This book was not exactly what I expected. It was an okay read. There is mentions of COVID so if that is a trigger for you be aware. This is a paranormal thriller with creepy, hypnotic vibes.

This was a book of mixed feelings for me. On the one hand, I absolutely loved the writing, although I could see it being too descriptive for some people, but there was a lyrical edge to it that I really enjoyed and it contributed greatly to the atmosphere of the book. In terms of the story itself, I felt like Windwalker achieved what she wanted in quite a short book, and I really liked the ending. There were a few aspects of the story that didn't settle with me. One was the pandemic setting - perhaps just bad timing, but it felt like those bits in particular dragged a lot and took some of the impact out of the other aspects. My other issue was with the characters, especially Sigrun, who didn't feel like she quite filled the shoes she was being given, and I found the relationship between her and Edgar lacking on several levels.

When librarian Sigrun falls head-over-heels for the sophisticated and very married Edgar Leyward, she never expects to find herself in his bed—or his heart. Nevertheless, when his enigmatic wife Octavia dies from a sudden illness, Sigrun finds herself caught up in a whirlwind romance worthy of the most lurid novels on her bookshelves.

This story of horror meets romance was a little too much for me. The author has a unique writing style and the book is well-written. Recommended for someone more adventurous than me!

Sigrun enrolls onto a cookery course to spend time ogling the cookery teacher, Edgar Leyward. She had spotted him previously at a dinner but he had ignored her so she was surprised when he spoke to her at the end of the class and knew her name. She ended up having a drink with him and then they walked the streets until they got to her apartment. She found out he was married and on Valentine’s day, she got to meet his wife, Octavia, at the cookery class when she dropped in. Their nightly walks carried on for a while and then Octavia caught a virus. When she got so she couldn’t breathe, Edgar had to rush her to the hospital and leave her there as he wasn’t allowed in with her.

He got in touch with Sigrun when Octavia died, she could tell he was heartbroken but it just seemed to bring them more together. When he suggested she move in, she did! Their affair grew into love and shortly after, they were married. She then gets a surprise when she finds Edgar has been widowed twice but is still in love with his first love, Devlin, who died at an early age. For Sigrun to learn something of his past loves, he gives her a box of love letters and keepsakes to read and look through at her leisure. Sigrun even gives up work at the library after Edgar suggests it and she realizes she’s not enjoying it anymore. When Sigrun is home more, she stops wearing the goth makeup and starts exploring the house more, even looking at Octavia’s clothes and trying them on which Edgar seemed to like.

Could it be that there was something magical happening in the house? She didn’t feel totally herself anymore but magic didn’t exist, did it? What could be happening to her?

This was a great gothic short story which I really enjoyed reading. The characters were interesting and the story was intriguing as I have never read anything like it before. It certainly appealed to me and I would like to read more of this author’s work as this is the first book of hers I have read. I certainly didn’t expect the ending or the twist that the author had woven into the book, a very good plot.

This book is a blend of sexy romance and mystery, with a sprinkle of paranormal. It was interesting in a way that made me want to keep reading, but the end made me wish that the paranormal idea was introduced sooner. A quick, easy read with a nice little twist.

I unfortunately ended up DNFing this one. I just couldn't get into the writing it's very descriptive and thats something i tend not to like, I found myself reading the pages yet not taking anything in.

Cassondra again creates a wonderfully engaging and three dimensional heroine/narrator in librarian Sigrun. She is entirely aware of who she is, and who she is not ; an unashamedly gothic lover of paranormal fiction who holds her place in the library as a place of safety and security.

Taking up a evening course in cookery, she meets the enigmatic girl-crush Edgar, and finds herself swooning over him as much as the other women in the class , all of whom find him the most delicious dish on the table , the ingredient they all want to cook with, and have done for several years standing.

Sigrun's cooking skills do not exactly improve, however, she gets to observe the beautiful relationship between his ephemeral wife, Octavia, and Edgar whenever she drops casually into the classroom, It is a masterclass of passive/aggressive power play as she firmly stamps her claim on him, whilst illustrating to all the other women that she has no concerns about him at all. After all, look at what he has to come home to...

