Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a complimentary early release copy of House of Beth by Kerry Cullen.

House of Beth is a slow paced book plot wise but the story is mainly character driven, I found both Cassie and Beth’s characters to be intriguing, they felt throughly fleshed out. I could really feel for Cassie’s struggles about being more open and vulnerable when it came to her ocd. I could also feel for Beth whose time was cut short just as she was potentially discovering her queer identity.

I had gone into this book thinking it would be more of a lgbt horror novel given the “Cassie hears a voice narrating the houses secrets” but the story does tend to focus more on Cassie’s ocd and the romantic relationships that the characters had. While there are some haunting aspects it doesn't come into focus until 60 percent mark. I liked how the story went about the haunting aspects but I think if it would have kicked in a bit sooner I would have felt a bit better about the characters relationship. There were parts of the story that felt important to be continued but for some reason things would just be skipped over, I had enjoyed my time with these characters but the ending felt rushed and flat. I thought the book could have used an extra chapter or two to wrap things up a bit more nicely.

House of Beth was utterly unique and intriguing. I think it held a lot of potential. The plotlines were amazing but the cast of characters lacked something for me. I wasn’t convinced of any of the relationships outside of Cassie and Lavender. I wish we had an opportunity to get invested in the other characters enough for their choices to make sense. Cassie’s OCD seemed to come and go throughout the novel with little to no explanation. The affair was clunky and awkward. The kids seemed like an afterthought. However, I can’t stop myself from recommending this book because the situation and dynamic between Cassie and Beth was THAT good. That last 1/3 of the story where they interacted stole the show for me.

I went into this one thinking it was a horror book but it was more of an odd romance with paranormal aspects. I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t what I expected but besides that it wasn’t a bad story. I liked that the author included the topics of OCD, queerness, and step parenting. Cassie struggled with these on top of trying to fill in Beth’s shoes she left behind.

I ended up giving this three stars because I’m still unsure of how to feel about this one. The ending left me unsatisfied and confused still.

**My thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advanced reader copy via NetGalley**

3 stars

I liked this title overall, but I have to admit that the middle 50% dragged. The book has an unfinished quality to it, as if it’s still in the draft stage and the story not quite finalized; however, the ideas are interesting and I really enjoyed learning more and more about Beth, the eponymous dead wife whose shoes our protagonist attempts to fill.

The book is about Cassie, a somewhat-stereotypical bisexual disaster whose harm-focused OCD makes it difficult for her to connect with anyone or anything, which leaves her feeling highly detached from the world. She stumbles into a sure-I-guess marriage with a childhood sweetheart who has been recently widowed, trying to raise his kids and keep his house as well as she imagines his late wife, Bethany, must have done. Over the course of her time in Bethany’s house, Beth herself becomes more real to Cassie, and the two eventually begin to communicate across the veil.

The book’s blurb and marketing sold me on the idea of it as a modern <i> Rebecca, </i> but after reading it I think there’s very little actual similarity; a better comparison would be to <i> The Turn of the Screw. </i> Cassie and Beth are in many ways mirroring one another, which gives a refreshingly reciprocal feel to the usual gothic ghostliness. Cassie I found much harder to be interested in than Beth, perhaps because her character is very wishy-washy, a quality that makes the ending feel unsatisfying—because while the ending should feel significant, nothing indicates that Cassie has undergone a significant enough mental change to stick with this decision any more than she has all the other decisions she’s changed her mind about in her life. I also found myself disappointed that Beth’s children, Cassie’s stepchildren, never really developed into full characters and instead felt more like props in Cassie’s story.

Lunch break equals short-read time!

I started House of Beth on the bus in the morning and finished it off while eating. It was intriguing enough, but sort of lost me on certain parts. In the end, I thought it was just a middle-of-the-pack kind of novel.

It's not my thing, the premise is interesting, but unfortunately fell flat for me... It reminded me of Rebecca.

Kerry Cullen’s House of Beth offers a fresh and compelling twist on the ghost story genre, blending elements of gothic mystery with psychological depth. The novel follows Cassie Jackson, a bisexual woman grappling with obsessive-compulsive disorder, who returns to her New Jersey hometown after a traumatic event in New York. There, she reconnects with her high school best friend, Eli, now a widowed father of two. As their relationship deepens, Cassie becomes entangled in the lingering presence of Eli’s late wife, Beth, whose ghost seems to haunt their home and Cassie’s psyche.

