikeable characters were so well developed and intriguing. This was perfect for a character-driven reader like me. I also learned a lot about Nova Scotia through the lush description of setting, as well as the language of Scottish Gaelic.
I was fully immersed and invested in the story arc, it was difficult to put this book down. There is so much humour and heart and heartbreak poured into these pages, it was a very emotional but healing read.
This book is no less than 5 stars, one of the easiest I've ever given out and it has made it into my top 10 favourite books of all time, in 6th place! I am very much looking forward to buying a physical copy for my own bookshelves and I will reread this in the future as there are so many beautiful quotations I want to annotate. I would highly highly recommend this book but please, as always, check trigger warnings as this delves into some sensitive topics.
5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Nimbus Publishing and Jaime Burnet for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

Review posted to Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

this book shook me and cracked me open. it crawled up under my skin and inside my chest, LITERALLY MAKING ME GASP FOR AIR. i devoured this novel in one sitting, my heart pounding, my breath catching, my eyes brimming with tears—because Milktooth is not just a story my friend, it's a reckoning....

the story was about survival. about how love—real, deep, aching love can be twisted into something unrecognizable, and how the hardest thing in the world isn’t always leaving, but believing you deserve to. Sorcha’s journey from yearning to entrapment to escape is written with such raw intimacy that it physically hurt to read. Chris is the kind of abuser who thrives in the shadows, manipulating with sweetness, controlling with love—until that love turns violent. the insidious nature of queer abuse, so rarely explored in fiction, is handled with brutal honesty and heartbreaking clarity. it's the kind of story that forces you to confront the ways we rationalize harm, the lies we tell ourselves to survive.

but this isn’t just about destruction—it’s about rebuilding. how love can still be a refuge, even after it’s been used as a weapon. Sorcha’s journey to the Scottish Highlands, her tentative reconnection with Aunt Agnes, the fierce loyalty of her friends—these moments glowed with hope. the prose is stunning, lyrical yet sharp-edged, weaving together trauma and tenderness with haunting beauty. and the found family element? i sobbed. i sobbed so hard. because at the end of it all, it isn’t just about breaking free—it’s about creating something new. something stronger. something your own.

this book wrecked me in the best way. it's fearless, devastating, and darkly funny in a way that only the best stories are. if you’ve ever clawed your way out of something you thought would consume you, if you’ve ever yearned for a love that doesn’t destroy, if you’ve ever wondered whether you were strong enough to begin again—this book is for you.

well deserving of the 5 ⭐️ thank you so much @nimbuspub & Jaime Burnet for the ARC!

"Milktooth" by Jaime Burnet is a gripping work of fiction that centers on Sorcha, a queer thirty-year-old who finds herself in an emotionally abusive relationship with her girlfriend, Chris. As the couple relocates hours away from Sorcha’s chosen family to a more isolated community, the emotional abuse escalates. Throughout the narrative, readers witness Sorcha grappling with self-doubt and questioning the nature of their relationship, as the abuse is primarily verbal and psychological rather than physical. This includes experiences of gaslighting, love bombing, and other toxic behaviors. Feeling uncertain about her situation, Sorcha considers the possibility of having a baby with Chris.

Overall, the novel chronicles Sorcha’s journey to assert herself, reconcile with past traumas, and ultimately determine the kind of future she wants and the people with whom she wishes to share it. It explores themes of chosen family versus biological family. While the subject matter can be challenging, it is handled with exceptional writing and sensitivity. Readers are encouraged to review content warnings before diving in.

I highly recommend this book to those who feel emotionally prepared to confront its themes. It is crafted with grace and care. Thank you to Nimbus and NetGalley for providing this powerful advanced reader copy.

thank you netgalley and nimbus publishing for this book

while slow to start, i read the last 70% in one sitting and actually may have even shed a tear at the end???

the most wonderful character driven book about queer identities, family, friends, love, relationships both good and bad and what it means to become yourself.

i loved so much of the easy education about the gaelic language and nova scotia and all the nods towards other pop culture references. i truly did not expect to find so much of myself in these pages, i did not expect to love this book as much i did. a very strong ending. a good read.