Whoa! What a ride. It was very fast-paced. The writing style kept me hooked and I didn't find myself losing any interest. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and how real the story felt. The author did a great job painting the setting, so it was easy for me to visualize the scene played out before me. I recommend giving this one a chance!

I love Gothic romance and was excited about the way A Dreadful Splendor adds mystery, too -- not to mention a spiritualist! However, despite all these elements, I didn't find myself falling in love with A Dreadful Splendor. Some elements are predictable, some are confusing, and overall I simply found that the book lacked those elements that would keep me raptly turning pages.

I would recommend A Dreadful Splendor to a Gothic enthusiast, but otherwise, I think this one can be skipped.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! Oh this was so much fun! It was confusing, but in a great way where I wasn’t sure what would happen next and the ending was definitely a great surprise. This was a great mystery book for sure.

Rating: 3 /5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read mystery one out of every 10 books. I read Keep that in mind.

You had me at gothic romance. Mystery, suspense, twisty. Slow to start, but once you hit the halfway point, it really got some good things going. The twist kept coming and coming. I really didn't know what would happen and was still left with questions at the end. It was better the second time I read it through after getting the hang of the writing style. The premise of a fake spiritualist who is a murderer could have really gone somewhere if the book's first half wasn't super slow and the second half was less confusing. OVerall you might need to read this once or twice if the mystery isn't your normal gene.

Thank you to netgalley & William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a spooky historical mystery! A con artist heroine is always a plus and the plot was really engaging.

A Dreadful Splendor evoked strong Gothic vibes throughout the story and it felt like I was back in Wuthering Heights, on the moors with Heathcliff! There are no moors in this story, but there are cliffs and swirling ocean waves. B.R. Myers does an excellent job setting up the characters of Genevieve and Mr. Pemberton along with the setting of Somerset Park. If you mix Beauty and the Beast with the Gothic undertones of Wuthering Heights with a dash of mystery, you would get this fantastic murder mystery. Throughout the story, I had no idea what would happen next or who the murderer was, I was just along for the ride. I hope the author continues to write more about these characters, I can't get enough!

A wonderful Gothic romance that reminds me of Scooby-Doo in a more mature less cartoony way. There aren't really any ghosts or ghoulies in this book ( or are there?? just a girl trying to get over her guilt and save herself from the hangman's noose. She's then whisked away to a crumbling house on the edge of the sea where she's to pretend to talk to the ghost of a murdered woman and ease the pain and suffering of the house. However, everything goes wrong and she discovered the truth while trying to avoid the prophecy of her death in la mer.

I really liked the gothic and the romance elements of this book, but I did find it to be incredibly slow in the beginning and hoped that the action would have happened sooner. I also found the voice to be a bit younger than I was anticipating.

This was a delightful read from start to finish. Wonderful mystery elements, a tightly written plot, an immersive atmosphere, and characters that leapt off the page.

Sumptuous and twisting!! I was so entertained by A Dreadful Splendor with all its turns and pacing. It’s one of those rare stories where you love all the ghastly villains!! The dashing hero was a flesh and blood—and blonde Mr. Darcy. Totally enjoyable!

A young woman finds herself in trouble after doing séances for grieving families. In a promise to represent her in trial, a solicitor asks help in finding peace for the Earl of Chadwick after his fiancée’s death. This story kept me guessing the entire time. I loved how complex the characters relationships intertwined with one another.

I was gifted an advanced copy by William Morrow and Net Galley to read and review honestly and voluntarily.

This was a fun read! I always enjoy a gothic romance here and there, and this fits the mood while also providing an easy romantic feel. It follows Genevieve Timmons, a spiritualist who stages seances in order to scrape by a living in London. Her situation changes when she's caught and sentenced to death but is whisked away to a stately English manor before it can be carried out. The book includes Genevieve's POV as well as diary entries that lead us further into the mystery that unfolds featuring a wide cast of characters where everyone is a suspect. This book kept me up at night in the best way, not because of spirits and creaky old homes, but because I had to know how everything played out in the end!
As always, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy!
I got mixed feelings about this book. It’s not that good but it’s not bad too. I don’t even really sure about the genres in this book. They’re probably YA historical fiction and suspense. The first 50% of the book just roams about the main character’s situation in Somerset Park and the background history surrounding Somerset Park. It’s pretty slow and if you’re not into that shit or if you don’t like the MC, you’ll probably DNF’ed this book early. Shits start happening in the next 50% of the book.

