This Southern gothic novel's descriptive writing oozes off the page with the heavy scent of magnolia and old books. The author's ability to envelop you in the mansion's atmosphere as they unspool the plot makes this the type of novel you'll stay up way past your bedtime to complete.

*Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for the chance to review this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review*

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher/author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Okay, I actually really liked this book. I dig the southern gothic haunted house vibes it gave off. Living near Georgia put this in a different perspective. Also I like the use of a lot of “y’all” its very authentic. The cover is beautiful and I’ve been digging the flowery girl aesthetic a lot of books are doing lately. I was looking for good books for spooky season and this got approved just in time for me.

This story deals heavily with grief and how to come to terms with it. As someone who is very close to my brother, I felt so bad for Holly. I would feel the exact same way she did. I can’t judge her for the things she did while she was experiencing such horrible grief. This is a type of horror novel where things unravel slowly. It’s a very subtle horror that sort of creeps up on you. You see strange things and things that are out of place and you don’t really know what’s going on till the end. I had placed my beats about what was going on and was proven wrong so bravo book for stumping me! The random black page in the book freaked me out for no reason at all honestly.

I appreciated that the “romance” here very much more like obsession. It is obvious that there is an attraction here but it feels very “you’re mine and I’ll do what I want with you”. It feels like Maura is just using the fact that she can make others attracted to her as an advantage. Did Holly even actually like Maura? Also the plant language was interesting. As someone who doesn’t know a thing about plants, I could tell that certain things probably weren’t good and it was cool that it was explained.

I also sort of felt bad for Maura. It was obvious she was an insecure girl who wanted people to like her and accept her. She wanted her Mother to be proud of her. Does that make what she did right? Of course not. A few of the decisions done by Holly were so dumb that I felt myself wanting to scream a little. I know at the end she clears it up with a little bit of reasoning, but I still think if certain things had been clocked as suspicious none of it would have happened.

All in all this was a great debut book. I could feel a sense of dread and discomfort as I was reading. Being in Holly’s POV and feeling what she’s feeling and seeing what she’s seeing as she thinks she’s slowly going insane was very interesting and eye opening. I’m very interested in whatever else the author has planned next!

This one has all the promise of being a great southern horror book.

In Savannah, we have Holly who receives a cryptic message from her brother Zane saying, "Get it out of me" Then the next thing we know he has committed suicide: By ripping himself open with a cleaver in his fiancé's townhouse. Unnerved, Holly starts to investigate starting with Maura, Dane's fiancé and finds herself being closer and closer to her until she actually moves in with her.

Man, I really wanted to like this book..... The plot ends up being sinister but the characterization was just so poor. Holly ends up being just one dimensional with no personality and she has a job and best friend that you didn't care about. It was just badly written. Even the prose seemed really awkward and not situational at all.

I did like the plot but never could get past the problems mentioned above to really care too much about this book. I think there is a fanbase for it out there but just not me. I did read the whole book so as per my rating system I have it the minimum three stars.

I really appreciate Random House Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to review this book and it has a publication date of February 7, 2023.

Advance reader copy given free for honest review.

This read y'all... holy moly! Gripping, thrilling... I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The setting was perfect, giving southern gothic but... a bit different. Cerra did a PERFECT job of giving that misty creepy spooky ambiance.

This book is creeeeepy, but in the best way possible. The creepiness is a slow build… at first everything seems normal, until suddenly it isn’t.

it’s hard to tell what’s going on with the story and characters for a good majority of the book, but not in a confusing way, more in a suspenseful way. Was this character really going through mental health problems? What really caused this person to die? Is this person who they say they are? And are they as innocent as they sometimes seem, or as evil as they seem at other times? All of these questions and more ran through my head while reading this book, until I got closer to the end.

The ending, luckily, answered all of my questions and then some. The entire story came together and made perfect sense.

This is a really unique book. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and imagination. I can’t wait to read more by them!

I don’t read a lot of my artery or horror books. But this book right here. Was amazing, I truly enjoyed and kept me wanting to read more. 4 stars.

Best thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I delved into this well written book completely and thoroughly entertained.

Oh, good lord.

