What do you think?
Rate this book
Providence Girls
Love changes you. So do the Outer Gods.
Now: Alone in a cottage, Lavinia writes to the woman she loved.
Fifteen years ago: Middle-aged Lavinia Whateley escapes her hilly Massachusetts town when the townsfolk decide to sacrifice her on Halloween. After almost dying in the woods, she's saved and housed by the stoic and mysterious Asenath Waite, or Azzie. On the coastal outskirts of East Providence, they start to fall in love.
However, things change when Azzie, with her secret past and the strange "scars" on the side of her neck, begins to transform into an eldritch creature of the deep.
Now: Alone in a cottage, Lavinia writes to the woman she loved.
Fifteen years ago: Middle-aged Lavinia Whateley escapes her hilly Massachusetts town when the townsfolk decide to sacrifice her on Halloween. After almost dying in the woods, she's saved and housed by the stoic and mysterious Asenath Waite, or Azzie. On the coastal outskirts of East Providence, they start to fall in love.
However, things change when Azzie, with her secret past and the strange "scars" on the side of her neck, begins to transform into an eldritch creature of the deep.
250 pages, Paperback
Published September 5, 2023
About the author
Morgan Dante
12 books192 followersHorror, fantasy, and romance writer. Vampire and angel enjoyer. They/Them. Read more on morgandante.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
August 8, 2023
If Morgan Dante has one million fans, then I'm one of them.
If Morgan Dante has one fan, then I'm that fan.
If Morgan Dante has no fans, that means I'm dead. This book will have been the cause of my death. And I will have died gladly.
If Morgan Dante has one fan, then I'm that fan.
If Morgan Dante has no fans, that means I'm dead. This book will have been the cause of my death. And I will have died gladly.
September 21, 2023
Beautifully written epistolary sapphic romance with a fish monster twist. Definitely reads more like literary fiction than a category romance (especially pacing wise), if litfic weren’t afraid of a little monster fucking.
This was my first Morgan Dante book but it certainly won’t be my last!
Love sapphic books, too? Let's be friends! Booktok | Twitter
This was my first Morgan Dante book but it certainly won’t be my last!
Love sapphic books, too? Let's be friends! Booktok | Twitter
September 21, 2023
I feel bad for being one of the first 3 stars review but I can't rate it higher due to my personal enjoyment (or lack of) of this one. And by that I mean that I forced myself to finish this one. I was never motivated to pick it up again because the book never gave me a reason to.
Let's start with the positives: it's well-written, the narrative choices are interesting, and I'm always a fan of non-traditional storytelling. It's a commentary on body autonomy and explores its connection to womanhood in a way that reminds me of this video on visceral feminity in Bloodborne. I wrote down in my notes after a specific scene "it's a book with a lot to say". It also touches upon disability through different aspects. I genuinely think it can work for many people and I know a few people I could recommend it too. I've highlighted many quotes that I found well-written so it was a welcome change after reading so many books with uninteresting writing.
Now my issue was that the pace was glacial and I was missing a plot. Someone compared it to literary fiction and maybe? I would even expect more plot from literary fiction. From the first chapter there was little to hook me in. Yes they're living together and one is turning into something else. That's it. We're slowly unveiling their secrets but I found myself not caring after all this time. I specifically remember THE emotional scene of the book happening and realising I felt nothing after reading it. Sometimes I was reading a chapter and then was confused and needed to backtrack to check who was narrating this one. The girls never felt too distinct to me especially since the mention of a father couldn't help me tell them apart. Sure they had two distinct backstories (and even that I've mixed up the similar elements) but I never was fully able to tell their narration apart if a page didn't mention their specificities.
Let's start with the positives: it's well-written, the narrative choices are interesting, and I'm always a fan of non-traditional storytelling. It's a commentary on body autonomy and explores its connection to womanhood in a way that reminds me of this video on visceral feminity in Bloodborne. I wrote down in my notes after a specific scene "it's a book with a lot to say". It also touches upon disability through different aspects. I genuinely think it can work for many people and I know a few people I could recommend it too. I've highlighted many quotes that I found well-written so it was a welcome change after reading so many books with uninteresting writing.
Now my issue was that the pace was glacial and I was missing a plot. Someone compared it to literary fiction and maybe? I would even expect more plot from literary fiction. From the first chapter there was little to hook me in. Yes they're living together and one is turning into something else. That's it. We're slowly unveiling their secrets but I found myself not caring after all this time. I specifically remember THE emotional scene of the book happening and realising I felt nothing after reading it. Sometimes I was reading a chapter and then was confused and needed to backtrack to check who was narrating this one. The girls never felt too distinct to me especially since the mention of a father couldn't help me tell them apart. Sure they had two distinct backstories (and even that I've mixed up the similar elements) but I never was fully able to tell their narration apart if a page didn't mention their specificities.
September 1, 2023
Disclaimer: I received an eArc from the author.
