Spitting Gold is a mix of a Gothic horror style book mixed with a romance. I absolutely loved the first half of the book from Sylvie's perspective. It was haunting and exciting and I didn't know what to expect next. The second half of the book in Charlotte's view seemed unnecessary to me. It retold the same story, just in Charlotte's point of view so it took the magic and suspense out of the book for me. I felt like the first half was a quick read, and the second part dragged. I think I would have preferred the second point of view to be Florence and to hear more of her back story from her perspective. As a debut novel, Lowkis shows a lot of promise. I enjoyed the 19th century Parisian setting and the plot line, I just wish the formatting of the book had taken a different direction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for granting me a free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review!

3.25 ⭐️

The premise of Spitting Gold was pretty strong, but sadly it honestly fell flat for me. The first half of the book was relatively promising, following the point of view of Sylvie, the older of the Mothe sisters. Her POV was mostly good. I at least somewhat liked her. However, Charlotte was wildly unlikable to me from the very start, and her POV in the second half of the book only reinforced that. It could’ve been good if only Charlotte had basically any redeemable characteristics. Her POV read very much like that of a really mentally unstable person. I found her “love” to be just obsession. She clearly forms incredibly unhealthy obsessions with people, and I just found her ending pretty flat and unsatisfying. I was hoping she would grow at some point, but her way of thinking literally never changed.

I also found the book really predictable. I had called the major “twist” within the first few pages of meeting the family the Mothe sisters were assisting. I wish it had been able to subvert my expectations.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of Spitting Gold.

An intriguing novel that got me out of my reading slump!

Filled with rich descriptions, purple prose and morally ambiguous characters spitting gold is one of the best books I have had the pleasure of reading this year. I was instantly transported into this unique and magical portrayal of Paris,

Sylvie is my most favourite of the two, and the authors ability to make us turn on the sisters and hate at the very least one of them periodically was so delightful! The drama made the book addictive to read as well!

And to close off I have to mention the plot twists that had me staying awake at night to finish this!

Spitting Gold was creepy, atmospheric, and jam packed with unpredictable twists. Camella Lowkis wrote this book in a way that you almost feel as if you’ve jumped right into the pages. This would be the perfect historical fiction to read around Halloween. Creepy & haunting - I loved this book!

Thank you NetGalley & Atria Books for an ARC copy of this book.

This book was so much twistier than I had expected! There were so many twists that surprised me but that, in hindsight, made perfect sense. The author definitely created a strong, creepy atmosphere and enjoyed turning expectations on their hand. The point of view switches half way through which I was surprised by but ultimately felt was really well-done and added a lot to the story. This was a great gothic haunting/mystery with a well-built sapphic romance and captivating family drama, twice over.

This was an excellent read and lived up to the Sarah Waters hype. Suspenseful. Two former spiritualist sisters are reunited for a job. The story references a fairy tale of sisters, one good and one bad. But those sort of judgements are in the eye of the beholder. We all are morally grey. We can be both good and bad. This story will keep you guessing though. I devoured it quickly. Solidly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Paris 1866. Sisters Sylvie and Charlotte meet after not seeing each other for 2 years. While Charlotte is poor and takes care of their ailing father, Sylvie married Alexandre, the Baron Devereux, and enjoys a life in leisure and luxury with a great future in mind. Forgotten are the times when she and her sister were con artists posing as gifted mediums. But, in order to be able to pay her bills, Charlotte persuades Sylvie to go along with one last job. Pretty soon, it seems that, this time, they are dealing with real spirits and they are not friendly. Soon Sylvie’s life as she knows it is in danger and Charlotte’s past repeats itself.

First of all, I want to say: I am adding this book my most favorite book list. Such a deliciously gothic well-written story. I absolutely loved the setting, the atmosphere, the development of the characters, the unfolding of lies and secrets and the sisters’ own past. This is a very achieved debut novel, and I can’t wait to read more from the author.

