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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I never thought I'd say I found a story about a haunted house a fun read, but that was before I read It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest. It Was Her House First is a story about a haunted house with all the requisite chills and thrills that come with that. But, it is also the story of how two very different women in different times cope with their grief over the unexpected and tragic loss of a loved one and how that grief can make you do things you never thought possible.
It Was Your House First gives us the unique perspectives of three very different people who have inhabited the aforementioned house of the title. The first point of view is Ronnie Mitchell, a grieving woman in the present day who buys the run-down mansion with the intent to renovate it to its former glory. The second point of view is Bartholomew Sloan, an investigator and friend of the original owners. Bartholomew has a complicated relationship with the owners and dies in the house in the 1930s. His death was ruled a suicide, but was it? Finally, we get the perspective of the house's original owner Venita Rost. Venita was a beautiful and glamourous old Hollywood silent film star who lovingly built the house for her family. Tragically Venita's young daughter dies in the house under mysterious circumstances. In her grief, Venita is pushed over the edge and makes some highly questionable yet understandable decisions which lead to the haunting of the house. While Ronnie's and Bartholomew's perspectives are told in the first person, Venita's is told through her diary entries which Ronnie reads. This adds an interesting element and is a nice alternative perspective. I loved that the author told the story this way as it really allows the reader to experience the house's past and present and makes for a more well-rounded story.
Most of the story unfolds through Ronnie's perspective. This works well because Ronnie is a funny and smart narrator, even if she can be frustrating at times. Through Ronnie, we experience the "haunted" part of the house as she slowly realizes she just might not be the only inhabitant of her neglected mansion. Ronnie's chapters give us plenty of the chills you'd expect from a story about a haunted house and there are some truly tense moments throughout. Bartholomew's and Venita's chapters aren't nearly as fleshed out and I found myself wanting to hear more from them, particularly Venita. I enjoyed learning about Venita through her diary entries as they allow us to get an inside view of her true thoughts, feelings, and motivations for her actions following the death of her daughter. I felt that Bartholomew's chapters were the weakest, but they still added to the story, and he has a fairly large part to play in the satisfying conclusion to the story.
Overall, I enjoyed It Was Her House First. The author does an excellent job of seamlessly weaving together multiple perspectives, timelines, and stories that make for a satisfying and fun read that had me turning pages well into the night. Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Cherie Priest for the opportunity to review this ARC.
It Was Your House First gives us the unique perspectives of three very different people who have inhabited the aforementioned house of the title. The first point of view is Ronnie Mitchell, a grieving woman in the present day who buys the run-down mansion with the intent to renovate it to its former glory. The second point of view is Bartholomew Sloan, an investigator and friend of the original owners. Bartholomew has a complicated relationship with the owners and dies in the house in the 1930s. His death was ruled a suicide, but was it? Finally, we get the perspective of the house's original owner Venita Rost. Venita was a beautiful and glamourous old Hollywood silent film star who lovingly built the house for her family. Tragically Venita's young daughter dies in the house under mysterious circumstances. In her grief, Venita is pushed over the edge and makes some highly questionable yet understandable decisions which lead to the haunting of the house. While Ronnie's and Bartholomew's perspectives are told in the first person, Venita's is told through her diary entries which Ronnie reads. This adds an interesting element and is a nice alternative perspective. I loved that the author told the story this way as it really allows the reader to experience the house's past and present and makes for a more well-rounded story.
Most of the story unfolds through Ronnie's perspective. This works well because Ronnie is a funny and smart narrator, even if she can be frustrating at times. Through Ronnie, we experience the "haunted" part of the house as she slowly realizes she just might not be the only inhabitant of her neglected mansion. Ronnie's chapters give us plenty of the chills you'd expect from a story about a haunted house and there are some truly tense moments throughout. Bartholomew's and Venita's chapters aren't nearly as fleshed out and I found myself wanting to hear more from them, particularly Venita. I enjoyed learning about Venita through her diary entries as they allow us to get an inside view of her true thoughts, feelings, and motivations for her actions following the death of her daughter. I felt that Bartholomew's chapters were the weakest, but they still added to the story, and he has a fairly large part to play in the satisfying conclusion to the story.
