This book was so much more than I had anticipated! When I first heard about it, I knew there would be a dark ambience to it, but this fulfilled my fairytale loving, gilded age heart. It's the year 1928 in Boston. Millie Foxboro has had a difficult life. Raised in opulence, but by a mother that despises her. After Millie graduates school she returns home to a disaster and subsequently loses her memory. Fast forward several years and she's working in a dusty book shop, but content with her life. A man visits the shop and offers her a job as a research assistant to his admirable boss.

With nothing to lose and the need of financial security driving her choice, she accepts and moves into the gothic manor of Willowfield. But inside these walls are ghost stories and Millie starts to see things lurking in the shadows and taunting her as a budding romance builds between herself and the man she's working for. But he seems to be hiding a lot of secrets and her life may be in danger.

STUNNING character development in this story with a small cast of characters that really light up each and every page.

Heavy use of Irish folktales that leave you unsettled and wondering why there seems to be so much fascination in the macabre understanding of these demons and spirits. Especially as you wander the haunted halls with Millie as she chases down morbid creatures that haunt her throughout the nights.

The ending surprised me in a HUGE WAY. I had built all kinds of theories in my head as to how this was going to end, but Northwick surprised me in such a pleasant way that I had not thought of at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Northwick books for this ARC read!

This book proved to be an ideal choice for the spooky season! With thrilling ghostly pursuits, the discovery of a clandestine diary, and expertly crafted moments of intensity, it offered a truly captivating reading experience. I must confess that I found myself utterly in the dark about the plot's direction and couldn't predict what was going to unfold until I reached the 75% mark (clearly, my foreshadowing skills were lacking). However, as the mystery began to unravel, it all fell into place, leaving my jaw dropped to the floor!

The enigmatic romance in the story was especially enchanting and added an extra layer of intrigue that I thoroughly enjoyed.

A tremendous thanks to NetGalley, Bea Northwick, and the publisher for providing me with an advance reader's copy (ARC) in return for my honest review. "The Cruel Dark" stands as a first-time offering, skillfully intertwining a mysterious narrative. Bea Northwick, the author, adeptly shapes a romantically eerie ambiance. Abundant twists and surprises throughout the story keep readers in suspense. I was particularly impressed by the depth of character development, especially when it comes to characters like Millie and Callum. This book is an ideal choice for those who relish the seamless blend of gothic romance and academic themes, leaving them eagerly anticipating more literary creations from Bea Northwick in the future. I look forward to more books from Bea Northwick!

There is a line in the second chapter that I think perfectly sums up this book: "Strange things bloom where grief lives."

If you love gothic style romances and creepy reads with a little bit of spice, this is a must to add to your TBR.

And that's all I'm going to say because any actual review might give things away, and where's the fun in that?

This book was so haunting and had a gothic ghost mystery to it. Millie is a complicated character with her past and trying to move on with a new position without her past tainting everything.

This house and new employer also has a past and haunted history. He was very seductive and made Millie feel special but there were so many strange things happening. I definitely didn't know who to trust and which way this mystery was going to turn out.

Thank you beanorthwick for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

I was hooked from the very first page. The first thing to pull you in is the writing. Her descriptive prose really had me engrossed. Her characters were so well rounded. The pacing of the book was perfect as well, there was no lag and nothing was really rushed. The overall plot coupled with the haunting description and the perfectly crafted characters really made for an enjoyable read.
Will definitely recommend.

A dark romance, perfect for Halloween/Autumn. Filled with mystery, this book really does
keep you guessing. I thought I knew where the plot was going but that was not the case at all. The unravelling at the end was perfect, better than what I had imagined the big reveal to be.
Millie is a very interesting character and her struggles are felt throughout the read.
Its a mixture of scary and spicy, with Millie and Callum’s relationship getting quite intense at times.

Thank you @Netgalley for the ARC

I would definitely recommend this book.

Not going to lie, I solely requested this book because of the cover and my bestie was reading it, too. It instantly captivated me. And the story did not disappoint either!

