House of Hearts promises to be a captivating read for fans of YA romantic horror and dark academia. With its blend of mystery, romance, and supernatural intrigue, Arndt's latest novel is poised to be a standout in the genre.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐛𝐢𝐠, 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧,
𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭…
Skyla Arndt truly has such an enchanting literary voice and every word she writes hits with such precision.

The mirrored images of both Violet and Anastasia were so clever, two girls just trying to find their hearts despite what the world throws at them.

𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘰𝘮, 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮.
𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘵. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘪’𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘢.

I’m so glad my girl found people who understand her and the knowledge that you can’t and don’t have to take care of everyone and the peace that comes with that knowledge.

we are so in our dark academia era. really fun and short read following Violet as she tries to get revenge for her best friend's murder. the pacing was quick, and it gave me a Crimson Peak vibe aesthetically. the secret society was just what I wanted, and the characters were very lovable!

of course, I'm in love with the cover. truly gorgeous.

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for the eARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

This was a book full of almosts. It almost delivered on its gothic atmosphere. It almost kept its mystery alive long enough to build real tension. It almost gave us a romance worth rooting for. But every time something in the book pulled me in, something else would fall short and pull me out. It had all the makings of something great: a cursed bloodline, a haunted hedge maze, a secret society, and a boarding school setting, and yet the story still wound up feeling too surface-level to live up to any of that potential.

The setting was by far my favorite part. The gothic school and haunted hedge maze gave the story a great backdrop, and I honestly wish we had seen it described a bit more to really build the atmosphere. The concept of the club and the usage of the cards was also really interesting, and in moments like those I could definitely feel the story trying to build that eerie, gothic vibe…but the writing often undermined it. I personally felt like the tone didn’t always match the atmosphere. Lines like “a hot new horror enters the villa” immediately pulled me out of the book and were confusing to read. It was almost like the writing wasn’t sure whether it wanted to be eerie or humorous, and that clash made the story feel uneven at times.

Another issue I had with the writing was toward the beginning, and that’s because the dialogue was needlessly dripping in melodrama. And look, I like some good melodramatic stuff, when the story calls for it, but in some cases it felt like the book was trying so hard to be quotable that it forgot to be believable. I made note of at least three passages that felt like they were made with the hope they would be used in excerpts but felt totally out of place within the context of the book. Luckily, that did seem to fade as the book went on.

And just to clarify for all those little issues I had with the writing, that’s not to say it was bad. There were some parts that I thought were written really well, and overall it kept me turning the pages while still being easy to understand.

I also would have liked to see maybe a bit more mystery around characters’ motivations. They were laid out pretty early, and I think the story lost some of its momentum because of that. I would have liked to have a bit more time to wonder what people were hiding, who could be trusted, and how the pieces fit together. There was still a mystery driving things forward, so again it isn’t so bad, it just could have been better.

The romance had its moments, and I didn’t hate it, but I wish we’d seen more of their relationship develop. And a lot more yearning, because the setup was practically begging for it. The main couple had some good moments and solid banter, but it was definitely one of those cases where you’re a tad confused when they start talking about how intense their feelings are. So because of that, it ended up feeling kind of rushed and not fully earned.

Speaking of rushed and not fully earned, the ending wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly for me. For a story with such heavy stakes, I wanted a bit more weight to the climax and aftermath.

Overall, this is a really hard one to rate. For now, I’m going to give it a 3, because it was still entertaining, but that might change as I sit with it for a bit. I just wish it would have expanded on the good ideas that were there, because if it had, my rating would probably be higher.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

~🅞🅥🅔🅡🅐🅛🅛 🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆~

Thank you bet galley and penguin young house for giving me the chance to read this up and coming book early.

To start off I way underestimated this book. I was immediately sucked into this book! This is a dark academia mixed with murder mystery. It’s not my usual book of choice but so I glad I requested it. The story follows Violet who’s best friend was murder at a private rich kids school a year ago and she get accepted to attend with her while intention to find out what REALLY happened to her best friend who “committed suicide” as the story comes along there’s so much more the gets unraveled. She meets Calvin who is all about being the playboy but has a deeper side that she learns about through out the book and along the way there’s ghosts, curses and MANY MANY twist and turns. The author did an amazing job at keeping me engaged the whole time and made me love the characters right off the bat. I will definitely be sharing this to all my followers and can’t wait to get the physical copy in my hands.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the eArc!

