I was pleasantly surprised by this audiobook version of Pearl Bound by Natalie G Bergman the blurb sounded interesting and drew me to the book. Overall, I thought it was a good book, i enjoyed the pace, the dialog, the magic and the main character. I think it is the first queer Gilded Age gothic horror i have read but i have realized that gothic horror is definitely a genre i enjoy.

We follow Eve, born in the US to Irish immigrant parents, who works with her mother in hospitality and home help jobs. However Eves mundane life changes when she secures a position at the opulent home of the Rennard family. It is here that Eve starts an unexpected and forbidden romance with the Rennard daughter and starts to understand that all isn't as it seems with her strange abilities and the Rennard family.

The audiobook is narrated by Kristen DiMercurio and i found her narration really enjoyable, I think she did a great job with the different accents and voices for each of the characters.

My only criticism as an Irish person is the use of, what i consider, Scottish slang such as Bairn, wee, lass, ken, aye. I know in the north of Ireland they say wee and aye but these characters originated from Dublin so i found that part to be a bit lazy.

Overall, a fun read with strong female characters and interesting magic

A fair round-up score for this one is 3.75/5

It started off on a really intriguing note. I can't say I expected it to take such a disturbing turn, but I can't complain about that, as I really love disturbing books.

My main issue with this one was towards the end, when things kinda just happen. I get the whole idea behind the concept of a plot twist, but you should have subtle things hinting at it, but instead it kinda felt like a spurt of the moment decision from the writer. Way too sudden for my taste.

All in all though, it was a fun read. I really liked the fact that, in the beginning, the romance part was a side plot rather than a plot device, the way it usually goes with this sort of books.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Pearl Bound was a fascinating blend of historical fiction, Celtic folklore, and dark feminism that kept me engaged from beginning to end.

The audiobook narration was excellent. The narrator had clear diction and an engaging pace that made it easy to settle into the story. If I had one suggestion, it would be to use dual narrators in future, as it would help distinguish some of the female characters more clearly, but it certainly didn't detract from the experience.

The historical setting felt authentic, and I appreciated the attention to historical accuracy. The Celtic folklore woven throughout the novel added an atmospheric, almost haunting quality that complemented the darker themes perfectly.

Character-wise, Eve quickly became my favourite, while Moira never quite captured me in the same way. Saskia's arc was one of the highlights of the novel, and I really enjoyed the direction the author took with her character. Isaiah also became one of my favourite characters, and I found myself rooting for him throughout the story.

About halfway through, the story delivered a genuinely effective twist that shifted the narrative in a way I wasn't expecting. From there, I found myself even more invested in seeing how everything would unfold.

One of my favourite aspects was how unapologetically the novel celebrated women's resilience and power. The macabre achievements of many of the women made for compelling reading, and the feminist themes felt naturally embedded within the story rather than forced.

Overall, Pearl Bound is an atmospheric, intelligent historical novel that combines folklore, mystery, and powerful female characters into a memorable read. If you enjoy historical fiction with darker edges and rich mythology, this is definitely worth picking up.

First of all, I would like to say that the narrator did an amazing job!

The book itself was good. The elements of magic were compelling and the characters very complex.
It took me a while to get into it, I’m going to be honest.

Overall, it’s a good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the Advanced Listening Copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

What a fun and wild ride! I really enjoyed these strong female characters who knew who they were. This book also definitely has a little bit of something for multiple genre readers. It’s part historical fiction, part fantasy, part romance. There is also a considerable amount of darkness in the narrative. There were times that the multiple genres felt a little scattered to me, and I would have preferred more focus on one genre or two genres
I definitely liked the righteous feminine anger, and discussion of class and race relations in late 1800s New England.

Overall, this was a good read and story, and I’m guessing the door is open for more books potentially!

This is an INDIE WORK??? What a FANTASTIC first novel! I'm sold and I need everything by this author.

The cover is fantastic, the title intrigues, and the book certainly does not disappoint.

The following is my review, also posted on GoodReads:
This is nothing short of a dark ode to feminine rage.

If you read The Hunger Games and wished for a darker, bloodier version with ravens and a spot of Irish magic, this is the book for you.

This gripping tale is told from the perspectives of three different women: Eve Kelly, her mother Moira Kelly, and the daughter of a wealthy family, Saskia.

Eve (our main MC) and Moira are Irish immigrants living and working in New York. They receive an opportunity to move in and work for a kind, well-off, and well-paying family - one with a massive library they graciously allow the Kelly's access to! It seems like an absolute dream come true; one that could turn their lives around. And boy does it.

"You were given a gift. A power that no man can ever wield. But what use does power have if not used in the service of the powerless? If you dont protect those who are ill treated by ravenous evil folk, then who will?"

As Eve and Saskia grow closer, weird things start happening around Eve. Things that might be related to the Morrígan, a powerful, Irish magic (and the Celtic goddess of war and fate) wielded by the women of her bloodline. She tries to bring it up with her mother, who simply worries at the black pearl she's always worn around her neck and tells her not to be ridiculous.

But as they prepare for the family's most important annual party, things start to get... weirder. Suspicious. Dangerous.

