Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone is a dark, atmospheric fantasy with gothic elements that pull you into a world of shadows, curses, and forbidden magic. The story centers around a mysterious estate and the brooding lord who harbors dangerous secrets. The romance is intense, with a slow-burn tension that pairs well with the eerie setting. While the pacing can feel uneven at times, the haunting atmosphere and rich, lyrical prose make for an immersive experience. Fans of gothic fantasy and lush, emotional storytelling will find Lakesedge an alluring read.

It took me a while to get into this one, I don’t think I really got into it until at least 40% of the way through.
I think a lot of the story hinges on how much the main character loves and cares for her younger brother, but I didn’t really get a chance to care for him. I don’t think he was actually in the story much. There’s much more a focus on the love interest and he’s a bit… meh. I also didn’t really care for him.
Weirdly, I think the audiobook narrator made me really anxious (I was listening on 1.5 speed which is normal for me, but I did have to slow it down for this book) because she seemed to always be talking really frantically. It meant I’d rarely want to pick it up because I usually listen to audiobooks when I want to relax or turn my brain off - and this didn’t help.
After the 40(ish)% mark, I did find the story a bit more interesting. I always find folktales being real an interesting premise, and I liked how the fantastical seemed to creep into the real world in this.
I thought this was a standalone so was a bit surprised when the end didn’t tie everything off nicely. I might check out the sequel… but I may well not.

Lakesedge had a really great premise and a lot of potential, however, it all fell a little flat for me. Lacklustre chemistry, lacklustre characters, and lacklustre plot with no true emotion. It might have just been a me thing and those who enjoy paranormal romance may enjoy it more than me, I just prefer stories with a little more substance.

I really wanted to love this one but I just could not get into it. I didn't really care about the characters and the story as a whole.

I'm definitely one of the odd ones out with this one as so many people love it! I tried to give it a second go but it just wasn't for me sadly.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought I would enjoy Lakesedge, but not quite as much as I actually did. It's a dark gothic fantasy / fantasy romance with horror elements. When Leta's younger brother Arien attracts the attention of Lord Rowan Sylvanan, when the shadows that bloom from his hands when he has nightmares appear during the day, Rowan is determined to take him to his home, Lakesedge. But Rowan is known as the Monster of Lakesedge for drowning his whole family, and, fearing for his safety, Leta can't let him go alone. But there's more to Rowan than the stories told, and the lake his home is built upon the shores of is cursed, with rot flowing from it into the very earth around it. For Rowan has a connection to the Lord Under, the god of death, and there's something from Leta that he wants.

I bloody loved Lakesedge! It's a beautifully written and emotional story. Leta fiercely loves her brother, and will do anything to protect him. And the growing attraction between her and Rowan, the *yearning*, oh my god, it's gorgeous! The story is a bit of a slow burner, with not much happening in the first half beyond learning about Rowan's past and what's going actually going on at Lakesedge. Things really pick up in the second half, and the story took multiple paths I wasn't expecting at all. It's a story that has some truly frightening moments, but it's also really heart breaking as well. And such a cliffhanger ending! I also really liked and appreciated the demisexual rep, though it's not labelled as such. I honestly can't wait to read the sequel, Forestfall!

Thank you to Titan Books for the eProof.

Trigger/Content Warnings: This book features vomit, blood, references to masturbation, semi-vague sex scene, self-harm - blood magic, child abuse - violence, forced burning, and reference to attempted suicide.

I really enjoyed this, the world building was fantastic and the plot was detailed and engaging. A fantastic all round fantasy

This was such a lovely read. I found it to be perfectly spooky, and I enjoyed every minute of it! The atmosphere especially was great. I cannot wait for the next installment.

This is my new favourite book! The romance is dark, beautiful and completely swoon worthy and the book in general has everything I could ever ask for. Don’t we all want a monster boy to gift us pretty dresses?

I suspect if I had read 'Lakesedge' as a teenager I would have appreciated it a lot more. Unfortunately I've read much better fantasy (adult) novels involving the whole 'dark lord' trope (including 'The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue' only a few days before this...)

It was atmospheric and I liked most of the characters (although they lacked depth and the main one Violeta was slightly irritating at times). It was rather repetitive and I did scan read more than I usually do. Despite it's flaws I'm intrigued enough to probably read the sequel once it's available.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

This was a brilliant horror-fantasy read and it was filled with such gorgeous prose!! I loved the emotional depth of the characters too!!

