Absolutely loved this. It was dark and dramatic with all the family tension between the two families fighting over a house that was a ruined home. Plus the history of the families leading to the current situation, and how it's done with chapters of history was really well done. So glad I got a chance to read this book. It's not the typical horror I've read. Definitely on the paranormal end. Great read!

I really wanted to love this one—the concept had so much potential. But it ended up feeling both too long and somehow incomplete. I had a lot of questions by the end and just felt a little unsatisfied. The chapters set in the past were by far the most compelling, and honestly, I think I would’ve enjoyed it way more if the story had been more linear and centered around that timeline.

Really enjoyed this one, I loved the mix of a thriller and suspenseful book with historic fiction. I’m always a fan when I can’t guess what is going to happen. I’m not good with scary books but this one wasn’t too bad with the fear factor.

The Manor of Dreams- Christina Li
Pub Date - 4/6/25
Rating- 2/5
Thoughts - Thank you to Netgalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I unfortunately ended up DNFing this book. It just wasn't for me due to the horror elements.

A truly unique haunted house story that alternates between two timelines, present day and the past of the family who lived in the house. The family matriarch has died and family has gathered to hear the will. Included is the daughter and granddaughter of the former housekeeper, who is bequeathed the house and property, while family is awarded a small monetary amount. A battle of wills ensues with each side vying to own the house. Be careful what you wish for.

I will not reveal more, you must read this one to discover the secrets of the house and the family who owns it. You won’t be disappointed. My reviews never contain spoilers and are free provided. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a readers copy of this title.

This was a masterfully told story! I wasn't expecting the ending and enjoyed this from beginning to end. It's a slower paced story but well worth the read. I would highly recommend this! Special Thank You to Christina Li, Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

If your mother disinherited you from the house you grew up in and handed it to another family you haven't seen in thirty-odd years, you'd probably fight back, right? But what if she was doing it for your own good? What is there was something evil in the house, bent on your family's destruction? If she tried to tell you, you wouldn't believe her. You'd dismiss it as the rantings of an elderly woman who has lived on her own for too long. Thus do we meet Lucille. Tragedy has kept her apart from her dwindling family. Losing this house would be the final straw. But maybe she should have heeded her mother's wishes.

Thank you to netgalley and Christina Li for the advanced copy in exchanged for my honest review.

Ghosts. Horror. Family Drama. Too many plot lines. A bit confusing at some points.

I wanted to like this so much more than I actually did.

After old Hollywood star Vivian Yin dies, her family gathers at her mansion for a reading of the will. Unexpectedly, she leaves her estate to a different family, and both families move into the mansion in hopes of staking their claim and forcing the other out.

This sounds like the kind of gothic story I would love, but it ultimately was too boring for my taste. It's definitely a slow-burn, but I just found the pace to be glacial. These pacing issues continued through the whole novel, with the end wrapping up too quickly. However, I did enjoy the atmosphere and the sapphic relationships, and the mysteries presented were not bad by any means. A solid 3/5 for me.

This story was compared to Mexican Gothic so I expected more plant horror, but there wasn't. What we had was pretty good but not Mexican Gothic levels of plant invasion. Either way, I did enjoy the multiple POV's of this story, even though at times I was confused on who was who, and I liked that it moved across timelines. I think I related most to Ada and I was glad to see her POV even if it was very brief in the middle of the novel. Sophie too was a really great character that I loved. Overall I enjoyed the story and I'm glad this is the first book I've read by Christina Li. I'm going to pick up the rest of her novels as soon as I can!

I picked up this book because it was described as a multi-generational Chinese-American gothic horror novel. However, I found that description somewhat misleading—it read more like a family drama with a few horror elements sprinkled in. The plot moved slowly, and the attempts at building tension didn’t quite land for me. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the paranormal aspects had either taken center stage or been removed entirely.

OMG This was so good. It was absolute perfection. These two families go to this manor because this Chinese Actress has died and she left the house to the gardeners daughter instead of her own children. It starts out like a normal drama and then it gets super dark. This was perfection.

Hidden somewhere deep within the pages of this book is a good story trying desperately to claw itself out.
Unfortunately, it did not succeed.
There was SO much wasted potential here. Specifically in the first half within the narrative set in the past- the glitz of vintage Hollywood, the drama of a whirlwind romance, the mystery of a gothic mansion… it really could have been great.
But sadly it just wasn’t. All of those interesting plot lines quickly fizzled out without a single interesting or shocking resolution. And the present day narrative was pretty much devoid of any depth at all- both the characters and the story fell flat for me.
So sad I didn’t love this more. 2.5 stars

When Hollywood starlet Vivian Yin dies and leaves her family’s estate not to her children but to her former friend’s family, tensions rise as the two family’s dual to unravel the past secrets. This book was just fine for me, I didn’t feel really invested in any of the characters, and the plot could have been paced better to really keep my attention. The last part of the plot with the reveal was pretty quick and I don’t feel like I got all of the answers I wanted. I did however really enjoy the horror aspects of the house, with the mansion playing a haunting role.

