Review by Booklist Review
Tired of waiting for the men to notice her romantic potential, Angelika Frankenstein takes matters into her own hands. Borrowing a leaf from her brother Victor's scientific notebook, Angelika decides to build her ideal man. So far, her first three attempts at creating the perfect mate have not gone according to plan, but to her great delight, her latest effort succeeds beyond her wildest expectations. However, when Angelika gives her new potential beau, whom she christens Will Black, the option of determining his own future, will he choose his old life or a new one with her? In her own mad-genius fashion, Thorne (Second First Impressions, 2021) gracefully pivots from contemporary rom-coms to a marvelous new mashup that inventively borrows elements from gothic horror and historical romance that are then seamlessly stitched together into a dazzlingly different kind of love story. As a value-added bonus, underneath all the snarky wit and sexy banter, Thorne also thoughtfully explores both the transformative power of love and the importance of being loved for the person one already is.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Taking a light, comedic approach to the historical and macabre, Thorne (The Hating Game) delivers laughs, thrills, and heart in this rom-com riff on Mary Shelley's classic monster tale. In 1814 England, eccentric Angelika Frankenstein, sister of Victor and his partner in crimes against nature, is firmly on the shelf at 24, has more money than she knows what to do with, and is utterly clueless when it comes to relating to people. On the same night that Victor creates his famous monster, Angelika creates Will, stitching together her dream man using carefully chosen parts from the morgue. For Angelika, it's love at first sight. Will, however, is lost in this new world, with only the faintest clue of who he was before dying and coming back to life. As he searches for self-knowledge, he teaches Angelika about empathy and compassion, putting her on a path to redemption. But the possibility of Will's imminent demise couples with the loss of Victor's monster to create a tempest of epic proportions. Thorne does a good job showing the transformation of the Frankenstein siblings from unsympathetic mad scientists into heroes readers will be happy to root for while still maintaining the gothic atmosphere throughout. This is a delight. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary. (Sept.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Why bother looking for the perfect man when you can create your own? So goes the reasoning of Angelika Frankenstein, heroine of this homage to Mary Shelley's classic monster story. Angelika, sister to the infamous Victor, is tired of her village's most unsuitable suitors, who are all afraid of her. Borrowing parts from recently deceased male specimens, Angelika brings her ideal man to life one stormy night with the help of Victor's chemistry. Newly born "Will" awakens confused and disoriented, with no memory of his past and no choice but to accept the help of the Frankensteins to survive. Though he was (literally) made for Angelika, who he finds beguiling, he also feels pulled to his previous life. The theme of finding one's true identity runs deeply through the story, as Angelika's selfishness and possessiveness of Will gradually give way to a new understanding of her privilege and responsibility toward others. VERDICT Thorne (The Hating Game) surprises with this unexpectedly thoughtful gothic rom-com. Readers looking for a dash of spookiness mixed with romance and humor should add this to their must-read list.--Kathryn Howe
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Meet Victor Frankenstein's sister--and the newly animated and confused love of her life. Wealthy orphans Angelika Frankenstein, 24, and her older brother, Victor, have devoted themselves to scientific pursuits ever since their parents died 11 years ago thanks to their church's faith in prayer over medicine. Served by their dour and aging housekeeper in a sprawling Gothic mansion, they've been trying to bring the dead to life--and this time they appear to have succeeded twice over. But Victor's creation runs off into the forest, and Angelika's made-to-order beau is an amnesiac with body dysmorphia thanks to having been brought back to life with the help of other people's limbs. Naïve spinster Angelika is anxious for his love. But between the newly named Will's bafflement at his resuscitation, Victor's imminent wedding, the search for his missing experiment, the appearance of a military man with romantic inclinations toward Angelika, and Will's investigation into his previous identity, the course of true (scientifically assisted) love is not running smooth. The motley cast--secondary characters include hungry villagers, a greedy priest, an angelic baby, and an ardent pig--serves as a bathetic backdrop to Angelika's character arc of becoming less thoughtless and more charitable. A paranormal fairy tale that is skeptical of its main protagonist's desires, this comic-horror take on the classic novel feels like a cross between The Addams Family, "Sleeping Beauty," and the subset of romances starring men of the cloth. Will's physical torment and emotional distress echo Mary Shelley's creature's suffering, and his happily-ever-after with Angelika feels discomfiting and precarious despite the return of bodily vigor and the eventual end of his celibacy. For readers who like their rom-coms to resemble Young Frankenstein. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
