I liked the plant lore. The abandoned Nonsuch Asylum was creepy. My favorite characters were: Miss Cavendish, Todd Constable, and Tibbles the cat.

Her Little Flowers is a surprisingly adept gothic mystery debut novel by Shannon Morgan. It is a story about family and how far we will go to protect those we love. There is much to love here including: a haunted mansion, an eccentric main character, family secrets, a garden full of poisonous flowers, an abandoned insane asylum, surprising twists, and a bit of romance. I give it a solid 4* despite the hokey ending.

I received a drc from the publisher via NetGalley.

Atmospheric and immersive. A recommended purchase for collections where gothic mysteries are popular.

This gothic ghost story is a slow build, but it's worth it in the end. It's a unique take on a haunted house tale that I really enjoyed.

This is a story of sisters and family secrets and what happens when the past and present collide. I particularly liked how the flowers were used to give depth to both the story and the characters.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- a story of secrets and ghosts, one that leaves you haunted and looking for details of this melancholic story. it wasn't the most engaging, but i applaud the dedication Morgan had to this story.

The past lives on in Shannon Morgan’s novel, “Her Little Flowers,” a gothic ghost story that blooms from a mother’s love of her family and plants.

Francine Thwaite has lived on her family’s rambling, crumbling English manor for all of her 55 years. It’s a lonely place, but she’s not alone. Bree, the mischievous ghost of a 7-year-old girl, keeps her company.

In memory of her mother, who called her children her "little flowers," Francine is devoted to the manor’s gardens and nearby forest. She follows her mother’s belief in the healing and protective powers of herbs, flowers and other plants.

Francine reluctantly takes in lodgers to keep pay the bills, but it’s company that Francine struggles to accept. She prefers the company of ghosts over humans, especially when her younger sister Madelaine returns home after yet another ended marriage.

With great reluctance, the sisters start to put together their family’s story. Francine can’t remember anything before the age of 5. Madelaine has a story that doesn’t jive with Francine’s memories. While one sister inherited a love for plants and their attributes, the other sibling has always felt something was lacking in her life.

The sisters’ dynamic is fascinating. Francine is not the typical heroine, and Madelaine has more to offer than just past loves. What holds them to the home, its surrounding and even the abandoned asylum in the woods?

I don’t want to give away any secrets, so just know that nothing is what it seems. The ghosts have stories and the plants do more than ward off bad spirits. Everything in Morgan’s novel has meaning.

It’s not just a ghost story, but rather a tale of family tragedy. Francine has always believed. It is a tale of cruelty and desperation, terror and unbearable heartache. Just as the sisters are caught by surprise by the past and present, readers will be surprised by the unexpected ending.

Witchy, secret and forbidden are three words that perfectly describe Her Little Flowers.

The book synopsis could not be more up my alley. Francine has lived in Thwaite Manor all her life. Her abusive father ran away when she was little leaving her mother and younger sister behind. After her mother’s passing, her sister left to live an exciting life.

Francine is very stuck in the past. And it doesn’t help that her only company is a group of ghosts. Her closest companion is Bree, a young spirit full of energy. Francine can see ghosts almost everywhere and this has kept her secluded from everyone. Including embracing modern technology. I had to keep reminding myself that this story actually took place in modern times because Francine was so old fashioned.

I kept thinking Francine was younger. But her personality was very blunt and that felt a little odd at times. Her outbursts would be very alarming and rude. But I suppose that is due to her spending a lot of time alone in an old house full of ghosts.

The storyline reminded me (kinda) of BBC’s Ghosts. Just not as funny. So if you enjoy that idea I think you’ll enjoy this. Her Little Flowers verges on a cozy mystery read but a little more sad.

