3.5 stars- Thank goodness I had the E=arc because I got the audiobook from Scribd and didn't understand a word. I slowed the narration down to 1 and it was absolutely dragging.. I totally get why Scottish accents were necessary, but I personally can't stand them. Okay now that I got that out of my system, this book had me screaming at the unfairness of the situation and feeling a little creeped out and needing to understand what was happening. C.J. Cooke has a talent for writing the eeriest, suspenseful and thought provoking reads.

The setting of Lichen Hall and the woods around it added a layer of creepiness that the even creepier homeowners amplified. Told from the perspective of two women in dual timelines, Mabel and Pearl, this story oozed suspense. I found it absolutely riveting. I listened to this book every chance I got, needing to know the mystery behind Mabel's pregnancy and the bizarre occurrences surrounding Lichen Hall. The narration was engaging and brought the story to life. Fans of paranormal or historical horror will love this book.

Unfortunately I had to dnf this book. I read 30% of it and it was just to slow ans boring to keep my attention.

Yesterday the U.S. finally got to see the release of C. J. Cooke‘s novel, The Ghost Woods. It originally came out in 2022, the final in a trio of books she wrote surrounding themes of motherhood (the other two being The Nesting and The Lighthouse Witches). This Gothic novel follows two timelines, Mabel in 1959 and Pearl in 1965, as both find themselves at Lichen Hall to deliver their illegitimate babies and put them up for adoption. But not all is as it seems in this isolated Scottish mansion, and the haunting forest surrounding them is only the beginning of all that is wrong at Lichen Hall.

Why I Chose This Book:
I’ve enjoyed two of C. J. Cooke’s books so far, and I’ve been excited to read more from her. The Ghost Woods looked like exactly the kind of novel I enjoy: a creepy, isolated setting; a strange family; a mystery sliding into horror as more is discovered. It also deals with motherhood, which is another thing I’m drawn to especially now that I have a child.

What I Liked:
- Spooky setting. Lichen Hall is far removed from society, set on a land long thought to be haunted and surrounded by a forest known as the ghost woods. Even the house is falling into ruin; the whole east wing is overrun by toxic mold and fungi. Isolation, being surrounding by something dangerous, and even a home that is far from welcoming… it all adds up to a very unsettling environment that our main characters are trapped in. The Whitlocks, who own the place, are increasingly odd in their own right, too.
- Themes of decay and growth. A major theme throughout the novel is the strange capabilities of fungi. A variety of mushrooms grow in and around Lichen Hall, and Mr. Whitlock devoted much of his life to studying them. The fungi add to the danger and disgust, more so as the novel progresses. Also I have to say: I really hate mushrooms lol.
- Motherhood in its many forms. The characters here are unmarried pregnant women in the 1950s and 1960s. It’s a time when being a single mother was not an option. Being pregnant out of wedlock meant being fired from your job and potentially ostracized from your family. Raising a child alone would be virtually impossible. So these women must give up their babies for adoption. But in the shadow of these circumstances, questions arise about who a mother is. What are the myriad ways that motherhood can look? How can several women be a mother figure to a child?
- Women relationships. Speaking of that last point, the women at Lichen Hall form a sort of sisterhood, working together to survive and to raise a child. There are also a few pairs of women in romantic relationships—again, at a time when queerness wasn’t widely accepted by society.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
- The eye. IYKYK.

Final Thoughts
The Ghost Woods is another winning novel from C. J. Cooke. It highlights her skill in crafting a Gothic story that is absorbing and infused with folklore, darkness, and a sense of community and family. I thoroughly enjoyed this and look forward to the author’s next book, The Last Witch, due out this October.

4.5 stars

The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke is a horror/fantasy novel about young women who are sent away to have their babies.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Berkley Publishing Group and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

  

My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Foklore:  A girl gave birth to a baby that wasn't fully human, a kind of root creature that was part fairy. The parents killed their child and Nicnevin (a witch, not a fairy) cursed the family and the house.  The house was called Lichen Hall.  It becomes a mother and baby home for unwed mothers in the Scottish borders.

Mabel Haggith arrives at Lichen Hall in 1959, at the age of 17, pregnant with a child she can't even remember conceiving.  

