Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to receive an ARC (despite being published) in exchange for my honest thoughts. I am not being compensated for this review.

One of my favorite books is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, so when I saw this was a Regency era story with ghosts and a dash of romance, I was immediately intrigued.

Whew, I wish I could share with you guys what a wild ride I had with my highlights and notes without spoiling the story… Let me just say that I thought I had it all figured out early on. Little did I know that I was very, very wrong.

Let’s start breaking this down!

Characters « 9 »
••• Easily envisioned with great descriptions.
••• Each had their own, fleshed out personalities.

Atmosphere « 10 »
••• Hauntingly beautiful descriptions of locations and scenery alike.

Writing « 10 »
••• Easy to follow despite the older, more formal dialogue.

Plot « 9 »
••• A little slow at first, picks up quickly and evenly throughout the rest.
••• The misleads and ending were amazing.
••• One part at the end, I had to reread to make sure I understood.

Intrigue « 9 »
••• Again, a little slow at first but hooks you in quickly.

Logic « 10 »
••• A part at the end felt off, but made sense after a reread and some thinking.
••• Felt true to the time period.

Enjoyment « 10 »
••• A guy looked at me funny in the parking lot when the plot twist was revealed. I think that’s enough.

I’m starting to think the horror short stories might be my niche. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that 2 out of 4 of my 5-star books so far this year have been of this variety. I’m excited to read more and interested in trying out some of Russell's other works!

Let's take a moment to talk about the cover... STUNNING! One of the most beautiful covers I've seen. After looking at it, I HAD to read it and can't wait for it to end up on my shelf.

I love gothic, horror, romance reads, and the old manor is always a huge plus. Theodora was raised to be an old-fashioned proper lady, and she goes up north to be a nanny for a young girl. To her surprise, she ends up at an old Manor that is broken down, which creates the perfect gothic vibe! It's ghostly, creepy, and perfectly eerie with the lord who haunts the halls.

It's only four stars because it took off a little slow for my liking, and with it being on the shorter side of a story, I felt we needed to get to the main storyline a little quicker.

"The house stood quiet, surrounding Theodora with its silence, its darkness, and its well-kept secrets."
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to enjoy reading this book 📖.

Theodora Corvus is a well- bred young woman who has been raised in a very big house"Woodrow". She lived most of her life with her grandmother who raised her after her father's death. Her mother died while she was very young, so death surrounded her taking all the ones she loved.Theodora accepted an offer to work as a governess for a little young girl who lives far away from Woodrow, in a big manor called Broken Oak. Theodora and the girl's father Cassius fell in love, though the haunted manor which is full of secrets and dark nights didn't accept this love story.

Mainly this book is about love, hate..Good, Evil..strength, weakness all are gathered together inside it's pages. But what I actually found in this book is the reality of houses. For me it's the first book I read that deal with houses so seriously that you feel as if they are actual living beings.
Their walls keep our secrets, our feelings and thoughts. Their furniture, as well as, their wooden floors possess our energy, carry the heat and coldness of our bodies. They even talk, yes they do speak to us. For me, in this book Houses are the main characters.

I did fall in love with this book as much as I fell in love with the characters. Enjoying the love story between Cassius and Theodora was enough for me to wish that the book never ends. Most of the chapters deal with the four main characters only, Theodora, Cassius, Ottoline and Ms.River.
But the four were rich in thoughts, feelings and personal traits enough to make the reader overwhelmed with the story.

This book is very very well-written, the figures of speech really blew my mind and captured my heart as well.
I guess this book is suitable for every one, those who like horror and haunted houses genre, or who like love stories, mysteries and dark secrets to solve, or even light sarcasm . Every reader will find something to like in this book.
As for me it will definitely be a reread and I'm waiting for the paperback edition to purchase and keep it with my precious books.

I really wanted to like this one, but just never connected to the characters in a way that engaged me the way I wanted to be engaged.. For an atmospheric story it had an oddly distanced sensibility, like the author was purposely keeping the reader from feeling too much for the characters or their lives. It made for a strangely disconnected read that felt somewhat at odds with the evocative atmosphere generated by the houses and their environs. The pacing also seemed pretty slow. While that is not necessarily the kiss of death for a story of this type, that combined with the distancing really made it a struggle for me to feel like I was falling into the story - almost from the opening pages. This one wasn't a good fit for me.