Pour a steaming cup of tea and drink up while you read. But not too much. We need to read those tea leaves! I thank NetGalley, Shannon Morgan and Kensington Paperback for the opportunity to read Her Little Flowers. I have written this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed this far more than I expected. You've heard of a haunted house story, right? This is the story of a SAD house, if you will. You have a woman on a quest to find out what really happened to her 5 siblings and father 50 years ago, and the house that holds all the secrets. My favorite however, is the mother that would do anything for her children and her intimate link to flowers, their abilities and what certain flowers represent. Her Little Flowers is a slow burn, gothic, mystery that keeps readers enchanted with a story of a family devastated by tragedy, and heartbreak with just a sprinkle of love, hope and closure. A story not soon forgotten. Her Little Flowers has rooted itself in my heart and a true love for this story and Shannon Morgan has blossomed. Thank you Netgally and Kensington Publishing for this advanced reader copy.

This book has so many wonderful things to love about it. While many Gothic novels have a young female character, in this we are following a woman in her fifties who is grappling with family secrets and living with a ghost who only seems to like her.

I loved Francine. She was such a wonderful character to follow. I loved getting to intimately know her while she discovered secrets that her family kept hidden for over fifty years.

The book is a slow burn and very quaint weaving plants and their lore into the plot as well.

It’s a story I soon won’t forget.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Kensington Books for this advanced e-reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

While this took me a minute to get into - I have two toddlers - but, once I was into it, I was sucked under. The writing was strong and the plot was good, though nothing super original. I still enjoyed it and think it would be a good cozy fall or winter read.

Oof, I hate to do this, but this was a DNF. I was so excited by the cover, the description, but it was just so *boring*

While Her Little Flowers doesn’t fit into the classic haunted ghost story category of gothic, it is a beautifully written and captivating book. Most notably it is very sad, the heartbreaking reveal which was expertly unwound and unexpected, should potentially come with some trigger warnings. The language of flowers is a clever and unique idea, the characters were vibrant and the setting ideal for a story like this. Certainly an outstanding book, just a little upsetting.

A dual timeline ghost story that will be a sure favourite with fans of the genre. Set in the scenic Lake District area of England, the story centres around an ancient haunted house called Thwaite Manor. A modern gothic tale.

Present Day: Francine Thwaite lives alone in the vast manor of her forebears. She is fifty-five years old and is quite eccentric in that she shuns the modern world. She doesn’t own a television or a telephone, preferring her garden as a pastime. She has never been more than twenty miles away from the house where she was born and raised. She doesn’t seem lonely as such, but she is very solitary – with only the company of the manor’s many ghosts for company. In particular a small girl ghost called Bree. When her younger sister Madeline comes to visit after becoming widowed, Francine’s world is rocked to the core. Her beloved Thwaite Manor now seems to exude an awful sensation of malice.

Summer 1969: Thwaite Manor is the home of George and Eleanor Thwaite along with their six children. Five girls and one baby boy. It is not a happy household. George Thwaite is an abusive man who’s every action is spurred by his corrosive hatred. He rules the manor with an iron fist evoking fear into the lives of his entire family. Eleanor Thwaite is the mother of six and is only in her twenties. She is an avid gardener and is well versed in the lore of floral symbolism. She calls her darling children ‘her little flowers‘ and does her best to protect them from their abusive, drunken father.

As the reader is made privy to the events that occurred in 1969, Francine’s family history is every so slowly revealed… Thwaite Manor finally reveals it’s myriad secrets.

For the reader who is game to suspend belief for the duration of the read, this debut novel has many aspects to recommend it. An eerie and atmospheric centuries old manor house complete with priest holes and several ghosts, a family mystery shrouded in secrets, and a fascinating glimpse into sibling relationships and the corrosive effects of grief and regret. Not to mention good and evil at war within its pages.

The title was absolutely perfect for the book, and I appreciated learning much about the language of flowers. The characters were compelling, yet the pace was slower than some would like.

Recommended to fans of ghost stories who like to read authors such as Laura Purcell and Anita Frank. For those who read seasonally, it would be the perfect read for a chilly October evening.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for sending me the eArc of "Her Little Flowers" in exchange for an honest review.

As an avid fan of the Gothic genre, I found the premise absolutely thrilling. All the elements to make this book my next favorite read were there, but for some reason, it didn't work for me.

The author paints creepy images with words, but I somehow couldn't get into the story.

I loved this book. I was instantly excited to read it because of the haunted house, the Gothic elements, family drama captured my attention. The book was a little repetitive and I didn't much care for the romance part of the book as it didn't seem to fit in with the main plot and seemed forced.

