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Ink Vine: A Gothic Sapphic Novella
Sometimes, you just pick your poison and prayStay the hell out of the swamp — the backwater town of Lower Congaree recites it like an eleventh commandment. But when exotic dancer Emmy Joiner sneaks under the dark tree-canopy behind her family trailer, she meets mysterious, tattooed Zara, the first girl she dares to kiss.
But the small-town South hates a woman who dares to dance instead of plucking chickens for minimum wage, and as Emmy’s life falls apart, her relationship with Zara grows more tangled and bizarre. Zara’s offering something beautiful. But while Emmy’s slowly strangling, its price may be more than she’s willing to pay.
Shifting between the green-bright cypress cathedral and the dreamland of a dance club, Broadbent’s unforgettably-voiced debut confronts the brutal realities of poverty in the South, with a sapphic tale both sultry and sinister, gritty and gothic.
"Elizabeth Broadbent combines a steamy love story with important observations about desperation, fear, and acceptance. Ink Vine, with its elements of dark fantasy and botanical horror, reminded me of True Blood!"
-Christi Nogle, author of the Bram Stoker Award winning first novel Beulah
But the small-town South hates a woman who dares to dance instead of plucking chickens for minimum wage, and as Emmy’s life falls apart, her relationship with Zara grows more tangled and bizarre. Zara’s offering something beautiful. But while Emmy’s slowly strangling, its price may be more than she’s willing to pay.
Shifting between the green-bright cypress cathedral and the dreamland of a dance club, Broadbent’s unforgettably-voiced debut confronts the brutal realities of poverty in the South, with a sapphic tale both sultry and sinister, gritty and gothic.
"Elizabeth Broadbent combines a steamy love story with important observations about desperation, fear, and acceptance. Ink Vine, with its elements of dark fantasy and botanical horror, reminded me of True Blood!"
-Christi Nogle, author of the Bram Stoker Award winning first novel Beulah
120 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 12, 2024
About the author
Elizabeth Broadbent
13 books24 followersElizabeth Broadbent (she/her) left the South Carolina swamps for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She’s the author of Ink Vine (Undertaker Books), Ninety-Eight Sabers (Undertaker Books), Blood Cypress (2025, Raw Dog Screaming Press), and Breaking Neverland (2026, Sley House Publications).
Her speculative fiction has appeared with Hyphenpunk, Tales to Terrify, If There's Anyone Left, Penumbric, and The Cafe Irreal, among other places. During her long career as a journalist, her nonfiction appeared in places such as The Washington Post, Insider, and ADDitude Magazine.
Her speculative fiction has appeared with Hyphenpunk, Tales to Terrify, If There's Anyone Left, Penumbric, and The Cafe Irreal, among other places. During her long career as a journalist, her nonfiction appeared in places such as The Washington Post, Insider, and ADDitude Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
September 15, 2025
Feeeeeeeeeeeliiiiiings, so many feeeeeliiiings...
This was quite an atmospheric ride, sad, angry and beautiful. It bares the kind of vulnerability of desperate people, those with the bad cards, in a place from which they can not escape, of bitter people holding on to you until everybody drowns. The outcast, the queer.
My dark heart was touched.
This was quite an atmospheric ride, sad, angry and beautiful. It bares the kind of vulnerability of desperate people, those with the bad cards, in a place from which they can not escape, of bitter people holding on to you until everybody drowns. The outcast, the queer.
My dark heart was touched.
March 29, 2024
This book is brilliant. It keeps you hooked throughout and keeps you wanting more. It's a sweet romance with a twist. It's grity and gothic and salty and sinister like the description says.
I loved the evolution of Emerald (Emmy) she goes from taking everything that's is thrown at her from abusive words from her mum and her sister and people give her shit for dancing at a strip club, to fighting back and giving the people that have wronged her a peice of her mind without holding back.
The connection and attraction between Emerald and Zara is undeniable from the moment they meet, to their first kiss, and thereafter, they are absolutely meant to be together one way or another.
It's a fantastic book, and I can't wait for more from this talented author. I highly recommend this book.
Star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating. 🔥🔥🔥🔥
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I loved the evolution of Emerald (Emmy) she goes from taking everything that's is thrown at her from abusive words from her mum and her sister and people give her shit for dancing at a strip club, to fighting back and giving the people that have wronged her a peice of her mind without holding back.