Cullen’s portrayal of Cassie’s internal struggles is poignant and evocative, capturing the complexities of identity, grief, and the search for belonging. The narrative’s dual perspectives—Cassie’s and Beth’s—add layers of intrigue and ambiguity, blurring the lines between reality and the supernatural. The atmospheric setting and the gradual revelation of Beth’s story create a hauntingly immersive experience.

However, as the novel progresses, some readers may find the plot’s developments increasingly implausible and disjointed. The introduction of late-stage twists can feel abrupt, detracting from the story’s earlier emotional resonance. Despite these narrative shifts, House of Beth remains a thought-provoking exploration of the boundaries between the living and the dead, and the stories we inherit and create.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

House Of Beth by Karry Cullen, this is a book about cassiopeia a.k.a. Cass, despite not finishing college she gets a job at a book publishing house but when she finds one of her bosses bleeding and unconscious instead of calling 911 due to her traumatic thoughts she grabbed everything and leaves the building and runs home to Elmwood where she grew up. leaving everything she knew in New York behind. when she first arrives she tries to avoid everyone she knew in high school, even hiding from a classmate Tyler at the local coffee shop but when Eli spots her drinking cider at the local bar she can’t help but want to reconnect with him despite his drunken state. This is when she learns he recently lost his wife no longer goes to church and has two children a boy and a girl. we also learn regardless of her death that also has a voice in the narrative. Soon… Well not soon because it seemed every turn of events took forever to get to the next turn of the events when I first started the book I thought I was reading the wrong book because here she was in New York going to these dingy apartments and or fancy penthouses to parties we learned about her obsessive gore drenched thoughts and I thought as I said this was the wrong book then we go to Elmwood where she sees Eli they reconnect and even though she wants to be with him she is hesitant about meeting his children but soon she meets the children and before you know it her Eli and the kids are a family the only one she didn’t count on being a part of their life was Beth but she was so wrong. About halfway in I knew I didn’t like this book I didn’t like her I thought it was a slug getting from one story point to another but then we have the ghostly ménage à trois, and I really wish I had the actual book so I could throw it at the wall. I was so over this book at that point I found this book although a times interesting I just really thought it was going somewhere else and didn’t like where the author took me. others really enjoyed this book so I would definitely check out other reviews before making a decision about whether to read it by myself didn’t like it but from the rating it seems I am just among us select few. before ending this review I do want to say I didn’t understand that whole thing with lavender confronting chaos at Nessa’s house about her stalker in the next thing I know they’re broken up… To me that made no sense I didn’t get it maybe I missed something IDK I also thought her wanting to reiterate to Eli that she was bisexual to be pointless and unnecessary because when people like each other I don’t see the point in announcing hey I do like you but I also may like girls as well in the future… I just didn’t get that either way you may like this book you may not who knows. #NetGalley, #Simon&Schuster, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,#KerryCullen, #TheHouseOfBeth,

Following an emotionally charged breakup, Cassie flees New York City for her small New Jersey hometown only to fall into a relationship with her childhood best friend. Sound familiar? Though Kerry Cullen's House of Beth mimics a series of classic romance novel tropes, this facade slowly crumbles away into something unexpected and sinister. The novel is artfully designed to subvert expectations, establishing characters as easy stereotypes and then picking away at their surface until the truth is revealed. House of Beth is a sharp commentary on the weaponized helplessness of seemingly innocuous men and the slippery slope of tradwife culture. Although it's difficult to like Carrie at times, she undergoes a memorable and meaningful transformation. Without giving spoilers, this story represents one of the most interesting wlw relationships I've encountered in queer horror fiction.

I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up one of my usual talking points: representations of OCD in fiction. This is one of the ONLY books I've ever read where OCD is used not as a tool to demonize or stereotype in the context of dark fiction, but rather as a brutally honest depiction of a debilitating condition. I was not surprised to read that this is an OwnVoices novel: Cullen's understanding of the disorder, it's emotional consequences, and it's appropriate treatment is one so comprehensive that it has to be lived. I wish a little more attention had been given to the fact that Carrie's particular brand of intrusive fear of harming others isn't necessary a hallmark of all cases, but Cullen nonetheless does a great job of educating the reader on the division between thought and action and the egodystonic nature of OCD intrusive thoughts.

