This is an eerie gothic tale about a married couple named Freddie and Emily. After an accident Emily has some health challenges and losses her big promotion. Emily and Freddie marriage also has challenges since Emily’s accident and she feels as though he does not want to be around her and that he is hiding something. Freddie talks Emily into buying a house away from all her friends in a strange town. Emily feels that the home is haunted and tries to figure out what is going on. The ending was not what I expected p, but this book is a slow burn.
Thank you to Macmillan audio and Netgalley for allowing me to review this book.

This was a spooky and atmospheric gothic thriller with an intriguing mystery told through the perspectives of a husband and wife as well as a crow. I loved how the mystery of the haunting unraveled at a slower pace with bizarre incidents and building tension. The audiobook has an interesting cast who do a fantastic job bringing the story to life. Fans of spooky thrillers will enjoy this book.

This was such a weird story. I enjoyed it but man some of the things I was not expecting. The characters are definitely interesting, and you wonder why they are together. The house is almost like its own character and entity, the house adds mystery to the story, and it would be interesting to find out even more about the house. The twist at the end had me rereading to make sure I heard it correctly. Overall if you're looking for something weird and mysterious I think this book is one for you.

Emily and her husband move to a creepy old mansion in an attempt to start anew after a tragedy. What ensues are creepy events experienced only by Emily as her life and mind begins its downward spiral. There is a strong backdrop of Poe, with a personified raven part of the storyline, in addition to the dark metaphorical blanket that shrouds the house and everyone in it. It is a very well done dark thriller and very different from the haunted house story I was expecting, Bravo, Sarah Pinborough! Many thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough is a tense, twisty psychological horror that hooks you from the start and doesn't let go. After a traumatic accident, Emily and her husband move to a remote house for a fresh start—but the house has other plans. Strange occurrences, buried secrets, and unraveling trust build to a terrifying climax. The suspense is thick, the horror creeps in slowly, and the final chapters are like a car crash you can’t look away from. A true page-turner for fans of dark, atmospheric thrillers.

Sarah Pinborough once again proves her mastery of psychological suspense with WE LIVE HERE NOW, an unsettling and immersive ghost story that lingers long after the final chapter. The audiobook is particularly effective—narrated with just the right amount of tension and unease. I found myself listening late at night while the house was still, and more than once I had to remove my headphones, gripped by the creeping feeling that someone (or something?) was watching me.

The novel excels not only as a supernatural tale but as a layered meditation on marriage, intimacy, and the haunting truths we live with in close relationships. Pinborough explores themes of gaslighting and manipulation, common territory in psychological thrillers, but avoids falling into cliché. Instead, these themes feel earned, sharp, and painfully real.

There’s a richness to the lore and ghost story that grounds the narrative, making the horror feel both personal and mythic. Highly recommended for fans of literary horror with emotional and psychological depth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

I liked the narrators, but the story fell flat for me. Both of the main characters were incredibly unlikeable. I'm not sure if that's the point, but I usually want to root for one or the other in these types of thrillers.

We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough is an atmospheric novel that intrigued me with its dark themes and eerie tone, but ultimately left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. While the author’s signature blend of psychological suspense and unsettling mystery was present, the plot felt somewhat scattered, and the multiple perspectives made it hard to follow at times. Though the writing was evocative and the premise promising, I found myself wishing for more cohesive storytelling and stronger character development to fully engage with the narrative. A solid read, but not quite as gripping as I had hoped.

We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough was an okay listen—right in the middle for me. The narration was fine, and the story had a few interesting moments, but overall, it just didn’t grab me. I didn’t dislike it, but I also didn’t feel particularly invested in the characters or plot. It was one of those audiobooks that passed the time, but I wasn’t excited to finish it. I did, however, enjoy the ending, which didn't play out the way I expected it to.

If you’re looking for something to fill a few hours, it does the job, but it isn't the kind of book I can see most people wanting to read (or in my case "listen to") twice.

