I love poisoned pen press as a publishing company, they give the best thrillers, this one was a standard thriller, and you didn’t see the

From beginning to end, "Wolvercraft Manor" proved to be an incredibly well-crafted book that held my attention and curiosity. With each turn of the page, my fascination deepened as I eagerly pursued the unfolding denouement of the story.

The narrative centers around Saige Wolvercraft, who, somewhat reluctantly, returns to her childhood home, a place shadowed by her mother's tragic demise. Her brother's upcoming wedding, set to take place at the same location, is the reason behind her reluctant return.

Saige's initial hesitance to attend the event stems from personal reasons, but she eventually puts her reservations aside and finds herself on the island where the house is situated. As the story progresses, a series of enigmatic events transpire, and Saige is branded as the family's black sheep. However, nothing in the story is quite what it appears, and the true nature of these events slowly unravels, leading to a climactic conclusion. It's this aspect of the book that left a significant impression on me.

The intriguing events that unfold within Wolvercraft Manor are rooted in a much deeper history, which the author adeptly unveils. Saige, joined by her previously unknown ex-boyfriend, plays a pivotal role in uncovering a long-standing mystery that has shrouded the house for centuries.

"Wolvercraft Manor" is an intriguing and well-crafted narrative that provides a captivating reading experience. The interplay of personal history, family dynamics, and deep-rooted mysteries adds depth to the story, making it a four-star read in my eyes.

The atmosphere of the book is very very creepy and very well done. The haunted old mansion., a storm that has them trapped and the ghosts who are very scary and quite well-described so this book may not be for the squeamish. I also felt this book was fast-paced. I would definitely recommend this book!!


Thank you NetGalley and Tangled Tree Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

The book is incredibly well-crafted, keeping me hooked from beginning to end. With each turn of the page, my curiosity intensified, driving me to uncover the true denouement of the story.

In "WolvercraftManor," the narrative revolves around Saige Wolvercraft, who reluctantly returns to her childhood home, the place where her mother tragically ended her life. The reason behind her return is her brother's upcoming wedding, which he has chosen to hold at the same location.

Initially hesitant to attend the event due to various personal reasons, Saige eventually sets aside her reservations and finds herself on the island where the house is situated. As the story progresses, a series of enigmatic events unfold, with Saige being regarded as the family's black sheep. However, nothing in the book is as it initially appears, and the true nature of these events is gradually revealed towards the story's climactic conclusion. It is this aspect that particularly impressed me, earning the book a significant accolade in my eyes.

The intriguing occurrences within WolvercraftManor are rooted in a much deeper history, which is expertly unveiled. Saige, accompanied by her previously unknown ex-boyfriend, becomes instrumental in unraveling a long-standing mystery that has enshrouded the house for centuries.

As a result, I awarded the book a perfect rating on Goodreads, granting it a well-deserved 5 out of 5 stars. It is a riveting tale brimming with mystery and action, captivating the reader's attention on every page. If it weren't for my responsibilities, I would have easily devoured the entire book in a single day.

This book was a great find on netgalley! Part historical mystery, part paranormal. There were many genuinely creepy moments. I loved the details about the home; it felt like I was walking the halls with the characters. The plot is based around an ancestral curse. I think the less you know, the better so the mystery and twists can unfold for you. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tangled Tree Publishing as well as the author for this ARC.
#NetGalley #TangledTreePublishing #CasECrowe
Content Warning; Graphic Violence, Suicide, Ableism, Xenophobia, PTSD, Mental Illness,
Release Date: May 27, 2023
Saige Wolvercraft is unstable and unhappy. She is determined to never return to her childhood home, the creepy Wolvercraft Manor. The imposing and haunted mansion where she witnessed her mother take her own life. Now she’s struggling to function after a breakdown brought on by trauma. Her family thinks she’s crazy so when her brother invites her to his wedding at the family manor, she’s reluctant to go. To make matters worse, her brother invites her ex, Jasper Young. As the events unfold in the house, Saige begins to suspect supernatural involvement. No one believes her, except Jasper, of course. As such he’s the only one who can or will help her. Wolvercraft Manor just may show Saige and Jasper its secrets. They may not want them now.both
This book hooked me right from the start. I found Saige to be a sympathetic character that I couldn’t help but want the best for. She is unhappy and struggling as well as completely alone. Her ex-fiance,Jasper, has destroyed her credibility within her own family by standing her up at the family dinner in which he was to meet the rest of the Wolvercraft family. The characters are the best part of this book. The relationship between Saige and Jasper was the true focus of the story, not really the horror but, having said that, the author has created a delightfully atmospheric spooky house full of scary ghosts.
I loved a lot about this book. I would have spent less time on the romance and more on the horror. I think that there are a lot of people who would love that aspect of it. The romance doesn’t take away from the story much, but I wanted more of it.
Overall, this book was a treat that I would recommend to both ghost story lovers as well as romance fans.