Written in the epistolary format, Providence Girls by Morgan Dante is a sapphic masterpiece about two miserable women desperate for a happier ending. Our main characters, writing out their bittersweet love story, Azzie and Vin, love each other, hurt each other, and learn to move forward together. Dante illustrates their short yet passionate romance, and it never feels rushed—it feels just right to the characters, deserving of this moment. The reader is left rooting for their happiness.
The writing itself is gorgeous: emotionally expressive and full of literary references to deepen the story. It is deeply atmospheric, the narrative itself haunted by the impending fate—as heavy as the dampness at the heart of the story.
The novel cut deep and truly should be in everyone’s September TBR. I devoured Providence Girls in one evening, and I believe it is THE autumn read.
Written in the epistolary format, Providence Girls by Morgan Dante is a sapphic masterpiece about two miserable women desperate for a happier ending. Our main characters, writing out their bittersweet love story, Azzie and Vin, love each other, hurt each other, and learn to move forward together. Dante illustrates their short yet passionate romance, and it never feels rushed—it feels just right to the characters, deserving of this moment. The reader is left rooting for their happiness.
The writing itself is gorgeous: emotionally expressive and full of literary references to deepen the story. It is deeply atmospheric, the narrative itself haunted by the impending fate—as heavy as the dampness at the heart of the story.
The novel cut deep and truly should be in everyone’s September TBR. I devoured Providence Girls in one evening, and I believe it is THE autumn read.
November 21, 2023
“I won’t leave you,” you said. “I know monsters. I’ve seen them.”
I murmured in sympathy, “You’ve loved them.”
3.5 stars. I'm sticking this under my paranormal romance tag because that's what fits it best among my existing tags, but it would be more accurate to call it romantic horror. And what a beautiful horror show it is. 🖤 It's a romance that takes the characters of Lavinia from "The Dunwich Horror" and Asenath from "The Thing on the Doorstep" and reimagines different endings to their stories. Eat it, Lovecraft. I did read those stories in preparation for reading this; no one told me I had to, but I'd never read Lovecraft before and I figured this would be an apt place to start. Now that I've finished this book, I do think it would be a good idea to have some familiarity with the original stories, but it's by no means a complete necessity. I just really enjoyed having those titbits and a bit of foreknowledge in the back of my head as I read. And it didn't spoil anything about the experience of reading this either, since the author pretty much builds the characters from the ground up.
If the gods are stardust and mystery, you became like a god to me. Not in the sense that you were untouchable or perfect, but when I saw your reflection in the small parts of my life, I loved them. I knew myself better and was content. Our intimate rituals became prayer and communion.
This is an epistolary romance, told in two different timelines. The style is a bit slow, very moody and atmospheric, and very beautifully written. If there wasn't such a huge romantic element, I'd classify it as romantic horror. Knowing what stories inspired this, you can expect it to get plenty weird, plenty uncanny. The body horror is incredible, gross in a way that made me kind of squeamish, but I couldn't look away. And the language used was just so beautiful and meticulous and searing. This wouldn't be the book it is without the romance, which is predictably my favourite part of it. Both women have been through so much, and they have quite different responses to their trauma, and therefore don't see eye to eye on a lot of issues. But still they cling to one another, find comfort and solace in one another, take care of each other in beautiful ways. Both Lavinia and Azzie learn what it's like to really reclaim their autonomy. Also, be still my monster-fucking heart. There really is nothing that I like better than a story of monstrous transformation in a woman. Coming down to the end, this did start to lose me a little, and I kind of wish we'd gotten just a bit more romantic content and a few more concrete answers? But nevertheless, this was so lovely.
Content warnings:
I’ll turn around. Yes. I’ll turn around. See you in all your splendor. Smile, weep tears of joy, and think: There you are.
November 8, 2023
Giving this one a very generous two star rating because despite how nearly unreadable the first half is, I didn't hate the second half as much. I'm still confused as to why the author felt it was a good idea to write this in dual perspective epistolary format. I was hoping for a reveal towards the end as to why the two protagonists are writing to each other, recounting their love story that they both obviously experienced together, but there never was one. Is traditional third person pov really so conventional and boring?? This combined with the overly flowery language and lack of any real plot or useful exposition within the first 100 pages made for a very difficult reading experience!
August 25, 2023
We stan fish girlfriends!!! I really enjoyed reading this even though its not my typical read. The setting, prose and characters were lovely, though I did find myself a little confused at times 🙇.
It was also really interesting to read something set locally to me 🐟🐟
It was also really interesting to read something set locally to me 🐟🐟
November 13, 2023
Because of the cover... the images I had in my head during different scenes... made the whole thing horrific but I wasn't scared. Just thinking about skin flakes was not really cute
September 28, 2023
(2.5) I hate not to give this a higher rating but the book didn’t really work for me. Aesthetically the book is beautiful & explores important themes of bodily autonomy & disability, which makes me sad that I didn’t actually enjoy it.
