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anindistinctaccountant's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Infertility, and Mental illness
Moderate: Blood, Animal death, Death, Gaslighting, Drug use, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, Self harm, and Pregnancy
abookwormspov's review
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is such a lovely story. I absolutely adored all of the characters. I wish it was longer! I wanted more of them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Infertility, and Pregnancy
nevermoregothic's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Infertility
wardenred's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It was strange, sharing the silence with a man who’d always fit into his life like an organ, and a man who’d wandered into their home like a leak or a bear—capable of causing invisible damage or very real, very visible problems.
I very much loved the prose and the vibes here. In many ways, it's like the ultimate cozy/cottagecore book, with so many descriptions that really pulled me in. All the scenes involving cooking, gardening, just hanging out in the lighthouse during storms, going to town on errands, and such were so immersive and character-focused and didn't feel like fluff at all.
I also loved the witchiness that permeated every part of the story—even the ones that weren't centered around resurrection spells or healing salves. And speaking of those actual magic scenes, they were so well done! I particularly enjoyed how the beginning was at once all "yes, witchcraft and necromancy are absolutely real" and somewhat ambiguous. Ethan certainly brought the seal back to life, but is Ethan correct believing the resurrected seal is a selkie? Or is Peter correct in assuming it's merely an animal? Even with the blurb making it clear that yes, there's a selkie here, that ambiguity was still very strong and I loved what it added to the story.
Unfortunately, when it came to the romance—the thing I was reading for—I felt somewhat let down. I came in expecting a poly love story, and what I got didn't fully read like one. Before Nico even joined the narrative properly, there was so much focus on Ethan and Peter's "marriage in crisis" situation that I was already reading it as a "marriage in crisis" romance, rooting for them to figure things out and reaffirm their bond. And Nico, eventually, just felt like a tool they were using to bring back the spark, and not a full person of his own and a full participant of the relationship. Part of it came from this pacing issue I've mentioned, part of it, simply from how a lot of the early-ish interactions between of them were handled and how much everything was about Ethan and Peter and their family. I felt like the narrative tried to switch gears closer to the end, but it was too late in the story for me to truly buy it.
Still, loved the vibes, loved the trans rep, loved the little coastal town and all the tiny subplots about its residents. Definitely interested in checking out the author's other works!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Infertility, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death
nloprest6318's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual content, and Death
Moderate: Grief, Infertility, Pregnancy, and Medical content
ericas_bookshelf's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This book is exactly what all the reviews are saying: cozy, coastal and queer! Ethan & Peter are married and deeply desire having a child. Nico is a selkie that, through complicated shit that will spoil the plot (lol), shows up one night.
Freydís is truly an expert at crafting atmospheric stories that suck you in right away. I was reading scenes where all they were doing was cooking and I was enthralled?? That’s impressive. And while there is smut in this, the tenderness and quiet intimacy is what shines. I do wish we had gotten more time with the three of them all together, because I LOVED their dynamic so so much. When it ended it just felt like there was more story to tell, but then again that could just me 😭
P. S. Context free spoiler: there is a sex cake, lol
Freydís is truly an expert at crafting atmospheric stories that suck you in right away. I was reading scenes where all they were doing was cooking and I was enthralled?? That’s impressive. And while there is smut in this, the tenderness and quiet intimacy is what shines. I do wish we had gotten more time with the three of them all together, because I LOVED their dynamic so so much. When it ended it just felt like there was more story to tell, but then again that could just me 😭
P. S. Context free spoiler: there is a sex cake, lol
Content Warnings
Minor: Infertility
amandadevoursbooks's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
No longer supporting this author who is brown facing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Infertility
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
turn_around_sammy's review against another edition
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
cozy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility
ladyinverse's review against another edition
fast-paced
0.25
Just in case y'all haven't seen, Freydis is actually the white author Taylor B. Barton who bullied and were racist towards others online and had their publisher drop them for it, and then decided to remake themselves twice and claim to be Latinx. They are also the author Saint Harlowe.
https://x.com/porterotica/status/1781662331111633141?s=46
https://x.com/porterotica/status/1781662331111633141?s=46
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility and Mental illness