Eve finds herself slowly uncovering the twisted nature of this party's participants. Thrown into the thick of it, with no better options left, Moira finally lets Eve in on some of the secrets of their family.

And really, what's a wronged girl to do other than defend herself?

" 'What the hell have you done? You're a goddamned witch!'

Hah! You have no idea."

It is a little Dead Dove: Do Not Eat-y at times, so do know what you're getting into. It doesn't go into any real graphic detail, but it does go further than your average horror story.

The narrator's performance is captivating and well acted, and the audio is the clearest I've heard from an audiobook in a while.

I got this as an audiobook ARC - THANK YOU! What a treat this book was, from start to finish. A bitter treat that left me grimacing and gasping in turns, but a treat all the same.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ALC.

Pearl Bound was a dark and twisted sapphic gothic horror that was majorly creepy. Eve and her mother, both Irish immigrants in a very anti-Irish timeframe, go to work as maids at a beautiful manor for a wealthy family. Eve is instantly sucked into the apparent kindness of the family, especially that of the beautiful, worldly daughter, but her magic starts to awaken. Eve has the knowledge of the ravens, a gift from the Morrigan. When Eve accidentally discovers the dark secrets the family has been keeping, she is forced to fight for survival and embrace the magic her mother had been hiding from her since her childhood.

The story is ripe with female rage, self discovery, and sisterhood.

Great historical fiction style audiobook with great characters.


Really fun audiobook including an Irish immigrant

Loved and would recommend

*3.5/5⭐️*

* Thank you NetGalley and Lantern Audio for the ALC and my honest review *

First off, Kristen DiMercurio is crazy skilled as a narrorator. There were quite a bit of characters, and she brought each one to life in a way that was easy to follow and enjoy.

Natalie Bergman has a lot of potential. Eve is an extremely interesting character, and the world felt like it had a lot to show and tell. Strong, independent women with dark personalities and intelligence to boot.
The biggest issue with the story is that is felt rushed with a lot going on. It had a "Get Out" and "Ghost" vibe, but there were so many other themes smashed into it. I will say that I was satisfied with the ending. Those who needed to get dragged to hell, did and I was here for it.

I'd actually like to see what else Ms. Bergman comes up with in the future.

A bit slow at the start but became un-put-downable after the 25% mark. Low steam sapphic forbidden tryst turns into a Get Out esque fight for survival. Eve is a totally relatable character, born into poverty and wishing better for her life, trusting the wrong people along the way... At the same time as coming into her mysterious powers. I really enjoyed this coming of age and fighting the patriarchy story.

The audiobook was fantastic, the narrator able to capture multiple accents and dialects.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Pearl Bound takes us to New England during the late 1800s, where Irish immigrants Eve and her mother Moire are struggling to support themselves after the death of Eve's father. When they are offered work at the impressive Greythorne estate, it seems like an opportunity they can't afford to turn down, but the Rennard family and their beautiful home are hiding some very dark secrets.

The gothic atmosphere was probably my favourite part of this. The descriptions of the landscape, weather and Greythorne itself made it incredibly easy to picture everything. Once Eve enters the mansion, with its wealth, gloomy rooms and rather unsettling collection of taxidermy, there is immediately a sense that this isn't going to be a safe place for her.

I really liked Eve as a main character. She wants more from her life than simply accepting the position she has been given, with dreams of studying and travelling that don't necessarily fit with what is expected of a woman in her circumstances. Her relationship with Moire was interesting too, particularly the contrast between Eve wanting something different and her mother's determination to keep them both safe.

Saskia was another character I enjoyed getting to know. There is much more to her than the privileged young woman we initially meet, and her relationship with Eve adds another complicated element to life at Greythorne.

I would have liked a little more development from some of the supporting characters, particularly those introduced later in the story. There were also parts of Eve and Moire's relationship that I would happily have explored in more depth.

The historical setting, gothic horror and supernatural elements work really well together, especially as Eve begins discovering more about her own family and the women who came before her. There is a strong focus on power, class and the limited choices available to women, with plenty of anger bubbling underneath it all.

Dark, atmospheric and wonderfully gothic, this was a really interesting story about women refusing to remain powerless.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Pearl Bound was an experience. It has hooked me because the thrilling side of it was reminiscent of books from the past where the horror feels imminent and inevitable. It also felt as though the reader was one with the character as they made their discoveries.

The characters were written to perfection. They embodied the character they were intended to play to a tee. Each and every one of them played their part well with precise distinction and layered characterisation, which is clearly a reflection to the author’s skill.

The setting was not just a generic 1800’s town but possessed the air and malice of the time. It played very well with the story and added a layer of sinister atmosphere that went perfectly with the whole story in general.

Spoilers Beyond This Point. You’ve been warned.

I’d like to focus on Saskia’s character. I am grateful I have encountered characters such as her in The Confessions of Frannie Langton, Tipping the Velvet and Wicked and Willing. However, the funny thing is, I still held out hope to the very last scenes where it was obvious she was beyond redemption. Characters like her are so annoyingly good at deceiving not only their counterpart but apparently me as well (compliments to the author obviously).