An e-ARC was given to me through Net-Galley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity!

I... I actually really liked this one. I started it a few days ago and it was something I was waiting to get back to reading. <i>Such Pretty Flowers</i> is a horror novel, mildly horrifying and I think I'm going to wake up with cold sweat for the next few days because Maura and her plants are... nightmare-inducing, if anything.

It was certainly well-written, but Holly's characterisation was slightly irritating because everything about her felt like a "oh, maybe I should give her a job. And a best friend." Maura was done really well, though. She seemed so fascinating, I was vaguely concerned that I'd find her the most interesting character in the story.

And of course, how could I not talk about the gothic-haunted-house aspect? Novels like <i>Mexican Gothic</i> (which I loved) and <i>Rebecca</i> (which I loved on the third read) do something similar and give the house such a strong character that I immediately connected Maura's place to the haunted houses in these other novels.

I'd recommend this book in general! It felt like something was missing, though, and that was probably Holly as a character-- and the main character. I really do struggle with first-person POV books.

True rating: 3.5

I was so excited for this one! The synopsis is giving all of the vibes I need to start the Halloween season off right, but this story was a bit too out there for me.

When it comes to horror, I guess I prefer cosy atmospheric spookiness (if that's a thing). So when a plot ventures into the realm of weird or eccentric, I tend to lose interest. Which is what happened with this one.

I think if this had leaned more into the Southern gothic roots and explored more of the haunted nature of Savannah, the secrets of its high society, and its ghosts stories, I would have enjoyed this a lot more. It's the prefect setting for this kind of story, so for it go in a completely different direction feels like missed potential to me.

All in all, this isn't a horrible story. It's quick and easy to read. It actually reminded me a lot of ‘Mexican Gothic’ and ‘Wilder Girls’ in terms of weirdness so, if you enjoyed those books, then this might be one to look forward to!

This was a well written book though it fell a little short for me. If you’re in the mood for a supernatural horror bisexual floral ghost saga (and who wouldn’t be?) then this will do the trick. Bonus points that it takes place in Savanna. Parts were vaguely unsatisfying and some questions went unanswered but it was an engrossing read as it went on.

This one was a slow burn. There were a lot of times that I found myself really annoyed with Holly and the choices she made (but at the same time, you knew she had to make them to have the story go forward). She also didn't have much of a personality and her job and one friend almost felt like an afterthought.

As a side note, the cover is really pretty but I feel like this might be a hot new trend? I looked at my "Want to Read" list and this is the third book featured with a girl's face and flowers.

Belladonna (Belladonna, #1) by Adalyn Grace and House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

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

First off, thank you so much to #Netgalley, the publisher and especially the author for this ARC!

This book was so good, I was hooked right away…. This plot is so different than anything I’ve read thus far and that’s what drew me in. It’s a creepy, psychological thriller and I am definitely buying a copy for my own collection once it’s released! I would say go in blind and enjoy the ride!

What a cool book! This was gripping and thrilling and I couldn’t wait to figure out what the ending was going to be. I really loved all of the characters and the setting was perfect especially reading this in the fall, I love the spooky vibes of Maura’s condo. A great thriller for anyone who likes something a little out of the ordinary. Thanks for much for the ARC!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A very gothic, dark twisted piece.

Gothic, dark, eerie, stimulating, queer, surprising and jaw dropping! Sold, sold and again sold!

This is one of the creepiest stories I’ve devoured! The characters are intriguingly peculiar, quirky, one of a kind! Especially the main character Holly, in her mid twenties, quirky, introvert librarian, just lost her brother who committed brutal suicide: trying to tear up his body with a knife!

Holly keeps questioning herself for being too late to answer her brother’s text telling her he was going to play another weird game with his girlfriend! From the beginning Holly thinks something off about Maura: the extinguished, sophisticated, fancy girlfriend of her brother.

After starting to date for only two months, her brother moved to her house. Maura played the role of supporting girlfriend, hanging out with Holly’s mother for mani pedis and coffee breaks as Holly keeps her distance. Did she envy her brother or did she also get worried things have been changing about him too quickly?

