“Ghost mother” is a modern gothic thriller that follows Lilly and Jack as they purchase a run down mansion in Wisconsin.

Lilly is struggling to have a baby and is convinced this is the home she needs to get pregnant. Jack begrudgingly agrees to take on this home project but soon regrets his decision as things begin to crumble around them.

Lilly soon finds out their new home was the site of a triple homicide in the 1950s and things go from bad to worse when she starts to believe the house is haunting and she is seeing things. This puts a large stressor on their already damaged relationship as events reach a climax.

This book is sufficiently spooky with all the interesting components you would wish for in a potentially haunted house thriller.

There is lots of creepy events and aesthetics throughout leaving plenty to the readers imagination. Is Lilly really being haunted or is she losing it?

Triggers:
Lots of discussion based on infertility topics. Thank you to Dreamscape Media, Kelly Dwyer and Netgalley for the ALC!

Publish date: August 6th

3.75 stars

This is an insidious gothic/paranormal/horror mashup with undeniable chills throughout, but readers sensitive to certain topics may want to find a different source for their daily creeps.

Lilly Bly isn't doing well. She and her husband have recently moved into a dilapidated mansion in a small town in Wisconsin. While the idea is grand - a common theme throughout Lilly's life - in practice, things are falling apart. The house is literally coming down and the couple lacks the funds to handle the repairs or maintenance and the communication skills to resolve their growing issues. On top of these stressors, they are dealing with infertility.

Readers who are sensitive to discussions about infertility and detailed descriptions of miscarriages should look elsewhere. I am not sensitive to these issues, and the latter motif was a lot for even me at times.

What Lilly has wanted all along is to be a mother. Her current infertility, her past losses and choices, and her relationships with her parents - a distant mother and a father whose death traumatized Lilly in more ways than one - all work together to put her in a special position. Now, she's more willing than ever to fight for her children...even in the least traditional ways.

Assuming prospective readers can handle the aforementioned content, there's a lot of creepiness to enjoy here.