I really enjoyed this audiobook version of We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough. We are introduced to Emily and Freddie, who move into Larkin Lodge, an old and menacing house built on a graveyard for people who committed suicide (hence menacing) after an accident that had Emily fighting for her life. This was definitely a little bit of a gothic thriller, and I was here for it. The multiple POV had me questioning a little bit of narrator reliability and it was interesting to see 2 (and a half) different views, which all meshed pretty well together. Emily feels that there is a malevolent presence in the home and her husband tends to disagree, but the farther along we get in the book, the more mystery there was.

This was a fairly fast-paced thriller, that had me putting my headphones in because I didn't want to stop listening. I had to know what was going to happen next. I was on edge and second guessing everyone's actions, and trying to figure out the ended. I think that it was ominous but there were some lulls where things were a little quieter and I felt the dragged on a bit too much, but overall this was a great read (listen) and I would recommend it if you're looking for a haunted, gothic thriller/horror! The ended was good but not mind-blowing, and the supernatural elements were there, but not fully there. It all comes together in the end and it was an enjoyable book. Solid 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Sarah Pinborough for the eALC of We Live Here Now in exchange for an honest review. We Live Here Now, by Sarah Pinborough (narrated by Helen Baxendale, Jamie Glover and Sarah Pinborough) was published this week, 27 May 2025.

A haunted house with a magical upstairs room??? yes please. I feel like like sometimes the haunted house thriller can be overdone but this has a hint of magical realism that makes it so much different. Emily and Freddie are struggling in their marriage. When Emily has an accident that leaves her in a coma and almost dies it put a huge strain on their marriage. When she wakes up they decide to leave the city and buy an old house out in the countryside. Once they move in strange things start happening. Can Emily get to the bottom of what is really going on in this house??

This was a cleverly crafted and deliciously eerie haunted house story. The atmosphere was thick with tension, maintaining an unsettling, ominous tone from start to finish.

I’m always drawn to an unreliable narrator, and this one pulled me in right away. I appreciated the fresh twists on domestic suspense and the constant stream of surprises that kept the plot engaging.

That said, despite the shocking finale, the pacing occasionally felt sluggish. While I understand why this is a favorite for many, I sometimes find it difficult to fully connect with paranormal thrillers—suspending disbelief doesn’t always come easily for me, which can affect my immersion.

However, switching to the audiobook made a difference. The narration was excellent—well-paced and compelling—making it an easy listen to finish in a single day.

3.5 stars rounded to 4 for Goodreads

This audiobook was addicting!! It has short chapters filled with intrigue that makes you absolutely devour the book. So many secrets and agendas and non-communication that contributed to the ending. The storytelling from both the author and narrator was absolutely masterful. I absolutely loved hating these characters and lived for the horror that befell them. A+ 10/10. Get it as an audiobook, you will not regret it.

Emily and Freddie move into Larkin Lodge, an old house, built on an unconsecrated graveyard for people who've committed suicide. Emily thinks there is a hostile presence in the house. She is recovering from an accident and still not herself. Freddie writes off her concerns as just post-traumatic stress. He has his own problems to worry about anyway. He's gambled away most of their money and is worried about paying it back.

The two even invite their friends for a weekend get together to try to become acclimated to the house. The visit doesn't go well and the house continues to bother Emily, who is hoping to become pregnant again. She lost a baby in the aftermath of the bad fall she took hiking. Books move about on their own. A mysterious nail keeps popping back up on the landing, and some crows seem to be haunting the place.

This book is a bit of a mashup of Beetlejuice and Gone Girl, with strange twists and turns that will make you laugh and question the institution of marriage. Anyone who enjoys a bit of Gothic horror will enjoy this one, as well as those who are devotees of Poe.

Narrators Helen Baxendale and Jamie Glover do an admirable job of voicing each of the characters. Recommended.

This book was fast paced, gripping, and drenched in unease from the very first page. There’s a creeping sense of dread that builds with each chapter, wrapping tighter and tighter until you're practically holding your breath. The atmosphere is thick with paranoia, and I found myself constantly on edge, second guessing everyone and everything. Every chapter made me more uneasy, more suspicious, more convinced that something was terribly wrong. And I loved every second of it.

What really stood out was the ominous tone through the entire book. There’s no relief, no lull — just a steady, pulsing sense that something terrible is coming. The last hour of the book had me feeling such dread. And the ending left me haunted, sitting in stunned silence long after the audiobook ended.

If you're looking for a dark, atmospheric thriller that knows exactly how to get under your skin and stay there, this one is a must read.

Wow, this audiobook had me completely hooked and hanging onto the author’s every word from the moment I started listening!

🐦‍⬛Slow burn horror
🐦‍⬛Haunted house
🐦‍⬛Unreliable narrator
🐦‍⬛Hallucinations

I have loved Sarah Pinborough since reading Behind Her Eyes as a BOTM pick. I was so excited to get an ALC of her newest book We Live Here Now.

I love that the twists have enough foreshadowing that you can guess at an answer, but she still ALWAYS has another twist up her sleeve. Even when I thought I had things figured out, the last page had me laughing!

The audiobook was especially great as I could feel the main character’s paranoia. I didn’t love the male narrator’s voice as much, but the other two POVs (Emily and the raven) were excellent.

I definitely recommend this one if you like any of the tropes above or want a slow burn creepy mystery.

After waking from a coma, Emily moves with her husband Freddie from busy London to the isolated, brooding landscape of Dartmoor. Larkin Lodge is supposed to be their fresh start—but right from the moment Emily sets foot in the house, something feels deeply off. It’s cold, strange, and unsettling… like it’s holding onto something dark.

This book promised an eerie gothic mystery—and in many ways, it delivered. The moody English moor setting, the creaking old house, the raven that won’t leave the chimney—all created an atmosphere full of tension and dread. The house practically breathes with secrets, and the slow, spiraling unease kept me curious.

But as much as I loved the atmosphere, the rest didn’t quite land for me. The pacing was painfully slow. I’m not usually a fan of slow burns, and this one dragged enough that I had a hard time staying invested. The supernatural elements were vague, the characters felt flat and unlikable, and some of the horror tropes (plus all the Poe references) started to feel gimmicky rather than chilling.

There were some twists I didn’t see coming, and the ending gave just enough payoff to keep it from being a total miss—but the journey there was frustrating. Emily and Freddie’s dynamic leaned heavily on gaslighting and emotional turmoil, which made it hard to connect with either of them. And despite the book setting up the house as its own character, we never really get a satisfying answer about why it’s so haunted.

All in all, We Live Here Now is a beautifully written, atmospheric mystery with a few good scares—but the drawn-out plot, repetitive themes, and underdeveloped characters left me wanting more. This one just didn’t fully work for me, though I know it will hit the mark for fans of slow-burning, psychological gothic tales.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC.

Loved it! This was a great story that was made even better by the fantastic audio. A little bit of a different type of haunted house story with a twist that surprised me. This is the first book I’ve read from this author, but now I will definitely be checking out her other work.

Emily and Freddie start over by purchasing their dream home in the country, Larkin Lodge. Emily is recovering from an accident that left her in a coma and seriously injured. She is still recovering and begins to suspect that the house is haunted. Freddie seems to doubt her suspicions and seems to be hiding something. Emily becomes obsessed with the history of the house. She witnesses many more strange occurrences in their home as her marriage seems to unravel.

This delivered on so many levels—the atmosphere was written with such detail, and leaves the reader with a strong sense of impending doom. You just know something terrible is going to happen. I loved the multiple POVs, I really think that they added to the story. The twists were well written and unexpected. Sarah Pinborough always delivers a unique reading experience that leaves you shaking your head as the conclusion is revealed. This was Pinborough at her best.

4 ⭐️