I really loved this books concept. A 1900s setting but modern day meets Thirteen Ghosts. I wasn’t expecting it to be as spooky as it was and it was so well done. There are also some twists and turns in there to keep you on your toes.

This book has a perfect gothic and eerie vibe. I was glued to the pages the entire read! This was such a unique and riveting story--highly recommend!!!

This is such a unique book that I totally devoured! Gothic, paranormal, haunted manor, mystery and romantic subplots: the vibes are immaculate.

Thorne Hall is a manor in the modern day, yet you'd never know it- the inhabitants dress, speak, and act as though they are over 100 years in the past to appease the spirits who have been bound to it. The Thorne family line has been bound to the spirits as well, and the MC Elegy has resigned herself to this fate, That fate also includes a classic arranged marriage between two rich families to her gay friend. He'll get to keep his inheritance and continue living his life mostly the way he wants, while Elegy remains stuck at the house. That is until she meets Atticus.

The idea of historical fiction meets present day was really fun. Elegy has such a great character arc, she is a a wonderful MC! I also loved getting to know the side characters, the romance, the dialogue, it was great. There are a lot of characters to keep up with, between the living and the dead, but it wasn't too difficult for me.

Thank you Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC

I thought the concept for this was incredibly interesting, so that immediately sparked my interest in it. I thought the writing and description of the collection in their mannerisms and looks so vivid I could clearly picture each of them. I feel like the end of the book was a little bit rushed? I would have liked to see more of the research done by characters introduced later in the story so the big surprise wouldn't have been so left field. It didn't really make sense to me truthfully. But all in all I think it's a good read!

3.7 Stars
One Liner: Slow but atmospheric

Elegy Thorne is a twenty-five-year-old woman living at her family estate, Thorne Hall, and its resident fourteen spirits. Nestled in the Berkshires, the estate has been home to fewer humans and more spirits than necessary for decades. Now, with her father’s illness and impending death, the responsibility of managing the place is on Elegy.
She has long given up the desire for a life of her own. But when sabotage by a ghost results in renovation work, she meets Atticus, the son of the contractor (and her father’s friend). Elegy’s yearning for more and the weight on her shoulders suffocate her. It’s time to find a way to send the spirits back to the afterworld if she wants a chance at a normal life. However, the process will not be easy!
The story comes in Elegy’s third-person POV.

My Thoughts:
So… this has a contemporary setting. Everything gives a historical vibe but there’s a proper reason for it. Even the writing style feels historical, with those long-winded sentences and the narrator’s voice dominating Elegy’s POV often.
The paranormal part is the highlight. Since the story relies on spirits and ghosts in a house, the gothic element needs to be strong. The writing does justice to this. I could feel the creepy house, the stinky ghosts (who look like zombies), the dead garden, the oppressive weight on FMC, etc.
However, this one needs patience. It is very slow. The beginning 30% was at a snail’s pace but I understood why. The stage was being set. Things improved after that but the last section was slow again.
The FMC’s characterization was great. She’s a 25yo from this century living her life in the past because it’s her inheritance. She gradually becomes stronger but without losing her sense of goodness. NGL, I was annoyed at her a few times for giving in easily but the change in her arc is steady and believable.
The side characters don’t get the same depth. That’s okay because there are fourteen ghosts and a whole bunch of humans. While it doesn’t matter for most of them, even the MMC ends up as a lever for FMC’s growth. He should have been more than that given the love track and romance.
This is insta love but works from the FMC’s side. Since we don’t get much info about the guy, it’s hard to see why he fell as fast. There’s some steam but not much. The interaction between the two could have been better. The punch is lacking and so is the banter.
There’s a twist or two in the climax. One of them was easy to guess due to the clues provided earlier. The other was a surprise; sad too!
The detailed epilogue is quite satisfying to read. I like it when everything gets sorted and we get HEA. This does dim the atmospheric effect a little but by then I was ready for it to move to the background.