Pearl Gorman, a young nurse,  arrives at Lichen Hall in 1965, at the age of 22, pregnant with a child conceived in a moment when she was struggling with the break-up of her last boyfriend.  Sebastien broke up with her, sending Pearl into the arms of another boy. 

Pearl soon realizes there is something wrong with the owners of Lichen Hall. Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock are not what they seem, and the behaviour of their grandson Wulfric is erratic, and often scary. 

When Pearl meets Mabel and her son, she realizes that she has to get everyone out of this place.  They have to get out before the dark secrets hiding behind its lavish exterior kill them all.  But leaving isn't easy. 




My Opinions:
This book is about motherhood, about love in general, both gay and straight.  It also touches on misogyny and evil.   It is a gothic tale about young women facing an uncertain future when they get pregnant out of wedlock in a time when it was unacceptable.  They were often sent away to have the child, which is subsequently adopted.  The places they were sent often had horrendous reputations.

Then this story of motherhood was immersed in a rather bizarre bit of Scottish folklore, and a precognitive child. This made a sad tale of motherhood into a wicked tale of horror.  Everything was woven together seamlessly.

The story is told from Mabel's perspective in 1959 and Pearl's in 1965, although they eventually overlap as the girls get to know one another.  This was really good (if sometimes a little confusing).  I loved the girls who found themselves in this house, and how they cared deeply for one another, vowing to raise Mabel's son together.

Overall, it was an atmospheric gothic tale, filled with suspense and a lot of creepiness.  I loved it.

The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke was of interest to me mostly because of the cover, I am a fanatic about horror and thrillers with a mushroom theme! This book did not disappoint on the creepy factor!

The novel follows two women in the 1950s & 60s sent to live in a home for unwed pregnant women. Something creepy is going on in the nearby woods, and everyone is lying about what's going on.

This book is a great crossover from historical fiction with a touch of fantasy thriller. The mystical elements are not too far out there for more traditional book readers, but fantastical enough for speculative fiction readers.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book to review!

Happy Publication Day!
I don't think that I have ever read a book that maligns mushrooms as much as this one does. The setting of the novel is called Lichen Hall which makes perfect sense. It takes awhile to figure out what is going on and what the role of fungi is. There are two timelines, one in 1959 and one in 1965, that intersect eventually, which is also different. Lichen Hall is run as a home for unwed mothers who give their babies up for adoption. This is most likely what induced me to get the book as I am not a big reader of gothic novels. In addition to the fact that there are mysterious things going on in Lichen Hall, there is the undercurrent of how awful times were for young girls who became pregnant, which was handled with tact and the writer maintains a respectful distance but allows the readers to experience the characters' emotions.
I was definitely engaged in what was happening although the two timelines did make it difficult at times to follow the story. I would also say that it was uncomfortable and spooky but not necessarily scary. Not being a big reader of gothic novels, I am not necessarily sure which was supposed to predominate.
Thanks to NetGalley and to Berkeley Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Earlier I had read [book:The Book of Witching|205064706] by [author:C.J. Cooke|16582738] and liked it so I thought I would try another of her books. I thought this one would be about ghosts because of the title, so I was surprised by this gothic horror novel.

Description:
This place is shrouded in folklore—old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who was not quite a child.

Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed.

Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965, one of a string of young women sent to Lichen Hall to give birth. And she soon suspects the proprietors are hiding something.

Then she meets the mysterious mother and young boy who live in the grounds—and together they begin to unpick the secrets of this place.

As the truth comes to the surface and the darkness moves in, Pearl must rethink everything she knew—and risk what she holds most dear.

My Thoughts:
The story takes place in two time periods: Mabel's story from 1959, and Pearl's story from 1965. Lichen Hall exudes the perfect creepy, gothic setting. The isolated mansion is a private setting for unwed mothers to come and give birth. But there is a lot more going on here and it is shocking. The shame, isolation and judgment felt by unwed mothers is certainly showcased and then entwined with the decrepit mansion provide the desolated atmosphere for the story. It is easy to sympathize with Pearl and Mabel, as they are both likeable characters and their situation is difficult at best. However, their lives become a battle for survival as the horrors of Lichen Hall unfold. This is a creepy tale with a shocking ending that fans of horror novels will enjoy.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Synopsis: In the 1960’s, a string of young women are sent to the mysterious Lichen House to give birth quietly away from society - but something sinister is lurking beneath the mansion’s facade.