This overload of sensory descriptions, of smells, tastes and skin feeling creates a smorgasbord of delights so that when the pandemic inserts itself into the story, you keenly feel the absence, just as Sigrun does without her library, without her classes, and, at the start of it all, without hope.

She has chosen a life where she maintains who enters and leaves it-her solitary choices belong to her but when isolation creates that sense of loneliness, it completely makes sense that when Edgar calls, she comes. Quite literally.

Before you know it, and without concessions to feminine swooning or desperation, or any of the other tropes which writers resort to to undermine a strong feminine lead, Cassondra Windwalker has Sigrun and Edgar married. And in a Bluebeard-esque reversal of hiding his past, as a wedding gift, he gives to her his honesty in the form of a box containing letters, pictures and mementoes of Octavia. And his other wives and partners who have died tragically young, in totally believable ways.

As a reader you have this 'Hurray she got her man!' reaction tempered with a 'WHAT did he just do?!' that leaves you on the ropes, this is not what normally happens.

The box becomes a loaded weapon-to read or not to read, is it a test?

Wouldn't your natural curiousity get the better of you as to why all these women, why all this love bound up in ribbons and bows, what does it all mean?

Reading being second nature to Sigrun and diving straight in, the unexpected happens as their lives with Edgar unfold. Are they warnings, portents or something much darker? Will Sigrun herself end up in the box? And once it is opened, can that act ever be undone?

Deeply creepy with resonant descriptions which luxuriate and roll around your mind, I took to Sigrun immediately and felt her authentic , middle aged voice was a revelation.

The underlying menace cuts through the extravagant prose to lightly mark you as you read, but never takes over the story completely, it reminds you of its haunting presence throughout.

I completely devoured it and found it both deliciously dark, and hugely entertaining.

*Also the name Sigrun rings a bell and a quick bit of research shows she was a Valkyrie in Norse mythology*

This was a weird book. It is more of a novella than a full novel and the pace was decent.

From the beginning of Edgar and Sigrun's relationship, all I saw was red flags and I found myself frustrated with Sigrun for not seeing them.

The ending was intriguing and not what I expected after the previous scene.

I would read another Cassondra Windwalker book.

This is such an addictive read! It is quite short – closer to a long novella than a full-length novel, so it is easy to just get sucked in and read it in a single sitting. It starts out as very much a slightly gothic romance, with librarian Sigrun falling for her cooking instructor Edgar, turning from an emotional affair to a full-fledged whirlwind romance when a pandemic hits their community and Edgar suddenly becomes a widower. For a very long time, the story gives the reader the impression that something is very off here, but it is hard to figure out exactly what it is, whether it is supernatural or not, and that makes the book very uncanny to read.

I loved Sigrun as a main character despite all of her flaws – a librarian in her early thirties, and a total goth. As a book lover in their late twenties and a nerdy goth (not quite as all-out as Sigrun though), I totally identified with her, at least on a surface level. Less so when she was being an idiot, but that’s another matter. I’m a bit torn whether I am annoyed with how the book dealt with Sigrun losing herself in the relationship or whether that was extremely cleverly done in terms of plotting and worldbuilding. It definitely leads to a lot of psychological suspense and a story you don’t see every day.

Ultimately this isn’t a book that is deep literature or has any aspirations to be. It is entertainment and it does exactly what it says on the tin. It is the kind of book that would be amazing transported to a visual medium, I think, but while we wait for Netflix to pick up on that, don’t sleep and go read Hold My Place for creep and suspense with a good dose of sexy romance.

When librarian Sigrun falls head-over-heels for the sophisticated and very married Edgar Leyward, she never expects to find herself in his bed—or his heart. Nevertheless, when his enigmatic wife Octavia dies from a sudden illness, Sigrun finds herself caught up in a whirlwind romance worthy of the most lurid novels on her bookshelves. Sigrun soon discovers Octavia wasn't Edgar's first lost love, or even his second. Three women Edgar has loved met early deaths. As she delves into her beloved's past through a trove of discovered letters, the edges of Sigrun identity begin to disappear, fading into the women of the past. Sigrun tells herself it's impossible for any dark magic to be at play—that the dead can't possibly inhabit the bodies of the living—but something shadowy stalks the halls of the Leyward house and the lines between the love of the present and the obsessions of the past become increasingly blurred—and bloody.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own hone\st voluntary review.

