First of all I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the most perfect example of a gothic horror! The pacing of the whole book was solid and kept me turning the pages as quickly as I could to get more of the story. The atmosphere and story worked so well and was written beautifully.

Like what you would expect with a gothic horror it does have some dark themes so I would advise for readers to check for trigger warnings.

Everything about this book was perfection aside room one thing. The Vikings.
I had to double check that I'd read it right when this cropped up and was instantly deflated when I realised that my eyes hadn’t deceived me.
This felt incredibly out of place.
You have this gorgeous and tragic story with the ideal location and world in place, even with ghosts and a town witch and curse and then add Vikings.
I’m sorry but I thought this was terrible. More fitting would have been an old witch curse or some coven involvement throughout history.
For this reason, you lost 2 stars from me.
Everything else was sublime and I loved Evelyn’s development to meek and obliging to fighting for herself and her baby.

Blackthorn House is the family estate for the Black family. When the current Lord Black dies, his son Peter becomes the new Lord Black. His wife, Evelyn, now Lady Black, is saddened by his loss but nervous about her new found status and move to the family estate. Upon arrival, Evelyn notices that Peter is changing, the staff is not welcoming, and she starts to experience strange noises in the house and having strange dreams. Was all these circumstances due to the stress of her new life or was something more sinister happening at Blackthorn House?

The Secrets of Blackthorn House by Marie McWilliams is the perfect gothic horror for the spooky season. Atmospheric and suspenseful, the story grips you from the beginning and doesn’t let go. As we follow Evelyn, we feel her emotions and anxiety as she witnesses Peter change from a loving husband to a cruel and abusive one. We watch as she becomes a prisoner in her home, starts hearing ghostly noises and having strange nightmarish dreams. The story is well written and moves along as well as any page turner. I was so engrossed in this book, I read it in two days hardly putting it down to eat or sleep. As Halloween approaches, this book is perfect for those looking for something engaging with light scares, dread, suspense, and atmosphere.

The author included trigger warnings for this book and I encourage readers to check out those warnings as this story does include depictions of physical violence and sexual coercion of a spouse.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for sending me the electronic ARC in exchange for my honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are all my own.

2.5 stars
This is your basic haunted house story. Very atmospheric, but not original. Very forgettable. Lily was my favorite character.

Thank you to the author, Publisher and Net Galley for providing an ARC in exchange for my review.

I love gothic horror novels, and this was a great gothic horror! With the classic vibes of Rebecca and Wuthering Heights, we have a whirlwind romance, and imposing estate, the Yorkshire Moors, secrets, danger, all mixed with elements of the creepy, spooky story.

There are elements of gore, grief and loss, and domestic violence. Just keep those trigger warnings in mind.
I'm hoping for a well narrated audio coming after the book is released so I can experience it that way as well! Just might have to preorder a hardback for my shelf as well!

4.5 stars, rounding up.

August 22nd, 2025
Whispers, and a Whole Lot of Trauma

Out Aug. 22, 2025
If you’re craving a haunted manor story that feels like Crimson Peak met Rebecca in a foggy Yorkshire moor, this one’s got you covered. Marie McWilliams doesn’t waste time easing you in—she throws you straight into the eerie madness with Evelyn, a newlywed who’s whisked away to Blackthorn House after her husband inherits the title of Lord Black. Sounds romantic, right? Yeah… no.

From the moment Evelyn steps into the manor, things go sideways. The staff are cold, the locals are terrified, and her husband Peter morphs into a walking red flag. Oh, and there’s the small matter of ghost children giggling in the halls, fog full of wailing spirits, and dreams featuring her dead mother’s face. Cozy!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Quill & Crow

A horrific haunted house story! The writing style reminded me a bit of classic literature with sophisticated words and old-fashioned style. It for very much with the setting and time period described. The story was great- slow-moving but constantly developing and the ending was grotesquely satisfying if not a bit sad. The only reason I didn’t rate it 5 stars was because the ending of the epilogue left me confused.

This was such a wonderful gothic read, eerie and suspenseful.

