Reviews - Tenderly, I am Devoured

321 reviews for:

Tenderly, I am Devoured

Lyndall Clipstone

3.67 AVERAGE

themoodylibrary's review against another edition

2.0

i so badly wanted this book to work, and it hurts me to say that it is SO. PAINFULLY. BORING.

the set-up, albeit slow, was actually really promising. lark gets expelled from school and has to return home, only to find her family’s salt mines failing with no solution in sight. then she walks in on her brothers performing a ritual to a demon god and ends up offering herself to marry him to save the mines? uh, hell yeah! sign me all the way up!!

unfortunately… that’s basically where the excitement ends. from then on, everything is vague, uneventful, and somehow still repetitive? making a plot where ~literally nothing~ is happening feel repetitive is honestly a feat in itself.

things technically pick up again (and by “pick up” i mean “smack you in the face out of nowhere”) with about 80 pages left, but full transparency: i was completely checked out by then and could not have cared less.

also, lark is dating two siblings at the same time, and they both know about it, and they’re both happy about it???? it never crosses those lines, but it still left me feeling super uncomfortable.

despite the absolutely stunning cover, i’m gonna have to say skip this one.

pinkdiscoball's review against another edition

2.0

slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

caitlynslibrary's review against another edition

2.0

dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

starcrossed_pages's review against another edition

3.0

Immediately giving Persephone vibes with her birthday being "when spring takes delicate bites out of winter" and the synopsis including an engagement to a chthonic god.

Release Date: 01 Jul. 2025
Rating: 3/5 ⭐️
Themes:
• Gods, religion, cults
• Friends to enemies to lovers
• Academic lovers to enemies
• Seaside & decaying atmosphere

This is just 𝘈 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘋𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, from all the salt water and decaying imagery down to having a story called The Neriad (The Neiriad in 𝘈 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨) as a semi-central piece. Where they diverge is here, the god isn't really the enemy or trying to do anything wrong. The enemy is, as always, power hungry men trying to become something ~more~ by either killing or controlling a god.

I can't say I really enjoyed this, but I did finish it in one sitting. Salty and atmospheric books tend to be a favorite of mine, but I just couldn't help reading it and being like "this is literally just 𝘈 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘋𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨" and then being annoyed that I was reading practically the same book.

My favorite part in this would be Therion because he is somehow the most genuine character even as a God, which tend to be the shadiest characters.

I also really don't know how I feel about poly relationships in which 2 of the people in the relationship are siblings.. If anything it felt like it draws away from any potential growth Lacrimosa has because she is still wholey reliant on a romantic relationship being her reason to do anything.

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Henry Holt & Co. for lroviding an eARC of 𝘛𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺, 𝘐 𝘈𝘮 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 in exchange for this honest review.

chalkie2106's review against another edition

3.75

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

yvrowe's review against another edition

4.0

Oooooh! This was a fantastic gothic novel! Lark is a great character to tell the story through, as you learn through past and present events how she tries to balance her desire for her own life and her family duty. When they both have unexpected twists, the different ways Lark responds to them really show her growth and strength. The romance is the biggest strength of this novel. Lark finds herself betrothed to an ancient god, while romancing both her childhood friends (the Felimath siblings). The romance is soft, but burning, and there is no guilt or judgment for the love (except from maybe the Felimath father). The only disappointing aspect was the way the conflict was resolved. Part of it was perfectly gothic and had Hades/Persephone vibes, but the other part was lackluster and was just dropped.

Overall an excellent novel.