The connection and attraction between Emerald and Zara is undeniable from the moment they meet, to their first kiss, and thereafter, they are absolutely meant to be together one way or another.
It's a fantastic book, and I can't wait for more from this talented author. I highly recommend this book.
Star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating. 🔥🔥🔥🔥
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 11, 2024
Thought this was phenomenal!
🌿 A+ gothic setting.
🌿Dark and gritty, achingly, painfully real
🌿Exquisite layered writing
🌿Truly horrifying
🌿The ending made me feel sick to my stomach and also hopeful, a very fitting end to a horrormance
TW for a lot of anti-LGBT attitudes from townspeople
🌿 A+ gothic setting.
🌿Dark and gritty, achingly, painfully real
🌿Exquisite layered writing
🌿Truly horrifying
🌿The ending made me feel sick to my stomach and also hopeful, a very fitting end to a horrormance
TW for a lot of anti-LGBT attitudes from townspeople
March 30, 2024
Ink Vine is a vividly descrptive, first person sapphic fantasy love story set in and around the swamp. We see the world from Emerald's perspective and every character she encounters is fully fleshed. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. If you like beautifully written sapphic fantasy love stories with plenty of small town family drama, I recommend this one.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 25, 2024
3 Stars
Pros:
The main character’s family, work and social life was mapped out pretty well. Her misery on top of despair on top of anguish was raw and tangible to the reader.
Cons:
The ending or what the main character ultimately decided was a bit of a cop out. And the situation between the main character and the love interest just felt… for lack of other word, disturbing.
Pros:
The main character’s family, work and social life was mapped out pretty well. Her misery on top of despair on top of anguish was raw and tangible to the reader.
Cons:
The ending or what the main character ultimately decided was a bit of a cop out. And the situation between the main character and the love interest just felt… for lack of other word, disturbing.
January 5, 2026
Ink Vine by Elizabeth Broadbent is a dark fairytale about a young woman living in poverty who meets the magical heartbeat of the surrounding swamp. It is beautifully atmospheric as it emphasizes the purity of nature and humanity's destruction of wildlife and the environment. Our main character Emmy fights to find her place and live her truth in a small town that seems bent on defining and suffocating her. In this sapphic tale, Emmy meets Zara, who helps empower her to embrace her authentic self. The writing is technically clean and easy to follow with a lot of imagery. It is first-person from Emmy's perspective. There seems to be a lot of telling instead of showing in the beginning that painted the picture of Emmy's world, especially how poor her family is. I liked the characters, even the seedy ones, as they were well-defined and helped set up the climax. The story is on the shorter side, but there was no waste of real estate. It felt fully developed and worked well for me. I would read more by this author.
I received an ARC, and this is my honest opinion.
I received an ARC, and this is my honest opinion.
April 2, 2024
This book was provided as a free copy in exchange for an unbiased review- but I will be purchasing it as soon as possible. I loved it that much.
Ink Vine follows a closeted bisexual exotic dancer and her struggles living in a small trailer with her closed-minded and chronically poor family. She works hard to break the cycle but never makes any notable steps forward. Despite the never-ending warnings about going out into the swampland because only danger comes from it, she finds sanctuary in it and meets a young woman who allows her to be herself for the first time.
There is a lot to love in this tiny tale. The juxtaposition of the grime and grit of her trailer/employment and the welcoming warmth of the mossy woods around the swamp is such a stark portrayal of growing up hiding yourself and living in the shade of someone else’s truth. The “danger” she is supposed to hate the way they do is the only acceptance she has ever found.
Rather than coming out, Emerald is going in…. And it is perfect.
Ink Vine follows a closeted bisexual exotic dancer and her struggles living in a small trailer with her closed-minded and chronically poor family. She works hard to break the cycle but never makes any notable steps forward. Despite the never-ending warnings about going out into the swampland because only danger comes from it, she finds sanctuary in it and meets a young woman who allows her to be herself for the first time.
There is a lot to love in this tiny tale. The juxtaposition of the grime and grit of her trailer/employment and the welcoming warmth of the mossy woods around the swamp is such a stark portrayal of growing up hiding yourself and living in the shade of someone else’s truth. The “danger” she is supposed to hate the way they do is the only acceptance she has ever found.
