This is a fun little dark academia time. I recently finished All the Devil's and was worried this was going to be too similar, but thankfully this was different enough to still be interesting.

Learning what the curse is and then ACTUALLY learning what the curse is, was really interesting and kept me engaged. The friends the main character made along the way was really sweet and the romance was decent for a YA. The ending definitely had me tearing up a little bit.

I will say the ARC was absolutely riddled with errors, to the point of distraction, so hopefully it doesn't get printed that way.

This was interesting to me. Not what I will usually read but I did feel it drew me in with how the mystery was and academia vibes it had. I will say that the cover had made me want it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for the digital advanced copy of House of Hearts by Skyla Arndt. This review reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

Set at a prestigious boarding school, Violet is a newly transferred senior. She isn’t there for the academics. She’s there to solve her best friend Emoree’s murder. In doing so, Violet finds herself caught in a supernatural curse that has spanned generations, racing to stop another death before time runs out.

I initially requested this book because of the haunting cover and description and Skyla Arndt delivered what was promised. House of Hearts is a creepy, gothic, ghost story, with a murder mystery. It’s worth nothing that the intended audience is ages 14 and up. The horror, character developments, and the love story being told is appropriate for this age group.

Skyla writes an engaging plot with well-timed and unexpected twists. The introduction of the secret society known as The Cards, along with the true mystery behind Emoree’s death, was a pleasant surprise. I went in with preconceived notions of who the killer was and how the plot would play out. I ended up being completely wrong! The pace of this story is fast with no breathing room. While it made for a quick, unputdownable read, I do wish the second and third act hadn’t felt quite so rushed.

One reason I wanted more breathing room was because of the amazing cast of characters. Violet is our main character, the parentified only child always responsible for those around her. I thoroughly enjoyed her reactions to and interactions with the various supernatural events. She is supported by a fairly large and diverse cast of characters, and I was impressed with how Arndt fleshed them out in such little time. Each had distinct personalities and insecurities. I would have preferred to see the supporting cast play a more active role in the third act instead of having their arcs summarized at the end.

Among the supporting cast is the secret society known as The Cards, essentially a Scooby-Doo team trying to solve a generational curse. I wish the second and third acts had included more the their teamwork, as I missed their presence (and Amber’s) in the final confrontation. I also appreciated that Violet and Calvin’s romance wasn’t overdone. Their banter was adorable and captured the feeling of a high school crush, while the supernatural elements heightened their connection in a believable way. That said, I would have liked The Headmistress’s villainy to be a stronger plot point. Aside from being Percy, Calvin, and Sadie’s mother, she didn’t add much to the story.

The setting of Hart Academy was perfect. The old building and landscaping added to the atmospheric setting of the ghost story and the slow descent into madness. The hedge maze was the perfect place for the final confrontation. The only part I found unclear was during the final battle in the hedge maze, where it wasn’t obvious where the characters were transported to. However, this didn’t affect my overall enjoyment.

Arndt crafted a compelling narrative that explores grief, foraging identity, and learning to trust others. These themes were woven throughout Violet’s relationships with her friends and Calvin. A big part of this story is Violet dealing with the grief of loosing her best friend and the feels in not being a more supportive. These are emotions many readers can relate to, regardless of age.

I highly recommend this book. Once you start, you won’t want to put it down until the very end. Perfect for fans of gothic YA mysteries who want a face-paced, atmospheric read.

I had a really fun time with this one! This is a dark academia, YA thriller told most from the perspective of our main character Violet as she joins a secret society within a new academy with hopes of solving the mystery around her best friend’s recent death. The writing really captivated me - not only with the action and horror elements but I really enjoyed the voices of our FMC and MMC. Their snarky and dry sense of humor had me cackling and I loved their interactions! The story was very fast-paced and I devoured the book in just 2 days. Highly recommend as a fun read for spooky season! Thank you to Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group and Viking Books for Young Readers for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the gothic setting. All the characters were charming. I love horror with a supernatural edge. This was right up my alley.

i came into this expecting something similar to gothikana and nocticadia and i wasn’t disappointed. it’s in a high school setting but has the dark academia element with a mystery to solve.

the story was easy to understand and definitely kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to uncover what happened. i loved the build up to the ending but i was left a bit confused. it definitely had a few loose ends that it didn’t resolve and why i couldn’t give it more stars despite the first 95% of the book being so strong.

overall, i still think it was a great read and would recommend it to anyone that loves dark academia, mysterious deaths, and a wholesome love story.

thank you netgalley for the arc!

I LOVED this. House of Hearts was everything I expected and more. I’m also generally a fan of Ardent’s writing, I was lucky enough to get an ARC of her other novel, Together We Rot when it first came out. Anyway, this story starts when Violet’s best friend is killed, and she found clues that the cause of her death had ties to the boarding school her friend went to. Because of this, Violet also enrolls there, and at the school she runs into things that she never would have expected. It’s here that she meets one of the main suspects’ brother, Calvin. At first, she despises him, until it eventually turns into more. It’s only then that she discovers that his family has been cursed so that they must kill anyone they fall in love with. It’s here that the story really begins, and it’s such a whirlwind of events and emotions. I’d definitely suggest checking this book out if you’re even remotely interested, because it’s better than you could imagine. I adored the lyrical and descriptive writing style, and the obvious care that the author took when crafting this story and its characters. House of Hearts was a great book and definitely worth reading!!