This was a story that just didn't quite reach its full potential for me. The story started just fine, but then it hit a lull of the same repeated tropes over and over. Theodora is a fine MC, just not fully developed enough to be likable. Cassius and Ottoline, similarly, are also sufficient, but could use a bit more depth. In the end, the lack of development left me with a cast of wholly forgettable characters.

For the story, it started as a bit of a dense read, with the prose more flowery than I typically prefer. There were also a few glaring plot holes that I wanted filled in, but didn't happen..so suspension of disbelief had to be employed. I missed having more of the grandma, and the "twist" seemed pretty obvious for me, which left the ending lack luster.

It is, however, a short read and one that would be a good introduction to horror for YA readers.

Overall: 3.5

I'll tell my students about: magic, death, mental health/trauma

**Thank you to NetGalley and Quill and Crow Publishing House for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses by L. V. Russell

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Pace: 4/5
Thriller/Mystery 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 5/5




Whew! I just finished this book and am still on the edge of my seat wanting more. This novel has it all. Spooky homes, intuitive people, gothic descriptions, and doors that won’t open where things can be heard at night. Theodora take a new job as a governess at Broken Oak Manor. With one housekeeper and a Lord she is prepared to do what it takes after realizing the home she will stay at has lots of scary noises and whispers in the night. Creaking sounds in the attic, voices, and her intuitive nature bring us on a journey that will certainly scare even the most fearless. Theodora quickly understands that it is sorrow that brought her there. Hers a well as the homes. The author does an amazing job at keeping the story detailed and written in such as way as to keep the reader excited about what the next page will hold. I absolutely want to end another of L.V. Russell’s books if he has some and if not, I hope that he will soon.

Coming May 17 2023

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

This book was good, but was a little slow. Made me think of a slow burn. It’s not very long, which isn’t bad but once the story all came together I was pretty shocked at the twist and ending for sure! That’s the part that really got me to give this a 4 star instead of a 3. It’s a good little book for sure.

I could not put this book down. It had a mix of everything I like in a book, spooky, mystery, and a good romance.

I was able to guess what was going to happen a few times, but that didn’t change how much I liked the story. There was something about the MC that made her very reliable. Her grief and trauma were written all over her story, but it didn’t hold her back. I liked how she was able to still move on with her life.

The last page did leave me surprised and I loved it! I love when the characters get a good and well deserved revenge!!

If you like Jane Eyre, crimson peak, haunted mansion vibes, I would check this out. Also a pretty quick read!

I've been into slow-burn, atmospheric, gothic-type stories lately and was looking forward to this one. I was underwhelmed. It felt repetitive and the romance was annoying. If it was a longer book I would have bailed, but since it was a shorter one I decided to see it through and I'm glad that I did. The twist at the very end saved this book for me. However, the twist came too late and dragged on for too long. That all being said, I really enjoyed the dark, atmospheric descriptions of the house, the grounds, etc. For me, that was the best part of the book.

Overall, it was just okay; I wouldn't not recommend it.

Recommend if you like gothic stories with eerie setting depictions. Theodora, the main character, is drawn into this mystery while also getting drawn into a love affair. I really liked putting the pieces together and I did not see the twist at the end, but when it came, everything made sense!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, L.V. Russell, and Quill and Crow Publishing House for providing this in exhchange for my honest review.

Theodora is no stranger to loss. She was left in the care of her ailing grandmother when she was young after losing both parents. She learned to listen to the whispers and sighs of her childhood home, in search of the secrets and memories it might hold. She took this skill with her as she traveled to become a governess at Broken Oak Manor, where she found a forbidden love for the mysterious Lord of the manor, and his daughter, Ottoline. Her story is heartbreaking, and her heart is shrouded in grief.

The plot was not as climactic as it could have been, and I don’t quite understand how Cassias responded to Theodora’s ad for a governess position. Theodora seemed fated for her journey to Broken Oak Manor, yet the post she sent was either never sent or responded to – so how then was she “summoned” for employment? These are the only issues I had.