The worldbuilding (eldritch monsters living amongst us + early 20th century setting) is super interesting but we got to see so little of it! The whole community of Deep Ones living with people in Azzie’s town, the magic related to Azzie & her father, Vin’s eldritch god - there’s so much there but we only got to see slivers of it. But yeah I understand that it wasn’t the focus of the story, as the focus was more on the role of two women in this world and how they’ve, for lack of better words, been fucked over by it, but that unfortunately didn’t really work for me.
I think it was because of the epistolary style that made it too flowery and romantic even before we knew anything about the characters, and the fact that the two characters’ voices didn’t really read very distinctly to me and I had to keep checking back to whose chapter I was even reading. I’m definitely going to give Morgan Dante’s other book a shot though!
The worldbuilding (eldritch monsters living amongst us + early 20th century setting) is super interesting but we got to see so little of it! The whole community of Deep Ones living with people in Azzie’s town, the magic related to Azzie & her father, Vin’s eldritch god - there’s so much there but we only got to see slivers of it. But yeah I understand that it wasn’t the focus of the story, as the focus was more on the role of two women in this world and how they’ve, for lack of better words, been fucked over by it, but that unfortunately didn’t really work for me.
I think it was because of the epistolary style that made it too flowery and romantic even before we knew anything about the characters, and the fact that the two characters’ voices didn’t really read very distinctly to me and I had to keep checking back to whose chapter I was even reading. I’m definitely going to give Morgan Dante’s other book a shot though!
August 27, 2023
This book was unlike anything I'd ever read. And overall, I really loved it!!
This is written as an epistolary novel, meaning that the characters Azzie and Vin are writing letters to each other. In the beginning of the novel it is presented as letters, but as the chapters go on, it evolves from less "letterform" to more just "telling the story" as either Azzie or Vin. Which, I appreciated because I wanna say, the beginning was tough to get through and digest.
The writing is that sort of melancholy, poetic style which strings words together for their sounds, how they FEEL when placed on a page, and less about what makes sense in a "direct" way. And that's actually a writing style I greatly enjoy! Though the beginning, there was so much of it, "purple prose" as you could say, that I was a bit confused until I read on. Needless to say, as I kept going and the plot was unfolding, the writing became more clear, and I enjoyed it immensely.
Everything of what these girls went through was wild, and I felt touched by it all. Overall, a wonderful story!!
This is written as an epistolary novel, meaning that the characters Azzie and Vin are writing letters to each other. In the beginning of the novel it is presented as letters, but as the chapters go on, it evolves from less "letterform" to more just "telling the story" as either Azzie or Vin. Which, I appreciated because I wanna say, the beginning was tough to get through and digest.
The writing is that sort of melancholy, poetic style which strings words together for their sounds, how they FEEL when placed on a page, and less about what makes sense in a "direct" way. And that's actually a writing style I greatly enjoy! Though the beginning, there was so much of it, "purple prose" as you could say, that I was a bit confused until I read on. Needless to say, as I kept going and the plot was unfolding, the writing became more clear, and I enjoyed it immensely.
Everything of what these girls went through was wild, and I felt touched by it all. Overall, a wonderful story!!
February 16, 2024
** 4.5 stars ** Shape of Water but make it sapphic gothic horror, what’s not to like? Beautiful, poetic and haunting story. The book is also written as an epistolary novel which added to the overall romance and yearning but at times, especially in the beginning, was a little confusing to the timeline. Overall though, this was a wonderful book.
“A boring domestic life sounded more divine than divinity, even if being taken into the stars was a stone of a dream settled in my lungs, that promise of purpose. Not only purpose: belonging. Finally knowing I’m home.”
“A boring domestic life sounded more divine than divinity, even if being taken into the stars was a stone of a dream settled in my lungs, that promise of purpose. Not only purpose: belonging. Finally knowing I’m home.”
September 23, 2024
The angst between Vin and Azzie is compelling, but what I really enjoyed is the way the Morgan nods to and references Lovecraft and Cthulhu mythos and the way it simply sucks to have been a victim of those science and occult crimes.
Shelved as 'abandoned'
October 10, 2023DNF 9% (for now) - I tried really hard to like this, but I'm not a fan of these strange letters. Which, by the way, include dialog. How do you even remember all that? See, that's the shit that takes me out of the story.
Why did it have to be letters in the first place? This isn't written for each other, this is written like a story as if the other person wasn't there. It makes no sense.
This style just ain't it, the author has to include way too many details that are CLEARLY only there for the reader, so I don't see the point in doing it this way. We also don't see them interact, we're just told about it after the fact. It's unsatisfying.
Imagine writing fanfic based on true events, from your POV, to your lover, and then call it a letter. That's what the characters in this book are doing.
Why did it have to be letters in the first place? This isn't written for each other, this is written like a story as if the other person wasn't there. It makes no sense.
This style just ain't it, the author has to include way too many details that are CLEARLY only there for the reader, so I don't see the point in doing it this way. We also don't see them interact, we're just told about it after the fact. It's unsatisfying.
