I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An architect visits an abandoned hotel with a mysterious history of poverty and opulence. In addition, there are several explained and unexplained deaths.

Don't let the title and cover fool you--Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell may start dark (creepy abandoned hotel/asylum, suicide in the night of the main character's one night stand), but it quickly switches into something that I guess I'll call "cozy horror". If that seems like a bad contradiction, that's because it is. Truly.

Aubrey, trained as an architect but now taking photos of abandoned places, has taken a vacation to explore the dilapidated Hotel Seabrink. The first day, she stumbles across a fellow explorer, Dimitri. They hit it off, spend the night together, and the next morning he is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. It's ruled a suicide by a cop who is auditioning to play Barney Fife, so Aubrey starts investigating.

The stories of the Seabrink are chilling, moreso since the curse that it supposedly carries follows anyone who has been to the property. However, Aubrey can't stop digging, even once she realizes that Dimitri may not have been who he said. Evidently the kind of person who is the first to die in a horror movie, Aubrey keeps going back anyway, discovering little bits of the hotel's dark history.

The fluffy aspect of this asylum/suicide/abandoned murder house story really bothered me. It seemed like Aubrey and the rest of the cast of characters had just been dropped in from one of those mysteries about cupcakes and puppies (which, one might note, is where Juliet Blackwell got her name in writing). The horror and the cozy mixed like oil and water, and I could never get the two conflicting sides of the story to come together for me.

I love the concept of the story and just from the title alone, captured my attention! The beginning felt as if it had a lot of set up, detail, history which some people really like but it felt a tad bit slow for me.

The ending was a bit anticlimactic but in general the book had great vibes, was very eerie and thrilling.

Overall, it was an okay read. The descriptions of the hotel were well done but overall the storyline and characters lacked depth, and the ending felt rushed and thrown together.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance reader copy.

The beginning of this book drew me in! I loved the idea of the storyline. The fact that there was this creepy abandoned hotel that could be haunted and figuring out what was going on there. Plus it was set in NorCal when I’m from there also. I felt like this book had so much potential!

It was really repetitive though. I felt like I read the same line about ten times throughout the book. And the story was a bit drawn out. It kept me interested though and I still liked the creepy factor. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I’ve been a fan of Juliet Blackwell’s books for a long time, beginning with her Lily Ivory series and expanding into her later forays in longer fiction. I confess, I was very disappointed to hear that the Lily Ivory series has sunsetted, but I’m very okay with giving that up in favor of this absolute STAR of a book! Turns out Blackwell’s earlier writing was just practice for this full-blown, mysterious, scary, imaginative story.

Everything here works seamlessly to deliver a taut, suspenseful, and very well written paranormal mystery. It’s just the right amount of scary blended with a well-plotted mystery, resulting in a startling and very satisfying conclusion. Blackwell steps into the circle with authors like Simone St. James and Sarah Rayne, delivering a story that will keep you turning pages, albeit with all the lights on.

So well done!

I really enjoyed this thriller. It was one of those that just creeps you out Very addicting!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book! From the cover, to the characters, to the plot I thought it was fantastic! The book completely blind sides you in the first couple chapters and now you’re done for because you’ll spend the rest of the day reading this book just to see how it ends! I think it had a nice balance of mystery, paranormal, and thriller. I thought the ending was unpredictable. I wish they spent a little more time in the hotel itself as opposed to seeking its secrets outside but in the end it all got wrapped up in a nice little bow.

Release: July 28, 2025
Author: Juliet Blackwell
Publisher: Berkeley Publishing

Rating: 4 ★ 

Aubrey Spencer has a passion for photographing old, abandoned buildings, especially ones with a mysterious past. The Seabrink Hotel, a once-glamorous seaside getaway turned decaying landmark, is just that kind of place—full of eerie stories and local legends, including rumors of ghostly apparitions and tragic deaths. As the hotel is set to undergo renovations, Aubrey visits to capture its crumbling beauty, but her trip takes a strange turn when she meets Dimitri Petroff, a fellow urban explorer and online personality.
When Dimitri is found dead the next morning under suspicious circumstances, Aubrey can’t shake the feeling that something is seriously wrong. Locals whisper about the hotel being cursed and hint that Dimitri’s death mirrors others from the past. Determined to uncover the truth, Aubrey begins digging into the hotel’s dark history—including its days as an asylum—and finds chilling connections between Dimitri’s death and a decades-old unsolved murder. But as she gets closer to the truth, it becomes clear someone is watching her—and will do whatever it takes to keep the hotel’s secrets buried.
Asylum Hotel was an atmospheric, eerie read that completely pulled me in with its setting. The abandoned Seabrink Hotel, once a glamorous hotspot and later an asylum, was the perfect backdrop for a haunting mystery. I loved the creepy vibes, the ghostly rumors, and the sense that the building itself held secrets just waiting to be uncovered.
Aubrey, a photographer with a passion for exploring old, forgotten places, was a relatable and curious lead. Her encounter with Dimitri, a YouTuber with a similar obsession, adds an intriguing dynamic—especially when his sudden death throws her into a deeper investigation. The mystery had me hooked, especially as more of the hotel’s dark past was revealed, including a potential curse and ties to another decades-old murder.
The writing really brought the hotel to life—descriptions were vivid and immersive, making it easy to picture every creaking floorboard and shadowy hallway. I appreciated the light touch of the supernatural—enough to keep me wondering, but grounded enough not to feel over-the-top. That balance really worked for me.
That said, there were a few bumps. Some parts of the story felt a bit scattered or rushed, especially toward the end. I was left with a few unanswered questions and felt the conclusion could have been stronger. Also, while Aubrey was a solid main character, I found some of the side characters more interesting and wished they had been explored more.
Still, this book gave me all the haunted hotel and eerie small-town mystery vibes I was hoping for. If you enjoy a mix of cozy mystery, light horror, and historical intrigue with just a hint of romance, Asylum Hotel is definitely worth a read.

Favorite Quote:
"the walls of a house hold more than just bricks and mortar-they carry the weight of its history."

Juliet Blackwell used t9 have a haunted house series that reminded me of this book. The scenes in the hotel/asylum were good scary, and I enjoyed the tension in those scenes. The rest of the book was okay, but seemed uneven and a little all over the place.

I’m going to be up front and say this was not what I was expecting. It looked like it would be this intense thriller but honestly, it felt more like a cozy mystery and I wasn’t mad about it. I thought the writing was good, the characters were pretty well developed and the mystery of The Hotel Seabrink kept my interest. I mean, who doesn’t love a story about a potentially haunted and abandoned hotel (that may or may not be cursed)?! If you’re looking for an atmospheric mystery that isn’t gory and has touch of romance and some female friendship, definitely check this out!

I did enjoy this book although it lost my attention a couple times. It was very detailed and had a spooky aspect to it just a bit boring at times

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley!
This book had all the components I love in an eerie thriller: abandoned asylum, isolated grounds, historical background, and of course ghosts. The author is incredible at setting the scene and they obviously did their research when writing descriptive details. I like our main character but the side characters weren’t as memorable to me. I also would have liked more of the suspense element throughout but overall I was engaged and enjoyed the story.

Aubrey Spencer who loves to takes photographs of old and abandoned places. Aubrey stumbles upon the Hotel Seabrink, that was the "IT" place for celebrites in the 1920's. The Seabrink is eeriely untouched by looters and only by the elements of the weather and time. Aubrey thought she was alone in the hotel until she starts to hear strange noises. A piano playing and a flute. As Aubrey acends the grand staircase to the upper floors she runs into Dimitri Petroff, who has a YouTube channel about abandoned places. Aubrey knows that she has seen him before but can't put her finger on where. Then it comes to her and they begain chatting. The continue together as they finish touring the hotel and end up in the basement where the famous mineral baths are. The next morning Dimitri is found dead and Aubrey can't believe that he would kill himself. As she digs deeper into the Hotel Seabrink, the more Aubrey feels that someone is after her. This was a quick read full of mystery, curses, and a history that you could not even imagine. I absoultely loved this book from the first chapter. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Berkley for letting me read an advanced copy of this book.

Ohhhhh this was spooky! And perfect for my little thriller heart. This was fast paced and love that when it comes to thrillers. Very twisty and kept me guessing throughout.

This book was dark, atmospheric and twisty. I enjoyed every minute spent in it's pages and I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to see what this author does next!

This one had all the spooky, seaside, haunted hotel vibes I love. Aubrey is a photographer obsessed with old buildings (relatable), and the Seabrink Hotel? Creepy perfection. It’s abandoned, falling apart, and packed with rumors of ghosts, tragedies, and a whole lot of stuff that doesn’t want to stay buried.

The story really kicks off when Aubrey snaps a photo of the hotel and sees something—or someone—in the shot that wasn’t there before. Then a guy she just met (Dimitri, fellow abandoned-building nerd) ends up dead, and suddenly it’s clear this is way more than just urban exploration gone wrong.

There’s murder, there’s local folklore, there’s even a dark twist about the hotel’s past as an asylum. It gave me the perfect mix of eerie and twisty. I loved that the book didn’t go full-on supernatural, but kept that edge of “maybe there’s more going on here than just old buildings and bad memories.”

A few parts slowed down a bit while Aubrey was piecing together the backstory, but it was still super readable. And the ending? Satisfyingly dark with just the right amount of closure.

If you’re into crumbling buildings, ghost stories, and amateur sleuths who can’t leave things alone (even when they definitely should), this one’s a solid pick. Just maybe don’t go exploring abandoned hotels alone.

The building has a long history of different uses and curses. Now it isn't quite as abandoned because there is a firm that wants to resurrect its usefulness. But there's still the death curse and the ghosts. The photographer trespasses with others and comes to feel a deep need to investigate the death of a man she met there. The story is twisty and atmospheric and good to read on a dark and stormy night.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected digital proof from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. Pub Date Jul 29, 2025
#AsylumHotel by @julietblackwellauthor #NetGalley @berkleypub @penguinrandomhouse #thriller
#supernatural #mysteries #abandonedbuilding #atmospheric #scary #spooky #eerie #photographer

A great premise with the delightfully creepy setting of an abandoned hotel/former asylum, but the protagonist fell a little flat for me. I liked the supporting characters, and I liked the story, but the dialogue frequently felt a little heavy handed.

All in all, I would recommend it- it’s another a solid stand alone novel by Juliet Blackwell, who I like a lot.

3.5 stars, rounded up to four.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a great story! Very suspenseful and interesting. I really enjoyed reading it! I would definitely recommend.