Overall, I enjoyed It Was Her House First. The author does an excellent job of seamlessly weaving together multiple perspectives, timelines, and stories that make for a satisfying and fun read that had me turning pages well into the night. Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Cherie Priest for the opportunity to review this ARC.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was an intriguing and unique style of book compared to what I have read before. The story incorporates several different media styles, which keeps it engaging and fresh! I love a good ghost story, and this one delivered. With multiple POVs, we get Ronnie's perspective as she recently bought a home and is grieving. I enjoyed Ronnie's chapters. Bart's chapters, however, were rather dull and sometimes moved at a snail's pace, although they did have some spooky moments, albeit toned down. Lastly, Sloane's chapters were the highlight. I loved getting inside the ghost's mind and that aspect was fascinating!
The beginning of the book was a bit of a struggle, but if you push through, the ending is strong and absolutely amazing! If you're looking for a different kind of ghost story that includes revenge and various intriguing aspects, then you should pick this one up. Just remember to stick with it for that ending—it makes the book! Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley, for the opportunity to read and review this one. It was definitely a spooktacular experience!
The beginning of the book was a bit of a struggle, but if you push through, the ending is strong and absolutely amazing! If you're looking for a different kind of ghost story that includes revenge and various intriguing aspects, then you should pick this one up. Just remember to stick with it for that ending—it makes the book! Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley, for the opportunity to read and review this one. It was definitely a spooktacular experience!
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
New homeowner Ronnie buys a fixer-upper with a haunting past, and it might not be the ghosts haunting the place she needs to fear the most.
It was her house first unfolds through dual timelines—the present day and the 1930s—gradually revealing the secrets of the house’s haunting via ghost Bartholomew Sloan and the diary of the homes main, vindictive ghost, Venita Rost. Ronnie, grappling with grief of her late brother and having gone off her meds, purchases the infamous starlet Venita Rost's house with Ben's life insurance money, undeterred by warnings of its “dangers" - whether it be the fact every homeowner has died in the house, the asbestos, or the friendly not-quite-neighbor, Coty.
The first 16 percent of the book outside of Sloans short chapters felt like watching one of those reality shows where people fix up ancient properties on HGTV. Not much goes on but repeatedly letting us know Ronnie's brother has died recently. I felt myself skimming bits because it felt like reading a transcript of Fixer Upper.
Sloans chapters were the better ones. It's not often we get insight into a ghosts head. When he was alive, he was rather a Hercule Poirot. Though as we delve into his pov and learn from Venitas diary, he was a great investigator. Not through merit, but because of some deal he made that inadvertently killed Venitas daughter, Priscilla, and ultimately lead to Venita orchestrating not only her death, but the death of her husband, Oscar, and Bart Sloan. Karma can be a vindictive bitch, but so can Venita.
I wanted to love this, I did. It feels like nothing really happens until 85 percent, and ghosts finally come out when real life danger does.
A supernatural thriller where a literal haunted house might not be the deadliest thing new homeowner Ronnie must survive.
This was a fun read - told in two competing timelines of the current day and the 1930s - where we can slowly piece together how this decrepit house became the way it is - and how, exactly, it became haunted by ghosts. Ronnie, still struggling after the death of her brother and fighting her own OCD, uses the insurance money to purchase this (extreme) fixer-upper of a house. She’s told it might be haunted, and given many warnings about such “dangers” of the house - but, she’s determined to see her project through.
While renovating she finds the diary of silent film star Venita Ross, who chronicles her life up until the tragic death of her daughter. With both her and her daughter’s killer trapped in the house for the rest of eternity, Ronnie might not be able to trust anyone (or any ghost) she meets - lest she meet the same fate as every previous owner of the house. Coupled with someone whose interest in the house seems a bit more than natural, Ronnie has to depend on herself - and maybe even the ghosts themselves - to save both her and the house.
This was a fun read, and I loved how the story uses both timelines to slowly tell the full picture. A combination of a historical fiction and a supernatural thriller, this book ticks off many boxes of genres I really love and enjoy. Many aspects of this book reminded me of both Laura Purcell and Anna Mazzola, and I believe any fan of supernatural gothic horror would love this novel. My only issue is that I wish there was a bit more explanation about the deal and entity that Sloan made, but I understand the ambiguity being necessary to tell the story in a realistic way.
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for providing this e-ARC.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
There are so many things I love about this book. From the characters both living and dead to the mysteries that unravel as Ronnie settles into her haunted home, "It Was Her House First" checks off the boxes for me with a compelling narrative that keeps your attention through its multiple POV's and fast-paced plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief
Moderate: Death, Mental illness
Ronnie does have OCD and it is mentioned pretty frequently. While I find it to be pretty realistic in how (general) mental illness can affect people, I'm not sure how accurate it is specifically to OCD . I know that this is something that is often mischaracterized or misused in media, so giving a heads up.