This book was certainly atmospheric. It was heavy in the details but over all I found the interview portions more entertaining and are ultimately what kept me going to the end of the book.

TW: racism; homophobia; self-harm; brief mention of incest; food anxiety; PTSD; SA depicted on page with vague description; brief mention of animal death.

Riddled with melancholy and gothic charm, this book was very well written. Everything was quite vivid, and I found myself flying through this book just to see what happened next.
I didn't really care for the interviews with the doctor, which felt more like a means of increasing tension than providing much substance.

If you are squeamish with gore, the descriptions of the ghosts might be a turn off for you.

Overall, I enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I didn't realize until after I was done that My Darling Dreadful Thing is Johanna van Veen's debut novel, and I have to say it blew me away. This was an extraordinarily creepy book that had excellent gothic elements as well as a unique plotline. I didn't read the synopsis before starting, so I had no idea what the book was about; I only knew I loved the cover and found it so irresistible that I had to have it. This was great supernatural suspense as well as a Sapphic love story and I really enjoyed the different elements the author used like excerpts from Roos’s psychologist appointments. I would recommend going in blind as it made the story that much more interesting to me as I watched the truth of everything slowly unravel.

Being the audiophile that I am, I listened to the audiobook, and I loved it! I thought Jess Nesling did a wonderful job and she fully embodied the characters and the book as a whole. I was super impressed. There are definitely some triggers lurking in here, so I would recommend checking out StoryGraph prior to reading. I can be a squeamish reader and while there was some gore it wasn’t anything that made me set down my food. That is me personally though, so some people might find it better not to eat while reading this. 😉 My Darling Dreadful Thing is a fresh addition to the horror genre and I loved every minute of it!

Roos Beckman has a spirit companion only she can see. Ruth—strange, corpse-like, and dead for centuries—is the light of Roos’ life. That is, until the wealthy young widow Agnes Knoop comes into her life and everything changes.
Roos is whisked away to the crumbling estate Agnes inherited upon the death of her husband, where an ill woman haunts the halls, strange smells drift through the air at night, and mysterious stone statues reside in the family chapel. Something dreadful festers in the manor, but still, the attraction between Roos and Agnes is undeniable.

Roos will do anything for Agnes. Anything to make her happy, to take away that distant, sad look in her eyes.  Even when her choices are not for the best of anyone, but love isn't always logical or smart.
Roos ghost, Ruth, will do anything for her love of Roos. No way this is gonna end well.
The novel has some seriously spooky atmosphere. What's in the house? Was Agnes's husband a good man who she loved unconditionally or did he have a secret as well?

Excellent horror/ mystery novel with a queer love story to give it humanity.
Highly recommended. Book is available now at your favorite place to get them.
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Rating: 3.75 ⭐

This has such a unique writing style. You are being told a story by a patient and the story is being analyzed by a doctor. And we are learning the life of the patient and what led them to these circumstances they find themselves in.

Roos is able to see spirits and along with her mother, performs in seances. one day Agnes comes to a séance and is immediately drawn to Roos. She decides she will "purchase" Roos from her mother and take her to her estate as a companion. While there Roos learns there's more to Agnes than she initially thought and eventually their relationship morphs from companions to more.

There are queer, horror, and gothic elements to this story, all blending so seamlessly. It does start a bit slow but as the story continues and there's reveal after reveal it starts to suck you in. Definitely recommend if horror is your thing!

I am so thankful to NetGalley and Poison Pen Press for the advanced digital copy of this beautiful novel. My Darling Dreadful Thing was published May 14, 2024 and available now!

I absolutely loved this book. It is a slow-burn gothic romance/horror and I savored every minute of it. The writing is lyrical and beautiful and the relationship between Roos (Roosje) and her spirit companion Ruth was fascinating. Ruth is a strange corpse-like spirit who is centuries old and the light of Roosje’s life. When a wealthy widow, Agnes Knoop attends one of Roosje’s seances, they form a connection leading Agnes to offer Roos to come live with her at her crumbling estate.

