"Such Pretty Flowers" by K.L. Cerra is one creepy story! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I loved the gothic elements and the feelings of darkness and dread created by the author's words. The plot is creative and unlike anything I've read before; I was completely drawn into the story and didn't want to put the book down. This is the kind of book that tempts the reader to forgo all adult responsibilities until that last page is read. With a setting like historical Savannah, a brutal suicide, a maybe haunted house with gargoyles, mysterious black roses, and peculiar characters, fans of Southern Gothic Horror will not be disappointed by this book. It's a slow build, but this only adds to the claustrophobic and foreboding atmosphere. Four shiny stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the privilege of reading ad advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Such Pretty Flowers was a luke-warm horror.

Holly is battling grief in the wake of her brother, Dane's, suicide. The story twists and turns into Holly figuring out exactly what had taken place.

I feel like this book would have benefitted from being marketed more as a thriller than as a horror?? I just felt like there could have been, for a lack of a better term here, **more** but only in regard to the horror elements?

I believe my expectations were skewed, this felt more New Adult Thriller to me than it did Adult Horror?

Those things aside, I thought the story was great, the writing and imagery really stands out through the first person narration, and the representation I believe was well done.

This book was extremely unsettling at times. The author did a great job of painting every gory pictures. Lots of trigger warnings with this one but I really enjoyed it.

The premise of this book was so vastly intriguing to me--I haven't read a book with anything similar to it. Because I'm from Georgia, the setting appealed to me because I've spent so much time in Savannah, and often looking for the creepier / haunted aspects of it. I don't think this was executed as well as it could've been; it felt a bit rushed at the end. I did, however, love the suspense buildup and the feel of being lured into a spider's web. Very cool read.

3⭐️

“Get it out, oh god. Get it out of me.”

That was the last text Holly received from her brother Dane the night he committed suicide. In the months leading up to his death, Dane had begun to show signs of psychosis. But he had began to see a psychiatrist and moved in with his perfect girlfriend Maura. Which is why the graphic way Dane decided to kill himself was so shocking.

Following Dane’s funeral, Holly moves in with Holly to try to gain more information. Why is there nothing of Dane’s in the house? Why is Maura so protective of her greenhouse? What’s with the black roses? And why does it feel like something is growing inside Holly, too?

This had potential: a southern gothic horror story with a queer romance surrounded by potentially carnivorous plants? Great. But the execution wasn’t quite there.

Holly is so dismissive of her brother’s mental health issues that it’s off putting. She completely blew him off any chance she had to avoid his “delusions.” And her ability to completely disregard every red flag thrown at her is a red flag in and of itself.

I also don’t think I would consider this a ‘queer romance.’ It was more of a manipulative hookup then some gaslighting and Stockholm Syndrome.

Thank you Netgalley and Bantam for providing this ARC to me!

This was a wild ride from start to finish. It was a mixture of southern gothic mystery, forbidden sexual attraction, a deeper look at grief and and internalized feelings of how others view us and the need to be seen and felt, and a slight touch of horror. For me, one of the biggest stars of the novel were the plants. I was so intrigued by the botany/poison aspect that I really wanted to learn more about that.

Impossibly addictive and beautifully written, this gorgeous Gothic story gripped me like a vine. Holly received a text message from her brother right before he killed himself in an incredibly gruesome manner. She needs answers and thinks that Maura, her brother’s girlfriend, has them. She tries to get close to her to investigate and ends up engulfed in a world she’s not prepared for. Holly is not someone I’d be friends with. To be honest, she is your typical millennial, self-involved and selfish. She begrudges her best friend getting married and buying a house with her fiancé because it’s inconvenient to get her own apartment. How I ended up liking her and rooting for her was surprising. Her obsession with her brother’s suicide is understandable and she is not dumb. Maura is a florist, and her knowledge of plants is worked into the plot and enriches it, either by adding some local Savannah legends or facts about flowers and their meaning and effects. The writing is so atmospheric and colorful that you can almost smell the scents in Maura’s house. The mansion is amazing and the loving description of the city makes you want to visit. Everything: the plot, the characters and the setting are wonderfully done. Simply excellent!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam!