To summarize, The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall is a slow-paced atmospheric read with some chilly moments and a bit of romance. The writing style could take some time to get used to. High chances of zoning out if you aren’t focused. Still, a nice read.
Thank you, NetGalley, and Alcove Press, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I was the most interested in the book during the 1902 parts. Then I got excited flashing to present day, but the rules are is they still have to live like 1902? Ok could be cool I guess... But it's not, it makes no sense. Maybe it gets better toward the end but I was too far in and nothing was happening that kept my attention. Plus it felt way too much like The September House without any intrigue to bring me in or make me want to finish, so I decided to DNF. After sitting on it for a bit, I also think gothic horror may not be for me. I don't prefer how they are written. If this is your vibe, you may enjoy it!

*This book is set to be published February 11, 2025.*
2.5 rounded down to 2 based on Goodreads star rating description.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publishers for allowing me to read this early for my honest opinions as a reader.
I think this book will be a good one for Romantasy readers that want a paranormal read during spooky season. When requesting this I didn't realize it would lean as heavily into the romance, and as a reader who doesn't really fit well in the Romance niche not everything worked for me. If you are more of a romance reader I think you will love the spooky mix with the romance.
Although, if you are averse to the “insta-love” trope, this book did seem like that to me. Not too much pining before there was spice. In my taste, the spice seemed to be out of nowhere and very little getting to know one another well before it happened. Elegy is a very closeted woman though, so I understand it's a form of rebellion to her father and life. I wanted more of the cute, sweet note that the romance started on before we got a spice scene that I didn't really want.
The Paranormal aspect is what kept me reading, but unfortunately the ending “twist” just didn't work for me. You are built up to care about Elegy and Atticus, but I lacked concern for other characters. I felt like I had more questions after things were revealed that could have been better answered in setup and also would have hit harder if we got to grow with more characters.
I'm not saying this is a bad book with my rating, I am saying I took the wrong aspects of the synopsis going into it and I think that set me up for an “okay” read. If you are into Romantasy or Paranormal Romance, or want Romance with very scary vibes for Halloween. This will work for you.
I would check some content warnings if you plan to pick this book up.

An interesting concept for sure. I wish more groundwork had been laid to explain why the logical actions weren’t feasible. And while the pacing was pretty slow overall, the romance seemed to come out of nowhere.

Thanks to Alcove Press for providing an advanced digital copy through NetGalley for me to review!

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this. I did like it but never really felt called to pick it up. The pacing was pretty slow and didn't make me excited to get back to the story, until the third act that felt a lot more engaging. The writing is pleasant but extremely detailed, which I think is one of the reasons it felt so slow. At first I thought all these details must have a meaning and maybe it was important to pay attention to it all, but after a while I realized that was just the way the author writes and skimmed a little. The characters are mostly interesting, with additions throughout the story that create a fun dynamic. Elegy is a great MC; I felt for her and loved seeing her growth. I also enjoyed how different Atticus was and thought they were very sweet together. It would have been amazing to learn more about the ghosts and their story, it would perhaps have added some depth to the story. As it is, the plot and romance were a bit too simple, though still enjoyable and easy to follow. I loved the gothic vibe and the hints of foreshadowing. Overall, it was a nice read, but just lacked that spark that would have made it stand out.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Elgey Thorne lives a life that most people would never understand. Not only is she living in a virtual time capsule but she is also forced to not stray far from her ancestral estate home. And while most twenty five year olds are getting married or finishing schooling Elgey is preparing for the day she will become Thorne Hall’s mistress. For Elgey’s family inheritance includes much more than the place she calls her home, but also the unruly ghosts that are forever walking its halls. This is her duty, her life’s purpose. To keep the ghosts of Thorne Hall at bay. However when a leak caused by one of the manors more restless spirits occurs it sets in motion a new path for Elgey. One that not only includes the handsome handy man Atticus but also freedom.
This gothic ghost filled story was an absolute delight to read and encompassed so much more than I had originally anticipated when I first picked it up. We follow along as Elgey learns to navigate her soon to be role as the ghostly caretaker of Thorne Hall and if this is truly all fate has set aside for her. As time goes on and the narrative continues we get to see Elgey rebel and fight against her families conditioning and oppression which I thoroughly enjoyed. And while many will call this a simple romance and coming of age story filled with ghostly additions I have to say for me this book read as much more. At its core is a story about breaking the mold against toxic family traditions and expectations. As someone who has had to endure her own fair share of cycle breaking within my own family this aspect really spoke to me. Simply put this book was a gothic treat filled with great setting of a haunted manor, like able characters, a sweet romance, and of course the ghostly addictions of both friendly and not so friendly spirits made for a page turning read.