This was such a creepy and entertaining read...

With a strange romance brewing between Edgar and Sigrun. When the two meet, Sigrun is drawn to Edgar, who is already married. And when his wife dies, Sigrun gets married to him, believing everything is okay, but unaware of all the secrets he's hiding.

The writing was so compelling. The eerie tone of this book kept me hooked and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I really liked the pacing, the beginning was a little slow, but it built up well to the climax. The fact that Edgar is hiding that he has more than one dead wife was revealed in an interesting way. I thought his character was written really well, and was quite realistic. Sigrun on the other hand, was flawed and suspicious of Edgar from the funeral of his most recent wife, and I was rooting for her.

I think the atmosphere really created this book. It was poetic and haunting, and I can't wait to read more by this author! Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc.

It may be a short book but it packs a heck of a punch. It has it all. Mystery, suspense, romance and a dark force at play. Check it out. A very well told story. Happy reading!

Hold My Place follows Sigrun, a librarian famous for her sense of humor and goth look, who falls madly in love with Edgar Leyward, a celebrity chef and a married man. Is it really an affair if they only connect on an emotional level and never a physical one while Edgar is married?

Pandemic happened and Edgar's wife, Octavia dies due to COVID. Suddenly, Sigrun finds herself in a whirlwind romance and is soon married to Edgar. Bit by bit, she starts losing her personality, herself in this marriage.

Rating: 2.5/5🌟

This was an atmospheric, intriguing and weird book. It started strongly, the gothic style prose is easy to get into. However, the execution's a bit meh. in the middle, the pacing started to slow down yet there's a lot of things happening at the same time which does not go together well. Character-wise, I did not connect with anyone including Sigrun, she's that kind of character where "I'm not the same with other girls" and always trying to find other girls' flaws which is definitely not my thing.

Overall, Hold My Place is an okay read for me. If you like atmospheric books with mystery, romance and paranormal elements, you might enjoy this.

Thank you so much, Black Spot Books for the DRC via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Hold my place by Cassondra Windwalker.
Obsession never dies.
When librarian Sigrun falls head-over-heels for the sophisticated and very married Edgar Leyward, she never expects to find herself in his bed—or his heart. Nevertheless, when his enigmatic wife Octavia dies from a sudden illness, Sigrun finds herself caught up in a whirlwind romance worthy of the most lurid novels on her bookshelves. Sigrun soon discovers Octavia wasn't Edgar's first lost love, or even his second. Three women Edgar has loved met early deaths. As she delves into her beloved's past through a trove of discovered letters, the edges of Sigrun identity begin to disappear, fading into the women of the past. Sigrun tells herself it's impossible for any dark magic to be at play—that the dead can't possibly inhabit the bodies of the living—but something shadowy stalks the halls of the Leyward house and the lines between the love of the present and the obsessions of the past become increasingly blurred—and bloody.
This was a very good read with good characters. I liked the story. I liked Sigrun. 4*.

When I read the synopsis of this book I was super excited, HOWEVER, I was a little disappointed.

Its love at first sight between Edgar, a professional chef, and Sigrun, a goth librarian. There is just something about him that she is mesmerized by, drawing her in. The problem is, he's very married. That doesn't stop them from falling in love. When Edgars wife Octavia dies from the coronavirus, Sigrun doesn't waist any time and becomes his wife within 6 months of Octavia's death. What Sigrun doesn't know is Octavia is not Edgar's first wife that has died-- Brigitte before her and Devlin before her. Even though she thinks its a little weird, she can't help but still be madly in love with Edgar. As a gift to her, he allows her to read all the personal letters and memories from the other 3 loves. Even though it should make her jealous, she is obsessed with getting to know them and inside their thoughts....