Thoughts: Horror is not my typical genre, but I always pick up anything C.J. Cooke writes. She blends historical fiction, horror and fantastical elements so well to create layered stories. I loved the atmospheric setting of Lichen House, and both timelines kept my attention and tied together in an interesting way. The exploration of themes of motherhood and women’s rights were also well done. The mushroom situation was super weird and I didn’t love it, but overall I really enjoyed this one! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

Read this if you like:
🍄 mushrooms?
🍄 gothic horror
🍄 haunted house vibes
🍄 dual timelines
🍄 historical fiction
🍄 folklore

This is not the first C.J. Cooke novel I have sunk my teeth into. I absolutely loved "The Nesting"!

"The Ghost Woods" is an eerie, creepy, atmospheric read. A gothic novel set in Scotland told in two different timelines. This started off intriguing and I could tell the two stories would eventually intertwine. The problem was that it took so long for them to connect that I lost interest.

Chapters alternate between timelines, which at times left me confused as the two stories are very similar. This is labeled as a gothic horror and although it has its frightful moments, I wouldn't call it horror. The Scottish Folklore gave it a spooky element. Once the two storylines did connect, it was less than satisfying.

I think it would be wrong of me if I didn't mention the possible trigger warnings of rape, familial rape, sexual assault, and loss of a child.

Overall, I think this has great potential, but it never really captured my full attention. There seemed to be too much fluff in the middle. It was enjoyable up to a point, but then I just couldn't wait to finish it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for allowing me an advanced digital copy to read and give my honest review. I give it 3.5 stars!

"The Ghost Woods" is set to be released here in the U.S. on April 29, 2025. You can pre-order now! I give it 3.5 stars!

Happy Reading!

I was highly invested in what was going on in this story, but the suspended belief you need at the end pulled me out a bit but by that time, I just went with it 🤷‍♀️

Lichen Hall is creepily Gothic and houses unwed mothers shunned in society as they fall pregnant until they give birth and the kids are adopted. Pearl is the newest addition but will she ever get to leave?

Told in 2 separate years, 1957 and 1965, there are many strange happenings and the proprietress of the house is cold and calculating but occasionally a cry for help is heard. It dives into a hard look at how women were mistreated by these types of houses. There's a supernatural element that lends itself to some very terrifying truths and evil within the story.

The Ghost Woods

CJ Cook does it again! This is my second book by this author as I had previously read The Lighthouse Witches and enjoyed it.

I was excited when I was approved to read this Gothic horror/thriller, and enjoyed it as well!

I found the setting was dark, mysterious and atmospheric and blended well to the overall story. I enjoyed the different elements within the book, for example, the fantasy and the horror and the mystery.

The book started out a little slow for me and at times the dual POV‘s were a little hard to keep track of, but overall the book came together well.

The story focuses around a home for unwed pregnant women called Lichen Hall, where women are sent to be removed from being seen during their unexpected pregnancies. That alone is a travesty, but adding in the magical and horror elements makes for a very interesting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Ghost Woods is a chilling gothic story following Pearl who comes to a rundown mysterious gothic manor to give birth to her child. As a pregnant and unwed woman in 1965, there are few places that she can go to escape the judgement of her condition. While there she meets a mother and her young son who have been at the manor for several years. There are many stories of witches and creatures in the forest surrounding the manor and the hosts seem to have ulterior motives. As Pearl unlocks the secrets of the manor, they begin to learn more about the legends in the area and what is truly going on.

The Ghost Woods was a chilling & atmospheric novel. The first part of the story flips between two perspectives Pearl and Mabel. Both girls get pregnant out of wedlock and go to Lichen Hall to give birth. The viewpoints go back and forth through time and it is very much a book where you have to trust the process. The dual POV works well as the stories begin to merge into one another. The story was interesting and pulled you in within the first few chapters, but it is also confusing and a little hard to follow. As the story unravels, the payoff comes. The author did not give much backstory on the characters overall. Most of what the reader gets is what is disclosed through conversations with others. The story was fascinating and made me want to read more of the author's work.

The biggest complaint about the book is minimal character development. While the two main characters went through some growth, I wanted more. Also, the side characters felt very one dimensional with little backstory or growth. Most of the growth that the side characters show is directly related to their roles on the main characters' lives.

