A Dark Forgetting

I got lost in the forest. A Dark Forgetting has a really strong premise at its core — and bundled with the aspects of music, memory, identity and especially the own-voices depth behind Emeline’s perspective, it was a truly unique read. But I have to be honest: I struggled quite a bit with the transitions between the real world and the fae world. Especially in the first half, the shifts were abrupt enough that I repeatedly lost my footing. On top of that, the worldbuilding - especially the forest, the curse, and the “rules” - stayed confusing throughout. I wanted to fall into that eerie, enchanted-woods atmosphere, but instead I kept getting pulled back out trying to understand how everything fit together. That said, the romance was romancing - kinda. The vibes were dark-fairytale, and the emotional beats around creativity and voice really worked for me. The last third of the story was thoroughly engaging, and the ending left me satisfied. I just wish the structural and worldbuilding elements had been clearer so I could fully sink into the story. 3,5/5 stars Thank you @netgalley and @harperfiction for the eARC! #Netgalley #Bookstagram #ADarkForgetting

I got the eArc from NetGalley and was very excited to read a standalone of Ciccarelli after The Crimson Moth. The first couple pages I was a little reserved as the story reminded me too much of The Crimson Moth, an Orphan with a grandparent as a guardian. But soon it turned out to be a completely new story with an amazing world, into which the reader got introduced to step my step, as the FMC is also (almost) new to this world. It had me crying by 32% or so and I loved how the author made me feel everything through a incredible writing. The naivety of the characters were a little too much at times, but mostly it fit the storyline and what was happening to them. After all, the naivety and mistakes they made, made them utterly human. I lovely standalone I couldn’t put done, something for the heart including some heartache, it would have been too boring otherwise.