Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

My Darling Dreadful Thing is a VERY slow gothic horror story about an abused girl, Roosje, who can see spirits. When she meets Agnes, a widow and a foreigner, Roosje is drawn to her instantly. The pair are brought together by circumstance into a series of bizarre circumstances leading to Roosje being arrested for a number of deaths.

The first 65% of this book was so slow I almost quit. The rest of it was fine but nothing to write home about. It’s pretty formulaic and unsurprising.

2.5 rounded up to 3 for goodreads.

My Darling Dreadful Thing had me at the cover and this was a book that had me turning pages till the end. What happens in the world where the dead can wake up and walk among us, do we really know what's real?
The book was so gothic and I loved how well the author wrote this. It had great characters, the supernatural elements and the dark vibe of this book. This was one that I highly enjoyed and would recommend this one to other readers especially if they love gothic books. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review.

I loved this book! The writing was phenomenal, chilling and so well-written.
I went through a stream of emotions reading this 😂 honesty may be an auto-read author already!
I genuinely can’t wait to get my hands on a physical version of the book!

I was deeply enamored and in complete awe of this story, to the point of being utterly devoted to it. While I had hoped to provide a thorough and explicit review, I am finding it difficult to articulate my thoughts. This book was nearly flawless, a true masterpiece, and has become my cherished obsession. However, there were two areas in which I felt the execution could have been improved. Firstly, the passing of time was unclear to me, and I struggled to discern the specific period in which the story was set. Secondly, there was a disconnect between the intended period (late 1800s) and the atmosphere and events portrayed.



My admiration for Ruth was boundless, and her intimate bond with Roos was sacred and delicate. I was moved to tears in chapter 32, only to realize a few more chapters remained. The writing was exquisite, and I longed for more moments between Ruth and Roos. While I did appreciate the character of Agnes, it was Ruth who truly captivated me.

What a unique, captivating, well-written debut. I was drawn in under the guise of sapphic horror, and while it certainly delivered on that front, it had so many other excellent qualities as well. I love unreliable narrators, and Roos was no exception, leaving me constantly torn between wanting to believe her and wondering if I should. The epistolary portions were great. The atmosphere and tone were perfectly dreary.

The author provides a list of the heavy topics covered in this book (e.g., abuse, racism, etc.), and I do think you should heed those warnings if anything mentioned might be bothersome to you, but overall this is something I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for a gritty, visceral gothic horror.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

As a lover of gothic and horror novels, I really enjoyed this book! It's dark, grimy, and filled with chilling descriptions of rotting flesh, creaking bones, and the most foul odors we can muster. It is also filled with love, loyalty, and desire.

The world building is very rich, and I really enjoy how the author poises two possible points of view for the narrative: is it truly a haunting or just a glimpse into psychosis? This is done very delicately, with sensitivity, and not so much in a clichéd approach — even if I did guess some events ahead of time. I also enjoyed it a lot not only because it's well written, but because it has many nods to Gothic stories I already love: namely, The Turn of the Screw and Crimson Peak.

Perhaps one thing I should point out is that, at times, the love story becomes a little overwhelming, or repetitive even, because of Roos loyal behavior. I wished I could see even more of a change in her.

DNF @ 85%. This starts really strong - icky spooky grimy etc., just generally very good in the mood department, and a great creepy premise.

However, as the revelations start to occur and the plot gets closer and closer to resolution, it’s become extremely literal. Characters are just describing the themes, the actions they’re taking aren’t plausible (except that they’re necessary to advance the plot).

The intermittent doctor-patient interviews also have diminishing returns. I enjoy the concept but from the beginning they reminded me of the interactions between the paychologist and Grace in the Alias Grace miniseries - and unfortunately for the book, the way the dialogue is written is just far more rote and far less compelling that that show.

I also think Roos’s characterization in particular sort of falls apart in the second half. It’s so strong in the first half - but suddenly she’s saying and doing things for plot and theme reasons which are totally implausible for someone with the life experience she was depicted as having earlier. The believability of the interviews also falls apart since the way she’s acting in those doesn’t feel consistent with the way she tells her story in the main chapters… and while I think horror can push very successfully at those bounds in general, it just didn’t work here.

Basically, I just checked out of the story. The blatant Doctor-Who-creepy-statues-that-move-when-you’re-not-watching-them ripoff was when I decided to pull the cord - I love a reference but (like the Alias Grace-type psychologist interview frame narrative) when all it makes me think is “oh, I should go back and rewatch the original instead” then maybe the author would have been better off dropping it.

The first half of the book was so strong, particularly in terms of character and mood, I just wish the second half lived up to that.

