3.5⭐️ - it delivers both dark and cosy vibes somehow!

Think gothic themes, haunted house, FMC with a traumatic past, broody MMC, and supernatural elements (monsters!).

It kept me entertained even if the promise didn’t fully match what A Heart so Haunted delivers, namely cosy feeling in a gothic romance theme, which can be quite confusing. However, there’s depth to FMC Laudry, and her story has layers. It starts slow and plot only starts plotting towards the end, maybe last 25-30%? Hollie Nelson writing created a moody atmosphere, and the author touches on dark themes. The romance feels both easy and complex, but overall very cute, which is what confused me - perhaps my expectations were slightly wrong.

Overall, I had a good time but it wasn’t my favourite cosy read. It’s probably more of of a me problem than the book though.

I do love a ghostly love story. Something about the hopefulness and the tragedy gets me. I knew I wanted to read this instantly. While it is probably exactly the length it needs to be I can’t help but wish it were longer so I could savour the sweetness and the sorrow a bit more. I hope this gets picked up for a special edition!

Landry’s (the main character) life has had very few highs. He mother is a narcissistic drug addict, her father barely acknowledges her existence, she has an eating disorder brought on by a helpless need for control, a town of people who only know the story spun by the ex who SAed her, and now the aunt who provided the occasional safe space has passed away. Landry inherits it all and now finds herself with an old historic fixer-upper that constantly reminds her of her loss. Desperate to restore it and sell as quickly as possible her friend and half-sister come to help. But the house is haunted by a man/monster bound to it by the horrors he’s endured. When they encounter each other by chance, she promises to help him and thus sparks the unfolding of their traumas as they help each other move in the right direction regardless of the tragic separation that will likely be the result. I got CHOKED UP. I hope we will see more from this author.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

A Heart So Haunted by Hollie Nelson is dark in a way that I didn’t entirely appreciate. I couldn’t buy the romance & eventually started skimming at around 50%.

This was giving Dark fantasy romance. somewhat mosterish romance? A SLOWWW burn for sure. We have a lot of trauma rep in the story and a lot of healing throughout the story. This is great for those wanting a modern gothic story. It started off so slow unfortunately and i was so ready to DNF but about a third of the way things started to pick up. I loved how atmospheric the setting was. Landry is left her aunts estate. She plans to renovate and sell but obviously things dont go as planned. A little boy crying for his mom, and a horned demon like creature roaming the house. Things get crazy and there is a ton of trauma dumping in flashbacks. the romance was very different but good. I never have read something like this and i liked it but the slow burn killed me and all the trauma dumping. i feel like there was not alot of action. i had a hard time keeping my attention to the story

Listen, Don't Look Under the Bed was one of my absolute favorite movies when I was a kid. And a haunted house book is always good.

So when this blurb gave off heavy haunted house meets thing under the bed but like in a romantic way, I was sold. (Larry was one of my first crushes after all)

This was definitely more trauma and character based than I was expecting. When you're told the MFC has it bad, just everything is bad always. But the horror/ paranormal romance were definitely there. It was long enough to really dive into that trauma and how the characters were shaped by it, then grew from it and used that to give us a very slow burn. It was more light on the monster aspect but rereading the blurb after the fact it makes sense. There was a definite atmospheric aspect to this book that I feel is even more important in a house based story. Overall it was a slightly spooky cute read that made you sad.

Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove for the earc.

This book was okay. It felt a little bit flat and it was not that interesting to read. And the pacing of pretty slow to me.

I just expected more than was what delivered on this one. I think if I went into it blind, I would’ve liked it more! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you so kindly to Alcove Press and NetGalley for this advanced complimentary copy!

I unfortunately made my first time mistake in not noting the archive date, only the publication date, of this release. I missed downloading to promote prior to release day but I am sending this to give you my word I will read my already preordered copy in order to edit and resubmit with my review. I learned a valuable lesson to immediately send every ARC to the Kindle. I have never had this happen and apologize profusely.

I will be reviewing immediately upon reading!

