Okay, this was a hard one. First of all, the writing was a lot. I often found myself thinking, "right, right, got that part, let's move on now," because of how much the author would delve into whatever was going on in the main character's head - her thoughts, feelings. It felt a little TOO repetitive. However, after reading the author's note and coming to understand that she herself was diagnosed with the same disorder as the character she wrote, it all made way more sense - like we're reading her journaling about her struggle essentially, and that does tend to be more repetitive when you're trying to talk through something. I do still lowkey hate how it ended. I don't want to spoil anything so I can't get much into it, but it bothered me in a way that is going to haunt me for at least a few days. I would say 3 stars for my personal taste, 4 stars in general.

Time slip and gothic sounds like a recipe for a good read but this was a miss for me because it's trying too hard. Saorise is at the home of her fiance Jack's parents and she's being more or less gaslighted. And then she finds herself back in time and attracted to Jack's ancestor Theo. Almost everything about Theo is different from Jack. But there's a twist and know that Saorise is dealing with mental illness. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

Thanks to NetGalley for my free copy for my honest review.

I almost DNFed this one 20% in and should have. The writing is so overdone and overwrought, more so at the beginning but enough to put me off from the start. The main character Saoirse’s development arc is weak and doesn’t ring true. Her attachment to her fiancé Jack feels shallow and sad and unbelievable, as their “love” is never really built out to be something true. And the tone completely changes about a quarter of the way in from what I felt was going to be a dark psychological thriller verging on horror, suddenly into a regency time travel romance.

I waited a few days to review because I really wasn’t sure what I thought of it.

Thoughts…the language and prose was exquisite. I marked so many beautiful sentences throughout the book. The storyline intriguing, I couldn’t put the book down. The gothic elements romantically creepy (is that a thing?) I could have done with out the sex scenes but I understand why they were there. I hated Jack (and his father and mother) so the infidelity didn’t bother me 🤷🏻‍♀️ The internal dialogue and mental health battle that Saoirse went though at times felt relatable.

The ending….errrr 🫤😳😲 That’s what left me thinking about this book for days.

I will definitely read more from this author and cant believe that this is her debut novel. Absolutely beautiful writing.

Another thing to mention that I have NEVER seen before but loved… a page with Trigger warnings in the front of the book. I very much appreciated that and wish more publishers would do that.

Pitched as Mexican Gothic meets Outlander, Where Ivy Dares to Grow follows the story of American PhD student Saorise as she follows her fiancé Jack to his ancestral home in the English countryside to be with his mother during her last few weeks of life. But as we get deeper into the story, we learn things aren’t quite as they seem. Saoirse and Jack’s relationship has been on the rocks for quite some time, and her mental health is taking a steady decline. The longer Saoirse spends at Langdon, the harder she finds it hard to connect with her fiancé and his wealthy family and with reality itself. But when she finds a diary belonging to one of Jack’s ancestors, a man called Theo, Saorise finds herself whisked away to the eighteen hundreds and to a man who fully sees and accepts her, for the first time in her life.

I love a bit of time travel and a gothic atmosphere, which this story definitely delivered on! One thing I also really enjoy is an unreliable narrator, and Saorise was the perfect example of one. As she switches from her present timeline in 1994 with Jack and his dying mother, and 1818 with Theo and his isolated life at Langdon, the reader finds themself as lost in the timeline as our narrator. The narrative is very tight to Saorise and her unravelling, so we feel the mix of the terror of not being able to trust her own mind and the blooming of love right alongside her. I really loved Thompson’s writing and thought the atmosphere especially was very well done.

I found myself getting a bit bored around the middle section and would have loved a bit more exposition around Jack and Saorise’s relationship outside of Langdon (especially around some of the conversations around her mental health). For quite a short book I was surprised to find the pacing slow down so much around the middle, but as I don’t mind a slower book it wasn’t a big issue for me. Overall, I think I wanted a little bit *more* all around, mostly in terms of relationship expiration and exposition around where the story goes after the final page. Although, the author’s note really cleared some things up for me and brought it up to a solid 4 star read. I’d highly encourage anyone who picks it up to read the note at the end especially!

