This suspenseful novel offers a compelling blend of Southern charm and creeping unease that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Billie Hope’s move to Juliana, Georgia, driven by pandemic-era incentives and the promise of a fresh start, feels timely and relatable. The author does a great job capturing the allure of a small town with big opportunities, while gradually unveiling the darker undercurrents beneath its friendly facade. The pacing is steady, with just enough tension building to keep readers guessing about what truly lurks beneath the surface. While some plot twists felt a bit predictable, the atmospheric writing and strong character development more than make up for it. A gripping read for fans of psychological thrillers and Southern Gothic fiction alike.

In this Gothic Horror/small town thriller, we follow Billie and her family, who, after closing her very successful New York City Restaurant during the pandemic, are seeking a place to start over and have her daughter grow up away from the hustle and bustle of the city. When Billie learns of an initiative from the town of Juliana, Georgia, where her family can move into a larger manor house on acreage and open a new restaurant for $100, her husband, daughter, and cat pack up and move to this small southern town. Once they move into the house, everyone starts having bad dreams, Peter (the husband) starts going off the wall, and even the cat seems to not be himself. Though the townspeople seem to be nice, the old guard (the founding 3 families) seem to run the town, and the longer the family lives there, the stranger things become. As people go missing, Billie starts digging and uncovers some very unsavory history, but will her family make it out of the town alive?

So, this is a great Southern Gothic novel; there is enough haunted house element to make that stand out as a Gothic novel for me. For some reason, when I think of Southern Gothic, there has to be this ominous house at the center. Is that always the case? No, but that is where my brain goes when I think of this. Yes, there is an epic house and a lot of the story does revolve around the manor that the Hopes live in, but it is really the town. We, as the reader, know what is happening (to an extent) because we get glimpses into the past, and we know from the beginning some of the secrets that Juliana has. Not necessarily to the extent we do by the end, but we do know the danger that the Hope family could be in. There are plenty of red herrings, plenty of what-ifs, and a few on-page murders. The characters are all engaging, and you just want to know what is going to happen next. Not everything gets tied up in a nice bow, but there are some nice resolutions. The blurb compares this to the short story "The Lottery". I think it is a stretch to compare it to that story, but I do kind of see where there is a parallel, but that is stretching it a bit. I feel bad for the daughter in this story because she is used as a pawn, and her life changes from the instant they move to Juliana, and she becomes scared of the family cat. Who is probably just scared about moving and is acting out. The overall story is pretty good. I'm trying to think of a good way to describe this book, but someone is always watching, and you can't keep secrets from the Old Guard.

Welcome to gentle Juliana Georgia, dripping in small town charm, until you scratch under the surface and find a different atmosphere altogether. If you haven't read any works by Emily Carpenter, this compelling southern gothic novel will turn you into a fan. Carpenter sets the scene with an episode from the Civil War, which lets the readers know that one hundred and sixty years later, the founding families will still hod sway. This novel is complete with paranormal experiences and unchecked evil.
Cassandra Campbell's narration drew me into the story. Campbell is a versatile actress who voiced several characters, changing registers for gender or age. The twists and turns in the story kept me hooked and I didn't want to stop listening. I was so engrossed in the story that although I had access to a downloadable listening copy from Kensington, I got a print copy of the book so that I could find out the end quicker.

When things seem too good to be true they probably are. How can you say no to a new house and land for only $100? It's a chance at a new life, a new career, a place for their child to grow up. When Billie and her family move to their new home, everything seems just fine. Slowly things get a little strange, but it could be in their heads. There is always a good reason to excuse the odd stuff. When Billie's husband has had enough and leaves, Billie starts to wonder just who she can trust. I could not put this down. I needed to know all the things. The twists were so good. Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for allowing me to read the audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

I red half of it and the genre was not for me. I know that it was well written and the characters were great but it was not a good story for me at this time.

This was a fun thriller that wasn’t what I was expecting! Gentle Juliana is a picture town full of hopes and dreams and during the pandemic it seems like the perfect place for Billy Hope to restart and find the perfect small town vibe to raise her family with her husband.

But it is definitely too good to be true! And gentle Juliana start seeming a bit more sinister!

I love a good thriller and having the right narration makes it all the better! Narrator Cassandra Campbell does an excellent job quitting the atmosphere and earrings then develops this small southern town. With great voice variation for the various towns people and different accents, Campbell really brings the characters to life.

