House of Hearts by Skyla Arndt is absolutely one of my top reads of 2025!! I was expecting amazing things from it, but wow did it blow my expectations out of the water.

Gothic setting at a boarding school, dark Alice in wonderland vibes, a familial curse, ghosts that give you the heebie-jeebies and swoon worthy romance! This book truly had it all and I binged the entire read in a day. I guess you could say I fell down the rabbit hole known as House of Hearts! 😉

Violet transfers to Hart Academy her senior year with the intention of infiltrating the school’s secret society known as The Cards, and exposing the family for their supposed part in her best friend’s death. What she doesn’t know is it’s not going to be quite that simple, and her heart is on the line.

Truly a haunting tale of grief, loyalty, and found family in a perfect dark fairytale inspired atmosphere. Sure to win the hearts of romance and horror lovers alike!

Take a haunted school, a curse, ghost possession, murder mysteries, and soulmates...and you've got the plot of House of Hearts.

I enjoyed the story! Violet planning to go to the fancy school, despite not being everything the school is about, to avenge her best friend's death was so honorable to me. The fact that she came "from across the tracks" and didn't fit in with the high-society elite who attended the school, but ultimately became the one who saved an entire lineage and go on to find her purpose, was very fitting.

The cover is ultimately what drew me into the book. The cover art is beautiful! I typically don't choose YA or high school scene while reading, but this scene felt more upper high school, almost early college. I didn't feel uncomfortable or put off because they were high school seniors. Especially because this wasn't really showing "romance" to me, but more YA Horror. There was a bit of "soulmate" thrown into the blooming attraction between Violet and Calvin that felt a little forced, but made sense to the story.

There were several scenes that left me gasping. Every maze scene left me holding my breath and wondering how they were going to survive. Skyla did a great job incorporating Anastasia's story through journal entries into the story to show where the curse came from and why it targeted the ones it targeted. I do feel like the entire story took place over the span of maybe a week or two; it seemed to wrap up pretty quickly. Nonetheless, I feel like everything was well-paced and nothing felt out of place or rushed, aside from Calvin and Violet. But, I guess when you know...you know.

PS: This story does have some explicit language that I didn't feel was necessary for a 14+ story.

A big thank you to Netgalley and Skyla Arndt for allowing me to read House of Hearts.

I thoroughly enjoyed this! It would be the perfect book to read during spooky season. It's a little gothic fiction with a dash of horror, a splash of mystery and a sprinkle of romance all set at a boarding school!

I really liked how atmospheric and fast paced this story was. Right from the start we jumped into the plot but nothing ever felt too rushed or or too slow. I really liked how our main character Violet was there to get revenge for her best friend but got a different and unanticipated experience instead. It bled well into this gothic, mysterious, and ghostly atmosphere that was truly such fun to read.

Overall, I really liked this book! It definitely had that classic YA mystery feel to it but I appreciated how the topic of grief was incorporated and the little romance subplot was cute. I enjoyed all the characters for the most part and loved, loved, loved the paranormal horror atmosphere. Would highly recommend it if you enjoyed A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

alice in wonderland x dark academia, you say? i have been summoned!

this was a fun and fast-paced ya horror! i jumped into this book only knowing the vibes, and it lived up to them. it was an eerie and gothic school, with mysteries and a curse lurking in the family that started the school in the first place. i loved learning about the secret society, and i definitely got creeped out at some points.

there were some parts of the book that did fall flat for me. while some people enjoy a fun insta love trope, i found it hard in this book. violet and calvin's relationship not only felt rushed but also not believable. they barely knew each other and were suddenly in love. i think if this book were longer, their build-up could have been drawn out.

despite the rushed aspects of the book, i had a blast reading this!

thank you to netgalley and viking books for sending a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book: House of Hearts
Author: Skyla Arndt
Rating: 5 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Viking Books for Young Readers, for sending me an ARC. I think this is going to be the top YA book of the fall. It’s the perfect blend of dark academia, romance, and paranormal. This is one of those books that pulls you in and makes it impossible to put down. I read most of this book in one sitting.

