The Forgotten Room is a short gothic horror, great for a quick read. I was hoping to love this one, but unfortunately, I could not seem to get past the number of times the author used "like" and "as if." It's in almost every other sentence, and frankly, I thought I requested a gothic horror, not a book of similes and subordinating conjunctions.
Thank you NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Stefonie Jordan for this one.

A short story that has so much depth and imagery it’s true meaning is lost like the blur on the desert’s horizon. What is real; is it just a mirage or an illustration of the journey of grief.

I am sure a certain type of reader will bring their own ideas and subjective understanding of gothic novels and haunted mansions to this book. However, this is not my own go to genre, so I approach this story with a little less baggage.

At times I found the story beyond my grasp and understanding. Somewhat like poetry can seem on a first read through. A jumble of words, pleasant couplets and ideas, that disappear like mist, as you reach for them.

Then you revisit and spend time in the writing. The words enchant and enthral you. You grasp at meaning and feel you’re perhaps are becoming presumptuous in your ideas when really the story does elude you and you have no idea of its form and true message.

Then the words assail you again and the characters and themes take shape. The returning themes resonate and provide some lasting framework. You inhabit the Abbey and walk with Belladonna and in taking a step back; dwelling on the reoccurring themes you find some truth, self discovery and the pain of embracing some personal identity.

Perhaps a book that has as many facets as rooms in the Abbey that Belladonna passes through. A book to stir one’s emotions and open you up to fresh interpretation on each read through. I felt a sense of dread and thrall and was left enchanted; wanting more and another reader to share our experience together.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Stefonie Jordan for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Forgotten Room coming out May 6, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I wasn’t expecting this to be a novella. It was definitely short, but I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a good gothic story. I was just hoping for more of it. I would check out other books by this author!

An inheritance to claim, Umbracrest Abbey, Belladonna Ashbourne has no idea what she is walking into. The writing is so well done you feel as if you are there with her, making every step she makes. Nothing is what it seems, door knobs that burn, walls that move, mirrors that suddenly produce images and a house that is forever changing. She must find out what is really going on or the house may just claim her soul......I enjoyed reading this and I would recommend this book.

This wasn’t for me unfortunately. I didn’t enjoy the writing at all, felt confused the entire time and couldn’t connect with the main character. I didn’t really get spooky vibes either because of how it was written. Brutal, but honest.

I was sceptical about reading a Gothic suspense novel, but I was wrong.

I was only 2 pages in when I thought about putting it down but something in the way the book has been written made me want to keep going. I didn’t want to miss the next secret to be revealed by Umbracrest Abbey.

Stefonie Jordan knows how to pull the reader in and make you think you are in the Abbey with Belladona and the restless spirits and the hidden memories are after you.

If this is the 1st book I cannot wait for next instalment to see where the abbey takes Belladona next.

The book is so very short, I didn't realise it was less than 100 pages when I started reading it. I think this might be a "me thing" but I feel like the book lacked a lot of context and it was naturally not able to dive into the situations that the book presents.