CW: Domestic violence, violence against women, violence against animals, references to sexual assault A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh is a tightly plotted thriller that has pervasive feeling of rage coiled around it. Every character in this book feels angry and on edge, on the verge of snapping. This creates a superb tension that carries throughout the novel and, when combined with a perfectly plotted mystery and well-developed characters, results in a fantastic reading … Continue reading A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh →
I love creepy romance; before I started reading romance novels I read Old Skool Gothics by Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney. The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox contained some Gothic elements, but it’s really a historical romance with suspense elements. I enjoyed the spooky atmosphere, but I found the romantic development to be a little weak and I wasn’t happy with how the mystery was laid out. The novel is set in Pale … Continue reading The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox →
TW: This book contains the graphic depiction of a rape. The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea is billed a Gothic mystery set in 1686 in Iceland that has shades of Jane Eyre to it. It’s about the dangers of rumors, and how they can poison a community. It’s wonderfully atmospheric and creepy…at least at first. About two-thirds of the way through the book, The Glass Woman shifts from a traditional Gothic to something more like … Continue reading The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea →
Sweet Agony by Charlotte Stein is an erotic romance with a Gothic twist, and it is pure unadulterated Elyse-bait. Please prepare for Squee. We have Squee inbound, so take cover and bring snacks. We might be here awhile. We have a recluse hero with an unbearably sexy voice and impressive lexicon, we have a Gothic mansion, and we have lots of sexy times that turn into something poignant. More than that, we have a Dom … Continue reading Sweet Agony by Charlotte Stein →
The Au Pair by Emma Rous is a slightly Gothic psychological thriller that focuses on one woman’s suspicion that she might not be physically related to her own family. The premise is excellent and while I kept turning pages well into the night, I found that when I finished the book, I was only slightly satisfied with the resolution. Part of that is because the final reveals are executed a little clumsily. The other part … Continue reading The Au Pair by Emma Rous →
Halloween is just around the corner and it’s my favorite time of year. I love kids getting to dress up as adorable pumpkins or superheroes, my getting to buy bulk Reese Peanut Butter Cups and pretend like they’re for trick or treaters when the bag is totally going in my freezer, and my reading all of the spooky books and movies that get released. The Witch of Willow Hall immediately caught my eye with its … Continue reading The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox →
Since it’s October, I wanted to find you all a nice crumbly mansion set in a mysterious forest for our Romance Wanderlust column, and the Internet did not disappoint. The Forest Side is in Cumbria, England and was voted “The UK’s Most Romantic Hotel” by Good Hotel Guide 2018. It’s super Gothic on the outside, it’s pretty and airy on the inside, and it’s close to the long time home of poet William Wordsworth and … Continue reading Romance Wanderlust: The Forest Side →
His Wicked Charm is a fun Regency Gothic romance. This is one of many books in the “Mad Moreland Series,” which is about an unconventional upper class family in England. In this book, one of the Moreland brothers, Con, teams up with his sister’s friend Lilah to solve mysteries and fight crime (basically). Con is the “bad” brother and Lilah is the “boring” friend. The story kicks off with a kidnapping and winds up full-in Gothic … Continue reading His Wicked Charm by Candace Camp →
Girl at the Grave is a YA gothic mystery with a love triangle. It’s not deep, and the solution to the mystery is utterly unbelievable. However, I read it on a rainy day with a cup of tea and enjoyed it for the most part, despite its flaws. If you are in the mood for a weird village and plots and rich snobs and an old decrepit mansion, then this may pass the time quite … Continue reading Girl at the Grave by Teri Bailey Black →
The Beautiful Ones is a book that includes many genres, including fantasy, romance, manners, and just a little bit of Gothic. I enjoyed it more as a soap opera than a romance, but your mileage will vary depending on your interpretation of the characters. The setting is an alternate world in which some people have telekinetic powers. It takes place during the Belle Époque (anywhere between 1871-1914). Loisail is the Big City where the upper … Continue reading The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia →
I have been spending this year giving presentations on, and writing about, Mary Shelley, and when I haven’t been doing that I’ve been giving presentations about Jane Austen. Thus I was thrilled that the book Pride and Prometheus was coming out. I didn’t even read the book description. I just looked at the cover and thought: “This will fix everything.” Frankenstein, the novel by Mary Shelley, does not end well. The estimated body count comes … Continue reading Pride and Prometheus by John Kessel →
