Unfortunately this one was just not for me. maybe if I listen to it it would be different. I just could not figure out what this story was trying to do and the pace was quite slow. Hopefully I can give it another chance when it is officially published. thank you for the opportunity to read this!

The Manor of Dreams is a high 4 star read! 💭

This book sounded so good initially, but as I read it, it was so much better than I expected. There’s a lot of beauty in these pages as well as a lot of struggle. Generational trauma and secrets are in every chapters. It seems like a lot goes on in this book but it’s very well written so that it hits on the points but it isn’t overdone. This was my first book by this author and I would love to read more!

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one had me struggling. It wasn't exactly a pacing issue, though, if there was a pace, it could be best described as "glacial." It was more of an identity problem - horror? family saga? love story? A little but of each but never simultaneously?

Wow! A hauntingly beautiful story. 4.5 stars due to some pacing issues in the beginning, however I absolutely loved this book! The setting, plot, and characters are so wonderfully written. Definitely recommend

I'm not usually someone who reads thriller and horror, but this plotline intrigued me. I loved the set up and the prose. It kept me hooked from beginning to end.

I really love the dynamics at play and can't wait to read more from this author!

This is a nice, solid gothic horror + queer romance. Lives echo lives, and a grand mansion built on the blood and suffering of many. There are mystery elements, secrets of all kinds, some truly horrifying ghosts, and a nice little twist at the end. On a larger scale, the novel grapples with anti-Asian racism, domestic violence, and the Hollywood entertainment machine. The characters are well-developed and grew through the book, and Li's writing is so evocative and detailed that I could easily envision all of the house and its terrifying garden.

The Manor of Dreams by Christine Li is not the usual genre that I read but this story really did keep my interest from beginning to end. It is abour two Chinese families who are fighting for the rights to inherit a house owned by the mother of one of the families. The combination of family.The combination of gothic horror and family drama is very compelling and interesting,. Ultimately it was a very good and different story experience!!

I tried this one and just couldn’t get into. Maybe if I listen to it, I would have enjoyed it more.
Thank you Netgalley and publishers for this ARC for an honest opinion.

The Manor of Dreams
Twisty suspenseful tale
WE INHERIT THEIR HISTORY
Who is at fault? the abuser or the revenge taker? Taking care of 2 families was a deciding factor in her actions which the family could not relate to .. since their lives were not lacking because of her sacrifices. I did not understand how the house was tied into the terrifying events or who or what was behind it. I can see the anger stemming from the original couple..but the tie-ins didn't quite fit.. unfulfilling ending

Love this cover. It is what caught my attention. Tjus book was very atmospheric and do well written. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I just didn't like this one as much as I thought I would. I appreciate getting the ARC. And I try and be as honest as I can. But it just wasn't for me. But the cover is so cute!

4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avid Reader Press for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

It's been a long time since I've read an arc so quickly. From the first chapter, I couldn't put this book down without immediately wanting to pick it back up. "The Manor of Dreams" begins when matriarch, Vivian Yin, dies and her daughters return to their childhood home for the reading of her will. Things take a turn when a second family is asked to attend the reading, and after a last minute amendment, end up acquiring the mansion. Tensions rise between the two families when they both refuse to leave, in the hopes of claiming the mansion for themselves. During their story, the families end up uncovering hidden secrets and slowly realize that the house holds more skeletons than they thought possible. Told in dual timelines and spanning multiple generations, Christina Li's adult debut wraps its roots around you and refuses to lessen its grip.

I think Christina Li did a great job differientiating the two timelines. The present day timeline sets up the hostility between the opposing families, as well as the confusion these women feel as they try to piece together Vivian's life. The question they're working to solve is why did Vivian Yin, on the precipice of becoming a household name, disappear from the public eye? While the present day timeline is interesting in its own right, the story truly comes to life when we are introduced to the second timeline. Vivian is an immediate standout, full of cunning, ambition, and intellect. Watching her navigate the Hollywood landscape as a Chinese immigrant as well as her relationship with Richard completely held my attention from start to finish. I found the gothic horror elements very eery and unsettling at times. I wasn't expecting to feel so tense during certain moments. I enjoyed how the horror elements interact with the story's themes of abuse, trauma, and colonialism. The relationships between the women were very compelling, especially the mother and daughter dynamics. Each pairing has so much love between them, yet continue to misunderstand each other, unintentionally leading cycles of trauma to continue.

I do wish we left the story with more concrete answers. There were questions about the house and the history surrounding it, that weren't given a definite conclusion, which was somewhat disappointing. I feel like certain elements, that were present throughout the story, were forgotten by the end. I wish we could've gotten to see more of the Deng family as well.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this story. This was a solid adult debut, with the author weaving in many themes and discussions. This was my first of Christina Li's books and I am very excited to check out the rest of her backlist. I reccomend this to those who enjoy gothic horror, female-driven narratives, sapphic romances and explorations of generational trauma.

3.5/5 I had high hopes going into this based on earlier reviews, but found the pacing to be slower and more drawn out than expected.

The good: Manor of Dreams is an atmospheric, suffocating novel in the tradition of all haunted house books. The world of the book feels small and enclosed, tight and choking, for both the reader and the characters involved. Christina Li paints an intriguing picture with the allure of old Dollywood combined with immigrant generational trauma. I was engaged from the first page and read the entire book in one sitting. It was compulsively readable.