The first half of the book was slow for me with scene/setting and character development. I found the descriptions of the scenery and manor to be enough to be able to visualize where the story was taking place. And I enjoyed how the characters all played either grumpy or sunshine.

The angsty sexual tension between the FMC and MMC is actually really intense and kinda scary at first. But the passion is what makes it 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻. I enjoyed their interaction with one another and how it evolved over time.

The author does an amazing job of blending the lines between paranormal fantasy and reality, finally bringing you to a point as to why it was happening. And the twist at the end was 🔥. I didn’t see the plot twist coming and I just loved it!

This story is dark, crazy, creepy, yet beautiful and just all around encompassing! Do yourself a favor and read it!

Can not even contain my excitement about this one! this book has SO many twists and turns and includes all of my favorite things
- [x] creepy dark mansion
- [x] take no bullshit attitude from the FMC-She’ll fight you in her sleep (but really, she might! 🤣)
- [x] Slow burn..then comes the 🌶️
- [x] An ending you never saw coming

It will be available October 31st and you NEED it!

have you ever read a book that feels like it was specifically written with all the tropes and genres you love in mind? that is The Cruel Dark for me.
okay, let me give you the vibes.
imagine this:
•your wandering down a dark corridor in only your thin nightgown and run into the the dark, broody professor you work for.
•you feel not only haunted by the spirits that lurk the halls but also the ghosts of your past and those strange particular years you can’t quite remember.
•no one will acknowledge the strange occurrences you experience and it makes you wonder what they’re trying to hide or if you’re slowly losing your grip on reality.

this was the quickest 5 stars I’ve ever given a book. when I learned that this was a gothic romance that takes place in the late 1920s with elements of horror, fantasy, and the paranormal I knew I needed this book like water.
it is incredibly atmospheric, dark, sexy, and haunting and I couldn’t get enough. it is beautifully written and the spice is SO good.

Millicent Foxburo is a fascinating character whose courage, stubbornness, relatability, and curiosity made me fall in love with her instantly. she reminded me a bit of Edith Cushing from crimson peak. I adore her kindness, her willingness to stand up for herself but especially, her bite.

Professor Callum Hughes is exceedingly intriguing and complex. dark unkempt curls and obsessive over his research ( and other things), this character is stoic, capricious, secretive, and passionate. I could never guess his next move which had me on the edge of my seat for most of the book.

the tension between these two is palpable and the amount of twists and turns story has is on another level. I have yet to start another book because I can’t stop thinking about the ending.

if you like the idea of:
•gothic romance
a haunted manor
•a hot professor
•Celtic folklore
•dark secrets
•romantic suspense

then please preorder this book asap!! I can’t wait to have my physical copy in my hands next week🖤

it releases october 31st!!

thank you to the author and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The cruel dark -Bea Northwick

4⭐️
A perfect read for the spooky season!
Going in to this I had no idea what to expect but I’d seen so many pictures on Instagram and so many good reviews that I had to pick it up and see what the hype was about. And it did not disappoint! I was on my toes through the entire book, never knowing what might happen. I loved watching our MC Millicent as she tries to figure out her new employer, and also what is going on in his huge mansion. The last 50 pages gave me whiplash from all the plot twists, I was so confused and I loved it. I really wish we would have gotten to learn what happened when she was at the hospital, I feel like I still had so many questions after I finished the book. Maybe there will be another one? Who knows, I do however highly recommend this book to people who enjoy. Suspense, Hauntings, Early 1900s, Mystery and Romance!

I was given this ARC and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of “the Cruel Dark” in exchange for an honest review.

4⭐️
1🌶️

We follow a story of Millie who works in a small bookshop who is offered a job as an assistant to a professor of mythology. She cannot refuse that job because of the high salary she’s been promised. When she arrives at his mansion to start her job the things are starting to get really strange. The professor is distant and not very friendly and staff are short spoken. The mansion feels spooky and haunting. She finds an old journal of professors late wife and starts seeing ghosts. Now she cannot explain to herself what’s real and what’s just an illusion.

