Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 3
Plot development: 3
Characters: 2
Enjoyability: 3
Ease of Reading: 4

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

I liked this one! I thought the setup was fabulous and it built itself, layer upon layer, until the end - at which point it felt a little rushed and hurriedly resolved into a tidy package... It was odd and a bit jarring, but the whole story to that point was so fabulous that I didn't mind as much as I normally would (it helped a lot that the results were satisfying). I thought this felt like a fresh take on the haunted house genre and really liked the back and forth in time and perspective - it worked well here and added depth to the story as it progressed, rather than distracting from the momentum (as is often the case, in my opinion). I thought it was a fun read!

I really liked this haunted house story! It had your ghosts, a very derelict house, a new homeowner with her own secrets and plans to bring the house back to life, a villain looking to profit off the death in that house, a mysterious diary that may hold the truths of the house, and an ending that I did not expect but I enjoyed it immensely. I would not call this a very dark horror, more light with viewpoints of the ghost stuck in the house (which were fun to read and possibly get you to pity him, even though this was kind of all his fault!) and via Venita's diary entries which popped the story back and forth in time to slowly reveal the truth of all the tragedy, and why people keep dying in that house.

It was also easy to like Ronnie, the new homeowner, as she faces her own monsters (what happened with her brother) as well as the extreme anxiety she has. And despite all that she is surprisingly chill about ghosts, plus all the gross stuff in the house that has moldered for about a century. I admire her willpower in fixing up the place and I would love to see it when the house is fully renovated back to it's glory days.

So, yeah, more of a light horror story but fun to read and hard to put down. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this good ghost story!

If you want a good creepy book, you can’t go wrong with Cherie Priest. Her latest didn’t disappoint! Vivid haunted house imagery and a fantastic storyline made this a winner. I loved the characters, the details of the house’s back story, and the slow burn dread that permeated the pages. A wonderful addition to the haunted house trope!

Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance!

Summary: After her brother’s death, Veronica (Ronnie) uses the proceeds of the life insurance to purchase a crumbling mansion in West Seattle that was once owned by the “Platinum Pussycat”, Venita Rost, a star of the silent film era. Ronnie, still grieving the loss of her brother, learned everything she knows about home renovations from him, and plans to bring the house back to its former glory and live in it. The house is also inhabited by ghosts of those who had died in it – Venita Rost, the previous DIY owner/renovator, and a famous private investigator from the 1930s who had been a friend of Venita’s husband. Ronnie is blissfully unaware of this as she settles in and begins her extensive renovation project, but when an unscrupulous man named Coty Deaver shows up at the house it awakens Venita’s wrath. Ronnie and Coty are about to become acquainted with the ghostly inhabitants.

Thoughts: I love the way Cherie Priest evokes striking images of a spooky place through her writing. Venita Rost’s once elegant mansion with its brass gaslight fittings, plush rugs and sweeping staircase is now moldering and crumbling into the ground. Ghostly pianos play, dust motes form phantom figures, and a silvery, ethereal cat prowls the house and disappears at will. It is magical, sinister and otherworldly.

This is the setting for Ronnie’s renovation life project and a means for recovering from her brother’s tragic illness and death. During unsettled dreams and visions, she has encounters with the former inhabitants of the house, learning Venita’s story and her connection to Sloan, the private investigator. It is very much a story about strong female characters supporting and protecting each other from untrustworthy men. There is also a theme of mental illness running through the storyline – rumours of Venita being unhinged after the death of her daughter and Ronnie’s underlying illness and tendency to self-medicate with cannabis and alcohol. The conclusion feels deeply satisfying as the universe serves cosmic justice to all, living and dead.

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing a digital copy to read.

It Was Her House First is a haunted house story, and I’m not the biggest fan of haunted house horror, but this one kept my attention. I liked the multiple POV and thought the author’s writing was fantastic. However, I didn’t love or connect with any of the characters, but that’s not at all the fault of the author. I’m looking forward to reading more of her work!

Thank you Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC.

I was really into this one at first and I love a good slow burn but this was a little tooo slow burn for me. I was like 70% in when I realized nothing even really happened yet.

want a good ghost story? you found it!