In this one, we follow Violet, who has enrolled at an elite boarding school with the intent of finding out who killed her best friend. Solving her best friend's murder means infiltrating a secret society, resisting a forbidden love, and evading a vengeful ghost. Violet Harper is certain her best friend was murdered. Everyone else calls it a “freak accident,” yet Violet remembers the strange way her friend had tried to tell her something before she died. The cryptic hints about an elite boarding school, a whirlwind romance, and a mysterious secret society suggest a far more sinister truth. Determined to uncover what happened, Violet transfers to the prestigious school to investigate the society’s shadowy past. She expects to find secrets, though she does not anticipate crossing paths with Calvin Lockwell, the charming yet infuriating brother of her prime suspect and a descendant of the school’s founder. His family hides something dark that seems beyond the natural world, and Violet’s search begins to mirror her friend’s final, doomed days. As the pieces fall into place, she discovers a deadly curse at the heart of the school. Her feelings for Calvin grow stronger, yet loving him might cost Violet her life.

Right away, I was pulled in by the atmosphere. The author does an amazing job of taking you into the school and its world. Right away, we are thrown into the world of elite education, secret clubs, and family secrets. There is this sense of doom and gloom on every page. At first, it doesn’t seem like there is anything supernatural going on, but all of it is from a ghost. Now, I love a good ghost story, and I got that here. While this is dark academia, there are a lot of paranormal and supernatural aspects of this book, which is something that I am here for. It has been a long time since I have read a good ghost story, and I found that here.

I enjoyed Violet’s character. She enrols in this school with the sole goal of finding out who murdered her best friend, Em. She knows that the Lockwell family more than likely had something to do with it, but what she doesn’t expect is for it to be so much more than that. She quickly finds herself thrust into the world of a family who has a way of getting away with everything, a secret society, and hauntings. At first, like Violet, we are not sure if the hauntings are real or a response to the grief that Violet has been dealing with. Em’s death has left a deep emotional impact on her. She isn’t happy with how things have been handled by the school, which writes it off as an accident instead of murder. She thinks that the Lockwells are doing this to cover up something. Her determination and drive to find out what happens is what makes her a great character. She does not deviate from her goal, even when everything is against her and she has every reason to stop. She keeps going, which is why she is a character who is to be admired.

I thought Calvin was also a solid male lead. His family is the heir to the school. He is the rich boy who has had everything handed to him, which makes him the exact opposite of Violet. He is also Em’s boyfriend’s younger brother. Percy, Em’s boyfriend, has disappeared, and Violet hopes to get close to Calvin to find out what happened. In her mind, Percy’s disappearance is enough reason to blame him for Em’s murder. However, what Violet doesn’t expect is to fall for Calvin and uncover something that could end up costing her life. I thought their dynamic was very interesting. While it does not deviate all that much from a typical YA romance, it was a solid one and one that I can get on board with.

The suspense, in my opinion, is also very well done. As I started my review by saying, we are thrown into this elite boarding school right away, and we quickly know that something is up. We aren’t sure what it is, but there is just something off about the whole situation. Then, Violet starts seeing things, and this makes it difficult to see what is real and what is not. I loved getting to see this and follow it. I loved trying to figure out just what was going on. Again, it all goes back to the way that everything is written and presented. It pulled me in right from the start, and once I was in, I was in. Plus, a lot of this book takes place in the fall, which makes it a great Halloween read.

Overall, I did enjoy this one a lot. If you are looking for a short, standalone (I believe) paranormal book full of ghosts, then I encourage you to give this one a go. I think it will be the perfect read for spooky season.

This book comes out on September 2, 2025.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/okLC7lMXO3M

Secret societies and and a good mystery. That’s exactly the recipe you get in this book. It took a little while to get into the mystery and really care about it but once you were in it was full speed ahead. The journal entries were a really cool part.

What you’ll find in House of Hearts:
-young adult horror
-dark academia: set at a boarding school in Upstate New York
-gothic themes
-a secret society for rich kids
-forbidden love
-soulmates
-a murder mystery
-a vengeful ghost
-magic
-a family curse

The cover is stunning and I CANNOT wait to have it on my bookshelf!

THIS WAS HAUNTINGLY GOOD! 👻

I went into House of Hearts completely blind and I’m so glad that I did. I was hooked from the very beginning. It’s very fast-paced, which means I binged it in one sitting. The plot was compelling and suspenseful. The dark fairytale vibes make it perfect for spooky season, so please add this to your spooky season TBR!

Calvin and Violet are my little babies that I will protect with my life.

If you’re looking for a supernatural YA horror novel that will keep you wanting to turn to the page, House of Hearts is perfect for you!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy!

House of Hearts felt like your typical YA paranormal thriller but with a twist on the setting and circumstances surrounding the mystery to do with the boarding school and a cursed family legacy. I enjoyed Violet's journey through House of Hearts and like how the ending wrapped up. The initial characterization of Anastasia Hart interested me and as we further uncovered the mystery involving her and Emoree's deaths, I found myself thinking the author did a great job creating a unique story. However, the romance was lacking in basic chemistry and attraction, especially seeing as there wasn't much build up from hate to "omg I think we're soulmates". The writing and characters felt very much teenager-y, but seeing as this is YA, I wasn't mad about it. Overall, the intrigue, creepiness, and horror elements were definitely the highlight of this book while the advertised romance was nonexistent and a bit of a dissapointment.

Thank you to Viking Books, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

House of Hearts is a twisty, fierce YA dark academia novel with forbidden love, a secret society, and a vengeful ghost.

This one was very fun. The haunting, eerie dark academia atmosphere was immersive. I loved the incorporation of Alice in Wonderland/Queen of Hearts elements. The plot was entertaining and twisty, and the ending fit the story nicely. The characters were vivid and well-developed, and the forbidden romance had many delightful moments. That said, the romance’s development felt a bit choppy and rushed at times, as did the story's pacing. I longed for a bit more development of the secret society and a longer story overall to allow for more development. Skyla Arndt’s prose was sharp and compelling. I would recommend this one to fans of dark academia novels!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ARC!

House of Hearts

After thoroughly enjoying Skyla Arndt’s debut book, Together We Rot, I was really excited to get an ARC for this upcoming book (thanks netgalley!). I’m happy to say I was not disappointed! House of Hearts was a wonderful dark academic mystery with a best friend’s murder, secret societies, and a century old ghost story.

What I most appreciated about this book was that while it was gothic and dark, it wasn’t a bully romance. All the characters felt like they strove to break out of the molds that I often see in “Girl comes to school to find out what happened to her murdered best friend/sister/cousin/whoever and gets involved with a secret society”. The fact that it also involves an actual ghost story also sets it apart. I love a good ghost story, having spent my younger years devouring everything by Betty Wren Wright, and found this book invoked the same feelings.

Additionally, I felt like the pacing was excellent. Sometimes I figured things out first, sometimes I was totally surprised, but I never got stuck in that spot where I was annoyed at the MC for not putting obvious clues together.

My Ratings -
5/5 Stars - Loved it. This brought me back to my ghost story loving roots and it had all the elements I craved from love story to a good mystery.

5/5 Romance - I loved Violet and Calvin. They were utterly adorable and worked together to the solve the mystery. I like my pairings working together!

1/5 Spice - No spice here, just kisses, but that doesn’t mean the actual romance wasn’t excellent.

One last note - I am also absolutely in love with this cover! I will always judge a book on its cover and this one is just perfect. It immediately sets the mood and let's us know what to expect.

・:〃➜ 𝑺𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 🩸୧ ‧₊˚
🌀𓂃 ࣪˖ 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸! ₊˚⊹ ᰔ

๋࣭◞ ‧₊˚.🍷⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 ︶˚ ₊💙‧₊˚. 𝜗𝜚 ◟
₊˚ʚ 🦢ꕀ 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚: 14+ (𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙤, 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨, 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩.), 𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚: 14+ (𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙, 𝙨𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚, 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙧𝙚, 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙨, 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡, 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘.), 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜: 14+ (𝙛*𝙘𝙠, 𝙨𝙝*𝙩, 𝙖*𝙨, 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙩.) ͡　💋.ᐟ⋆˚࿔

﹒˚ ₊ ︵﹒⊹ ๑ ︵︵ ๑ ⊹﹒˚ ₊ ︵﹒⊹ ๑ ︵︵ ๑ ⊹﹒︵
now playing: 𝙃𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙊𝙛 𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 🦋 ♬⋆.˚
🤍.°• 𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙘! 𝘼𝙩 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤
⌞0:51 ——◦———— 3:28⌝
↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ 〜🍒.ᐟ
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

꒰💤◞ ₊˚ "𝘽𝙖𝙗𝙮, 𝙬𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨"

