This was a fun and lighter read than I was expecting. Lighter in terms of the stakes that Ronnie is facing in this haunted house. We are told that Venita terrorized previous owners in a seemingly sinister way. However, we really don't see that on page with Ronnie to the extent I was expecting. I wanted more stakes and more haunted house shenanigans. I thought that because we knew about the ghosts from the book description, that the haunting would get going early on in the book. Once I tempered my expectations that this was less of a scary haunted house read and more of a Beetlejuice type of haunted house I had a lot more fun.

I did enjoy that we got a POV from one of the ghosts in the house which helped bridge any gaps between the two timelines in the book. We alternate between the past and present timelines and are slowly watching Ronnie learn about Ventia and the house at the same time that the reader is also seeing what happened in the past. Priest does a great job of overlapping information just enough to give the reader a full picture without it feeling repetitive. We also know from the beginning what happened in the past, but not the why behind the events which is always a plot dynamic I enjoy.

The pacing was pretty spot on and we moved very quickly from plot point to plot point without a lot of down time. I did find myself wishing we had some more time to sit and learn more about these characters. Priest does a good job introducing Ronnie as someone who seems to want to ignore her problems by staying busy but I was waiting for the moments where she's alone in the house and can't help but have her own demons start to infiltrate. We get a little of that character development, but it wasn't as much as I was expecting or wanted and then we were on to the next plot point.

I loved the ending and how Priest was able to bring everything together. There were so many little details that felt like a knife hanging over our characters but were small enough that I wasn't sure exactly how it would all play out. But by the time we are at the finale, I was so excited to see everything come together.

Overall, this was a fun haunted house story that wasn't exactly what I was expecting but was still a good time. Priest does a great job of balancing the dual timelines and multi-POVs to make a very engaging read.

Venita Rost is a vengeful woman. After the accidental death of her daughter, Priscilla, in her home, she blames her husband and sets him up to take the fall for her murder (she actually committed suicide). After her husband is hanged for her death, her husband’s best friend – and the actual cause of her daughter’s death, Private Investigator Bartholomew Sloan - enters the house, finds Venita’s confession of the set-up, and promptly dies.

Decades later, after the death of her brother, Ronnie buys a dilapidated house with his life insurance payout. The Amundson house, bought at auction sight unseen, is a beautiful old home on the west side of Seattle built in 1929. The squirrelly agent that meets her at the house post-purchase doesn’t know why anyone would want to go inside the house, much less buy it. He encourages Ronnie to research the history of the home and runs out as quickly as possible. Soon after, a former neighbor, Coty, shows up, hoping for a view of the house. But Coty isn't just a former neighbor. He's also the great-great nephew of Bart Sloan. He knows what happened to Priscilla. And he wants to do it again.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this is was not it. It did take a bit for me to get into the story, but once I was, that was it. There are multiple ghosts, a real-life danger, and the history of a beautiful woman who lost everything. Somehow, it all came together perfectly. Without a doubt my favorite Cherie Priest title to date. 5 big stars.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this title!
If you’re looking for a spooky haunted house mystery, this is the one for you! I really enjoyed the duel timeline and how it all worked together. The ending was even satisfying for me. Definitely pick this one up.

Nobody writes a ghost story set in a house needing renovation or to be salvaged like Cherie Priest! (If you haven't yet read Priest's The Family Plot--go do so right now. Stop reading this review. Go read it!) I loved this story about a house and its spirits and the people they manage to connect with, and the story that emerges from the bits and pieces of history and ghostly loops in the building and its environs. While I'd have loved it to be longer, it's a perfect story tied up with a bow at the end, well-paced, with great characters and descriptive detail, and clever twists and turns. I honestly could read haunted house stories by Priest all day, and eagerly await the next one.

I liked It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest okay enough, though, is it me, or do a lot of this author's books involve house restoration? Ronnie buys a run-down mansion sight unseen, unaware that it was once owned by silent film star Venita Rost, whose vindictive spirit still haunts it, along with the trapped ghost of guilt-stricken Inspector Bartholomew Sloan. Ronnie narrates every bit of daily minutiae - brushing teeth, calling contractors, texting her sister-in-law, eating sandwiches - in a way that felt extraneous, maybe meant to ground the story but mostly just slowing things down. This struck me as more of a slice-of-life comedy than horror; these aren't scary ghosts, they're just chatty ones.