I really had no idea where is story was going the whole time and I love that!
I just wanted to keep reading and find out who these people really are and who these ghost are!

⭐️⭐️.5

Admittedly, I think I really like the idea of the story rather than the actual novel. There's definitely an air of melancholy throughout, but the novel is advertised as a haunted house/horror story, and it simply wasn't in that vein. I do really like how the author tried for a different haunted house narrative. Seeing the story through the ghosts eyes as well as the living women moving in was a nice twist in the genre. The mystery of the house was also a really cool addition. I, however, was very underwhelmed by the pacing, and I felt the beginning of the book was taking way too long to get to the meat of the story. The characters were also a little flat, but the book is also relatively short, so I'm too upset about it. Overall, if you like tamer, kind of slower paced mystery/haunted house stories, I do recommend this book as it is a genuinely cool twist in this genre. As an avid horror reader myself, I feel I may have been not the target audience for this novel, but I can appreciate good creativity when I read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

It was her House First was a book I was drawn to from my gravitation towards stories about old houses with dark pasts. This book was one I wasn't too keen on when I started to read it, but I persevered and was so glad I stuck with it in the end.
We follow the POV of three characters; Ronnie (the new owner of the house who's purchased it at auction in an unseen condition), Venitia (an old silent movie actress and the first owner of the house) and Inspector Bartholemew Sloan who was murdered and remained tied to the house).
After the loss of her brother, Ronnie uses the money he left her into renovating a house she's drawn to. But her arrival stirs up ghosts of the past, unveils a mystery and leaves her in danger between a ghost hell bend on revenge and a sinister living threat that's becoming more and more desperate as time goes by....
This book had me hooked around 50% of the way through, and I really enjoyed Venitias parts with Ronnie. The ending was well executed and different from what I was expecting but in a good and enjoyable way.

Thanks to Netgalley, Poisened Pen Press, and Cherie Priest for this ARC. I am a big fan of this author. I have read most if not all of her works, and have purchased most of them. I don’t buy many books anymore, so that’s saying a lot.. I must admit, I was so excited to read this new book of hers, but it was not my favorite…it seemed to drag on for a bit, and didn’t really capture my attention. I didn’t like most of her characters, and I feel this author has so much to give her readers, I was disappointed in this one. But, because it is Cheri Priest, I would still read anything she puts out there…

Haunted Hollywood: When a Dead Starlet Won't Let Go

You'd think buying a mansion would be exciting. Not for Ronnie Mitchell. Her new cliffside home came with an unwanted tenant – the ghost of Venita Rost, a vindictive silent film star who treats murder like a hobby.

Cherie Priest's latest supernatural thriller hits different. Sure, we've got the classic haunted house setup, but Priest turns the screws by adding a flesh-and-blood threat that makes Ronnie question whether the living or the dead are more dangerous. The mansion itself feels alive, its crumbling grandeur a perfect stage for the horror show about to unfold.

At its core, this isn't just another ghost story. It's about grief, ownership, and what happens when the past refuses to stay buried. Inspector Bartholomew Sloan, Venita's long-time nemesis, watches helplessly as history repeats itself, trapped by his own guilt. His presence adds a moral weight that elevates this beyond typical supernatural fare.

The story takes its time finding its feet, but when it does, hold on tight. The finale comes at you like a freight train, paying off every bit of tension Priest carefully builds. Her writing strikes that sweet spot between atmospheric and overdone, proving that haunted houses still have some tricks up their sleeves.

If you loved The Haunting of Hill House or Grady Hendrix's work, this one's for you. Just don't read it alone in a big empty house.

4.5/5 - A ghost story that'll haunt you long after the last page.

It Was Her House First is an absolutely captivating read. I loved experiencing Ronnie’s perspective and backstory, and the addition of the detective ghost’s point of view was brilliant. The silent movie star’s story added another layer of intrigue. All the characters are complex and fascinating, and the story is so well-crafted that I couldn’t put it down. I was hooked on finding out what happened to Ronnie and uncovering the mysteries of the past, involving the movie star, her family, and the detective.

The ending was perfect—Cherie Priest nailed it. That final line? So satisfying. Between this and The Drowned House, I’ve found a new favorite author. I can’t wait to dive into Grave Reservations next. It Was Her House First is a fantastic ghost story and will definitely be on my list of top books this year.

Venita Rost was a silent film star. Now her malevolent spirit lurks in her cliffside mansion, a home that is in serious disrepair. Those who have lived there since have all met a gruesome end. That includes Inspector Bartholomew Sloan who has watched along all these years as Venita acts upon her wrath.

Now the house has another new owner. This time it's Ronnie Mitchell, a grieving woman who desires to renovate the house. When a young man comes knocking something besides dust and mold is stirred up.

This is a different type of haunted house story from anything I've read before. I think this is supposed to be a horror novel but I didn't find it scary at all. It's sad at times but I actually found it kind of cozy. This might be due to the main character who is not your typical heroine.

We get chapters from Ronnie's perspective and Bartholomew Sloan who is watching from the shadows. We also get to read Venita's diary. All of the perspectives were enjoyable to read.

I don't feel the blurb is completely accurate. I feel I was missing some answers to things Bartholomew Sloan brought up. While I enjoyed the ending I was slightly underwhelmed. That being said I did enjoy It Was Her House First. I recommend it to readers who love ghost stories.

3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC!

I have been looking for a good haunted house book for a while. They are one of my favorite genres, while gothic tales are some of my least favorites. This one checked all my haunted house boxes.

It has a great mystery, the characters were likeable (even the ghosts!) and I had a really fun time reading this.

It was more lighthearted than other haunted house books but that's what made it unique. It's like HGTV with ghosts. I would call this The September House but less dark.

My only reason for knocking off a half star (4.5/5.0) is I wanted to know more about the mirror. That would have finished this off perfectly.

Overall, highly recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with this e-arc.

I didn't really read the whole synopsis, all I know is that a haunted house is involved, then a mystery that was set in the past. I'll be say I'm glad I didn't, because I'll be even more disappointed if I read it. Especially this part: "Venita's fury awakens, and a deadly game unfolds." Venita's fury wasn't really seen until the end and the deadly game is not entirely missing, but again present in the last chapters. I'll try to break the synopsis down.

THE BEAUTIFUL HOME. I'll start with this one because I almost DNF'd this one because all of the talk of rotting wood, broken pipes, and needing renovation. The first 20% of this book just bored me to depth. There's nothing eye-catchy, nothing really interesting. I skimmed the first few chapters so I didn't really know, how beautiful the house is... the writing didn't really do it for me.

RONNIE, THE GRIEVING WOMAN. Our main character is Ronnie and aside from the background story that she's grieving, she wasn't really fleshed out that well. She's just became an investigator of the the book's mystery (by mostly reading a diary) and a bit of a skeptic. But she didn't really grieve that much, the person she's grieving wasn't even mentioned that much or became the topic of the conversation, except for the initial one. She even withheld this info by the 12% mark, because she's not ready to talk about it, and later revealed it (to us the readers) on the 20% mark. That's just 8% of withheld revelation and if I remember correctly she didn't talk about it in depth again.

VENITA, THE "FURY". As a furious ghost, the paranormal things that happened is pretty much mild, There's no strong hallucinations of torture or death, no jumpscaring our characters, no flinging objects, etc. She just appears here and there. And also there's a cat. Her story was told in a diary.

THE DIARY. This one is something I really don't get that much. It was a super detailed look at Venita's POV including several dialogue, which as a reader, doesn't really make sense aside from a switch-in-format gimmick. My question is, why is it THAT detailed, probably because it serves as a medium to relay the exact events of the past from Venita's POV to both the readers and Ronnie. And that makes it boring. There's no red herrings or potential lies by Venita and it's too detailed that the readers and Ronnie couldn't really form theories what happened in between, question why things are omitted, or even question if the diary is indeed true. It's just a straightforward flashback and that's one of the disappointing things.

BART SLOAN, THE ETERNAL NEMESIS. We got the other side of the story/mystery from his perspective. Once again as a ghost, he's not really fleshed out. He's just a character that creates this mysterious atmosphere, until it's time for the revelation, where he reveals his side of the story. That's the one time that he's got some character, especially since his position is a complicated one. I would like some more scenes with him and Venita especially since he's described as the "Eternal Nemesis" but again nothing. I want to know what makes Venita's husband so infatuated with him that he chose to side with him and not understand her side, yeah paranormal stuff wasn't believable, but the tension between the best friend and the wife and the husband was an interesting one since it's the one the essentially started this story, again not much on that.

