This was definitely different! I love the building and the suspense that the author develops and spends time explaining each character separately and then cements them perfectly!

This was the hallmark of horror romances and I mean that is the best possible way. The main character returns to the small town she ran away from after inheriting a house to find that is is haunted by a beastly creature (beauty and the beast vibes) that turns into a handsome ghost. Through some trial and tribulation they fall in love and while fighting to save the house his curse is broken and he leaves. When she finally gives up hope he returns for them to hopefully live happily ever after? I hope there is a sequel to this book or a story for Emma or Sayer so we can see what happens next. It was just such a good read.

What I loved here was the easy narrative style that kept me turning the pages. The story unfolds, and from the very first chapter you NEED to know what’s really going on at Harthwait. That being said, there were moments where the prose left me scratching my head a bit. Only moments.. but at times it was first-draft-y. Working around some of these clunky moments that I wish I could have circled with a red pen and moved on from, the actual romance plot line is VERY cute. I think Romance-genre fans might wish for more in the romance department, but I thought the Beauty and the Beast vibes were just darling. Would actually have loved more of the romance which means a lot coming from me. The romance plot points are usually my least favorite.. here they were the strength. Could have used more! As it was, spending less time on their relationship than I would have liked, I didn’t end up feeling all the feels in the end.

I felt like the house (Harthwait) could have been even more of a main character. I believe that was the intention, but I would have loved to go darker and deeper. What glimpses we got of the old house’s “quirks” were evocative and very fun in a gothic-vibes sort of way. I want more of that!

This story has good bones. The romance has good gothic fairytale vibes. Would love to see it fleshed out a bit more but perhaps that’s not the intention here. As it stands it is a fast and very fun read. Reach for this one if you’re looking for something fun, quick, adorable, and haunting.

Review will be shared at https://www.instagram.com/readandrepeet/ on September 20 2025.

A Heart So Haunted was super enjoyable! I liked the gothic vibes with the haunted house and exploration of grief/loss. Plus there's a monster with a curse to break which is a bonus. This felt like a combination of Beauty & the Beast and the movie "Your Monster".

The best parts of this book were the characters and the gothic setting. Landry was relatable and felt very real. Hadrian was mysterious and kept me intrigued. Their late night talks were everything! I couldn't get enough scenes with these two. The relationship blossoms naturally and is very romantic.

I did have issues with the magical elements of the story. Hadrian's curse and the magic surrounding it was a little confusing at times and perhaps seemed a bit underdeveloped. The pacing towards the end also seemed rushed. As this is the author's debut, I'm confident that this will get better in the next book.

Another positive for the book was the exploration of grief. Both characters have very moving moments dealing with loss/grief that I felt tug at my heartstrings. I also liked that they helped each other through dark times and learned to heal.

An enjoyable gothic romance that I think many monster romance and Beauty & the Beast lovers will devour.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this opportunity to read, rate and review this arc which will be available wide 10/21/25.

Ok so this was the weirdest book I have ever read and I’ve read some weird books. But not in a bad way. It is so freaking unique that I cannot put into words how much it weirded me out.

It deals with heavy emotions and situations that I suggest you mind the triggers as there are many. Landry is a deeply flawed person in need of therapy. And a hug. She’s been thru it. Hadrian would be the best book boyfriend if he weren’t the thing haunting the house.

I am confused by this book. I’m totally going to buy it though because even though I am confused I did truly enjoy it.

gothic, well done monster romance that's really well done and interesting. the plotlines are great and the setting is fantastic. the romance sizzles, too. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Rating up on this because I think the premise/plot is great and this type of book is very much my cup of tea.

This will prove to be a wonderful autumnal read (I'm already craving the more gothic, spooky vibes!). I think, thematically, this book examines real grief, and the use of the house to explore, while not novel in concept, is done really well here. It felt quite slow to start, and I think the pacing, particularly the latter half of the book, contradicted the first half. But I adored the characters, The relationships and the romance had depth but were also light and accessible. Overall, I would recommend this book. despite the things I've noted above.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the digital advanced copy of A Heart So Haunted by Hollie Nelson. This review reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

After the sudden death of her aunt, Landry returns to her hometown—a place haunted by memories of an abusive mother and a toxic ex-boyfriend. Landry has spent years punishing herself for not being stronger, isolating herself from friends, and guarding her heart. Her goal is to renovate her aunt’s old house to put it on the market. However, the house holds a secret of its own: a dark spirit, Hadrian, is trapped within, reliving his own painful past. As their stories intertwine, both must confront the true monsters in their lives in hopes of finding peace.

From the start, I was intrigued by the novel’s premise. It promised a Beauty and the Beast-style romance wrapped in a thoughtful exploration of complex trauma and its devastating effects on one’s well-being. However, I was ultimately disappointed. A Heart So Haunted presents a semi-engaging but meandering plot that never fully develops. I was left unsatisfied and wishing for more emotional weight.

The cast of characters is initially appealing and likable. Landry’s relationship with her sister, Emma, stood out as one of the stronger emotional threads, but it was underexplored. Their arc felt unfinished, with key developments either glossed over or resolved too subtly between the lines. Similarly, the love story between Landry and Hadrian lacked depth. Important moments in their connection seemed to occur off-page, leaving me confused and disconnected. As a reader, I felt excluded from the emotional beats that should have grounded Landry’s transformation.

On a more successful note, Landry’s interactions with her mother and ex-boyfriend were emotionally resonant. Nelson portrays abusers with nuance, avoiding one-dimensional villainy and instead presenting them as deeply flawed individuals shaped by their own unresolved pain.