Under all the horror and paranormal there hides a live story if you look hard enough.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this ARC. First, I want to start with the sheer creativity of Johanna van Veen. This novel was terrifying, loving, gruesome and entertaining all in one. I cannot wait to see what else they have in store for us readers.

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I usually don’t enjoy horror but the cover of this one was too beautiful to pass. And I did not regret it! Enjoyed the creepy atmosphere and still wonder if the FMC is insane or spirits are real in that world.

This book is wonderfully creative!! I love the LGBT+ inclusivity, the dark ambiance, supernatural elements, and characters that you learn about bit by bit. The premise keeps you guessing as you try to figure out motives for actions taken. I love the relationship between the two protagonists. My lesbian heart wishes they could have connected earlier in the story, but it made the small touches/interactions all the more sweet. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next from this author!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC!

Top notch gothic horror with an innovative new spirit is a win for Johanna van Veen’s amazing debut! Wow! It’s difficult for me to believe that this is a debut novel because it is just that good!

I appreciate the author’s voice, both while writing as protagonist, Roos, and as her psychiatrist. This novel hits many of the finer points of gothic literature, while breathing new life into it with her spiritual world building. Sensual, visceral, and dark, while still retaining a glimmer of hope, this book does so many things well. Maybe what I appreciate most is the way in which van Veen guides us through the horrors of Roos’s old life without being crass or overt in the descriptions of trauma. The author treats the character with dignity, helping also to retain some of the mystery that’s so important to gothic literature!

I can’t wait to read Johanna van Veen’s next novel!

I can see this book becoming my entire personality.

We love an unreliable narrater and this book is just chock-full of them. Our mc, Roos, is forced to perform séances with the help of her spirit companion, Ruth. It’s not a great gig and her mom is the absolute worst. Things look pretty grim until a beautiful young widow named Agnes comes to a séance to hear from her dearly departed hubby.

The two women have an undeniable connection and Roos goes to live at Agnes’ crumbling gothic manor where she’s caring for her dying sister-in-law.

Secrets run amuck as we’re pulled from the story into current day where Roos is being interviewed by a psychologist who is trying to understand and clear up some truly awful things that we’ve yet to find out.

The writing is gorgeous. I’ve been in a reading slump for a hot minute and this book was everything I needed. I read the entire thing in one sitting. I was entranced, I think was disgusted, I was terrified at times. This book is positively spooky.

Imagery was off the charts. I could feel everything on the page as if I was there myself and that’s my favorite kind of book to read.

I am so thankful I got to read this book early (thank you NetGalley!!) and I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy as soon as it releases! Also so excited to see more work from this author in the future!

From the onset, the reader gets a taste of the gorgeous gothic atmosphere that permeates every part of My Darling Dreadful Thing. The main setting is a sprawling, rundown manor, which is the perfect place for a young woman and her spirit companion.

More than once, the chapters, which are neither too long nor too short, end in cliffhangers. This makes it difficult to stop reading. I found myself physically stopping myself from bingeing this novel, because I didn’t want it to end. The writing is so fluid, it is easy to get swept into it.

The morbidity is beautifully written throughout. Much is descriptive of things that should be horrifying, but often, these depictions are retold in a horrifyingly childlike wonder. The reader soon finds the beauty in its horror.

My Darling Dreadful Thing is a visceral, gorgeously written gothic novel that is binge worthy. You won’t be able to stop thinking about it, long after you finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Darling Dreadful Thing was a really intense and creepy read (and very entertaining!). Johanna van Veen has mastered the balance between horror and romance. Van Veen’s writing style really suited the story and themes, I couldn’t put this one down.

There are some heavy topics in this book, so be sure to check out the trigger warning before reading!

Reviewed for NetGalley:

This was a fantastic read, and I am kicking myself for taking so long to read it. (I had started it a couple times, and assumed it was going to be a historical tale, and pushed it off at first).


Roos Beckman helps her greedy and uncaring mother swindle grieving loved ones during seances, with the help of her Spirit Companion, Ruth. That is, until a wealthy, young widow, Ms. Knoop, comes and sweeps Roos out of the cold floorboards of her mother's home.

The story is told between two time frames, one with Roos being questioned for murder with Doctor Montague, and the other what led to her imprisonment.

I was very, very pleasantly surprised but how much I enjoyed this story. A gothic ghost story, beautifully told.

This is not a horror book. Don’t get me wrong. There is horror throughout all the pages, there are spirits and séances and wicked, wicked things. But this book is a love story.