The story, however, flowed beautifully and it kept you guessing until the end. I really enjoyed the relationship between the characters, and how they came to life, and I found the storyline to be unique, and the ending quite unexpected. My heart ached for the hardships Theodora continued to endure and wished for her nothing but a happy ending. Russell's prose is beautifully eloquent and poetic, and she weaves a story with vivid imagery. This story is haunting and contains elements of overcoming grief and hardships. Russell touches on the grief of loved ones but also on the loss of potentially the life Theodora could have had and what she ultimately yearned for. For the time period, Theodora was very outspoken and inquisitive for a lady of her stature, and for that I praise Russell. I’m not one for romance typically, but I rooted for this one to blossom – and you can’t help but fall in love with little Ottoline. I believe that Theodora found a likeness in Ottoline and wanted her to have more than she ever had. This little story is introspective and relatable and is truly a breath of fresh air. I look forward to discovering more from this author.

I read this in one sitting. The atmosphere was wonderfully gloomy and gothic. The prose was lush and descriptions decadent. So much was said with just a few words sometimes. I loved all of the characters, even the ones that didn't linger, and especially loved the inhabitants of Broken Oaks. The romance was perfectly heartbreaking at first and then they got the quiet ending that befitted them. I am in love with everything about this story.

I had guessed the big reveal around halfway and was really pleased that I was right because it just made perfect sense. I don't want to put what movie it reminded me of or I'd spoil it, but I thought it was so well done. All of the pieces clicked into place beautifully. I wanted more gothic horror and romance in my life and Russell delivered.

Arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 2.25 stars. I wish I could’ve rated this higher, but by the end I was very frustrated.

When I began, I really liked it. The atmosphere is written beautifully, and I love the writing style. As I kept on, my interest dwindled, because the plot was weak. The setup was there, but the execution was not so good. I really liked Ottoline, but otherwise no one else. Theodora was a decent mc, but I hatedddd the ship. It was so random, and the man still believed he was married. They fell fast and fell hard, and I just don’t understand it.

I wish the plot had measured up to the writing, because if it had I think it would’ve been at least a 4 star, but I’m very disappointed. That being said, I would read another book by this author if there were improvement in that area. It had a very spooky, gothic classic vibe to it.

A short but good gothic style story and one I quite enjoyed. I don't read many gothic novels so this is a newish experience for me. This was a good romantic, somewhat mysterious and ghostly and enchanting read. It pulled me along on a bit of a rollercoaster ride and I enjoyed it.

The writing is well done adn I loved the characters. it was in some ways poetic yet intriguing, with an historical atmosphere that you can feel. It really did draw me in and it didn't take me very long at all to devour it.

Thank you NetGalley and Quill and Crow Publishing House for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

From start to finish, The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses, is an emotional and poetic journey through loneliness and loss.

Theodora Corvus can hear the whispers of houses, its memories and secrets. In search of adventure and employment after a scandal with her last employer, Theodora leaves her childhood home and the grandmother who has cared for her after losing both her parents, to become a governess at Broken Oak Manor. There she finds a young Lord Cassias, his daughter Ottoline, their housekeeper Ms. Rivers, and an eerily silent manor. In time, Theodora finds herself wandering the dark corridors in the night, chasing the sounds of footsteps and glimpses of rustling skirts to the only part of the manor that whispers to her, the attic. What secrets are held within Broken Oaks Manor’s walls and what is hidden in the eaves?

This is such a beautifully written story. It sweeps you along gently like a feather floating on the wind. The plot is not anything particularly revolutionary or new, but it’s done well. I had a few inklings on where it was heading in the end, but it did keep me second guessing myself a few times. The reveal is heartbreaking, and the ending is satisfying. I can’t say too much more because I don’t want to give it away. The starring feature of this book though is definitely the writing. So, if the story and the plot don’t pull you in, check it out just for the writing and descriptions alone. You won’t be disappointed.

As for that cover art, stunning. It really captures the feeling of this book. Dark, mysterious, and alluring.

