Talk about goosebumps—House of Desolation had me double-checking dark corners before bed! 👻 From the creaking halls to the secrets Eleanor hides behind that perfect smile, this book is straight-up addictive. I loved how it mixed romance, madness, and a haunted house that feels like it’s alive and watching. If you want a story that’s moody, twisty, and deliciously spooky, trust me—you’re gonna tear through this one. 🕯️🏚️

A haunting gothic tale that stays with you after reading.

Important: there are some heavy themes and moments in this book so please look for trigger warnings beforehand.

House of Desolation is a new favourite for me in the horror genre. It perfectly balances the horror with moments of humour, friendship and tenderness. The beautiful, intricate and detailed writing drew me in early and kept me hooked until the end.

Thomas is such a kind and sympathetic character, despite the troubles he and his wife Eleanor are facing at Hargrove house. I felt so connected to our protagonists and so any anxiety and terror in the book became so heightened, leaving me unable to put this book down.

The gothic and dark atmosphere mixed with emotional elements is reminiscent of one of my favourite books ; ‘The haunting of hill house’ by Shirley Jackson. Eleanor’s fragility is that of many gothic horror archetypes and even her name seems to be a nod to the protagonist of the aforementioned book.

If you like emotional, atmospheric horror with a likeable protagonist and beautiful writing then I suggest picking this book up!

Welcome to Hargrave House, dear reader. Your stay will include bumps in the night, ghostly apparitions, the sound of a child laughing in the dark, and long buried secrets clawing their way to the surface. You may descend into madness, but fear not, the only way out is to confront it head on.

I’ll admit my bias: haunted houses and gothic atmospheres almost always land on my list of favorite reads. So when I saw this pitched for fans of Rebecca and Jane Eyre, how could I resist? I’d even add that readers who loved The Haunting of Hill House will find much to enjoy here. And enjoy it, I did. I absolutely loved this book.

We follow Sir Thomas Hargrave as he inherits the crumbling Hargrave House from his late uncle. With repairs urgently needed and his new bride Eleanor expecting their first child, Thomas throws himself into restoring the estate. But almost immediately, Eleanor begins to change. She grows distant, her moods shifting unpredictably. Servants whisper. She’s found sleepwalking, talking to someone who isn’t there. Soon, Thomas himself begins to witness the unexplainable.

Terrified for his wife and unborn child, he whisks Eleanor away to a seaside town, hoping distance will bring back the woman he loves. Instead, he discovers that Eleanor is haunted by far more than the walls of Hargrave House.

House of Desolation is a chilling, beautifully wrought gothic that asks whether love can truly heal all wounds or if some pasts are too dark to escape.

Ghosts, Gossip & Guilt—Oh My!

House of Desolation is a gothic cocktail of secrets, specters, and society scandal that had me shivering one moment and swooning the next.