A gothic-style mystery filled with every trope of the genre imaginable. Harkworth Hall is an easy read and reasonably fun but it is not a great example of the genre. The book is the start of a new series and I think there’s potential for improvement.

Harkworth Hall by L.S. Johnson is a “kisses only” Regency style f/f romance. Caroline Daniels family has fallen into financial decline. While her father denies their circumstances, Caroline does laundry and dusts rooms behind his back so they may keep up appearances. His hope is to see her married but there are few eligible gentlemen in their remote corner of England and none of them are interested in her. More importantly, she is not interested in them. When Sir Edward Masterson arrives and leases the beautiful but decaying Harkworth Hall, with plans for an expensive renovation, her father begins to hope that his dreams of a marriage for Caroline will be answered. But it is Mr. Jonathan “Jo” Chase, a woman wearing men’s clothing, that captures Caroline’s interest:

She took my hand in a dramatic bow and kissed it. A kiss that lingered a beat too long, that felt her thumb slide along my palm – or did I imagine it? Certainly, she seemed unchanged when she arose, but oh! My hand burned, with a sensation I had never felt before. It was everything that Sir Edward’s kiss was not, it set every nerve alight in my body.

But before Jo and Caroline can reach for an HEA they must battle the dark magic that surrounds Harkworth Hall. This engaging novella is the start of a fantasy adventure series starring two intrepid young heroines.

This Gothic tale starts out like a romance. Strong heroine, an eligible bachelor and his interesting secretary. Then you notice that this is not your average romance, it's a Gothic tale with an interesting twist.
I truly enjoyed reading it.

Very much enjoyed this mix of classics like Jane Austen and the horror/gothic genre. Interested to see what comes next from L.S. Johnson.

I found Harkworth Hall while poking around on Netgalley looking for something to read. The cover initially caught my eye and the blurb sold me. A gothic novel with a paranormal twist? Sign me up! I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. And, honestly, I quite enjoyed it.
The setting is dark and broody, with a lot of attention paid to the atmospheric elements – wind, water, mood, lighting, animals, and the ground. The abandoned manor home, crumbling cliffs, hidden tunnels, and mysterious grottoes all add to the gothic feel.

There are only a handful of characters and, at first, you think this book will be a romance between the smart, resolute, and emotionally strong heroine, Caroline, and her father’s new friend, the broody, mysterious, Masterson who seems to have the ability to hypnotize or enchant everyone except Caroline and Chase. But, that is where it takes a turn and the real romance blooms between Caroline and Chase. Their romance brings the whole tone of the book into a more contemporary feel, while still being incredibly PG.

The characters really drive the story, but there is also a mystery, a paranormal element, and, as mentioned above, an unusual romance. And, while parts of the ending, particularly Masterson’s fate, may feel a little rough or unsatisfactory, the book is set up beautifully to be the first in a series. So, hopefully some of those questions will be resolved in the coming books. I look forward to reading them!

I picked up Harkworth Hall thanks to Bob @ Beauty in Ruins' review; it sounded like a fun piece of Gothic romance with horror along the lines of William Hope Hodgson, rather than, say, Stephen King. All in all, pretty much up my alley -- and even better, it features a relationship between two women (about which I'd better not say too much; Bob's review already has a minor spoiler). I loved the women of the story: yes, they're of their time, but they're not completely circumscribed by the most strait-laced options available to women -- Caroline has an independent streak, for one.

As for the horror aspect, it doesn't go into that too much. It's more of a sense of unease, of something uncanny, rather than all-out gore and cheap thrills (though there is a scene or two in which the threat is realised!).

I have just one quibble. At one point, two women are talking about being sensible, in the sense of being responsible and not rushing into danger, etc. Then one comments that they lack "sensibility". Nooooo, that's not what that word means! "Sensibility" is about appreciating and responding to emotion, not "being sensible" in our modern sense. Austen's Sense and Sensibility is contrasting the two in its title, not pairing two like words.

That said, I'm looking forward to reading more of Caroline's adventures, for sure.

The review goes up on my blog on the 16th September.

I think I liked the idea and the feel of the book more than the book itself. It took me a while to get into the book and the voice felt a little forced to me.

Excellent book. Great main characters and a real page turner. I loved the plot and would recommend this book.

