primmiiee's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
niaamore's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
| Favorite Quote | Esme’s laugh filled the stairway as they descended to the street, and Sybil’s heart soared, as it always did when she made her best friend laugh. Pg. 23
| My Review | A heart-warming tale of friendship, sapphic romance, magical objects, stealthy heists, and the Fae. This book is sure to dazzle you.
Sybil Clarion has given up a life of luxury to live her truth with her best friend and secret crush, Esme Rimbaud. Where they are fortunate in a loving home with plenty of cute cats, they lack in sustainable funds. Thankfully, Sybil’s knack for stealing desired posters around town lands the two a job that could change their life and secure their wealth. It’s all thanks to the mysterious establishment known as The Absinthe Underground.
I adore Esme, seeing as she is a lot like myself. I too want to stay at home with my cats, preferring comfort over adventure. My own best friend seems to drag me out on the town and cause trouble, much like Sybil. The friends-to-lovers dynamic is the real star of the show. I always dread sapphic romances, they seem to turn to drama or tragedy. I’m pleased to say, this one is very heart-warming. Sybil, our adventurous heroine, can get selfish at times, but Esme does reign her in and balance the two. I did wish the Fae world would have come sooner, but the mysterious club makes up for the wait. I can’t say more for fear of spoiling the plot, but the ending did surprise me! If you love magic and the Fae, you’ll love this book!
Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree for this ARC.
| My Review | A heart-warming tale of friendship, sapphic romance, magical objects, stealthy heists, and the Fae. This book is sure to dazzle you.
Sybil Clarion has given up a life of luxury to live her truth with her best friend and secret crush, Esme Rimbaud. Where they are fortunate in a loving home with plenty of cute cats, they lack in sustainable funds. Thankfully, Sybil’s knack for stealing desired posters around town lands the two a job that could change their life and secure their wealth. It’s all thanks to the mysterious establishment known as The Absinthe Underground.
I adore Esme, seeing as she is a lot like myself. I too want to stay at home with my cats, preferring comfort over adventure. My own best friend seems to drag me out on the town and cause trouble, much like Sybil. The friends-to-lovers dynamic is the real star of the show. I always dread sapphic romances, they seem to turn to drama or tragedy. I’m pleased to say, this one is very heart-warming. Sybil, our adventurous heroine, can get selfish at times, but Esme does reign her in and balance the two. I did wish the Fae world would have come sooner, but the mysterious club makes up for the wait. I can’t say more for fear of spoiling the plot, but the ending did surprise me! If you love magic and the Fae, you’ll love this book!
Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree for this ARC.
shmandy's review against another edition
2.5
The cover, premise and characters of this story are all incredible. I was so excited for it!
The plot itself is really intriguing and main characters and subsequent slow burn romance (friends to lovers ft some incredible pining & dual POV) are all , in theory - SUPERB. But they didn’t work.
The writing itself really took me away from the story - it tried to jam too much in right away. Tell, never show. I had worked out the plot and the stress points by chapter 2 because you’re hand fed everything. It also made characters that were supposed to be suave and well versed and mysterious read a bit like a 13 year olds interpretation of those words. I didn’t buy into any of the bad guys or the mystical and dark settings because the writing kept immediately pulling me out.
The pacing is very poor, which makes the stuffed to the brim plot feel very hard to handle.
This book absolutely had all the facets of a for me book but missed the mark entirely.
The plot itself is really intriguing and main characters and subsequent slow burn romance (friends to lovers ft some incredible pining & dual POV) are all , in theory - SUPERB. But they didn’t work.
The writing itself really took me away from the story - it tried to jam too much in right away. Tell, never show. I had worked out the plot and the stress points by chapter 2 because you’re hand fed everything. It also made characters that were supposed to be suave and well versed and mysterious read a bit like a 13 year olds interpretation of those words. I didn’t buy into any of the bad guys or the mystical and dark settings because the writing kept immediately pulling me out.
The pacing is very poor, which makes the stuffed to the brim plot feel very hard to handle.
This book absolutely had all the facets of a for me book but missed the mark entirely.
elangdonn's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
meghannreads's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book was very fun. It’s was Moulin Rouge meets the Fae realm with a sapphic, friends to lovers romance. It follows Sybil and Esme (our besties turned lovers) who are tasked to enter into the Fae Realm and steal gems from Queen Mab after meeting the woman who owns the highly exclusive “Absinthe Underground” nightclub. The vibes of this book were so good. The ending was also just so sweet and left room for more to come from while world while still acting as a stand-alone.
