The Last Heir to Blackwood Library is set in post-WW1 England and follows Ivy, a young woman who, at the start of the book, lives in poverty in London. A lawyer approaches Ivy and tells her that she is the sole heir to Blackwood Abbey, a huge estate with an extensive history. She arrives to find a small, suspicious staff and an empty, deteriorating mansion. From there, strange and ominous things start happening almost immediately. The housekeeper does not want Ivy wandering the property, and especially does not want her poking around in the library. But Ivy loves books, and she is the lady of the house now, so she insists on restoring the magnificent old library. I don’t want to spoil the main conflict here, but of course the center of the sinister nature of the house lies in that library.

All the classic hallmarks of a gothic novel are here: a spooky old house, a main character in a new situation surrounded by people who may or may not be trustworthy, and, of course, lots of secrets. This is not a ‘scary’ book exactly, but I did find myself getting pretty creeped out at times, especially when I stayed up late reading. I also always appreciate a third person limited perspective; it's one of my favorites and makes Ivy’s slow mental deterioration so effective.

In the prologue, we are introduced to a nun who has shut herself in a room of the abbey to focus on learning and introspection. People come to her window for advice and, in return, they give her gifts of parchment, ink, and news of the outside world. I thought this was so interesting, and, while it does join back up with the main story in the end, I wish her story and Ivy’s had been more clearly intertwined throughout. I felt that it lost some of its impact because it was only mentioned at the very beginning and the end. I also just can’t get over her hairbrush flying across the room on her very first night there. That was a bit silly. Overall, a solid 4 to 4.5 star read and further proof that gothic novels are something I really enjoy.

I was really excited about this ARC I received from NetGalley. The cover, title, and description all sounded like this novel was right up my alley. Recently, I have really been into books that are dripping with a dark academia aesthetic. My reading experience was overall positive, as I finished the book quickly, but there were things that did not make sense to me. I will touch on my dislikes first, then end on a positive note.

To begin, some of the plot points did not add up for me. When I first cracked open the book (via kindle), I found myself happily succumbing to the fear that the ghostly characters inspired. This thrill pretty quickly diminished as the story carried on and the focus shifted from the exciting paranormal activity to headaches and foggy memory, conflicting romantic feelings, and malevolent power that appeared to come from the library itself. Perhaps my disappointment in this stems from my own expectations, but nonetheless, I kept reading!


Second, the story was full of little inconsistencies. We are first led to believe that Ivy is the first heir of Blackwood Manor to have found the cursed manuscript, but then told that her precessor had also found the book and that her father may have even gazed upon its pages.


I would also have liked to see more ghost content. It would have been interesting to see the spirit of the Mad Monk and the nun interact on the other side. However, I can see how the lack of ghostly interaction adds to the mystery, causing the reader to wonder what is really happening the whole time. More on the Monk, I wish we got more of his story. Where exactly did he come from? The opening of the book begins in the 13th century with the nun, but it is unclear as to when and why our antagonist came to power.

My final criticisms lay at the end of the book. The destruction of our Mad Monk is a strange scene for me. I am uncertain as to how Ivy seemed to know the Monk was buried in the floor of that secret room and how she knew dismembering him would be the salvation of them all. It is also unclear to me why Arthur and his men set up a gory replication of a ritual depicted in the Blackwood manuscript. From my understanding, there are several rituals outlined in the manuscript, so I would have liked to know the reasoning for the particular one chosen and what it was intended to accomplish.

Now for the things I liked! As I said above, I read this book pretty quickly. I was engaged with the story and liked the protagonist a lot. Her adoration of books was loveable and charming. She seemed relatable. Believable. I also really REALLY liked the gaps in memory we got to experience right alongside Ivy. Things that she forgot we also had no knowledge of, and it really added to the effect of lost time. She even carved a clue into her own skin lest she forget what happened? Awesome. This was icing on the cake, totally adding to the thrill. While I am not sure that in Ivy’s place I could still bear to live in that house of horrors, I am pleased there was a happy ending and lovely theme of rebuilding what has been broken.

