This book was a perfect combination of haunted house and also wondering if the character is just crazy. I got literal chills on some chapters because they were just so well written. My only real complaint was the book was too short.

This book was not what I expected. The name makes it sound so unserious. But this book is so freaking good. I had such a good time reading it. I am so grateful to have received this ARC.

I could not put this book down! The characters had me frustrated in a good way that had me hooked. EV Knight, who lives in Savannah GA, built the southern atmosphere and tension up in this house and everything had me guessing. We follow Emily the artist and Miles the CEO on their journey through marriage and family in a new home via dual views of what they see in each other and themselves. Being in the minds of each character and how they think of each situation was so fun. And adding to the mix that Emily is painting a cover for a horror novel author who may have his own motives for her tragedies. I thoroughly enjoyed this read! Thank you for allowing me read this book, Netgalley!

This is a great introduction short novel for those wanting a haunted house and postpartum horror. It was easy to read and I really enjoyed how bold the ending was. I was unsure how this story was going to flow, because it did get choppy but then It was predictable at the climax. Defiantly great for Halloween or those who do prompt readathons.

I was sadly not a fan of this book, nor the two main characters. The witting style was very lackluster and gave much left to be desired. The two main characters were insufferable, in general and towards each other.

I was a sucker for the cover of this one. It started off well enough. I loved the premise of her painting Gothic houses for an author to write a book about, but it fell flat for me. The dialogue between Emily and Miles seemed juvenile. They clearly like to keep secrets from each other... The end: I'm so torn on it. I loved the part about the haunted house but the relationship between the MC's just made this story awkward.



Thank you Netgalley, and Raw Dog Screaming Press, for my copy.

This is chaotic.

I spent way too much time trying to figure out the intentions of the author. Is this tongue-in-cheek snark? Or this this a proper horror novel? Should I be amused? Or should I be creeped out?

I do not know.

The characters definitely seem to be tongue-in-cheek. There is no way the reader is supposed to take Miles seriously. The issue is that the plot itself is pretty much snark free. There’s a true dichotomy between the way the characters are portrayed and the way the plot plays out.

I had to decide how to read this.

Finally, I decided to just read it as a proper horror novel and it’s a pretty good one. The plot is eerie and, when I don’t want to throw Miles in the trash or beg Emily to get a spine, I worried for their little family.

I ended up liking it. Still confused, honestly. But liking it.

• ARC via Publisher

My only regret is that I didn't save this for Halloween. It would have been the perfect read! Such a spooky tale that really kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time!

I had issues reading this book at night! It was creepy and the life of the story oozed out over the edges when I tried to go to sleep. It grabbed me right from the beginning and refused to let me relax. I was concerned for every character, I connected with each of them and the twists left me feeling guilty for empathizing with one and then mad because I did the same for another. Miles, Emily, Rhett and Monica were neighbors that I will definitely miss. Pick up this book as soon as it is available!! 5/5 couldn't get enough!

Emily has been commissioned to paint a cover picture for a popular horror novel. She picks an old Victorian home she saw for sale. Miles her husband ends up surprising her with buying this house not knowing why she was painting it. Emily being pregnant in a difficult pregnancy is not thrilled.
She and Miles move in and immediately experience disturbing things like haunting music and objects moving on their own. Miles doesn't know if it's all in Emily's head or if the house is really haunted. Then the baby Rhett disappears.
I enjoyed this book until Rhett disappears and then it became to real.

EV Knight's latest is an entry in the illustrious tradition of Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hill House. In this permutation, a famous horror author commissions work from an obscure southern gothic artist who happens to be a big fan of his. It's an irresistible opportunity that she embraces, until, at the threshold of a new phase of her career, an unexplainable physical malady leaves her crumpled at the entrance to the house. The protagonist's marriage is less than harmonious, which seems to be the result of her husband's stereotypical insensitivity. Emotional aspects of the story, such as the artist's enthusiasm for her new project and her dread surrounding her struggling relationship, are heavy-handed and unpolished, resorting to using all caps to convey emphasis to the reader. While there's nothing wrong with coloring inside the lines in a traditional haunted house story, there's also nothing very original about this one. Readers seeking a book with the genetics of Jackson's Hill House should look to Richard Matheson, Elizabeth Hand and Scott Thomas.