Imagine writing fanfic based on true events, from your POV, to your lover, and then call it a letter. That's what the characters in this book are doing.
September 6, 2023
Confusing to follow
Got to chapter 3 and couldn't read more. It's a perplexingly nameless mix of first and second person, which, along with the POV switching, makes it hard to keep track of the characters.
There are some good phrases and word choices, but actual plot events are so interwoven with the timeless stream of consciousness that I feel like I got lost in a spacetime bending wormhole.
Good cover art.
On first-time opening, Kindle skips the content warnings and goes straight to Chapter 1.
Got to chapter 3 and couldn't read more. It's a perplexingly nameless mix of first and second person, which, along with the POV switching, makes it hard to keep track of the characters.
There are some good phrases and word choices, but actual plot events are so interwoven with the timeless stream of consciousness that I feel like I got lost in a spacetime bending wormhole.
Good cover art.
On first-time opening, Kindle skips the content warnings and goes straight to Chapter 1.
June 15, 2024
"It's not as easy as we think to leave."
I liked this more than I thought I would. It's the writing style. I just don't like it. However, it did work very well with this story though.
On top of the writing style just not for me, the writing also niggled me during specific times, like when there was a blank box instead of a word (presumably "gills" and I don't care that it made sense since she was trying to deny everything and not think about it), which is just a huge pet peeve of mine. The wording could have been changed instead. And when the word "gash" was used during a sex scene. Really threw me out of the story with that one. I had to re-read thinking that I had missed something and was wondering where the sudden wound came from. Nope. Apparently, that was her vagina.
I really liked these two characters, both separately and together. They only know each other for six months, but it feels like so much longer with how well they get to know each other and the care that's taken.
Sometimes I would forget the time period this was set in, but that's no fault of the author's as they did a great job on keeping the terms within it. It was the monsters and folklore that is so often placed further back in history that I had to keep reminding myself. And I think the time this is set is a great addition as Lavinia and Asenath get to go into town, see the ocean by vehicle and how it has its other uses...
What these two characters go through... There are no words. I like how we get Asenath's story (even though it's beyond horrifying) and the way it was done.
[...]It's hard when two people have traumas and, no matter how close the traumas, they have wildly different approaches to healing.
I didn't really find things horrifying (besides what the characters go through!) but, again, I do think it was due to the writing style since it doesn't suck me into the story as much as others do. There were parts that were rather... graphic, though. I also didn't like the ending with how it added a new "voice" of someone writing a letter to someone else and what it entailed. I liked how it gave us a peek into what Lavinia and Asenath's "ending" was, but... A different voice would have been better suited, although, it was still understandable as far as the voice goes. However, the letter and the story it tells, doesn't make too much sense overall.
Love this cover. Not only do I just love the art itself but also how it incapsulates so much of them and the story into it. Fantastic job to the artist.
This was my first time reading Morgan Dante and, overall, I liked this book well enough (2.5 stars rounded up). Would I read another of theirs again? Maybe. I'd have to check the writing style. If it was this again then no, I wouldn't. It fit this story well, but it just isn't for me.
TW (and on my dubcon-noncon shelf because):
August 25, 2023
3.8/5 stars
TWs: Ableism, gore, grief, incest, misogyny, rape, sexual content, sexual harassment, suicidal thoughts
Providence Girls is a retelling of multiple of Lovecraft's stories, but in the form of a slow-burn sapphic monster romance with body horror, longing and a cottage by the sea. It draws you in with a lyrical writing and two complex main characters that for the first time have to set their demons at the table, laid bare for each other. This caused a few miscommunication issues that I didn't really like, but it made the pace accurate to explore the relationship of two women who were trying to reclaim their bodies in a hurtful world.
Lavinia was a wonderful character that filled me with joy, and while I didn't like Azzie too much as a character, I loved how her transformation played out in the story. The author does 't flinch away from gruesome descriptions, and makes them look beautiful and tender without hiding the horrific. These characters honour each other's bodies in wondrous ways.
I was not prepared for the element related to the Cthulhu Mythos, and even though I am familiar with it, I felt like things could be explained in more detail for the people that aren't that familiar, as much as the story allows at least.
Overall, this was a story with a happy ending, something that surprised me but made me really happy. You can definitely give it a chance if it's up your alley!
*Content warnings are provided in the author's page*
TWs: Ableism, gore, grief, incest, misogyny, rape, sexual content, sexual harassment, suicidal thoughts
Providence Girls is a retelling of multiple of Lovecraft's stories, but in the form of a slow-burn sapphic monster romance with body horror, longing and a cottage by the sea. It draws you in with a lyrical writing and two complex main characters that for the first time have to set their demons at the table, laid bare for each other. This caused a few miscommunication issues that I didn't really like, but it made the pace accurate to explore the relationship of two women who were trying to reclaim their bodies in a hurtful world.
