It Will Be Just Us is the story of Samantha Wakefield, a young woman who returns to her childhood home after being violently mugged. The house is a crumbling mansion on the edge of a Virginia swamp currently occupied by her constantly imbibing mother who shares the space with the ghosts of generations of Wakefields. Sam has always had the gift to see the ghosts who haunt the house and surrounding swampland playing out memories of the past as if no time has elapsed.

When Sam’s sister Elizabeth returns home very pregnant seeking solace after having left her husband, the energy of the house begins to shift, and Sam is haunted by a new figure wandering the halls- one that she believes is a malevolent manifestation of the future and not from the past.

Locked doors, impossible spaces, and a swamp witch all contribute to the dizzying fever pitch of this well written novel. Kaplan elevates the haunted house genre and gives readers a perfectly creepy family drama that had me hooked from the opening pages and that horror fans will really enjoy. This is a book that needs to be read with the lights on!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review - thank you NetGalley.

I enjoyed this book a lot.
It did have a very unique take on a classic ''haunted house'' story, and it was intriguing and interesting pretty much from the beginning. I do wish the book had been scarier and I must admit that it was a bit predictable.
But in the end, the book was a good read, and especially the ending was hard to put down.
It is recommendable for anyone looking for a original horror book.
I would give the book a big 3½ star, but since it isn't possible, I will go with 4.

You've got your shape-shifting house, crazy dead relatives, dead ghosts, live ghosts, future ghosts, ex-slave ghosts and a swamp witch — you get a ghost and you get a ghost and, well, it’s tiresome. Silly, confusing layers of interacting time periods, an unreliable narrator, a distracting backstory — disappointing.

Solid four star read. Great atmospheric ghost story with a slow and building sense of dread.

When I started the book I felt the narrator was a little too formal, and the story a bit too gothic for my tastes. I love Shirley Jackson and Richard Matheson, but usually when contemporary authors try to match their tone it falls flat for me (with a few exceptions, like John Saul). I am also not much into historical or period piece ghost stories.

This book, though, has its own authentic voice and a great premise: a faceless “ghost” of a child who has not yet been born. Though it started somewhat slow and formal, I came to really like the narrator and could really visualize the house. Stick with it until part three, when things really get cracking. Though well written and very scary, it got a little busy with ghosts and history and ancestral drama for me, but if that’s your thing, this author writes it really well.

I could not figure out how this novel could possibly end - if you know for certain an evil child is about to come into the world, what would you do? The ending is not something you will predict, but it is great.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jo Kaplan and Crooked Lane Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Completely out of my realm by reading a horror story, this novel captivated me and had me sh*ting my pants as I continued to read! If you like the series on Netflix "the Haunting of Hill House" this is definitely the book for you. Creatively written, keeping you guessing and terrified, all the while the writing style was magnificent in describing each scene, event and disturbing detail. Well done and thank you for never letting me close the lights at night anymore! haha

Thanks NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you haven't picked this one up yet, what are you waiting for?! I still have chills and I read the last page over an hour ago.

The mansion is old, creepy, and perfect. The ghosts are so original and even though they don't haunt like normal ghosts, I think they're even more terrifying.

I won't go into details to avoid spoilers, but I recommend it for literally anyone over the age of 15. Just be ready to be scared.

This story was bizarre, creepy, a bit of a mind-bender, and all sorts of weird. But, it worked, and I liked it. Now, why not a higher rating? Because, sometimes it just went right over, changed directions drastically, distorted the mind, then took a bit longer than needed to get me right back on track. Even so, that's also what kept me reading, wanting me to figure out who everyone was in this story, and why they all fit in this oddly shaped jigsaw puzzle.

That swamp was the main creepiest thing about all of this. It's definitely a place I would avoid at all costs. Not catching me there, not at all... well, unless you count this story. Every time I thought it couldn't get more spine-tingling, I was proven wrong by all that ensued. Again, like previously mentioned, sometimes it did take me in a different direction, or felt like it didn't cohesively change pace, but then it did a turnaround and left me watching my back for days.

I haven't forgotten the house either, because that place was just as darkishly hair-raising, with lots of emotional filled moments, resilience to survive, even when life wasn't always in play, and so much more. A family that just wants to be, to have a chance, to love, and to know that it's all going to be alright, even when the truth tells them, and the reader, that it's not going to be okay. It continues that way 'til the end.

I do wish though, that some of the overly extended chapters were shortened a bit, or not as chaotic as some of the events turned out to be. But, I can do with them, because the story here was still pretty good. It was enough horror and intensity to keep my interest, as well as that emotional connection to the main characters I wanted more of. And those last chapters were a real doozy, leaving me reeling from the madness of it all. Giving the reader much of what was promised.

***I received this copy from Crooked Lane Books, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***

This was a pretty good read, focused on Sam(antha), who has moved back to her childhood home, a crumbling mansion in rural Virginia. Her pregnant sister, Elizabeth, shows up after a fight with her husband, drawing even more ghosts into Sam's world than she already knew. This is a true ghost story where you do have to suspend your disbelief, but it is very well done.