This novel, like a house, has strong bones but lacks the detailed craftsmanship needed to create a cohesive story. In stories involving paranormal and magical elements, I expect clear rules—whether they’re overt or subtly implied through context. Unfortunately, I found myself increasingly frustrated as the house’s sentience and Hadrian’s curse felt inconsistent and loosely defined. For example, Hadrian’s ability to shift between monster and man, his interaction with the physical world, and even his ability to leave the house were all confusing and insufficiently explained. These magical inconsistencies undermined the internal logic of the story, making the supernatural elements feel more like convenient plot devices than integral parts of the world-building.

At its heart, though, this book is about trauma—and that’s where it finds its strongest footing. In real life, trauma doesn’t resolve neatly, and Nelson captures that complexity with authenticity. Landry’s entire well-being is shaped by what happened in her past, and her healing hinges on reclaiming control over her life. A key part of that journey lies in her friendships, which made me wish the ending offered a more meaningful resolution to those relationships.

In the end, this novel felt like a blend of a Hallmark romance (woman renovates a house and falls in love with a ghost) and a Lifetime drama (woman returns home to confront painful memories). I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy those genres and are looking for a light, atmospheric read with darker undertones—but not to those seeking a deeply layered or tightly plotted narrative.

🖤 Bookish Thoughts
A Heart So Haunted is a slow burn romance... like very slow burn! The pacing was slower than I expected overall, but I still enjoyed the book. It picked up alot in the last 25%!

I mean, I’ll never say no to a gothic monster romance! This one is eerie, and would be a perfect pick for Spooky Season.

📖What to Expect
• Haunted house
• Monster Romance
• Grief and healing
• Gothic vibes
• Slow burn

📅 Pub Date: October 21, 2025
Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

A Heart So Haunted was my first book by Hollie Nelson. I thoroughly enjoyed Landry's story. It was an interesting and unique premise. I will be recommending A Heart So Haunted to my book club.

First of all, Laudry is living my dream of inheriting an old house to renovate lol. Haunted or not! 😂

This book was super cute, it was a super quick and easy read. Very very slow burn, I barely felt the burn at all lol but it was still a fun read to knock out in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.

Interesting concept! I did love how the beginning kinda set you on the edge and had you wondering if the house was really haunted. It felt a bit like a goosebumps book from when I was a kid. But after that the pacing felt pretty slow to me and I wish it had been a bit faster. Not my favorite book but I thought it was well written and could definitely be someone else’s cup of tea!

A Heart so Haunted by Hollie Nelson is a mix of broken hearts that tell the story of not just surviving any longer, but living. Landry inherits her aunt’s haunted Victorian home. She finds herself become familiar with the being that haunts the house while renovating it to sell. Mixed between monster and man, Hadrian is haunted by his past and his spirit cannot move on until he finds what he needs. Landry helps Hadrian, but they find themselves falling for each other while they search.

This story was interesting. Filled with heartbreak, betrayal, and tragedy. The story had me feeling for Landry as she navigated her ED (eating disorder), her addict mother, and grief of losing her aunt. While the story was slower and didn’t grip me fully, I did appreciate the haunting feeling that the author conveyed throughout the book. If you love Victorian gothic vibes, a good cry, and a romance that resists the boundaries of life and death then you will thoroughly enjoy this.

I enjoyed this book for the most part! I realized it wasn't for me; however, I can see a lot of people loving this. It had dark themes and was rather slow paced, but still atmospheric. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

i'm having a hard time rating this book, because i did like the premise. it wasn't a bad book, but i feel like this would've benefitted from another round of editing. the beginning of it was pretty slow, to get to an ending that felt like a literary whiplash. i feel like everything happened in that last section of the book, and i wish it had been more spread out.
regardless, i did enjoy the atmosphere a lot, and i did like the characters, so that's great!!
i just wish the pacing had been a little different.

This one is hard to rate, because I loved the story but there was so much build up that it felt like the story didn't really get to start until pretty far into the book. I don't mind a slower pacing, but this was a bit too much. However, I can see where someone else would really like that and could help build up the suspense for them, but not for me.

A captivating story! I read this in one sitting, as it was hard for me to set the book down. Parts of this book were equally frustrating as they were satisfying. I was really rooting for the heroine to succeed! A large part of this story is watching her learn to stand up for herself. It was refreshing to see her journey to see her earn confidence.

This really hit the spot for a moody, gothic romance. Landry inherits her aunt’s eerie old manor and finds a hidden door that leads to a version of the house filled with memories… and a cursed, yellow-eyed creature named Hadrian. He’s broody, thoughtful, and quietly vulnerable—and their slow burn connection was so lovely to watch unfold.

There’s a lot of darkness and past pain here, but also healing and comfort. Their late-night chats were my favourite parts—tender, honest, and beautifully written.

Some of the magical elements left me a little confused at times, but the atmosphere, the visuals, and the emotional depth made up for it. Definitely check the trigger warnings—it’s slow, haunting, and really heartfelt.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This novel hooked me with its unique premise. A haunted house, a trapped spirit, and a woman returning home to face her past. I loved the eerie atmosphere and the slow reveal of the house’s secrets, as well as the tender connection between Landry and Hadrian. Their shared journey of healing and trauma was moving and heartfelt.

However, the story sometimes felt uneven. The curse tying Hadrian to the house was never fully explained, and the supernatural rules felt inconsistent. Some side characters lacked depth, and the ending left me with more questions than answers, feeling more like a cliffhanger than a true conclusion.

Overall, it’s an atmospheric, character-driven story blending gothic horror vibes with a slow-burn romance and themes of healing. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy emotional, haunted house stories — just don’t expect all the loose ends to be tied up.

Unfortunately, this book fell really flat for me. The story never fully caught my attention and I felt like I had to force myself to finish.

The story dragged, the ending felt rushed, and the romance was lacking.