I both loved and disliked parts of this book.
Overall I was enthralled with the writer's voice. It's lyrical in a way that draws you in and won't let you go. Her writing simply put is stunning.
The story is mysterious and gothic, making the reader question everything about the house she is brought to. The lines of what is real and what is not are blurred and I loved that aspect.
The part I didn't like were the on page sexual content. To be honest I skipped those pages, but that is personal preference.
The ending left me somewhat wanting. When compared to Outlander as this often is I really wanted an ending that left me feeling good about the relationship, this one somewhat fell short. However, I do think it was the right choice for this book, just not what I expected.
The writing was stunning. I am very curious to see what other books she comes out with in the future.

WHERE IVY DARES TO GROW is everything a gothic novel should be. Introspective, romantic yet haunting, in a setting that could be alive—and Langdon Hall is very much live. I loved loved loved the setting, just as much as I loved Saoirse and Theo. This isn't a traditional romance, but a gothic novel with a romance—so don't be thrown by some unconventional elements (infidelity, for example)! The narrative does get quite repetitive at times, but it falls in line with the protagonist's mental health struggles. The author's note is excellent and sheds a lot of light on Saoirse and on the novel overall.

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing, for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Before delving into this book, I faced a series of trigger warnings that caused me to feel a tad apprehensive. However, I decided to take a leap of faith and delve into the book, and I'm pleased with my decision.

Right from the start, Where Ivy Dares to Grow captures the book's essence. The tone is melancholic, and it's apparent that there's an emotional distance between Saoirse and Jack. Saoirse's inner monologue highlights her mental fragility, a central theme throughout the book.

Langdon Hall, the estate where our story unfolds, emanates a gothic ambiance. The location of the estate, coupled with the prevailing weather, adds to the atmosphere. The author paints a vivid picture of the cold inside the house during winter in 1994. The place is dark and almost empty, which matches the cold reception Saoirse receives from Jack's family. What I find intriguing is the stark contrast between Langdon Hall in 1818 and during the spring season, when the house is bustling with life and warmth emanating from Theo. The story's setting is almost a character, as Langdon Hall seems to transform into a time machine, transporting Saoirse between timelines. It's fascinating how the author has used the setting to create a captivating story.

Saoirse is an intriguing persona! Her inner thoughts and actions showcase her unwavering determination to evolve. Her real fight to resist the pull of her mind's undertow is genuinely touching. Throughout the story, her selflessness shines through in numerous ways. What's truly captivating about her is her ability to seize the reins of her life, steer it in the direction she wants, and remain confident that everything will be alright.

Jack and Theo are two completely different characters in this story, and I must admit, I have mixed emotions about both. However, I am determined to stick with the author's story and see where it leads. While I sympathize with Jack's heavy burdens, I cannot condone his actions and hurtful words. It's a poignant reminder for us all to educate ourselves on mental illness and how to better understand those who suffer from it.

On the other hand, Theo is a beacon of hope for Saoirse, offering her a chance to truly live again. The story ends on a hopeful note, which I find incredibly inspiring. Ivy Dare to Grow is a beautifully written tale that sheds light on the struggles of mental illness. It's a creative reminder to be kinder, more supportive, and more educated about this important issue.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. I love the premise. Unfortunately the writing did nothing to pull me in and seemed somewhat pedantic.

The talking in circles about what was going on. The ability of just about everyone to manipulate Saoirse. The drawn out pages of descriptions of everything. This could have been a short story and I probably would have liked it.

My favorite entity in the whole book was the house and gardens.

Three stars since anyone who puts pen to page and opens themselves to possible criticism has my admiration.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. The review is my own.