Huge houses with a sketchy past and a lady slowly trying to figure out what the hell is going on with this haunting is such an interesting time and something that can almost always help get me out of a reading slump. It was pretty good for a debute and I had such a good time using this one as my night time kindle read.

Fifty-five-year-old Francine Thwaite has lived in the family home, Thwaite Manor in Cumbria, England for all of her life. The land her home was built on has been in her family for over five hundred years. Francine is a loner who rarely ventures outside her home and her social interactions are limited to her trips to the nearby town for necessities, visits from her late mother’s close friend and her interactions with lodgers who rent rooms in her home. Her younger and somewhat estranged sister, Madeleine has a life very different from Francine and lives in London. But Francine is content with her quiet life and is averse to modern technology (no phone or computer to be found on the premises), She spends her time tending her garden, reading about the history of the house and the family and in the company of the ghosts of the Manor among whom is a six or seven-year old girl she calls Bree her favorite since her childhood. Francine’s late mother was a believer in the healing and protective power of herbs and flowers and passed the same down to Francine who regularly uses her knowledge to keep evil spirits away. When Madeleine returns home after several years away, she shares some shocking information she has gathered about their family history forcing Francine to question everything she knew about her parents and her childhood. As the narrative progresses, Francine tries to find out the truth behind Madeleine’s revelations and what follows is a journey of catharsis and discovery, recovery of repressed memories of traumatic events from their childhood dating and unraveling of long-buried family secrets from over fifty years ago. Her search is complicated by the presence of an evil apparition that enters her home with harmful intent and it will take all of her knowledge and courage to keep herself, Madeleine, her home and her friendly ghosts safe from harm.

With its combination of Gothic elements, mystery and family drama, Her Little Flowers by Shannon Morgan is an absorbing read. The author seamlessly weaves past and present timelines into an engaging narrative. I enjoyed getting to know both Francine and Madeleine and was invested in their stories and liked how their quest brought them closer together. I loved how the author incorporates the language of flowers, which plays such an important role in this story, into the narrative. Initially, the pacing is a tad uneven but picks up as the plot progresses. The narrative does suffer from minor repetitiveness but not so much that it detracts from the overall reading experience. I did think, however, that the romance track felt forced and unnecessary. There are some heartbreaking moments in this story but I am glad that the author chose to end it on a positive and hopeful note. The plot is well structured and the build-up to the final reveal was suspenseful with plenty of surprises along the way.

This is not a genre I read much, but I enjoyed the spooky, Gothic vibe, the characters (even the "ghosts and ghoulies") and the mystery at the core of the story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I would recommend this for someone who enjoys gothic writing. It is about a middle-aged protagonist that lives in a manor with "others". I enjoyed the writing style, and the story held my attention throughout. I would defiantly recommend. Thank you to Net Gallery and Kensington Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
4 star

A very enjoyable thriller mystery! If you appreciate haunted houses, friendly ghosts, evil spirits, fortune telling, and likeable (and at least one who is quite monstrous) characters, then this is a great read for you! The story centers around Francine, who is sweet, but comes across as odd, quirky, a loner and a self-described spinster in her mid-fifties. She lives in the family manor which has been part of the Thwaite clan for almost five centuries. The house seems to have a personality of its own, as do the ghosts and spirits who reside there and the flowers and gardens that surround it. When her long lost sister arrives with troubling and confusing news of their past, life is turned upside down. The sisters deal with trauma, self-discovery, emerging relationships, suppressed memories, personal growth, mystery, secrets and lies, hidden crimes, facing fears and more. It was a little slow to start, but then I couldn't put it down. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the eARC.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC!
This was a fun book. It was a nice blend of gothic, mystery, and ghosts. It was cozy but also suspenseful. I didn't predict many of the twists which kept the story engaging for me. The setting was fun... who doesn't love a creepy old house. The flowers in the story were a fun addition as well. I liked the imagery the author used throughout the story and how she developed the characters personalities. My main complaint was the timelines could be a bit hard to follow at times.