soooo, this is pretty much the whole book. Edgar hypnotizing her, and letting her into his past. Literally at 85%, you get a little twist when you find out that <spoiler> Devlin has been transferring her soul from one host body to the next, so she can be with Edgar forever, and she will do the same for him. Sigrun figures this out, but doesn't want any part of it, but its to late. She stabs Edgar, but Devlin has already taken over her body... so she off to find him a new host body... </spoiler> UGH WHAT?!?! This story would have been soooo much better if this concept would have been introduced earlier in the story, and something crazy would have happened... but it didn't. I am a huge fan of paranormal thrillers, but unfortunately this one didn't do it for me.

**note: this book is set during the time of COVID, with deaths, lockdown, quarantine and all the things. Just in case you're not ready for that yet.

Thank you to Netgalley, Blackspot Books, and Cassondra Windwalker for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Librarian Sigrun falls for married Edgar Leyward, but his wife Octavia soon dies from a sudden illness. Their illicit affair soon becomes a whirlwind romance, but the shadow of Edgar's former loves hangs over them. Three women met early deaths, and Sigrun feels the edges of her own identity fade as she reads through their letters. She doesn't think dark magic is real, but shadows stalk the halls of the Leyward house, and the lines between the past and present blur.

The tagline is "Obsession never dies," and that's certainly true. I'm not a fan of cheating in stories, so it helps that nothing physical happens until after Octavia died of COVID. It's still emotional cheating, but Sigrun maintains a distance until he falls apart in the wake of Octavia's death. She's a goth librarian and he's a gourmet chef and learns of his losses quickly when she comforts him in his grief. It's a rapid whirlwind of emotion, leading to moving in three weeks after the funeral. As the pandemic raged in early 2020, there's only Sigrun and Edgar in his Art Deco house; it's the perfect setting for a Gothic, Blackbeard's wife kind of story.

The opening prologue gives an impending sense of doom to the entire beginning of the book. It was a fast read for me, the end coming quickly and not quite what I expected it to be. It definitely sparks questions, and the ending is reminiscent of psychological horror or ghost story movies. If you enjoy those kinds of movies and stories, this is definitely the book for you.

If you're like me, the title intrigued you...because HELLO...bookworm! It evoked a certain curiosity because bookmarks are used to hold your place, temporarily...and the way the plot unfolds, is very much indicative of that meaning.

Sigrun was a unique character and certainly not your typecast librarian, but today's world shouldn't be surprised by that at all because it takes all types to make this world go round, and judging a book or person by their cover is so last century. Anywho, she's her own person and very much a live wire...which sparks all the brighter when she happens upon another soul that she feels drawn to down to her very bones. It doesn't matter that he's married, he being Edgar, or that the other woman (or rather, the first woman, aka his wife) even visits the class she is attending simply to be closer to him. It's enough to spend time with him...for now. The thing is, if distance makes the heart grow fonder...constant awareness and exposure apparently makes the heart grow obsessive...and that obsession has bigger outcomes than simply getting what she thinks she wants. You see, there are other forces at work here, things her friends have tried to warn her about despite not knowing the whole story because red flags are red flags, but when the heart wants what it wants...reason goes out the window. Too bad that reason was the only thing left to hold on to...

I won't go into further detail for the sake of the story, as it is best experienced first hand. However, I will say, though intriguing and twisty, I find myself decidedly on the other side of obsession...or at the very least tales of. The only single mindset, the object of their attention being pretty much the only things they focus on...it just doesn't hit the right notes for this reader...but to each their own and if it IS your cup of tea, than this is definitely one you shouldn't skip out on!

This was a pretty good gothic thriller. I liked Sigrun and found her unique compared to a lot of other thriller heroines that sometimes seem to be the same person over and over.
It was written pretty well and had a decent creepiness factor.

This is a most unusual book! Took a while for me to figure out what was going on but once I did I couldn't wait to see what was next. I really enjoyed the way the author writes even though the subject matter is not my favorite. This is a mystery with a little bit of sci to thrown it. If you are looking to read something other than the same old, same old this is the book for you!