Lavinia was a wonderful character that filled me with joy, and while I didn't like Azzie too much as a character, I loved how her transformation played out in the story. The author does 't flinch away from gruesome descriptions, and makes them look beautiful and tender without hiding the horrific. These characters honour each other's bodies in wondrous ways.
I was not prepared for the element related to the Cthulhu Mythos, and even though I am familiar with it, I felt like things could be explained in more detail for the people that aren't that familiar, as much as the story allows at least.
Overall, this was a story with a happy ending, something that surprised me but made me really happy. You can definitely give it a chance if it's up your alley!
*Content warnings are provided in the author's page*
August 9, 2023
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC
"You gave me one of your rare tender smiles. Even writing about it makes me stop for a moment; it's an expression I miss the most from you. If I did without kisses or sex for an eternity, I'd be sated with your smile".
Providence Girls is a tough book to read, but also a delight. The two main characters have suffered a lot throughout their lives, and they keep suffering, but the relationship that blooms between Vin and Azzie, and the things they learn from the other, is an oasis of comfort in the midst of the horrors of their world.
This feeling of someone else being your home, the only thing you can turn to, permeates the whole writing. The book consists of letters, so Vin and Azzie speak to each other; this gives a feeling of complete intimacy, of isolation, but it also makes the book have a sense of nostalgia, of yearning for something that was good but now it's over.
The romance is slow, tentative, but for me it paid off nicely. I really liked how their love developed, and the little things that made them so perfect for each other.
The ending is bittersweet, but hopeful in its own way. I think it's really adequate for the type of story this one is.
Overall, it was a really good book. The horror aspect is more of a constant uneasy feeling that doesn’t leave you throughout the whole read, but I think it really suits the story.
Note: please check the trigger warnings before reading.
"You gave me one of your rare tender smiles. Even writing about it makes me stop for a moment; it's an expression I miss the most from you. If I did without kisses or sex for an eternity, I'd be sated with your smile".
Providence Girls is a tough book to read, but also a delight. The two main characters have suffered a lot throughout their lives, and they keep suffering, but the relationship that blooms between Vin and Azzie, and the things they learn from the other, is an oasis of comfort in the midst of the horrors of their world.
This feeling of someone else being your home, the only thing you can turn to, permeates the whole writing. The book consists of letters, so Vin and Azzie speak to each other; this gives a feeling of complete intimacy, of isolation, but it also makes the book have a sense of nostalgia, of yearning for something that was good but now it's over.
The romance is slow, tentative, but for me it paid off nicely. I really liked how their love developed, and the little things that made them so perfect for each other.
The ending is bittersweet, but hopeful in its own way. I think it's really adequate for the type of story this one is.
Overall, it was a really good book. The horror aspect is more of a constant uneasy feeling that doesn’t leave you throughout the whole read, but I think it really suits the story.
Note: please check the trigger warnings before reading.
September 2, 2023
Morgan Dante!! Thank you x a million for the arc, I am on my KNEES for these women. I pretty much only read this book in August, because I couldn't bring myself to taint the month with anything less than the stellar reading experience Providence Girls provided.
Vin and Azzie exist as two faces on the same coin, outcast from "normal" society by their fathers, in over their heads amidst the Eldritch Outer Gods. For Azzie, this has resulted in her outright independence - she has her own car, is beholden to no husband or suitor, she does as she likes when she likes. Unfortunately, the Deep Ones have a claim on her that she is increasingly unable to outrun.
Vin, on the other hand, has played the perfect daughter up until we meet her - to the point of having two children with her Eldritch husband, the Gate and Key.
The majority of the story here exists as memories encapsulated in letters between the two women, slowly unfurling the story of their individual pasts alongside their collective future. It's intriguing and suspenseful attempting to learn exactly what happened here between Azzie and Vin, and how it led to Vin alone by the sea in 1948.
Providence Girls is the exact book I wanted it to be, slow and meandering prose in the face of a gruesome, time sensitive deadline. The Romance, the Drama, the Horror?? All deserving of high marks and applause. I highlighted so much of this book, struck by the poetic prose and the simple, genuine love growing between Vin and Azzie. Some romances feel unearned, too fast paced and cliche to feel real. Providence Girls could easily be a stack of letters you find in a trunk in your great grandmother's attic, the pages damp and crusted in sea salt.
Vin and Azzie exist as two faces on the same coin, outcast from "normal" society by their fathers, in over their heads amidst the Eldritch Outer Gods. For Azzie, this has resulted in her outright independence - she has her own car, is beholden to no husband or suitor, she does as she likes when she likes. Unfortunately, the Deep Ones have a claim on her that she is increasingly unable to outrun.
Vin, on the other hand, has played the perfect daughter up until we meet her - to the point of having two children with her Eldritch husband, the Gate and Key.
The majority of the story here exists as memories encapsulated in letters between the two women, slowly unfurling the story of their individual pasts alongside their collective future. It's intriguing and suspenseful attempting to learn exactly what happened here between Azzie and Vin, and how it led to Vin alone by the sea in 1948.