This was not the book for me. This just felt wrong in so many places. The parents did not like Saorise, but she went to stay at their home anyway. The fiance isn't that nice to her. Why not stay home and let him be with his parents? Well, then the time travel event would not happen, so there's that. I just felt like there was too much go along to get along happening and was a bit checked out to truly enjoy this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

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

Saoirse Read isn't liked much by her fiance's parents. Nothing she does seems to be good enough. Even when she comes to see her future mother-in-law while she lay dying. As her fiance spends more and more time locked away with family, Saoirse begins to wander the ancestral estate and soon discovers she can slip through time and space to visit the Langdon Hall of the past.

I had such high hopes for this book, but I was so disappointed. I think of Iit as a display cake. It's gorgeous from the outside, but when you cut into it, it's styrofoam. This book relies on flowery, verbose descriptions to tell a story that just falls flat.

My biggest complaint about this book is that it's supposed to be about mental illness, but other than a few vague mentions of some shadowy diagnosis, Saoirse's mental health isn't really addressed. The book is actually about her relationship with the two men in the book. She dedicates all her time and energy to these men instead of herself. It's like she can't choose a future just for herself, it has to revolve around one of these men.

I'm also not a huge fan of insta love, and this definitely had that vibe. I wanted more substance and more spooky, Gothic mystery. I got a pale, verbose imitation of a romance novel.

2.5 stars. Saoirse and Jack are struggling already when they head to his family home to care for his dying mother. Though engaged to be married, Jack's family is firm in their dislike of Saoirse, and belittle her at every opportunity. Jack, under stress, is starting to behave the same way, and Saoirse is despondent, wandering the halls of Langdon Hall alone. Suddenly, she finds herself somehow transported back centuries, to a time when the Hall was cheery and the sole inhabitant, Theo, is always happy to see Saoirse, despite the odd circumstances. As Saoirse starts to fall for Theo, she is wracked with guilt and indecision. Can she stay in the past forever? Or can she forge a new life for herself in the present.

Alright. This book was not really to my taste, which is pretty squarely my own fault since it is compared to Outlander and Mexican Gothic in the summary, both of which I mostly hated. I found Saoirse to be an excessively weak female lead with a droning whine of an internal monologue. I also think that the love triangle component is ill-balanced — Jack’s SOLE appealing quality is that he provides for Saoirse and so she is afraid to leave, which I have little patience for. As a woman, I would never completely surrender my independence to anyone, much less the first man to show me some limited affection. But I get it, that's my own personal bias, so I'm not scoring too harshly here.

Overall, I just found the story to be flat. There is a lot of "nothing happening" throughout the book, just Saoirse's internal struggle over one awful man and one very dead in her time man, though I do think that the atmosphere is well-painted and I could visualize Langdon Hall in both its forms very vividly. Unfortunately, the characters are the most important component of any narrative for me, and I didn't connect with or root for any of them. This may still appeal to fans of Outlander and Mexican Gothic though!

Thank you to Marielle Thompson, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy.

This book frustrated me so much. The synopsis said it was going to be similar to Outlander, but it was completely bereft of the emotional connection between the main character and her love interest. The reader is told that Saoirse is devoted to completing her degree, that she has a poor relationship with her family, that she feels restricted by her fiance's family legacy, that she has struggled with mental illness, but none of it feels believable. Saoirse doesn't feel like a real person, more like a cardboard cutout.
The idea that the house creates timeslips is so fascinating, and I really liked the premise of the book. I also liked Theo, as much as you can like a character when they are presented as a somewhat flat love interest. He was a sweet guy.
I understand that the point the author is trying to make is about Saoirse's struggles with derealization and depersonalization, which is something that I can directly relate to and empathize with. However, the end of the book presents the possibility that Saoirse was imagining the timeslips. The way that Saoirse's mental illness was tiptoed around for the majority of the book (I thought she had depression or an anxiety disorder for most of the book), sets the reader up to assume that the timeslips are actually happening, as does the fact that the book is being marketed as a time travel romance.
The resolution to the plot, that Saoirse now gets to go her own way without her fiance or any other man holding her back, is great. I can appreciate Saoirse choosing to be independent. However, while I definitely support her decision to leave her fiance, it also makes Theo (who is conveniently killed off) irrelevant, which makes the whole thing seem pointless, unfortunately.