This was my first Emily Carpenter book and I will definitely be on the lookout for some more of her work because this one had me on the edge of my seat!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an audio Arc in exchange for my honest opinion. First, the narrator was perfect for this story, I very much enjoyed how she brought the character of Billie alive. Secondly, I loveeee Southern Gothic Horror/small town drama so this hit all the marks for me.
Billie Hope receives an email one day to purchase a house in small town Julianna, Georgia for the whooping price of $100. Too good to be true, amiright? Any sane person would have probably figured out it wasn't a great idea, but in light of post pandemic, cramped New York apartment living Billie convinces her family that they should take the plunge. 
Julianna seems picturesque, but of course weird stuff starts going down. I love small town gossip and the way everyone seems to know everyone's business so fast it's comical. I love the accusations that come with weird stuff that starts happening and the easily believed explanations that truthfully are so out there you want to shake the main character. It's the kind of situation where I found myself yelling at her "get your daughter and goooooooo!" much to my kids' amusement. The only this i disliked was how conveniently/neatly the ending wrapped up but besides that this was such a good listen and highly recommend!

Gothictown gave me "sleeping with the enemy" vibes. Billie Hope is a headstrong character, almost to her detriment. The situation she found herself in was literally "too good to be true" and yet she pressured her sensible husband into making this move and paid for it with his life. Peter Hope for his part, did everything he could to make it work and in the end he lost. The ending to this book left me in disbelief, there is no way I'd stay. If this is a series, then it makes sense to pick up the next book with Mar Hope. All in all, this audiobook was a good time.

I chose it randomly on NetGalley (thank you so much NetGalley and RBmedia for this audio ARC). I saw the cover and read the title and thought it would be a book about vampires.

I got this book back in March and totally forgot about it. I saw it yesterday, didn't have anything new to read, and gave it a go.

Amazing.

I liked it so much. The narrator did an amazing job. I am not really sure if I liked this book because of how it is written or because of the audiobook, but I had an amazing experience nonetheless.

There are a few things that bothered me.
Who TF buys a house for $100? I am sorry, but why?
After she discovered what was happening, my suspicious self would not trust anybody.
The ending feels a little rushed. I don't know if the author wanted to be done with the book or if that was the intention, but it feels like they didn't know how to end it.

I love that for some reason,  books with mothers / about motherhood are keep coming in my life , now that I am mother . I feel seen and I love it

This book really shines when it comes to world-building and creating that cozy small-town atmosphere. The author clearly put a lot of effort into character development, which made the story more engaging and emotionally grounded—not just a typical spooky tale. I genuinely enjoyed the balance of eerie elements with strong, believable characters.

The one thing that pulled me out of the story was the protagonist’s sudden, inexplicable knowledge of explosives. It felt out of place and unearned, especially in an otherwise well-developed and realistic character arc. That detail cost the book a star, but overall, it's a solid and immersive read.

4.25 rounded up!
I one shot this today and I loved it. This was so bonkers yet SO realistic. I can totally see a small southern town operating like this and wouldn't be surprised if this was loosely based on a true story.
I loved Billie and her drive to turn her life around after there had been so much loss. I did have a hard time understanding exactly HOW she kept going when the losses kept coming later on in the book, but I'll chalk that up to her being a tough cookie.
I REALLY loved the way this story wrapped up and how Billie 'got the bad guys'. It was incredibly clever and totally realistic. I don't want to give too much away, but I thought this was a great thriller/horror and definitely recommend it if you're looking for something with a little bit of a weird, southern edge! Thank you Netgalley for my ALC & ARC!

I could not put it down! Through the first few pages, I thought what am I reading, but it all ties in so expertly in the end! I l stayed up half the night finishing it.

Billie needs a change. Her famous NY restaurant closed during the pandemic, and her mother moved away and joined a cult. She is disappointed and hurt and having trouble talking to her therapist husband, Peter, about her feelings. When she sees an advertisement for a small town in Georgia offering an incentive for outsiders and small businesses to come there for $100 per house, she is more than intrigued. Land for her daughter, Meredith, and a new start is too good to pass up. She talks Peter into going, and they move to Gentle Julianna.

But when they get there, strange things begin to happen. Peter is not himself and the cat, Ramsey, acts possessed. They have strange dreams and unsettling thoughts. The town is run by a few prominent families, and it becomes more and more evident that they are covering up secrets. What will they do to keep their secrets hidden?

This was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me! It had twists where I literally gasped. I was on the edge of my seat through at least 2/3 of the book. The characters were flawed, and life was messy which I love. There is redemption and some justice.

This was a solid read🙂‍↕️ I liked the different characters that we came across both in the present and in flashbacks, but they did sometimes blend together bc there was so many names to keep track of. I also felt like this book leans much more toward and mystery/thriller than a horror novel to be quite honest and I think that’s why I wasn’t as impacted by it. Don’t get me wrong, the culty small town is very much giving the illusion of horror, but when you actually get down to it 95% of the town is actually oblivious to the horrible things going on and they’re genuinely just vibing😭 I also listened to the audio, which was actually pretty good quality and I enjoyed the narrator’s voice (a plus that they’re a member of SAGAFTRA as well!)

Do you like the episodes of Vampire Diaries that involve the founding families? Then you’ll Probably like this book.

-Small southern town vibes with spooky vibes of feeling like you and your family are slowly losing it
-Being convinced that something weird is happening, but the entire town is acting as if everything happening is absolutely normal

When I read chapter one I thought I knew exactly where this book was going, and I’m not gonna lie, I was a little disappointed by that. But I thought the vibes were already immaculate and I liked the writing, and figured it would be a fun time nonetheless. I’m SO SO glad I read this, because oh boy was I so wrong about knowing where the book was going, okay I was a little right but not at all in the way I thought I was. I really enjoyed this book. Also I appreciate a smart MC, I didn’t want to constantly throw things at her, and the couple of moments I did it wasn’t her fault but a position she was forced into.

There was a point where I was very leery of a character's choice because I didn’t think it made sense for that character, and then more and more decisions from that character didn’t make sense, and it started to really bother me. But I promise by the end it will all make sense.

One of the things I loved the most about this book is kinda hard to describe without revealing way too much so this might not make sense to those who haven't read it yet (or honestly even if you have read it). I really adored how the main character didn’t know some major things herself until another character pops up.
Everything in this book is a little sloppy and I don’t mean in writing or plot, no I mean in the way the MC gets information, or what happens to the MC. And
How the MC gets information and what happens to the MC is so sloppy, and I don’t mean that in way of writing or plot. No, I mean that the things that surround the MC seems messy, in stark comparison to the town feeling so clean and pristine and put together. It might be because of the two locations of the town and the house she is living in, but I think it's more all of the things that surround her and how she takes it in, and how her life is slowly falling apart. I think the stark contrast between her and the town is very important. I feel as certain other characters ( not all, if they are founding family they stay pristine, for the most part) enter her orbit, and have more and more interactions with her they also seem to be pulled into that more messy category. Think of what all I'm saying in way of vibes from characters and not in literary terms.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia | Recorded Books for this ARC Audio Copy!

I have been enjoying Gothic Horror books so much and was really excited about this book. This book does not wait to shock you, often times with horror books it eases you in slowly but this one hits you with a shock right out of the gate, and then slowly builds tension off of that through the rest of the story. Filled with eccentric and sometimes unlikable characters, including the main characters at times, this southern gothic horror does a great job of keeping you hooked through the entire story.

I really enjoyed the unsettling atmosphere in this book (seriously, what's up with the secret well?).
The main character is flawed but relatable and the whole town hints at the doom to come. The pacing was incredibly slow and some things felt like a bit of a reach to me, so I'm ending at a 3☆ overall.

Thank you, Netgalley for the copy to review!

If something sounds too good to be true...

A gorgeous furnished house in rural Georgia, completely furnished for $100 AND a small-business startup loan? That might classify as too good to be true, but I for one am glad that Billie Hope and here family didn't think so and moved to Juliana, because I loved every single page of Gothictown. Emily Carpenter's latest release is so deliciously creepy, with just enough paranormal to raise the hair on the back of my neck without going over the top. For animal lovers like me who might be wondering, Ramsey and Ever are both fine at the end,

I absolutely loved the premise of this book. I thought the storyline was original and kept me intrigued. This is a solid gothic thriller and I would absolutely recommend! I will definitely be checking out more of this authors writing. I also really liked the narrator, I can be picky sometimes but this one worked for me.

3.5! Move to small town Georgia and buy a house for only $100?! Hell yeah! This family did. Leaving New York after the pandemic took her restaurant was a pretty easy choice for Billie and her family, Peter and Meredith. And Juliana, Georgia was idilic. Friendly neighbors, families bartering each other for good deals, and a massive house paint a pretty picture. Their cat goes feral, Peter can’t sleep and is obsessed with finding an uncapped well on their property that was passively mentioned by a town member. But Billie’s new restaurant is thriving! And Mer is having so much fun exploring and making friends! When Peter’s exhaustion gets the better of him and creates friction in their marriage and the town’s perception, it starts to get real! And as the mysteries of this small town are revealed, all hell breaks loose! I am not typically a thriller-reader, but really enjoyed this one! I love how it was creepy and diabolical!

Southern Gothic is definitely the vibe of Gothictown by Emily Carpenter. It was creepy and filled me with unease.

Billie Hope got an email with the offer of a lifetime - move to Juliana, GA and have an amazing house for $100 as part of a way to add some new life to the town. Having shut her restaurant down during the pandemic, it seems like a great way to start fresh. Billie, her husband, Peter, and their daughter Meredith were welcomed with opens arms, but there are weird things happening and stories of past horrors. Peter has trouble sleeping and the walls of "Gentle Juliana" felt like they were closing in.

The inclusion of Billie's mom in the story was slightly confusing, and the ending seemed to be wrapped up a little too tidily. Overall, an atmospheric engaging read that drew me in.

Cassandra Campbell did a wonderful job with the narration, including several different deep-south accents and genders.

Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded books for the chance to review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review..