As the daughter of spiritualists, Mara's childhood was filled with séances and scam mediums. Now she's ready to start over with her fiancé, Neil, far away from the superstitions she's learned to loathe...but her past isn't willing to let her go so easily.

And neither is Blackwood House.

I didn‘t realize this was a YA novel until I started listening to it. Oops! 😬

Abby Ward lives in a town haunted by disappearances. People vanish, and when they're found, their bodies have been dismembered and sewn back together in unnatural ways. But is it the work of a human killer…or something far darker?

OMG! This is so good! As the description states, “A storm moves in, cutting off their contact with the outside world, and things quickly take a sinister turn. Doors open on their own. Séances go disastrously wrong. One of the guests dies under strange circumstances that Remy is forced to consider the possibility that the ghost of the house's original owner―a twisted serial killer―still walks the halls.” The ending will have you saying “Wow!”

Welcome to Carrow House. The dead are restless here. Remy is a tour guide for the notoriously haunted Carrow House. The old place is a haunt for the superstitious, but Remy hasn't seen any proof of the paranormal yet. So when she's asked to host guests for a week-long stay in order to research Carrow's phenomena, she hopes to finally experience some of the sightings that made the house famous.

Another good book by Darcy Coates. She may become another favorite of mine. The ghost/spirit in this book was especially malevolent and a lot more inventive. Totally creepy book and worth the read if you like this genre.

Everyone knows about Ashburn House. They whisper its old owner went mad, and restless ghosts still walk the halls. They say it's the dwelling place of something cruel and sinister. But when Adrienne―desperate and in need of a place to stay―inherits the crumbling old mansion, she only sees it as a lifeline... until darkness falls.

This book was well written, flowed nicely and had a great plot. Very unusual ending for this kind of book. I enjoyed it!

Daniel is desperate for a fresh start. So when a mysterious figure slides a note under his door offering the position of groundskeeper at an ancient estate, he leaps at the chance, even though it seems too good to be true. Against his better judgment, he moves into the groundskeeper's cottage tucked away behind the old family crypt. But when a candle flickers to life in the abandoned tower window, Daniel realizes he isn't alone after all.

This book was well written and creepy as hell. The loss of Aaron‘s son has driven him into the depths of despair. His therapist advises him to go back to his childhood home in Arkansas to work through the grief of losing his son. That was the worst advice ever. Definitely worth reading.

Twenty years ago, the mysterious death of his aunt left Aaron Holbrook orphaned and alone. He abandoned his rural Arkansas hometown vowing never to return, until his 7-year-old son died in an accident, plunging Aaron into a nightmare of addiction and grief. Desperate to reclaim a piece of himself, he returns to Holbrook House, where he hopes to find peace among his memories. But solace doesn‘t come easy. Someone, or something, has other plans.

OMG! The narrator is awful! Her voice is like a whisper and barely has any inflection.

Their mother is in a coma, and yet the house is anything but quiet at night. Creepy sounds carry through the walls at night, nightmares plague them in their sleep, and dark figures manifest themselves in the corner of their eyes, only to disappear when they look at them. The longer they spend in the house, the more they begin to realize that something unnatural is going on.

Another bizarre book by Boris Bacic. Dean goes to Suicide Town to get inspiration for his new book, but things are stranger than he could ever have imagined. Once again, it‘s a good story but they used the same narrator as The Gathering. Hopefully the next book uses a different one.

Dean is a bestselling writer who struggles with writer's block. During his research of creepy internet legends that he stumbles upon the mysterious story of Suicide Town. This isolated little place is notorious for its high number of suicides, but that isn't the only thing it's famous for. The legend claims that any visitor who comes to Suicide Town ends up killing themselves soon after.

This was a pretty good book with a good storyline. After reading this, however, I know why I‘m an atheist. I know that not all religions aren‘t cults, but it‘s really scary how quickly someone can be brainwashed. One thing that annoyed me was the narrator. He mispronounced words, put emphasis words that shouldn‘t be. But, like I said, it was a good story.