The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall comes out February 11th, 2025. Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall

A big thanks to the author and publisher for the eARC from NetGalley. The following review is my unbiased opinion.

If you're considering reading or buying this book here are some things to consider before I give my subjective opinion. 🚢

Pacing: Very slow, near-slogging in the first 6 chapters. Then things pick up, then towards the planning phase of the plot things also slow down to allow the characters to gather intel, organize a team, etc. Then the last third picks up pace a ton and things are tense. Loved the middle and end of the book.

Characters: Unique voices even if they were inconsistent. At times Elegy sounds very 19th century and at times she sounds modern day. I would have liked a more consistent voice for her. There are more characters added towards the end and I got major Harry Potter Marauders vibes. Floss and Hugo have some depth to them, and even Fletcher the stepmother is a more nuanced character.

Plot: simple, to the point. After my last eARC this was so refreshing to have a simple main plot with a romantic subplot. The plot is simple, what will Elegy do when she finds out she is betrothed to Hugo for obvious reasons - not telling you that, you'll have to read it yourself! 😜There was a moment where I thought we were treading into Telenovela territory when the MMCAtticuss tells us he's originally from Seattle just visiting his father.

Writing Style: T Kingfisher meets Jane Austen,.. and James Joyce. As humorous as this story was, with ONE LINERS after another.. Y'all, this author is maximalist at heart. So many details in the first few chapters. Almost to the point where me, severe unmedicated ADHDer, was wondering why in the world I needed to know characters' exact outfits down to the fabric choice. Like does it matter a whole lot towards advancing the story? Story is also telling not showing throughout the book. Knee-deep in the FMC thoughts, it seems like the author wants to share so much info on everything she knows about everything.

Tropes 🤡:
- Touch her and pay for it
- Darkening eyes
- Every inch of him

Spice 🔥: Ch 19 2.5/5🌶

Summary: This was a beautiful story. And one that I really enjoyed BUT: You can have a beautiful story that you can picture without providing quite so much detail. I sincerely would like more editing and to not feel like an uneducated new englander for not knowing all the classic French designers or that Sarah Lawrence is lit university for women. FMC Elegy, is in her head so much. Is she going to be as much as the FMC in T Kingfishers Swordheart? Luckily, no. She drives the plot, the plot does not drive her. Though there is a case to be made that without Atticus would she feel so driven. IMO it took too long to meet him and get the story going. I think filling in the backstory on Floss and Hugo and how they met would have been fine through flashback memories interwoven in the present day scenes. Yes I know, that is telling not showing, but we can make a case that's okay to keep the plot moving.

I did spot a little foreshadowing:

He took a copy of Little Dorrit in his hands and gently turned it this way and that to inspect the gilt edging, flipped open the cover, put it carefully back.

THE ONE LINERS Y'ALL The author writes one-liners like she has a knife to her throat. Like lady please, save some for the rest of us.

“Men have extraordinarily bad aim even by daylight.”🤣

Overall yes I would recommend BUT if you are okay with slow start, lots of flowery language and description, and are okay with one less than explicit spice scene plus not a lot of mutual pining.

The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall is a unique romance wrapped in a gothic ghost story.
The pacing at the beginning is a little slow, and the reader is introduced to a lot of characters in a row, making it difficult to keep track of who's who, which I think made the pacing feel a little slower.
The story kicks off with the protagonist and heir to Thorne Hall, Elegy, being issued a challenge to her ailing father to prove that she's capable of managing the spirit collection in his absence. For such an important aspect of the story, I found it difficult to understand Elegy's motivation for accepting this challenge. Elegy doesn't seem to like her father, and he's got less than a year to live at this stage and no other heirs. What's he going to do if she refuses?
I struggled a bit to connect with the voice, but I think people who are looking for that slightly floaty style of modern gothic stories will connect with it more deeply than I was able to.