It started slow for me and a bit repetitive at times, but as the story naturally progressed, it was harder to put it down.
If you like historical settings and haunted houses, you will like this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Quill & Crow for the opportunity to read and review the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this gothic horror story. From the voices and laughs of children to the Lavender Lady this book had me wanting to finish it to see if Evelyn survived and figured out all the secrets that Blackthorn House had. And that epilogue! 😳
I will need to read more from Marie McWilliams.

This gothic/horror with supernatural elements followed Evelyn's "happy" marriage and subsequent truth of her husband and his family home and history. All she has to trust is her maid Lily (or does she?). This definitely had trigger warnings for abuse, violence, death (including suicide off page). The home, the atmosphere, is a character all it's own thought-out this book. And the end... that end. Glad I got to enjoy this book. True rating: 3.5

4.5 stars! The Secrets of Blackthorn House* was everything I want in a modern gothic mystery. I could not put it down and genuinely lost sleep over it. From the very first page it wraps you in a dark uneasy atmosphere that lingers long after you finish.

Blackthorn House is the perfect gothic setting. It feels alive with secrets and menace. The author does such a great job layering tension in every hallway and closed door. The creaks the shadows the strange silences all of it builds such an immersive sense of dread. I found myself holding my breath more than once waiting for something awful to be revealed.

The mystery is so well done with twists that genuinely surprised me and clues that kept me theorizing late into the night. The sense of danger is real and I loved how it mixed with the emotional stakes for the main character. Watching them untangle the past of Blackthorn House was as compelling as it was chilling.

This book hits all the gothic notes so well. Decay family secrets betrayals atmospheric writing and that beautiful tension between horror and grief. It is the kind of book that seeps into your bones. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves modern gothic fiction or just wants to be deliciously creeped out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this haunting gem.

The Secrets of Blackthorn House by Marie McWilliams
🗓️ Out 8/22/25
⭐️⭐️

Evelyn thought she married her happily ever after. A dreamy husband, a grand old house, a new life.

But the house has secrets.
Peter has secrets.
And Evelyn? She's not there to live the dream—she’s playing a role she never agreed to.

A beautifully written gothic horror with all the classic vibes. But the pace? Slow. And the spooky factor? Pretty mild. While others may find some “wow” moments, I found myself more “meh.” Gorgeous, moody prose—but a one-and-done read for me.

#BookReview #GothicHorror #BlackthornHouse #Bookstagram #BooksOfInstagram #BookLover #BookishThoughts #MoodyReads #BooktrovertInVT #SpookyBooks #FallReadingVibes #MarieMcWilliams

Gothic horror is my favorite genre ever. The cover is perfection and the book itself gives me all the gothic vibes I need. It's eerie and creepy and dark. I love it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. All opinons are my own.

"After a whirlwind romance, Evelyn is excited to start her new life with her husband, Peter. But when the sudden passing of Peter's uncle gives him the title Lord Black, along with the family's remote manor, Blackthorn House, she finds herself in the middle of the wild Yorkshire Moors, separated from the only life she has ever known. She quickly realizes something is wrong with Blackthorn House: children's laughter can be heard throughout the halls, the constant fog is full of wailing specters, and her dreams are haunted by an entity wearing her mother's corpse like a suit. Furthermore, her new husband has become a stranger to her, treating her with barely veiled disdain. Under the constant surveillance of the staff of Blackthorn House, Evelyn struggles to find answers. Unable to gain any insight from the frightened locals in the nearby village, Evelyn and her trusted servant, Lilly, must seek answers from the dead. They learn that the Black family has long kept a dark and terrible secret. A secret that threatens both of their lives and, now, the life of Evelyn's unborn baby. A secret involving a bargain paid in blood."

Like, well, everything here, everything is what I love about this book.

I got an ARC from NetGalley. Overall, I liked this book.
-Gothic mystery ✅️
-Norse mythology ✅️
-Blood and gore ✅️

I did feel that, at times, the dialogue was stilted and didn't ring true. I also wished for the MC to be little stronger. But overall, a fun read!

