It’s been far too long since a book truly unsettled me, and this was a masterclass in creeping dread. Adored it from start to finish. Haunting and beautiful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

When Orla’s husband Nick makes the decision to move their family into a sprawling sea-side country estate called The Reeve, it’s with much trepidation she agrees. It’s an old home in need of more repair than imagined, far removed from the main village (the perfect backdrop for a gothic novel). While she sets about making it their own, Nick begins spending much less time at home and more time away at work. Orla is left mostly alone with her two young children.

There are bumps in the night and odd occurrences she can’t explain. Once she finally ventures into the village, she learns of the somewhat dark history of the house and her suspicions to what she’s experiencing are aroused.

It’s written from the POV of both Orla (2017) and Lydia (1976), who was a nanny in the home at that time. That really ties the past and present together well, giving insight into the family dynamics and how this truly haunted home affected them.

It’s been awhile since I’ve read something that really gave me chills, so I was excited to read it. I couldn’t put it down until I’d reached the end!

I really enjoyed the story and characters in A Good House for Children. Very ominous setting, isolated manor house surrounded by cliffs, trees and ocean.

Two POV’s and two timelines. Lydia, a nanny taking care of 4 children after the tragic loss of their father and Orla, a mother of two, isolated and alone because her husband is gone all week.

I felt this tale delved into mental illness and possibly postpartum depression. Both Orla and Sara (the mother of the children Lydia nannies) recently had babies.

I was a little uncertain about the ending. A lot of loose ends left untied. Lots of ambiguity and mystery surrounding the house itself and some of the supernatural events that took place.

Overall, really quick read with amazing setting and interesting characters.

“The Reeve was different; it was like an infection in the blood – hot and quick and hidden, and it took you by surprise every moment.”

A Good House for Children is a slow-burn atmospheric gothic fiction novel. Told in two timelines in 1976 by Lydia and in 2017 by Orla, the women detail their similar experiences living in an old dilapidated mansion in Dorset called The Reeve.

They soon see people who should not be there and witness terrible accidents on the property. Something is not right with the house and it seems to want something from them. Is it safe for the children to live there?

This spooky read will give you the creeps and leave you very unsettled. It is claustrophobic, anxiety provoking, and a great example of gothic fiction. The house even becomes a breathing character. Collins also explores themes of loneliness, isolation, and motherhood. Her use of creepy imagery is superb, but I was left with so many unanswered questions in the end.

Why is Sam’s mutism a major focus of the book?

What is the purpose of the necklace since it doesn’t work?

Why does the house want something from its inhabitants?

These plot points don’t lead anywhere and ultimately become loose ends, leading to a predicable and unsatisfying conclusion.

A Good House for Children is a decent debut, but please take note that it is not really a mystery or a thriller as labeled.

3.5/5 stars rounded down

Expected publication date: 7/4/23

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC of A Good House for Children in exchange for an honest review.

Spooky and enthralling. While it’s a somewhat traditional Gothic horror story, there’s enough to set it apart. Some social commentary (although it’s mostly the kind that’s subtly involved in most Gothic horror). I really enjoyed this. Definitely gets the mood throughout and keeps you feeling unnerved.

Will be including in my monthly June wrap-up and possibly doing a release day review on YouTube depending on when I do the wrap-up (since they may be very close together).

Book : A Good House for Children
Author : Kate Collins

Thank you NetGalley, Mariner Books & the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I absolutely love the spooky and mysterious cover. I am always drawn to dark mysterious covers. This was such a great gothic horror book that gave me the dual timelines that I love so much. Kate has written this book in such a way that you can envision the story and feel the story. Such amazing writing style.

This book gave me the chills and kept making me want to read all the way to the end even into the middle of the night. I could not set this book down, I had to keep reading and page turning.

If you love a book with a slow burn, dark-horror feel with a haunted house that gives you all the spooky feels then this is the book for you. You need to make sure that this book is on your TBR.

The Reeve is the quintessential haunted house: a large, twisty, and neglected main character with a sinister agenda communicated through creaks, raps, shadows, whispers, and locked doors. Those who move into it do not heed the advise of the villagers, finding their superstitions quaint. However, no matter what the villagers say, the Reeve is powerful, and wants a broken family ripe for its voracious appetite.

