After the passing of Vivian Yin, an Oscar-winning actress, her children reunite to seek out their inheritance, only to find out the main asset—the house—will be transferred to their former housekeeper’s relatives. Both families, who lived together in the eighties, are not on good terms anymore and fail to settle. Therefore, they decide to stay in the house for seven days to reach a compromise. Little do they know, they will unravel obscure family secrets.

The Manor of Dreams had an interesting premise: two Chinese families living in a haunted house tainted with dreams, intergenerational trauma, violence and sapphic love. The writing and pacing were great. Although the story was interesting, it had too much of everything all at once: historical fiction, horror, fantasy, family drama... Also, the story could be a bit predictable, and some storylines felt unnecessary (Madeline and Nora). Still, I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy a blend of those various genres.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fantastic debut. At times it was a little confusing going between the timelines but the plot was interesting. More of a family drama with gothic feel. The creepy parts were the best part of the book. A little too much domestic violence for my liking but over all a great read.
Thank you lethally for a copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book. At parts it was hard to listen to, but worth it. The secrets in a family can tear it apart and sometimes the things we do to protect our loved ones can hurt them even more. There is mystery, love, loss, hauntings and betrayal in this book and I highly recommend it.

We are all haunted by different things. For some it can be a moment that passed for others it can be actions we forced onto others. The Deng and Yin families have been linked together since they were children. The Dengs were employed by Vivian Yin and her movie star husband until a tragedy struck both families. It isn't until Vivian's death when their families come back to the Yin Manor that they're forced to face the secrets hiding deep within the walls and ground of the Manor.

A gothic horror novel that focuses on hidden secrets and conversations not had. I'm not always a fan of gothic horror but this one really worked for me. I enjoyed the different timelines that were focused on throughout the novel with most taking place in 1990 and present day. I went in not remembering a lot of the synopsis and I think that helped to enhance my reading experience. I definitely hope this isn't the last adult novel Christina Li writes. I would love to read more from her in the future.

Thank you to Avid Reader Press and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

Thank you to Avid Reader Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, and Netgalley for the digital arc.
Too many plot points and characters take the reader from discrimination suffered by Chinese immigrants to sibling rivalry, and feuding families. Most of the action is set in and around a decaying Hollywood mansion, which is inhabited by ghosts, murderous plants, and a lot of dirt. So, was the genre mystery? Horror? Historical Fiction? Mystery? It had elements of all of them, but maybe it was too much to pull the story together..

The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li follows the aftermath of Hollywood starlet Vivian Yin's death, when her daughters Lucille and Rennie expect to inherit her sprawling California mansion but discover she's left it to Elaine, whose family once worked for Vivian decades ago. Both families end up living in the house together while they sort things out, which goes about as well as you'd expect – especially when supernatural occurrences start plaguing everyone and the overgrown garden literally begins creeping toward the house. The story jumps between different time periods, revealing Vivian's rise to fame and the secrets that tore these families apart, though I found myself wondering why it took so many scenes to establish that certain characters were genuinely terrible people – it felt like beating a dead horse. The exploration of Chinese American identity in old Hollywood felt authentic and added a real sense of depth beyond the gothic atmosphere, and I appreciated how the mansion itself becomes a rotting symbol of broken dreams. By the time everything finally came together in the last chunk of the book, at least the pieces fit, even if I'm still puzzling over some of the earlier hauntings that seemed to drift away unresolved.

4 stars for this Evelyn Hugo and Mexican Gothic with Everything I Never Told You mashup! All those books are some of my favorites so I was so excited to read this one. While sad, it had eerie and haunting vibes. And the Asian rep was *insert eye heart emoji*.

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect going into this--being burned more than once by books claiming to have some gothic element--but I think Li really got the balance right.

The story is multi-faceted and told in differing time lines. There are lots of subtle Gothic tropes, even in the mystery part of the story--doubling, sins of the "ancestors," hallucination & narcotic, threat of insanity, the menacing "castle," violence, etc. and also some outright real ghosts to contend with. But the real star of the story is the mystery and the family drama that unfolds.

Definitely more mystery than ghost story, this is an engaging read that will keep you turning the pages. I am looking forward to reading more my Li in the future!

This one is set in dual timelines to tell the story of two families whose lives intersected for a time in the 90s when they lived in the same house. This is a story of old Hollywood and family secrets that the house wants very much to stay buried.

I had a hard time getting through this one, it was well written but I am not sure it was really what I was wanting to read at the moment but I did want to finish it. The story is well done but it is slow and I felt like there was more build up than what the pay off really gave the reader. It was creepy but I felt like I just wanted more. I know this book will easily find its audience but right now I just don’t think that is me.

4.25 stars. Delightfully eerie. From the first page we are plunged into a tense and haunting setting, drawing us into a well-crafted web of secrets, deceit, grief and supernatural terrors. Layered with tender young sapphic love, The Manor of Dreams offers us generational trauma cradled in haunting gothic (and horticultural!) horror. Li weaves together racism, cultural and familial expectations, individual ambitions, manipulation and abuse with a delicate hand, patiently unraveling and exposing the cost dreams and silence.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC!