There was romantic pining and heists. What more could you ask for?
There was romantic pining and heists. What more could you ask for?
slayergirl3281's review
fast-paced
4.5
Thank you peachtree for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
A captivating transportive fantasy romance! It is the perfect blend of suspenseful action and a warm cozy embrace. Pacton truly strikes a goldilocks chord with this one.
The quiet sapphic pining for your bestie, a heist in Fae, AND the feeling of a cozy fantasy!? The Absinthe Underground gave me everything I wanted and more!
Spoiler
There were a few things I do think could have been added/ fixed. I do think if they had spent a little more time in fae and there was some larger conflict it would have made the ending impact larger.
Cw
Grief
Death of a parent(not on page)
Blood
A captivating transportive fantasy romance! It is the perfect blend of suspenseful action and a warm cozy embrace. Pacton truly strikes a goldilocks chord with this one.
The quiet sapphic pining for your bestie, a heist in Fae, AND the feeling of a cozy fantasy!? The Absinthe Underground gave me everything I wanted and more!
Spoiler
There were a few things I do think could have been added/ fixed. I do think if they had spent a little more time in fae and there was some larger conflict it would have made the ending impact larger.
Cw
Grief
Death of a parent(not on page)
Blood
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Blood
Minor: Death of parent
beforeviolets's review
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC!
Barbie and the Diamond Castle if it was actually sapphic, by the way of Moulin Rouge + a D&D quest, but make it a steampunk fantasy heist with fae.
THE ABSINTHE UNDERGROUND is a quick & thrilling read with a dazzlingly atmosphere, fascinating lore, and easy-to-love characters. For a heist story, this book is wonderfully cozy and sweet. I wanted to just curl up on my couch with a cup of mint tea and a beloved pet (or stuffed animal, if I'm being honest) and read the night away. And I often did.
I will say: this book is more a showcase of potential than execution. There's a lot of telling rather than showing, especially when it comes to the emotional arcs and motivations of the characters. And the plot itself is really exciting but progresses too easily, made up of more conveniences than challenges. All the elements are absolutely BRILLIANT, but just need to be tossed into a pressure cooker in order for them to properly shine. (I have SO many ideas that would make this story just blossom in ways that it isn't right now. SO many ideas.)
But I also have to give kudos where it is due, and I must say that I was engaged and invested in this story the whole way through. I read it in just about 3 sittings, and kept itching to pick it back up in-between. I was never bored or incurious about these characters and their journey, and I had a really good time reading it. It also seems to be hinting at a sequel, as many threads are left wide open, and I'm so intrigued to see how Pacton continues to expand on this enticing and intoxicating world.
CW: alcohol consumption, death of mother (past), grief, blood, imprisonment, violence, fire
(Credit to Faye for the original comp to Barbie and the Diamond Castle. And also thank you for letting me send you too many audio messages with my too many ideas about the shape this book could've taken.)
Barbie and the Diamond Castle if it was actually sapphic, by the way of Moulin Rouge + a D&D quest, but make it a steampunk fantasy heist with fae.
THE ABSINTHE UNDERGROUND is a quick & thrilling read with a dazzlingly atmosphere, fascinating lore, and easy-to-love characters. For a heist story, this book is wonderfully cozy and sweet. I wanted to just curl up on my couch with a cup of mint tea and a beloved pet (or stuffed animal, if I'm being honest) and read the night away. And I often did.
I will say: this book is more a showcase of potential than execution. There's a lot of telling rather than showing, especially when it comes to the emotional arcs and motivations of the characters. And the plot itself is really exciting but progresses too easily, made up of more conveniences than challenges. All the elements are absolutely BRILLIANT, but just need to be tossed into a pressure cooker in order for them to properly shine. (I have SO many ideas that would make this story just blossom in ways that it isn't right now. SO many ideas.)
But I also have to give kudos where it is due, and I must say that I was engaged and invested in this story the whole way through. I read it in just about 3 sittings, and kept itching to pick it back up in-between. I was never bored or incurious about these characters and their journey, and I had a really good time reading it. It also seems to be hinting at a sequel, as many threads are left wide open, and I'm so intrigued to see how Pacton continues to expand on this enticing and intoxicating world.
CW: alcohol consumption, death of mother (past), grief, blood, imprisonment, violence, fire
(Credit to Faye for the original comp to Barbie and the Diamond Castle. And also thank you for letting me send you too many audio messages with my too many ideas about the shape this book could've taken.)
kassiereadsbooks's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
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