Thank you to NetGalley, L.V. Russell, and Quill and Crow Publishing House for providing this for review. This is my honest opinion and a voluntary submission.

The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses by L.V. Russell touched my heart and soul. This beautifully written novel delves into the depths of loss and grief, weaving a tapestry of emotions that kept me captivated throughout.

The gothic atmosphere was palpable, drawing me into a world of crumbling houses and aching hearts. Russell's prose is poetic, evoking a sense of melancholy that resonated deeply with me.
Russell's writing style is introspective and immersive, allowing me to delve into the characters' innermost thoughts and emotions. The pacing was deliberate, reflecting the gradual unraveling of grief and the power of human resilience.

The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses is a profound and thought-provoking read. It reminded me of the importance of love, forgiveness, and finding solace in unexpected places. L.V. Russell's debut novel is a testament to her talent as a storyteller.

I wholeheartedly recommend The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses to those who appreciate deep and introspective narratives. This book left an indelible mark on my heart, and I eagerly anticipate more from this talented author.

I've been loving horror short stories lately. They were the type of books that initially got me into reading and I'm trying to go back to it. This one reminded me of why I love horror short stories so much.
It was my first time reading this author, but I immediately fell in love with her writing style and the way she managed to portray the gothic settings we all love. I loved that she also managed to keep the plot and the characters in balance, leaning toward the characters a bit, but no complaints here.
The romance was probably my least favorite part of the story. Not bad, I just didn't care much for it.
A very gripping and engaging ending, medium pacing overall and suspense for days. You will not regret picking this one up.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the chance to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. I avoid romance for the most part, but I love a good gothic spook story. The romance was also very well done. The characters and setting were perfect. I felt like I was a fly on the wall in the multiple old homes described.

It was hard to make out the cover on the small image of my e copy I received from NetGalley for review, but after zooming in, the cover is also amazing. I think I will need to buy a print copy of this for my own shelves at home.

What a refreshing read! From page one, I was drawn into this beautiful, gothic world Russell created with its creeping shadows, ghostly whispers, and hidden secrets. Her knack for stringing together words really help to create the mood of the story. I've never read something so beautiful and hauntingly told, at least not in a long while. And that finale--I don't think I've ever gasped as much in any other book! It felt like watching a film! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and now I'm intrigued to discover what other books Russell has written.

Why did I not see that coming? WHY?

I am usually very perceptive when reading mystery or suspense novels because, after 10+ years of being a reader, there’s very little in the way of plot twists that catches me off-guard.

But L.V. Russell pulled it off!

The moment I read the synopsis of The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses, I knew I HAD to pick it up. It is a gothic fiction centred around age-old mansions that perhaps “stand tall out of spite” (in her own words).

The author’s writing style is ambient and charged with sensory detail.

It reminded me of Daphne du Maurier and Diana Setterfield’s writing styles – eloquent, character-focused, and hauntingly beautiful.

Written from a third-person omniscient point of view, the story opens with an introduction to the protagonist in the context of her immediate surroundings.

Contrary to the time she lives in, Theodora is a bold woman, as quick to lash out at others as she is to proffer a smile. She lives with a heart full of grief and unresolved feelings.

I didn’t particularly care for the romance between Theodora and Cassias. It was probably necessary, but I would’ve enjoyed the book without it too!

In my experience, characters written as governesses are usually made to be timid, subservient, and rarely argumentative. So, I really enjoyed reading about someone like Theodora, who treats her ward and the lord of the house in the same straightforward manner, not paying any attention to propriety or social hierarchy.

There is an instance of assault that is implied indirectly, so you don’t have to worry about reading the details.

This novel has a slow-medium pace. The writing does wander a bit in the middle, and not a lot happens in the way of action.

I was unsure if I liked that about the book – the lack of several conflicts and plot points. But the last few chapters (and the setting and the author’s writing style!) made the whole reading experience worth it.

I don’t think I’ll forget the ending of this book. Especially considering how confident I was about the revelation, and it turned out to be something else altogether!

Looking for an atmospheric gothic novel that is brimming with suspense? Pick up The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses. I highly recommend it!