I’m not usually into supernatural type novels, but I quite unexpectedly enjoyed the action in this one. A girl comes home to attend her brothers wedding and her visions of ghosts and deaths recur making her seem mentally ill again leading to figuring out how to overturn a family curse.

Thank you to NetGalley, Cas E. Crowe, and Tangled Tree Publishing for sharing the ARC to review. My opinion on the book is personal and may not align with others.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Wolvercraft Manor," a captivating horror novel. It delves into the eerie combination of a tempestuous storm, a haunted house, and a dysfunctional family, making it a perfect choice for those who love such elements. The narrative revolves around a wealthy family reuniting at their ancestral house for a wedding, only to find themselves isolated due to an impending storm. As they confront the challenges of weather, they gradually unravel the unsettling truth that their ancestral home is also haunted. The story skillfully weaves together a compelling blend of historical context and haunting occurrences, which I found engrossing.

However, one aspect that hindered my complete immersion was the difficulty I faced in truly connecting with any of the characters, particularly our protagonist, Saige. Even the love story between Saige and Jasper felt superficial, resulting in their relationship feeling more akin to that of siblings rather than romantic partners. **(SPOILER) I wish there was more attention given to the love stories in the book, between Jasper and Saige, between Anna and Frederick.**

Despite this drawback, the novel's well-crafted storyline and haunting history kept me engaged throughout.

What works -
- The story, setting of the house, the storm, the mystery behind the haunting.

What doesn't work -

- The characters, and relationships.

A good gothic ghost story with a bit of romance. Enjoyable read. 3.5 stars rounded down.

Thanks to NetGalley for ARC ebook.

“In life I was afraid. In death I am fearless. They will all pay.”

Some may say that this is a romance book disguised as horror, but I beg to differ. As a lover of gothic atmosphere, old sprawling manors, foggy and forgotten graveyards, and vengeful spirits, I’d say this book is horror with a little bit of romance.

What? An old manor on an island that has seen brides jumping to their death from towers and cliffs? Say no more and take all my money! This book got me hooked from the first page until the last and I am glad that I requested and was given an ARC by @netgalley and @hottreepublishing.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t scared out of my wits, but I found the book entertaining, something that I wanted to see through to the end. The protagonist is thought to have mental issues and was even hospitalized previously and is taking maintenance medications. What she didn’t tell everyone was that she sees ghosts. Add to that her fiancé’s abandonment and we can all understand why she spiraled into a deep depression.

Asked to come back to the family’s ancestral home, Wolvercraft Manor, for the wedding of his brother, Xav, to a supermodel, Zoe, it’s the last place Saige wants to be. But she has no choice, or else risks being further shunned and treated as an outcast by the entire family.

As you go deeper into the book, you’ll realize that not everything you see is what it’s supposed to be. The manor hides many secrets that Saige will soon discover with Jasper's help.

Saige, as much as she doesn’t want to admit it, has to accept that she is still in love with her ex-fiancé, Jasper. I find it endearing that he has come back to the island in the pretense of performing for Saige’s brother’s wedding to reconnect with her and perhaps rekindle their romance.
Saige sacrifices her life to put an end to the curse and to save Jasper’s life and the life of her brother’s bride.

If you’re looking for a serious read, this is not the book. This is a short and exciting story ideal for those who want a quick and fun read with a few scares and laughs.

Walvercraft Manor is told with a mix of fairytale horror and thriller and it’s done with perfect precision. When Sage is invited to her brothers wedding that he’s having at their ancestral home Wolverrcraft Manor she is reluctant to go. The place where she had an idyllic childhood until she watched her mom jump off the cliff. Since then her life has been a nightmare. Her father got her psychiatric help but unfortunately that is not the help Sage needed it also didn’t help when she had a secret relationship with Jasper her brothers childhood friend and a famous rockstar but the night they planned to tell her family about it he went MIA and ended the relationship ended only cost Sagemore issues with her family thinking she made up a fake boyfriend. As soon as she makes it back to the island the vision start immediately that isn’t the only thing that plagues her upon her arrival because Jasper has come to be the musician Xav’s wedding and as soon as he sees her he rarely lets her out of his site. Sage doesn’t understand why Jasper wants to be her constant companion and she wants to ask him about why he ghosted her the night they were going to tell her family about their engagement but on the first night when they both experience the ghost bride Jasper is understandably freaked out but more than that he now believes her and wants to help find out what is going on and her aunt Prue’s Plus one is a historian the tell Sage she can help her find out the answers and it all has something to do with a curse but when the historian Harriet goes missing Sage knows it is left her to fix what is wrong with the Home she wants love so much what is her mom crazy and if so is she crazy as well? I loved this book I want to say this was the perfect horror book and I think it is the most of all it is original and unlike any horror book I have read before because I loved it I loved the relationship with Sage in Jasper they had wonderful characters in the book those you love to hate and love to love and I loved the ending just a little spoiler the ending is a happy one but not until after all the nightmarish ghost and goblins have their say. What a great freaking book! A definite five star book and one I highly recommend. If you love horror with a little bit of fairytale mixed in then you’ll Love Wolvercraft Manor, I certainly did! I received this book from NetGalley and Tangletree publishing but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

An entertaining story about a family and house haunted by secrets and deceit. It felt a bit draggy in the middle, but overall, I enjoyed this.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC.