Usually, it’s the absence of men (physically and emotionally) that make children and women
susceptible to the menacing manipulations of a haunted house. They are victimized by the parallel needs and desires of the house and the male figurehead, both of whom use intimidation and fear to get what they want. The house is vigilant, unpredictable, and ubiquitous while the husband/father is inattentive, condescending, and uninvolved.

The book tells the tales of two families—one from 1976, the other from 2017 –-dealing with loss and pressure. Each move to the Reeve with plans of healing their fractured families. Once they are in the house, their experiences are eerily similar; following the classic, haunted house tropes. For example, there is the dominating alpha character. In 2017, it is Nick: a controlling husband who is embarrassed of his nonverbal son, Sam. In 1976, there is a twist: Sara—recently widowed—plays the part of the dismissive and emotionally remote man. They both spend their time away from their families, and resent any requests for help. Also, they do not believe the observations of their families, and are condescending, dismissive and strident in their actions and words.

Kate Collins adds elements of English Folklore, especially the traditions and beliefs of Midsummer. There is imagery of water, fire, sand, and plant life. For example, as the families begin to languish, the house begins to flourish, with plant life taking over the interior; there is death and rebirth. I wish there was more use of this. The Reeve is animistic and anthropomorphic: it is an inanimate object with the human qualities of life, emotions, intentions, and spiritual nature. I would have liked it to be connected to the haunted house aspect of this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Orla and ger husband decided to purchase a gorgeous old home. When orla's husband is at work she starts hearing strange things. She doesn't know what is going on. I cant wait to read her next book.

When Orla, her husband, and their children move into a new house on the ocean, she hopes this could be a chance for her to start painting again and figure out what she really wants out of life. Soon after they move in, strange things start happening. Orla, alone with her children while her husband is gone during the week to work in the city, worries that something is in the house and her children are in danger. Told in alternating chapters with the POV of Lydia, a nanny who lived in the house four decades earlier and felt the same sinister forces, "A Good House for Children" follows two women who are sure something isn't right and the people around them who refuse to see it.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the alternating POVs and found Orla and Lydia to both be very real, well-developed characters. This book is a ghost story, but more than that, it's an exploration of motherhood and individual identity. Plus, Lydia's story had some "Haunting of Bly Manor" vibes in the best way possible.

If you like feminist gothic horror, this is the book for you!

Enjoyed this story very much. Found the writing and storyline intresting. Found the split timeliness flowed well, author did a good job dealing with it. 4 stars

When Orla’s husband Nick decides his family needs more room and some fresh air, he buys them a sprawling country estate, perched atop a hillside in Dorset, where the sea winds blow salty air up against the house’s huge windows. But with Nick away at work during the week, Orla feels strangely ill at ease in the house alone with just her two young children and sons begin hearing things. With rumors in town about the strange history of the house, she soon begins seeing things. Is she seeing things or is the house haunted? Soon Orla finds her herself in danger of losing both her sanity and her life.

The novel follows both Orla’s story and that of a young family from the 1970s, also living in the house.

This book is I would say, among the creepier kind of ghost stories, in that it sneaks up on you. It starts out with a regular house and family….then maybe a weird sound and you think, “oh this story is moving so slowly.” Then halfway in, you realize you’re watching the complete unraveling of that family unit. And you’re wondering who’s sane, what the truth is and how - and if - they’re going to be able to get out of this situation alive. Then at the end, we’ll….I won’t spoil it. It’s too good.

But yeah, this is just a great classical paranormal tale, in that that it’s really not creepy zombies and slashing and blood and ghosts - it’s subtle and building and I loved it. I don’t want to spoil too much so I can’t really say too much more, but there’s just so much building of tension, it really creates a great atmosphere that you can’t look away from, even for a second.

I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen at the end, and it’s really intense. That’s all I can say. Just pick this one up if you like slow-burn thrillers and creepy atmospheres. You won’t regret it!

