3.5 stars. Beautiful cover and great title. Unfortunately this doesn't get good until about 40%. If you can stick with it that long it really is a disturbing story. The romance between Mila and Roe is definitely secondary to the bog horror. Roe is a good person but he cries all the time. Mila is brave but very reactionary and aggressive. This is a small town horror and kind of a creature feature. If it weren't for the poor beginning this would be a higher star rating for me. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

This story just wasn't for me. Didn't enjoy the characters and found it too repetitive. I had really high hopes based on the title and the cover art but unfortunately this one didn't click with me.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a lover of Southern Gothic horror I really am so disappointed with this read. The writing was unbelievably clunky, and no time at all was given to actually devleop the world or plot. All that was provided was repetitive descriptions of the town and the woods. Simple descriptions of atmosphere are not enough to actually make a reader invested in the story. In terms of character this book also fell extremely flat. No one really got any time to establish an actual personality or any kind of relationship dynamic to the lead character. The protagonist was not fun to read about and the first person POV did her no favours. The plot felt confused and the pacing was erratic at best. I'm so upset and I really wish this was better, but what I thought was a moody, adult horroromance was just sloppy teen drama at best.

I like how Teagan showed the depth of the characters, and how they showed emotion. I love how this book depicted empathy, and depression, trauma, and loss. The book teaches you that no matter how scary or hard something is, you dont give up, especially on someone you love. I enjoyed the story and it kept my attention, I felt for Roe and Mila. They're relatable characters. This book was very descriptive, I could picture the bog and the creatures. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

This was fun! A supernatural summer horror set in a small town that sits on a large bog. I loved the descriptions of the bog as a character in the novel. A living entity that can feel pain, sorrow and sadness. The author did a good job creating a sense of dread that grew as the story progressed. This was fast-paced and tackled a lot of themes such as generational trauma, religion, and power. The romance subplot was able to move at the same pace as the main plot and added to the story. The only things I didn't like was that Mila’s temper was very hot and cold which was confusing, and I wish the religious aspect was more fleshed out. 
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

I really enjoyed this story! The beginning sets up a very spooky setting and the story only gets better from there. I appreciated the hint and not only horror and mystery, but romance too!

I think the author did a really great job of showing how easily people can be corrupted and just follow in the footsteps of their family or the ones they believe hold power. I appreciated the variety of ways that the different characters handled the trauma they had experienced and were going through.

My ONLY complaints are that it was a little predictable overall and the middle got a little fuzzy. I knew who the bad guy was right off the bat and there weren’t a lot of twists and turns which could have been fun. The middle was a little bleh for me and I had a little trouble concentrating at times but when it comes together in the end it’s all worth it.

Spit Back the Bones is a deliciously atmospheric story centered around a bog, a curse, and a very angry girl. As a Michigan native, I loved a story that is rooted in our beautiful upper peninsula with a dark twist and small-town vibes.

This book starts out with quite a lot of swearing; there's references to smoking weed and drinking alcohol; there's also quite a bit of religious trauma and a poor mother-daughter relationship...so if those are triggers, beware.

I was a bit worried about how the religious piece was going to read, but I know there are some bad pastors out there and some congregations that don't live the Bible purely. King did a good job using scripture in a way that showed the perversion of scripture and how religion can be wielded as a weapon in a realistic way.

Mila's anger at times felt realistic, and at other times it seemed to come out of nowhere. In some ways, I think that's realistic to teens (I remember often thinking about punching people in the throat...but it was never an actual thing I'd do, so her thinking about it frequently felt familiar but I'm not sure it translated on page super well). There was also quite a bit of repetition of phrases and feelings that for an adult book felt childish, however I think this sort of toes the line between YA and New Adult.

It's pitched as a horromance, but I felt the romance was underdeveloped for claiming it as in the romance genre. It read more of an underdeveloped secondary plot. Had it not been brought to the forefront as a type of romance, I'd have been a lot happier with it. It wasn't bad, Roe is super sweet and totally rooting for him and Mila, but I wanted more.

This horror romance is filled with tough subjects and tough characters that were relatable. This book brings up topics of trauma, religion, and ones dealing with greif. This book was one of a kind.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley, with the understanding that I would provide an honest review.

I have given this book a three-star rating, as I believe it holds considerable potential, although the writing could benefit from some editing to improve the flow. Additionally, the frequent repetition of the main character's thoughts became somewhat tiresome.

While I appreciated the plot's twists and turns, I felt that certain aspects were somewhat rushed.

This was my first experience with a horror book, and I enjoyed it enough to consider exploring the genre further in the future

A horror romance? Sign me right up asap every time. Although for this one I do think the romance was very backseat to the horror. Which isn't an issue but I think some people might see the horror romance tag and expect it more 50/50. That being said this was more character based than horror as well.

It worked well as it was a mix of trauma based, human centered issues and actual outside forces competing but sometimes it was a little predictable on the plot. The book does toe the line between YA and New Adult. But honestly it was good like that I thought. Sort of a bridge between the two because sometimes they can go in extremes in either direction. And the way the more adult based scenes were thrown in here and there definitely left an impression.

This is the second horror based book I've read recently that is situated in a bog and I just cannot get enough of bogs. Although same as the last I immediately want to run and watch the Woman in Black again lol.