I got disappointed and confused throughout the next 50% of the book (because it’s probably YA mystery). What happens at the end doesn’t make any sense. The twists are everywhere but also out of nowhere. Well, people die at the end of the book but again, it doesn’t make any sense. I hate it when the story spins right away toward a direction that is absolute nonsense. Like the way Lady Audra still alive and wants revenge while she actually caught in love between those three men (ehem no, they’re only two of them). The ending is likable and sad (because our MC’s mother was killed by the boarding house owner…I forgot her name).

My first gothic romance and this one did not disappoint. Mystery, suspense, and romance all in one story.. say less. I was drawn to this book by the summary and stayed for the morally grey main character and the seances. Unlike most mystery books I read, where I can almost always tell who is "shady" or the culprit... this one had me thinking every single character at one point was the villain in disguise. My only knock on this book was that it read like a YA book, and I am not sure if it was marked as one, but there are some more adult themes intertwined throughout. All in all, I would recommend this fast-paced, gothic murder mystery romance book to anyone who is looking for a fun read and has an appreciation for ghosts.

I'm glad that gothic mysteries are being supported and published. This had all the classic gothic elements. The second half of the book did feel a little juvenile at times, especially the romance. This would be a great introduction to gothic romance.

Despite not being one to typically read gothic fiction, I was drawn to the premise of this book and was pleasantly surprised with how much I appreciated this story Although the plot started off a little slow for me, I was completely drawn in by the end and invested in the conclusion. I found the mystery and plot twist to be surprising enough yet not unreasonable, and everything wrapped up quite nicely. Genevieve as a main character and narrator was amusing; morally gray and self-serving, you're presented with her honest takes on each character and situation, and I found her surprisingly reliable. Overall, I gave this story 4.1 stars for a great mix of mystery, romance, and gothicism with a solid ending.

Victorian gothic romances are soooooo my thing. I wish there were more of them. That being said - this one just did not work for me and I DNF at about the 60% mark.

Genevieve Timmons is a spirtual medium and a fraud. She learned from an early age how to read people and make them believe. She's now in a lot of trouble with the police - and is bailed out by a gentleman looking for her to do a fake séance in relation to the mysterious death of a young woman. Mr. Pemberton who is also the Earl of something - was the fiance of the young woman. He knows immediately that Genevieve is a fraud - but wants her to proceed anyway to hopefully expose who murdered his fiancé.

The whole premise sounds perfectly interesting and delightful - only it wasn't for me. I didn't like either Genevieve or Pemberton. I wasn't interested enough in the outcome to read through to the end. The story just dragged for me. I think it was because Genevieve was playing both sides throughout - which was understandable - but I felt I needed her to make a connection to someone to have a shared mission or a shared investigation. I guess I don't love it when even the main character keeps important information from us - and I felt like that was happening

I wanted to love it - but I just didn't.

I received this via NetGalley as anARC, but these opinions are all my own.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoy a good mystery that I can't guess the ending of right off. This was a fun read with good twists. It felt s little slow at times but was paced well overall. Genevieve is smart and spunky and keeps the plot moving.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Genevieve Timmons is a spiritualist during the Victorian Era in London. Well, at least she poses as one. After a seance gone wrong, she is saved from certain death by a stranger with an odd offer. Help his employer find peace after the sudden death of his young bride-to-be and he will have her freedom. After arriving at the estate, Genevieve discovers that nothing is what it seems, least of all the brooding young Lord she is meant to offer peace.

Honestly, I enjoyed this book so much! It was engaging, witty, and had a little of all the things I love in a book. There's a mystery, spooky stuff, and a romance, and best of all, it's all done so well! Genevieve is spunky, sassy, and tough, but underneath it, all is a young woman just looking for something that is her own. Most of all, she's incredibly smart and independent in a time in which those words weren't ascribed to women. there were clever little twists in the mystery that I appreciated. Best of all, this book was just fun.! It's a 4.5 stars from me!

This was a well done mystery novel. The setting and time period are perfect for the story and I could almost smell the salt air. Plenty of roller coaster moments and red herrings, leaving you wondering “Who isn’t a suspect?”. I was guessing up until the final reveal and it will blow you away. My only disappointment was it’s not a series…that would have been a good one! Well worth reading if you are a mystery fan.