♥️‧₊˚ ⋮ WHEN I SAW THIS BOOK THE FIRST THOUGHT THAT CAME TO ME WAS "GASP! This looks like such a intriguing romantasy book!!" and I added this fellow to my ongoing tbr of well over 100 books. WELL JOKES ON ME BECAUSE AFTER READING THIS I REALISED IT IS NOT ROMANTASY!!! This is actually what we would call YA HORROR!!! And you know what? I ACTUALLY ATE THIS UP. I'm usually someone who reads romances, fantasies, princesses, mysteries, but I have never actually read a horror book so this did in fact come as a GUILTY PLEASURE to me. (I mean mystery and horror are basically the same in ways right?! RIGHT?!) I am someone who has always watched those haunted videos on Youtube about ghost encounters and what not, SO THAT JUST MADE THIS EVEN BETTER BECAUSE THIS HAD THOSE THEMES!! I swear the entire time I was reading this I could not help but think that if you watched Sam and Colby you would actually DEVOUR the writing in this. (I do watch them which is PROBABLY WHY I actually felt so intrigued and fascinated by everything going on in this book) AND IF YOU COMBINE THAT WITH A LIL INHERTIANCE GAMES AND A FAMILY ISSUE MMC AND YOU GET A JUICY PLOT AND DRAMA. But alas, not all art is perfection. (Yes I do have issues with this book because I have issues with everything BAHAHHA).

꒰💤◞ ₊˚ "𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 '𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙩"

♥️‧₊˚ ⋮ Starting off strong with the plot of the book, we follow our main girl Violet as she gets into the same school her best friend was allegedly killed at in order to get revenge on her killer. (This girl can't let it goooooo!! LET IT GOOOOO CANT HOLD IT BACK ANYMO-) But yeah she is coming here to basically become a killer herself. But that is justified because it is revenge, AND REVENGE ISN'T ILLEGAL GUYS! And of course she suspects the killer is her best friend's boyfriend because its always the man, ALWAYS. So she makes it her life mission to now find him at this school and basically get her revenge on him. (But of course that never happens because otherwise this would be a 100 page book.) BUT CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF PLOT TWISTS IN THIS??? Like hellooooo I was gawking at my phone in the car just reading sentences from this book. BUT THAT BRINGS ME TO ONE OF MY ISSUES!!

I hate to be the person to say it but the plot twists felt like they were thrown in along the way while the writer was writing. AND I AM NOT BEING SARCASTIC WHEN I SAY THIS BECAUSE THE SHEER AMOUNT OF CONFUSION I FELT WHILE READING THIS BOOK WAS JUST THE SAME AS I WAS GASPING!!! The writing is very whimsy in a way that sucks you in which is ENTIRELY a good thing. But the problem here is that it became too much for a book so short and when the author was trying to jampack as much plot twists and information in the book as possible, It gets very hard to understand and keep up with at times. AND THE PLOT TWISTS SOMETIMES DIDN'T FEEL RELATED TO THE STORY AT ALL! I feel like if the author had made the book longer and took her time with it a bit, the story could have become more developed and not so chaotic. But I will admit while it didn't completely make the reading experience the best, it was not the worst either at all.

꒰💤◞ ₊˚ "𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙘𝙮"

♥️‧₊˚ ⋮ NOW MOVING ON TO THE ROMANCEEEEE!!! This part I loved and hated just like the plot twists. On the positive note, I WAS KICKING MY FEET AND SCREAMING BECAUSE HELLLOOOOO???? Calvin is THE book boyfriend. I literally was cackling myself up at how good his lines were and then feeling so bad for him and his family issues. AT ONE POINT I EVEN HATED HIM BUT WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT THATTTTTT. But I will have to be honest and say that even though the trope in this book was enemies to lovers, IT FELT SO RUSHEEDDDDDD. I was so frustrated that they were already in love by page 120 and I actually wanted more tension and banter. IT KINDA FELT IN A WAY INSTA LOVE BUT NOT REALLY INSTA LOVE. The little bit of banter we got and chemistry was just *chefs kiss* but like I said, THIS BOOK SHOULD HAVE BEEN LONGERRRR.

‏‏𓏲 ࣪˖🕯️𓂃 ⌇ 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 ᰔ 🕸️₊˚⊹

₊˚ ∿🌹𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐭: SHE WAS NOT A BAD FMC AT ALL! I felt like once she had her mind set on something she was willing to accomplish it no matter what. And I feel like a lot of people who have experienced grief will be able to relate to her in a lot of ways. There were moments at times where she would be a bit reckless and annoying but overall she wasn't that bad.
₊˚ ∿🌹𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧: UGHHH I LITERALLY LOVED HIM!! He felt like an alternative version of Grayson Hawthorne and I legit ATE IT UP. He had a personality of a "playboy" but I think he would just use that to cover up his actual feelings. AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT HIS FAMILY ISSUES?? Because there is ALOT to unpack there.
₊˚ ∿🌹𝐒𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐞: She lowkey gave off bratty rich counselor vibes I am not gonna lie- I DO NOT THINK SHE WAS A BAD CHARACTER THOOOO!! I do think she would be the type to have a Stanley cup and listen to Madison Beer unironically.
₊˚ ∿🌹𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐞: HONESTLY AN ICONNNNN!!! I loved her silly personality so so much. AND HER BEING SINGLE AT THE START IS SO ME COREEEE.
₊˚ ∿🌹𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: She was legit the mom of the friend group and I loved her for itttt.
₊˚ ∿🌹𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩: LMFAOOOO I LOVED THIS DUDE SO MUCH IT ISN'T EVEN FUNNYYYY!! I think he would be my favorite character of this entire book if I had to pick one because he was literally such a mood.

⊹ ࣪ ˖🌊 AND OF COURSE THERE ARE MORE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK!!! (But that is for you to find out babes I am not spoiling them all.)


꒰💤◞ ₊˚ "𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨"

♥️‧₊˚ ⋮ 𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍:
This book was actually such a fun lil read!! I would say I enjoyed it pretty well and despite the fast pacing issues this book DEVORED! I was definitely left gawking and kicking my feet in the air and if a short fun horror read is what you are looking for THEN THIS WOULD BE A HIT FOR YOU!!

﹒˚ ₊ ︵﹒⊹ ๑ ︵︵ ๑ ⊹﹒˚ ₊ ︵﹒⊹ ๑ ︵︵ ๑ ⊹﹒︵
🩸🌹𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: AHHHH I GOT THE ARC FOR THISSS!! (Well technically the ARC has been sitting in my approved for over a month now but we don’t talk about that 😣😭) HOPING THIS ONE EATSSS!! The cover is very interesting 😟

Thank you Netgalley and Skyla Arndt for gifting me with this ARC!
This became a spooky, emotional thrill-ride that was hard to put down as it kept me guessing until the end. We start off with something of a murder mystery when Violet vows to investigate her best friend's death which she is completely unconvinced is a mere "tragic accident". Determined to bring justice, she tracks down who she believes is really responsible, Em's boyfriend in this high-end boarding school named Percy.
However, nothing is what it seems.
Soon she finds herself immersed in a world of secrets, uber-rich, privileged teens, and dabbling in ghosts and the occult. In addition she's inexplicably drawn to Calvin, the brother of who she is convinced killed her friend, and who she believes knows more than he lets on. As she delves deeper in the truth, it turns out to be stranger than she can ever imagine, testing her logic, and her heart to the limits.
There were many times throughout the book that I laughed because the chemistry between the characters was so engaging and their reactions at times cut into the tension. Slowly, this becomes an honest-to-goodness ghost story with a very tragic secret at its heart that will leave anyone reeling and swooning at the same time. We have ghosts, family curses, a murder mystery, and at its core, a love story, one tragic, and one blossoming.
A perfect read if you need a good cry, a good laugh, and the warm and fuzzies in between from a sweet, budding romance.

A good mystery book. For the fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Violet is trying to find answers about the murder of Em her best friend. This book has soulmates, horror, magic, ghost/spirits, and elite boarding school. No spice, but yearning MMC. I believe this is a standalone book.

I devoured House of Hearts in one sitting and now I’m mildly obsessed with secret societies. Violet is the kind of girl you want on your side. Messy, loyal, and dead set on getting answers, even if it means putting herself in actual danger. She isn’t here to play nice. She’s angry, she’s grieving, and she wants answers.

Watching her walk straight into the fire while knowing it could burn her alive, felt like holding my breath for 300 pages.

And can we talk about Calvin for a second? He's the kind of boy you should never trust...and yet you end up doing it anyway.

The story's not just about a murder or a ghost or a cursed school—it’s about grief. About love that feels wrong but somehow makes sense. About the sickening ache of knowing your best friend was trying to warn you, and still being too late.

Dark, obsessive, a little unhinged in the best way. This book knows how to hurt you softly.

DNF @ 20%.
The premise for this book really pulled me in, however, the writing style was a HUGE hinderance for me and I couldn’t read any further. Due to only reading a small portion that’s really all of the input I feel capable of giving. Thank you for the opportunity to try it out!

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read House of Hearts in exchange for my honest review. This eerie, romantic thriller blends dark academia, secret societies, and a vengeful ghost into one addictive mystery. Violet’s determination to uncover her best friend’s death leads her straight into danger... and into the path of Calvin Lockwell, the charming but suspicious brother of her prime suspect.
Skyla Arndt does a great job balancing the slow-burn romance with escalating supernatural tension. The atmosphere is moody, the twists keep coming, and the ghostly curse adds just the right chill. A haunting read for fans of romantic suspense with a gothic edge. Solid 4.25 stars.