Filled with mysterious strangers and a keen sexual awakening, this novel is the perfect launchpad for a series of intrigue and science fiction.

1752, England, The North.

And with this minor introduction we are transported to a time when King George the Second was on the throne and the latest on the fashion scene for women were dresses as wide as a doorway and the men of prominence sported those funky white wigs. The book starts off with a minor mystery as to why the birds have all flown away from the coastal area where the heroine lives and gradually winds itself into a fantasy world of smugglers, damsels in distress and a leviathan requiring a specific blood sacrifice. All very odd.

Thankfully it’s only a short book of 164 pages, and the groundwork is clearly laid out for more novels to come, possibly making it a series. But in the end it’s a mess of ideas and genres that doesn’t really make the mark. It starts off as one type of book but then misleads the reader into a weird storyline that it doesn’t sell at all well. The characters are not well crafted, the prose is clunky and in general it’s just a jumble.

Without a doubt, I am not the target audience for this piece of work.

I was lured to this book by the cover image and title. I'm a huge fan of stories that feature scary houses, and that's what this looked like it was going to be. It turned out to be something entirely different, but scary nonetheless! The heroine, Caroline, lives with her father in reduced circumstances, and he's trying to get her married off. Her only prospective groom is an unnerving shipping magnate, whose assistant is clearly (to Caroline at least) a woman disguised as a man. Caroline bravely investigates her suitor and makes some truly terrifying discoveries, as well as a very important and self revelatory one. The end note says there are more novels to come with these characters, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this story goes.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This was marvellous. I read it in two sittings - probably could have polished it off in one if life had no intervened. Harksworth Hall takes a look at the classic nineteenth century Gothic novel and then turns a few things on their heads. The heroine, Caroline, is sensible, intelligent and adventurous - not that she gets much scope to exercise that in her stifling life - unconventional by the times standard. This is never presented in a 'not like the other girls way' however. It merely serves to emphasise that Caroline feels lost and alienated in her own life. We're given hints as to her probable sexuality early on and this adds another dimension to her character rather than detracts because it's been included as a unique selling point or to tick boxes.

Enter the suave and disconcerting Mr Masterson and the scene is set for a gothic romp. There are loose connections her to the folktale of 'Bluebeard' but this time it is the woman's curiosity and refusal to accept the stories she's told that ultimately saves her, having led her through great peril first of course.

Accompanying the villain, we have the secretary, Mr Chase who is not what he seems at all. Chase and Caroline's friendship and burgeoning romance is adorable. I pretty much shipped them from the first meeting because there's plenty of chemistry there, they really do spark off each other.

Throw in a generous dollop of sea mythology and hint of paranormal fantasy and this is a fabulous late Georgian historical adventure. The narrative voice is perfect, calling up the time period without descent into over prosiness or archaisms. It's engaging and mysterious, drawing you on until the last page. I was so relieved to reach the end and find out there was going to be another book. I await 'Leviathan' with baited breath. Loved this book and highly recommend it to everyone who likes a historical fantasy that's a bit different.

I am not quite sure what went wrong with this book. It was very readable with a story that flowed well and kept the action coming. However, there was a lack of depth in the book making it a very light surface story and plot.

Caroline Daniels needs to marry well as her Father has a property but little money. Her Father meets Edward Masterton, a wealthy businessman, and has hopes for a good marriage. So far, so good. Not an unusual story but one that could be built upon. However, it all seemed to get a bit out of control after this. The only character that we get to know in any depth is Caroline. Her Father, good friend Diana, Edward Masterton and his secretary Mr Chase are all quite major to the story but we don't get to know them as people. They are fairly cardboard. We learn a little more about Mr Chase but the facts are given to us in a hurried jumble without really making sense. We still don't really get a feeling of the person just the facts.

I think hurry is the secret to this book. It does all seem to be quite hurried and little atmosphere is created. Caroline ends up in a difficult position but she and Mr Chase seem able to get themselves out of it in quite a dramatic and unlikely manner. Had the author taken longer and built up to the situation creating atmosphere and tension this would have been far better.

With some extra time and effort this could have been a good read but unfortunately due to its rushed nature and cardboard characters it was actually rather mediocre.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley

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