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.

The premise of this book really intrigued me and I was not disappointed. I enjoyed how different narratives we're used to tell this great mystery/gothic romance. I loved how it all came together in the end. I'm struggling to articulate how good this story was. I loved it okay!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

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 hangmans noose. She's then wisked 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 and while trying to avoid the prophecy of her death in la mer.

Overall this was a good book and I can't wait to have a hard copy on my shelf

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher- - for allowing me to receive an arc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


This was a fun one. Sort of Enola Holmes vibes, Jane Eyre Meets Clue vibes. Characters are great, our main protagonist is lovely, funny, witty, street smart and cunning.. I’d love to see a sequel!

This was as advertised, a fun, Victorian gothic murder mystery featuring a female con artist/swindler who conducts fake seances. Love the idea, and it was cute. It didn't pack as much of a punch as I expected, however, since it really felt very YA.

2.5/5

This was an OK read. The premise really intrigued me and the gorgeous cover drew me to the book, but the execution fell flat. Meyers did a decent job establishing the gothic atmosphere. The mystery was predictable and there was more character development needed. The middle dragged quite a bit. I was happy I was correct about the ending tho!

Overall, it’s a solid quick read for those searching for a gothic mystery with a dash of romance.

Huge thanks to William Morrow & NetGalley for providing this arc in exchange for my honest review!

This was a solid, good read. The gothic atmosphere was well established, the main characters were likeable and the mystery draws you in. It does get a little chaotic in the ending-- I was not expecting it to end that way, but it's still entertaining. Anyone looking for an atmospheric mystery will enjoy this!

This was a quick, fun Gothic read. Some twists felt pretty obvious, though there were a few that surprised me.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a meh for me. The cover art and description were both enticing but it just fell flat. The plot was pretty interesting. I love a seance/swindler heist with twists and turns but I just didn’t care much for the characters and it dragged on.

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC of this book.

Was very drawn in by the cover and the synopsis of the book. While this is supposed to be a gothic tale, I still found the pacing of the book to be uneven. Halfway through I felt this to be quite slow, but the ending also wrapped up too quickly and a little too conveniently for me. Some of the main character's back story with her mother also felt very shoe-horned in, especially in comparison to the other chapters that aren't from the main character's point of view. I also didn't really feel the chemistry of the romance. In terms of the mystery, I was able to guess a culprit very early on, though I was still disappointed by one of the twists at the end. Overall this book just wasn't for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

Closer to 4.5 stars. I enjoyed this! It moved at a good pace that made it hard to put down at times. I had some suspicions on the twists but most of my guesses were off the mark. I wouldn't mind seeing more from the characters in future stories.

A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers is a great gothic novel that has a bit of mystery, suspense, and romance all wrapped up into one.

I really enjoyed dabbling in this entertaining and relaxing Gothic fiction. It was smooth and easy to read in regards of pacing, narrative, plot, and subject matter.

I liked how the author crafted a story that placed the reader into the historical context, all the while adding a spooky, Gothic feel that really added to the mystery, suspense, and intrigue. The slow burn of a romance was a great addition as well. It gave a softer edge to the storyline.

I loved the setting of Somerset Park estate set in London during the Victorian era. Such a perfect backdrop to add that magical, “spiritual” atmosphere.

I liked Genevieve. She was fun, sassy, relatable, and made a great con-artist and a great other half to the parter in crime, Mr. Pemberton. There were twists and turns, surprises, and I was thoroughly engaged to follow along on their sleuthing.

Very entertaining.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you NG and William Morrow for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 8/23/22.

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this one. The premise sounded like something I'd love and I was drawn to the cover, but the execution did not work for me. The writing style just wasn't my cup of tea. It felt very juvenile, definitely read more like YA or even middle grade than adult. Many elements of the mystery felt glaringly obvious, others just seemed silly to me. There were some twists and turns I didn't see, but I didn't really care about any of the characters or feel any chemistry in the romance. I was bored most of the way through and never really connected with the book. I'd have DNF'd early on, but it was an ARC so I finished it, but it just was not a good match for my reading tastes.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance to read this early!

I enjoy gothic romances mixed with mystery. So when I saw the blurb for this I knew I just had to grab it.

What makes it different than previous gothic romances is that the main character is a sham, a pretender who claims to be clairvoyant. After being caught at her last house, she is courted by the lawyer of a recently-widowed male. His bride to be was rumored to have gone insane and thrown herself off a cliff to her watery death. Yet, there is talk of ghosts of previous heirs in the family haunting the estate, they too also died due to a curse.

I love when you get all those elements mixed in with a character who has secrets of her own and is semi on-the-run from cops.

Then the romance. I thought the romance was a well done slow build and the way the story was written I was unsure as to who was behind the death of the wife and what was going on at the estate.

The reason I marked it down a star is that while I enjoyed it I got a YA feel from it? I don't think the author meant for it to be YA but it came off very YA for me.

All in all, if you enjoy gothic romances mixed with mystery this is a great one to grab!

I loved this book! The pacing for the story was perfect and the character development was great. The story itself was entertaining, the atmosphere of the setting so fitting, and some of the dialogue was hilarious. I greatly enjoyed the slow-burn romance, as well. The only thing that would have made it five-stars for me was if I couldn't have guessed some of the plot twists, but I read books similar to this a lot. Being able to guess the plot twists didn't make the book less enjoyable, at all.

This is a very interesting and entertaining read. The author is an excellent writer and storyteller and kept my interest throughout the entire novel. I loved all the details concerning seances and ghosts and and haunted mansions. It was fascinating and fun to read. Twists and turns and some suspense and romance gives this novel five stars from me. Highly recommend!

The Dreadful Splendor was splendidly dreadful! With séances, ghosts, a creepy estate by the ocean, and lots of twists! I read it in one sitting. I could not put it down! I was sure that the murderer was each character at different parts of the book.

Jenny was a multifaceted character that became more developed in every chapter. I longed to know her secrets!

Author B. R. Myers also spins a slow burning romance that has me melting. It’s the perfect pick for fans of Victorian history, mysteries, and Gothic romance.