The Secrets of Blackthorn House is a dark, twisty, ghost story, perfect for fall. For those who love suspense, and don’t mind some gore; a book you may need to read with alllll the lights on. The writing is beautiful, tension builds expertly, and you want Evelyn to succeed at every turn. With characters and mysteries to solve, readers will devour this book!

This book is like a classic style gothic horror, weaving a mysterious and pervasive sense of dread as new bride Evelyn finds herself trapped in the remote, ominous Blackthorn House. Here, her dreams are haunted, and her new husband turns cold, revealing a terrifying family secret involving a blood bargain. The oppressive atmosphere and Evelyn's growing helplessness are perfectly portrayed, creating a gripping read that delves into toxic relationships and leaves you utterly captivated.

What I Loved:

Spooky Gothic Vibes: The author absolutely nailed the eerie, unsettling atmosphere. The descriptions of Blackthorn House and the surrounding Yorkshire Moors were incredibly vivid, making me feel like I was right there in the fog-laden, haunted halls. It's the kind of creepy ambiance that truly pulls you into a gothic tale.

Writing Style: Beautiful and richly detailed. It had a classic feel that perfectly suited the genre, making the story feel both timeless and deeply immersive.

Felt Like I Was Reading a Classic: This book genuinely evoked the feeling of reading a gothic masterpiece from decades past. It hit all the right notes for the genre, from the isolated manor to the vulnerable heroine and the pervasive sense of dark secrets.

What Was Just Okay:

It was a really slow read, definitely took me some time to push through. While the slow burn contributed to the oppressive atmosphere, there were moments where the pacing felt a bit sluggish. I understood it was meant to convey the protagonist's exhaustion and limited options, but it did require a bit more patience to get through certain sections.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

I do enjoy a good atmospheric gothic, however, this fell flat. Far too much purple prose and unnecessary description. It was the same thing over and over.

I do enjoy a rip roaring Gothic historical novel replete with ghosts, isolated manor houses, vulnerable but feisty Victorian heroines, who muster their nerve along with their crinolines and fight back at the eleventh hour after being haunted, maltreated or just had horrible things happen to them. So this novel from Marie McWilliams looked like it would tick all my Gothic horror wanna be reader boxes - manor house in Yorkshire, way out on the moors, mists and fogs, child ghosts, long eerie corridors filled with creepy oil paintings, cold housekeeper and villagers who know something but won't tell for fear of death, a beastly husband with a family secret so dark and terrible it will destroy the heroine, and as well the bonus of a strong female friendship and alliance across the classes, in this case between the bride Evelyn and her orphaned maid, Lucy.
So far so good and Gothicky, but then ... it started to lose my interest, come unstuck with chunks of exposition and description, and the way the characters didn't lift off the page. It got bogged down in all all the Gothic tropes but didn't fight its way out to shine its own unique light. It started sadly to become cliche and dull, and at times very very slow.
There is a much more vibrant novel in there I felt, and saw glimpses of, but in the end for me, it was a routine, rather by rote, run of the mill Gothic yarn with no big surprises or heft.

3.25! ⭐ After moving to a remote manor on the Yorkshire Moors, Evelyn’s dream life quickly unravels into a nightmare. The halls echo with ghostly laughter, the ever-present fog hides something sinister, and her once-loving husband has grown distant. As Evelyn digs into the Black family’s disturbing past, she begins to realize that her new life may come at a deadly cost.

This book delivered the spooky, gothic vibes I was craving amid lighter summer reads. The atmosphere was incredibly well done—Marie McWilliams paints a vivid picture of a sprawling manor that somehow feels claustrophobic, with Evelyn constantly under watch. The writing style and language really immersed me in the eerie setting.

That said, I struggled to fully connect with the story. Even though I enjoyed it, something held me back from loving it. The pacing felt uneven and, at times, repetitive. There were moments of big reveals, but little follow-through, and much of the book involved Evelyn aimlessly wandering the house. I also felt that key plot points and character motivations were revealed too quickly, which left little room for mystery or suspense.

Still, I really enjoyed the ending and felt it tied everything together and gave the story the payoff it needed. I’d definitely be open to reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quill & Crow for the ARC!