The Mothe sisters couldn’t be more different. For the first part, the story is told by Sylvie. Then, about halfway through, the POV changes to Charlotte, and we learn what lead to the sisters’ meeting in the first place. Spitting Gold is about sisters, family, love and loss. The end is shocking but also reassuring and comforting. This book will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the pleasure of reading an advance copy. It was an honor. The above is my opinion and mine alone.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC. The premise of this book is so promising — two estranged medium sisters reuniting to pull one final con set in 19th century Paris. It had such a strong start but sort of unraveled during Part 2. The story itself is interesting but the writing could have been a little tighter. 3.5 rounded up.

Two estranged sisters pretending to be spirit mediums target the rich and get back together for one last con? SIGN ME UP.

...except what if there really is a malevolent spirit haunting this family?

Spitting Gold is a fun little con gone haywire. It is family drama and hurt feelings and trauma. And revenge. It is the perfect balance of silly and serious.

Except this is the rare occasion in which I think that the a book should have been 50-100 pages longer. I wanted more-- more worldbuilding, more spooky shenanigans, more character development. What we got was good, but I think it could have gone deeper to really drive that emotional hit home. I wanted to feel devastation!

But overall, this was fun. Thank you ATRIA for sending me a copy!

Two sisters who lie about their ability to communicate with the dead after two years have to meet again for money. They have a plan, a family that believes they are being persecuted by their great aunt who is seeking revenge hires them and that is where everything gets out of control.

The plot is good and all, but I didn't get into reading it, it felt heavy and I was getting bored. Get to 20%.


Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel.

I absolutely loved this twisty, sapphic story about spiritists, sisterhood, and the sacrifices we make for the people we love. The ending had me weeping and gasping in equal measure, and Lowkiss does a great job distinguishing Sylvie and Charlotte's voices.

Though not as tightly plotted as something like Fingersmith, fans of Sarah Waters should enjoy this book.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A unique historical fiction novel, beautifully written. I’m not usually an avid historical fiction reader, but this book was totally worth it. It’s told from split first person perspective, which is a difficult thing to pull off for sure. This author did a great job and I’m excited to see what they come out with next.

Mild spoilers ahead:

I’m knocking a star off because there were points in the middle that were sort of a slog to get through. After the first portion from Sylvie’s perspective, I didn’t enjoy the switch to Charlotte. I had grown attached to Sylvie and Charlotte just seemed like a mean-spirited brat. The first couple chapters from Charlotte’s perspective felt dense and unpleasant, but after finishing the book, it seemed intentionally so.

I personally loved the ending. The pacing picked up for the last chapter, which was great, and it left off on a happy-ish note. The epilogue is very important to the ending as well, and it made it feel complete. Whereas I thought I’d rate the book a 2 or 3 stars at its worst points in the middle, by the ending it had certainly redeemed itself.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of this book.

A little gothic mystery is all one needs in this family drama. With two unique sisters reuniting to pull off one more con. As they work their con as a spirit medium a darker menacing spirit awaits them. They con others into believing in the spirit world to make some money but when an interesting spirit does come it is a roller coaster ride of dark deep secrets. The setting is captivating as Paris in 1866 comes to life before you. An outstanding debut novel from Camella Lowkis! Thanks to NetGalley, Randon House UK, and Transworld Publishers for this wonderful read.

This is a haunting story of two sisters, employed as spirit mediums who help families connect with their departed loved ones. There's just one catch. They're frauds. They know all the tricks to convince their clients their dead family members are haunting them.

When the book begins, Sylvie has left her life as a spirit medium and is now married to a baron. She does not want her husband to know of her questionable past employment. When her sister, Charlotte, visits her asking for one last job Sylvie finds herself agreeing. Little do the sisters know what a mess they are about to find themselves in.

The first part of the book was from Sylvie's point of view. The tricks they used to convince the "haunted" family were fascinating. All is going well, until Slyvie starts to wonder if there is really a sinister spirit haunting the family.

The second part tells the same events from Charlotte's point of view. It was interesting to see how differently everything played out. Reading Charlotte's version brings much of the plot to light and it was pretty intriguing to see it all come together.

