This was such a fun one. Two sisters are reunited and begin to scare gold away from others, only to be haunted by terrors themselves. Entertaining and thought provoking.

Thank you, Atriabook and NetGalley, for the free book for review.

If you're a sucker for novels delving into the intricate dynamics of sisterhood, then "Spitting Gold" is your golden ticket! This gripping tale unravels through the eyes of estranged sisters, Sylvie and Charlotte, weaving a mesmerizing narrative that delves into their shared past, individual journeys, and the hauntingly beautiful gothic setting that will transport you to another world.

The author expertly captures the tender yet complex bond between the sisters, delving into their relationships with others, including Sylvie's secretive tension with her husband and Charlotte's blossoming connection with the enigmatic client, Florence. It's a rollercoaster of emotions as you find yourself rooting for both sisters while unraveling the tantalizing web of secrets and twists that make this mystery an absolute page-turner.

For lovers of gothic historical fiction and anyone fascinated by the unbreakable ties of sisterhood, "Spitting Gold" is a definite must-read. It's a compelling exploration of how far one would go to protect a sister, even in the face of adversity and deception. So, buckle up and get ready for a mesmerizing journey into the heart of sisterly bonds!

3 ⭐️

This is a story of two spiritist sisters in 19th century Paris who set out to take advantage of a family plagued by paranormal events in their home. The story is told at first from Sylvie's POV as the older sister, and then from Charlotte's POV in the second half. It's an entertaining story, but I found it hard to hold my interest through the second half until close to the end.

Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis was an atmospheric debut.
Set in 19th-century Paris, blending gothic mystery with a captivating sapphic romance as two estranged sisters—celebrated spirit mediums—come back together for one last con.
This wonderfully told historical fiction novel was beautifully written.
I enjoyed the characters was hanging onto every single word.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Spitting Gold is a hauntingly atmospheric story that centers around two estranged sisters in 1800s Paris. Sylvie and Charlotte are nothing alike and have led extremely different lives since their paths diverged years ago, but they must rejoin forces for one last con in their work as fraudulent spirit mediums. However, all is not what it appears to be... with the family they are employed with, with the so-called spirit they are attempting to communicate with, even with Charlotte. Can the sisters navigate their differences in time to figure out what is happening and salvage this last job, or will time be up for both of them?

I absolutely adored this debut novel by Carmella Lowkis. The haunting, gothic vibes were spot-on, and this would be a fantastic book to read during spooky season. The gaslamp French atmosphere really contributed to the angsty feel of the book, and I love historical fiction in this time period. The writing was compelling, and I loved the voices of each sister. The perspective change halfway through the book allowed for a fantastic look at the other side of the story and helped us to appreciate both sisters and their struggles. The first half (Sylvie's POV) really had me rooting for Sylvie and looking down on Charlotte, but the second half (Charlotte's POV) completely flipped the script! I absolutely loved immersing myself into both sides as it allowed me to look at the story two entirely different ways.

The relationship between Sylvie and Charlotte was awkward and tense, but that angst really contributed to the vibe of the book and really solidified the unstableness of the entire plot. We never knew quite what was happening, with mystery surrounding almost everything in the story, so the unstable relationships really tied in well with everything else. The second half definitely cleared some things up, with us hearing Charlotte's side of things, and I really loved the slow build-up of the con <spoiler> between Florence and Charlotte. Their relationship felt very organically built, and I loved seeing Florence's burgeoning feelings come to fruition.</spoiler> I think Florence may have been my favorite character. The pure feminine rage portrayed so plainly throughout the entire book, from Sylvie, Charlotte, and Florence, was so well illustrated and made for a fantastically compelling story.

I really loved the conclusion to this book. I think the final reveal was fantastically well done and very dramatic, and the epilogue really tied everything up really well. My only gripe is that I would have loved more of what happened directly following the reveal and before the epilogue. We had this high-tension reveal that kind of ended a bit abruptly, and then the epilogue explaining where all the characters ended up. I would have loved a bit more of that dramatic, chaotic rush to figure out how they were going to handle the consequences of what happened and where that led them. Overall, though, I did really love what the epilogue did to tie up the whole story, and I think the character development reflected in the last few pages really shone through. <spoiler> Even though the sisters were again apart, I think they finally understood each other and came together in a way they never had before. </spoiler>

If you liked Belladonna by Adalyn Grace, The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare, or The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner, definitely give this book a try! I loved it and will definitely be looking out for more from Carmella Lowkis!