Overall, this was a wonderful gothic story with mystery, romance, and found family.

Two timelines converge for 2 young, unwed mothers in this newest CJ Cooke novel. In 1957, Mabel is sent to Lichen Hall, a gothic mansion that serves as an alternative to the unwed mother/baby institutes that dotted the landscape of the UK at this time. In 1965, we meet Pearl, a nurse who has become pregnant as well. They come from very different background but have been sent to Lichen Hall for the same reason, to give birth and give up their children.
But there are too many creepy, strange happenings at Lichen Hall, especially one persistent story of a witch in the woods that has cursed the Whitakers, the proprietors of Lichen House. And what's with all the darn mushrooms? The story finally converges into one timeline, as Mable and Pearl try to solve the mysteries that abound.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for this digital e-arc.*

C.J. Cooke is so good at weaving together sorta-spooky historical fiction, and this book is just another example of that.

This was a little slow to start, but I do think the slowness added to the creeping unease, and built it up over the course of the story. I was quickly invested in both timelines, and was intrigued by the interesting characters we get introduced to at Lichen Hall. The atmospheric setting was a great backdrop for the folklore aspect as well.

With all the secrecy around seemingly normal things at Lichen Hall, I was wondering what direction the mystery was going to go. When the two timelines connect about halfway through I was pretty surprised, and enjoyed how the pace ramped up. The ending was strange and fantastical in a horror-esque kind of way, which I loved, and it answered all my questions, which isn’t always the case in this kind of story.

4.5 stars.
This must be the time to reconsider the history of homes for pregnant, unwed mothers as this is not the first book I read this year dealing with the societal treatment of young women and their unexpected pregnancies.

In this novel, author C.J. Cooke uses two different women in different time periods to tell a creepy, uncomfortable and horrifying story.

In 1959. Mabel finds herself pregnant, though she cannot ever remember being with a man. She's sent to Lichen Hall, and scared and confused, comes to believe that her pregnancy has supernatural causes.

In 1965, ex-nurse Pearl Gorham arrives at Lichen Hall to give birth to her baby; she was abandoned by her wealthy boyfriend, and had few options. She notices the mold permeating the walls, the strange sights on the grounds and surrounding woods. Also, the owners, the Whitlocks, are unsettling and cagey, with Mr. Whitlock suffering from dementia, and Mrs. Whitlock's behaviour mercurial, and her idea about pregnancy and about giving birth without medical intervention fixed.

After delivery, Pearl decides to stay, and begins helping other young mothers through the process. Mrs. Whitlock also has Pearl teach Wulfric, the Whitlocks' son, who has a strong fascination for mushrooms and who frequently exhibits violent behaviour.

Pearl meets another young woman on the grounds with her young boy. The proprietor does not talk about this woman, and the feeling of dread and general wrongness about Lichen Hall just keeps building.

Cooke builds such a sense of claustrophobia and confusion. The advancing mold alone should give anymore cause for concern, but there's also the unpredictable behaviour of all the Whitlocks, as well as the many unanswered questions that only build the suspense and oncoming violence.

Using the ghostly figures, stories of witches and the dark, encroaching woods, the author builds a spooky narrative with elements of body horror, but also featuring enriching friendships amongst Pearl, the female staff, and Mabel.

The story's atmosphere is fantastic, with the name of the unwed mothers home alone should give one pause, and a little clue to what is happening. Cooke also explores how society kicks unwed mothers to the curb, and then exploits their vulnerability and removes their choices.

The friendships amongst the women was wonderful, and gives Pearl the strength to not only dig into the situation of the Hall, but to begin to think of a way to protect the others, and get out.

I greatly enjoyed this eerie story with its mix of haunting feel and social commentary.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my review.

3.5/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke releases on April 29th.

This book was super unique! I loved the gothic atmosphere and the eerie, creepy vibes — the descriptions of the setting were incredibly well written. I also enjoyed learning about different mushrooms and fungi (you’ll get what I mean when you read it). The paranormal elements added a really interesting layer to the story as well.

Overall, I loved the concept of this book and was definitely intrigued. However, it did feel a bit too long at times, which made me lose interest here and there. The two different POVs also blended together, and I had a hard time telling the characters apart. Some aspects of the plot felt a little predictable too — though I didn’t mind this much, since the story is very character-driven, following the women as they deal with trauma and build friendships while trapped in Linchen Hall.