Lakesedge was such a great read, great atmosphere, great setting, great set of characters, and a great dark Lord Under that I wanted so much more of. The vibes in here are brilliant very gothic and eerie and I absolutely soaked it up.
The magic in here totally reminded me of the darkling, just the way the shadows spills out of Arien it's described as shadows spilling out like unfurled ribbons and omg the vibes are perfect. The star of the show though for me was the Lord Under, loved him so much and I wanted more of him and Violeta, not that I'm not rooting for Violeta and Rowan because I loved them too but the vibes of the Lord Under and Violeta were perfection and I need more (give me all the hades and Persephone moments in book 2 I beg of you. )I'm super excited to see where this will go in the final book.

If you like a mansion setting with great gothic vibes, a brooding love interest, found families, slight secret garden moments and a very dark Lord of Death that whispers your name in the night then this is definitely a book to give a read.

Thank you to the publishers who I received a copy of the book from via netgalley for review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc!

I ADORED this! Very crimson peak meets beauty and the beast but add a dash of the nature magic and a haunted lake! 10/10

I don’t really know where to start with this book to be honest and while it wasn’t quite how I expected, I’m really glad I gave this book a go. Lakesedge tells an interesting story with a somewhat expected story line while also containing some some more or less unexpected surprises. The writing is beautiful and lyrical in a way you don’t see very often and it really manages to set the tone for the book.
I was intrigued by the synopsis and when I began reading the actual book, the story pulled me in immediately.
However, I regret to say the story somewhat lacking towards the end. It got a little too complicated/took too many turns which made the book drag a bit. This is the reason why I don’t really know what to think about this book. Because I really did like the first half or so of the book but on the other hand, I expected this book to be more as a whole.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t read the book. Quite the opposite actually; you should definitely give this a go! Lakesedge is definitely worth it and who knows, maybe you find this book to be everything you wanted it to be?

***I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley (thank you Titan Books!) in exchange for a honest review.***

~ “better a soft heart than no heart at all” ~

This eerie, gothic fantasy romance by @lkclipstone is the perfect read for spooky season. The lyrical writing pulled me in completely, and the brutality of the world hooked me. With all the angst of the ACOTAR books, with a touch of Crimson Peak, the romance really captured me too. It’s been a while since I felt addicted to a romance in YA, but this one totally did it for me - the dark, brooding male LI with a soft heart (but also with added queerness in our cast of characters that made my heart warm).

It just felt so classically gothic in its setting and imagery. The visuals Clipstone succeeded in conjuring were beautiful and raw. It’s bleak and desolate, with a tiny golden thread of hope being pulled through the whole story. There’s found family and gentle, tentative love. By the end I was love feeling absolutely devastated… until I read the words ‘sequel’ on goodreads.

Lakesedge is out now, if you’re looking for that perfect spooky season read with impeccable Crimson Peak vibes and an angsty romance.

I need the next one asap!!!
Lakesedge is creepy, ominous, and atmospheric. From horror to romance, this book has it all. I found myself glued to the pages, loving these characters and this world, eager to find out what happens next.

"When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge estate, she expects to find a monster. She knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem."

So we have a great premise. A gothic fantasy Jane Eyre. Right? This book truly could have been fantastic but it unfortunately fell very flat for me.

The plot and the world lacked depth, all of the characters were completely 2D with the main character Violeta having no personality. I could not care less about the romance between Violeta and Rowan either.

However, the concept and character of The Lord Under was great. He was by far the most interesting character and if I do read the next book it will be for him, and only him.

I did also like the setting as it was a bit creepy at times and the idea of the lake. But I needed more information. Maybe we'll get that in book two.

There were so many missed opportunities in this book, the twists were obvious and the ending?! What? So random.

It felt like the author came up with the idea for the second book and the whole of the first book was just a set up for book two? I don't know, it felt very off to me.

I'm sad I didn't enjoy this one. I do think book two has potential but we'll see.

I liked the idea of the book more than the book itself.
The plot sounded so good in theory. A gothic fantasy with monsters and magic? Need I say more?
But in the end the plot felt underdeveloped and the book was more about telling than showing. For example, we’re constantly being told that Rowan is a monster, but he simply doesn’t behave accordingly. He starts off as a bit of a jerk, but that only lasted for a few pages.
Leta was not my favourite either.
Overall this book was a bit of a disappointment to me.

I really did enjoy this book, however I think it peaked about halfway through. I really really enjoyed the relationships, they were super cute and endearing. And I absolutely completely adored Rowan. However I felt some of the plot was getting a little repetitive and that lost my interest slightly. That being said however, I did enjoy this book, mainly for the characters.

Yesssss, more amazing gothic romances like this please!! I knew i was going to love this book from the second it was announced and I’m so pleased I wasn’t disappointed. Lush, atmospheric, and beautifully written. This one will stay with me

The blurb seemed interesting and I like enemy-to-lover trope so I was sure I was going to love it.
There's a lot of potential in this story but there's also a lot of "Already seen" and the story didn't keep my attention.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine