This is listed as horror, but it's not scary or anxiety inducing. There's a mystery and someone ends up a little bit possessed, but nbd. I thought this was pretty good. It definitely kept me engaged. I would definitely read more books by this author.

3.75

This one was a little better than just OK. While the premise had promise, the character work really needed more development. The characters never felt real to me, so I didn’t care much about them or what happened. They seemed vague and unimportant, especially the husband, Eli, who felt more like a placeholder than an actual person. Additionally, I needed more from Joan. She was such an integral part of the story, but such a flat character at the same time.

That said, the book did keep me engaged enough to want to see how things played out, even if I wasn’t fully invested. There were so many different threads competing for attention—the OCD and intrusive thoughts, the exploration of bisexuality, the haunted ex-wife ghost story—and none of them really had the space to breathe. It almost felt like the book was trying to do too much at once, which made it hard for me to buy into any single element. Maybe if it had been a little longer or narrowed its focus, it would have landed more strongly.

The ending also left me feeling a bit flat. I saw the “twist” coming (which isn’t necessarily a problem), but the way it played out felt anticlimactic. And again, because Eli was underdeveloped, I couldn’t even muster up strong feelings toward him...he was just there to move the plot along.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad read, but it wasn’t memorable either. The premise had a lot of potential, but the execution didn’t quite come together for me.

This one was really strange. An unreliable narrator who suffers from harm OCD and has a weird sense of reality and outlook on life. I felt like this was a lot of narration, and while I understand that is how the author wanted us to learn about the characters and all their surroundings, I had a really hard time trying to stay engaged with the story the whole time. I felt like I was just reading an never-ending monologue rather than gaining anything of interest from the story. I didn't like our main character, Cassie, at all, and I felt like the writing was extremely dry and boring. It made me not care about the twist at the end. I didn't feel compelled to care. I hate to be harsh, but it is true. I can see the value in this story and how it can be a good book for some, but apparently it is not for me. I thought I would like this book since horror and thrillers are things I highly enjoy. It was just.... weird.

I think I definitely went into this one with the complete wrong expectations. Either way, I did not enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. The last third of the book was definitely the strongest, but it also felt rushed. And much of the beginning just felt unnecessary. I wish this pacing had been more even throughout. I liked where the story went, however, the relationships between all the characters never felt believable to me and could have benefited from some fleshing out. I did like the writing style though, and I would read from the author again. I believe this is a debut? It felt like it. But I'd love to see how the author's writing grows in the future because this one had a lot of potential it just didn't quite live up to.
2.5 ⭐ rounded up

After a painful breakup and a shocking discovery, Cassie retreats from her New York literary job to her small-town New Jersey roots. Marrying her childhood best friend, Eli, unexpectedly casts her as stepmother to his two young children—and into the lingering shadow of his late wife, Beth. Still grieving her ex-girlfriend and navigating harm OCD, Cassie becomes drawn into Beth’s life, her home, and her ghost.

At just 240 pages, House of Beth is taut, propulsive, and gorgeously melancholic. Think Rebecca meets queer literary fiction—blurring life and afterlife in a haunting tale of love, grief, and self-discovery. Not horror, but lush, gothic-tinged storytelling at its finest.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the early copy.

I read this around the time I was reading a bunch of other unhinged, female rage, type novels/short stories.

After her life takes some unexpected turns, Cassie returns to her hometown and reconnects with a young love.Eli. Cassie's mental health is effecting her severely with is interfering with the new life she is trying to start. As her mental state continues to decline, she begins to hear a voice telling her secrets of the house and life of her young love.

This read is short which makes it quick. Though there were moments of slowness, the pace picked up near the end. It did not go quite as expected ,but I will take that as a win!

I enjoyed this read a lot! The ending was phenomenal, the plot engaging and the romance element towards the end was brilliant.

I loved this story, and I wasn't at all sure where it was going when I started it. Which is perfect for me! The twists and turns we take to get back to Cassie's hometown and old friend help build a backstory for some of the unconventional choices she makes, and this story gave me some pseudo-Rebecca vibes. Absolutely love the ending and the way the women come together in the end!

Thank you S&S and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! This book was DELIGHTFUL in the most absurd chaotic way possible (compliment). It was so so reliving to hear of a character with impulsive thoughts for OCD representation. It made me feel heard and seen, and I know it did for others I’ve made read it too. I loved the writing style, I loved the plot, I loved the characters, The messages between the lines were there but not “in your face.” I recommend this to any horror lover!

I was so excited to read a book about OCD, but it didn't end up working for me. The central conceit wasn't believable. Why did she marry this man? I didn't get it. The main character was avoidant but in an entirely passive way, not in a fun and destructive way. Too long and meandering and internal (which I understand is necessary for a chunk of the book). Not terrible writing by any means!!! I just didn't quite connect with the story or characters. Fell flat unfortunately.

House of Beth was peculiar and dizzying! It reminded me a lot of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. Gorgeous writing!
👻👻👻👻/5

Our main character Cassie has OCD and often envisions herself committing some kind of visceral brutality. It was so easy to empathize with Cassie and her fears. Her struggle is written in such a distinct and emotional way, it made me really connect with her as a reader. Imagining the most violent scenario possible? Oh, it’s my dreams! Been there.