The synopsis was giving dark romance, but the story itself just felt way too drawn out and dull.

Would’ve loved this idea if it was developed in a different way. The characters were hard for me to like, I wish that they were less frustrating/pity party-ish.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Alcove Press for a copy!

This was a different read for me. An I loved it!
I could not put it down, I will absolutely be reading more by this author and of this type of book. I will be recommending it and also to those who don’t read this type of book, because I know they will love it too

This is my first time reading something like this - more so a thriller, scary paranormal / trauma related story than anything. And wow, it did NOT disappoint one bit.

Landry, the fmc, has suffered. A lot. Her childhood was not the greatest, and she had horrible encounters through high school with her boyfriend at the time, both of which led to disordered eating throughout her life.

She takes in the home of her deceased aunt, only for it to be haunted. And this isn’t a typical haunting; it is so in depth, very different. No spoilers, but it’s good. A boy crying for his mom, a horned beast with claws, a creepy doorway to… something? Horrible scenes of past trauma not only for the boy, but for Lan herself.

This book had me captivated for a very, very long time. I was not ever bored. In fact, I was constantly yelling at it because some of the characters made me so angry for the fmc herself, and for the mmc as well. You ever wanna go to war for a character? Yea… I would.

Falling for a monster hiding under your bed? That’s one thing. But saving him? Doesn’t always end as planned.

A Heart So Haunted is an emotional, beautifully written romance that had me hooked from the first chapter. Hollie Nelson delivers a story full of raw emotion, vulnerability, and second chances, and I found myself deeply invested in the characters’ journey.

The heroine’s strength and resilience are inspiring, and the hero’s complexity adds so much depth to the narrative. Their chemistry feels authentic and electric without overshadowing the emotional weight of the story. The haunting past that lingers between them is handled with care, giving the book an undercurrent of tension that kept me turning the pages late into the night.

Nelson’s writing is lyrical yet grounded, and the setting adds an atmospheric quality that perfectly matches the tone. If you enjoy emotional, slow-burn romance with heartfelt themes of love and healing, A Heart So Haunted is a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw this book was being advertised as Ashley Poston meets A House with Good Bones, I was so excited. I'm a huge fan of Poston and Kingfisher. Unfortunately, I think the book is being very mismarketed. The summary makes you think this is some type of monster romance, but the monster is just a dude who sometimes looks like a monster. The house barely does anything. I figured with a T. Kingfisher comp there would be some horror aspects and there really aren't any. I can understand the Poston comparisons more, however I didn't get that deep connection to the characters I would need to hit that high of a level.

Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is bad in Landry's life. And it's bad in an over the top kind of way that gets in the way of the parts of the story that the author is trying to keep grounded. Landry grew up with a mother who neglected her to the point that it was abuse and who is now a terrible force in her life, her father emotionally neglected her, her ex-boyfriend was abusive, she has an eating disorder, her aunt, who she loved dearly, just died. For a book that's only 340 pages long, this is so much to try and work through. This also really messes up the pacing of the book, because for a large chunk Landry doesn't want to do anything about it, so she's in this holding pattern that is dragging to read about and the plot is also barebones, so there isn't any momentum to grab onto. In fact, Landry doesn't want to push the plot forward either because of what will happen when it comes to a close.

The romance with Hadrian didn't work for me. They really don't share much time together on page, so I never got invested. Hadrian doesn't really even show up fully until way too far into the book.

The author also is definitely trying to find something profound to say, but a lot of the time either it's something that is trite or something that doesn't make sense. At one point the book was trying to parallel three different characters to say something about anger and hurt, but the context for each person was so different that it actually becomes kind of offensive.

Finally, I kept getting distracted by the writing. The author does feel like they are taking influence from Ashley Poston in style, but a lot of phrasing is clunky. There is also an overuse of similes and metaphors. There were so many times where I would read one and it would just completely knock me out of the story because it would just be weird.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I really wanted to like it, but it ended up falling flat.