Story told in the past and present about families in a house called 'The Reeve.' It never bodes well when a house has a name. No, not like a house plan choice in a subdivision, but an actual name. In this case, it is fitting as the house is its own entity, or is it? The mom in the present, Orla, lives there sans a spouse during the work week. with their two young children. She notices odd instances. Perhaps it's postpartum or just female nonsense. When we visit the past, it's thru the experiences of Lydia who is a nanny to the family's four children. Here, we're thinking maybe she misses being away from the city and her friends. She's young and impressionable. Perhaps, we're not seeing and hearing what we think either even as we read the details.
You don't have to prove a haunting to me. Tell me the house is haunted, it's haunted Tell me you don't feel comfortable there, I believe you. But how often are women, whether new mothers or young adults, treated as overreacting or being hysterical? This book was about more than a house. I always feel so school book report when I read these books, but seriously, are moms getting the support they need? Do we send our kids away from prying eyes when they don't perform as we expect? Should children be allowed to grow at their own pace? What is the deal with this house? Is it designed to drive us all mad because we can't figure it out? I may never figure it out, but I don't plan on moving into any old house, especially houses with a name.

I was provided an e-arc by NetGalley and Mariner Books for an unbiased review.

I received a free copy of, A Good House for Children, by Kate Collins, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.. Orla is married with kids. her husband Nick, decides there family has grown to small for their current abode, and need to move, Orla agrees, but they end up moving in to the same creepy house she used to be a nanny in, what are the odds of that? This book goes back and forth from when Orla was a nanny til present time when she is a mom. I enjoyed this book, the ending was pretty creepy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars

I was sold with the comparison to Mexican Gothic and was not disappointed in this author debut.

A Good House for Children is a great gothic horror story told in the views of two women living in the same house decades apart, but experiencing the same creepy disturbances.

I love when an author can set the tone of a book early on and carry it throughout. As I was reading there was definitely a full on movie playing in my head, and I found myself hesitant to keep my eyes closed in the shower for fear of what I couldn't see. 👀

If you like spooky atmospheric reads and appreciate no gore or much foul language, then you should give this book a read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Mariner Books (HarperCollins), and the author for this digital Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting haunted house story. Not too scary, but kind of sad. I'd like a little more clarity on the ending. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Oh my goodness was this amazing! Twisty, dark and suspenseful. The husband is a complete arse but the development of the rest of the characters, past and present was so rewarding. The paranormal twists were exactly what I look for in a Gothic thriller. Loved this one!

I can't say I particularly enjoyed this book. It started off great but then just fell apart. The plot stumped along to no final conclusion, no explanation. I feel as if the author was unable to decide if they were writing about a haunting, a time slip, a malevolent wet lady, or a sentient house. Or perhaps Orla was just crazy. Who knows? Not me, because nothing is clear in the book. What part of the plot requires her son to not speak? Pages are written about this issue, but it has no effect on the story. I feel like I read 300 plus pages that had zero point.

Feminist gothic is making a comeback and I am HERE for it! I absolutely sunk into this twisty dual-timeline novel, which feels both cavernous and claustrophobic, much like the 'good house' at its center. Orla's struggle to keep a firm grip on her sanity as she tries to parent and paint in isolation fits nicely alongside Lydia's increasingly desperate attempts to keep her charges safe four decades earlier. Moody and atmospheric, A GOOD HOUSE FOR CHILDREN takes a satisfying stroll down well-worn territory!

Bit of a slow starter but by 30% in I was hooked and stayed up way passed my bedtime to finish the rest in one day! I wasn’t sure about the two timelines to begin with but eventually I did see that it did help to tell the story. Interesting characters that I became invested in - more-so with the characters from the 70s but also Orla from the more recent timeline. It was really quite spooky without overdoing it! Only lost a star because I sometimes struggled to tell the timelines apart until I got fully familiar with the characters and their stories - a slight change in tone or style of writing may have helped? I also wasn’t entirely satisfied with the ending - don’t want to give any spoilers so will just say that I’m someone who wants to know specifically why things happen! That said, I didn’t hate the ending and found it really haunting. Definitely recommend!

A creepy haunted house story that spans generations. So atmospheric and gothic and absorbing. It also spoke to the "job" of being a child care giver and how much of ourselves we bury so we can be what children need. I only wish there had been more of a definitive link between the previous and current house inhabitants.