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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
What an unexpected delight this book was. I went in completely blind. I saw the cover on Twitter and something in me just HAD to read it. The beginning was a little slow, the writing very flowery and beautiful. I wasn’t sure it was for me until our main character set off into the world to meet her fate. The moment she arrived at her destination, I knew the book had me. This book is slow and atmospheric and fantastic. The writing is gorgeous, the characters are engaging, the house feels like a character, and the ending was a delight. I genuinely loved this book.
this is like jane eyre fanfic with a special little treat at the end. the ending alone makes it worth a read.
An eerie stillness. Mysterious absences of people. Closed off parts of giant manor homes. Strange sounds and unexplained events.
All of these are things that make up a good Gothic story. And The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses is a good Gothic story. It has the faint, restless unease that follows our main character, Theodora, as she works as a governess at Broken Oak Manor. A manor with one housekeeper and a Lord, Cassias, that seems broken and lost and not sure how to care for his daughter, Ottoline. Theodora is there, caring for them both, in a way. She provides a sharp counterpoint to the festering wounds that surround the house and its' occupants. Her own life is not without sorrows, but at Broken Oak, they only serve to give her insight into her new companions and their apparent predicaments.
As with any Gothic tale, it is only in the end, after Theodora builds relationships with both Ottoline and Cassias, that the strange occurrences and air of melancholy finally take shape in a twist both familiar and yet somewhat unexpected. The story may have been short, but it wove a deft tale of life and hope, and understanding. Theodora mentions that she has "an affinity for things that refuse to know their place." That seems to be both a truth and a lie for all of the people at Broken Oak. For stories like this know their place, and yet also seek to break out of it just enough to make themselves a little more interesting.
*I received a free ARC from Netgalley and the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.
All of these are things that make up a good Gothic story. And The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses is a good Gothic story. It has the faint, restless unease that follows our main character, Theodora, as she works as a governess at Broken Oak Manor. A manor with one housekeeper and a Lord, Cassias, that seems broken and lost and not sure how to care for his daughter, Ottoline. Theodora is there, caring for them both, in a way. She provides a sharp counterpoint to the festering wounds that surround the house and its' occupants. Her own life is not without sorrows, but at Broken Oak, they only serve to give her insight into her new companions and their apparent predicaments.
As with any Gothic tale, it is only in the end, after Theodora builds relationships with both Ottoline and Cassias, that the strange occurrences and air of melancholy finally take shape in a twist both familiar and yet somewhat unexpected. The story may have been short, but it wove a deft tale of life and hope, and understanding. Theodora mentions that she has "an affinity for things that refuse to know their place." That seems to be both a truth and a lie for all of the people at Broken Oak. For stories like this know their place, and yet also seek to break out of it just enough to make themselves a little more interesting.
*I received a free ARC from Netgalley and the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.
I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. It had the combined feel of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, The Haunting of Hill House, and Jane Eyre.
I enjoyed that all three of the houses in this book had a distinct feel and aura that seemed to influence character behavior. Old buildings, in my opinion, have a life of their own and I liked that that idea was touched upon in this book.
I was constantly trying to figure out what was going on and if Theodora, the FMC, was losing her grip on reality or if the strange, unexplainable events were actually happening. The author kept me guessing and in suspense until the very end. I do like that everything was explained and there weren't any dangling plotlines that were thrown in just for the sake of being creepy.
This book has an excellent gothic atmosphere and just enough paranormal activity in it to make this a perfect spooky season read.
I enjoyed that all three of the houses in this book had a distinct feel and aura that seemed to influence character behavior. Old buildings, in my opinion, have a life of their own and I liked that that idea was touched upon in this book.
I was constantly trying to figure out what was going on and if Theodora, the FMC, was losing her grip on reality or if the strange, unexplainable events were actually happening. The author kept me guessing and in suspense until the very end. I do like that everything was explained and there weren't any dangling plotlines that were thrown in just for the sake of being creepy.
This book has an excellent gothic atmosphere and just enough paranormal activity in it to make this a perfect spooky season read.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a super original, thrilling and entertaining read!
Things I liked:
- I loved Ottolina. What a little sweetheart. Such a great portrayal of the desperation for love.
- The relationship between Cassius and Theodora is a perfect balance of compassion, longing and understanding. They are just gorgeous!
- The gothic elements are great. I love a gothic novel, and this one delivered. The perfect amount of creepiness, romance, suspense and mystery, with a great twist!
Things that didn’t really get me:
- It was pretty slow at the beginning…I think one chapter would have been sufficient to introduce the world.
- That’s it really! 4.5 ⭐️
This was a super original, thrilling and entertaining read!
Things I liked:
- I loved Ottolina. What a little sweetheart. Such a great portrayal of the desperation for love.
- The relationship between Cassius and Theodora is a perfect balance of compassion, longing and understanding. They are just gorgeous!
- The gothic elements are great. I love a gothic novel, and this one delivered. The perfect amount of creepiness, romance, suspense and mystery, with a great twist!
Things that didn’t really get me:
- It was pretty slow at the beginning…I think one chapter would have been sufficient to introduce the world.
- That’s it really! 4.5 ⭐️
This was an interesting gothic horror read. The story moves along at a smooth pace, and the biggest twist came towards the end (I certainly didn't see it coming). I enjoyed exploring Broken Oak with Theodora, it was a delightfully creepy estate. The romance between Theodora and Cassias developed fairly quickly, but the book isn't very long, so that's to be expected. If you enjoy classic gothic style stories, you're going to enjoy this.
I absolutely love a gothic novel and this one checked all the boxes. I don’t like romance usually but when it involves things that go bump in the night, sign me up.
I thought all the characters in this book were intriguing and had depth. Some of the lines of this story were so beautifully and eloquently written it was like reading poetry. While about half way through I did pick up on what the twist was, it was still executed in an interesting way. But I don’t read gothic for the shock value. I read it for the poise, the haunting, the heart and this novel delivered on all of that.
I thought all the characters in this book were intriguing and had depth. Some of the lines of this story were so beautifully and eloquently written it was like reading poetry. While about half way through I did pick up on what the twist was, it was still executed in an interesting way. But I don’t read gothic for the shock value. I read it for the poise, the haunting, the heart and this novel delivered on all of that.
It’s not often that I’m surprised by a book, particularly the twists and turns of a Gothic romance, but L.V. Russell managed to do just that. I was engrossed, unable to put this book down, and incredibly impressed by the well-thought out plot and ending. Truly brilliant.
Merged review:
It’s not often that I’m surprised by a book, particularly the twists and turns of a Gothic romance, but L.V. Russell managed to do just that. I was engrossed, unable to put this book down, and incredibly impressed by the well-thought out plot and ending. Truly brilliant.
Merged review:
It’s not often that I’m surprised by a book, particularly the twists and turns of a Gothic romance, but L.V. Russell managed to do just that. I was engrossed, unable to put this book down, and incredibly impressed by the well-thought out plot and ending. Truly brilliant.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No