I was really intrigued after seeing the cover and finding that this involved a secret society, dark academia vibes, murder mystery, and paranormal things going on. While this had potential, unfortunately some things fell flat for me.

First, everything just seemed way too convenient and predictable. Violet is a completely new student yet is able to walk in, immediately get the opportunity to join the secret society, uncover and solve all these things, and be the savior! While all the other characters who have been working for months on uncovering these mysteries, are completely useless and have no ideas to offer.

I personally would have liked to see more roadblocks when it came to solving this mystery, more collaboration between Violet and the other characters (instead of just her solving everything), and more drama. I was also expecting there to be more with the secret society. It was honestly kind of dull and the process of getting in also seemed too easy. It involves them just getting a card, showing up to one party, and completing one pledge. Boom Violet was in. I guess I just assumed there would be more of a process. There is also no build up with the romance between Violet and Calvin and they could have just been friends.

Overall, it was definitely a fast paced read. I did like the atmosphere and the curse was interesting but I just needed more of everything.

3.5⭐️s

Thank you to NetGallery and Penguin Young Readers Group for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a very gothic haunting tale and was an overall quick and interesting read. This echoes a little bit of One Dark Window and I think if you’re the type of person who likes a little gothic mystery you may like this. For younger audiences or less logistical type of people this would probably make for a higher rating than mine. I personally would have liked to have seen a longer build up to the romance between Calvin and Violet. That happened abruptly without enough like tension and buildup. Another things I’d say is that the curse was very quickly solved in the end and for me I like to see a longer struggle of trial and error. I feel like I could identify plot holes throughout the story and that took away from what I did enjoy. The premise was interesting, execution was pretty good but I do think since I’m not the target audience, I’m more likely to point this out than someone younger would. Which is okay because this isn’t marketed for adults. Where my grievances lie I don’t believe this is a bad book, and I think this may work for people who rate based on vibes and not content, unfortunately that person is not me.

Thank you again NetGallery and the publishers for the opportunity!

Happy reading :)

5 Stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

House of Hearts absolutely stole my breath!!
From the eerie, upstate boarding school setting, complete with a hedge maze, mausoleums, and a clock tower lookout that gave me chills.. to the deliciously sharp banter between Violet and Calvin, Skyla Arndt crafted a dark academia world that I never wanted to leave!!

The writing was great! Arndt’s prose is gloomy, lush, and poetic, echoing the beauty of One Dark Window while still carving out a voice all her own.
The story feels like the past and present are in a constant shouting match and honestly, I loved every second of it.

While House of Hearts centers more on Violet’s quest to avenge her best friend than on romance, the slow-burn connection between Violet and Calvin added just the right sprinkle of tenderness amid the mystery and horror. I didn’t want their moments together to end!
If you love dark stories with an academia setting, this book is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the early copy of “House of Hearts” that has officially secured Skyla Arndt a permanent spot on my must-read list.

Wow wow wow. Okay the cover, let's start there. FABULOUS. This was the very first thing that hooked up into this read. I need it hung on my wall!

Inside that gorgeous cover is... A gorgeous book too! Dark, twisty, and just a delectable ride that I'd love to go on again. I'm not typically a fan of the dark academia but this was a beautifully written, thrilling page turner that grabbed me from the beginning.

It is emotionally satisfying and action packed, with a slow burn romance that is the ultimate combo.

This is a do not miss!

3.75⭐️
Well I did enjoy this book the setting isn’t my favorite and that’s on me lol. But if you want a murder ghost mystery set in a upscale school I would recommend this one. It was very interesting and the characters were good I didn’t hate them😂 overall pretty good book!
Thank you NetGalley for the arc

I absolutely loved this book. It’s nothing like I’ve ever read before. It’s filled with mystery, suspense, love, and laughter. Learning that it is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland made me so excited to read it but I never could have imagined the story being what it was. I couldn’t put this book down once I started it and I would recommend this book to anyone who is wanting a fun read.