Roos Beckman has a spirit companion named Ruth who assists our darling main character in the ruse Mama has cooked up for her patrons - séances that show them glimpses into the afterlives of the beloved. She overtakes Roos, with her approval, and puts on a show. Only Roos only ever sees Ruth, not any of these other spirits she claims. But when newly widowed Agnes Knoop attends one such performance things begin to change. Agnes whisks Roos (and Ruth, who is always at her side) away from Mama and shows her a new life at the the estate Agnes inherited from her late husband, though still within it’s walls is his still living but ill sister Willemijn. Agnes and Roos have more in common than initially meets the eye and potentially growing feelings while Roos settles into her new life and tries to find out exactly what is going on around her.

The story is told between first hand accounts from Roos and interviews between Roos and Dr. Montague intended to see if she’s fit to stand trial for murder. These snippets of her conversations with the doctor reveal that the things that happen are coming and it’s up to the reader to decide if Roos is genuinely seeing and experiencing the things she says or if she’s genuinely crazy.

Ultimately, My Darling Dreadful Thing is a captivating, dark tale with a lot of love sprinkled amongst a lot of tragedy. I found it an easy to devour read and I loved the characterization of the spirit companions. Peter leapt off the page as kind and gentle even though he’s large and dead. Such a good read.

𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝘃𝗮𝗻 𝗩𝗲𝗲𝗻, 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱!

Set in the early 50s in the Netherlands, the story revolves around 21-year-old Roos(je) Beckman who lives with her harsh mother. They both sustain their living through Séances, aided by Roosje's spirit companion, Ruth.

After a fortuitous encounter with Agnes Knoop at one of these Séances, Roos finds herself moving to live with the widowed Mrs. Knoop at the Rozentuin Estate. (Fun fact: 'Rozentuin' translates to 'Rose garden' in Dutch, and 'Roos' is the Dutch equivalent of the name/flower 'Rose'.)

In the ensuing months, their companionship aids in healing each other's past Traumata. However, Roos senses an impending event. Nothing has ever worked out for her after all.

At the Rozentuin, we meet Agnes' ailing sister-in-law Willemijn, (Auntie) Mrs. van Leeuwen the Indonesian cook, and Peter Quint...

¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦ · ¦ ߹ ¦

This debut from van Veen is nothing short of amazing! The author had me engrossed within just a few pages. I particularly loved that the book is set in the Netherlands - a refreshing change from the usual American settings.

The 35 chapters are divided into three parts, each escalating in suspense. Every chapter pulls you in deeper, weaving its narrative threads around you until you find it hard to put the Book down.

This hauntingly beautiful story is a tragedy for those two unfortunate Souls who merely sought to live their lives in peace.

At times, I felt like Cassandra of Troy, foreseeing what was about to happen but powerless to intervene.
𝕿𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖊 𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖒𝖊 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖕𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝕴 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖓 𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖆 𝖈𝖊𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖎𝖓 𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖇𝖔𝖔𝖐!

Roosje is a character plagued by misfortune, and I felt deeply for her. It seemed as if she was fated to a life of sadness and loneliness, save for the company of her spirit companion, Ruth. I found the parts about 'both' Trudys unsettling, but they were necessary for the narrative.

As for Agnes, I found myself relating to her on several occasions. For instance, her mixed Eurasian heritage and the perceptions of those around her because of it, as well as her conflicted feelings regarding her ethnic background.

All characters, even the minor ones, were well written and I enjoyed reading them!
Well deserved 9.7 Stars out of 10 and I will gladly round this up here to a full 5 Stars Rating!

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍, 𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒄. 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚𝒔 𝒂 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅-𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈.

The book is set to be published on 14th May 2024, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did!

4.5 stars!

Before you decide to read this book, look into the trigger warnings!

This book was so intriguing, and I think the author does a very VERY good job of treating these harsh subjects with the weight and respect it needs.

This book left me aching for more, while also having a great ending.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinons are my own :)

My Darling Dreadful Thing is a visceral, haunting, and bloody novel rich with gothic themes and a sapphic romance that is equal parts bitter and sweet. I really enjoyed how the story within this one developed, especially as Roos' reliability as a narrator is called into question.

What this book really succeeds at is making us second guess ourselves. Is Ruth real? Is Peter? Or were Agnes and Roos mentally ill women abused and traumatized by the men and the other powerful people in their lives? Ultimately, this book explores heavy themes of abuse and trauma and I loved watching Roos get to reclaim her autonomy from the people who have hurt her.

Also worth mentioning is how stunning the prose within this novel is. Each word is as sharp as a shard of glass and I'm looking forward to seeing My Darling Dreadful Thing make its way into the world.

I was here when in Halloween the publisher, kindly gave free copies for the novel.

It was not what I was expecting of it. It was more dark and grim, a great seasonal reading but I wasn't in the mood for more grim reading after that October and let it go.

It was well written but it was not for me at that moment.

I hope it has a great reception, it's awesome to see horror books that are not written by king.

If you are looking for a grim take about a girl who has the sight and a complicated family, this is your kind of book. Gothic to the core.