I've not given up on this little bit of the internet, but life does seem to have other plans for my time right now. Bear with.
I read The Wycherleys as it's the first teen/young adult book of the month work has showcased and I was curious to see what was going to set the tone. I'm mostly impressed with what I found. Billed as Bridgerton with witches - but honestly, better than that sounds. I'm not sure if it's strictly accurate to say it's aimed at the younger end of the age range, but it's absolutely fair to say it's age appropriate from 12 up, and younger if your reader doesn't mind a little bit of kissing.
On the plus side, you get a sweet romance, likeable main characters, excellent friendships, nice sibling relationships, an intriguing set up for a continuing series, and an excellent adventure that feels complete enough in itself despite the plans for a series.
On the downside, there's a lot of repetition, which I absolutely do not understand. You could cut 50 pages worth of the same couple of points being made over and over to end up with a standout introduction to historical fantasy, a genre that would work as well for an adult looking for some cosy fantasy as it would for a younger reader looking for romantic fantasy. The plot is not particularly original (okay, it's very predictable) but it's handled more than well enough for that not to matter.
The setting is a sort of alternative regency period, there are a couple of historical references, and a Princess regent Georgianna who is aware of the magical world - the state harnesses it, but not entirely approving of it. The action mostly takes place in magical areas of London where different customs and manners prevail - it nicely avoids the need to get bogged down in detail and makes potential anachronisms irrelevant. Fun details include the witching world being a matriarchy where children take their mothers names - and an interesting arrangement whereby witches need to be tethered to another witch, but that tether doesn't have to involve a romantic element, and it's frequently same sex.
This means lots of blended families, and an implicit acceptance of queer relationships even if they're not specifically explored. It's the kind of ambiguity I'd have liked to see more of in books when I was a teen, and like now - a space full of possibilities rather than certainties.
Overall there's a lot to like here - and maybe the best thing I can say about it is that after reading Tik Tok phenomenon Fourth Wing in a similar spirit, I find I want to see what happens next to the Wycherleys, I have not read any more Rebecca Yarros.