"the manor of dreams" follows two families vying for inheritance of a California manor after the passing of a Chinese American actress. alternating between past and present, we learn about Vivian Yin, her family, and the events leading up to her decision to give her inheritance to Elaine and Nora rather than her daughters. as an Asian reader, i appreciate how Li evokes the idea of how sacrifices can bring dire consequences that can be emotionally implosive within a family. in the latter half of the story, i got sucked in on the mystery behind Vivian's decision and why the mansion has become haunting and paranormal. the gothic nature set in California was one of the few things that caught my eye and Li integrated the foreboding, macabre setting into a family saga well. however, there were some areas that were underdeveloped. Li's writing style was mostly telling everything that left me distantly connected to any of the families. one exception was Vivian's POV where all the gaslighting and domestic abuse she experienced made me empathize her the most. despite that, the writing took me some time to actually get invested in the Yin and Deng families. . even though i was disgusted with Richard (Vivian's husband), moreover, there were some stylistic choices that i wished Li would use to make this story stronger. i wanted to learn more about his story and how his disdain towards Vivian and their relationship brought a rift within the family over time; but knowing that this story entirely focuses on a Chinese American family, i can see the decision to leave the POV of a privileged, white man. and the way this story was told felt out-of-place at times. it felt like the present story abruptly jumps back to the present and vice versa and because i was introduced to a large cast of characters, i wanted more time to learn more about each of them. lastly, while each of the characters felt distinctive through the POV-narrative, it was the romance that felt forced. it was apparent that it was more of a plot point than actual romance where i couldn't feel the chemistry between the lesbian relationships.

Omg this was SO creepy!! Do not read at night while home alone.

This is horror/thriller with a bit of mystery. Terrifying haunted house, lots of family drama, generational trauma, secrets, lies, ☠️. THE GHOSTIES. 👻

This had me hooked from start to finish!

Thank you @netgalley and @simonandschuster for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This story follows generational trauma & mystery.

I did like this story, however i felt like the dual timelines got confusing at times. The past timeline felt more detailed and woven together than the present POV.

I loved the explanation of the house (although rushed) and why it was filled with anger but also left with questions about the history of the house in Ma’s era. How was the house haunted then? Was it just repeated generational trauma and something different haunting the walls back then?

I did read through this pretty quickly in the beginning but was in a major slump in the middle, the end was fast paced but seemed very jumbled. This took me a while to read.

I find myself not remembering much at the end of the book 🤦‍♀️

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

This one was creepy, but a bit disjointed. The characters were hard to like (which I’m sure was the point) but so incredibly nuanced. I think, ultimately, I wanted more history - more of what Vivian found out about her husband’s ancestors and how that cursed the house because I felt that never quite came together for me. However, I really loved the flip flopping story lines - from modern times with the two families living in the house, to Vivian’s earlier days as an up and coming actress and mother, as well as when her daughters grew. This made for a compelling read, constantly wanting to know what was going to happen in each timeline.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC of this title!

3.5 stars rounded up. This book had an interesting, epic premise that it followed through on more or less. The characters were interesting and the plot was suspenseful in an entertaining way. The ending was a bit too vague for my liking and I found myself skimming through the book at times because the story didn't always hold my attention, but the overall vibes were eerie and fun.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

The two surviving daughters of once-famous actress Vivian Yin expect to inherit her full estate, including the house she'd occupied since her marriage. But to their surprise, their mother made a last-minute change to her will, leaving the property to Elaine, the daughter of the family's long-time household help. Moreover, Elaine was one of Vivian's last visitors. Determined to prove Elaine exerted undue influence--if not actual murder--Lucille and Renata convince Elaine to allow them to stay at the house for seven days while they go through their mother's effects.

All five women--Lucille, Renata, Elaine, and Lucille's and Elaine's daughters--begin to have disturbing experiences. As they delve into the events of 30 years previous, as well as their relationships with one another, secrets come to light. And the house itself seems occasionally to come to life.

I had a hard time getting into this book. The buildup seemed to take too long, although the last 50-75 pages flew by. Despite some of her reprehensible actions, Vivian was a sympathetic character, constrained by both her ethnicity and gender. Fans of horror will enjoy this book. Just be prepared to make an investment before it becomes interesting. #TheManorofDreams #NetGalley