I loved this book so much, I pre-ordered a hardcopy so I could have it on my shelves. Cherie Priest knows what she's doing when it comes to building suspense and rounding out an ensemble of characters. It Was Her House First is about grief, guilt, and choosing life - along with whatever consequences may follow. It's also about annoying hipster guys, love of vintage architecture, and the Seattle Public Library's great vintage movie DVD collection. I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone who has ever looked at a clearly haunted house and said, "I could fix her."

3.5-3.75

I love a haunted house story, and this one is pretty good and entertaining. I think there are a few too many elements and the story could have used a minor tweak and it would have been just as good, probably even better.

Ronnie is a great character and very enjoyable to spend the length of the story with. There is just enough backstory from one of the ghosts and Venita's diary to really engross you in the why of the haunting. Its also a story about, in some ways, letting go of past wrongs, though I don't think Venita will ever truly be capable of that, but now that she lives with Ronnie, maybe?

*Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC of this book*

╭──── 🌿 It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest
╰ ❝The last thought that rattled through my head before the poison took its final hold was short, and simple, and the purest truth I’ve every recognized. I did this.❞


╭──── 🌿 A B O U T – T H E – B O O K :
Ronnie Mitchell, recently grieving the loss of her brother, inherits a dilapidated Art Deco mansion in West Seattle—bought sight unseen thanks to an unexpected windfall. What she perceives as a renovation project soon turns deadly: the house is haunted by the malevolent spirit of silent film star Venita Rost, who was tormented by tragedy and vengeance in the 1930s. Also restless is Inspector Bartholomew Sloan, Venita’s nemesis in life, now a guilt-wracked ghost caught in her supernatural web.

｡☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆｡

╭──── 🌿 O V E R A L L:
╰ ⭐⭐⭐.5 / 5

“It Was Her House First” by Cherie Priest is a slow burn ghost story set in a haunted house. The atmosphere of the story is dripping with suspense, and the setting itself becomes a main character in a way, with Ronnie leading us through the full tale.
I really love how the story was told from multiple different perspectives, including the ghosts in the house. I enjoyed getting Venita’s back story, and I thought the ending really brought it all together, and added a fun little twist as well.
The pacing did occasionally drag, and that made the story a little harder for me to get through, but all in all I think 3.5 was an appropriate rating for me!
If you enjoy character driven horror, I would give this book a try—but it may leave you craving a sharper payoff.

I really enjoyed this soft spoken and engaging story about loss and grief. It isn’t what you would normally think of as horror, there is no gore or slasher type monsters jumping out at you. What you do get is a very atmospheric and ghost filled house and an older heroine who is just trying to restore it.

The story is told through three perspectives. Ronnie is an older woman who has just bought a very old mansion that needs a lot of work for her to live in it. I really liked Ronnie, she felt very realistic and was totally relatable. When ghostly things start to happen, she isn’t a silly heroine who goes screaming into the night, but meets these challenges head on, just like she is dealing with the house.

The other two perspectives are from the ghosts. Bartholomew is the investigator that owned the house for a very short time, but died there. He is a weak ghost, but he relates some of the history of the house. He also feels protective of Ronnie and tries to help her. Venita is the ghost of the woman who originally owned the house. We get her story through a diary that Ronnie finds. I felt sorry for Venita, but she was a bit crazy. She also helps Ronnie out when she needs it most.

I don’t want to say too much about the story, because the less you know the better off you are going into it. The writing is superb though and the slow build of tension is perfect. The author does a great job bringing that psychological edge to the haunted house trope and then adds in a real world threat that somehow brings everything all together. The pacing got a little slow in the middle, but it was otherwise perfect.

Another great story from this author, that if you are a fan of, you will really like. If you don’t like horror, then this is a book that you might want to give a chance. It is very horror light but is very atmospheric and yet contains enough tension to make you nervous.

Downright frightening. I read this book in one sitting because I couldn’t bear to put it down. Not only did it consume my attention with its perfectly paced plot, but I was riddled with so much anxiety I had to see it through to the end from the minute I started.

3.5 stars rounded up!

This was an interesting haunted house take! We see the story of the modern-day haunting and the past events that lead to said haunting unfold through 3 POVs. I enjoyed this aspect, and particularly enjoyed exploring Bart’s experience as a ghost!

I also appreciated hearing about Ronnie’s struggles with anxiety and the rollercoaster that can be. It made her more relatable, and helped us see how her brain works.