3.5 stars!

A book that is wrapped in the power of libraries and books, The Last Heir to Blackwood Library is a thriller that will have the reader turning the pages to discover what is going to happen next and how it will all end. You will find yourself as confused as Ivy is at many parts of the book, but in the best way as the book is not overly predictable. I am not usually a big thriller fan, but this one kept me turning the pages hoping to figure it all out. Plus, I always love a book that points out the power that libraries and books have.

Lesson learned from this book? If you suddenly inherit a spooky abbey on the moor and the title of Lady...that's a red flag. Ask some questions before signing anything. This book grabbed me and forced me to read it. It appeals to fans of gothic fiction, romance, and the paranormal. If you enjoyed Mexican Gothic, you'll love this one.

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox is a story of a young girl in England after the First World War, whose fate is changed when she is told she is the last descendant of a great family. She moves to an Abbey, home to a magnificent library, but things quickly start to go awry.

This book was more of a ghost story than I expected, and in general time was very hard to understand in this book. It was difficult to know how much time was passing for the main character. I could see the reason for this being that it was supposed to put the reader off kilter just like Ivy seemed to be, but really it just added to the confusion. There was also a prologue that I thought would have more affect on the story, and it really did not.

There were plenty of times in the book I questioned why something was happening. Other things just didn’t make much sense. For example one character tells another, “You’re the first person to find X, hopefully this other person won’t find it!” Then that other person finds it immediately after. The claims of female agency by the main character fall on deaf ears and the book doesn’t quite stick the landing in that regard.

The premise is intriguing but this book didn’t really get there for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was so good! The atmosphere was absolutely spot on and I completely got lost in the book. There were a few questions that popped up (spoilers for another unrelated book below), but overall the book was really well done! Definitely reccomended for those that enjoy brooding and spooky big bad houses.


Spoilers for Mexican Gothic bu Silvia Moreno-Garcia;
why is the house always feeding on its inhabitants?? Like i kinda love it and thank god this one was more exciting than mushrooms but it's still super weird no??

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!!!

#TheLastHeirtoBlackwoodLibrary #NetGalley Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out! Really solid read.

Creepy, claustrophobic and foreboding. I loved this book but was grateful to read it on a bright, winters day far away from the brooding moors.

The sense of dread that leaked from the plot was skillful and enticing. Who could we trust when all the characters seemed capable of deceit. Even Ivy was morphing into a stuffy, superior lady, far from the girl she was at the beginning of the novel. Hester Fox did a marvelous job at setting the scene and her descriptions of Blackwood Abbey and the gloom of the Yorkshire moor.

If you like gothic tales and twists with a little supernatural thriller this book won’t disappoint. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

While I’m a sucker for any gothic romance, this story felt so disjointed to me. It was almost like the author couldn’t quite make up their mind as to what kind of story they were writing. Is it supernatural/magical? Is it a romance? Is it a mystery? None of these genres felt as though they merged well in this particular story.

The premise was excellent though. Impoverished, but smart/kind girl inherits mysterious manor with equally mysterious library? I’m all for it. The execution of it fell a little short in my eyes.

I still enjoyed the story, and when I was able to sink into parts of it, it was still a fun read! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was spooky and had great Simone St. James vibes. It was so fun to read, and I loved the way the library worked. It was well-written and an enjoyable read, although I wish the story had been more diverse. Overall, it was a great read.

Hester Fox's The Last Heir to Blackwood Library is nothing like what I usually read. And I'm glad. It's a wonderful Gothic novel wrapped around an allegory about the experience of reading. It's tense, fascinating, and mysterious. I have no idea how this book got published under a Harlequin imprint--and there is, admittedly, a rather tacked-on romance element. Mostly, it is eerie, well-written, and best compared to a book like Rebecca. Strong recommend.