4.25 Stars

The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall by J. Ann Thomas first came on my radar after watching a YouTuber I follow list it as one of their most anticipated 2025 new releases. What really sold me on this one was that it was being pitched for fans of Jane Eyre and Starling House, say less!

The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall is a hauntingly atmospheric book that blends Gothic elements, eerie suspense, and a tender romance. From the very beginning I was drawn into Thorne Hall and the characters that inhabited it, both living and dead.

The overall concept of this story was so intriguing to me, the idea of a collection of ghosts bound to a family line. Sure, we’ve seen ghosts bound to a house in the traditional haunted house story, but I personally had not read anything quite like this.

While I came for the Gothic elements, the romance was a true delight. While I did get a bit of insta-love vibes at first, I’d classify this more as an insta-attraction that turns to an appropriately developed romance. The contrast between the blossoming romance with the ghostly horrors within Thorne Hall was *chief's kiss.* Gothic romance done right!

I do feel there were a few aspects of the story that could have been further developed, specifically the collection of ghosts. The ghosts, with their own distinct back stories and personalities, were so compelling, but I wished there had been more development and focus on them. I wanted to see more interactions with Elegy so we could get a better sense of them. Also, there were so many characters, living and dead, that at times it was difficult to keep everyone straight.

Overall, I loved my time reading this. If you are a Gothic romance fan, this is a must read.

***Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

3.5/5

This had a rough start for me, I had a tough time getting into it. But as the story progressed it became hard to put down. I loved the gothic setting, I also loved that the story took place within 40 minutes from where I live.

I really feel for Elegy. Her situation is awful, and she believes that she has no say in anything in her life. She was born with her future already decided. I was so glad as the story progressed that we got to see her realize that she can decide how her future looks, not what her father expects it to be. I’m glad I stuck it out as the ending was very satisfying.

Besides the rough start, I also found it difficult to try and remember who was who as we are introduced to many characters right off the bat. Overall, I enjoyed the story.

Look, I love a good gothic story, and this had so many great elements. A young woman who lives in a haunted mansion with her emotionally distant, abusive father, and insane stepmother who lives in the attic, check. A marriage contract with a man she doesn't love and a new suitor who is an outsider, check. Ghosts who are rotting away and have nefarious plans, also check. But too many of the elements didn't actually fit for me.

I love love love the ghosts in this story. I actually wish there had been more backstory for the ghosts and how they died. The Mourning (one of the ghosts) didn't even have a name which was a shame. Easily the saddest part of the story was how Elegy was basically raised by ghosts and forced to behave as a woman in the Gilded Age. Even Elegy's clothes were from the Gilded Age, she couldn't even wear sweatpants in the comfort of her own room. Even though Elegy is clearly stilted because of her limited interactions with living people, she's such a real character.

The two big issues I had with this story were the location and the songs. At the beginning of the story, the setup makes it seem like it's taking place in England or the UK. I know that if I would have just read the back of the book more than once it would have stuck in my head that this was in New England, but for some reason I kept getting distracted. The second is the songs, I loved their inclusion, but I felt like the explanation for them was flimsy. I felt like the lore should have been built out more around the songs, the ghosts, and the overall mystery of Thorn Hall.

Also I liked the romance, but I don't think it was necessary. I feel like building out the relationships and friendships Elegy had could have been a meatier story, especially with the third act twist.

This was a fun read, but could have been better developed.

gothic atmosphere, morbid spirits, and romance? Yes! I need more gothic romance with ghosts. It was also very atmospheric which I loved.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC.