After a messy and sudden breakup with her girlfriend Lavender, she goes traditional; small town, marries the guy from high school, and becomes a stepmother to his two kids. His wife Beth died but Cassie’s been told it was an accident. As Cassie begins living in their house, stepping into the roles of stepmother/caregiver/wife, many things are revealed. The thoughts in Cassie’s head start to change...

It’s a powerful and quiet book. The chapters are written back and forth between Cassie and Beth, day to day, past and present. I really enjoyed the “haunting” and what that meant for the women. I loved getting to know them both. It’s a ghost story, but not in the way that you think. I would describe the story as dark, psychological, literary fiction.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the ARC! House of Beth is out now. Highly recommend!
🏠🪞🌳💭👭🏻

I definitely get what the author was trying to do here. I'm not sure that I personally would call this 'horror' even though it had some dark elements and even though I went into this thinking it was going to be a weird read, it never got as weird as I wanted it to be. There are good things to be found here but overall, this book was just middle of the road for me. Not a bad time but not an exceptional one either.

Wish there had been just a bit more time developing the relationships, particularly the ex girlfriend in the beginning (rushed, felt I hardly had a moment to sit with the MC). Every aspect of the OCD was written so well, though, felt very genuine; I love the realism and not shying away from the horrors of it while also not sensationalizing any of the bad for suspense or shock value.

I didn’t know what I was going into with this, but that’s normal. I saw the cover and I loved it so I decided to give this one a shot. It’s different from what I normally read so it took a while for me to wrap my head around all of it. But I loved it.

There’s so much to absorb, grief, love, breakups, mental health issues… Carrie was such a complex person but I ended up loving her and feeling for her so much. Beth was also incredibly interesting. I felt a lot while reading this, sadness and happiness, anger; it was a really enjoyable read. This is my first from Kerry Cullen but I’ll definitely be back for more. Thanks to Simon and Schuster for my eARC.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

House of Beth follows overworked Cassie who, plagued by harm OCD and following some difficult incidents in the city, returns to her hometown and into the arms of her newly widowed high school best friend.

House of Beth is a funky little speculative read that often had me shocked and horrified -- this is the second book I've read this year where the main character's OCD plagues them with gory, horrible thoughts, and it was just as harrowing here as it was in my first encounter -- but also glued to the page. I still haven't decided if I like or hate Cassie, complex as she is, but I did love reading the alternating perspectives between her and Beth. The book is short and quick, not necessarily plot-heavy but certainly fast-paced, and ultimately adds up to a spectacular little ghost story that I'm already itching to read again.

** spoiler alert ** This is one of the weirder books I’ve read, but it was also beautifully written. The writing was descriptive and imaginative. I liked how Beth handled the afterlife and learned about herself, and how she embraced Cassie rather than be jealous of her.

3 stars
House of Beth wasn’t quite my cup of tea, but I can see how others might enjoy it. The writing had its moments, and I appreciated some of the character dynamics, but overall I just didn’t connect with the story the way I’d hoped. It moved a bit slower than I like, and I found myself losing interest at times. That said, if you enjoy more introspective, character-driven reads, this might work better for you. Just wasn’t the right fit for me!
Thank you for the advanced copy.

This book was STUNNING. This is a beautiful, haunting domestic horror about queerness, gender, religion, grief and connection. This book follows our main character Cassie, a queer woman who breaks up with her girlfriend and moves back to her hometown where she reconnects with and ends up marrying her childhood best friend, Eli. In the background, Cassie deals with severe harm OCD, and the representation throughout the book of intrusive and obsessive thoughts was unlike anything I’ve read in a book before and I appreciated this needed perspective.

Once Cassie married Eli, who is a recent widow when his wife Beth died under mysterious circumstances, she slowly begins moving into the subservient space Beth had in Eli’s life. Cassie fills that void of homemaker, devout mother and Christian, and heteronormative trope “wife”. But as she slips away from herself further into this role, she begins to feel the ghostly presence of Beth haunting the house.

This book incredibly intertwines a story of finding yourself and your identity, a love story, and domestic horror in such an intricate and intimate way. This book is all at once soft, sensual, and violent. Read this if you want gothic, romantic, and beautiful prose set in a beautiful, forest setting.

Thank you to the publishers (Simon Books) and NetGalley for the ARC!

After a painful breakup and a career crisis, Cassie retreats from New York City to her hometown in New Jersey, where she reconnects with her old friend Eli and tries to build a quieter life. But as she battles harm OCD and feels the lingering presence of Eli’s late wife in their home, a mysterious voice begins revealing dark secrets about the past, drawing Cassie into a gothic, psychological unraveling.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of House of Beth. This quickly became one of my top five reads of the year. I especially appreciated the nuanced portrayal of Cassie’s OCD, which felt deeply authentic, likely due to the author drawing from personal experience. The dual POV between Cassie and Beth was a highlight and added real depth to the story. I gave this book five stars, though I do wish the ending had felt a bit less abrupt.

4.5 Rounding Up!! This books is a lot of things, a surprise being the biggest one! It was not at all what I expected going in, but it ended up being a tender and beautiful look at how our childhoods shape us, how life never ends up how you think it will, and an unflinching look at OCD.

While this didn’t fully give me the 5 star feeling, it’s close enough. I’m glad I took a chance to meet these deeply flawed and beautiful characters.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.