Rather than coming out, Emerald is going in…. And it is perfect.
February 14, 2025
The weekend is almost here and I wanted to start a novella that I could read in one sitting. I'm glad that I picked this one.
Emmy Joiner lives in a trailer with her family in Lower Congaree. She works as a stripper and because of that, people like to make assumptions and throw out labels that don't apply. Besides, they don't know anything about her ambitions or what's in her heart. The day she meets Zara, her life takes an unexpected turn...
I really enjoyed this! The writing is as lush as the vegetation, and throws the reader into the middle of Emmy's life. The swampy landscape is inspiring and almost as dangerous as the people.
Emmy is such a great character with a very strong voice. A young woman who's only ever known poverty and the cruel words her mother continually spews her way. Still, she keeps going and aspires to become so much more. Yet, everyone is willing to judge her every action and call her names. But she doesn't let their opinions define her.
Another thing that I loved about this novella is the descriptions. Whether inside the strip club, in the deepest part of the swamp, or trapped within the tight walls of the trailer she calls home, I really got a sense of location and could picture everything vividly.
In many ways, this is a sad story about a woman trying to survive in a place where everyone pushes against her desire to grow. Only to find that the one part of herself she's kept secret is her real salvation.
I found the romance to be sweet and hopeful, even a little scary at times because of its intensity. The last bit is only because I suspected something otherworldly was going on, which was later confirmed.
This is a great Southern gothic tale.
Emmy Joiner lives in a trailer with her family in Lower Congaree. She works as a stripper and because of that, people like to make assumptions and throw out labels that don't apply. Besides, they don't know anything about her ambitions or what's in her heart. The day she meets Zara, her life takes an unexpected turn...
I really enjoyed this! The writing is as lush as the vegetation, and throws the reader into the middle of Emmy's life. The swampy landscape is inspiring and almost as dangerous as the people.
Emmy is such a great character with a very strong voice. A young woman who's only ever known poverty and the cruel words her mother continually spews her way. Still, she keeps going and aspires to become so much more. Yet, everyone is willing to judge her every action and call her names. But she doesn't let their opinions define her.
Another thing that I loved about this novella is the descriptions. Whether inside the strip club, in the deepest part of the swamp, or trapped within the tight walls of the trailer she calls home, I really got a sense of location and could picture everything vividly.
In many ways, this is a sad story about a woman trying to survive in a place where everyone pushes against her desire to grow. Only to find that the one part of herself she's kept secret is her real salvation.
I found the romance to be sweet and hopeful, even a little scary at times because of its intensity. The last bit is only because I suspected something otherworldly was going on, which was later confirmed.
This is a great Southern gothic tale.
June 23, 2024
CW: biphobia, pregnancy, attempted assault
This is such a gorgeous novella. Emerald is an interesting character and I really enjoyed spending time with her. She puts up with her cruel family, specifically her mother and sister, who are angry at her for choosing to dance at a club rather than work at a chicken factory.
Her solace is her love interest Zara, who is a mysterious, pretty and fascinating character in her own way. I highly recommend this to readers who are into gothic and sapphic books. :)
This is such a gorgeous novella. Emerald is an interesting character and I really enjoyed spending time with her. She puts up with her cruel family, specifically her mother and sister, who are angry at her for choosing to dance at a club rather than work at a chicken factory.
Her solace is her love interest Zara, who is a mysterious, pretty and fascinating character in her own way. I highly recommend this to readers who are into gothic and sapphic books. :)
March 31, 2026
meh. it wasnt awful. so many characters could have been expanded on. The random murder of (redacted) was really.... careless? I think is the correct word I'm looking for. idk idk i wish it were better it was really promising in the beginning
April 1, 2024
I received the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Emmy, the protagonist, is well and fully fleshed as a character. Her vitality springs off the page, her drive to get up, get going, get out of her situation and poverty swelled within me. The author described the centrifugal force of being born poor, and a societal structure built to maintain the status quo, with insight and clarity.
But poor Emmy, unacceptable on all counts; judged, convicted, and punished for having a body desired by men; believing she could rise above her station, and taking control of her life and decisions, STILL won't face her deep-seated desire for women sexually. She knows she doesn't want men, indeed, is sexually repulsed by them, but she still can't separate herself into the world of 'the other', insisting on a bi-sexuality she never once displays.
Zara, the swamp entity that captures her heart, is painted vividly, and her desire to elude her loneliness came through clearly. But why does she abruptly disappear sometimes, and linger at others? Did she seduce Emmy to end her own loneliness? Or is she a unique entity in love with the human being, Emerald? The reader must decide.
With a family of irredeemable bullies and vile men in the rest of her life, it's no wonder Emerald chooses to live her authentic life among the accepting beauty of nature, rather than the vileness of humanity.
Ink Vine is a sweet story of escaping a bad situation. I recommend it to the lovers of lost souls searching to find understanding.
Emmy, the protagonist, is well and fully fleshed as a character. Her vitality springs off the page, her drive to get up, get going, get out of her situation and poverty swelled within me. The author described the centrifugal force of being born poor, and a societal structure built to maintain the status quo, with insight and clarity.
But poor Emmy, unacceptable on all counts; judged, convicted, and punished for having a body desired by men; believing she could rise above her station, and taking control of her life and decisions, STILL won't face her deep-seated desire for women sexually. She knows she doesn't want men, indeed, is sexually repulsed by them, but she still can't separate herself into the world of 'the other', insisting on a bi-sexuality she never once displays.
Zara, the swamp entity that captures her heart, is painted vividly, and her desire to elude her loneliness came through clearly. But why does she abruptly disappear sometimes, and linger at others? Did she seduce Emmy to end her own loneliness? Or is she a unique entity in love with the human being, Emerald? The reader must decide.
With a family of irredeemable bullies and vile men in the rest of her life, it's no wonder Emerald chooses to live her authentic life among the accepting beauty of nature, rather than the vileness of humanity.
Ink Vine is a sweet story of escaping a bad situation. I recommend it to the lovers of lost souls searching to find understanding.
June 9, 2024
First, I need to get something off my chest. I hate Emerald’s family. The way they treated her was appalling. The way they keep calling her awful names because she’s a dancer but then apparently they did’t hate it THAT much because they keep taking her money. If you hate your daughter being a dancer so much, stand your ground and don’t take her money. Ugh. They make my blood boil.
Second, Noah is the perfect example of a self proclaimed “nice guy”. He acted like he cared and had the best intentions but as soon as he had the opportunity he was just like every other vile man in Emerald’s life.
Now onto the review.
I loved the character development of Emerald. From taking everything that’s thrown at her, the abusive words from her mother and sister, for giving her shit for dancing at a strip club, to fighting back and standing up for herself, telling her mother and sister exactly what she thinks and not holding back.
The connection between Emerald and Zara was very beautifully done. The way Zara helps Emerald to embrace her authentic self and come out of her shell more. How Emerald went from being a closeted bisexual to finally embrace that part of her was very relatable.
I loved how atmospheric this book was. The way the swamp was depicted so vividly I could imagine myself being there.
Ink Vine is a beautiful written sapphic romance and I definitely recommend reading it.
Second, Noah is the perfect example of a self proclaimed “nice guy”. He acted like he cared and had the best intentions but as soon as he had the opportunity he was just like every other vile man in Emerald’s life.
Now onto the review.
I loved the character development of Emerald. From taking everything that’s thrown at her, the abusive words from her mother and sister, for giving her shit for dancing at a strip club, to fighting back and standing up for herself, telling her mother and sister exactly what she thinks and not holding back.
The connection between Emerald and Zara was very beautifully done. The way Zara helps Emerald to embrace her authentic self and come out of her shell more. How Emerald went from being a closeted bisexual to finally embrace that part of her was very relatable.
I loved how atmospheric this book was. The way the swamp was depicted so vividly I could imagine myself being there.
Ink Vine is a beautiful written sapphic romance and I definitely recommend reading it.
June 30, 2024
This story is very much a modern gothic fairytale. I started to feel while reading it, that Zara has little more role in the story than to facilitate Emerald's self actualisation, in a way that feels reminiscent of the manic pixie dream girl trope.
Now that I've finished it, though, I don't see that as a flaw. This isn't really a romance; it's Emerald's story of self acceptance. Particularly in 160 pages, I think it's completely ok to use characters in that way.
The writing is very evocative and I love the way the book's swamp setting; something that tends to have connotations of being ugly and dirty, but when viewed through the right eyes, can be vibrant, wild and beautiful in it's rejection of arbitrary standards of purity; reflects Emerald's queer identity.
If there's one trope that never fails to make me emotional, even in an otherwise bad context (which this isn't); it's somebody who's been shat on for as long as they can remember, finally realising their self worth and screaming it in the face of their abuser/oppressor. This book was a very vibey modern fairytale which built it's magical and natural worlds together, and ended with a nice concentrated shot of that trope.
Also it has ladies kissing which I think is pretty neat.
Now that I've finished it, though, I don't see that as a flaw. This isn't really a romance; it's Emerald's story of self acceptance. Particularly in 160 pages, I think it's completely ok to use characters in that way.
The writing is very evocative and I love the way the book's swamp setting; something that tends to have connotations of being ugly and dirty, but when viewed through the right eyes, can be vibrant, wild and beautiful in it's rejection of arbitrary standards of purity; reflects Emerald's queer identity.
If there's one trope that never fails to make me emotional, even in an otherwise bad context (which this isn't); it's somebody who's been shat on for as long as they can remember, finally realising their self worth and screaming it in the face of their abuser/oppressor. This book was a very vibey modern fairytale which built it's magical and natural worlds together, and ended with a nice concentrated shot of that trope.
Also it has ladies kissing which I think is pretty neat.
October 4, 2024
3.5 stars. This could be as it's billed , a gothic sapphic novella. Or paranormal romance. Or southern Gothic.
The writing is beautiful. The author does a great job of "selling" the back story: generational poverty, the kind that has a crappy place to live, a tired worn down smoking cigarettes mom and a pregnant teenage sister, and the only jobs available to you, despite stellar grades and an insatiable intellect are between working at the chicken processing plant or the local strip club. The kind where the trailer you and your relatives live in back up to a swamp that's considered dangerous but the only place you find peace. Where your car , groceries, and random emergencies only imaginable when you are poor keep deleting your get away fund. Where you are a girl who knows she likes girls but has no clue what to do about it, and your livelihood depends on never mentioning it.
This part was good. It played well. Meeting a beautiful girl who seemed to fit your every fantasy while you hiked and dreamed in the forbidden swamp land....that tracked too but we could tell that's where the mystery and magic began.
The ending though. It was rushed. Didn't sell as convincingly.
Still recommend for the lovely descriptions and language, and the spicy sapphic content if nothing else.
The writing is beautiful. The author does a great job of "selling" the back story: generational poverty, the kind that has a crappy place to live, a tired worn down smoking cigarettes mom and a pregnant teenage sister, and the only jobs available to you, despite stellar grades and an insatiable intellect are between working at the chicken processing plant or the local strip club. The kind where the trailer you and your relatives live in back up to a swamp that's considered dangerous but the only place you find peace. Where your car , groceries, and random emergencies only imaginable when you are poor keep deleting your get away fund. Where you are a girl who knows she likes girls but has no clue what to do about it, and your livelihood depends on never mentioning it.
This part was good. It played well. Meeting a beautiful girl who seemed to fit your every fantasy while you hiked and dreamed in the forbidden swamp land....that tracked too but we could tell that's where the mystery and magic began.
The ending though. It was rushed. Didn't sell as convincingly.
Still recommend for the lovely descriptions and language, and the spicy sapphic content if nothing else.
April 13, 2024
Ink Vine is a beautifully written testament to the fragility of hiding pieces of yourself from the people who should matter the most to you. It's a heartbreaking showcase of small-minded small towns and the lengths people will go to in an effort to stamp out and strangle anything that doesn't fit into their carefully constructed narrative.
I couldn't help but empathize a lot with Emerald. Being a product of a small town myself, I understand more than most what it's like to keep who you really are close to your chest; how lonely it can be to never be your truest self for fear of judgment and hatred by those who never learned to appreciate differences.
Despite what it took for her to get there, I was so proud of Emerald for finally embracing all the facets of herself and being exactly who she wants to be in spite of how everyone treated her. And yay for bi representation; we don't get represented (especially in a flattering way) very often in media, so that was nice to see!
Big thank you to the author for giving me an early look at this! 'Ink Vine' was beautifully done and so incredibly scenic, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Elizabeth releases next!
I couldn't help but empathize a lot with Emerald. Being a product of a small town myself, I understand more than most what it's like to keep who you really are close to your chest; how lonely it can be to never be your truest self for fear of judgment and hatred by those who never learned to appreciate differences.
Despite what it took for her to get there, I was so proud of Emerald for finally embracing all the facets of herself and being exactly who she wants to be in spite of how everyone treated her. And yay for bi representation; we don't get represented (especially in a flattering way) very often in media, so that was nice to see!
Big thank you to the author for giving me an early look at this! 'Ink Vine' was beautifully done and so incredibly scenic, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Elizabeth releases next!
April 4, 2024
Astonishing!
Emmy is strong and resilient but a bit resigned about the way people treat her, or with the life she's been born in and she really doesn't know how to get out of the quagmire of the way her life is or how to deal with the people around her.
Her only solace is to go for a walk in the swamp, a place every one tells her against going in. One particularly trying day, as usual, she goes to the swam but that day she meets Zara, and that encounter slowly starts to change the way she sees things, including herself.
Yes, this book can be read like a beautiful love story, but it is SO MUCH MORE than that.
While it is a short book, it packs in the equivalent of as many books as the ways you can read this one, reading it for love story being only one of them:
Usually, it is our mood (or a reading assignment) that prompt us to the kind of book to pick up and read.
With "Ink Vine", your mood will determine the kind of book you're reading is. Chances are it will bring the message you need.
Emmy is strong and resilient but a bit resigned about the way people treat her, or with the life she's been born in and she really doesn't know how to get out of the quagmire of the way her life is or how to deal with the people around her.
Her only solace is to go for a walk in the swamp, a place every one tells her against going in. One particularly trying day, as usual, she goes to the swam but that day she meets Zara, and that encounter slowly starts to change the way she sees things, including herself.
Yes, this book can be read like a beautiful love story, but it is SO MUCH MORE than that.
While it is a short book, it packs in the equivalent of as many books as the ways you can read this one, reading it for love story being only one of them:
Usually, it is our mood (or a reading assignment) that prompt us to the kind of book to pick up and read.
With "Ink Vine", your mood will determine the kind of book you're reading is. Chances are it will bring the message you need.
August 31, 2024
This hard-hitting yet sweet gothic sapphic romance novella punches well above its weight. The writing is fully immersive, with a clear voice and a heartbreakingly real setting. Emerald's choice to become an exotic dancer rather than work in the chicken plant like everyone else in her trailer park shows every dark side of the grim reality she lives in. She mostly hates her family, and it's mutual. She mostly hates men, and for good reason. The only thing she seems to love, the only place where she's at peace, is in the swamp outside her back door. Everyone tells her not to go there, that people come back changed or don't come back at all.
Then she meets Zara, a free spirit of the swamp, it seems, a girl who sees her for who she is and wants to hang out with her. And kiss her. And more.
No spoilers here, but the plot is immaculately crafted, the prose is excellent, and every detail of the setting not only feels real, but relevant.
I have no idea what the author's next book, Blood Cypress, is about, but I'll be picking up a copy the second it's out.
Then she meets Zara, a free spirit of the swamp, it seems, a girl who sees her for who she is and wants to hang out with her. And kiss her. And more.
No spoilers here, but the plot is immaculately crafted, the prose is excellent, and every detail of the setting not only feels real, but relevant.
I have no idea what the author's next book, Blood Cypress, is about, but I'll be picking up a copy the second it's out.
April 2, 2024
4.5 stars. This was fantastic. I thought the writing was good and the gothic vibes were awesome. Emerald is such a badass character even though my heart broke for her and her circumstances. Minus her little brother, her family sucked, and I hated them. They treated her like trash just because she was a stripper.
Emerald meets Zara in the swamp that everyone says to stay away from because people never come out of it. She and Zara fall for each other instantly and it is a really sweet romance. I liked Zara and the mystery surrounding her and who she was. I loved that the swamp itself was also a character in a way. The way it was written about really brought it to life which added to the creepy undertone. The way this ended was intense and so good. Overall, this was a great read and I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for something unique.
*Arc provided in exchange for an honest review from the author
Emerald meets Zara in the swamp that everyone says to stay away from because people never come out of it. She and Zara fall for each other instantly and it is a really sweet romance. I liked Zara and the mystery surrounding her and who she was. I loved that the swamp itself was also a character in a way. The way it was written about really brought it to life which added to the creepy undertone. The way this ended was intense and so good. Overall, this was a great read and I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for something unique.
*Arc provided in exchange for an honest review from the author
April 10, 2024
Wow...Ink Vine was not what I was anticipating when it appeared. This is the first book by Elizabeth Broadbent I have had the privilege of reading. I will say OMG it was wonderfully intense and unpredictable. The MC was such an engaging and insightful (in unique and shifting ways) very well developed and dynamic. This story has many layers and addresses many beliefs and social concepts in ways that flow with the journey that Emerald takes. This book is outside of my usual reading flow and I am so grateful to have read it. I found it a great work about anyone's personal moral compass and how the choice to follow that or to stick with the familiar or expected constructs is an ongoing process and not a simple or single decision. I hope folks find Ink Vine as amazing as I did. I am hoping for many books by Elizabeth Broadbent in the coming years.
February 27, 2025
A sultry, sexy, sapphic novella based again in Broadbent’s dark world in the cypress swamps surrounding the backward dead-end town of Lower Conagree, South Carolina.
Broadbent explored these swamps in her novella Blood Cypress and her novel Ninety Eight Sabers. She is so good at describing the hopelessness and despair of those on the social fringe in small town South.
Emmy Joiner refuses to follow in her family’s footsteps and work in the chicken butchering plant. She takes a job as an exotic dancer and everyone treats her like trash.
One day, Emmy meets a lovely young woman in the haunted swamp. And her life is about to change forever, despite the ignorance, intolerance and preconceptions of her family and her town.
Broadbent explored these swamps in her novella Blood Cypress and her novel Ninety Eight Sabers. She is so good at describing the hopelessness and despair of those on the social fringe in small town South.
Emmy Joiner refuses to follow in her family’s footsteps and work in the chicken butchering plant. She takes a job as an exotic dancer and everyone treats her like trash.
One day, Emmy meets a lovely young woman in the haunted swamp. And her life is about to change forever, despite the ignorance, intolerance and preconceptions of her family and her town.
May 23, 2024
Emmy Joiner is trash. Everyone says so, including her own mother, who nevertheless keeps taking money Emmy makes as an exotic dancer. But Emmy wants more, she wants to be free of everyone's judgment and wonders into the swamp everyone has warned her about.
There she meets Zara, and falls for her. Zara is mysterious, beautiful, alluring, and to Emmy she is also a reprieve from her annoying family, a sanctuary from the creepy men who keep harassing her, expecting her to have sex with them because of her job.
This novella was beautifully written, the dregs of Emmy's life just as important as the sparkle that Zara brings to her life. I enjoyed this one a lot.
There she meets Zara, and falls for her. Zara is mysterious, beautiful, alluring, and to Emmy she is also a reprieve from her annoying family, a sanctuary from the creepy men who keep harassing her, expecting her to have sex with them because of her job.
This novella was beautifully written, the dregs of Emmy's life just as important as the sparkle that Zara brings to her life. I enjoyed this one a lot.
June 2, 2024
Horror comes in all shapes and sizes, and while Ink Vine might not read like a true horror tales, there are elements there that make it so.
Imagine being stuck in a place and job that suck the life from you, while also not being able to live life as your true self. That is where Emerald finds herself until she ventures into the swamp and meets a strange young woman that changes her life.
In Vine is a bittersweet gothic fairytale that, while LGBTQ themed, will strike a chord with anyone disenchanted with their lot in life. This book is beautifully written and is one that you will get through quickly.
Imagine being stuck in a place and job that suck the life from you, while also not being able to live life as your true self. That is where Emerald finds herself until she ventures into the swamp and meets a strange young woman that changes her life.
