Thanks to Angry Robot Books and NetGalley for the preview. All opinions are my own.

Wow this was HAUNTING. This story is like Rebecca meets Crimson Peak meets The Skeleton Key. It’s gothic, atmospheric, and it gets a little more unhinged as you go further. It’s also completely bingeable; I would have absolutely finished it in one sitting if I hadn’t started it so late at night.

The story draws you in from the start, and the grip just tightens with each chapter. By the end you’ll be gasping for breath and a little sick from the lack of air. The house and its residents are so unsettling. And when the secrets are revealed, it’s somehow a little worse than you imagined. But the end is really satisfying.

Highly recommend for an ideal spooky season read.

CW: miscarriage

Our Gifted Hearts" is a thrilling and atmospheric gothic novel that masterfully retells the classic Bluebeard folk tale with a fresh, feminist twist. Jennifer Kennedy's writing is a delight, pulling you into a world filled with both eerie dread and powerful magic.
The novel follows Fortune Blyth, a compelling and resilient heroine who finds herself trapped in a marriage to a mysterious man on a secluded island. The author does an incredible job of building suspense, making you feel the constant tension and unease right alongside Fortune. The isolated, old-house setting is a character in itself—creepy, beautiful, and steeped in secrets.
What truly sets this book apart is its captivating blend of gothic horror and witchcraft. It's not just a story of a woman in peril; it's a story of her reclaiming her power and embracing her own "gifted" nature. The exploration of grief and self-forgiveness adds a deep, emotional layer that makes the story far more than just a spooky tale.
If you love a book that's both tense and emotionally resonant, with a strong female lead and a touch of the macabre, "Our Gifted Hearts" is a must-read. It’s a beautifully written and modern take on a timeless story that will stay with you long after you've finished the last page.

2.5**

I just wanted more from this book.

I went in thinking this book would be about a Devils bargain and witchcraft, and while there were some gothic and unsettling scenes, this book didn’t delve into the magic or into the Devils bargain (which I would’ve loved).

This was a very quick and easy read with some gothic scenes similar to Rebecca and Jane Eyre.

Our Gifted Hearts by Jennifer Kennedy
4.25 rounded down to 4🔮🔮🔮🔮 orbs
Est. Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025

I am but a mere oak tree, standing tall overlooking the graveyard of the previous residents of the Quickly house on this remote island. From where I stand, I also have an unimpeded view within the windows of the manor itself. The winds beat my branches as my seeds feed the flock of sparrows and crows nearby. The weather is bitterly cold as the fall season approaches, and from a distance, I can see a boat come ashore. Who is this, a beautiful young woman to grace the family's presence once more? Cutting through the bitter air, her name materializes as it reaches the base of my existence: Fortune Blythe. What brings this good fortune?

Jennifer Kennedy has written a marvelous tale in Our Gifted Hearts. Dripping with weepy emotions, readers are sure to love Fortune Blythe. Foolish and yet tenderhearted, she believed in the love of a man as a young teen. The result was an unwanted pregnancy and a subsequent encounter with a devil-like creature with whom she made a pact. We fast-forward and see Fortune living with her “Ma”; she has just witnessed the hanging of Rita Warren, a presumed witch, by the locals. The mob marches in angry protest and finds its way to Fortune’s home, with allegations and murder in mind. Sweeping through the door, Isaiah Quickly gives Fortune an option to marry him and run away to his remote island.

As Fortune enters through the doors of the Quickly house, a bird furiously flaps its wings to get her attention, as if to signal her of something. Of what? Friendship, a warning perhaps? I know this bird; it often feeds and sits upon my limbs. Its name is Purdie. Fortune has been blessed with the ability to befriend and communicate with birds. They gravitate towards her in a seemingly protective manner. Fortune discovers she is pregnant, and Isaiah, seemingly satisfied, decides to abandon Fortune and leave on a lengthy business trip, only to return right before the baby is born. Why would her husband leave her in the hands of Esma, Isaiah’s mother; Mathis, a caretaker; and Zena, a grumpy old housekeeper, all of whom she barely knows?

Winter approaches, and with it comes blinding whiteness in the form of snow. An underlying sense of dread floats from the house. Terrible secrets are unfolding. As a tree, I have sat here solemnly for longer than I care to remember, but I have seen other women come and go. Through the veil of sleet, I spot an eagle that holds the secrets in its clutches, like a freshly caught fish. The signs are abundant, if only Fortune could open her eyes in time.

I immediately recalled my horrifying experience of watching The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock as a child. I was traumatized for life. Naturally, I have been somewhat leery of a crow; their lack of color and beady eyes torment my soul. With an immediate sense of dread, Kennedy wastes no time in playing with readers' emotions. I felt as though I had experienced a journey of a thousand papercuts, one by one, exacting their pain, only to be guided to another area on my body. While there is an underlying sense of loneliness that exists, there was warmth that Fortune found in the clutches of an unexpected presence. If the book sounds bleak, it can be. Though the light at the end of the tunnel is still shining, and with it, the hope that readers will escape with a satisfying experience still draws breath. Dear reader, as I look towards the rocky ocean, I am reminded of those beings with a nurturing heart. Cheers to those mothers, for without them, life would not be possible. A magnificent read!

Highly Recommended!

Many thanks to the publisher Angry Robot for the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

what a brilliant, spooky, chilling book! I read this all within a few hours. it starts with fortune who has a child young and makes a deal with the devil for her lost child. she then gets accused of being a Witch and gets shipped off to a remote island where there is secrets, ghosts and lots of wrong doings. its nice to see a strong FMC from the start, and she consistently kicks ass!

absolutely loved it!
thanks netgallery for giving me this ARC!

Our Gifted Hearts is an intriguing horror-fantasy blend that left me wanting more.


Fortune's penchant for birds is refreshing and novel, in a world where most fantasy animal-human connections are cats, dogs, wolves, etc. I only wish we'd gotten more exposé about her powers and relationship with birds!

That's truly the theme of my review. I want more! Many of the important moments were understated and passed over quickly, especially Fortune's perspective on them. However, the side characters are extremely well developed, compelling and interesting and that made me keep reading.

The dark secret shows its hand a little too soon. I would've appreciated more mystery around what everyone's true intentions were. That said, it was fun to see all the little hints seeded throughout the novel leading up to the big reveal!

Thank you to Jennifer Kennedy, Angry Robot publications and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I’m grateful I got to read this ARC. I gave it 4.5 stars, but I really enjoyed reading Our Gifted Hearts. Right from the start, the atmosphere drew me in. It’s creepy, gothic, and unsettling in the best way. I love when a book makes me feel like something sinister is just out of sight, and this one kept up that tension so well. The quick pacing fit the story perfectly. With every page, I felt pulled deeper into Fortune’s world and didn’t want to put the book down.

Fortune is a really interesting character. Her painful past and resilience made me root for her from the start. The island setting, strange family relationships, and hidden secrets in the house gave me the gothic vibes I love. The mix of suspense, mystery, and a touch of horror kept me interested and a bit on edge, which was exactly what I was hoping for.

The only reason I didn’t give it a full 5 stars is that I wanted a bit more from some of the side characters and a few of the reveals. Sometimes I wished for a deeper look into why they acted the way they did or more layers to the twists. Still, this didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the book. I read it quickly and was completely drawn in from start to finish.

I definitely recommend it if you like fast-paced gothic tales with dark secrets, eerie houses, and heroines who refuse to break.

What a perfect preclude to the spooky season! If you are a mood reader like me, you'll want to curl up with this one when the weather starts getting chilly and pumpkin lattees hit the coffee shops!

Gifted hearts features Fortune; a woman accused of witchcraft and an ununusual affinity to birds. When she is accused of witchcraft, she is "rescued" by a mysterious man who marries her and takes her back to his secluded island. But has she gone from one deadly problem to another?

This book was such an amazing slow-burn read, with tension edging up with every paragraph. The languange is typical for gothic victorian novels, being poetic at times, and I remained fixated throughout. I connected well with the main character, and it was easy to get emotionally involved with the read.

The ending twist took me by surprise, and there were quite a few dark moments! (There is no harm to babies on page but it is implied, and miscarriage is mentioned so be careful if this is a trigger for you).

It was quite a fast paced read, which is unusual for a gothic-esq read, but one that I was thankful for because it made it so much more dramatic, and atmospheric. I'd definately recommend adding this one to your 'ber month TBR piles.