I really enjoyed reading this book. At first I thought that might be a duology or trilogy and got satisfied when it turned out to be a standalone.

To me this novel felt absolutely gothic sometimes with Hitchcock vibes. The writing style of Bea Northwick is well readable. And I didn’t expect any spice but I’ve got it. The way the author wrapped the story to me was absolutely unexpected.

I would definitely recommend this book to those who like smart thrillers with mystic vibes.

I devoured this book! I loved the Gothic and creepy vibes. And the romance? So good! While I picked up on hints, I was wrong on where it was going! I did not see it coming, and I was left on the edge of my seat until the very end! I loved it! I can't wait for Northwick’s next book.

I will be posting a full review on my Instagram page before pub day! 🖤

This was an impressive read from a debut author. Northwick had beautifully descriptive prose that captured a haunting atmosphere that was almost dreamlike. It was spooky and there was some seriously creepy imagery that succeeded in actually jump scaring me! I loved it.

I was sucked in right away by Millie’s story and I really enjoyed following the breadcrumbs of this mystery as they were set out on page.

The only hiccup for me was in the building of the romance. There was more telling than showing as this relationship developed and so when these two came together it felt abrupt and too rushed. <spoiler>I get it but</spoiler> I think more could develop on the page. But Callum did have some swoony one liners, and the steam was great! The pacing of the romance wasn't enough to keep me from enjoying this story.

I loved the parallels to <i>Jane Eyre</i> and <i>Rebecca</i> and I will be watching this author, happy to read more from them.
I recommend this book for its spooky captivating atmosphere, compelling mystery, and a beautiful 1920’s historical setting!



Thank you NetGalley and Northwick Books for the opportunity to read this ARC. I was excited to read this and it did not disappoint.

This book captured me completely. Already enticed by the premise of a woman haunted, a story set in the late 1920’s and with an intense, brooding MMC, I couldn’t wait to get started on this book.
If you are fan of dark gothic, romantic, historical literature (like Daphne Du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’), this book is a must read! It has a psychological element that borders on haunting and creepy, helped in part by the spooky setting, keeping it alluringly unnerving. There is some spice throughout, but it is relatively modest and in keeping with the setting of the story (although there are a few profanities from the FMC during some spicy scenes!)
The plot is well-written, revealing just enough to keep the reader hungry to unravel the next dark secret - of which there are plenty! And just when I thought I had it all figured out… the plot twists and revelations quickly and uncompromisingly ensured that my perceptions and expectations of events and characters were shattered. Bea Northwick is a very talented writer and I will definitely be looking out for more of her books in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bea Northwick and Northwick Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Bia Northwick for an ARC copy of this book an exchange for an honest review.

4/4 stars

This is a fun weekend read, great for some spooky fall vibes.

We meet our main character Millie in Boston getting ready to start a new job at a creepy mansion out in the middle of nowhere in 1928. She's missing years of her memories and she's just looking to move on with her life and get a fresh start. Turns out nothing is as it seems for any of our characters.

I liked the twists and turns in this book. Every time I thought I had a handle on what was going on then suddenly it would all change again and I was chasing new theories on how it would end. This is not a long book so it did not dig too deeply into folklore but what it did touch on was great. If you like Gaelic folklore, fae and ghost stories this one won't disappoint.

The spice in this book is solid, Bea Northwick did a good job of setting up our FMC and MMC without rushing them. Even without the rush they still had plenty of time for a few good scenes and some cute little moments.

My only major complaint about this book is the pacing is odd, it felt like the first 60% of the book was trying to figure out where it wanted to go, and then 60%-90% felt solid and then suddenly _everything_ happens in the last 10% of the book.

3.5 Stars!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

The story was atmospheric and really did give me that gothic feel. It's September as I type this review and it was a good short read to get me into that spooky fall vibe. But I think all its description was also what made me enjoy it less. Maybe this is the personal preference coming through as I'm not a big fan of "flowery writing", but for a book that was 200 pages long, I think a good protion was about describing rooms, the manor itself, or re-describing scenes we've already read about. I just think it isn't super necessary to have that in this short of a book, especially a gothic mystery.