It was supposed to be a relaxing vacation in a small town. Now, they're on the run from religious fanatics. What was supposed to be a relaxing trip for the outsiders turns into a struggle for survival, with the entire town zealously following Prophet Martin‘s command – to find and kill the sinners.

“The Creeper” was definitely creepy. It almost makes you believe in urban legends. The book goes at a relatively good pace and, as I said, is a bit creepy, it‘s not a seat-of-your-pants thriller.

Renowned academic Dr Sparling seeks help with his project on a remote Irish village. Historical researchers Ben and Chloe are thrilled to be chosen – until they arrive. It seems a nameless fear stalks the streets, but nobody will talk – nobody except one little girl. Her words strike dread into the hearts of the newcomers. Three times you see him. Each night he comes closer...

Another okay book that‘s a bit slow, but it has one of those endings that really piss me off. 😡

The Adler twins gather with their closest friends for one last snowboarding-filled holiday. While commitment-phobic Ryan gazes longingly at Lauren, wondering if his playboy days are over, Jane‘s hopes of reconciling with her old boyfriend evaporate when he brings along his new fiancée. As drama builds among the friends, something lurks in the forest, watching the cabin, growing ever bolder as the snow falls…and hunger rises.

Too slow and all over the place. #hailthebail

Blackwood mansion looms, surrounded by nightmare pines, atop the hill over the small town of Crooked Tree. Ben Bookman, bestselling novelist and heir to the Blackwood estate, spent a weekend at the ancestral home to finish writing his latest horror novel, The Scarecrow. Now, on the eve of the book‘s release, the terrible story within begins to unfold in real life.

It‘s an okay book with an interesting storyline, but it‘s really long and drawn out.

A romantic cabin getaway doesn‘t go exactly as planned. High up on the windswept cliffs of Pale Peak, Faye and Felix celebrate their new engagement. But soon, a chorus of ghastly noises erupts from the nearby woods. A dark figure looms near the windows in the dead of night, whispering to Faye. As the weather turns deadly, Felix discovers that his terrified fiancée isn‘t just mumbling in her sleep – she‘s whispering back. (Audiobook)

The Mysteries of Udolpho remains one of the most important works in the history of European fiction. After Emily St. Aubuert is imprisoned by her evil guardian, Count Montoni, in his gloomy medieval fortress in the Appenines, terror becomes the order of the day. With its dream-like plot and hallucinatory rendering of its characters' psychological states, The Mysteries of Udolpho is a fascinating challenge to contemporary readers.

I finished this in two days. I couldn‘t put it down. This book was inspired by true events, which I‘d like to find out. I don‘t know if I ever will. I absolutely love Chris‘s books. I‘m tempted to start all over from the beginning. If you don‘t mind a bit of gore (although this book has little), read Chris Carter. #SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

When a routine autopsy on what looked like a straightforward hit-and-run leads the LA Chief Medical Examiner, Dr Carolyn Hove, to discover some puzzling inconsistencies, she calls in Detective Robert Hunter of the LAPD Ultra Violent Crimes Unit. Not only did Dr Hove discover that the death wasn‘t caused by a hit-and-run, but she also found indications that the victim had been severely tortured prior to death.

This was a really good book! I knew there was a reason I don‘t like reality shows. 😉 This is somewhat in the line of Agatha Christie‘s “And Then There Were None.” It‘s also similar to Ware‘s book, “One by One”, only instead of being surrounded by snow the people in this book are stranded on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean with limited supplies. This is definitely a must read.

Harkening to Agatha Christie‘s classic And Then There Were None, this high-tension thriller follows five couples trapped on a storm-swept island as a killer stalks among them—from Ruth Ware, the New York Times bestselling author who “is turning out to be as ingenious and indefatigable as the Queen of Crime” (The Washington Post).