The alternating format between Roosje’s story and the physician’s case notes was brilliant and broke up the narrative in a compelling way. The estate itself is eerie, with Agnes’s ill sister-in-law creeping the halls, strange smells in the night air; and mysterious stone saint statues in the chapel. As Roos navigates her new life in this environment, a murder occurs, making her the prime suspect due to her history.

The imagery in this novel is more unsettling than outright scary and I appreciated the atmospheric tension. I read this slowly but constantly thought about this book as I was making my way through it. I would love to see this as a movie and highly recommend for anyone looking for an atmospheric gothic read.

Roos Beckman and her mother make their living swindling people as spiritualists, contacting dead relatives. But Roos can see spirits. Well, she can see her companion Ruth, who died long ago.

When Agnes meets Roos, she whisks her away from her abusive mother, because she, too, can see spirits. The two build a relationship, but Roos believes Agnes helped her because she wanted her to help bring back the spirit of her dead husband, and things aren’t what they seem.

I loved this book! This is my jam. Creepy. Mysterious. Spiritualism. Queer gals. Maybe a bit of an unreliable narrator situation? Maybe not? Definitely worth a read.

I finished this book ages ago, received an ARC (thank you!!!), but I just kept putting off reviewing it because I wasn't quite sure what to say.

First things first, this definitely a gothic. Our main character, Roos, has a ghost for a BFF, Ruth. She's in an abusive situation where a woman is utilizing her and her relationship to Ruth, to stage seances to scam people out of their money.

This goes on until one particular woman, Agnes, comes to a seance. She recognized Roos's situation because she also has a ghost BFF, and buys Roos off of the abusive scammer.

This is where we start to get into our well known gothic themes. Young woman comes to a mysterious, sprawling home, confinement, the forbidden, mental health.

Much of this story is Agnes telling her tale to a psychiatrist who is super into Freud (due to the time period), as well as chapters that are from that psychiatrist's perspective. So because of the psychiatrist, you don't know if Roos is a reliable narrator. But this guy is spouting Freud, so to me, he didn't read as reliable either. As I came close to the conclusion I wasn't quite sure how it would go...

Be sure to check your triggers as this book contains examples of different types of trauma and the after effects of it. It is saphic but beware, this is not a romance.

If you're someone who has ever found comfort in things some find creepy or disturbing, you will definitely feel right at home with some of these characters, and how they cling to each other as they navigate their world.

In closing, this was very well written. The author is definitely Poe and Shirley Jackson influenced. And if you like those vibes, and are cool with the above, you should check it out!

"My Darling Dreadful Thing" is an achingly beautiful exploration of sorrow and healing that touched me deeply. From the first page, the protagonist's journey through loss felt so vivid and real, pulling at my heartstrings with every turn of phrase.

My Darling Dreadful Thing started out very strong with the séance and spirits, delivering that Gothic element that you crave. However, it took a turn and the book became slow-paced, feeling somewhat immature, reminiscent of a YA novel. I had high hopes for this one, but ultimately, it wasn’t for me.

This book was enjoyable! I love A good ghost/possession story and this was a unique take on that. Roos and Ruth are best friends but one is alive and the other is a mummified corpse. The way the story is told is engaging. I’d try another book from this author.

I gave this one a 3.5** My feelings about this one are a little hard to articulate because I enjoyed the writing style, the gothic setting and themes and the obsessive sapphic relationship. Unfortunately though the pacing was a bit slow for me and the ending was a bit lackluster. I would recommend it but its definitely not going to be for everyone

My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen is a dark and decadent gothic novel that horrifies and delights in equal measure. Roos Beckman, a medium with a centuries-old, corpse-like spirit companion named Ruth, finds her life upended when wealthy widow Agnes Knoop attends one of her séances. Drawn to Agnes, Roos moves to her crumbling estate, where eerie events unfold: a haunting presence, strange odors, and mysterious stone statues.

As their undeniable attraction grows, a murder occurs, and Roos becomes the prime suspect due to her troubled past. To clear her name, she must unravel the manor's sinister secrets. This haunting tale, praised for its gothic allure and queer desire, is a must-read for fans of dark, atmospheric fiction.