It's a weird feeling to be drenched in atmosphere, but lost to the monotony of it all.

Also, I don't know if it's just because I've read my fair share of thrillers and psycho horrors, but I guessed the general sense of the ending very early on in the story so the ending just didn't pack as big of a punch when it was finally revealed.

Other than that, I didn't have any major qualms with the book. I could write that the relationships between leads was a bit awkward and had off-kitler chemistry, but reasoning for that is given so I can forgive it a bit more. Spice was written decently well.

I think if the book was longer and it really delved more into making these different winding pieces of the mystery fit together better and exploring that more instead of just a character monolouging at the end, I think it would have been a better read for me. However, with the problems I do currently have, I'll have to mark the book as a 3.5 stars.

With that, I'm interested to see more of what the author has to offer in her future work.

- - - - - -
Again, thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Cruel Dark was such a fascinating story, set in the 1920's amidst a large estate named Willowfield, a once magnificent home known for sprawling gardens and large parties, but has deteriorated since the lady of the house's death. Millie who once spent two months in a mental ward for traumatic amnesia is offered a job at Willowfield to assist Professor Callum Hughes at his estate. Not being able to resist the enormous salary that could help set Millie up in a new life she accepts. At first she is taken a back by his rude demeanor but slowly he entices her in with a need she can hardly refuse.
This beautifully written story both charming and haunted drew me in from the start. and I couldn't let go. I was especially fascinated with Callum and intrigued by his back story, and the slow relationship that builds between him and Millie. With untrustworthy characters and some spice thrown in for good measure, this book is a must read.
Thank you NetGalley and Northwick Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It's not often you come across a good haunted mansion story that also works as a psychological thriller, a crime mystery and a dark romance with a healthy amount of spice thrown in for good measure. The Cruel Dark delivers on all counts.
The writing is wonderfully descriptive, which allows readers to visualise the unique details of Willowfield, while leaving enough to the imagination to put your own interpretation on those mental images; always a perfect compromise.
Willowfield itself felt more stunning if not slightly sad than scary and oppressing, and while it perfectly fulfils its role of the quintessential eerie, gothic haunted mansion, with some scenes that most definitely tick the horror box, it ultimately also breaks this mould. It's a house I would absolutely love to live in, and as someone who is not frightened of the dark and believes that the only monsters we should be truly afraid of are people, I found the resolution of the mystery of Willowfield as deeply satisfying as it was surprising.
At one point, the plot could have gone in a few different directions, and as such the resolution was hinted at and presented several possible outcomes. The full extent is sufficiently well hidden to make it feel unexpected, which is a rare find and this adds a very welcome and original element of thrilling mystery.

Characters don't get anymore multi-dimensional than a sassy and strong FMC with some serious vulnerabilities due to past mental health and trauma so deep it's caused significant memory loss.
Some of the supporting characters such as Ms Dillard the housekeeper, were incredibly well-rounded and I loved the element of things not being always what they seem being applied to character development, with both negative and positive outcomes.

The historical backdrop of the late 1920's added to the beautifully visual style of the setting, with all its wonderful innovation and post- war feeling of opportunity that lend hope for a brighter future.
The Cruel Dark comes out on October 31st and if you're not planning on going trick or treating, this will definitely sort your night out in the best way possible.

Thank you to @beanorthwick and @Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to indulge in this wonderful story ahead of release day.

This is a spectacular debut! Scary and sexy, Bea Northwick's The Cruel Dark is a gothic romance that's sure to set your heart racing.

✅ What worked: The scarier scenes in this book are so well done that I found it tough to read it in the dark at night! The mystery of Willowfield, and Millie's own past really draw the reader in, and make it hard to put the book down. Additionally, Millie's descent into madness at the estate is well done, and the reader also feels a gnawing sense of paranoia.
📘 Would I recommend: Yes

I look forward to reading Bea Northwick's next book, and would thoroughly recommend any fan of gothic/gothic romance books to pick up a copy of The Cruel Dark. You won't regret it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bea Northwick for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.