Providence Girls is the exact book I wanted it to be, slow and meandering prose in the face of a gruesome, time sensitive deadline. The Romance, the Drama, the Horror?? All deserving of high marks and applause. I highlighted so much of this book, struck by the poetic prose and the simple, genuine love growing between Vin and Azzie. Some romances feel unearned, too fast paced and cliche to feel real. Providence Girls could easily be a stack of letters you find in a trunk in your great grandmother's attic, the pages damp and crusted in sea salt.
September 5, 2023
I absolutely adore Dante's writing. The way this story was presented in letters between Vin and Azzie was perfect. It was equally sweet and heart-wrenching at times, both women having experienced a lot of trauma but finding a home in each other for a short time.
I loved the way both women started to open up over the course of the few months they knew each other. And I also quite enjoyed the body horror aspects of this story, it checked several of my boxes as far as things I like to read about. I would definitely recommend this!
*I received an ebook ARC from the author*
I loved the way both women started to open up over the course of the few months they knew each other. And I also quite enjoyed the body horror aspects of this story, it checked several of my boxes as far as things I like to read about. I would definitely recommend this!
*I received an ebook ARC from the author*
June 16, 2024
“Slimy with my blood and womb-water”
That’s all I really need to say
That’s all I really need to say
July 30, 2024
Schön geschriebene Geschichte über die Liebe zwischen einer Frau und einer Fisch-Frau
December 26, 2023
a lesbian paranormal romance with decent..dare I even say GOOD writing (even if it deed veer into tumblr-like prose at time) 😱😱😱😱 this was so fun and well done i was kinda shocked…epistolary format worked very well with the story..both main characters had rich interior lives and motivations..romance was well developed and bittersweet and had real emotional depth..honestly an interesting exploration of trauma, gender, chronic pain, and living in a body you feel isn’t yours..and the world had a well developed and compelling cosmology with eldritch gods and fish monsters (and fish monster fawking 🤭) it was giving bloodborne so i was living..YASSSS
also cw for sa
also cw for sa
December 7, 2023
3.5!
This was a quick but thoughtful read for me, one that I ultimately enjoyed! We follow a tale of two women brought together by chance, after one escapes certain death and one has chosen solitude over accepting her fate. Azzie and Vin’s story is one of trauma, loss, compassion, bodily autonomy, self worth and love. It’s about finding love and being strong enough to embrace it. It’s about healing from deep, dark hurts. It’s a love story about monstrous girls and girls who are thought of as monsters, about outcasts finding each other and surviving; gate-and-key gods and Deep Ones, and heavy, heavy topics of abuse and trauma.
Being an epistolary format, written as letters from each of the characters to the other, this was an intriguing read and one that I found I enjoyed. The format itself worked well with the feeling of nostalgia, of regret and also of fondness woven through each of the women’s perspectives. It did occasionally “jar” when the format began to read very much like a novel and less like a letter, and then there was a reminder that this was a typed document which added a meta sort of layer to it all. But overall I enjoyed this format, and found it worked well. There was a pervasive bittersweetness to it all, which worked considering the ending.
I’m a fan of “slice of life” narratives and this is certainly a great example. Nothing “much” happens in terms of action, or all the typical things that people seem to want from their books; but arguably quite a lot happens when we consider that two women learn what it means to heal and be healed by another.
Both vin and Azzie were compelling, though I found myself drawn in by Azzie’s narrative more than Lavinia’s (maybe just because I am not maternal, and hers is a narrative overwhelmed by her extraordinary and selfless love for her children.) I found Azzie’s perspective engaging, and I resonated with how she dealt (poorly or not) with the trauma of her past. She appears cold, shut down, but only because the pain of her past made her this way, and she learns eventually that closing the past off does nothing but make it fester. There is a great deal of bodily autonomy and body dysphoria in her narrative too, making for a heavy but resonant read.
Vin similarly was intriguing, and I felt heartened by her eventual overcoming of the trauma and circumstance that drove her away from her home. I found that her strength was inspiring, and I enjoy reading about softly depicted types of strength; of love and compassion as strengths as much as anything else.
I will say that however, occasionally I found the characterisations of the two women a little similar, and I would have to remind myself of whose perspective I was reading. The big “emotional” scene which caused a rift between them also was not quite delivered with the gravitas that I believe would have had me feeling more about it; but ultimately it served a purpose to bring the women into a space of awareness about each others healing, so it was a good plot device in that sense.
The pacing was slow, and this was definitely a “slice of life” narrative, but I feel that occasionally not much else is needed from a book other than to witness two people learning how to heal and let each other in. Sometimes all we need is a love story, no matter the ending.
I will also say that this novella deals with heavy, triggering topics so it’s worth checking the trigger warning before diving in.
