⚠️ Content warning: this story takes a dark turn. Please review the trigger warnings before starting. It also falls into the realm of monster romance, something not clearly advertised, so if that element is not for you, consider skipping this one.

Blackthorne is gothic romance at its finest: eerie, seductive, and impossible to put down. From the first chapter, I felt pulled straight into Solstice, a small town soaked in superstition and haunted by secrets.

Maven’s return for her grandmother’s funeral sets the stage for a chilling unraveling of family history, paranormal twists, and a second-chance romance that’s as dangerous as it is magnetic. Ronan is the storm she can’t escape, and every interaction between them thrums with longing, resentment, and fire. Their connection had me hooked, page after page.

Another highlight for me was the razor‑sharp banter between Maven and Ronan. I adore when two leads verbally spar, and here the dialogue was biting, clever, and deliciously cruel. They eviscerate each other with words in a way that kept me grinning even as the story darkened. 

What stood out most was how unpredictable the story became. At times it was heartbreaking, at others exhilarating, and by the close I was utterly absorbed. The atmosphere dripped with gothic intensity, the mystery kept me turning pages, and the romance walked a sharp line between tragic and irresistible. The ending caught me off guard with twists I truly did not see coming. 

This is gothic gold. If you like your romance shadowy, twisted, and full of secrets that refuse to stay buried, Blackthorne is absolutely worth the read.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing this arc.

3.5⭐️
You ever read a book and have no clue what just happened? This is one of those books. I really don’t know what happened in the last 20%.

This is a dark gothic romance book following Maven as she comes back to Solstice with her daughter for her grandmothers funeral. Maven is reluctant to be back in Solstice since the townspeople have always been afraid and wary of her family. She doesn’t want to expose her daughter Bea to her past but when her grandmothers body goes missing and Maven’s old love Ronan shows up everything changes. Secrets come to light, Maven and Ronan’s forbidden romance sparks back to life, and the mystery surrounding the town of Solstice and more specifically Ronan and Maven’s feuding families is at the forefront of the story.

I was really enjoying the mystery in the first 80% of the book. Long kept secrets start to unravel and there are so many twists and turns. It seems like Maven begins to slowly lose her sanity as weird dreams and hallucinations begin to plague her. This was really interesting to read about especially as we learn more about Ronan and his families potential motives for causing problems in Maven’s life. However, in the last 20% this book is insane. We finally learn the secrets of Ronan’s family and curse but we still don’t know what’s true or not since Maven is going crazy with nothing making sense. I mean I have no clue what was happening.

Overall I enjoyed this but wow I was taken by surprise when this story seemed to completely change towards the end of the book. I don’t really know what happened in this but I know people are going to love this. Definitely check the trigger warnings before reading.

J.T. Geissinger, you always take me on a CRAZY adventure with your writing and I devour it every time. Thank you for keeping your plots and characters interesting and fresh! I have purchased this title for our library because I know others will devour it just like I did! I am always so excited to see what you'll release next.

Title: Blackthorn
Author: J.T. Geissinger

What to expect:
*Second chance romance
*Single mother
*Paranormal aspects

Pros:
This is Practical Magic but dark and twisted! I LOVED it!! I loved the characters, the paranormal aspects to the storyline, and the second chance love story. Family secrets definitely don’t stay buried for long in this dark romance story!

Cons:
The story does get a little dark during some scenes. I suggest reading the content note on Goodreads before starting, especially if you are sensitive to dark topics or paranormal romance.

Safety:
No real OW/OM drama, some slight jealously. No cheating or third act breakup. Story ends with a HFN, no epilogue for the main characters, leaving me to believe there might be more to the story in future books…or maybe that’s just me wishful thinking.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Paranormal, Dark Romance
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Characters: Maven (FMC) & Ronan (MMC)

Make sure to peek at the trigger warnings—this one gets dark.

This book was straight-up gothic gold. Think small town with big secrets, a crumbling estate full of whispers, and a second-chance romance so intense it made my heart ache. Maven is the kind of heroine you root for, fierce and flawed, and Ronan? Let’s just say the tension between them could light the whole town on fire. Every chapter peeled back another juicy layer, and I couldn’t stop reading until I hit the last page. Absolutely addictive.