kimmmmy 's review for:

Ashton Hall by Lauren Belfer

3.0

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So much happens but also nothing at all. Described as a gothic mystery - I’d argue that the mystery is lacking and the only gothic thing about this book is that there is no plot, just vibes. Now surprisingly, I’m not mad about it, I somehow still enjoyed the book and the characters, but I was expecting spooky old castle, dead bodies, sleuthing… and I got cheating closeted husband, neurodivergent children and struggling parents, open marriages, divorce proceedings, and other very contemporary troubles. I wasn’t a huge fan of one thing in particular - almost every adult character agreed that cheating on a spouse was permissible in most cases, and each of them attempted to justify it thoroughly. That was a little jarring to me. One explanation was that because the husband cheated with a man, it didn’t count. But he admitted that he was bisexual, that he was attracted to and in love with said man. Ummm okay so… yeah that’s cheating.
Meh, I finished it in 1 night and I don’t regret it but I also wouldn’t recommend.