Primero de todo quiero agradecer tanto a la autora Hollie, como a Netgalley y a Alcove Press por la oportunida de leer este libro antes que nadie, la verdad es que era una de mis lecturas más anticipadas de la época spooky/halloween, pero por desgracia este libro no ha sido para mí.

Quiero ser completamente honesta con esta reseña así que debo empezar diciendo que este género no es el que suelo leer, aunque me gusta siempre ir buscando libros nuevos y adaptarme a nuevos gustos, por eso pillé esta super oportunidad. Llevaba siguiendo a la autora bastante tiempo y prometía muchísimo.

Y ahora ya con el libro en general. La trama principal empieza con Landry y la pérdida de su tía, heredando una casa lo que viene a ser encantada y teniendo que remoderlarla para su posterior venta. Esto me llamó mucho la atención, cómo narra la casa, el espacio, las vibes,... era justo lo que estaba buscando y de hecho ese tono spooky/thriller/mini jumpscare lo tenía 100%; sin embargo mediante va avanzando la historia va perdiendo el hilo. Con esto me refiero a que en casi todo el inicio (y sin el casi- 100ish páginas) el libro se narra solamente al rededor de la remodelación de la casa, la madre de Landry (que me cae fatal btw) y los diversos problemas que va encontrando. Para ser un libro con una premisa bastante simple que no necesita una explicación o una introducción exagerada, este pega de ello.

Otra cosa que no me ha gustado y que ha sido la razón principal para dejar el libro al 35% es la protagonista. He intentado entender a Landry, el dolor que puede conllevar perder a una persona tan querida y el no poder haberse despedido de ella, etc; pero su actitud frente no solo sus amigos si no su hermana, el poco desarrollo o trasfondo que se me muestra y la soberana inmadurez que me trae en muchos aspectos ha sido la principal razón que no haya podido empatizar con ella.
Sobre todo lo que más me ha fallado de su personaje (y que suelo verlo ya habitualmente) es que por mucho que un FMC o MMC tenga traumas, lo esté pasando mal,... no hace que este tenga el trasfondo suficiente como para de alguna manera poder justificar sus acciones. Necesito ver facetas de estos, y Landry no me ha mostrado nada. Además, creo que estaría bien poner en la lista de TW el hecho de que la protagonista tiene anorexia o una rama de esta, hay lectores/as que pueden verse afectados negativamente si están leyendo el libro sin preaviso.
En conclusión, me parecen que en general los personajes presentados hasta este punto son bastante superficiales.

Algo positivo que quiero recalcar y que he agradecido bastante es que el libro es muy fácil de leer, la autora narra muy bien, no utiliza un vocabulario má complicado de lo necesario, no se hace aburrido ni pesado. Los capítulos se leen solos y eso hizo sobre todo que llegara a leer tanto sobre el libro aún teniendo un mal sabor de boca con los personajes o algunos aspectos de la trama.
Sin ninguna duda si la autora saca otro libro que sea de un género más romántico o fantástico le daría una oportunidad 100% como lectura ligera para, por ejemplo, el verano o época de exámenes. La facilidad para leer un libro y poder estar dentro de él tan facilmente es algo que realmente valoro con creces.

Lo que sí me ha gustado, como ya he dicho, son las vibes que podemos ver en el libro. Si te gusta el género creo que es perfecto para leer en octubre! No dudes en cogerlo y probar a leerlo.
Obvio quiero recalcar que esta es MI opinión personal tras haber leído parte de AHSH!

______

(eng)
First of all, I want to thank Hollie, NetGalley, and Alcove Press for the chance to read this book early. Honestly, it was one of my most anticipated reads for spooky season/hlloween but unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me.

I want to be completely honest with this review so I must start saying that this isn’t a genre I usually read. I like to push myself to try new books and adapt to new tastes. I’ve been following the author for a while and her work sounded really promising:))

Now, about the book itself. The main plot starts with Landry and the loss of her aunt, inheriting a (haunted-ish) house that she has to remodel before selling it. This immediately caught my attention! the way the house, the space, the vibes are described… it was exactly what I was looking for. That spooky/thriller/mini-jumpscares vibes was definitely there 100% and i ejoyed reading it. But as the story went on it started losing me. By this I mean that for almost the whole beginning (and not just almost...around 100ish pages) the book is mostly focused on the remodeling of the house, Landry’s mom (who is a viper btw), and all the little problems she faces. For a book with such a simple premise that doesn’t really need all that explications, it dragged me out of the reading.

