I picked this book from netgalley because of its creepy cover, and yes, it's a creepy one.
It's a novella, just about 160 pages, and I finished reading this in two sitting.
It's about a couple, Nolan and Emma. Nolan arranged for them to have a relaxing time with a trip to a bed and breakfast they stayed in a year ago. As Emma still grieving for their stillbirth baby, Nolan hopes that this visit will rejuvenate their marriage.
The stay turns into a nightmare, especially for Nolan, as he sees his wife drifting further from him. As much as Nolan wants to get out of bed and breakfast, he's hindered by him getting ill, feeling disoriented, and hallucinated.
It's creepy, and you'll feel unsettled for the whole read. I feel like this story could be better, but unfortunately, the ending is so abrupt.

“Bed and Breakfast” by A.M. Kherbash is a nightmarish, atmospheric tale that creeps under your skin and lingers long after you finish. It’s eerie in the best way — disorienting, intense, and full of unsettling imagery that gives off major fever-dream energy.

The story is unique and unpredictable, with moments that genuinely made me uneasy (in a good way). While some parts felt a bit abstract or hard to follow, the overall effect was haunting and memorable.

A chilling 3.5 stars for this twisted little nightmare. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

What did I just read? That was my immediate thought upon finishing Bed and Breakfast. This surreal, unsettling story blurs the line between dream and reality, pulling readers into a strange and haunting narrative that’s hard to shake—even if you're not quite sure what just happened.

From the beginning, I was hooked by the suspenseful tone and the constant sense that something was just slightly off. I kept turning the pages, eager to see what was going to happen next, even when I didn’t fully understand what was happening in the moment.

There were some genuinely creepy moments that sent a chill down my spine, and part of what made them effective was how little explanation we were given. The lack of clear answers added to the tension, though at times it also left me grasping for clarity.

One challenge I had was following the narration. There were chapters where I wasn’t sure who was speaking or how everything connected. That may have been intentional—adding to the disorienting, eerie vibe—but it occasionally pulled me out of the story as I tried to make sense of the shifting perspectives.

Overall, Bed and Breakfast is a quick, haunting read that thrives on ambiguity and atmosphere. If you're into horror that's more psychological and abstract than straightforward, this might be your kind of weird. Just be prepared to finish it and still be asking, “Wait… what did I just read?”

I enjoyed this, and I know it was a short book, but it didn’t always feel fleshed out to me. Maybe that’s the point though. I personally needed more information about Leah. She just felt overly mysterious and I needed to know more about everything going on. The ending felt abrupt but I didn’t hate it; it felt in line with the rest of the story.

I went into this blind. My interest was piqued because of the creepy cover. Sign me up. I read this novella on the first leg of a flight home... and it was creepy and haunting. I had some idea of where it was going, having recently read a lot of books about the female experience (derogatory) and, in particular, The Yellow Wallpaper. It was reminiscent of Poe's work in that the creep factor built up and never stopped. It was a very unsettling and creepy read. For me, I like when things are wrapped up or at least explained... or have multiple explanations. Why were there hair clumps? How did he fall into the basement? How did Leah end up there? How did she end up the owner? Maybe I just missed the key points, but this wasn't for me.

I appreciate NetGalley for this ARC and the opportunity to share my own honest opinions.
#bedandbreakfast #NetGalley

While this was definitely creepy and gave me the heebs at times, this didn’t quite hit the mark overall. I can’t quite put my finger on what wasn’t working, honestly maybe the story just needed more time to develop, but as a whole this was a bit of a miss. 😕

Bed & breakfast

This was an ARC read from NetGalley that I got a while ago then totally forgot about until now 🫣

It had such a creepy, eerie feeling through out. I was so intrigued to see what the owner was about! She just gave off those witchy voodoo vibes!

I felt sorry for the MMC, he knew that there wasn’t something quite right about the whole set up but got shut down & made to feel like he was losing his mind.

I did like it, but I felt like there was something missing, it took me a long time to get through and it was only 82 pages 🫣 3🌟

releasing 1st August

This novella may be short, but it packs enough horror and creepiness to fill several volumes. Nolan drags his wife Emma to the bed and breakfast where they were once happy. That was only a year ago, but Emma has lost a baby since and has been in a depression for what seems like forever. The bed and breakfast has changed, but Emma seems to perk up and Nolan is willing to do whatever it takes to see her happy. It is obvious that staying there is not a good idea but the couple notices nothing. The longer they stay, the more things start getting weirder and by the time they realize what’s happening, it is too late. The house is disturbing and with every eerie detail the feeling of claustrophobia and hopelessness grows. It’s like a haunted house story written by HP Lovecraft. I’m usually not a huge fan of weird horror but this one is grounded enough in mystery as to appeal to me. I liked it a lot.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/A. M. Kherbash.

The first couple chapters of Bed and Breakfast held such promise. I was so interested in what would happen. Unfortunately, the wheels seem to fall off afterward, and the novel's end grew disjointed but not in a good way. It was really hard to care what happened after a while.

A nice horror novella with a beautiful cover. I liked the concept of the couples return to a BnB they enjoyed before but no, something has changed. The fungal horror elements are very nice.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the oppurtunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

✨REVIEW: 4.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
🪞Bed and Breakfast by A.M. Kherbash🪞

🍄‍🟫synopsis: After spending a lovely weekend at a bed and breakfast, Nolan revisits it the following year with his wife, Emma, hoping to relive those happy memories and forget a painful event that had occurred in the interim.

🍄‍🟫my opinion: I requested the book because of the cover (I’m a fan of all things vintage and scary🙂‍↔️💗) and loved the story; it’s great, creepy and original <3

Emma and Nolan go to a bed and breakfast that they already know and have visited before, in hopes that Emma will feel better and the couple will restructure (dealing with grief, trauma and depression). So ok, it all sounds relatively good, right? 🙄 BUT, the innkeper; Leah, has other intentions and you know, they are not good. 💀💀

I feel it had very good psychological horror scenes and also embraces fungal horror themes (AND I LOVE IT🧚🍄). It’s definitely a super weird book and well, I love weirdness.

✨Highly recommended if you✨

🍄Like fungal horror.
🧠Like psychological horror
🍄Like good villains.

I would like to thank @netgalley and @a.m.kherbash for the advanced e-copy. <33

This started off slow but definitely picked up more in the second half. It kept me gripped all the way through and on the edge of my seat for most of it and my hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I liked how it ended and left it up to the reader to decide.

"The longer Nolan stared at the two, the more he felt himself on the verge of a breakdown. Just what did the madwoman promise his wife?"


This novella had few sinister, eerie and creepy moments. Told from POVs of husband and wife , Nolan and Emma. You can feel Nolan's stress and despair as he feels his wife slowly drifting away, her sudden obsession about staying in that place, her fascination with mushrooms and her inexplicable bond with the owner. Some parts were a bit lacking and confusing - some felt trippy and disorienting. Some which I found interesting, I wish could have been explored / delved deeper (like a back story of the mysterious owner/Leah)...The ending was abrupt and ambiguous.

Big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A quick novella that starts slow and ratchets up the pace to a mind-bending blur that is both bizarre and eerie

A young couple return to a remote bed and breakfast that they visited a year prior in order to rekindle their relationship and reignite happier memories after suffering a series of tragic losses. Management isn't the only thing that's changed at the bed and breakfast and the husband begins to realize that perhaps returning here might not turn out to be the salvation he hoped it would be

This was a touch of a slow start, but what starts out slow rapidly unravels onto tense unreality and creepy unease. The wheels come off in the latter half of this novella and a straight forward grief horror quickly become tangential and fever-dreamy in such a pleasant way.

This slim and sinister novella was well-executed though those who look for tidily tied up mysteries might find the abrupt ending disappointing. Rather than a true tale of horror, A.M. Kherbash’s Bed and Breakfast was more of a character study that examined a grieving married couple.

Perhaps if they had been a more likeable pair, I would have found the admittedly eerie goings-on more compelling, but both husband and wife were cloying and childish. Simply put, it was hard to care about what happened to them while they strove towards their singular, separate, and selfish goals.

The author jumps right in with this novella. The insidious feel of the book picks up right away, and the author only continues to build the tension. You’re immediately wondering what is going on and what is going to happen. It was a fast paced read and the writing was good. However, I felt like the ending was rather abrupt and not entirely fleshed out, making it feel lackluster. I also felt like I sometimes had a bit of a struggle to follow along the plot line. It sometimes felt a little surreal. I also really felt like there were a lot of unanswered questions that went along with the plot. These holes just felt gapping as the books went on. Overall it was a decent, eerie, quick read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC read in exchange for a review!

Bed and Breakfast follows Nolan and Emma, a married couple struggling with the grief of multiple losses. Nolan books a reservation at a B&B they visited in happier times, hoping to pull his wife from a severe depressive episode. Things begin to turn sideways at check-in, and by the end of the novella.... well you'll have to wait and see.

This was well-written, with the exception of some typos, and the vibes gave: Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic and Joe Hill's The Pram. It's weird lit. There's fungal, gothic, and primal elements- and a creeping sense of dread.

Ultimately, the plot and ending of this didn't do it for me- but the tone, atmosphere, and depiction of grief were on-point!

Run to read this if you love weird horror or dark literary fiction.

The best thing this book has going for it is the fact that it's short. I'm still a little confused, and it felt like it took me forever to finish. Adding a star because the beginning wasn't bad

2.5/5 (rounding up)

TW: Pregnancy loss, infertility

This novella centers around Nolan and Emma, a struggling couple returning to a bed and breakfast they visited together during a happier period in their lives. The bed and breakfast is under new management and the couple has no idea what's in store for them.

This story had a very surreal and dreamlike quality to it. While I understand the author's intention, I found the plot a bit difficult to follow at various points throughout. I think the story will still find its audience, though. It's got a creepy, Gothic feel and it does successfully leave the reader with a sense of dead and unease. There were elements I enjoyed but it is not something I would personally revisit. Overall, this one was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC!

In this story a couple revisit a bed and breakfast where at a time in their lives it gave them pleasant memories. Struggling with grief and a a way to begin healing, the husband arranges a trip back.

At first things seem off but the further the story progresses the more stranger things become. There is a constant feeling of dread from the start. For me personally it started off strong however over the half way mark it didn't quite hit the mark for me. Although it was a great premise, it was an ok read.