Southern Gothic thriller is a really good desription of this book.

Holly's brother Dane apparently committed suicide in a particularly grisly way, shortly after he texted his sister a couple of messages. One said that his fiance Maura wanted to play a game, and the final message said "get it out of me".

Holly is consumed by grief and remorse that she didn't text him back or go and find him, Holly starts to follow Maura, and insert herself into Maura's life in the hope of finding out what really happened to her brother. When Maura offers Holly a place to stay, Holly is drawn into Maura's dark and sinister world. What is with the black roses that Maura grows, and what are the potions and services that Maura provides for some of the local high society?

When Holly finally realises she may be the next victim ( a little too slowly), she has the battle of her life to escape.

This was a gripping tale, and a creepy one at that. I certainly had the hairs raised on the back of my neck at several times during the reading of this book. It veered into the weird as the plot continued. I struggled a little with some of the choices that Holly made, to the point that I yelled at the book a couple of times to tell her to "Get out of there!"

Overall it was definitely and interesting read, and a different plot. A little close to the horror genre for me.

Such Pretty Flowers had such a pretty cover and synopsis that I had to read!

First Impressions:
I loved the imagery in this book. How the author describes Maura’s townhome when Holly moves in; all lovely flowers, chandeliers and jewel tones. Then slowly the atmosphere changes and the plants have strangling vines and mirrors seems to reflect nightmares.

Holly and Maura have an almost “strangling vine” type of relationship as well. Maura is always desperately grasping and Holly is always left confused and uncomfortable about her own feelings.

Wonderful book! I found I wanted to read fast to find out what happens next. Would suggest for those who like their horror mixed with a sense of slowly building dread.

This was an eerie, atmospheric psychological thriller that I enjoyed from the beginning. I loved that the setting takes place in Savanah. Perfect for this creepy book. My only issue is the story is very predictable and this is why I took one star away. Overall, it was a great read!

This one.....creeped me the hellllllll out.

LGBTQ thriller/horror at it's finest.

Holly loves her brother so she's wrecked when he kills himself. Before he does, he's texted her a series of paranoid texts all involving his mysterious sophisticated girlfriend, Maura. Maura....who Holly can't help but be attracted and drawn to.

This book is full of mystery and bizarre....almost mist, guiding the reader along....drawing them deeper and deeper into the story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really wanted to like this. I was so intrigued by the premise but it just fell flat for me. I found the characters unlikable and hard to root for. I don’t mind horror and some mythical/ghost things but this went a little too far into weird for me. I will say it was a quick read and I had to keep going to see how it ended.

"A woman investigating her brother's apparent suicide finds herself falling for her prime suspect - his darkly mysterious girlfriend - in this "creepy, compelling, and utterly original" (Karen Dionne) thriller.

"Get it out of me."

It was the last message Holly received from her brother, Dane, before he was found cleaved open in the lavish Savannah townhouse of his girlfriend, Maura. Police ruled his death a suicide sparked by psychosis, but Holly can't shake the idea that something else must have happened - something involving another message he sent earlier that night about a "game" Maura wanted to play.

Determined to discover the truth, Holly begins to stalk Maura, a magnetic, black-eyed florist with a penchant for carnivorous plants. But what begins as an investigation quickly veers into a fixation that lures Holly into the depths of Maura's world: Savannah high society, eerie black roses, and a whisper of something more sinister. Soon Holly is feeling a dark attraction to the one woman she shouldn't trust. As Holly falls deeper for Maura and her secrets, she's left with only one choice: find out what happened to Dane or meet the same fate."

Rule number one, don't fall for anyone your sibling dated.

The last text Holly received from her brother just said, “Get it out of me.” His mental health had been going down for a while, but no one could have guessed he’d cleave himself open from neck to belly button. Holly knows there was more to it, and she begins to ingratiate herself with his girlfriend, Maura. The more she explores, the more she also gets ensnared in Maura’s world of plants and secrets. Can she figure out what’s going on before it’s too late for her, too?