What a fun story! It was unique and I loved meeting the characters. There were some parts that dragged, the author uses a lot of description, which actually made most of the book tons of fun to read and had a lot of imagery. Considering this is an ARC copy, I also think the unfinished formatting had to do with it. In the final copy I imagine it will be easier to read and the slower parts won't feel so slow.

I loved how Calvin and Violet reluctantly worked together and the mystery parts of the book were incredible. It's a very cute YA mystery/romantasy.

House of Hearts

Overall: 4.7 stars (rounded to 5)

Skyla Arndt is now on all of my future TBR. Her writing is exquisite. Her prose is dark and gloomy, yet also lush and poetic (similar to One Dark Window).

House of Hearts is a dark romantic fantasy about a heroine (Violet) set on avenging her dead best friend. Violet transfers to an affluent, picturesque High School to look for her best friend’s killer.

Writing: 5 ⭐️ just chefs kiss.

Romance 3.5 ⭐️ Spice: 0.
This is a YA dark romantasy. No smut here. While romance is not the central plot here, when it does show, it’s nice sprinkle. I would’ve loved to see their romance blossom some more though.

Plot 4⭐️:
This is a standalone paranormal mystery set in a creepy fancy high school. I couldn’t put this down for several days.

Tropes:
✅ Dark Academia
✅ Horror
✅ Mystery
✅ Romance subplot
✅ YA

This book is great for anyone who likes dark horror fantasy in an academic setting. The eerie vibes and eloquent prose remind me of One Dark Window.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Current rating: 4.25 stars

This book's premise is exactly my type: YA dark academia with paranormal elements where someone close to the protagonist mysteriously died, so they go to the fancy boarding school to uncover secrets and get closure! Very specific, but yes, I do enjoy that kind of inciting incident. So naturally, I was so excited to read this and thankfully, my expectations were met! I really enjoyed Skyla Arndt's writing style; I had a lot of fun with the descriptions, references to classic literature and art, and dialogue. The paranormal aspect was great too, with some creepy moments that I loved.
I definitely wish that the book was longer because I would have loved more for the climax of the book. I think more scenes to develop the relationship between Violet and Calvin would have been nice too, but I did enjoy the interactions and banter we got, some of which did make me smile and giggle a little due to the humour.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I liked how it balanced the haunting plot with lighter moments.

This was really cool! I loved the name of the book and the dynamic of the characters were great. I think next next it should be shortened just a tad so it is not as repetitive.

House of Hearts by Skyla Arndt is a lush, gothic fantasy that blends eerie charm with haunting beauty. It’s the kind of story that lingers with you—dreamlike, dangerous, and just a little bit romantic.

What I loved:
• The atmosphere is incredible—equal parts whimsical and chilling. Arndt’s prose is lyrical without being overdone, which makes the world feel both surreal and grounded.
• The concept of the house itself is so original and fascinating. It feels like a character in its own right, full of secrets, shadows, and memories.
• The romantic tension is slow-burn and emotionally rich, adding depth without overwhelming the plot.
• Themes of grief, identity, and choice are woven beautifully through the story, giving it heart beneath the haunting exterior.

Why it’s 4 stars instead of 5:
• The pacing felt uneven at times, especially in the first third, where I found myself wanting more momentum.
• Some of the side characters could’ve been fleshed out more—they had potential but didn’t always get the page time to shine.
• The ending was emotional and satisfying, but left me with a few lingering questions about the lore and mechanics of the world.

Overall, House of Hearts is a beautifully written, atmospheric fantasy perfect for fans of gothic stories with emotional depth and quiet intensity. Skyla Arndt is definitely a voice to watch in the genre!

“There once was a girl whose heart was much too big, much too broken, so she dug within the garden of her ribs and ripped it right out”

Yes, yes, yes. This book was so good! I went into it thinking it was going to be heavy on the romance side, and it really isn’t. I would say this has a romance subplot!

