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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Love, loss, power, and grief are the themes of 'Of Earthly Delights.' It's an ultimate love story that goes beyond death, but are the choices made along the way just or just selfish.? This story was told in a heartbreaking way with language and imagery as lush as the very flowers of the Wish Garden. I fell in love with Rose and Hart and didn't want their story to end. Maybe it hasn't. 4.5 stars.
Thanks, Fierce Reads, for the arc!
Dnf 71%
I don’t like animal death in books. I get that once in a great while it’s necessary for the story, but there are very few exceptions—VERY FEW. And there better be a damn good reason. OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS does not have a great, good, or any reason for the dog’s death. I get that while it’s there, but with everything else going on with the characters and plot, there were so many other options instead of dog death and describing what the dog looks like lying there.
I think I’m extra mad about this book because I was intrigued by the story and characters.
I’m bummed. I enjoyed JUST SAY YES by Goldy Moldavsky, and this one hooked me from the beginning, but I have no desire to finish it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Grief, Death of parent, Murder
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you for the opportunity that allowed me to read this one.
This was such a different idea that was both refreshing (I'm frankly tired of seeing the same fae books over and over again) and executed in a way which left me shocked and reeling.
While the first half is much weaker and I wasn't convinced at all (mainly because it seemed like the typical YA book that had the typical insta love), things were developed in such a satisfying way that everything made sense in the end. The second half though was where the book truly shone and while it was confusing at times, this I believe was done deliberately and worked by the end.
Finally, the thing I loved the most is the way the book managed to portray a combination of love, grief, obsession, and the consequences of them so touchingly and without leaving out the bad. It brought me emotions and that is what I am looking for in my books.
This was such a different idea that was both refreshing (I'm frankly tired of seeing the same fae books over and over again) and executed in a way which left me shocked and reeling.
While the first half is much weaker and I wasn't convinced at all (mainly because it seemed like the typical YA book that had the typical insta love), things were developed in such a satisfying way that everything made sense in the end. The second half though was where the book truly shone and while it was confusing at times, this I believe was done deliberately and worked by the end.
Finally, the thing I loved the most is the way the book managed to portray a combination of love, grief, obsession, and the consequences of them so touchingly and without leaving out the bad. It brought me emotions and that is what I am looking for in my books.
Of Earthly Delights” reminded me why I fell in love with YA in the first place. It’s dark, clever, and full of that moody atmosphere I didn’t realize I’d been craving. Goldy Moldavsky masterfully weaves together gothic aesthetics, biting humor, and a layered, twisty plot that kept me turning the pages.
I was hooked from the first chapter. The world is deliciously eerie, with just the right balance of mystery and satire. And those sharp character dynamics? Loved every minute of the drama. It felt like Heathers and The Secret History had a dark, floral baby—and I mean that in the best way.
This is for fans of offbeat, brainy heroines, secret societies, and moral grayness. The themes sneak up on you, but they land hard—art, obsession, beauty, and the cost of belonging.
I docked a star just because a few pacing moments dipped for me, but overall? I’m obsessed. YA is back in my life, and I’m not mad about it.
Just wasn’t feeling it so I need to move on for now.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
I found Goldy Moldavsky with her book The Mary Shelley Club and since I loved this one, I knew I’d be reading all her upcoming books and this one didn’t let me down. I went in completely blind not even reading the blurb, just knowing the name of the book and the author and I was hooked. The story is told so well between Rose and Hart, two people destined together, yet fate has other plans as well.
Hart’s family has a lot of dark secrets and the underlying tension of Rose never having the full story added a nice thrilling and desperate feel to this book as the reader will want more and more until the story plays out. We also get like snippets of Rose and Hart that don’t quite fit into the storyline and I loved how that all played out, especially when we got the full story at the end.
The way this book ends is unexpected but expected and i loved it for that, re-reading this book could make it feel like the story never ends and I love how that was set up! I can’t wait to see what comes next from Moldavsky!
Hart’s family has a lot of dark secrets and the underlying tension of Rose never having the full story added a nice thrilling and desperate feel to this book as the reader will want more and more until the story plays out. We also get like snippets of Rose and Hart that don’t quite fit into the storyline and I loved how that all played out, especially when we got the full story at the end.
The way this book ends is unexpected but expected and i loved it for that, re-reading this book could make it feel like the story never ends and I love how that was set up! I can’t wait to see what comes next from Moldavsky!
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I don't think I can express how much I loved this book. I devoured it, tore through it, and sobbed when it was over. The character arcs are so well-developed, believable, and the kind that builds characters you fall in love with. The storytelling style and narration were fascinating with their foreshadowing. The romance was tragically beautiful, and the plot was fantastic. Maybe it's my Tuck Everlasting-affected inner child, so there was a nostalgic heartache, but this is easily a top read of the year for me. I want to own three copies and read it again just to cry all over again. And the ending? Speechless.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this advance copy. All opinions are my own.
Rose moves to Connecticut with her dad and on her first day there, she meets Hart Hargrove in a gas station while picking out a drink. There’s an instant connection between the two that leads down a very interesting journey of love. Hart invites Rose to an exclusive party at Hemlock Hill where she discovers that the garden contains a lot more secrets than what it seems. As she learns the secret of the Hargrove’s garden and estate, she has to decide whether love is worth the price.
This book was so beautifully written. It reminded me of The Invisible Life of Adie LaRue mixed with Belladonna. I devoured each page; the prose was just beautiful and every page made you think about the moral dilemmas surrounding the storyline. You put yourself in the character’s shoes and try and make the choices they make.
There was a great twist at the end that I didn’t see coming and it left me super satisfied. However, the ending is open-ended, which I am not a fan of, but I have zero complaints about this book. I’ll probably be thinking about this one for a while.
Rose moves to Connecticut with her dad and on her first day there, she meets Hart Hargrove in a gas station while picking out a drink. There’s an instant connection between the two that leads down a very interesting journey of love. Hart invites Rose to an exclusive party at Hemlock Hill where she discovers that the garden contains a lot more secrets than what it seems. As she learns the secret of the Hargrove’s garden and estate, she has to decide whether love is worth the price.
This book was so beautifully written. It reminded me of The Invisible Life of Adie LaRue mixed with Belladonna. I devoured each page; the prose was just beautiful and every page made you think about the moral dilemmas surrounding the storyline. You put yourself in the character’s shoes and try and make the choices they make.
There was a great twist at the end that I didn’t see coming and it left me super satisfied. However, the ending is open-ended, which I am not a fan of, but I have zero complaints about this book. I’ll probably be thinking about this one for a while.
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was refreshingly original and dark. At first, I didn’t fully understand the reason behind the different formatting in some places. However, once I understood the purpose, I was impatient and wanted to quickly assemble every piece of this fascinating puzzle. And that ending left me reeling. I’m still processing. Well done!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.