Switches to flashbacks without warning and will randomly have paragraphs about a past memory in the middle of a scene kind of throwing off the pacing/flow of the story.

Overly descriptive for my taste and never gripped me. It's marketed as "Mexican Gothic meets Outlander". But it's Nothing like Mexican gothic, there's no tension and nothing gothic about it. And once again for the third or fourth time this year, I was let down with the "for outlander fans" marketing-I think at this point I'm going to start taking any books with those claims and actively avoid them at all costs

Repetitive writing, saying a lot of words while also saying nothing to move the plot or characters. It's mainly descriptions of the surroundings and the same thoughts from our MC, Saoirse, over and over again making the plot feel secondary to her inner ramblings. There was so little dialogue or 'action' that I often got bored.

It's an easy enough read and I was curious enough where the story would lead that I kept reading longer than I normally would have. I wasn't hating it or loving it, the writing and novel as whole just felt meh which is why I DNFd at 44%. As easy and okay as it was, I didn't want to get to the end and regret finishing it when there are more enjoyable books out there; especially because I've done that before with similar feelings about a book and then thought "well should've just DNFd”

I could almost feel this putting me into a slump. Another example of great idea but poor execution

While this novel is penned as a mash up of Mexican Gothic and Outlander, I would actually rather point out its parallels to Rebecca. It’s beautifully written; its pose is lyrical. I found myself immersed in the story immediately. I love the gothic atmosphere and time slip. Yet that isn’t really all this novel is. It’s clever and reminds me of classic literature: the use of metaphor and symbolism. It is also an important novel for its representation of mental illness. I found the author’s note to be just as fascinating as the story itself.

This book didn’t work for me at all. I thought it was going to be a gothic vibe (hence saying it was like Mexican gothic) but it was far from it. It’s about a lady cheating on her husband. I really didn’t like the book at all.

I did however love the authors note, I just wish more of what she described in the note came through in the pages for me.

I will not be posting reviews outside of netgalley for this one.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this e arc in exchange for an honest review

Book Name: Where Ivy Dares to Grow
Author: Marielle Thompson

ARC
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for……

Stars: 2.75
Spice: 1

Standalone
Slow Burn
FMC POV
Low Fantasy

Genres:
Similar to Mexican Gothic with a Mental Health Twist

- Topics
- Greif
- Mental Health
- The Slow Unraveling of a Relationship
- Tropes
- Unreliable Narrator
- Creepy “Haunted” House
- Insta-love
- Thoughts.
- Writing is clunky at times.
- Disjointed Pacing
- Lyrical
- Borderline Boring

A romantic timeslip novel that beautifully blends themes of mental health with a Gothic atmosphere. I'm not sure why this book was set in 1994 instead of the present--there was no clear reason for that in the narrative. But it was very well done, especially the dreamlike quality of the narration and the horribly toxic relationships. I would definitely read the content warnings on this one.

Book Title: Where Ivy Dares to Grow
Author: Marielle Thompson
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Time Travel
Pub Date: June 27, 2023
My Rating: 3.6 rounded up
Pages 256

I was drawn to this book as time-travel has always fascinated me; although I didn’t read the entire “Outlander” series. I did enjoy what I read!

However when I started to read this the first thing I saw was nearly a half page of trigger warnings.
I went back to check reviews and decided I would give it a try.

After reading this story the one thing that was missing at the beginning was the great information that is talked about in the ”Author’s Note’. I encourage you to be sure to read it!