This breathtaking cover hooked me.
House of Hearts by Skyla Arndt was an incredible story.
This dark academia YA gothic novel hooked me immediately.
Each character has depth and voice that makes them irresistible, the plot is clever and thrilling, the writing superb and the foundation of that wonderful, rich world makes it difficult to let go.

I ate this up and can't wait to see what this author is going to write next.

Thank You NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

While the premise was intriguing with its mix of mystery, secret societies, and supernatural elements, this book leaned a little too heavily into the young adult side for me. I found it difficult to connect with the characters, which made it hard to stay fully invested in the story. The writing is atmospheric and will likely appeal to readers who enjoy dramatic boarding school settings and ghostly twists, but ultimately this one just wasn’t the right fit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

DNF'd after the first chapter because the writing was grating on me so much. Love the premise of this one, but the main character's voice felt like it was trying way too hard to sound cool, and it just wasn't working for me.

This book hooked me from the first page. The gothic atmosphere and secret society vibes and Violet was such a determined, relatable main character. I especially loved the tension between her and Calvin, the banter and slow unraveling of his character made their dynamic one of my favorite parts. It was dark and moody and absolutely loved it!!

A fast paced story that lures you in with the promise of rich academia, curses and plot twists ... and delivers!

I ate this book up in like 2 hours because just when I thought it would go a certain way, it was like hahah sike and spun me around.
We have a girl set on avenging her friend's death, because she refuses to believe it was anything but murder. The secret society her friend had joined before her death, invites her into it's folds and throwing her life into turmoil. Because the story is much worse than she could have imagine and now she is in a race against time to help solve it all or die trying .. like her friend.

Just like Violet, I thought I had all the answers going in but I was so wrong, and that made this book so good. The breadcrumbs we get through the book, made the reveals such good twists, And prove that 1 man really can fuck up a bloodline and ruin it for everyone.

I honestly only wish that the characters had been a little more fleshed out and the ending had not be as fast pace as it was, as I wanted more.

Skyla Arndt's House of Hearts arrests your attention at once with its purely gorgeous cover and a very interesting premise. The book promises a dark academia setting combined with a murder mystery, gothic horror, and a dash of paranormal romance, and it certainly succeeds in building a compelling and atmospheric world. The spooky, eerie ambiance of the private boarding school and the paranormal elements, including the curse on the family and the ghost, are the novel's greatest strengths, making it a fast-moving and thrilling read that's easy to get lost in.

The story of Violet Harper, a determined and confident heroine determined to avenge the murder of her friend, and her investigation into the school's secret societies is absolutely compelling. The first few pages of discovery and introduction of brooding love interest Calvin are full of promise and gothic atmosphere. It's a quick, thrilling read that you'll be turning over to discover the next secret.

But the fast pace of "House of Hearts" comes at a cost. The novel appears to rush from one place in the plot to another, and a number of details and character motivations appear underdeveloped. The central love affair, though providing the novel with an emotional focus, happens so quickly that the "soulmate" connection feels merited and rather suspect, especially considering the early meetings of the characters. I also wished that the original revenge plot was built more intensely before the curse-breaking factor took center stage in its entirety. The conclusion, although explosive, arrived a little anticlimactic and left some loose ends.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Overall, solid book. I enjoyed it, and think it's perfect for the Fall! The setting, romance, characters, and pacing were all immaculate!

Thank you to both NetGalley and Skyla Arndt for this arc!!

To me this felt like a mix of, Harry Potter, Alice in wonderland just from the alternate worlds and curses and so on it was honestly a good plot just felt disconnected but it worked in its favor by the end !!

I honestly liked the Fmc and the kinda Mmc because the tension, the overall playfulness; the bullying kinda was honestly the best part throughout and by the end it got even more tension and the curse went to him like whatttt it was kinda expected but like I didn’t care I was shoook but also he was kinda hot under Anastasia’s spell(reign) and the way it ended ?!? Ahhhhh

Also can we take a minute to say that the cover alone made it a 4 star because it’s so gorgeous the details in the cover does help understand what will happen in the book..

More in detail - tropes:

If you are looking for a fast paced spooky paranormal book with deadly curses then this book is perfect!! House of hearts is the way to go!

♥️ a ghostly masquerade

♥️YA ADULT FANTASY

♥️ MURDER MYSTERY

♥️PARANORMAL

♥️ FAMILY CURSE (to kill the women/men they love)

♥️ Alice in wonderland inspired

♥️ DARK ACADEMIA

♥️ FORBIDDEN ROMANCE


What is House of Hearts about ??

We follow Violet Harper, a scholarship student who enrolls in an elite private academy Hart Academy. Certain it was murder, Violet enrolls at the school to investigate to see what actually happened. Violet may need to follow in the footsteps of her dead BFF ( Emoree) . But solving her best friends murder means uncovering secrets, and resisting a forbidden love, and running from a vengeful ghost. She’s determined to do whatever it takes—even if it means infiltrating the glitzy, secretive society called The Cards to see how her friend spent her final days.

Ghosts: Hart academy has been around for decades and with that the place may be haunted, some may see ghosts and others may not it’s all up to fate of it all??

Family curses: The family curse to murder who they love, will the curse finally be broken or are they stuck in the forest of darkness and broken hearts and murder ??

Suspense: What will happen to violet will she solve her friends murder? Or will she get involved and be stuck in a curse of fate and murder ?? Will she make it to the end and have her happy ever after ??

House of Hearts is an absolutely fantastic YA thriller. It’s smartly written, well-plotted, engaging, propulsive, has a protagonist you can really root for, and a romance that may be necessary for the plot but doesn’t feel forced in the least bit. The chemistry is there, and so is the banter.

Our FMC, Violet, thinks she knows what she’s getting into (and so do we) when we start this book: Solve the mystery of her best friend’s death and make the culprit(s) pay. But what starts out as whodunit becomes more whatdunit as this story flips from mundane to supernatural; it seems the death of Violet’s best friend has more to do with things not of heaven or earth and it will take working with the school’s exclusive society to get to the bottom of things.

Is there a huge message or strong theme running through this book? No. Is the advertised dark academia aspect actually part of the plot, or is it just vibes? In my opinion, it’s just vibes, because even though there’s an opportunity to truly go in with the corruption of the institution aspect, it doesn’t quite go all the way through with it. But it’s a lot of fun and a really diverting fall read. 4⭐️


I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Ghost Fiction/Occult Fiction/Supernatural Thriller/YA Drama/YA Fiction/YA Mystery/YA Thriller/YA Paranormal Romance

Ghosts, curses, and a romance that crackles with tension ✨ This one had me hooked once the pieces started falling into place!

I devoured this book like a secret too dangerous to keep. *House of Hearts* is a chilling, twist-laced mystery that blends elite academia, ghostly whispers, and a curse soaked in blood and heartbreak.

Violet is determined to uncover the truth behind her best friend Emoree’s death—a supposed suicide at a prestigious boarding school that feels more like a haunted fortress than a place of learning. To get answers, Violet claws her way into the school for her senior year, armed with grief, suspicion, and a fierce resolve.

But nothing is what it seems.

From the moment she steps onto campus, Violet is pulled into a web of secrets: a seductive secret society, a maze haunted by a restless ghost, and a Headmistress whose family history is steeped in tragedy. And then there’s Calvin Lockwell—enigmatic, untouchable, and far more than the school’s resident playboy. He’s the kind of mystery Violet should avoid… but can’t.

As Violet digs deeper, she uncovers a generational curse that dooms the eldest child to murder their soulmate. Emoree and her boyfriend Percy had been trying to break it—until Emoree died and Percy vanished. Now Violet must navigate lies, legacy, and the supernatural to finish what her friend started… before the curse claims another heart.

This book has everything:
👻 A ghost in the garden maze
🕯️ A deadly family secret
🎓 A secret society with teeth
💔 A love story wrapped in tragedy

*House of Hearts* is a gothic thrill ride that had me breathless, suspicious of everyone, and desperate to know what lurked behind every locked door. Thank you Penguin Group/Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for this spooktacular adventure—I loved every haunting minute.

I absolutely devoured this book, it had me hooked right away! This is a fast paced eerie, gothic academia ya book that is perfect for fall. It takes classic fairy tales like sleeping beauty, Alice in wonderland and gives them a twist. The ending perfectly wraps up the story and gives it a HEA feeling.

House of Hearts
Release Date: September 2nd 2025
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers
Tropes and Themes:
Dark Academia
Forbidden Love
Mystery
Revenge

House of Hearts by Skyla Arndt is a stand alone, YA paranormal romance told in a gothic, dark academia setting. The story takes place within multiple timelines, and is told through different POVs, but primarily centers around Violet: a scholarship student of Hart Academy. The pacing is medium to fast, and there is a light, forbidden, closed-door romance.

This was an easy and entertaining read that centered around grief and the weight of familial responsibility, with light paranormal and horror elements. I loved the overall mysterious undertone of this book and the gothic setting. The twists were pretty easy to guess, but the main draw was how they were presented and explored within the narrative. I really enjoyed the humor laced throughout this book, and the writing style was both concise and fun.

The chemistry between the main love interests was well developed and natural, but one of the things I loved most about this book were the side characters. There was a lovely mix of personalities here, and some very well done elements of found family.

I recommend checking this one out if you enjoy paranormal romance, lighter horror and YA! Thank you so very much to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for this ARC! Opinions are my own. Be sure to check trigger warnings before diving in!