Sylvie and Charlotte grew up in a family running cons. The girls are known as spirit mediums. They would make a family believe that they had ghosts, so then the family would hire them to “exorcise” the ghosts. Now, that the girls are grown up, Sylvie has married a baron and is trying to integrate into upper society. While her sister, Charlotte, is stuck at home taking care of her father. Charlotte is in need of money for her father’s care and decides that one last con will pay the bills. She convinces Sylvie to help her perform their old con on a family with old money. The problem is that there are weird things happening that are not in their control. Have they finally found a house that’s haunted and really needs a ghost exorcised? The format of this book is interesting, in that you follow Sylvie for the first half of the book and then you follow Charlotte for the second half. I thought both halves were good. It seemed a bit repetitive for Charlotte’s part because it’s telling the same story, but from her point of view. Also, the pacing was a little slow in the middle at some parts. Overall, still a decent debut, and I will plan to look for the author’s next book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

DNF at 20%

I am once again hit with a case of blurb expectations not meeting the actual content. I was promised an atmospheric, gothic debut about spiritualist sisters reuniting to pull one last con and while the plot aspects of that blurb are certainly correct, there is absolutely no atmosphere to be had. The 20% that I read was so matter of fact and dry considering the subject matter and time period. This is not what I signed for and therefore, I have decided to DNF.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Spitting Gold tells the story of two sisters who pose as spirit mediums and their next mark, a family being haunted by an ancestor. The first half was creepy and atmospheric, and I genuinely had chills down my spine.

However, at the midway point, we have a POV change that details what led to this point and the ultimate outcome. It feels like a complete tonal shift away and I found myself skimming to the end. I absolutely adored the beginning so the ending felt unearned and rushed.

Don't get me wrong, the antagonist gets what they deserve at the end, but the epilogue felt like it was trying to wrap up the storyline, rather than deal with the fallout. Maybe an extra chapter or so could help alleviate the abruptness.

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.

Spitting Gold is a mix of a Gothic horror style book mixed with a romance. I absolutely loved the first half of the book from Sylvie's perspective. It was haunting and exciting and I didn't know what to expect next. The second half of the book in Charlotte's view seemed unnecessary to me. It retold the same story, just in Charlotte's point of view so it took the magic and suspense out of the book for me. I felt like the first half was a quick read, and the second part dragged. I think I would have preferred the second point of view to be Florence and to hear more of her back story from her perspective. As a debut novel, Lowkis shows a lot of promise. I enjoyed the 19th century Parisian setting and the plot line, I just wish the formatting of the book had taken a different direction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for granting me a free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review!

3.25 ⭐️

The premise of Spitting Gold was pretty strong, but sadly it honestly fell flat for me. The first half of the book was relatively promising, following the point of view of Sylvie, the older of the Mothe sisters. Her POV was mostly good. I at least somewhat liked her. However, Charlotte was wildly unlikable to me from the very start, and her POV in the second half of the book only reinforced that. It could’ve been good if only Charlotte had basically any redeemable characteristics. Her POV read very much like that of a really mentally unstable person. I found her “love” to be just obsession. She clearly forms incredibly unhealthy obsessions with people, and I just found her ending pretty flat and unsatisfying. I was hoping she would grow at some point, but her way of thinking literally never changed.

I also found the book really predictable. I had called the major “twist” within the first few pages of meeting the family the Mothe sisters were assisting. I wish it had been able to subvert my expectations.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of Spitting Gold.

An intriguing novel that got me out of my reading slump!

Filled with rich descriptions, purple prose and morally ambiguous characters spitting gold is one of the best books I have had the pleasure of reading this year. I was instantly transported into this unique and magical portrayal of Paris,

Sylvie is my most favourite of the two, and the authors ability to make us turn on the sisters and hate at the very least one of them periodically was so delightful! The drama made the book addictive to read as well!

And to close off I have to mention the plot twists that had me staying awake at night to finish this!

Spitting Gold was creepy, atmospheric, and jam packed with unpredictable twists. Camella Lowkis wrote this book in a way that you almost feel as if you’ve jumped right into the pages. This would be the perfect historical fiction to read around Halloween. Creepy & haunting - I loved this book!

Thank you NetGalley & Atria Books for an ARC copy of this book.