4.25! once again i love unhinged women and support their rights and wrongs. this book truly is evelyn hugo meets mexican gothic, but even better in my opinion. i absolutely loveddd the gothic, eerie, and mysterious vibes of this decaying estate. i actually really loved the multiple perspectives. i think it was the perfect way to tell this story. all the characters had their flaws but you were also able to empathize and understand their perspectives even if it wasn’t completely sane at times. i personally would have liked a perspective from elaine during a particular portion of the book. we saw what the others were experiencing in this house and i was intrigued as to what elaine was feeling, but i understand why it wasn’t included. if you love old hollywood, family drama, decaying mansions, and sapphic gothic horror this is the book for you!

Thanks for the ARC! The Manor of Dreams is a lush, haunting family gothic with atmosphere for days. Christina Li blends old Hollywood glamour with generational trauma in a story full of secrets, shifting loyalties, and eerie suspense. The dual timelines work well, though at times the pacing dipped as the story moved between decades. Still, the writing is elegant, the themes powerful, and the emotional weight lingers long after the final page.

I loved the duo timeline and the characters complex relationships. There is an ominous tone to the story because from the begging we know something is wrong with the house and I enjoyed how the past was revealed and we understood the reasons. Can’t wait to read more adult fiction from this author.

DNF at 34%.

Unfortunately, this title just fell flat for me in terms of pacing and plot. It's possible the plot could have really picked up later on, but it was such a slow burn in the beginning with a lot of familial arguments and not enough spooks that I just lost interest.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

The Manor of Dreams is a deep slow burn haunted house story, and it spends most of its time developing the backstory of its main cast of characters.

In the present day storyline, actress Vivian Yin has just died - and instead of leaving her giant manor to her two estranged daughters, she has left it to the daughter of her old housekeeper. As a reader, you’re dropped right into the reading of the will and immediately can tell there’s a bit of a mystery to unpack.

Then we start getting chapters from the past, building out a complex backstory for Vivian and her family. Christina Li does a fantastic job bringing Vivian to life, and I found myself most invested in her chapters. I almost wish the book had been solely focused on the past timeline; there were parts of it I would have loved to see expanded on! The struggles Vivian faces as a Chinese actress trying to make it in Hollywood in the 1970-80s, her eventual marriage to a successful white actor, and the slow creeping haunting of their dream home was so compelling. The present day characters (besides the ones who were also in the past timeline) just weren’t as interesting to me.

Overall, I enjoyed this a lot and hope it finds the right readers! It is a slow burn, but a worthwhile one.

Sorry, this is going to be a stream of conscience review because i have no idea how to give a review without accidentally spoiling something. Also, i love it when i read a review where its not someone telling me the synopsis of a book and just telling me the emotions the book evoked throughout.

Part one: Very creepy. Not sure what is going on with this wild house or the people in it. Liking it so far. Super fast and easy read.

Part two: Really did not expect to go back in time, but here we are! Loving this background so far. Definitely seems like the house is a main character in itself, and i absolutely love that in a book! The suspense! I truly have no idea who is insane, and who isn't at this point.

Today i sat down and read this book from 20% until then end and loved every moment of it.

Ending was left open for assupmtions, when i wish it would have been solid for this one though. Either way! 4 stars and will be purchasing the physical copy for my collection.

Thank you Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Initial thoughts after I finished reading: I liked it, but I can’t remember all the details. Generally speaking, it was solid book. Even though I didn’t have that pull to rush back to reading, I still felt invested in the stories.

When Vivian Yin passes away, her daughters and granddaughter arrive at her manor for the reading of the will. But what, or rather who, they weren’t expecting is a family they haven’t seen in over 30 years. Instead of her children inheriting their childhood home, Vivian bequeathes Yin Manor to Elaine Deng and her daughter. Vivian’s oldest daughter, Lucille, will stop at nothing to prove foul play, and gain back what’s theirs. Meanwhile, Rennie, Vivian’s younger daughter, along with other members of both families, begin seeing unexplainable things happening in the house.

Some of the characters are downright infuriating, while others are softer. The characters overall are pretty one dimensional with sudden changes in fundamental traits. The main (or maybe even only) complex character is Vivian Yin.

Written from multiple perspectives across multiple timelines, I was very pleased with how this was executed. It could have easily been botched, but it read fluidly. Initially I preferred one timeline over the other, but I quickly found myself caring equally about both.

This book is good if you like family drama, multigenerational curses, ghost stories, LGBTQ+ representation, young love, and haunted houses. But don’t expect a deep dive into any of these elements; with 352 pages to fit them all into, the book doesn’t go too into any of the components.

Nothing could pull me in as fast as a sapphic gothic horror, and Christina Li gave me what I was craving. This was a slow burn but by 40% it had consumed me as watched every eerie thread unravel.

The writing is so casually creepy that I was on edge that even before the haunting showed up. I thought a jump scare was lurking at every turn of a page because there’s a quiet dread in every line.

This one’s a beautifully unnerving read for anyone who loves gothic horror.

Lush, haunting. The imagery was unbelievable and the story weaved seamlessly from one perspective to another. I've read Christina Li's books for younger readers and she adapted her voice beautifully to an adult audience. I will be looking out for her next horror!

The Manor of Dreams is a beautifully written, atmospheric novel that blends family drama with a touch of the supernatural. It centers on the mysterious death of Vivian Yin, a reclusive former star, and the two Chinese American families brought together—and into conflict—by her final wishes.

The setting, a crumbling Southern California mansion, is moody and unforgettable, almost like a character itself. As secrets unravel through dual timelines, the story explores themes of ambition, grief, generational trauma, and the cost of silence.

If you love layered, character-driven stories with a gothic edge and emotional depth, this one absolutely delivers. It’s haunting in all the right ways.