This was a bit slow for me. The story wasn't bad or anything I guess I was just expecting someone more fast paced and scary. This was more of a slow creeping dread and while plenty of people love that it's not my favorite trope.

I wanted to love this so much! However, the author got a major strike within the first 10 pages or so when I noticed a horrifically obvious discrepancy that nearly made me DNF this. One of the main reasons I requested this (thanks, NetGalley!) was because of the promise of a protagonist who lived in a little town “along the Delaware River.” I moved to NYC when I was 17 and then to the UK when I was 34, but I was born and raised literally around the corner from the Delaware River and swam in it (gross, looking back) every summer with my friends. So, it was weird to me when the book named Elwood as the town in question, and I thought, “Huh, never heard of it.” Google Maps to the rescue… and then I realise Elwood is a real town, and that it’s basically literally ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE from the Delaware River and closer to the Atlantic Ocean, for God’s sake. WHY! WHY DO THIS?! It enraged me to no end. Either make up a fake town so save me the fury, or, you know, actually PICK A TOWN ON THE DELAWARE RIVER.

Ahem. Anyway - I did soldier on here because I was also promised queer goodness, and I… kind of got it, I guess? Mind you, Cassie did <spoiler>break up with her first ever girlfriend within the first 20 pages or so and then immediately get with - and marry! - a man, surprise surprise</spoiler>, but at the very end of the book, things changed again… sort of. I’m being careful about spoilers here as much as possible, but it’s almost impossible to talk about this book without going into some of the details readers would probably want to discover for themselves. Still, I wouldn’t call <spoiler>Cassie having sex with Beth’s ghost as she possessed her body</spoiler> particularly rewarding, even though I know it was meant to be weirdly hot.

On the plus side, this was a page turner - after a huge reading drought, I did finish it in, like, two nights. Score! On the other hand, it was largely done with a furrowed brow and an, “Oh God, what’s coming next?” feeling. The author tried to cover some serious stuff in this book, like OCD, but the way it was handled I felt was a bit flippant. I wasn’t feeling the <spoiler>overwhelming thoughts of blood and gore Cassie suffered with</spoiler>, not because I don’t think that’s a very real experience for someone with the condition, but because it felt thrown in to make her *DiFfErEnT* in a way that was a bit obnoxious.

That wasn’t the only serious thing that was glossed over, either. The fact that Beth is dead and how that happened is an afterthought (if not predictable) and again, totally blasé and brushed over, like many of the finer details in this book. The result is that I didn’t really care about any of them and thought they were all kinda shitty people who weren’t very interesting or redeemable. I don’t have to like every character in a book - in fact, sometimes one of the most rewarding reading experiences is when you really hate a character! - but I couldn’t even muster that here. I was just… blah. It needed more background, but I was also glad it was relatively short at 240 pages and really didn’t need it to go on any further.

I feel really bad writing reviews like this because I don’t want to insinuate that the book is awful, or that there won’t be reader who really love this. Writing a book is hardcore and worthy of respect, even if it’s not my cup of tea, and I totally appreciate that. I just feel like it had one too many things that needed ironing out for it to be an enjoyable read for me.

This was a good read kind of different because I don’t like ghost stories lol but I got through thank you I will recommend

I'll be honest: I had no idea what to expect (really) from this book. I liked the cover and decided I wanted to read it.
The writing is beautiful, but I prefer more direct proses and storylines instead of metaphors and symbolism scattered throughout a book. No ambiguities.
I believe I am not the right audience for this novel. Nothing wrong with the book itself.

An accomplished piece of writing that unfolds in truly unexpected fashion. A peculiar kind of ghost story centered around mental health and grief and new beginnings, each of which is haunted in its own way. With twists that keep twisting.