This review contains spoilers

3.5 stars rounded up

Post WW1. An unexpected heir inherits an old Abbey estate in Yorkshire England. It contains a magic library possessed by a centuries dead monk that eats the memories of its caretakers until it can finally ressurect. A secret society of gentlemen set on using the powers contained within the library for their own nefarious purposes.

I liked the overall story. I didn't even hate the "I don't need a man to live" narrative in this one because Ivy was believable as independent in her time, and didn't bend to the modern ideal. Keep it believable to the period please and thank you!

Having to slog through with Ivy and her missing memories was part of the mystery, though I do think it took away from getting swept away in any romance developing between her and Ralph. It just felt out of place, especially because she could remember most of her interactions with Arthur.

Arthur was terrible and a gaslighter toward someone with already missing memories. He didn't deserve sympathy. I don't like at all that the author expressed any toward him. He was straight up a deceptive villian.

Also, poor Agnes!

If I knew there was a book laying around the library that contained all of my missing memories, you can best believe I would be scouring that thing till I found it, then never letting it out of my sight. The fact that she just took in that info and then went on with her life and wrongly based opinions, I don't know what she was all about.

Downton Abbey meets the Brontë sisters meets The Skulls meets Memento.

Clean from sexual content and profanity. There is murder violence, gaslighting and post war PTSD.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review

I wanted to like this book so much - historical fantasy featuring a library! It’s right up my alley. Unfortunately, I just never got into this book. The characters didn’t seem well developed, and the story often came across as clunky.

This was an engaging, enjoyable read that will inspire me to pick up more by Hester Fox. I enjoyed the atmospheric, Yorkshire Moors setting and the blend of historical and paranormal genres. I like how the flow of the text changes as Ivy begins to lose her grip so that we can feel along with her that something is not quite right at Blackwood. The sense of dread grows as you read in a really tangible way. This is a good read for fans of Kate Ryder and Nicola Cornick.

I stayed up far too late reading this! While a lot of the Gothic beats are familiar, there's enough of a mystery in how some of the pieces fit together to keep a reader engaged and curious.

This was an interesting book that had a winding path to the story. Ivy inherited an old English estate and title just when life seemed to be at its most low; yet nothing was quite what it appeared to be once she arrived. While there were moments that really kept me captivated, I found that the jumps in time were quite confusing and that the character development was lacking. I really wanted to like this story, but was left feeling disappointed.

This book was a good read with lots of mystery and a strong, feminist heroine. The author does a wonderful job of setting the atmosphere and allowing the landscape and seasonal gloom to add to the sense of foreboding. The supernatural elements were well done. I liked the heroine - she was strong-willed, intelligent, and determined. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library is a new take on "books about books." Ivy Radcliffe finds herself transported from an everyday citizen to Lady Hayworth of Blackwood Abbey. The abbey is an unusual place, and Ivy finds herself wrapped up in the mystery of the library. An extremely atmospheric novel, I enjoyed reading this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was very exciting! Reasonably well timed setup, and then we slide right into the action. The question of memories and truth make it a constant wonder about whether or not what Ivy is told is real, which makes for some very fun confusion. I was the tiniest bit disappointed with the tidy wrap up at the end. I'm normally a big fan of the tidy wrap up, but considering how close to horror some of the book is, it was almost a little too happy ending. Still, very enjoyable and exciting enough to be a stay up late and finish it read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Graydon House Publishers and the author, Hester Fox, for providing me with an ARC for this novel.
Imagine a book set around a crumbling library and you’ve just discovered you’re the sole heir to it and so much more. This book was so good that I can’t even begin to describe it. The closest I can come to is a story that combines elements of Downton Abbey, Wuthering Heights and the old movie Gaslight with Ingrid Bergman, but also with a lot more going on. I really enjoyed reading this book! It was the first I’d read by this author and I will definitely be reading the rest of her books.