Our protagonist Saoirse is suffering from a mental illness set back and needs to take a break from PhD program. She and fiancé, Jack, travel to Langton Hall the Paige family's 19th century manor for his mother's last weeks.
As Saoirse is strolling through Langdon’s garden Saoirse she comes across a man who is no intruder but Theo Page, an ancestor of the family, Saoirse finds she has been transported to 1818 Theo is the opposite of Jack. As Jack’s mother is approaches death, Saoirse has to decide if she wants to stay in the past with Theo or follow through on marrying Jack.

This story wasn’t what I was expecting.
.
I actually love ALL the info in the back of the book and so rounded up my rating.
In “A Reading Group Guide’ the discussion questions are great and will add to any book club group discussion as well as for any reader. Plus the Acknowledgements were also insightful but the very BEST is the ‘Author’s Note’ which I totally loved and wonder if I had read it first I may have had a different love for this story.
Our author Marielle Thompson tells us that she was diagnosed with DPDR – Depersonalizarion-derealization disorder the Autumn of 2020. She discovered that it can be very different to each person who has it. Thus decided to write a story about someone living and experience a life with this disorder.

Want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for granted me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 27, 2023.

Where Ivy Dares to Grow is a strong debut novel by Marielle Thompson.

This gothic timeslip story follows Saoirse Read as she accompanies her fiancé Jack Page to his family's ancestral estate as his mother's health worsens. Saoirse knows this trip to Langdon won't be easy between the disdain that she feels from Jack's parents, her own mental health struggles, and the cold distance that has grown between herself and her fiance over the months since his proposal. But, when she arrives, the foreboding facade of Langdon only serves to solidify the feelings of unwelcomeness that press on her.

From the moment of her arrival the cold disdain of the Pages mixed with the dark and haunting halls of Langdon plunge Saoirse further into herself. Her attempts to reach out and connect with Jack as he struggles with the looming shadow of grief over his mother's impending death are brushed off and ignored. She finds herself feeling more and more like an outsider, like the weight dragging everyone down. Like a constant source of irritation and disappointment.

Preferring to stay out of everyone's way, Saoirse takes to wandering the halls and grounds of Langdon where she begins to slip back into the past. Startled to find that this version of Langdon is not nearly as cold and foreboding as the current reality, she stumbles upon Jack's distant ancestor Theo Page. Theo is everything that Jack is and yet he is not. Slowly, Saoirse finds herself spending more and more time in the past with Theo and the familiar darkness of her mind begins to resurface. She wonders which of the two timelines of Langdon are truly her reality. Are the dreams and desires that have begun to bloom in her mind since arriving in 1818 meant to be? Or is she losing herself once more to her illness, losing her grip on reality?

I enjoyed reading this debut. I found myself as enraptured with Theo as Saoirse. Their beautiful, quiet moments together a perfect contrast to the coldness of the present day. The author's use of the seasons to assist in this contrast was well done with the winter of the present in direct opposition to the warm springtime of the past. The sense of unease that present-day Langdon created in both Saoirse and the reader really cemented the gothic vibes of this tale. Ms. Thompson's beautifully descriptive language created a world of two Langdons where their differences were stark and noticeable and yet it was still wholly believable that we were in the same setting centuries apart.

If I had one criticism of this novel it would be that I didn't really enjoy what felt like constant self-sabotage by Saoirse. The constant will she won't she on just about every decision she has to make was a little tiring. However, as someone who does not suffer from the mental illness of the main character, I cannot say if this was gratuitous or just not to my liking.

The characters of this story are all very clearly human with a mixture of flaws and strengths. No one person is the hero or the villain because in life the reality is we are all a mixture of both. We all make decisions that can be seen in a positive or a negative light based on circumstances and motivations that are fluid and ever-changing and Ms. Thompson captured this aspect of humanity well.

Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this novel and I look forward to seeing more from Ms. Thompson in the future.