Ashes of Austen • Zoe Blake
Shadows of Pemberley #1

One phrase: gothic Austen with murder and obsession 🖤🕯️

A modern gothic reimagining of Northanger Abbey with aristocratic scandal, a cursed legacy, a dangerous arranged marriage, and a possessive lord?

Yes. Immediately.

Julianna must marry the cold and mysterious Lord Victor Tilney to save her family, but Northanger Abbey is not exactly welcoming. Destroyed wedding gowns, poisoned food, near fatal accidents, and whispers of a bridal curse make it clear someone does not want this wedding to happen.

I loved the gothic paranormal vibe and the constant uncertainty of whether the curse was real or something more human and sinister. Julianna and Victor’s dynamic was dark, tense, and deliciously messy. The “I hate you” during spicy moments? Obsessed.

This was seductive, suspenseful, and so atmospheric.

✨ Tropes and vibes:
🕯️ gothic romance
📖 Austen reimagining
💍 arranged marriage
🖤 possessive MMC
☠️ bridal curse
🔪 murder mystery
🌶️ hate fueled spice
🏚️ crumbling abbey
👀 forced proximity
✨ dark suspense

📚 Read this if you like:
Gothic romance, dark Austen retellings, cursed estates, possessive heroes, dangerous marriages, paranormal vibes, and love stories wrapped in murder, secrets, and obsession.

Dark, spicy, atmospheric, and absolutely going on my shelf.

#AshesOfAusten #ZoeBlake #GothicRomance #DarkRomance #BookReview

This book was absolutely amazing and I loved every bit of it! This was such a unique storyline that I was immediately hooked from the very first page. I couldn't wait to find out the truth - was the curse real or was there someone else behind everything happening? It was full of tension and mystery, but then had the perfect amount spice. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

ARC Review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC!

I couldn’t get enough of this book! This was everything I wanted it to be and MORE!

The dark, gothic history of the abbey had me hooked! The mystery of the curse had me on the edge of my seat.

Victor gave a whole new standard to man obsessed, because he was OBSESSED with Juliana from the first moment.

The spice was perfection, and I loved the undeniable chemistry between these two.

The gasps that left me while reading this was too many to keep count, and that ending. THAT ENDING! *chefs kiss*

I will be telling everyone to read this book!

I loved this book! What a story. What a romance! Julianna and Victor are my new Catherine and Heathcliff, but with a different ending. I was hooked from the start!

Zoe Blake did a phenomenal job weaving in all the Austen references, as well as, so many other books like Twelfth Night and Jane Eyre. She also expertly connected the societal expectations of the Regency era to modern day. I fell in love with her character portrayals and was drawn in by the seduction and suspense. I’m already anxiously awaiting the next book in this series!

Thank-you very much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Zoe Blake for the advanced reader copy.

Ashes of Austen by Zoe Blake is a spectacular, intoxicating masterpiece that completely redefines what a classic reimagining can be. Launching the Shadows of Pemberley series, Blake takes Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey and transforms it into a dark, contemporary gothic romance dripping with tension, obsession, and danger. The brilliant premise—that Austen’s novels were never sweet romances, but rather laced warnings about high society—hooks you from the very first page.

The atmosphere inside the crumbling walls of Northanger Abbey is flawlessly constructed, creating a suffocating sense of suspense. Julianna Whitcombe is a compelling, headstrong heroine whose desperate attempt to save her family forces her into a high-stakes marriage with the cold, enigmatic Lord Victor Tilney. The chemistry between Julianna and Victor is absolute fire; he is fiercely protective, dangerously possessive, and perfectly embodies the ultimate dark romance anti-hero.

The plot moves at a relentless, breathless pace as a suspected bridal curse manifests in terrifying ways, from destroyed wedding gowns to poisoned food. Blake expertly balances the psychological thrill of the mystery with an intensely addictive, forbidden desire. It is a decadent, beautifully written book that will leave readers utterly obsessed and desperate for the next installment.