The pacing felt a bit slow through the first half. I could have done with less of the repetitive descriptions of how rundown the place currently is. I also could have personally done with more creepiness!

The ending was worth it though! I loved seeing the interactions between Ronnie and the ghosts, and I felt like the story wrapped up nicely! Overall, a worthy haunted house read, perfect for Summerween!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC!

Ronnie buys her dream home , an old Victorian Mansion previously owned by a former movie star who mysteriously dies in the home, along with her daughter and husband.

I love a haunted house story, so was intrigued by this book. This is very light-hearted and not as dark as I thought it could have been. I also thought there would be more of a mystery to the deaths but turns out was pretty basic, but I did like how this eventually played out even though the ending
is a easy guess for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC for this book!

The delightful title, “It Was Her House First,” actually tells us enough about the ensuing story to pique a lot of interest — this is going to be a battle between present day determined renovator Ronnie/Veronica and possibly vengeful spirit/silent film star Venita Rost over the soul of an abandoned West Seattle mansion. The narrative is aided by another guilty ghost, Bartholomew Sloan, one of Venita’s murder victims, a past owner, and a mostly silent Greek chorus desperately trying to inform Ronnie.

Ronnie, grieving the loss of her younger brother Ben, has used the insurance money she inherited from him to buy the house and has also invited Kate, Ben’s fiancée, to join her in the venture. The prospect of ghosts doesn’t deter Ronnie — she likens them to feral cats who you just need to eventually get on your good side.

The story primarily belongs to Ronnie, a well-developed and likable character, successfully trying to conquer her old inner demons. We get glimpses of Venita via her diary, along with Bartholomew’s very biased descriptions of the film star. He was, after all, trying to prove she framed her husband for her murder (instead of the act being a suicide). But Venita’s written entries don’t initially portray her as a vengeful spirit, but as a protective mother.

As Ronnie gets deeper into her money pit, another overly curious neighbor (?) named Coty tries to insinuate himself into Ronnie and Kate’s project. The story unfolds as the renovation begins and the spirits of the house become more agitated. It’s close to a classic story and enjoyable until the end. 4 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Venita, the Platinum Pussycat, might have had green eyes; the stray blonde cat definitely does.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): HMMM Also abandoned is a fruit orchard whose trees have (questionably) survived for nearly a century.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

ha, loved this unique take on the haunted house story line.
Ronnie was a top class character for me. her wit and humour style got me every time.
i really enjoyed the pov's. when do we usually get the ghosts pov haha.
this was such a smart book. i was fully involved and thought about it every time i took a pause and then quickly wanted to pick it up to carry on.
the characters were so brilliantly portrayed and you cold feel the flow of it all ripple from the pages into your reading mind. it was also really fun in style and i liked each of the characters parts to play.
you have to be extra smart with books like this. or for me you do. the balance has to right up there to make me believe in it. and Cherie did a superb job of winning me round from the very beginning. and i was like "yup,yup theres the ghosts and im fully on board with this.
there were also a surprising amount of emotional levels it hit for me too which was also a great details and plus points for me.

Veronica "Ronnie" Mitchell bought a dilapidated house, sight unseen, at an auction. Still deep in grief after her brother died, she hopes to fix it up to have finally have a nice place to live. Like most houses that have been left to the elements, Ronnie is not the only inhabitant. Unlike most houses left to the elements, we're not just talking about rats and other critters. Many people have died in this house and not ALL of them have left. The original lady of the house and silent film darling, Venita Rost, and nationally renowned PI Bartholomew Sloan are among Ronnie's newest, ethereal housemates.

The story is told through the POVs of Ronnie, Sloan, and Venita, bouncing between Sloan's present day watch of the house and a century ago through Venita's diary. Venita has her own grief after the loss of her daughter and her rage and her own brand of justice towards Sloan, who she blames for her daughter's death. Is Sloan to blame? Sort of. Was it a series of unfortunate "wrong place, wrong time" circumstances? Yes. Venita's grief is gut-wrenching and understandable and I was waiting ready for her to be some mindless angry spirit. But she was poise and grace when Ronnie finally meets her.

This is a haunted house tale a la Crimson Peak, not The Conjuring. Grief and good old emotional exhaustion are the stars of the hour. The state of the house is such a perfect metaphor for the Ronnie we are introduced to at the beginning of the story. She is fixing herself up as much as she is the house by the end.

