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A review by roksyreads
The Good and the Green by Amy Yorke
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The Good and the Green follows Alison, who must put her career in a busy and bustling city on hold when she unexpectedly inherits a neglected property in a distant land. Although Alison tries to resist the charming village, with its quaint shops, sweet town-folk, and talking cats, a DIY disaster lands her in the care of her bristly yet handsome neighbour. Together, they must solve the mystery behind a magical vine spreading through the land and choking out everything in its path.
Whilst the cosy romantasy label is being pushed heavily for this novel (“A Cozy Romantic Fantasy” that "Fans of Travis Baldree’s 𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 & 𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘴 will love"), it doesn’t sit well with the story I read. This is instead a country house novel with fantasy-romance elements that tackles some heavy themes with reasonable success. It is at times charming and sweet, but it is heavily weighed down with strong themes of death and grief. The story is slow-paced and oft long-winded, despite its page count and the sheer number of events that take place within the span of approximately two narrative weeks. This was exacerbated by the choice of narrative style (genteel and old-timey) and the long list of characters that were under-developed and difficult to keep track of. I didn’t feel a connection with either the protagonist, Alison, or Keir, the dark and broody human love interest; even now, I don’t have a strong sense of their personalities, and their romance felt rushed and unnatural.
If you’re looking for a light-hearted, low-stakes, cosy romantasy that whisks you away from our current hellscape, this may not be your cup of tea. But if you’re looking for a slow-paced, sweet but emotional story about personal growth, living with and processing grief, and exploring personal flaws, that happens to have a loose cosy vibe, a romance, and a fantasy country setting, this is a solid debut novel and an author you may wish to follow in future, as it appears it is intended to be part of a series.
I was offered an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Whilst the cosy romantasy label is being pushed heavily for this novel (“A Cozy Romantic Fantasy” that "Fans of Travis Baldree’s 𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 & 𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘴 will love"), it doesn’t sit well with the story I read. This is instead a country house novel with fantasy-romance elements that tackles some heavy themes with reasonable success. It is at times charming and sweet, but it is heavily weighed down with strong themes of death and grief. The story is slow-paced and oft long-winded, despite its page count and the sheer number of events that take place within the span of approximately two narrative weeks. This was exacerbated by the choice of narrative style (genteel and old-timey) and the long list of characters that were under-developed and difficult to keep track of. I didn’t feel a connection with either the protagonist, Alison, or Keir, the dark and broody human love interest; even now, I don’t have a strong sense of their personalities, and their romance felt rushed and unnatural.
If you’re looking for a light-hearted, low-stakes, cosy romantasy that whisks you away from our current hellscape, this may not be your cup of tea. But if you’re looking for a slow-paced, sweet but emotional story about personal growth, living with and processing grief, and exploring personal flaws, that happens to have a loose cosy vibe, a romance, and a fantasy country setting, this is a solid debut novel and an author you may wish to follow in future, as it appears it is intended to be part of a series.
I was offered an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, and Classism