On the good side, I liked the premise and the setting, and felt there was an overall creepiness throughout the story. The end was super dark, which I always appreciate. I liked the descriptions of the rooms in the mansion though I would have been happy for even more descriptive passages about what it looked like there.

On the less good side, I felt like I didn't really understand what went so bad in Elizabeth's marriage that sent her rushing back home, and it was never really described until the book made it clear that Don was a bad guy. Secondly, the prose was beautiful but sometimes didn't sound like the way people would really talk, which threw me off a bit and made it a slow read, particularly in the first third of the book.

Overall, this was a fun ghost story and I think it's worth a read for those who like this genre. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this arc.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Two sisters and their mom living in their very old ancestral mansion by the edge of a swamp and get this, there’s ghosts but unlike your typical ghost who shows up to kill you and makes your life a living hell, the ghost in this house plays memories of the past. This book is hair-raising, spine-chilling, and unpredictable. It is not your typical ghost story, the first part may be a little slow but it kept me curious and scared.

Kaplan’s new novel is a well written work of art that captures American gothic to a tee whilst she gives a nod to Shirley Jackson’s work, most notably The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived In A Castle with a bit of the Remington House thrown in for good measure.

The plot is a riveting bit of fiction that captures the mood and setting. Kaplan masterfully puts together a tale that you are not quite sure what is real and what part of the narrator’s imagination is. At times, the mystery involved sometimes starts to take over but Kaplan knows exactly when to pull back and juggle her many plots into a cohesive history lesson without taking her fingers off the pulse. This is an incredibly hard task to pull off and Kaplan does this winningly.

The characters are all very well drawn and even though this is told in the first person. Due to the fact that the main character is very insightful, the other characters Agnes, Elizabeth and Donovan are still fully realised. This is a great deal of thought brought into each of the characters and the way that they are drawn out is very masterfully done. This is a real work of art.

Overall, this is magnificence piece of literature that by passes most horror novels out there currently. The book is excellently written and is a credit to the genre for which it belongs. Exceptional prose, fantastic character development with an ending that has a profound approach on the reader which they will be entranced until the very last word. This is a must read for people who like their gothic horror intelligent, thought provoking and haunting. This is a sure fire winner.

Spooky and nail biting. This story stayed with me long after I finished reading it.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

So....I really ended up liking this book, but it was one that REALLY ebbed and flowed... It would pick up and be very suspenseful and exciting, and then just as quickly peter out and kind of drag along. It was not so severe, however, that it ever put me off from continuing to read. One of my favorite things about this book is that the author has such a beautiful way with words. The word that popped into my mind often was "prose", which just somehow sounds more eloquent than "writing" or "style", in this sense. I don't usually read stories about ghosts, witches, haunted houses, domestic violence, or any of those sort of things, but I was glad I requested this book. (And even happier that I truly enjoyed it!!) The whole Winchester-type house on the edge of a swamp setting was intriguing from the beginning, and I liked that the main characters were all AWARE that the house was haunted, instead of having them spend half the book wondering if their eyes and mind were betraying them. It's just a very DIFFERENT story, but one that I enjoyed immensely. I will look for future titles by Jo Kaplan. 10/10 would recommend.

Welcome to another "I didn't know I needed this book until I had it" review ! Yep. This one was amazing, spooky and thrilling all at the same time.

What do we have here ? Oh you know, just the perfect ingredients for a book : spooky house with special powers, broken family, time warp and legends. Sam and her mother live in a house that can replay memories from anytime since it was built ! How cool (slightly terrifying) is that ?? That's a great concept and I want to read more books with this kind of setting now.
So Sam and her mother live in that house until Sam's sister, Elizabeth comes back after a fight with her boyfriend (whom she's pregnant with). From then on, a mysterious new faceless ghost appears in the house, that Sam has never seen, and who might be capable of interacting with her when he shouldn't be able to. The family has to stick together to uncover the secrets of the house and to protect their own.

THERE IS JUST SO MUCH GOING ON IN THIS BOOK. Somehow it still wasn't enough for me, as I would have wanted to read more about the ghosts and their day to day apparition in the house. It should have been a bonus chapter haha ! More seriously, the plot unfurls seamlessly, giving you insights of the family, past and present, sucking you in the story slow and steady, just like a swamp. There are mysteries everywhere and each one gets adressed properly, which I liked a lot. I couldn't read fast enough to get to the grand finale of the book, and when I got there, although it was quite predictable, it was also very thrilling to read. The action completely picks up and leaves you reading like crazy !

One mystery remains for me though : Does Elizabeth not see the ghosts ? Everyone in the family seems to see them and even outsiders can somehow sense them, but 75% of the time, it feels like Elizabeth can't do that at all, and I got a little confused about it. Continuing about Elizabeth, I think she's been a little underused. She's a great character (maybe the only one close to what we can call normalcy), but I would have wanted more about her. What was her life like with her boyfriend ? What happened while she wasn't living at the house, why Julian ? Some more backstory could have been really interesting, although she plays her part perfectly in the story anyway.

Sam really was a good character, and a good way to link the reader, the story and the ghosts from the past. She's some kind of vector between the house and those living in it. However, her ending just didn't sit well with me. She's a professor, a smart woman, who knows the house and the swamp, and yet the story ends that way ??? Meh. I thought she would have been better than that.