This was a quick but thoughtful read for me, one that I ultimately enjoyed! We follow a tale of two women brought together by chance, after one escapes certain death and one has chosen solitude over accepting her fate. Azzie and Vin’s story is one of trauma, loss, compassion, bodily autonomy, self worth and love. It’s about finding love and being strong enough to embrace it. It’s about healing from deep, dark hurts. It’s a love story about monstrous girls and girls who are thought of as monsters, about outcasts finding each other and surviving; gate-and-key gods and Deep Ones, and heavy, heavy topics of abuse and trauma.
Being an epistolary format, written as letters from each of the characters to the other, this was an intriguing read and one that I found I enjoyed. The format itself worked well with the feeling of nostalgia, of regret and also of fondness woven through each of the women’s perspectives. It did occasionally “jar” when the format began to read very much like a novel and less like a letter, and then there was a reminder that this was a typed document which added a meta sort of layer to it all. But overall I enjoyed this format, and found it worked well. There was a pervasive bittersweetness to it all, which worked considering the ending.
I’m a fan of “slice of life” narratives and this is certainly a great example. Nothing “much” happens in terms of action, or all the typical things that people seem to want from their books; but arguably quite a lot happens when we consider that two women learn what it means to heal and be healed by another.
Both vin and Azzie were compelling, though I found myself drawn in by Azzie’s narrative more than Lavinia’s (maybe just because I am not maternal, and hers is a narrative overwhelmed by her extraordinary and selfless love for her children.) I found Azzie’s perspective engaging, and I resonated with how she dealt (poorly or not) with the trauma of her past. She appears cold, shut down, but only because the pain of her past made her this way, and she learns eventually that closing the past off does nothing but make it fester. There is a great deal of bodily autonomy and body dysphoria in her narrative too, making for a heavy but resonant read.
Vin similarly was intriguing, and I felt heartened by her eventual overcoming of the trauma and circumstance that drove her away from her home. I found that her strength was inspiring, and I enjoy reading about softly depicted types of strength; of love and compassion as strengths as much as anything else.
I will say that however, occasionally I found the characterisations of the two women a little similar, and I would have to remind myself of whose perspective I was reading. The big “emotional” scene which caused a rift between them also was not quite delivered with the gravitas that I believe would have had me feeling more about it; but ultimately it served a purpose to bring the women into a space of awareness about each others healing, so it was a good plot device in that sense.
The pacing was slow, and this was definitely a “slice of life” narrative, but I feel that occasionally not much else is needed from a book other than to witness two people learning how to heal and let each other in. Sometimes all we need is a love story, no matter the ending.
I will also say that this novella deals with heavy, triggering topics so it’s worth checking the trigger warning before diving in.
September 14, 2023
3.5
the best way i can describe this book is that if you liked “our wives under the sea” you will most definitely like this. and that’s where it all falls apart for me. because i really struggled with OWUTS so this for me was nearly just as bad (not in a negative way). this was an enjoyable read and the prose is beautiful, but for me it’s too wishy-washy. i hate beautiful language in books because it makes me feel like my mind is going through the mincer.
i also think the way this is written through the letters was fantastic like wow. it’s probably the best way to tell this story and i’m impressed with how well this style worked.
but yeah, the only reason this is 3.5 for me is because i can’t do lyrical prose because other than that i enjoyed this book.
the best way i can describe this book is that if you liked “our wives under the sea” you will most definitely like this. and that’s where it all falls apart for me. because i really struggled with OWUTS so this for me was nearly just as bad (not in a negative way). this was an enjoyable read and the prose is beautiful, but for me it’s too wishy-washy. i hate beautiful language in books because it makes me feel like my mind is going through the mincer.
i also think the way this is written through the letters was fantastic like wow. it’s probably the best way to tell this story and i’m impressed with how well this style worked.
but yeah, the only reason this is 3.5 for me is because i can’t do lyrical prose because other than that i enjoyed this book.
September 30, 2023
The part I liked most was the ending
June 22, 2024
Marginalized authors reclaiming the cosmic horror genre is my favorite thing. Jordan Hawke's Widdershins series was my introduction to the queer equivalent, but Providence Girls is another lovely sapphic, feminist addition.
Dante's writing is so beautiful, wow. The romance between Azzie and Vin went by kinda fast but it was so sweet and emotional. A good chunk of the book involves hurt/comfort, sickfic, and slice of life cottagecore sapphic shenanigans. But after a while, I honestly got bored of all the sweetness and light. Thankfully, this is a cosmic horror book, and things get freaky really fast. But the horror isn't really in the monsters or old gods from the deep. All those monsters are human (or, close to human). All those monsters are loved. As Dante retells the Lovecraft canon from the perspective of the women and monsters, we realize they were merely victims to all this violence and trauma. And holy hell, there is a lot of trauma in our MCs's pasts. The real villains here are the human men.
Don't come in here looking for an ordinary kinky romance. Yes, there is some monsterfucking but it's mainly a character study in trauma recovery. Also, I'm kinda salty that we spent the whole book thinking it's going to be a tragic ending for the two women, only for the epilogue to go "jokes on you! They lived happily ever after for 15 years afterwards!" then why make me so SAD, damn it.