😴 Boring! 😴

The Phantom of the Opera is a celebrated Gothic Romance novel by French author Gaston Leroux, first published in 1910. In this his masterpiece, Leroux delivers a mesmerising thriller, exploring themes of romantic love, obsession and violence. Following her spectacular debut, the rumours of a ghost haunting the labyrinthine depths of the Paris Opera seem to become a reality, when young singer Christine Daaé vanishes.

I didn‘t know that The Hunchback of Notre Dame was ever a fairytale. I read the book a few years ago and it definitely isn‘t a fairytale either. Father Cade Frederíc battles with his commitment to God and the church and his desire for “Esmerelda”. Quite an interesting story. #SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

When Father Cade lays eyes on Amaya, he finds himself ensnared, convinced she's using witchcraft to lure him to her. He can't eat. Can't breathe. Can't think unless it's of her.

And temptation is a devastating mistress.

She's his weakness, so he decides he'll be her demise…even if it means killing the only woman he might ever love.

Why is it in these books that the “happily ever after” men start out as jerks? I guess it makes it more exciting and intense. I liked this story. It‘s way better than the Disney version of Aladdin. 😘 #SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

From BookTok sensation Emily McIntire comes a dark and delicious fractured fairy tale reimagining of Aladdin.

This one was okay, but not great. It wasn‘t written as well as the others. Besides the “passionate encounters”, it was kind of dull. #SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

From BookTok sensation Emily McIntire comes a dark and delicious fractured fairy tale reimagining of The Wizard of Oz.

This is the fractured fairy tale of The Lion King. It‘s definitely NOT a fairy tale and the only resemblance to the Lion King is Prince Tristan, who has a scar on his face given to him by his brother. This is an erotic romance: READER DISCRETION ADVISED. #SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

From BookTok sensation Emily McIntire comes a dark and delicious fractured fairy tale in her fan-favorite Never After series.

I think this one was even more romantic than Benedict‘s story. As much as I have proclaimed that I usually don‘t like romance novels, I am a hopeless romantic. Gregory is such a good and decent man (at least in relation to his older brothers). Now all of Violet‘s children are wed and she‘s a very happy mother and grandmother. #SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

GREGORY‘S STORY

Unlike most men of his acquaintance, Gregory Bridgerton believes in true love. And he is convinced that when he finds the woman of his dreams, he will know in an instant that she is the one. And that is exactly what happened. Except ...

This one is not as good as the other ones but it was still enjoyable. It‘s nice to know that Hyacinth hasn‘t changed much since childhood. She acts like an adult, of course, but she still can‘t seem to keep quiet. 😂 #SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

When Gareth and Hyacinth cross paths at the annual—and annually discordant—Smythe-Smith musicale. To Hyacinth, Gareth‘s every word seems a dare, and she offers to translate his diary, even though her Italian is slightly less than perfect. But as they delve into the mysterious text, they discover that the answers they seek lie not in the diary, but in each other . . . and that there is nothing as simple—or as complicated—as a single, perfect kiss.

I‘m moving through these books so quickly because I can‘t put them down (or shut them off in my case). This was a great love story, but I was often very impatient with Francesca. I understand why she was hesitant, but after her and Michael‘s (ahem), I would be as frustrated with her as Michael was. I think Benedict‘s is still my favorite so far. #SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

In every life there is a turning point. A moment so tremendous, so sharp and breathtaking, that one knows one‘s life will never be the same. For Michael Stirling, London‘s most infamous rake, that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca Bridgerton.

This was a bit of a different love story. Eloise and Sir Phillip write letters back and forth for about a year. Phillip says that perhaps he could arrange for a chaperone for Eloise to visit, and if they get along well enough, perhaps they could marry. Chaos (and love, of course) ensues from there. #SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

Sir Phillip knew that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he‘d proposed, figuring that she‘d be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except . . . she wasn‘t. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her . . . and more.

I absolutely love these books. I‘ve never really been a big fan of romance but these books changed my mind. I guess it‘s because of watching the series on Netflix. I can‘t say a whole lot about the book because I don‘t want to spoil it for others. I just want to say I‘m so proud of Colin Bridgerton. #SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65