A mix of romance, horror, and gothic that I enjoyed and kept me on the edge.
Well plotted and gripping.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I’m pretty sure Wolvercraft Manor has become one of my favorite reads of 2023! I absolutely loved every bit of it! The paranormal madness of this story mixed with a sweet love story was everything I didn’t know I needed in my life! It was thrilling, unexpected and literally had me hooked from the very first chapter! If you love a good ghost story you will absolutely love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC!

Saige never wanted to return to her family’s estate, Wolvercraft Manor, but when her brother decides he wants to get married at the historic mansion, she’s summoned for the ceremony, despite her past traumas at the home. Worse yet, her ex-boyfriend is also at the wedding, just as her strange visions and vivid connections to beings on the other side begin again. It turns out there’s a deadly presence at Wolvercraft Manor, waiting for new blood to feast on. As the wedding draws closer, things get more intense and a storm bears down on the manor. It’s a race against time for Saige and Jasper to figure out how to solve the curse before it can claim new victims.

This was a great, atmospheric ghost story, with enough of an interesting background, in both the past and present, that it kept my attention throughout the book. The legend itself was great, and Saige’s experiences were scary and intense as she tried to make sense of what was happening. It was really thrilling to try to unravel everything as the book went on and things became more intense. And they really did become intense at points; the author doesn’t shy away on the gore.

And the ending was a perfect culmination of everything that had happened up to that point. I enjoyed it very much.

The romance was also really fun, it didn’t detract from the spooky atmosphere and didn’t feel contrived at all. I was rooting for Saige to figure things out, and was happy to see her happy in the end.

Overall, this was a really good take on a ghost story. Creepy and spooky on one hand, with a nice subplot and really the perfect ending to go along with what had happened in the book. I’d recommend picking this one up.

Saige returns to her family’s ancestral manor for her brother’s wedding. The manor is on an island that you can only get to by boat or ferry. Saige witnessed her mother commit suicide as a young girl on the island and she sees ghosts inside the manor. The rest of her family members are rich, superficial asses that only care about keeping up appearances. They think she is completely bonkers. It doesn’t help that her fiancé (Jasper) dumped her literally right before he was to be revealed as her fiancé, so they think he never existed. AND, he’s invited to the wedding. AND, he’s the only one who believes her about the ghosts. When she learns that there’s been a string of family deaths on the property that may be connected to the ghosts, Saige decides to investigate. Jasper tags along. Things get interesting.

This was a fun read. If you’re looking for serious horror, this might not be the book for you right now. It’s kindof a gothic horror romance combo. Cozy horror romance? The romance writing got a bit cringey/cheesy at times but that stuff tends to be an eye roll for me generally when reading so maybe that part is just me. The family secret/mystery was interesting and once I got to like 65% I couldn’t go to bed until I finished. Definitely a page turner. I’ve only read one Darcy Coates but this reminded me a bit of that plus more romance.

I wanted this to be better, to be scary.... Instead this is a romance book disguised as a gothic horror.

The characters were weak, with too many things going on. Also, how many time can one person put their hair in a 'messy, but elegant' bun or ponytail....because Saige (yep) did it at every turn.