I read this over Christmas and couldn’t put it down, finishing it in under three days. Every time Holly made a decision, I was yelling at her in my head, “Girl, don’t do it!” But I wanted to know what was going on as much as she did, and as the plot unfolded, I got more invested in the outcome. Definitely recommend for a thrilling, suspenseful ride with excellent touches of horror. It’s out on February 7, 2023 wherever you get your books.

A solid psychological thriller. The characters are interesting and the author did a fantastic job of creating an atmosphere of subtle threatening imagery. The story kept me guessing and i didn’t want to put it down. I would definitely recommend it to fans of both psychological thrillers and horror. A real page turner!

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine in exchange for an honest review!

Such Pretty Flowers by K. L. Cerra is a blend of horror and thriller that you won't be able to put down. The story revolves around Holly, who is investing her brother Dane's death. The police say that he died by suicide, but Holly thinks something else happened. Before he died, he sent her a cryptic and chilling text. Was his girlfriend Maura involved in his death? And why is Maura so attractive to Holly?

Here is a chilling excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Maura brought pomegranates to Dane’s funeral reception. It was an odd choice and I mentioned this to Rachel, the hard pew edge biting into my thigh.
“What’s wrong with pomegranates?” Rachel said.
I pictured a halved pomegranate. Those wreaths of slick, pink organs made my skin scuttle over my bones, just like when I looked too closely at a wasp’s nest or a strawberry. I’d googled the sensation: trypophobia. Fear of holes and circle clusters. But this felt too exhausting to explain in a whisper.
“Haven’t you heard of Persephone and Hades? Referencing eternal damnation to the underworld feels a tad insensitive, today of all days.”

Overall, Such Pretty Flowers is a horrifying thriller that really made me want to see what happened next. One highlight of this book is how unputdownable it was. I couldn't stop reading! I did take off 1 star because I had mixed feelings about the reveal. It won't appeal to everyone since it felt more "fantastic" than "realistic." I'm sure fans of the horror genre will appreciate it though. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers or horror in general, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in February!

What I thought was going to be a delectable horror romance was nothing short of a Lifetime movie narrative with an underwhelming depiction of a sapphic romance. I really like the gothic, southern setting in this book. Especially with Savannah being a notoriously known town for haunts and spooks. I liked the detail of botany and the depth of it. The atmosphere was constructed just right, too.

I wouldn’t say to not give this book a chance. But maybe going into it with littler expectations than I had will set you up for a better outcome.

4.5 stars but rounding up!

Wow this one surprised me. I absolutely loved it. It was so unique that I ate it up. I live for weird books and oh was this one weird (but in the best way possible!) It was suspenseful, eerie, creepy at times, and kept me guessing until the very end! Holly investigates her brother’s strange and sudden death, finding things aren’t always what they seem. Holly’s fascination and borderline obsession with Maura, her deceased brother’s girlfriend, made me cringe yet was also so much fun to read. The further in she got the more I wanted to scream, “DANGER AHEAD! TURN BACK!” Super intrigued throughout. Definitely a fun ride, especially the wild ending. I really enjoyed Cerra’s writing giving definite chilling thriller with its fast paced plot. If you’re looking for a mysterious read with a botanical element, absolutely check with one out!

Release Date: February 7, 2023

Thank you so much to K. L. Cerra, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for my advance reader copy in exchange for my honest feedback!

“Get it out of me.” was the last message Holly received from her brother, Dane. He was found dead in his fiancé’s townhouse. The policed ruled it as a suicide but Holly isn’t so sure that something else didn’t happen..

I really loved the atmosphere of this story. I love Savannah GA so I’m instantly drawn to any book set there. The plot was very intriguing. A lot of mystery and eerie feels throughout the story. The writing was great and you definitely like the majority of the characters. Overall, I enjoyed my time reading it. I’m interested to see what K.L. Cerra comes out with next!

If you love eerie, gothic and thrilling books then I highly recommend picking this one up on February 7th when it’s released!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House for the e-arc!

This is a really spooky story. The author has created some spectacular characters that readers are sure to love. The tension between Holly and Maura make for a very dramatic plot. As Holly investigates her brothers death there will be many odd things uncovered. The pacing of the story is also great as clues are released in increments that keep the story steadily interesting.