LOSS AND GRIEF, THE THEME?. The three characters, Ronnie, Venita, and Bart all experienced loss in some kind of way. I was expecting something about grief, them connecting about this, understanding that the need to heal or something that just relates to grief. Nothing. Because it's all about the mystery. The end, to be fair, has some kind of forgiveness, I think, but it's more like it's convenient and the one giving the "better" ending. I honestly didn't connect with the characters.

THE OTHER PRESENT DAY CHARACTERS. Kate is just bad and again not fleshed out, she could easily be just Friend #1. She's the one that creates tension for some stuffs to happen (a usual horror trope), like having NO suspicions on a stranger you've met ESPECIALLY since Ronnie has evidences of why he's untrustworthy. That's just so questionable, again horror trope. Coty is just the obvious villain, I even forgot to write about him in the original review. There's just no attempt in making him look good. I want to talk about Coty but he's similar to the others someone who creates tension/a piece of the past mystery

This haunted house novel is a good fun read with some clever takes on a ghost story.

Ronnie buys an old fixer upper house sight unseen at an auction. Her brother tragically died and left her his life insurance. Along with his girlfriend at the time of his death, they realize it's going to take a lot of time, work, and money to get it liveable.

And they also know the house has a tragic past. Everyone who's lived there has died and not always naturally. Several ghosts haunt the place and they slowly but surely make themselves known.

This novel is told from several perspectives, including the relationships of the ghosts in question. This gives us an insight into what happened to the original family where the horrific death of a young girl resulted in murder and revenge. The husband and husband's best friend were both targeted by the wife though perhaps neither was actually responsible for the death of the girl.

But now it's HER house and she doesn't suffer visitors lightly. What that means for Robbie and her brother's girlfriend you'll have to read about but it's not what you might be thinking.

I really loved those various perspectives as the stragic story unfolds. It gave this book that little extra which separates it from the traditional haunted house story.

Ronnie is a very straightforward but sympathetic character. She quit taking her anxiety medication and is trying to keep herself together as events unfold. Surrounded by her friend and another character who might not be who he says, along with the spirits, this story takes place in the house and gives it a claustrophobic atmosphere.

Ronnie finds the diary of the revenge seeking wife and becomes obsessed almost at the story which unfolds. But is that a good or bad thing?

All in all this is a really good haunted house novel which is scary enough for adults but could also be read by teens as well. There's not a lot of blood or gore, just a creepy atmosphere. I recommend it.

This book was so amazing. It was really intriguing, like something I haven't read before in the best way. The characters were really well written, and I loved the ghosts stories and backgrounds. The plot wasn't easily guessable, and I loved the ending with the ghosts.

Review of It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest

Cherie Priest delivers another eerie and atmospheric tale that kept me turning pages late into the night. It Was Her House First is a slow-burning haunted house story steeped in tension, grief, and ghostly revenge. The setting is vividly drawn—equal parts southern charm and creeping dread—and the characters feel raw and real, especially the protagonist grappling with her past and the house’s sinister secrets.

What really worked for me was the pacing: Priest knows how to let the horror build gradually, layering subtle chills before plunging you into full-on dread. The house itself is a character, looming and unforgettable, and Priest masterfully blends psychological tension with supernatural elements.

If you’re a fan of Shirley Jackson, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, or gothic fiction with a modern twist, this one’s for you. It’s unsettling in the best way.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

After the loss of her brother, Ronnie Mitchell decides to buy a decrepit house to restore and work through her grief. The building not only comes with major repairs—ghosts of those who died there also haunt the house, including the silent film star Venita Rost and detective Bartholomew Sloan. As repairs commence, a stranger insisting he is a family member of the long-dead detective inserts himself in Ronnie’s life, bringing unease and stirring up the past. This paranormal thriller is told from the perspectives of Ronnie and Sloan, and is leisurely paced until the climactic ending.