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

“In life I was afraid. In death I am fearless. They will all pay.”
Twisted, moody, adventurous. Grotesque beauty permeates this action-packed Gothic novel. A family cursed to misery. Star-crossed lovers. A superyacht. Wolvercraft Manor is the quintessential haunted house story but with a celebrity excess lifestyle update.
There are so many plot twists in this book that it is challenging to talk about it in-depth without spoilers. As this book has not yet been released (get it May 27, 2023!), I have decided to make this a spoiler-free review.
Content Warnings: Ableism, Coerced/Forced Medication, Graphic Death, Murder, Nazis, Romaphobia, Schizophrenia, Self-Medication, Suicide, Torture, Xenophobia
Summary:
Throughout her entire life, Saige Wolvercraft has felt haunted. The daughter of an extraordinarily wealthy British media mogul, Saige should be going to parties and living the A-list socialite life. Instead, miserable and isolated Saige has eschewed her family fortune and struggles to make ends meet writing for a local London magazine. Saige, understandably, has never fully recovered after witnessing her mother’s death in childhood. Furthermore, since the event, her family has treated Saige as mentally unstable, even hospitalizing her for hallucinations. And it is true that Saige sees things that others don’t—ghosts.
Now, Saige is forced to return to the historic family home, Wolvercraft Manor, for her brother Xavier’s wedding. Situated on a small island off the coast of Normandy, Wolvercraft Manor is not only the site of her mother’s death, it is where the ghosts that plagued Saige’s childhood reside. But Saige will do anything for her brother, so she puts her misgivings aside and joins the boisterous wedding party for what promises to be the celebrity event of the year. For Xavier, Saige is even willing to put up with patronizing, ignorant relatives, Xav’s scornful supermodel fiancée and her catty bridesmaids, not to mention Jasper Young, the rockstar ex who jilted Saige.
As they approach the island, a sense of foreboding warns Saige away from the manor. Saige tries to escape, but it’s no use—every hotel is booked for the wedding and a massive storm is brewing off the coast. Everyone is trapped on the island, and Saige has no choice but to stay at the manor. Just as she feared, progressively more off-putting things begin happening around the house, until one particularly frightening incident brings Saige and Jasper together. Learning that Wolvercraft Manor may be cursed, the two formerly betrothed join forces to uncover the curse’s origin. All the while, danger closes in around the wedding festivities as the stakes get higher and higher…

Where this book excelled:
Imagery: Crowe’s descriptions are truly this novel’s crown jewel. Eerie beauty contrasts with sickening imagery, modern excess with folkloric elements. This novel is beautifully set. It is such a sensory book; it would probably make an excellent movie with the audio and visual effects further amplified on screen.
Action: Fast-paced, captivating plot. The action is non-stop and the mystery intriguing. Readers will be just as desperate as the characters to unearth Wolvercraft Manor’s wicked secrets.
Tension: External factors and heightened emotions amplify fear. You know how in the Blair Witch Project they run out of cigarettes, so now they’re lost in the woods, the weather is terrible, they’re being hunted, AND they’re all going through nicotine withdrawal? Same type of thing here—family event stress, ex-fiancé stress, being in the (haunted) house where your mom died, raging storm causing power outages, all the while encountering supernatural things that would be genuinely terrifying to experience.
Vibes: Creepy, moody. Immersive in a way unique to horror and fairy tales. There’s something almost perversely cozy, reading about Saige and Jasper running through the woods in a raging storm.
Where this book struggled:
Cultural Stereotypes and Misrepresentations: Unfortunately, xenophobia is a common pillar in the horror genre because what do people fear but the unfamiliar, the misunderstood? This novel is no exception. I won’t describe the issues in detail because there is no way to talk about them without spoiling the plot. Briefly, the book plays into stereotypes/misrepresentations of Romani culture and witches. In my opinion, these details were completely unnecessary and ultimately irrelevant to the plot. I strongly disliked that the author made this part of the book and I think this choice might make the novel a do-not-read for many people. I hope that the author takes the opportunity to educate herself about why these stereotypes are harmful and avoids them in future books.

Conclusion: 3.5 Stars
This was a very difficult book to rate. While reading, I wavered between 2-4 stars. Ultimately, the book’s final climax pushed it over to 4 stars. I think a fair rating would be 3.5.
Overall, this was captivating gothic novel, dramatic and filled with haunting imagery. A little rough in places, but absorbing and entertaining. I enjoyed this book and would be interested in reading more by this author.
Scariness: Not scary. The characters experience and see very frightening things, and there is a lot of creepy imagery, but I think most people could read this book alone at night.
Romance Level: For me, peak romance is risking your life and undergoing a seemingly insurmountable trial to save your beloved. Therefore, I would consider this book highly romantic. It is not a steamy book, however.
Worth Buying/Rereading? I could see myself buying/rereading. Would I buy a copy for my horror afficionado brother? Probably not.
Star Criteria
1: Is the book engaging/enjoyable/entertaining? Yes.
2: Is the book creative? Yes.
3: Does the book offer educational value? Somewhat, yes. There are regional historical details, folkloric elements. I learned about witches’ plinths. But I also would not take any facts in this book at face value.
4. Does the book highlight underrepresented voices? No. And, again, there were issues with cultural stereotypes and misrepresentation.
5. Does the book challenge existing literary norms and tropes? Yes, I’m counting the last third of the book.
Massive thank you to NetGalley, Tangled Tree Publishing, and Cas E. Crowe for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Craftily written horror novel! Engaging characters, steady pace, and spookily atmospheric! Will definitely follow this author in the future!

I REALLY LIKE THE VIBE.
IT WAS GOT ME SHIVERING!

The plot was fine. But its got me at the edge of my seat for a few moments.
Highly Recommend for horror fans.