Another thing that didn’t work for me (and honestly the main reason I stopped reading around 35%) was the main character. I tried to understand Landry, the grief of losing someone so dear, not being able to say goodbye, etc... her attitude tho... not only toward her friends but especially her sister, plus the lack of real depth or background, and her immaturity in so many aspects made it impossible for me to connect with her.
What really didn’t work for me about her (and I see this happening more often lately) is that just because an FMC or MMC has trauma that doesn’t magically give their character enough depth to justify their actions. I need to see more layers, and Landry didn’t show me any. Oh, and I think it would be VERY important to include a TW stating that the FMC struggles with some type of anorexya, because some readers could be negatively affected if they go in without warning.
Overall, the characters I met up to the point where I stopped felt very surface-level.

Something positive I really want to highlight is how easy the book is to read. The author writes very smoothly, she doesn’t overcomplicate the language, and it never feels heavy or boring. The chapters flow quickly, and that’s honestly the only reason I managed to read as much as I did, even while not enjoying the characters or some parts of the plot. TBH if the author writes another book in a more romantic or fantasy genre I would 100% give it a try as a light read for summer or exam season. That easy to dive into writing style is something I really value!!

And like I said, I did enjoy the vibes the book gives off. If you’re into this genre, I think it’s the perfect October read!
Definitely give it a try if it calls to you.
Obviously, this is just MY personal opinion after reading part of AHSH!

3.5 Stars
A Heart So Haunted is an atmospheric and eerie debut that blends gothic suspense with unsettling family secrets. The setting of Harthwait House is vividly drawn, with its creaking floors, lurking shadows, and a sense of dread that lingers throughout. I really enjoyed the haunting atmosphere and the way the story unfolded, keeping me curious about the mysteries at its core. That said, while I liked the concept and the writing, it wasn’t a book I felt completely swept away by. Still, it’s a strong debut that will appeal to fans of gothic tales filled with secrets, shadows, and slow-building tension.

Thank you to Net Galley and Alcove Press for the ARC. I've been wanting to get more into gothic fiction, so I was excited for this book. Alas, it feels like nothing much is really happening, and the story was just too slow to interest me.

This book has everything you need, traumatized characters, monsters, a love that works perfectly but wasn't supposed to be. I loved his book is was haunted and cute at the same time. Would defiantly read again.

This book was seriously messing with my head in the best way!

Landry inherits this super creepy Harthwait House, and from day one, the suspense is palpable. Slamming doors, midnight crying – it's all leading to this hidden door where she finds a trapped monster. The tension is insane!

But here's the twist: she makes a deal with him, and their connection is so unexpected. This isn't just a spooky house; it's a gothic, twisted romance where the monster might not be the real threat. If you love high-stakes suspense, deep secrets, and a truly unconventional love story that keeps you guessing, you NEED to read this.

A Heart So Haunted is a lush, eerie gothic where grief collides with desire and the monster under the floorboards might just steal your heart. Hollie Nelson’s debut drips with atmosphere as a haunted house renovation unearths secrets, nightmares, and an unexpected romance between a wary woman and the creature she sets free. Perfect for fans of Ashley Poston and A House with Good Bones, this is a tender, terrifying love story wrapped in shadows.

I really enjoyed this book.

It’s packed full of trauma past and present! I feel like it was a metaphor for unpacking your demons!

Landry is a troubled adult who went through a lot as a child and teenager. She struggles with the past and also the present with her own self worth. A lot of her past collides with her present when her aunts died and she has to battle through renovations and selling of the house.

The house is no ordinary house and Landry has quite a battles her has to go through that as well.

I loved reading this. It unpacks a lot of emotion but also suspense within the pages.