It’s a semi ghost story that I didn’t find myself too engrossed with. I thought it was going to be more of a thriller, so that’s my fault for reading it expecting something different.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

House of Beth is the queer ghost story I didn’t know I needed. We follow Cassie fresh off the heels of her most intimate break up. She abandons her life after an odd occurrence at her job as a strained assistant at a literary agency and moves back to her hometown in New Jersey. Rather quickly Cassie remembers she did not leave home on good terms, leaving all her relationships in the past. Soon she reconnects with her high school best friend Eli and the two catch up. Cassie learns that Eli is a widowed father of two grappling with life with children without his wife. Eventually the two rekindle their bond and Cassie is trading her fast paced city life to be a glorified housewife.

But life isn’t what Cassie thought it would be when she fled. She yearns for her ex girlfriend while combating harm OCD constantly being disturbed by graphic and gore filled images. Secluded in the woods after moving into Eli’s home Cassie tries to find peace, but sees Eli’s late wife Beth’s ghost everywhere. Including in her mind. There is no escaping Beth’s memory and soon Cassie is uncovering the truth of her untimely passing.

House of Beth is a gorgeous metaphor of discovering self love at any cost. It’s about coming to terms with who you are, what you believe and how you got there. Looking face to face at the trauma your body may house and choosing to love it all. It’s a story about queer love, lust and yearning without any shame attached. Cullen’s writing is dark, lyrical and ethereal. It’s literary fiction with slashes of gothic horror undertones. I would file this juicy tale in the hood for her literary universe, I just know Cassie and Beth will live in my mind rent free for a long time.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this advanced copy! House of Beth is our July 15 2025.

This is hard to review for me because it was exceptional until the ending imo. The writing is gorgeous, the characters were so interesting and vivid, but what kept me amazed by it the whole way through was how it refused to be the kind of story it could have been. The relationships among the women were so complex and interesting and it never became "fighting over Eli" but something richer, more thoughtful, and kinder. The reveal of Joan and Eli being in love the whole time felt like a tragic backslide into a familiar story about affairs that spoiled how unexpected and feminist the rest of it was. The bear trap thing was stupid and a book like this probably needed an ambiguous ending but the one she settled on was so deeply disappointing and felt like an ending to a different book. Also, if she was going to have Beth and Cassie ride off into the sunset happily together, she should NOT have had Beth betray her the absolute worst anyone could possibly betray Cassie. Her life has been small and suffocating because she lives in abject terror of losing control of her body and hurting someone, Beth is the only person who could ever force her to have that experience, and she does for really selfish and stupid reasons. I guess there's supposed to be a bookend with her "voluntarily" "hurting" Eli to save his life at Beth's urging but again that scene was dumb and resolved a different conflict than the rest of the book was about. It was hard to decide on three stars because so much of it was so spectacular, but the final few chapters failed so badly I couldn't rate it higher.

Content Warnings: Mental Illness, Disordered Eating, Animal Death, Child Abandonment, Violent Images Involving Children,

Themes: Sapphic, Intrusive Thoughts, Harm OCD, Self Destruction, Grief, Religious Trauma

My Thoughts:
I’m still trying to collect my thoughts and feelings about this one. I see many reviews saying that the MC Cassie is unlikable but honestly, she’s the most relatable fictional character I’ve come across (am I unlikable?! lol). The storytelling was atmospheric, thoughtful, and philosophical. A hauntingly beautiful, introspective ghost story. I’ve never read anything like it before, and I look forward to reading more of Kerry’s work.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Simon & Schuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a mildly spooky, fast paced beach read. Spooky-lite if you will. The story did interest me, and I flew through it pretty quick, but I feel like there were a few loose ends I would have liked tied up a little neater and wanted to go a but deeper with some of the characters and themes.

The beginning of this book hold me in with it, Gothic and mysterious vibes. But after the 20% mark, this felt like a totally different book from the beginning and I honestly felt like I was reading three different kind of books. That was so disjointed and honestly made no sense. I will say I did like.” ghost” aspect in the beginning when it was being introduced, but then that even got weird and pointless. The ending made me roll my eyes so many times and I honestly was just so disappointed.. I really wanted to love this book by the synopsis. It sounded very good, but it wasn’t executed well unfortunately. The two main characters fell for each other way too fast and I just never connected with anyone in this book and the plot just was way too messy and not in a good way.