3.4 stars

Our Gifted Hearts is a beautiful Gothic debut for the fall.

Fortune, our young protagonist, lives a peaceful life with her mother and her birds. But her peaceful life is turned upside down when she is accused of being a witch. To escape punishment, she decides to become the wife of Isaiah Quickly and find safety in marriage. In her new home, a mansion on a lonely island, she now lives with her husband, her mother-in-law, and the small household. But the supposed feeling of security soon fades when her husband and the servants are not what they seem to be.

The book is dark, atmospheric, and mysterious. There are spine-tingling moments, and you want to know how the story ends because you know that something is very wrong. The book also addresses traumatic experiences, and in contrast, a light romance blossoms amid all the horror. It is thus a mix of something beautiful and something terrible.

The book is recommended for fans of Mexican Gothic, Rebecca, and La Hacienda.

Many thanks to the team of Kennedy, Angry Robot, and NetGalley for the free e-ARC.

This novel opens in a dark and gruesome way, immediately setting the tone for a story steeped in grief, trauma, and ominous secrets. The FMC, Fortune, makes a terrible vow in the wake of devastating loss—one that inevitably shapes, and complicates, the choices she faces throughout the book.

I was initially expecting a gothic fantasy, but was surprised to find the story grounded more in a historical 1500s-esque setting (though without a strong sense of place). What comes through clearly, though, is the ghostly, ominous gloom that permeates Fortune’s new life after marrying a man she barely knows. From unsettling family dynamics to sinister tunnels beneath the house, the atmosphere is tense and heavy with dread.

Fortune is a flawed, angry heroine, deeply scarred by her past. Her reactions felt realistic given what she’s endured, though at times I wanted to shake her out of her resignation to what seemed like inevitable doom. Beyond her, there aren’t many characters who get much “page time.” Her new husband is frequently absent, the housekeeper drifts about with little interaction other than a sinister stare, and the manservant Mathis doesn’t really step into the story until later. For much of the book, it’s really just Fortune, her unsettling mother-in-law, and the oppressive presence of the house and its ghosts.

While I didn’t feel fully connected to many of characters, the ending is gripping, horrifying, and satisfying, with villains getting the justice they deserve. The romantic subplot is minimal, with the main focus on dark secrets and Fortune’s struggle within her new home.

Thematically, it’s a story of grief, vows, and survival, and while the vagueness of the setting left me wanting more grounding, the gothic elements—ghosts, shadows, secrets, vengeance—kept me reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions about it are my own.

Content warnings: stillbirth, references to sexual assault (no graphic detail).

"When she's accused of witchcraft, Fortune must flee her village to spare her neck, marrying a man she barely knows. But is the man who promises to be her saviour all he seems?

Fortune Blyth suffered the loss of a secret child when she was sixteen and vowed never to let another man touch her. Ten years later she is content with her beloved birds. But when witch hunters come to town it isn't long before fingers are pointed at the spinster and she is forced to choose; stay and hang, or marry a man who can offer her safety far from home.

She chooses marriage.

Her husband's island home is not the safe haven she expected, with a surly housekeeper and an eccentric mother-in-law to contend with. And there is something else; secrets hiding in the walls, demons creeping in her nightmares. Something sinister in the concealed tunnels below the house. It turns out she is not his first bride...Perhaps she would have been better off hanging after all."

Some Bluebeard for you?

This book was the most amazing autumnal read! Very reminiscent of Crimson Peak, this book kept me engaged throughout and was incredibly difficult to put down! I fell in love with Fortune and Mathis, and grew disgusted toward the villains of the book. The vocabulary and description was so rich, allowing the reader to feel as if they are being fed intellectual literacy without the academic subjects.

Gorgeous, would recommend to all!

Our Gifted Hearts sucked me in from the very beginning! Such a gripping and amazing story! I haven’t cried over a book in so long but the roller coaster this took me on did it. I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone who will listen!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the opportunity to read this!

Well, here's another satisfying gothic debut perfect for the fall. A retelling of the French folktale Bluebeard, in Our Gifted Hearts, author Jennifer Kennedy captures a suffocating, sinister atmosphere in this tragic paranormal story about bodily autonomy and grief and trauma.

