Though this book is not fully what I had anticipated or normally would read, I would say that it is written well and covers thought provoking themes such as grappling with a terminal illness and oppression.

This book would suit someone who enjoys monster romances (with a little touch of horror).

I have decided that body horror is not for me. The pink goo? Oh no, oh no. It had me nauseous to think about. This book was a weird ride. Not necessarily for me, but I can see the appeal for others.

Arborable has a different take on your usual fantasy creatures - no sexy vampires, werewolves, angels, Fae shifters here. Arborable, as alluded to in the punny title, has dryads, complete with bark, shrubs, leaves, and the ability to use roots. They are humanoid enough for us to have a very spicy romantasy.

Our heroine, Trish, is a human that has been kidnapped with other humans from a fairly urban world that knows nothing of the dryad's kingdom. These humans are being used for experiments, and most are eventually used as food for a giant food producing tree by order of their evil leader, Ri Cypress. Trish manages to escape (with help that she doesn't realize happened), and she falls in with a band of rebels led by Linden. Curiousity and sparks and some super spicy scenes ensue while the rebel storyline continues, and after an attack by Ri's general, Hickory, Trish becomes convinced that HIckory will help her escape the arbor lands back to the human world.

At this point, you start to get the sense that the experimentation on Trish has led her to become quite the altered magically fertile human-ish person. Trish and Hickory have magnetic spiciness, and we've had stories of human/dryad interactions that led us strongly into a sense that Trish is going to be important for all of the arbor kingdom. Cue the cliffhanger, and you'll be ready for the next installment in the story.

Tree-humanoids takes imo a little bit more suspension of disbelief, but it makes for a more memorable entry in the romantasy/urban romantasy genre. If you like the Merry Gentry series from Laurell K. Hamilton, this book series should work for you.

There are some definite missed opportunities for editing for clarity, word choice, and grammar throughout the book, but the story and concept help gloss over most of it. Thanks to Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

In Arborable, Ellen Mint blends fantasy with romance in a tale about a woman who is kidnapped and unexpectedly falls for a centuries-old tree spirit. It’s a slow-growing story full of healing, grief, social reflection, and unexpected connection.

This is a nicely written book, while retaining the author’s natural voice. It took a little while for me to get fully invested and to understand the world/magic system, but the author appeared to continue to develop their style throughout the book. Once it found its rhythm, I was drawn in by the emotional depth and the steady, gentle nature of the MMC and the plot.

The story leans into monster romance more than I expected, which isn’t usually my favorite, but I still appreciated the story and what it seems to be trying to convey message wise. For readers who love thoughtful non-human love interests, this will definitely land. There’s also some social commentary woven into the story and world building.

There are a couple of tropes that tend to be love-it-or-hate-it for some readers, and while I won’t spoil them, I’d recommend checking tags if you’re particular. Also important: this is part of a series and ends on a cliffhanger, so prepare to continue the journey if you’re hooked!

3.75/5 stars.

This book was reviewed as an ARC and all opinions here are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the opportunity to read this book.