However, the story has simply too many disparate threads. It feels like Li had so many ideas she wanted to combine into a haunting, when the best ghosts are simple. The book needs a focus. Even so, it may still have been effective if Li had been able to successfully foreshadow what was to come. As it was, there were plot elements that seemed to appear out of nowhere, revealing themselves to be critical pieces of the mystery far too late. There were also plot elements that simply...vanished. Proved inconsequential to the story in the end. What was the point of wasting page space on that? They served no purpose.

Li's characters were also a mixed bag. Some were far more successful and realized than others. Vivian and her daughters, Lucille and Rennie, were the most fleshed out. Elaine, Madeline, and Nora in comparison seemed painted in with the lightest of strokes (especially Madeline and Nora, who I found so forgettable that I consistently mixed them up).

There are other critiques I have, but they're chock full of spoilers, so I'll refrain. I think Li had all the bones of a great haunted story and it could have been masterful. But she tried to do too much all at once with too many characters. Still, I found a lot to enjoy and I look forward to further works from the author.

Christina Li's The Manor of Dreams is an absolute gem that brilliantly blends gothic suspense with family drama, creating a mesmerizing story that will completely captivate readers. Imagine the atmospheric tension of Mexican Gothic meets the Hollywood glamour of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - this novel is a rich, compelling exploration of secrets, identity, and inheritance.

The story centers on Vivian Yin, the first Chinese American actress to win an Oscar, and the complex legacy she leaves behind. When her will unexpectedly throws two different families together in a sprawling Southern California mansion, the stage is set for a gripping mystery that slowly unravels generations of hidden truths. Li's multigenerational narrative is nothing short of masterful, weaving between past and present with remarkable skill.

The mansion itself becomes a character as haunting as any of its inhabitants - a decaying Hollywood landmark that seems to breathe with unspoken stories. Li's exploration of Chinese American identity against the backdrop of Hollywood's golden age adds remarkable depth to what could have been a simple mystery. The cultural nuances are beautifully rendered, bringing an authenticity that elevates the entire narrative.
While the pacing occasionally slows, these moments feel intentional - like taking a deep breath before diving back into the mystery. The linguistic shifts and cultural details aren't complications; they're intricate threads that make the story's tapestry even more fascinating. Li has a remarkable ability to make you feel the weight of family history, the complexity of cultural identity, and the shadows of long-buried secrets.

Is it a perfect novel? Perhaps not. But it's a compelling, thoughtful, and absolutely engaging read that will keep you turning pages late into the night. The way Li navigates family dynamics, Hollywood's hidden corners, and generational trauma is nothing short of impressive.

For fans of atmospheric mysteries, family sagas, and stories that dig deep into cultural identity, The Manor of Dreams is an absolute must-read. Christina Li proves herself to be a powerful new voice in literary fiction, crafting a novel that's both a page-turner and a profound exploration of family, legacy, and the stories we inherit.

Four stars for this gothic thriller that announces Li as an author to watch closely! Highly recommended for anyone who loves mysteries with heart, depth, and just a touch of darkness.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for sharing this innovative gothic thriller's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book was like nothing I've ever read before. I was drawn to it because of the plot, and I loved that the majority of characters were of Chinese descent, which is not seen in literature as much as it should be.

The characters were interesting and had a real depth to them. I fell in love with Vivian quickly and loved the beginning of her relationship with Richard.

The book had spooky qualities, but nothing that would keep a reader awake at night. My main problem with the book is that the same spooky events kept happening, at least in a related way. There were no shocks or surprises. I also felt that the book came together for the ending in just a few short pages, and the ending was not at all satisfying. I think some additional massaging of the story itself could make for a really great book - one I could see ending up as a film.

Dreamy and weird and creepy, with a haunted, rotting mansion and an even more haunted garden; a contested will; and a lot of secret history that gets unearthed - such a perfect family gothic story. My one issue was the randomly interspersed Chinese characters - reading on kindle allowed me to translate sometimes, and sometimes the text immediately translated, but I worried I was missing things when I couldn’t get a translation, and it did sometimes take me out if the flow of the story because it was so random (using an English term three times, then Chinese characters, then English again, then Chinese written in English characters). I bet it would have worked better if I was multilingual but sadly I am not. That’s such a minor thing, though, and otherwise I loved this and devoured it, really getting into the creepy heavy atmosphere and sitting with the flawed, grieving characters and watching the house and its ghosts slowly devour them.

Fans of “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” for sure, will love this. This is so much more, though. The characters are complicated, not always likable, and the plot is exceedingly well-developed.

Genre: Gothic/Domestic/Gay/FantasyFiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pub. Date: May 6, 2025

Protagonist Vivian Yin is the first Chinese actress to win an Oscar. After her death, three generations of her Chinese-American family, with an estranged family friend, gather together for the reading of their matriarch’s will. All hope to inherit Vivian’s grand Southern California estate, which they soon will learn to be a haunted house. The novel explores the cost of the American Dream. I enjoyed reading the family and friends part of the story. However, too much is crammed into the book—wife abuse, gay and straight love affairs, an evil, haunted garden, and Hollywood tales, making the story feel cramped. Although I usually like gothic fiction, “The Manor of Dreams” was not for me, though you may enjoy it more than I did.

A book of epic proportions! This was highly engaging and entertaining. Li's craft of her characters was above my expectations. This is going to be an impressive title for book clubs. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.