Very small town, very 'what secrets are being kept here,' very bleak vibes. The use of several senses when describing the setting gave you a very... itchy reaction. I dunno maybe it was just me but it was a good kind of, 'ew gross that's creepy and now I'm itchy,' type of thing.

The characters were fun, but our MFC was a bit much at times. And I will admit that I often have an issue with the way MFCs are written, meaning I often times find them hard to like. This one was no different. It worked at times and at others times I wanted to swat her with her own book.

All in all a good book and a pretty quick read. Enjoyed it a lot on a warm evening outside.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Spit Back the bones is an exquisitely captivating horror that sucks you in from the first page and holds your attention all the way til the end. It is beautiful, Mysterious and heartbreaking.
“That there in the bog, she knows the path home”

Mila Thomas is a woman misunderstood. She loves her family deeply but has experienced heartbreak that no one should. Her brother disappeared, her grandma has passed, her mother is a drunk and her sister is missing.While Mila has returned home in search of her sister she is faced with dealing with her feelings for the man she loves Roe. As they work together to deal with the secrets of last summer they start to unearth the mystery around the Thomas Bog and how it both of there families are more intertwined then they ever thought.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This book absolutely wrecked me in the best way. It’s dark and emotional, but also full of love — the kind that sticks with you. You can feel how personal it is, especially with how it honours the author’s brother.

The story follows Mila, whose brother disappeared years ago. Now her sister’s missing too, and the town’s creepy bog might have answers. The atmosphere? Perfection. So eerie and beautiful at the same time. It’s got that mix of horror, grief, religious trauma, and mystery that just pulls you in and doesn’t let go.

Mila’s anger and bravery felt so real — I loved her. The women in this book were so strong and unforgettable. And Roe… he was such a soft, sweet contrast to all the darkness. The romance was gentle and slow, never overpowering, just enough.

The plot kept me guessing the whole way through, and the writing matched the tone so well — simple at times, then suddenly dark and raw. A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher! I’m honestly so glad I got an ARC!

I immensely enjoyed Teagan Olivia King's debut. The atmosphere she created in SPIT BACK THE BONES was stellar--I truly felt like I was in the bog with the characters. On that note, I also enjoyed Mila and Roe's stories. Mila's grief, her anger at being unaccepted in her own community, her need for belonging were all palatable. Roe's own complexity too was touching. King clearly knows how to craft characters and narrative. Though like several debut books I've read lately, the pacing feels more like YA than adult horror, but this opinion is more of a personal perception than a default on the book's part.. What was strongest, in my opinion, were the third-person POV chapters from the bog--I was captivated by the way she wrote from such an interesting perspective! Overall, this debut shows extreme potential for King's writing going forward.

haunting and ominous book. i love bog horrors, i love horrormances, all that, so i was so hyped to get it and it did not disappoint. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

A gripping story just dripping in all the eerie things. I'm not normally a horror reader, but the tender romance buried in the rotting carcass of this story kept me going.
It seems to be impossible to write a Southern Gothic bog/swamp story without demonizing entire churches, which I don't think is quite fair to the subculture. I would love to see a more fair representation in a story like this someday.

Spit back the bones
Teagan Olivia King
Ebook edition
4⭐️

This book was so poetic, so descriptive - I felt like I was there.

I had a great time reading this book, it was jam packed with action, mystery with a touch of thriller and romance splashed in.

There were many twist and turns throughout the book and I didn’t not see the ending coming. I loved the whole connecting to the dead - I really thought it brought Mila closer to her family.

There are many shocks within this book 👀 but I’m so glad for a specific someone…

Amazing work!

Just the right amount of creepy to keep me hooked. Not my usual brand of book but couldn't put it down once I started

Mila-May Thomas regresa a su pueblo natal, Credence Hollow, con la esperanza de reparar los pedazos rotos de su familia tras la desaparición de su hermano Jed años atrás. Pero apenas pone un pie en casa, descubre que su hermana Agatha también ha desaparecido, y nadie, ni la policía, ni su madre, ni el reverendo local parece tomarlo en serio. A medida que los recuerdos de un cuerpo resucitado y voces de los muertos que ha intentado enterrar resurgen, Mila se ve obligada a enfrentar una verdad oscura: el pantano que rodea su infancia no solo guarda secretos… los consume.

Es una novela de horror gótico contemporáneo que mezcla trauma familiar, crítica religiosa, brujería heredada y la podredumbre del pasado que se niega a quedarse enterrado.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

I have not been in the mood for a horror romance as of late so I'm unable to give a full review in the time limit of receiving this arc.

What I will say, I did read the first three chapters and did enjoy the writing and suspense!

I will be going back to this and due to that, will not be submitting my Goodreads review until I give it it's full chance.

Spit Back the Bones is a chilling and beautifully written debut that blends horror, mystery, and emotional depth in a way that lingers long after the final page. Teagan Olivia King crafts a vivid, eerie atmosphere around the Thomas Bog, where grief and secrets fester just beneath the surface. Mila’s journey through loss, family trauma, and supernatural danger is both heart-wrenching and empowering. With poetic prose and slow-burning suspense, this horror romance is perfect for fans of Midnight Mass and gothic storytelling. A stunning debut that promises great things from King