Dante's writing is so beautiful, wow. The romance between Azzie and Vin went by kinda fast but it was so sweet and emotional. A good chunk of the book involves hurt/comfort, sickfic, and slice of life cottagecore sapphic shenanigans. But after a while, I honestly got bored of all the sweetness and light. Thankfully, this is a cosmic horror book, and things get freaky really fast. But the horror isn't really in the monsters or old gods from the deep. All those monsters are human (or, close to human). All those monsters are loved. As Dante retells the Lovecraft canon from the perspective of the women and monsters, we realize they were merely victims to all this violence and trauma. And holy hell, there is a lot of trauma in our MCs's pasts. The real villains here are the human men.
Don't come in here looking for an ordinary kinky romance. Yes, there is some monsterfucking but it's mainly a character study in trauma recovery. Also, I'm kinda salty that we spent the whole book thinking it's going to be a tragic ending for the two women, only for the epilogue to go "jokes on you! They lived happily ever after for 15 years afterwards!" then why make me so SAD, damn it.
September 5, 2023
Thank you Morgan Dante from whom I received an ARC of this book in return for a fair review.
Poetic and suspenseful Providence Girls is a story of two women both exiled and how they find a home in each other however when Azzie starts to transform into an eldritch creature everything begins to change.
Providence Girls is told in the form of letters looking back on when the two women met and this really adds a beautiful element of longing bittersweetness to the story.
I loved the elements of transformation, body horror and isolation that weaves it's way through the story making you uneasy and the contrast it makes to the slow building romance between the two characters.
The fact that the characters are both older was also an added bonus as someone also in their 30s as I feel these sort of stories still aren't told often enough.
Overall this was a beautiful, lyrical book that is both bittersweet and hopeful.
Poetic and suspenseful Providence Girls is a story of two women both exiled and how they find a home in each other however when Azzie starts to transform into an eldritch creature everything begins to change.
Providence Girls is told in the form of letters looking back on when the two women met and this really adds a beautiful element of longing bittersweetness to the story.
I loved the elements of transformation, body horror and isolation that weaves it's way through the story making you uneasy and the contrast it makes to the slow building romance between the two characters.
The fact that the characters are both older was also an added bonus as someone also in their 30s as I feel these sort of stories still aren't told often enough.
Overall this was a beautiful, lyrical book that is both bittersweet and hopeful.
September 26, 2024
Creo que es la mejor novela con romance sáfico que he leído de momento, es que es tan raro encontrar romances sáficos en general...
La pareja, preciosa, super wholesome y me encantan las largas descripciones que rozan el amor cortés para decir que te gusta mucho la crush. ¿Ralentiza el ritmo narrativo? Un montón, la parte interesante de la novela no está hasta la mitad de la obra; por lo que se hace cuesta arriba.
El body horror de ir convirtiéndose poco a poco en un monstruo y la parte en la que se habla de embarazos, manifestaciones de dioses sacados casi de la imaginación de Lovecraft y todo eso está chulo. Lo malo es que en el ante-penúltimo capítulo se sacan otro girito de este tipo que no funciona porque es súper repentino, se carga el desarrollo de uno de los personajes con su cuerpo y no da tiempo para desarrollar bien los sentimientos de la pareja porque estamos más ocupados en el girito final.
Una pena, aún así lo recomiendo.
La pareja, preciosa, super wholesome y me encantan las largas descripciones que rozan el amor cortés para decir que te gusta mucho la crush. ¿Ralentiza el ritmo narrativo? Un montón, la parte interesante de la novela no está hasta la mitad de la obra; por lo que se hace cuesta arriba.
El body horror de ir convirtiéndose poco a poco en un monstruo y la parte en la que se habla de embarazos, manifestaciones de dioses sacados casi de la imaginación de Lovecraft y todo eso está chulo. Lo malo es que en el ante-penúltimo capítulo se sacan otro girito de este tipo que no funciona porque es súper repentino, se carga el desarrollo de uno de los personajes con su cuerpo y no da tiempo para desarrollar bien los sentimientos de la pareja porque estamos más ocupados en el girito final.
Una pena, aún así lo recomiendo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2023
Very lyrical, great atmosphere, and a sad but satisfying sapphic romance. The two MCs have been through a lot of trauma and handle this very differently, but I enjoyed watching them learn to communicate and care for each other. It could have used a bit more editing for consistency/grammar, but overall was an enjoyable read
March 12, 2024
I truly wish I enjoyed this more, but it was a little too heavy handed for me. It is, however, a great edition to the gentle queer lovers in the woods with an undercurrent of folk magic genre I’m vibing with right now.
(Except in this case, replace folk magic with lovecraftian horror. But same vibes.)
(Except in this case, replace folk magic with lovecraftian horror. But same vibes.)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews