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To Feel Nothing, To Love Nothing
A world without women. A love that was never meant to be. A choice that changes everything.
She was never meant to exist. In a world where every woman has been dead for thirty years, she is an anomaly—an echo of something long lost. Kept hidden, bound by a mysterious magic, she survives in the shadows, unseen and unremembered.
Until him.
He is the first to see her, to speak to her. In his eyes, she is no longer a ghost, but something real. Something fragile. Yet there is something unreadable in his gaze, something that keeps her teetering between trust and fear. And in a world like this, to be wanted is a risk, and longing is a curse she cannot afford.
Then another man arrives—one who does not speak in whispers or poetry, but in promises. He offers her an escape. A name. A place in the world beyond the enchantment.
One man is a dream. The other is a door.
To stay is to fade into myth. To step forward is to risk everything. As whispers of her existence spread and unseen forces close in, she must make an impossible choice: remain a ghost, or risk everything for a love that was never meant to be.
Lush, haunting, and utterly unforgettable, To Feel Nothing, To Love Nothing is a spellbinding tale of love, fate, and the cost of choosing to be seen.
She was never meant to exist. In a world where every woman has been dead for thirty years, she is an anomaly—an echo of something long lost. Kept hidden, bound by a mysterious magic, she survives in the shadows, unseen and unremembered.
Until him.
He is the first to see her, to speak to her. In his eyes, she is no longer a ghost, but something real. Something fragile. Yet there is something unreadable in his gaze, something that keeps her teetering between trust and fear. And in a world like this, to be wanted is a risk, and longing is a curse she cannot afford.
Then another man arrives—one who does not speak in whispers or poetry, but in promises. He offers her an escape. A name. A place in the world beyond the enchantment.
One man is a dream. The other is a door.
To stay is to fade into myth. To step forward is to risk everything. As whispers of her existence spread and unseen forces close in, she must make an impossible choice: remain a ghost, or risk everything for a love that was never meant to be.
Lush, haunting, and utterly unforgettable, To Feel Nothing, To Love Nothing is a spellbinding tale of love, fate, and the cost of choosing to be seen.
391 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 18, 2025
13 people want to read
About the author
Olivia Claire Louise Newman
2 books1 followerOlivia Claire Louise Newman has been published by Quill and Crow Publishing House and the online literary magazine Eternal Haunted Summer. She was co-editor of Gothic Keats Press’s poetry collection ‘Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know’, and her first novel is anticipated in July 2025. She lives in Maryland with her dog Arrow.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 9, 2025
I was intrigued by this book's beautiful cover art and the title - I thought it was so eerie and the blurb was also equally alluring. However, this book was a little strange and ended up being not quite up my alley unfortunately.
The book is set in a world where there are no surviving woman - only one, Elizabeth, who is held perpetually trapped inside an estate by mysterious magic. Though it's a dystopia, the style of the writing is almost reminiscent of historic classic novels; think the vibe of Jane Austen, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, for example. The characters thought and spoke as if they lived in the 18th or 19th century, the writing style was often jarringly at odds with the actual plot. I definitely wish there was more context than what was included.
Not to mention, while the prose was beautiful, it was excessive in places and made the flow of the book hard to follow. I just couldn't understand what was happening sometimes, with overly-intricate descriptions and convoluted narration that made it difficult to distinguish scenes and characters. The author is a talented lyrical writer, but there just needed to be some guidelines or parameters put in place to help with formatting. The end, for example, made little sense. I could tell what was happening at a very base level, but not much beyond that.
While the execution of the story did fall flat for me, this book is gothic, tragic and beautiful with a strong premise and a lot of readers might like the intersection here between the vibe of the "classics", gothic romance, history and fantasy. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!
The book is set in a world where there are no surviving woman - only one, Elizabeth, who is held perpetually trapped inside an estate by mysterious magic. Though it's a dystopia, the style of the writing is almost reminiscent of historic classic novels; think the vibe of Jane Austen, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, for example. The characters thought and spoke as if they lived in the 18th or 19th century, the writing style was often jarringly at odds with the actual plot. I definitely wish there was more context than what was included.
Not to mention, while the prose was beautiful, it was excessive in places and made the flow of the book hard to follow. I just couldn't understand what was happening sometimes, with overly-intricate descriptions and convoluted narration that made it difficult to distinguish scenes and characters. The author is a talented lyrical writer, but there just needed to be some guidelines or parameters put in place to help with formatting. The end, for example, made little sense. I could tell what was happening at a very base level, but not much beyond that.
While the execution of the story did fall flat for me, this book is gothic, tragic and beautiful with a strong premise and a lot of readers might like the intersection here between the vibe of the "classics", gothic romance, history and fantasy. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!
July 17, 2025
3.75 rounded up
She’s the last woman in the world. For the last 30 years after the disease that swept the world, the men have overtaken the lands. Once a prophecy was told the king has set out his subjects to find any women. But there was only one. She was tucked away hidden behind walls deep in a forest. She had never known anything outside her small territory and her books and the one who brings her food but does not interact with her.. Until one day a man finds himself trapped alongside Elizabeth. A poet, who on opioids, realizes what he has stumbled upon after finding it was not a hallucination.
Definitely an interesting idea for a book. King searching for his bride that does not want to be found only to be shackled to another but wants to be free to explore the world outside her books. Very relatable. I loved the story and following along once the viscount shows up. I feel like I knew what would happen from there but had to keep reading just to see but there was a twist I didn’t see coming. Also has ‘you can never trust a man’ vibes which I love.
I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it. But I would have to say that the language is very 19c literary novel dialogue. Like I could see these characters clutching pearls and dramatically fainting with a hand to the head when getting unsettling news. Not that that is a good or bad thing just in some points the wording was so flourished that I had to reread or pause to get their meaning. Parts of it transported me to reading books in college which I actually loved. Very Lush and poetic.
A snippet:
[“Have I done something to upset you?"
He shook his head vehemently. "Oh, no, no. My mind has been raging with musings that to subdue would cause greater anguish. The effects I discovered in my despair, lone and desolate, have occasioned further torment—the darkness of winter draws its blade against my heart; too often do I relish in its cold edge. I have long since suffered my heart to reprobation for the crimes of wintry dispassion that occasion great misery. In the shadows I feel nothing, see nothing, but a numbing nothingness, and in my head, they rage unfettered and cannot be ignored. This is to say —melancholia has tempted me, and I have succumbed, and in her embrace, I am inspired, and I write."
A hollow chill wove itself through my ribcage as I assessed his look of despondency.]
She’s the last woman in the world. For the last 30 years after the disease that swept the world, the men have overtaken the lands. Once a prophecy was told the king has set out his subjects to find any women. But there was only one. She was tucked away hidden behind walls deep in a forest. She had never known anything outside her small territory and her books and the one who brings her food but does not interact with her.. Until one day a man finds himself trapped alongside Elizabeth. A poet, who on opioids, realizes what he has stumbled upon after finding it was not a hallucination.
Definitely an interesting idea for a book. King searching for his bride that does not want to be found only to be shackled to another but wants to be free to explore the world outside her books. Very relatable. I loved the story and following along once the viscount shows up. I feel like I knew what would happen from there but had to keep reading just to see but there was a twist I didn’t see coming. Also has ‘you can never trust a man’ vibes which I love.
I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it. But I would have to say that the language is very 19c literary novel dialogue. Like I could see these characters clutching pearls and dramatically fainting with a hand to the head when getting unsettling news. Not that that is a good or bad thing just in some points the wording was so flourished that I had to reread or pause to get their meaning. Parts of it transported me to reading books in college which I actually loved. Very Lush and poetic.
A snippet:
[“Have I done something to upset you?"
He shook his head vehemently. "Oh, no, no. My mind has been raging with musings that to subdue would cause greater anguish. The effects I discovered in my despair, lone and desolate, have occasioned further torment—the darkness of winter draws its blade against my heart; too often do I relish in its cold edge. I have long since suffered my heart to reprobation for the crimes of wintry dispassion that occasion great misery. In the shadows I feel nothing, see nothing, but a numbing nothingness, and in my head, they rage unfettered and cannot be ignored. This is to say —melancholia has tempted me, and I have succumbed, and in her embrace, I am inspired, and I write."
A hollow chill wove itself through my ribcage as I assessed his look of despondency.]
May 14, 2025
I requested this ARC because the cover, title, and blurb sounded interesting…
I did not enjoy this book at all. It was not what I expected based on the blurb. The beginning 60% of the book was long drawn out dialogue or discussions that didn’t need to occur. The conclusions were not entirely clear- still not sure how to interpret the ending. There was minimal world building, and the magic that was discussed I couldn’t discern if it was actual magic set in a fantasy world or magic referenced similar to religion as a belief that it exists in our world. Additionally, regarding the world building, it was extremely underwhelming. Most of the book is spent in her isolated house- very boring.
I could not get into the characters either. FMC was naive and annoying listening to her nag on and on. The MMCs were not likable, and when likable characters were introduced, they didn’t make much sense based on perceived expectations for this world.
I’m not sure what the point of this story was. For what is was, this could have been shortened by cutting at least 60% of it and just making it a short story rather than a full length novel.
Would definitely not recommend.
Thank you netgalley and publishers for the eARC.
I did not enjoy this book at all. It was not what I expected based on the blurb. The beginning 60% of the book was long drawn out dialogue or discussions that didn’t need to occur. The conclusions were not entirely clear- still not sure how to interpret the ending. There was minimal world building, and the magic that was discussed I couldn’t discern if it was actual magic set in a fantasy world or magic referenced similar to religion as a belief that it exists in our world. Additionally, regarding the world building, it was extremely underwhelming. Most of the book is spent in her isolated house- very boring.
I could not get into the characters either. FMC was naive and annoying listening to her nag on and on. The MMCs were not likable, and when likable characters were introduced, they didn’t make much sense based on perceived expectations for this world.
I’m not sure what the point of this story was. For what is was, this could have been shortened by cutting at least 60% of it and just making it a short story rather than a full length novel.
Would definitely not recommend.
Thank you netgalley and publishers for the eARC.
July 20, 2025
This book captivated my attention from the very first page. The language the characters use in conversation was so elegant, making every interaction feel meaningful and intentional. The writing style pulled me in, and the story unfolded in such a compelling way that I didn’t want to put it down.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 11, 2025
When I saw the cover and read the description of this book, I was instantly hooked.
Fantasy/dystopia mixed with Gothic romance? Sign me up.
The story follows Elizabeth, who appears to be the last surviving woman in the world. She lives alone in a small cottage deep in the woods, protected by a magical barrier that only one person can pass through—someone who brings her food and supplies. But one day, that changes. A stranger suddenly appears at Elizabeth’s door, and everything begins to shift.
Right from the start, I was intrigued. The writing style was beautifully unique—it reminded me a lot of Jane Austen, with a rhythm and elegance that made it feel like reading a classic. For the first 15%, I was completely in love with the book and convinced it would be a five-star read.
Unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver after that.
I felt like very little happened until the 50% mark. Once Arthur arrives, the story becomes heavily centered on their conversations. And while I usually enjoy character-driven plots, this felt excessive. They mostly talked about books, Arthur’s inner torment as a suffering poet, and some philosophical musings about the world. Like Elizabeth herself, I started feeling like I was reliving the same day again and again—except I was only reading about it.
I also struggled to connect with the characters. Elizabeth was incredibly naive—which makes sense given her isolated upbringing with only books for company—but her behavior still grated on me. She constantly acted like a damsel in distress and changed her opinions from one moment to the next.
Arthur started out as a mysterious and intriguing figure, but the more he embodied the “tortured poet” persona, the more one-dimensional and dull he became. Their love story, too, felt very forced and lacked emotional depth, which made it hard for me to invest in it.
Around the 50–60% point, the plot finally started to pick up, but by then my interest had already faded. I kept hoping for more answers, but things just didn’t quite come together. One of my favorite aspects of fantasy is immersive world-building, but in this case, it was almost nonexistent. What year does the story take place in? Is it the 18th or 19th century? Or is it an alternate universe? I honestly couldn’t tell.
The ending didn’t make much sense to me either. It’s possible I missed something because I had started to disengage, but I felt like I was left with more confusion than clarity.
I truly wish I had loved this book more, because it had so much potential. The author is clearly incredibly talented, and I have no complaints about the writing style itself—it was elegant and captivating. Sadly, the story didn’t pull me in enough to maintain my interest.
That said, I think fans of classic literature, fantasy, and Gothic romance might still enjoy this one more than I did.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Fantasy/dystopia mixed with Gothic romance? Sign me up.
The story follows Elizabeth, who appears to be the last surviving woman in the world. She lives alone in a small cottage deep in the woods, protected by a magical barrier that only one person can pass through—someone who brings her food and supplies. But one day, that changes. A stranger suddenly appears at Elizabeth’s door, and everything begins to shift.
Right from the start, I was intrigued. The writing style was beautifully unique—it reminded me a lot of Jane Austen, with a rhythm and elegance that made it feel like reading a classic. For the first 15%, I was completely in love with the book and convinced it would be a five-star read.
Unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver after that.
I felt like very little happened until the 50% mark. Once Arthur arrives, the story becomes heavily centered on their conversations. And while I usually enjoy character-driven plots, this felt excessive. They mostly talked about books, Arthur’s inner torment as a suffering poet, and some philosophical musings about the world. Like Elizabeth herself, I started feeling like I was reliving the same day again and again—except I was only reading about it.
I also struggled to connect with the characters. Elizabeth was incredibly naive—which makes sense given her isolated upbringing with only books for company—but her behavior still grated on me. She constantly acted like a damsel in distress and changed her opinions from one moment to the next.
Arthur started out as a mysterious and intriguing figure, but the more he embodied the “tortured poet” persona, the more one-dimensional and dull he became. Their love story, too, felt very forced and lacked emotional depth, which made it hard for me to invest in it.
Around the 50–60% point, the plot finally started to pick up, but by then my interest had already faded. I kept hoping for more answers, but things just didn’t quite come together. One of my favorite aspects of fantasy is immersive world-building, but in this case, it was almost nonexistent. What year does the story take place in? Is it the 18th or 19th century? Or is it an alternate universe? I honestly couldn’t tell.
The ending didn’t make much sense to me either. It’s possible I missed something because I had started to disengage, but I felt like I was left with more confusion than clarity.
I truly wish I had loved this book more, because it had so much potential. The author is clearly incredibly talented, and I have no complaints about the writing style itself—it was elegant and captivating. Sadly, the story didn’t pull me in enough to maintain my interest.
That said, I think fans of classic literature, fantasy, and Gothic romance might still enjoy this one more than I did.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 2, 2025
This book had such a good premise. The cover was gorgeous and I was excited to read it
The last woman on earth after a deadly disease wipes out all other women suddenly comes in contact with not one but two men through her magical barrier? Sounds like a magical fantasy world but the execution was just not what I wanted.
For the first probably 50% you are just reading about Elizabeth in her home where she's been stuck for 15 years. And then Arthur and Matthew show up and its just talking everyday about various subjects and how she wishes she could see the world but no-one knows how or why she is trapped or how and why the men showed up. The writing is poetic in a classic literature way which is fine but perhaps just not for me personally. The time period is also sort of confusing for me which isnt really important to the plot but I still wish I could pinpoint what the world would look like in the period. When the men first show up into her home I also feel she is not very shocked/affected to a high enough degree for someone who has been alone for 15 years and never even met a man??? Very nonchalant and nonplussed about the situation.
After the 50%-65% mark it starts to be more about how to get her out of the barrier because she is to save all humanity by bearing children. The rest of the book is a weird introspection of women's bodily rights and pro-choice views however in the end she still ends up marrying the man?? He wins even though there were pages and pages going on about how she feels she should have the choice to bear or not to bear children. And beyond the marriage where she was ready to give up her old life completely she ends up dying in the end anyways. It felt it was all for nothing and it was not a satisfying wrap up the story. We also never learned for certain who kept her in the barrier, only thst the king knew she was there. It was not confirmed he was the one who put her there. More questions than answers at the end and not a satisfying ending. Perhaps it's a story for someone else but I did not enjoy it very much.
The last woman on earth after a deadly disease wipes out all other women suddenly comes in contact with not one but two men through her magical barrier? Sounds like a magical fantasy world but the execution was just not what I wanted.
For the first probably 50% you are just reading about Elizabeth in her home where she's been stuck for 15 years. And then Arthur and Matthew show up and its just talking everyday about various subjects and how she wishes she could see the world but no-one knows how or why she is trapped or how and why the men showed up. The writing is poetic in a classic literature way which is fine but perhaps just not for me personally. The time period is also sort of confusing for me which isnt really important to the plot but I still wish I could pinpoint what the world would look like in the period. When the men first show up into her home I also feel she is not very shocked/affected to a high enough degree for someone who has been alone for 15 years and never even met a man??? Very nonchalant and nonplussed about the situation.
After the 50%-65% mark it starts to be more about how to get her out of the barrier because she is to save all humanity by bearing children. The rest of the book is a weird introspection of women's bodily rights and pro-choice views however in the end she still ends up marrying the man?? He wins even though there were pages and pages going on about how she feels she should have the choice to bear or not to bear children. And beyond the marriage where she was ready to give up her old life completely she ends up dying in the end anyways. It felt it was all for nothing and it was not a satisfying wrap up the story. We also never learned for certain who kept her in the barrier, only thst the king knew she was there. It was not confirmed he was the one who put her there. More questions than answers at the end and not a satisfying ending. Perhaps it's a story for someone else but I did not enjoy it very much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2025
A solid 4.5 out of 5.
I read a lot of ARCs, mostly romance and fantasy, and often they are associated with other review websites. Reviews are voluntary and I sometimes don’t bother to write one; reasons vary, but either the book didn’t interest me/wasn’t the kind of writing I like and I didn’t want to bring it down or it already had 100s of high ratings and I didn’t see a point adding to that, unless the story and writing thoroughly deserved it.
That being said, Olivia Newman’s novel is more than deserving of high praise, especially the writing style, and I was dumbfounded by the negative reviews on here. I understand tastes in literature vary, but when more than half of the negative reviews mention beautiful and/or talented writing and yet still have the impudence to leave a 1-2 star rating, then it makes me think something obnoxiously unfair is afoot and perhaps something spiteful.
Newman’s novel follows the last woman on earth, which immediately made me think of Mary Shelley’s novel The Last Man, which also contains earth ravaged by disease/plague, a strange poet figure and even a king. Shelley’s novel may or may not have had an influence here since Newman’s story develops into something different, but I liked the similarity; the writing style also transported me back to another time, which I enjoyed. Each chapter also begins with quotations from classic literature including poetry, which complimented the writing style well and set the mood for the chapter. I won’t give anything away but there was a twist, which I’m guessing will be explored in future books since this is only the first of the series.
Overall this was a great novel that I can highly recommend to others looking for well written fantasy. However, to those looking for simple easy-to-read YA teen romance without having to do much thinking (perhaps some were expecting this?), then this book might not be for you.
I read a lot of ARCs, mostly romance and fantasy, and often they are associated with other review websites. Reviews are voluntary and I sometimes don’t bother to write one; reasons vary, but either the book didn’t interest me/wasn’t the kind of writing I like and I didn’t want to bring it down or it already had 100s of high ratings and I didn’t see a point adding to that, unless the story and writing thoroughly deserved it.
That being said, Olivia Newman’s novel is more than deserving of high praise, especially the writing style, and I was dumbfounded by the negative reviews on here. I understand tastes in literature vary, but when more than half of the negative reviews mention beautiful and/or talented writing and yet still have the impudence to leave a 1-2 star rating, then it makes me think something obnoxiously unfair is afoot and perhaps something spiteful.
Newman’s novel follows the last woman on earth, which immediately made me think of Mary Shelley’s novel The Last Man, which also contains earth ravaged by disease/plague, a strange poet figure and even a king. Shelley’s novel may or may not have had an influence here since Newman’s story develops into something different, but I liked the similarity; the writing style also transported me back to another time, which I enjoyed. Each chapter also begins with quotations from classic literature including poetry, which complimented the writing style well and set the mood for the chapter. I won’t give anything away but there was a twist, which I’m guessing will be explored in future books since this is only the first of the series.
Overall this was a great novel that I can highly recommend to others looking for well written fantasy. However, to those looking for simple easy-to-read YA teen romance without having to do much thinking (perhaps some were expecting this?), then this book might not be for you.
April 19, 2025
Thank you netgally and publisher for the arcs given
I dnf this book after 60% reading. First I was quite intrigued with the premise of Elizabeth is the only woman survive in this world and she is being trapped in some of magical barrier. I was really enjoying it but unfortunately—chapter by chapter the story progressively become more confusing and doesnt make sense. I dont really sure if Im the one who understand wrong or the narrative of the world itself is lacking.
It was mention than no women survive for 40 years then how come lot of young men in this world? where they coming from actually? I dont really sure if it was stated through the end of the book but I simply cannot continue.
and then suddenly one man is coming and then another one into Elizabeth territory. What Maze runner is this? Ya, I dont realy get it and I dont really like the characters of both men and how they see elizabeth as an exquisite being rather a human. it such an icks.
I think thats it for me, this book remind me of Jane austen world because of classic language they were using but make it dystopian ( maze runner inspired)
I dnf this book after 60% reading. First I was quite intrigued with the premise of Elizabeth is the only woman survive in this world and she is being trapped in some of magical barrier. I was really enjoying it but unfortunately—chapter by chapter the story progressively become more confusing and doesnt make sense. I dont really sure if Im the one who understand wrong or the narrative of the world itself is lacking.
It was mention than no women survive for 40 years then how come lot of young men in this world? where they coming from actually? I dont really sure if it was stated through the end of the book but I simply cannot continue.
and then suddenly one man is coming and then another one into Elizabeth territory. What Maze runner is this? Ya, I dont realy get it and I dont really like the characters of both men and how they see elizabeth as an exquisite being rather a human. it such an icks.
I think thats it for me, this book remind me of Jane austen world because of classic language they were using but make it dystopian ( maze runner inspired)
did-not-finish
May 19, 2025I was really intrigued by the storyline of this book, however I find myself struggling to enjoy the storyline.
In a nutshell Elizabeth is the only living woman in the world, who has been living cloaked by some kind of magic protecting her from the world beyond the walls. Somehow, a man comes along and finds her.
Now, I could give more information about the book from what I have read in the synopsis, or even other reviews, but to be fair, I found myself in a space where I just couldn't read past the 20% mark unfortunately.
While beautifully written, which is something I do appreciate very much, I struggled to connect with the characters. The dialog was so intense, and I sometimes felt lost as there was just so much of it.
This may be something I will revisit at some stage in the future, but at the moment, I feel I am unable to finish it completely.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
In a nutshell Elizabeth is the only living woman in the world, who has been living cloaked by some kind of magic protecting her from the world beyond the walls. Somehow, a man comes along and finds her.
Now, I could give more information about the book from what I have read in the synopsis, or even other reviews, but to be fair, I found myself in a space where I just couldn't read past the 20% mark unfortunately.
While beautifully written, which is something I do appreciate very much, I struggled to connect with the characters. The dialog was so intense, and I sometimes felt lost as there was just so much of it.
This may be something I will revisit at some stage in the future, but at the moment, I feel I am unable to finish it completely.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 10, 2025
This book is set in a dystopian world with Elizabeth hidden inside an enchanted house revealed to be the only remaining girl in the world. Only for her "solitude" to be disturbed by two men arriving in her life unfolding the world that she longed for. The outer world is more than horrors she could imagine.
I was intrigued by this book’s description and title hence, l immediately took a chance to request an advanced copy of it. Right off the bat, upon reading the Epilogue I had the sense that this book is trying to capture the appeal of the Classics to which we are all aware of. To which is where they emphasised this certain character's torment and how his psyche revolves as such with given in-depth descriptive writing.
This went on in multiple chapters to which I noticed that is attempting the atmosphere on how desolate and lonely the main character is.
Unfortunately, my problem with the attempt to take on this style of the classics in specific to the Gothic aspect of it all, was it that it extends to the point of ended up turning into Purple Prose. I understand that it is to build the settings and all what is inside the character's mind all throughout her stay for years and years but it really end up being excessive. Going off tangent on the symbolic and philosophical comparisons.
This had stopped once the story had progressed but somehow upon the entrance of the characters, it is replaced by the lengthy dialogues that is I guess, the intention. Expounding on politics, literature, philosophy, art, and etc. But I feel like somehow it became cluttered with how ambitious in terms of wanting excessive depth seemed to fail. As well as parts that felt like that could have been shown instead of just telling.
The characters themselves falls flat in the aspects of being fleshed out despite overly described, “Mysterious and Brooding Male Lead” and the “Fragile and Gullible Heroine” (fainted plenty of times than I could imagine but she has a lot of moments that I do admit that I liked so far). Even with the attempt of this one character, not really being the way they are felt off—making it obvious that this "love triangle" happened because she really had no other choice to begin with. The pacing was dragged on and on, took a long while to reach another level of pacing made me feel disconnected throughout the continuation of the story.
Despite these multiple “Passionate Proclamations of Love” and “History” behind it and how tragic it all came to be as well with the dots aligning evidently for the next book a continuation, I am assuming. Though I admit that towards the very end still somehow made me like the King more than the rest of the characters. Perhaps I am not the target audience, but I can certainly say people still should give this one a try, since the entire premise and writing style has a huge potential. This could still be worked out into something better.
Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for giving me a free copy in exchange for this honest review.
I was intrigued by this book’s description and title hence, l immediately took a chance to request an advanced copy of it. Right off the bat, upon reading the Epilogue I had the sense that this book is trying to capture the appeal of the Classics to which we are all aware of. To which is where they emphasised this certain character's torment and how his psyche revolves as such with given in-depth descriptive writing.
This went on in multiple chapters to which I noticed that is attempting the atmosphere on how desolate and lonely the main character is.
Unfortunately, my problem with the attempt to take on this style of the classics in specific to the Gothic aspect of it all, was it that it extends to the point of ended up turning into Purple Prose. I understand that it is to build the settings and all what is inside the character's mind all throughout her stay for years and years but it really end up being excessive. Going off tangent on the symbolic and philosophical comparisons.
This had stopped once the story had progressed but somehow upon the entrance of the characters, it is replaced by the lengthy dialogues that is I guess, the intention. Expounding on politics, literature, philosophy, art, and etc. But I feel like somehow it became cluttered with how ambitious in terms of wanting excessive depth seemed to fail. As well as parts that felt like that could have been shown instead of just telling.
The characters themselves falls flat in the aspects of being fleshed out despite overly described, “Mysterious and Brooding Male Lead” and the “Fragile and Gullible Heroine” (fainted plenty of times than I could imagine but she has a lot of moments that I do admit that I liked so far). Even with the attempt of this one character, not really being the way they are felt off—making it obvious that this "love triangle" happened because she really had no other choice to begin with. The pacing was dragged on and on, took a long while to reach another level of pacing made me feel disconnected throughout the continuation of the story.
Despite these multiple “Passionate Proclamations of Love” and “History” behind it and how tragic it all came to be as well with the dots aligning evidently for the next book a continuation, I am assuming. Though I admit that towards the very end still somehow made me like the King more than the rest of the characters. Perhaps I am not the target audience, but I can certainly say people still should give this one a try, since the entire premise and writing style has a huge potential. This could still be worked out into something better.
Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for giving me a free copy in exchange for this honest review.
August 27, 2025
I have confusing feelings about this book. On one hand it’s gothic, poetic and interesting. On the other hand the characters are annoying, the story is either not moving at all or moving too fast. Elizabeth was naive, became infatuated with men far too quickly and reading her sometimes became annoying. Arthur was hot and cold, his words made no sense yet they were sometimes poetic and lovely to read. I did not understand Matthew’s purpose. To create tension? To make us question Elizabeth even more? I liked the idea but I did not like the book as much as I wanted to.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 20, 2025
It is hard to leave a low review. But sometimes, it must be done. The cover art on this book is beautiful and eye-catching, and the blurb is intriguing. However, the book falls very short of the blurb. The world building was lacking and the magic system was - well, just not well done. The plot was a bit confusing and the first half of the book was not engaging which made it difficult to stick with it.
I feel that the series might possibly get better - that often happens as new writers fall into their groove.
But this book was not for me.
I feel that the series might possibly get better - that often happens as new writers fall into their groove.
But this book was not for me.
July 19, 2025
The concept of this book wasn't what I expected from the blurb. Not bad, just different.
The style of writing in this book felt old-timey, more like I was reading a classic than a modern book, which I wasn't expecting.
This felt very long-winded, like the plot seemed to drag on. Looking back, it also doesn't feel like that much happened. It also felt like some 'conversation topics' seemed to be repeated throughout the book.
It was alright, but I wouldn't read again.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The style of writing in this book felt old-timey, more like I was reading a classic than a modern book, which I wasn't expecting.
This felt very long-winded, like the plot seemed to drag on. Looking back, it also doesn't feel like that much happened. It also felt like some 'conversation topics' seemed to be repeated throughout the book.
It was alright, but I wouldn't read again.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 15, 2025
DNF... The cover and blurb suggested something dreamlike and compelling, but the story itself had little in common with what was promised. Each attempt to continue reading was a struggle. What should have been immersive instead became exhausting. While the concept had potential, the execution wasn’t a match for my reading preferences. Ultimately, this one just wasn’t for me.
I deeply appreciate every ARC I receive and approach them with an open mind, so I want to thank Gothic Keats Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read To Feel Nothing, To Love Nothing.
I deeply appreciate every ARC I receive and approach them with an open mind, so I want to thank Gothic Keats Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read To Feel Nothing, To Love Nothing.
July 11, 2025
This was beautifully written and full of quiet emotion. The atmosphere was heavy and haunting, and I appreciated the themes of isolation and longing. But I did feel a little disconnected at times. I kept waiting for a deeper emotional shift that never fully landed for me.
If you love introspective reads with a poetic, melancholic tone, this might speak to you. It’s soft, sad, and lingers in the background like a fading memory.
If you love introspective reads with a poetic, melancholic tone, this might speak to you. It’s soft, sad, and lingers in the background like a fading memory.
July 17, 2025
I've enjoyed this read. I loved the very relatable story and following along once the viscount shows up. I feel like I knew what would happen from there but had to keep reading just to see but there was an interesting twist I didn’t see coming.
October 10, 2025
This book was very interesting. It was also very unusual. I really liked the characters a lot. I wasn’t sure who to root for though.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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