In Vine is a bittersweet gothic fairytale that, while LGBTQ themed, will strike a chord with anyone disenchanted with their lot in life. This book is beautifully written and is one that you will get through quickly.
November 21, 2024
Elizabeth Broadbent takes us by the hand and leads us into the backwater town of Lower Congaree, lost in the mysterious swampland of South Carolina, but will she lead us out again?
Ink Vine is a sensorial adventure which is at once gritty and magical. We can't help but fall in love with Emmy and Zara as we watch their forbidden relationship bloom against a deliciously incongruous backdrop of a strip club and the swamps, both perhaps as alluring as they are disquieting. We feel Emmy's struggle as she fights to free herself and we relish in the intensity of the pleasures she comes to know.
Ink Vine is a sensorial adventure which is at once gritty and magical. We can't help but fall in love with Emmy and Zara as we watch their forbidden relationship bloom against a deliciously incongruous backdrop of a strip club and the swamps, both perhaps as alluring as they are disquieting. We feel Emmy's struggle as she fights to free herself and we relish in the intensity of the pleasures she comes to know.
March 30, 2024
This novella hooked me from its first page. The voice of the protagonist, Emmy, is addicting--I could have listened to her talk about anything. The setting is another standout for me--while reading this story, I could almost feel the swamp's wet, hot breath on my neck. With elements of southern gothic, horror, magical realism, romance, and a commentary on the quicksand that is poverty, this novella is a wonderful work of contemporary fiction.
May 1, 2024
This was an interesting read and I liked the story.
The part that was a bit disappointing for me was what lead up to the ending, as I found it a bit unnecessary and it didn't really add to the story in my opinion.
It also was a bit more difficult to read at some parts since there were quite a few typical abbreviations that I guess are used in the US. So for someone not from there, I actually had to look them up, breaking the easy flow of the story, as it was otherwise nicely written.
I would have given a 3,5 if I could, but decided to round it up.
The part that was a bit disappointing for me was what lead up to the ending, as I found it a bit unnecessary and it didn't really add to the story in my opinion.
It also was a bit more difficult to read at some parts since there were quite a few typical abbreviations that I guess are used in the US. So for someone not from there, I actually had to look them up, breaking the easy flow of the story, as it was otherwise nicely written.
I would have given a 3,5 if I could, but decided to round it up.
June 5, 2024
This was a great story of finding yourself in so many different ways.
We follow Emmy as she is struggling to get out from the life she has been dealt. She wants to break free from being poor, living at home, and be able to live her truth as a bisexual woman. She has had to take a job as an exotic dancer which also comes with so many hardships. She finds solace walking in the swamp and meets a mysterious girl named Zara, who shows her that she can be herself in many ways she never dreamed.
We follow Emmy as she is struggling to get out from the life she has been dealt. She wants to break free from being poor, living at home, and be able to live her truth as a bisexual woman. She has had to take a job as an exotic dancer which also comes with so many hardships. She finds solace walking in the swamp and meets a mysterious girl named Zara, who shows her that she can be herself in many ways she never dreamed.
April 30, 2024
I blew through this novella in two sittings. It drips with character and setting and by the end I felt like I truly knew Emerald and could understand her on a deeply personal level. Dripping with sexy, sapphic eroticism, and ending with classic southern Gothic violence, this is a great addition to the canon. Highly recommend.
June 8, 2024
A simply lovely novella, that I would find hard to fit into a box. Part weird fiction, part coming of age (maybe?), part paranormal, there isn't really anyone genre for this book. Lovely prose and very insightful snippets into the life of the struggling poor, this was a very easy read that I am glad I picked up!
August 31, 2024
A dark setting near a swamp provides the backdrop for a gothic, sapphic romance with well drawn characters, a heartbreaking look into poverty, and a clear message about identity, self-worth and toxic situations. If I have one complaint it would be that I would liked for the book to be longer. The relationships with Emmy's family, co-workers and friends, the legends surrounding the swamp, all still have secrets to tell. Very much enjoyed this novella.
March 29, 2024
In this beautiful, genre-transcending Bildungsroman, Broadbent‘s miraculous prose and spot-on characterization reveals the sacred in lives, places and scenarios so often treated as profane, or worse, beneath notice. Ink Vine is a wonder.
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