In summary, where has Natalie G Bergman all this time? Because their work is a remarkable example of what a good sapphic story looks like and the community needs more of her magic in this world. Definitely an author to watch out for and follow.

This was a fantastic audiobook. The narrators were perfect and the narration was superb. I had such a fun time walking amd listening to this audiobook. I was so glued to my listening device

Major thank you to NetGalley & Natalie G. Bergman for the alc! All thoughts are my own.

Pearl Bound is a solid compelling debut novel! If The Gilded Age, Victorian Psycho, Ready or Not, and Celtic Mythology all got together the result is this book. It sunk its talons into me and refused to set me free. The exploration of feminine rage blooms on the page in such a beautiful manner. The characters are so well written I felt as though they were physically beside me for the entirety of the plot. A plot which takes twists and turns and builds anticipation as it should. I was engaged from start to finish and not one moment seemed to drag. That's what I'm looking for every time I pick up a book. I need to get lost in it. I want to be desperate to turn each page. Not dreading it because it feels as though moving the page through molasses. The Sapphic desire throughout is everything to me. It transported me to another time... overall verdict you needed pick it up yesterday!

This book was a wild ride that was truly enjoyable. When things seem too good to be true, they usually are, including a job at a secluded manor. Eve and her mother relocate for jobs that seem to be a great opportunity, but soon turn dark. As Eve struggles to remove them from the situation, she begins to discover that there are some things about herself that her mother neglected to tell her, but is it too late for Eve to learn these things?

A gripping debut novel! I loved the way the audiobook was narrated.
The ending made me smile like a maniac!

This book starts with a bang. It is devastating. Then life goes on for our ladies. I did not know what to do when it got horny and I did not know what to do with that. I hated Saskia. She is spoiled and that is normally fine but she is just all around awful. "I sometimes envy the servants." No, you do not.
I am glad I stayed because it got better and better. I love the narration, the setting, and the ending.

And interesting book for sure. I think I guessed at most of the twists and turns, but I’ve read a good few books like it so it comes with the tropes. The strained mother-daughter relationship was my favourite part. I much preferred it to the upstairs/downstairs and second-generation immigrant drama.

Pearl Bound is a Gilded Age witchy novel that explores the disparity in wealth and power between the Greythorne family and their immigrant workers. The book starts strong, particularly with the portrayal of the unruly, mysterious power within a young Eve, but I found I wasn’t fully invested in the story until around 35%, with the pacing feeling quite slow at the beginning.

Things I really enjoyed about this book:
- The feminine rage that Eve unleashes
- The family secret and how it changes your view of the workers who have been there for years and turned a blind eye
- Saskia’s storyline towards the end of the book 👌🏼
- The gothic setting
- The link between the title of the book and how the story unfolds
- The sapphic romance between Eve and Saskia and how it reflects the Gilded Age period

Whilst I enjoyed the book overall, I just wasn’t fully gripped until quite far into the story. The atmosphere, gothic setting and themes of feminine rage and class inequality were definitely highlights for me, but the slow start meant it took me a while to really get into it.

I found the audiobook elevated the story in the parts that I found gripping, and I enjoyed the accents used to depict the different characters.

This one really snuck up on me. It started a little slow and I had to get into the right mood to listen to it but once I was in I was hooked. I love a good eat the rich, fuck capitalism kind of book.

This book starts with our main character Eve as a toddler and it's told from her mom's point of view where she thinks there's something off with her daughter and when these powers emerge and end up killing her husband she is determined to hide these powers from her daughter forever if possible.

Until Eve is either late late teens or early twenties, it's kind of unclear exactly how old she is but this is not a young adult book.

Basically Eve and her mom end up going to work for this really fancy family and there's a lot of Irish discrimination during this time period. They end up going and they're going to be housekeepers and ladies Maid etc situation. Eve is immediately drawn to the Lady of the house who is also drawn right back to Eve.

But things get a little bit suspicious when they start seeing all of this taxidermy and just a lot of hunting discussions and turns out there's a big scary ritual that happens that awakens Eve's powers to their full extent.

I can't give anything else away that's probably too much as it is but I really liked this one. I would have loved for it to be longer. Really great book.

If the epilogue had been a few chapters longer this would have been easily five stars. I just wanted a little bit more at the end.

Queer but not a romance. 4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory editing for this Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this one and gave it a 3.5 ⭐️.
I think I listened to this in 2 days, so it was quite addictive. I could see where the plot was going and loved that these awful rich men get what’s coming to them - very satisfying indeed.

Definitely an enjoyable read, especially for the autumn/winter. This book didn’t blow my mind, as I guessed where the story was headed however, I still enjoyed it! Hence the 3.5 rating.
The narrator was good, but my first thought was “oh I thought she was Irish”, especially in the first chapter where we get her mums pov who is Irish. It makes sense when it’s fast forwards several years and it’s then Eve’s pov (as she would have an American accent). Other than that, I could tell who the different characters were by the different characterisations the narrator gave each person in the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a bit of female rage 💅🥰