This is a book where I wish half stars were an option, because then I would rate it 3.5 stars. Overall the book is an average read, but honestly I could see where others may find it closer to a 4 stars read if the issues I had aren’t things that bother you. While the story itself was an amazing gothic mystery book the execution almost had me putting it down a few times wondering if it was worth continuing. In the end I am glad I did because it had an amazing ending. However, it had a very slow, confusing and at times random beginning. Once it gets about 30% in though it picks ups and the more I read the more I got sucked in. The characters had a good growth and life given to them by the author. I found myself liking Atticus and the side characters more than the FMC which did lead to it being harder to really sink into the book for me.

I love gothic fantasy, so when I read the description for this title, I knew it was one I’d want to check out! I have to admit, I was also a bit hesitant about how the modernity would work with everything else that was being promised. And, well, I just personally don’t love contemporary fiction, so there were ways that this could have went quite wrong, potentially. But, while it wasn’t quite the home run that I had hope for, it was still a thoroughly enjoyable read!

The book started off on an excellent note, hitting all of the historical and gothic vibes I could hope for! The language was lush and of the time, the splendor glittered, the horror spooked, and the mystery for the ongoing story was perfectly set up. This continued into the modern portion of the book when we first meet Elegy, and through her eyes, we meet the various ghoulish ghosts that make up the manor. I was most surprised here. While many of them were horrific and some of them downright evil, they were also given so much characterization and history that I became quite invested. I even found myself tearing up with some of the descriptions of the child ghosts and the reality of their experiences being trapped in this house.

I also enjoyed Elegy herself. She was an interesting character, being a young woman who is essentially living in a different time period than her contemporaries. Further, her future has always been charted for her, and its one that not only does she not want, but that she feels particularly ill-equipped to take on. The relationship between her and her father was quite toxic in all of the expected ways. However, there were also other relationships (such as the ones between herself and her friends/arranged fiancé and her step mother) that also took interesting twists and turns.

That said, I think the romantic relationship was by far the least successful. The love interest shows up, and it’s pretty much instalust/instalove right from the start. The author does give us a few throwaway lines here and there that this relationship built up more, but it’s all told to us, not shown. This comes in the form of long walks and hours spent talking together before the fire. But we’re not privy to much of this and are simply told after the fact that it happened and that Elegy now feels even closer than ever to him. As the plot progresses and the action picks up, we get to see a bit more of this development on the page, but it was still too little too late for me, as the entire foundation still felt weak.

The pacing itself was also a bit off. The first chapter, as I mentioned, is a banger. And then we meet Elegy and it feels like the story should continue at a decent clip. However, about a quarter of the way in, it feels like the brakes are slammed on, and it takes a long time for the actual plot to pick up again. Much of this time is instead devoted to these “long talks” that we don’t see and the continuation of the already-well-established feud between Elegy and her father figure. It takes quite a while for Elegy to move forward from her passive starting point. And while I think this hesitations is believable, it also made for a bit of a lagging reading experience.

It also feels like the author got a bit lost in the weeds with the blending of the historical and contemporary aspects of the story. I’m not sure if the contemporary setting really added to the story, as it necessitated various characters actively commenting on the oddness of Elegy’s habit of speaking and acting in a way that doesn’t line up with current standards. I’m not quite sure why it couldn’t have simply remained in the past, as the author clearly had a handle on that style of writing and it was the stronger of the two.

Overall, however, I still very much enjoyed this book! If you’re looking for a unique gothic fantasy story, this is definitely one to check out. It was more creepy than I had anticipated, but also more heart-wrenching, in the best way!

Rating 8: Full of shivers, both of the creepy and romantic variety!

Link will go live on The Library Ladies on Feb. 7

My biggest issue with this book is that it was overwhelming. There were far too many characters, and too much happening to really feel settled into this book. I wanted to like it so much but I just never really got into the writing.

I loved this novel. The Gothic atmosphere, the ghost , harsh father and misunderstood stepmother. Every ghost was unique and interesting. Some where terrifying others became surprising despite their appearance and behavior.
The story was well paced and the plot well thought out. Characters where loveable even one one's you're supposed to hate.
Dare I say that this might be a favorite of 2025 already?