I recommend this book to readers who love gothic horror with a paranormal twist! It would be a perfect pick for spooky season.

This is the second horror novel I’ve read this year (maybe the third) set at a home for young, unmarried, pregnant women, removed from society so as to hide their “shame” until after the birth of the child (the other was Grady Hendrix’s Witchcraft for Wayward Girls). As someone who has had two children and hated being pregnant (girls, trans baes, and theys, it is okay to hate it), and even if one loved the experience, you can’t get through it without acknowledging the body horror inherent in growing a person; there’s a parasite in there, even if it does end up being cute and looking like you. It makes you vomit (there’s music I still can’t listen to because our older one listened to it on repeat when I was pregnant with #2 and 12 years later I still reflex puke), it super-charges your sense of smell, it makes your favorite food unpalatable. It changes your hair and skin. Your feet grow and may never go back to their original size (I still miss my green Frye motorcycle boots). My astigmatism changed eyes. And between a 6 month dental checkup and the one after #1 was born, I had 11 cavities.

Throwing in a witch, and a sentient fungus network (have you read Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures? Sentient fungus networks are absolutely, positively coming for us if they aren’t already playing with our brains) are just bloody, squishy icing on the cake.

All of that sounds pretty scary. And at one time, they would have been. The scariest things about The Ghost Woods now though? The idea that girls and women could be disappeared from their Iives so easily. That they were so easily dismissed, discarded, untethered. That the responsibility for something that takes two people, and sometimes one adult male perpetuating a crime on a child, could be placed on a woman or a girl and that their life, professional and personal, could be destroyed because of not only the patriarchy but because the majority of women, their mothers, their sisters, their aunts, supported the idea that sex was dirty and shameful.

And the fact that we have come around to that place again.

The fact that women and girls and trans folx and non-binary people are losing their right to choose, to be in control of their own bodies and their own health care. That all of these people are being forced to cross state lines to get access to safe abortions. That twelve and thirteen year olds, children, are being forced to carry pregnancies to term after being raped. The fact that we aren’t far from homes like Lichen House opening again, we aren’t far from women and girls disappearing again, from people forgetting them again, and maybe from them never coming back at all.

And it won’t have anything to do with witches or fungus; it will have everything to do with people.

I love thrillers and I love gothic concepts. Give me a gothic thriller and it's going to be a good time. Give me a gothic thriller set in Scotland - the mother of gothic, well this is perfection.

This story started on a slow note but really picked up to the point the last section of the book I didn't want to put it down. I really appreciate the dark and creepy vibes of this book, and the aspects of folklore intertwined in the story.

I did predict the twist but I still enjoyed the story and the setting. One thing the author does well is provide a very descriptive setting and some points it felt like I was just as much in the story as the characters.

Overall, if you like gothic thrillers with folklore and fantasy then this is the book for you!

Another unique and clever gothic story from C.J. Cooke that makes you want to stay safely tucked under the covers at night! This book is told in dual timelines that eventually merge into one. 1959: Mabel is a 17-year-old unwed pregnant girl who finds out she is pregnant, although she has never had sex. She isn’t believed, but blames the ghosts inside her for this. Mabel is sent to a home for unwed mothers called Lichen Hall. 1965: Pearl is a 22-year-old unmarried pregnant nurse, who is taken to Lichen Hall to give birth. What follows is a haunting tale of sisterhood, the dark side of humanity, Gaelic folklore and the supernatural.

This novel starts off slow, but it works to create the menacing atmosphere that kept me hooked. There are some fantastical elements that require you to suspend your reality to fully immerse yourself in the story. This was really exhilarating for me, and I loved the historical elements and folklore mixed with science!

It is clear this novel is very well-researched, and Cooke goes into more detail about the history in her Author’s Note. The grim reality unwed mothers faced during this time is explored in depth, and done in such an engrossing way that I truly felt their emotional turmoil. There is also wonderful LGBTQ+ rep, and the desperate need to keep relationships closeted due to societal pressures at the time (and still experienced today). It was palpable and heartbreaking.

After reading The Book of Witching and The Ghost Woods, C.J. Cooke is definitely solidified as an auto-buy author for me. This is one you don’t want to miss!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the gifted ARC