Solving her best friend's murder means infiltrating a secret society, resisting a forbidden love, and running from a vengeful ghost.

House of Hearts is an intriguing, dark academia, gothic mystery complete with Alice in Wonderland vibes. I thought I knew exactly what I was getting into when I stated this book, but boy did it take a completely unexpected turn...

I was completely sold when I came across the cover for this book. I didn't even bother reading the synopsis, I just knew I needed this book. And boy, did this book live up to its cover. House of Hearts was dark, moody, and full of mystery with the gothic feel I was looking for. You'll definitely feel as though you've fallen down the rabbit hole with this one.

That being said, I did have a couple of issues with this book. As much as I adored Calvin and Violet, I do wish there had been more to their romance. Usually, I adore an instalove situation, but theirs felt lacking and too rushed. I wanted to root for them so badly, but I just didn't feel their connection.

Also, I felt like the pacing was a bit of a mixed bag. It was perfect in the beginning, drawing the reader in with the mystery and intrigue, but at other times, it felt like it was at a standstill, just to be rushed in other parts.

All in all, House of Hearts was an okay read. I liked the characters and overall plot. The mystery definitely kept me on my toes and I loved the intrigue surrounding the family curse. Yes, I did have some issues with the book, but I'm still glad to have checked it out.

3.5 rounded up. I think would be a great spooky season read for anybody that likes younger YA books. For me it didn’t have quite enough horror, mystery, or romance but I think for a younger crowd it could work. I really enjoyed everything that was in the book, I just wanted more. This easily could’ve had 100 pages added to flesh the story out.

💌 Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for providing the e-ARC via Netgalley! This does not affect my review in any way.

5 ★

I finished this book days ago and I’m still thinking about it! I’ve definitely found a new favourite. House of Hearts reminds me of Netflix’s Wednesday in terms of vibes and the secret society aspect. I love the gothic vibes and overall aesthetic of this book; I definitely felt it. I was already interested in reading this book when I came across the author’s Instagram page. What finally sold it for me was when she compared Calvin Lockwell to the cursed love of Jacks from Once Upon a Broken Heart. I’m so happy I managed to snag the e-ARC of this when it was available as ‘read now’ on Netgalley.

I really loved how this story was Alice in Wonderland themed. It was so fun to catch the references alluding to it: the secret society called “The Cards,” the play on words with the last name “Hart” and school name “Hart Academy,” and the “drink me” bottles. Also the female protagonist’s middle name is Alice. Unfortunately, the nickname only gets mentioned once throughout the entire book. Missed the opportunity to have Calvin call Violet, “Alice,” but I understand why it wasn’t done, and it doesn’t take away my enjoyment of the story.

The mystery was so good, and it was what kept me reading late at night cause I needed to understand what happened to Violet’s best friend, Emoree, and if Calvin’s brother, Percy, actually had anything to do with her death. I was so invested, and the soulmate curse was so interesting too. This book was really fun, and I feel like it did a good job in keeping me interested right from the beginning. I was actually a little surprised by how much I enjoyed this one; it’s my first five star since March (not counting rereads).

Lastly, I want to talk about Violet and Calvin. Especially their romance. The romance wasn’t the main plot of this book; there was definitely more mystery. My favourite type of romance is one where it’s the subplot, and this book has it. I still can’t help but wish Violet and Calvin had more scenes together though; I love all their scenes. You know the romance subplot is good when a book leaves you wanting more.

I really don’t have a lot of complaints for this, and just overall really enjoyed reading it!

i didn't really care for violet as the main character... she's on somewhat of a secret mission that doesn't stay a secret for long, like barely tried to be discreet. and when she discovers the curse, she understands everyone's fear behind it, but doesn't understand calvin's reservations that stop him from pursuing a relationship??? be so serious for a second. and the ending was very underwhelming for me lol, but i will say i did really like calvin! i think he might be my favorite character in the book. calvin added good and cute banter into the book and he was just misunderstood fr. percy is kind of up there for my favorite characters, and that's crazy because he was barely even shown! i did have a fun time reading this, but it was lacking in different areas; it was both fast and slow at the same time. it took a while to finally make any sort of progress on her investigation, and then shortly after we suddenly know the reasoning, and then it's just answers back to back. i feel like calvin's pov would've been cool to add even if it was just inserted in like the second half.