After having seizures, her brother’s paranoia gets out of control and last time she sees her face to face, he tells her something sinister is growing inside of him. But what?
Could brother tell her the truth? Was it a delusion he’s been talking about or was something sinister happening to him related with his girlfriend?

Holly decides to get closer to Maura’s circle to learn more about her secrets. When her own best friend decides to move to a condo with her future husband, Holly starts looking for places to move and Maura’s offer to live at her gothic mansion seems like a good opportunity for nosing around.

Holly already catches a few lies of Maura. And she gets more curious what she’s hiding at her greenhouse. Why she keeps those black roses under the glass and what she hides at basement?

Holly finds herself get drawn into Maura. Their attraction is undeniable. Guilt feelings eating her inside: she feels like she’s betraying to the memory of her brother and she realizes she’s moth to Maura’s flame! Could she be able to escape or would she be another victim just like her brother?

Overall; absolutely unique, interesting, bizarre, dark, enchanting reading! I honestly recommend it to the gothic horror lovers!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine- Bantam for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

A very unusual psychological thriller/creepy horror. Fast-paced and fully gripping. It grabs you from the beginning and won't let go as it drags you into madness. In a setting of beauty, flowers, and fascinating characters, this book is unforgettable, and as one of my author friends says, unputdownable. After finishing it late at night, I had to play some soothing music to get to sleep. Excellent, surprising, and scary.

Beautiful cover art? Check! Captivating book title? Check? I had never read anything by K. L. Cerra prior to Such Pretty Flowers but this gorgeous cover had me requesting an arc at light-speed. Like the cover art and title, this book did NOT disappoint!

We follow Holly, who recently lost her brother, Dane to suicide. After his death, Holly begins to spend time with her brother's ex-girlfriend. Maura. Maura is a florist who has an affinity for collecting carnivorous plants. Hmmm.....Holly had very little knowledge of Dane and Maura's relationship prior to his death, and begins to spend more and more time with Maura as they both grieve the loss of Dane.

It doesn't take long before Holly, after living with Maura, realizes that Maura is not who she claims to be and that her brother Dane's death might have been more complicated than just a simple case of suicide.

Such Pretty Flowers is unique, shocking, devastating and has you wanting to turn to the next page and then the next and the next. It was so atmospheric and immersive that I read it all in one sitting. This horror novel is so so good and one that I will be picking up in hard copy version when it is released next year. Solid 4.5/5 stars.

Police rule her brother Dane’s gruesome death a suicide, but Holly Chambers isn’t convinced it’s that simple. Just the night before, she’d received a text message from him, talking about a “game” his girlfriend Maura wanted to play. Later, a text that held only a panicked, “Get it out of me.”

Getting close to Maura, the magnetic young botanist with a penchant for carnivorous plants and creepy black roses, seems like the only way to find answers, but Holly soon finds out that everything isn’t what it seems. What follows is a twisting and turning gothic thriller, with Holly caught in the middle of her building attraction to the woman her brother had been in love with, and getting to the bottom of what led him to take his own life in the first place. And she needs to do it quickly, in case she meets the same terrible fate as her brother…

Rating: 3.75/5
The end requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief, and I don’t think all of my questions were actually answered. BUT I devoured this book in just a few hours, because I just got sucked in and really wanted to see what happened! And it was a wild ride.

Following her brother Dane's suicide, Holly begins to spend time with his mysterious girlfriend Maura. Maura is fascinating, rich and a well respected florist who seems to collect carnivorous plants. Holly knew little of Dane and Maura's relationship, but spends more and more time with Maura as she grieves the loss of her brother.

Before long, Holly is living with Maura and she realizes that Maura is not who she claims to be and Dane's death might have been more complicated. This horror story sneaks up on you! It's atmospheric and engaging. If you like unique horror stories, books about powerful flowers, or just a great thriller, Such Pretty Flowers is for you!
#RandomHouse

worked so well as a gothic thriller, it was what I wanted when I first saw this description. It was what I was hoping for and really enjoyed reading this. The characters were what I wanted based on the story, and they felt like real people. K. L. Cerra had a great writing style and I'm glad I was able to read this. It was what I enjoyed about the genre and I look forward to reading more from K. L. Cerra.