In the early 1900s, we meet Emily Wilde, an introverted, bookish Cambridge professor. She is on a mission to research and write a book about faerie folklore in a remote northern region. Unfortunately, not long after Emily arrives in the frigid north, her academic colleague, the dashing Wendell Bambleby, shows up and true to form, becomes a major nuisance. As if he wasn’t a big enough problem, Emily soon finds herself swept into dangerous situations that also involve the local townsfolk when all she is trying to do is observe and research the Hidden Ones, the most under-researched of all the faeries.

This book is the perfect example of a cozy fantasy and there was a lot I liked about it. I could relate to the nerdy, bookish professor in some ways and also chuckle at her introverted tendencies and dislike of spending time with other people. I also liked the academic writing style and the footnotes added authenticity to the feeling that I was reading the journal of an academic. The reason for my lower rating is that at times I felt like I wanted more context and world-building. I think the author was trying to immerse the reader in this fantasy world by referencing things that the reader wouldn’t know anything about, but that didn’t really work for me. I found myself wishing that I knew more about this world where faeries exist and academics study them. But, I still enjoyed the reading experience enough that I’m going to pick up the next book!