This book was so much twistier than I had expected! There were so many twists that surprised me but that, in hindsight, made perfect sense. The author definitely created a strong, creepy atmosphere and enjoyed turning expectations on their hand. The point of view switches half way through which I was surprised by but ultimately felt was really well-done and added a lot to the story. This was a great gothic haunting/mystery with a well-built sapphic romance and captivating family drama, twice over.

This was an excellent read and lived up to the Sarah Waters hype. Suspenseful. Two former spiritualist sisters are reunited for a job. The story references a fairy tale of sisters, one good and one bad. But those sort of judgements are in the eye of the beholder. We all are morally grey. We can be both good and bad. This story will keep you guessing though. I devoured it quickly. Solidly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Paris 1866. Sisters Sylvie and Charlotte meet after not seeing each other for 2 years. While Charlotte is poor and takes care of their ailing father, Sylvie married Alexandre, the Baron Devereux, and enjoys a life in leisure and luxury with a great future in mind. Forgotten are the times when she and her sister were con artists posing as gifted mediums. But, in order to be able to pay her bills, Charlotte persuades Sylvie to go along with one last job. Pretty soon, it seems that, this time, they are dealing with real spirits and they are not friendly. Soon Sylvie’s life as she knows it is in danger and Charlotte’s past repeats itself.

First of all, I want to say: I am adding this book my most favorite book list. Such a deliciously gothic well-written story. I absolutely loved the setting, the atmosphere, the development of the characters, the unfolding of lies and secrets and the sisters’ own past. This is a very achieved debut novel, and I can’t wait to read more from the author.

The Mothe sisters couldn’t be more different. For the first part, the story is told by Sylvie. Then, about halfway through, the POV changes to Charlotte, and we learn what lead to the sisters’ meeting in the first place. Spitting Gold is about sisters, family, love and loss. The end is shocking but also reassuring and comforting. This book will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the pleasure of reading an advance copy. It was an honor. The above is my opinion and mine alone.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC. The premise of this book is so promising — two estranged medium sisters reuniting to pull one final con set in 19th century Paris. It had such a strong start but sort of unraveled during Part 2. The story itself is interesting but the writing could have been a little tighter. 3.5 rounded up.

Two estranged sisters pretending to be spirit mediums target the rich and get back together for one last con? SIGN ME UP.

...except what if there really is a malevolent spirit haunting this family?

Spitting Gold is a fun little con gone haywire. It is family drama and hurt feelings and trauma. And revenge. It is the perfect balance of silly and serious.

Except this is the rare occasion in which I think that the a book should have been 50-100 pages longer. I wanted more-- more worldbuilding, more spooky shenanigans, more character development. What we got was good, but I think it could have gone deeper to really drive that emotional hit home. I wanted to feel devastation!

But overall, this was fun. Thank you ATRIA for sending me a copy!

Two sisters who lie about their ability to communicate with the dead after two years have to meet again for money. They have a plan, a family that believes they are being persecuted by their great aunt who is seeking revenge hires them and that is where everything gets out of control.

The plot is good and all, but I didn't get into reading it, it felt heavy and I was getting bored. Get to 20%.


Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel.

I absolutely loved this twisty, sapphic story about spiritists, sisterhood, and the sacrifices we make for the people we love. The ending had me weeping and gasping in equal measure, and Lowkiss does a great job distinguishing Sylvie and Charlotte's voices.

Though not as tightly plotted as something like Fingersmith, fans of Sarah Waters should enjoy this book.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A unique historical fiction novel, beautifully written. I’m not usually an avid historical fiction reader, but this book was totally worth it. It’s told from split first person perspective, which is a difficult thing to pull off for sure. This author did a great job and I’m excited to see what they come out with next.

Mild spoilers ahead:

I’m knocking a star off because there were points in the middle that were sort of a slog to get through. After the first portion from Sylvie’s perspective, I didn’t enjoy the switch to Charlotte. I had grown attached to Sylvie and Charlotte just seemed like a mean-spirited brat. The first couple chapters from Charlotte’s perspective felt dense and unpleasant, but after finishing the book, it seemed intentionally so.

I personally loved the ending. The pacing picked up for the last chapter, which was great, and it left off on a happy-ish note. The epilogue is very important to the ending as well, and it made it feel complete. Whereas I thought I’d rate the book a 2 or 3 stars at its worst points in the middle, by the ending it had certainly redeemed itself.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of this book.