Fortune, our young, spinster-to-be main character, is instantly sympathetic. After being accused of witchcraft, she is forced into marriage with a stranger and sent off to his isolated, island manor to familiarize herself with the odd, meager staff and his even weirder mother. Kennedy does an excellent job weaving this uneasy, eerie feeling throughout the story that steadily builds in dread the further you read. The small handful of characters we're introduced to are memorable in their own bizarre ways, and I enjoyed the subtle romance that creeps in ever-so slowly.

I will mention there are some pretty dark moments--the sexual violence wasn't overtly graphic itself, its more the disturbingly blasé reactions from Fortune and the others about the whole thing that occasionally make it rough to push through. I could see aspects of Our Gifted Hearts being pretty triggering for some, so future readers beware.

Complete with some of my favorite fantasy elements, witches and raven familiars, I still found this to be a really great, tense October read (not to mention the payoff of an immensely satisfying ending). Thank you to the publisher Angry Robot, NetGalley, and the author for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

WHAT WAS THIS BOOK??

AHHHH I loved every second, I already pre-ordered it. I literally didn't know what was going on sometimes! I devoured this book, it took my heart and soul.

I absolutely need a second book and I need it now. I won't put spoilers cus it's not even out yet but without a doubt, you, reading my review, please read it.

I would give 8 stars if I could

Just finished this book and WOW - talk about tense.

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

The themes are so dark, and it's entirely from the MC's POV - which was a little bit frustrating at times.

The characters were hateful, hateful humans. The story line itself is pretty simple, but so tense. I found myself quite a few times really wanting more, from the character and from the plot. And the ending was a sprint finish which felt a little bit like whiplash - that being said, it really was a stunning read that had me gripped from the beginning.

High recommend.

I really liked this story. Based on the summary, I was a little afraid it might be too sad or overly dramatic, but it wasn’t. The balance was just right. The vibe in the first half even gave me a bit of a Rebecca feeling. When Fortune begins exploring the house, I was completely invested. The details and her perspective really worked for me and pulled me into the story.

The mood shifts in the second half, and while I still enjoyed it, it just was as good as the first for me. The rythm felt a little off, and even though we were near the end, I still wanted some character development for Mathis, Zena.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow oh wow, what a read! I could not put this book down, the anticipation that came with each turn of the page had me on the edge of my seat. The FMC was incredibly easy to connect with, from the offset you feel her pain. You're immediately drawn into her life, evocative descriptions & early experiences have you backing her and believing in her instantly.

The villain is extremely well thought out, you're left unknowing, trapped in a hideous mystery until the reveal. This is truly a macabre and gothic read, the elements of the woods, birds and sacrifice bring an element of eldritch horror. This book is all about the unseen and although there are very real villains, there's also an element of physiological fear.

This will be one of those books that will stick with me for a long, long time because it had absolutely everything going for it and I was honestly just blown away by how deeply I was sucked into this gothic atmospheric world of witchcraft and isolation!

We follow Fortune, a young woman who is trying to live her life as quietly as possible in her small village. She has her Ma, her birds (who have always flocked around her), and memories of her child she lost in secret ten years ago, after which she swore she would never let another man touch her. When her village gets riled up after hanging an old woman they supposed was a witch, all eyes fall on Fortune after a terrible incident occurs to one of the village women she saw only the day before. As Fortune faces her fate, she must make a choice: to hang or to marry and be whisked off to safety.

She chooses the latter against her better judgment and soon finds herself now Ms. Isaiah Quickly, en route to her new husband's remote island mansion, where she encounters her new housekeeper and mother-in-law, both of whom seem to be more than meets the eye. Has Fortune actually been saved... or has she just been saved for something far worse than hanging as a witch?

The writing is both simple and compelling, utterly transporting you to a dark world of witches, birds, isolated island mansions, and dark bargains. I devoured this book in less than a day and I can't stop thinking about it! This is a perfect read for the fall months and is both moody and mysterious, as I would say it has elements of mystery along with gothic historical horror. I rated it 4.5 stars only because I felt the ending was maybe just a bit rushed, but overall I would say this is one of my favorite books of the year!

Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for the eARC for review consideration - all thoughts and opinions are my own!

Our Gifted Hearts by Jennifer Kennedy is such a good story. This author is a genious! I loved this work by Jennifer. 5 stars from me.