I liked the dark and gothic tones of this book. The characters were all pretty unlikable, but it gave the overall book a sinister feel. I really enjoyed it.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Always love a good gothic fiction, especially when it features sapphic romances. I wanted to love this book so much, but unfortunately it did not hold my attention as much as I had hoped and kind of lost a lot of interest by the end of the book and found myself just wanting to finish it. I loved the characters and the setting - I mean mediums in Paris? c'mon what's not to love!

First, a thank you to Net Galley and the publisher, Atria Books, for the eARC. This one is a journey through 1866 Paris, telling a tale of two distanced sisters and the complexities of their relationships. While it had a slow start, it gradually unfolded into a captivating story of intrigue and sisterhood. Initially, the societal musings and relationships felt mundane. As the narrative progressed, I began to feel drawn into their lives, particularly the main protagonist. The shift in perspective in part two adds a dual exploration of the sisters' contrasting viewpoints. Seeing the world through the eyes of each sister and unraveling the mysteries beneath the surface was so well done and made part two a pleasure to read. The gradual pace was offset by the plot intrigue, where I was eventually engaged and invested in uncovering the truth. It wasn’t a quick read for me, but the payoff in part two makes it worth persevering through the slower moments of part one. It is a story that rewards patience and one with a layered exploration of sisterhood, mystery, and the complexities of human relationships. I don’t think it’s a book to rush out and buy, but it is worth picking up if you come across it.

4.5 Sometimes you pick up a book at the perfect time! I absolutely was here for this tale of two con artists spirit medium sisters coming back together for one last con. The sisters’ lives have diverged- one married rich and lives in luxury while the other is in their family home just getting by while taking care of their sick father.

We get a POV shift about halfway through that seems to have been where a lot of readers struggled, but after the initial surprise I thought this worked well. I do wish we would have just picked up in the timeline where the first POV left off instead of rehashing all the prior events from this POV. But this wasn’t too large of an issue for me.

The plot took me by surprise a few times, and other things were predictable. But this was overall a FUN time and I was engaged and interested the entire time. The historical setting was the icing on the cake. This also had some discussion of good vs bad in people and how we can be both at once. Both sisters have their flaws but show their love for each other by the end.

This was a great gothic novel. I originally thought it was going to be a fun heist type of book but it went deeper (and creepier) than that. I don’t want to spoil the second half of the book but I thought it was an excellent addition and really made it feel like a Victorian gothic. Loved the sapphic romance element as well!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Rating: 4 Stars

This was such an unexpected surprise! I knew the premise intrigued me, but the opening chapters felt a bit... stiff. I didn't super connect to Sylvie, and I felt like she was hiding something from the reader.

Turns out that she was! There were some fun twists I didn't see coming, and the second half of the book FLEW. This book was a mystery meets paranormal thriller meets family drama... it had a bit of everything, and I really enjoyed it.

I didn't end up adding it on to my BOTM box, but I think it will be a favorite of readers this month!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book. My review is all my own.

I enjoyed this book! This debut novel captured my attention and brought me to 19th century Paris (and I love reading historical fiction set in Paris!).

Sylvie and Charlotte have a history of working as spirit mediums. Now Sylvie is married to a Baron and has put this seedy part of her life behind her. Then Charlotte appears and persuades her to help in one more charade. A perfect historical set-up, if you ask me.

The Good: I really enjoyed the writing. It kept me engaged and brought me right to Paris. Even though this is not historical fantasy, there was plenty of world building. Twists keep twisting. I really liked how the book is in two parts, in which each sister gets one, It was genuinely pretty funny at times. I didn't like the sisters throughout most of the story and I am positive that was by design - this is something I can appreciate.

The Bad: And I guess this one may be on me.. But I genuinely thought this book was supposed to have elements of magical realism. It does not. I am not sure if I it was marketed as such or if I just drew my own conclusions but this is just historical fiction, not historical fantasy. A gothic mystery, at best.