That being said, the vibes in this book were so good✨ this YA dark academia novel was super easy to read, and intriguing, the tiny Alice in Wonderland vibes were perfect and I enjoyed the plot so much! I kept wondering where the story was gonna go. This was my first Skyla Arndt book and won’t be my last 🙂‍↕️

Another hauntingly beautiful story from Skyla Arndt!

House of Hearts was a unique Alice in Wonderland retelling.

I love any book set at a boarding school, so add in a little bit or murder and romance? Sold.

This one was definitely mysterious and I enjoyed trying to figure out how everything was going to play out. I loved Violet and Calvin. I can’t resist a little snarky romance situation. I also really liked the side characters.

Skyla is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for

Thank you Penguin Teen / Viking Books and Skyla Arndt for allowing me to read and review House of Hearts! All my thoughts and opinions are my own.

There may be slight spoilers ahead, proceed with caution.

Violet is out for revenge. Applying to the prestigious academy where her best friend Emoree died, she wants answers. What she wasn't expecting to find is a cult-like group on campus called The Cards. A group of students who can get away with anything, and quite possibly murder. Underneath the glamour of the academy is a haunting ghost story, a hedge maze, and terrible secrets waiting to unfold. Violet infiltrates the Cards group, putting herself in a closer position to finding out the truth and to Calvin Lockwell, the infuriating yet handsome brother of the prime suspect. Down, down, down the rabbit hole Violet will go to unveiling the mystery of the haunting academy, the Cards, and Emoree's death.

A glimpse inside:
generational curse
alice in wonderland-vibes
murder mystery
soulmates

The unraveling of the mystery and Violet's sanity at the school is well paced. I really liked the story-telling in the beginning of the book but once it hit the middle to the end, the story felt like it was just 'almost there' and left me wanting more. I did enjoy reading from Violet's point of view and her back and forth banter with Calvin is to die for, I just wish there was more of it.

I think having the soulmate trope hurt the experience for me. It made for a predictable plot and gave off the vibe of forcing a connection instead of letting it happen naturally. The chemistry between Violet and Calvin was great at first. I enjoyed their banter and the bond they were creating as they worked together to figure out the details of Emoree's death and Calvin's brother Percy's disappearance but when the soulmate trope was introduced you just knew where the story was going to go. The building of their relationship relied on their soulmate connection instead of letting it develop organically when it was revealed.

House of Hearts has such an intriguing and haunting premise, it's perfect for the spooky season. The dark atmospheric vibes are fantastic and the ghostly moments Violet experiences are creepy and nightmarish. I liked the Alice in Wonderland comparisons, Anastasia Hart's excerpts, the hedge maze, and the Cards initiation process.

There's a lot to like about House of Hearts but there's a bit I'm disappointed with only because there were plot points that could have been pushed further and developed more. Overall, House of Hearts is a solid YA mystery and academia story.

3.5 or 4 stars

#TheCardsStreetTeam

First of all, let me start by saying that the cover for this book is absolutely eye-catching! So well done to the cover artist here, as it definitely gives spooky Alice in Wonderland vibes.


Now for what’s inside the cover: I really enjoyed this story overall. This book blended so many things I love into one deliciously twisted story. The murder mystery, the dark academia, the ancient curse, the paranormal elements, the forbidden love, and more—I was here for it all!

I really liked how the different characters all tied to each other, be they romantic interests or reluctant allies, among secret societies or familial curses. That was the most compelling part of the book to me, getting to see how they all potentially connect one way or another.

I also really loved the setting. I love a good boarding school story, and this one did not disappoint. It was eerie and creepy in the best ways. Not to mention, I loved the haunted hedge maze that was present as well.

I thought the pacing in the middle of the book was a bit slow, but other than that I found myself turning the pages with an eagerness to find out what happens next. That could be tightened up in the final version though, as I read an ARC of this book. Although at the same time, I feel like this book could be longer—it’s under 300 pages, and I would’ve loved to be in this world for even longer than what we got. For example, I would’ve loved to learn more about the secret society’s history. Having said that, none of these critiques ruined my enjoyment of the book at all.


I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a good dark academia read that is spooky, twisty, and fun, all wrapped in one book!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read the eARC!