I struggled a bit with this one -- I loved the premise, the gothic setting, and spiritualism is a topic I really enjoyed, but I just found myself drifting off while reading it. I'm not sure why I couldn't connect with Roos or Ruth; it might have been the structure of the novel and having major revelations up front? I wound up deciding not to finish this one at about 30% in, but I think other readers may really enjoy it.

What I liked most about this book was the atmosphere. The ghosts especially were creepy and unsettling, but also morbidly lovely in how they were described. I was partucularly obsessed with Peter as a character. The pacing of the story did seem to lag in areas but the short interview-style chapters that were dispursed throughout did help to add more suspense than there would have been without them. I am very interested to see what this author writes next!

My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen  is a gothic horror novel.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 
My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions):
Roos Beckman has had a spirit companion since she was a young girl, locked under the floorboards by the woman who raised her, and demanded that she participate in the seances that were held above her.  When Ruth entered her life, Roos finally had a friend.  Yes, this friend had been dead for centuries, and her features were a little "off", and only Roos could see her, but she would protect Roos forever.

When the wealthy widow Agnes Knoop arrives for a seance, Roos' life will change drastically. Roos falls in love with her.   Agnes, too, has a spirit companion.  Agnes soon takes Roos back to the crumbling estate where she lives with her sister-in-law Willemijn who is ailing from tuberculosis.  The Rozentuin estate has a strange atmosphere, inside and out, and there are many secrets hidden within.

Then her life changes again, as Roos is charged with murder.



My Opinions:
Well, for a debut novel, I was pleasantly surprised.  This was a true gothic supernatural tale, filled with all the horror and suspense generally reserved for the classics.

Topics include mental illness, child abuse, violence, misogyny and homophobia.  These are some tough topics, all handled with ease in the book.

The story is told from Roos' perspective, and through her conversations with a psychiatrist while she awaits trial.  Roos is such an interesting character, and one that I could whole-heartedly cheer for.  Whether mentally ill, or naive, or in love.

It is an atmospheric tale of sapphic love, but it is much more than that.  I am not a romance reader, but this was more a supernatural tale than a romance novel.  The characters, the pacing, and the plot all shone!  A rather dark and creepy story.

Great book, and I'll be looking for more from this author!  Oh, and I loved the cover.


For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, author information and a favorite quotation from the book), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

Queer horror is forever a favorite genre of mine and this was no exception!

Spooky, creepy, and a little gross, My Darling Dreaful Thing checks all my horror must-haves!

I enjoyed this book! It was a solid gothic mystery. The characters were a little flat, which made the romance kind of flop for me; it was a lot of telling with very little showing. But I loveddddd the idea of the spirit companions and it was a solid debut novel!

This is a chilling, atmospheric gothic thriller that mixes supernatural elements with a gripping murder mystery. The story follows Roos Beckman, a medium with a unique gift: she has a spirit companion named Ruth, who’s been dead for centuries but is the light of Roos' life.

Things turn really dark and thrilling when Roos is invited to Agnes' crumbling estate. This place is seriously creepy, with an ill woman haunting the halls, strange smells at night, and mysterious stone statues in the family chapel. All these eerie details add to the overall unease and tension of the book.

The characters are well-developed, especially Roos as she struggles to prove her innocence while facing both ghostly and real-world dangers. The bond between Roos and Ruth, along with her growing connection with Agnes, adds emotional depth to the suspenseful plot.

The pacing is perfect, with each twist and revelation keeping the suspense high. The descriptions of the decaying estate and the haunting presence of spirits make for a vivid, immersive read.

If you’re into gothic thrillers, this is a must-read. The author has crafted a story that explores sanity, the power of love, and the lingering presence of the past in a haunting, masterful way.

Thanks to #NetGalley for my advance copy of this book. #MyDarlingDreadfulThing

This is the perfect, grimy little confection for gothic horror lovers. My Darling Dreadful thing captures so much of what makes the genre compelling; a crumbling house, a forbidden yearning, an unreliable narrator…all of these tropes are blended into a gorgeous sapphic horror story that I couldn’t put down. Roos evokes such sympathy in the reader while still instilling a horror at what is inevitably to come. I can’t wait to read more from the author!