NOW, that is not to say that this wasn't still the atmospheric and creepy haunted house story you are looking for. No no! It was spooky and unnerving, a delicious slow burn that fakes you out a few times, drawing out the suspense. Ronnie goes down to the creepy basement, "Oh yeah here's the first spooky bit!!" WRONG. And the she's up in the gross attic, "Oh, now it's gotta start here, right?" NOPE! And then it happens, the first sighting. So small and quick. A figure in the cloud of dust that hangs in the air. A mirror falling to the floor for seemingly no reason. Ghosts in Ronnie's dreams!!

This was a slow burn, but it was executed so well! Cherie Priest takes her time building the tension and atmosphere of the house. And then she turns up the gas for a thrilling finale.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the chance to read this eARC!

Interesting concept but the story lines were difficult to follow and it made the narrative confusing. It also felt like a lot was going on but in actuality there wasn’t. I did have high hopes for this one but ultimately it fell flat. I came for horror but felt more like it was a dark comedy.

I love a haunted house story.

Ronnie uses money she got when her brother passed away to buy a run down house to refurbish. Unfortunately for her the house isn’t fully empty and has quite a bit of lore surrounding the property.
I feel like this could have been good but I just didn’t jive with it. It felt like it dragged and some of the pov transitions were a little jarring/maybe felt a little unnecessary.

Thanks to netgalley and poisoned pen press for an eARC

This book felt like sitting down with my best friend over wine as she spills the creepiest, weirdest thing that has ever happened to her - and I was all in. The FMC’s voice was sharp, funny, and intimate, like she was talking just to me and I loved that. The was my first book by this author and I really loved the writing style and the character development was solid.

Now….it is a slow burn in my opinion. The kind where you start wondering if the fire went out halfway in - but hang in there because the ending does pay off. I also think the fact that the ghosts did much of their own storytelling made them relatable characters which ultimately took away from the “scare factor”. Still worth the read and I will definitely be picking up another title by this author.

I usually shy away from books that include the paranormal, but I decided to read this book and I'm glad I did!

Told through three very different POVs, this is more than a ghost story. We hear Ronnie's thoughts as she goes about exploring her mildewed, fire-hazard, rat-dropping, leaky house. We hear from the ghost of Inspector Bartholomew Jones, a weaker ghost, who lived in the house briefly, and we hear from the original owner of the house, through her diary pages. It's a story about heartache and loss. It's a story about a woman so committed to the restoration of a property she buys sight unseen, that the vindictive ghost living there gives her a pass. Even more than that, Bartholomew gathers all of his waning strength to give her warnings about ghostly AND human threats. And between the three of them, a house is transformed and a mystery is solved.

This is a haunted house story, probably on the lighter side, but no less engaging. It had plenty of elements of suspense, and enough creepiness for horror. I came for the house, and stayed for the ghosts!

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Poisoned Pen Press for ebook and physical advance reader copies!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisened Pen Press for an eARC copy of It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest.

So far this year, the Gothic-tinged books have been my absolute favorite and It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest is no exception. A ghost story that pulses with atmospheric dread and simmering tension. Anchored in a cliffside mansion rotting under the weight of grief and malice, Priest does a wonderful job of blending the haunted house trope with a psychological edge.

At the heart of this story is Ronnie Mitchell, a pragmatic and emotionally raw protagonist who inherits a derelict mansion following personal loss. Her desire for a fresh start is instantly complicated by the presence of the house's two spectral inhabitants: Venita Rost, a malevolent spirit and former silent film star with a taste for vengenance, and Bartholomew Sloan, her tormented spectral adversary, locked in eternal remorse and helplessness.

Venita is a standout villain. She's less a ghost and more a lingering force of nature, feeding off pain and betrayal, tangled in a complex relationship with Sloan. Their presence leads the house a grim sentience, as if it brethes with their hate and despair. Ronnie, meanwhile, is no shrinking violet; her initial skepticism is well-drawn, making her eventual unraveling feel earned rather than inevitable.

The arrival of a mysterious man-bringing secrets, jealousy, and violence-adds a welcome layer of real-world menace. There is a definite blur of the lines between supernatural horror and human monstrosity, making the reader question which threat is more terrifying: the dead or the living.

While the pacing may lag slightly in the middle as the narrative builds itself, the payoff is satisfying and bleakly beautiful.