Lyndall Clipstone’s rate of writing books with worlds you just want to fall into and live in now scores a four out of four, because I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t want to live in the land of Verse and the small, seaside village the Arriscanes and the Felimaths call home. If you’re in love with the idea of a book set in a place where it’s simultaneously The Hamptons both in High Season and off, then this is it: parties full of rich people wearing fancy clothing and jewelry while eating expensive food at Saltswan (the Felimath’s manor house); and then the more relaxed, intimate, low-key atmosphere of the cottage where the Arriscane’s live that might as well be the definition of cottagecore in the best way. 

Lacrimosa Arriscane, Alistair Felimath, and Camille Felimath went to the same school as small children, thrown together by geographical circumstance before class and familial duty put walls between them. Self-identity is one of the largest themes in TIAD, and the lifelong bonds the core three characters of this book share are essential to the plot and to their character development. Small towns can breed small minds and often it's only the people who have known you best and for the longest that can rescue you when you feel like you’re drowning and home starts to feel like a foreign word. 

This book is soft, hazy, whimsical, dark, lush, romantic, and saturated with Clipstone’s stunning prose. It’s overflowing with atmosphere and vibes and is a feast for those who love a read full of aesthetics. Light some candles, sit beside an open window, read on a beach, pack a picnic. Let the light in. 4⭐️

I was provided a digital copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. I was also provided a gifted copy of the physical ARC by the author and the folks at Books Forward PR. Thanks very much. All of my thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. 

File Under: Coming of Age/Dark Fantasy/Fantasy/Romantasy/Folk Fantasy/Forbidden Romance/LGBTQ Fantasy/Polyamorous Romance/Sapphic Romance/Standalone/YA Fantasy/YA Romantasy/YA Fiction