Thanks to Raw Dog Screaming Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

2.5 stars. The title is perfection—the exact title to grab my attention. The story itself wasn’t great. I loved the history of the house and the atmosphere. Hated Miles so much. He’s a total idiot. And the Rhett/Remi mix-up was included in every damn chapter. Both names are ridiculous for a baby. Emily is going through some serious postpartum depression and she’s just so unhinged. Their marriage is unhealthy and that seems to be the focus of this book—not the haunted house. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

It’s been a struggle to find a good thriller lately, so I’ve jumped straight to horror! (Also, prepping for Spooky Season, of course.) The House on the Cover of a Horror Novel was an absolute blast! Sure, the characters could’ve been a bit more fleshed out—it really leans into that “all men are dumb and I despise them” vibe 😂. But I was totally spooked, hooked, and entertained the whole way through. It’s one of those “just one more chapter” reads, and suddenly, it’s over before you know it. I absolutely loved the setting—a haunted, old southern house in Savannah, GA—and the atmosphere was spot-on creepy. It might not be for everyone, especially those who’ve dealt with PPD, but I had a fantastic time with it. Big thanks to NetGalley for an eArc of this book! Pub day is September 12th!

The storyline was compelling and interesting however the chapters from Miles’ perspective were painful to read. I absolutely hated him, which may have been the point - narcissist, misogynistic, patronizing, he was all of them. I didn’t really understand the point of the whole issue of the baby’s name and found it annoying. I did like that I thought I knew what would happen but the book went another way. Overall I’d give this a 3.5/5.

Hmmm…………

I didn’t hate this book, however, I didn’t love it either. Unlikeable characters don’t bother me but there’s something about this couple that made smile a lil when bad things happened to them. I’m not sure that was the intent of the author, though. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The premise is top tier and has a ton of potential to be a truly interesting story—just didn’t hit the mark.

Anyways, I’ll be recommending this book because dark and bleak are some readers’ vibe and they”ll definitely get their fill.

The writing is… immature. Miles is an absolute caricature of a “smart guy” and is so unbelievably unlikable it just leaves his character flat.

I will say the horror scenes were pretty good and unnerving, but that’s really the only positive.

Thank you so much for letting me read and review this book. I loved the plot very unique. Its so funny how the husband goes out and buys the house because what couple hasnt experienced their SO going out and getting something without talking first. It was a very relatable book. I also loved that the house originally was going to be for a book cover and turned into their family home. So I do have a huge fear of small closed spaces and this book gave trapped in the best way, the walls always felt closer and closer the more the book progressed. I'm a huge fan

Are you looking for a haunted house story? This may not be for you. The house is haunted, but that part of the story is quite thin.

Are you looking for something bleak with no reprieve? This is the vibe you're seeking. Darkness o plenty.

This story is about Emily's sad life. Miles, her husband, is awful, so awful that I almost gave up at the 15% mark. By that point his sexism, mansplaining, gaslighting, and homophobia was too much. He added some fatophobia on top as well. He's despicable in all the ways. Even when he was dealing with tragedy, I didn't want to root for him. Emily is a victim of unfortunate circumstances, held together by trauma and post-partum depression. Her you can root for, but you never really get to know her. I wish there was more character there.

Ultimately, this is a dark story. It's written well, but it wasn't quite my jam. If you want to see dark humanity with a haunted backdrop, it may be for you.

To be the inspiration for a new famous horror book would be such a dream come true. I loved the premise of this book. My mind went to all kinds of scenerios that could happen. I really liked the main character and what she went through was so very realistic. I felt so hard for her the whole time. The husband though I felt he meant well drove me crazy. Believe her already!! I loved that he drove me crazy and kept me guessing what he was doing. The side characters worked so well to move the story. I kept thinking this is gonna be a 5 star for me. The only thing that slowed it down for me was the very ending because (for me) it got a little bit repeative and tropey. I also loved the baby and his characters storyline disappointed me. I needed a HERO at the end of the story. However, it fit for a horror book. This house spirit is truely a genuine villian. The story got sad but that is to be expected because the situations and topics are so real and so many families and women deal with them. Giving this book a strong four. I would both buy and recommend but I am sure it will get some mixed reviews. make sure to read the disclaimers for trigggers.

I loved, loved, loved this book! It was so easy to dive into and I was invested from the very first chapter. This is probably one of my most recent favorite ghost stories. The POV goes back and forth between husband and wife Emily and Miles as they each go about very different ways of figuring out what happened to their infant son after moving into a spooky old Victorian home in Savannah. There is a background story as well of an author, Cooper Yancy, who Emily is hired by to do a book cover for and it all comes together beautifully.

At times I was so lost in the story of Emily and Miles that when Cooper would sneak back in, it was almost like I had forgotten about him.

This story was so captivating and fascinating and showed the depths of grief and hope and the lengths a mother will go to for her baby.

Wonderful stuff in this book. I definitely recommend!