I won't dwell too long on the mother, because I thought her both insane and clever, and there's just never an in-between. She's quite extreme and I didn't feel anything particular for her...

No matter what, "It will just be us" grabs you and brings you in a peculiar story, about a peculiar house and its peculiar inhabitants. The writing is enchanting and it surely won't leave you indifferent.

"Once this house has you, it doesn't let go."

This was a different kind of book with a unique plot. Not like the usual horror story you read. It is slow-burning but without a compromise on the horror atmosphere.

This story is about a mansion, which is near a swamp, with a “weird & scary” family as what everyone calls them. There are ghosts, a swamp witch, and a faceless boy. The story is somehow fresh on me as I have never read a book like this. It’s really good.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

This book was requested from NetGalley in change of an honest review

Well, well, well. Talk about a chilling read. This is the story of a house. And the people who live in it. And how both those things come together to create a volatile mix. It's also a story of best intentions going sadly astray.


We meet Sam Wakefield who is living in a old house with her mother. It seems at first that the mother is not all-there. Then it appears that Sam is a disturbed young lady as well. Only it seems they are not. The house is a magical one, it would seem. It shows the residents memories of the past played out like old-school reels. It's a  fantastic notion.
However, then her sister moves in. Pregnant, loud, and rebellious, she creates a stir in the house. The nature of the memories begin to shift. They become different. More sinister.

The author has managed to create an atmosphere that is chilling and thrilling. It has been some time since I enjoyed a book so much. It is much along the lines of "we have always lived in the castle". The characters are unlikable and compelling too. As the story continues, you feel things unraveling and minds unhinging quite strongly. Read this book for the sheer atmospherics.

Highly recommended.

If you want goosebumps and nightmares then this is the book to pick up. Unable to put it down you’ll go through the past of a family and discover what may lie in their future as one member fights to discover how to change what may come to happen. Creepy and frightening this book covers it all.

"It Will Just Be Us" was the perfect atmospheric story of a haunted house (and what a haunted house it was!). Reminiscent of both Michelle Paver (in general; and "Wakenhyrst" in particular) and Shirley Jackson's "We Have Always Lived in the Castle", Jo Kaplan takes us to the ancestral home of the Wakefields, at the edge of the Dismal Swamp.

Built by Mad Catherine many generations ago, the manor has seen more than its fair share of miseries and horrors. And it remembers them all.
Sam Wakefield and her mother, Agnes, the currently only living residents of the manor, share their home with memories of past inhabitants, some pleasant and some less so...
Over time you can grow used to even the once most upsetting visions of past recollections, as Sam and Agnes have.
But when Sam's heavily pregnant sister, Elizabeth, returns to their childhood home, darker and much more frightening things start to walk down the seemingly constantly changing halls of the Wakefield estate.
Memories that Sam has never come across before, memories that seem to... see her... want to hurt her... be able to hurt her.

Jo Kaplan has a captivating way of telling a story, and her voice is absolutely perfect for a ghost story.

I'm giving this one 3 stars. Dont be put off though. I thought the story was actualy really good. What I struggled with was, I personally found it to go.up and down. I almost gave up on it. Then it started getting really good.....then i found it went flat again. I felt like that throughout the whole story. I've seen it has some very good reviews though. So I hope on one is put off by mine.

This book has got all the markings of a classic horror story: ghosts, a creepy house, social outcasts and suspicious characters, and yet it doesn’t feel recycled. There are fresh elements which definitely help; special mention to the ghosts playing out memories from the past rather than being there in real time, I found that really unique! I also found it so interesting that Sam could see these ‘ghost memories’ from more modern times as well, such as her own childhood.

I have to touch on the writing style as well because, wow…it’s incredible! Kaplan describes everything perfectly but particularly Wakefield Manor. The descriptions are so intricate that you really feel as though you are there in the house with them. There were moments where a character was lost within the maze of corridors and endless rooms and I felt myself feeling increasingly panicky as I read, as if I too was there and lost with them.

The ending was brilliant! It was one of those endings that had been hinted at from early on, it was hiding in plain sight and yet I didn’t guess it. I actually said ‘wait, what?’ out loud when I read it which is really unusual for me. Nobody likes to read a book that is let down by its ending…It Will Just Be Us is not one of those books that’s for sure!

The only disappointment I have is that it was a little slow in pace in the middle. I feel as though there were parts where the story didn’t progress and I found myself forgetting what I had read because it wasn’t holding my attention. When I went back to reread I found that I needn’t have bothered because I hadn’t missed anything. It wasn’t enough to stop me reading but it did knock a star off of my overall rating.

Would I recommend this one? Yes absolutely! I look forward to reading more from this author.

4-5 chilling, scary stars! This book was very well written and developed in a way that actually brought on some real scares! I literally had chills at parts of the book, and loved that it mixed a few genres and seemed to come up with a tantalizing read! It’s definitely full of chills, scares, thrills, and shocks! Highly recommend to those who love a greatly written scary story, with a edge of mystery in the mix!
Will make sure to buzz it up on all the different platforms!