Let me count the reasons I LOVED this novel…

1. Gothic feel with a mansion that is an integral part of the story.
2. Mounting tension as the pages turn.
3. Creepy narrator who converses with the house.
4. The witty, yet dark and disturbing humor.

Told from the point of view of Elizabeth (Betty) Stash, who is not the golden, favorite child of her mother. The beloved child is her sister, Gloria, who basks in all her goodness. Betty believes that her sister “makes everything sound like a story from Beatrice Potter.”

Betty begins plotting a scheme to take the family mansion, called “Pipits” back after her late mother leaves it to her favored sister, Gloria. After all, Betty is emotionally attached to the estate and its abundant gardens. She speaks to it, and it greets her. Tension mounts as Betty’s obsession with taking what is rightfully hers (in her mind anyway) spins out of control. We now are treated to the heinous plot she has concocted and can only hold our breath until the end.

Atmospheric, wickedly funny and insanely creepy! Can you tell I absolutely enjoyed this twisted tale? This one will stay with me for a while!

Thanks to Gallery books and Netgalley for this Arc.

Rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

Betty Stash loves nothing and no one more than she loves Pipets, her childhood home. Every inch of House (as she calls it) is precious to her—perhaps a bit too precious, as we learn in the beginning of the book that she has been recently diagnosed as an objectophile. As the oldest daughter, she expected to be the one to inherit Pipets. After the death of her mother, Betty learned Pipits was to be inherited by younger sister Gloria. She is enraged, thinking it yet another example of "beloveds"—beautiful, lucky people—having things work out perfectly for them at the expense of someone else. Betty is determined to have Pipets for herself, however, and has no problem doing whatever it takes to make that happen.

What I liked:

Betty's obsession with the house was oddly captivating to read about. Her need to be on the grounds or in the house itself was pretty creepy sometimes, especially as you see how brazen she becomes about it.

This novel isn't a true gothic, but it definitely puts off a gothic vibe at various points in the story, which I really enjoyed.

A portion of the story takes place in London, at Betty's former residence. I don't want to spoil what happens, so I'll just say that the issues she has with her downstairs neighbors—a couple she considers to be another pair of "beloveds"—perfectly illustrate how increasingly unhinged she has become. When things come to a head, her extreme narcissism convinces her she did nothing wrong, and her neighbors were to blame for everything.

What I didn't like:

Gloria and her husband Henry—despite Betty's increasingly bizarre behavior—never once seemed to suspect that she was up to no good. Henry clearly wanted Betty to leave many times, but it was always more indicative of his discomfort at having her around when he had (very briefly) dated her in the past, or simply wanting to be alone with his wife and baby.

Gloria was completely clueless about Betty's bitter resentment of her, which felt like a bit of a stretch because she's a psychodynamic psychotherapist. Shouldn't she have noticed something was off about her sister?! And yet—despite some pretty big red flags that should have screamed Betty was involved in certain incidents—she never once suspected a thing.

What disappointed me:

The ending felt premature. A highly significant thing happened; a twist I didn't expect that literally made me gasp aloud. I hurried to go to the next page, excited to see what would happen now, only to realize I'd reached the end of the book.

Perhaps other who read it will feel that it was a natural end point. I can see how it works as an ending, but it didn't work for me. I felt there were more than a few loose ends that prevented it from having a truly satisfying ending.

Final thoughts:

Cool premise for a story, but the cluelessness of Henry and Gloria and the abrupt ending dampened the enjoyment I felt in reading other portions of the book. Still, I'm giving the book 3.5 stars because it kept me reading despite any dissatisfaction I felt at times.

I looked forward to reading Maureen Lindley's' novel based on its introduction. However, I did not enjoy the book. The sarcasm and darkness of the Betty Stash character made it painful to read. The author has quite an imagination and a way with words, but both were put to a bad use in this novel.

2.5/3 stars

This book really has a gothic feel to it. I loved the imagery that was maintained of the house, the garden, and the surrounding areas. The description of this book sounded amazing with hints of a disturbing plot and family dynamic; however, I did feel like it felt a little flat and I had some issues with it overall. I originally started the book and lost interest around 25%; however, I decided to give it another try after several months. Although I am glad that I continued on with it, I am a little let down by it. Early on you can tell that there is something wrong with the main character, Elizabeth. Going in, I was expecting sibling rivalry and a basis for such, but there really wasn't much foundation for why she hated Gloria so much. Yes, she felt jaded and like what was rightfully hers had been taken from her, nevertheless, I didn't see a reason other than that. Throughout the story it becomes increasingly clear that there is something mentally askew with her; however, this is rarely, if ever, addressed. Her dependency on alcohol and prescription medications increases without much notice or care of anyone around it. It is mentioned in passing, but it is never taken seriously. Help is offered after "tragedies" but is never pushed or insisted upon. I saw potential in this story, but there are some major flaws in the progression that stick out to me. The book is also rather open-ended without much resolution to anything. This could possibly due to it becoming a series, but I am not sure I would be interested in another book that doesn't address the clear issues at hand. I would have loved to see the obsession with the family home to related to something else and more explored outside of the clear mental issues and alcohol abuse.

*NetGalley - I requested access to this book prior to publication. All opinions and reviews are my own and not solicited by the author, publisher, or NetGalley.

Kind of creepy, weird, evil, disturbed main character who is so obsessed with taking what is "rightfully hers" that she converses with her childhood house as she plots to take the house back and take down her sister. At the beginning of the book I was thinking we could find some sympathy for Betsy as things clearly didn't go her way for some big events in her life. However, it wasn't long at all before she came off disturbed and with no redeeming characteristics. While the story itself had some good scheming plot lines, the end of the book did not at all wrap up the story or bring resolution.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF: 25%

I gave this one two stars because I recognize that other people may like the story, but it wasn't for me. I couldn't finish it. I kept trying to read more but was wondering why.

I was drawn in by the cover and then the summary. I'm all for a well-done sibling rivalry. But I struggled to find the rivalry. It seemed to be more a story about how one sister hated the other. And I didn't understand why. I recognize that more information and understand may have been found further in, but I couldn't keep going.

I found Betty to be an intensely unlikable character. And she's the narrator! I didn't understand her hatred for Gloria and, while I'm happy to roll with an unreliable narrator, I need to be invested. Unfortunately for this one, the story didn't capture me.

There was a little girl who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead;
When she was good, she was very, very good,
And when she was bad she was horrid.

-Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme

It's hard to believe there's a more horrid girl than Elizabeth Stash (a.k.a. Betty). She's paranoid, narcisstic, psychopathic, sociopathic, and oh yes, a murderer.

So what's not to love? Nothing, if you ask her. In her view, she's perfect - and perfectly willing to blame everyone else in the world when things don't go her way.

From the time her younger "Beloved" sister Gloria was born, you see, Betty was deprived of her rightful first-born status by a mother who clearly loved baby sister best. And from there, it's downhill all the way. Not only did near-angel Gloria steal Betty's mother, she stole her best friend Alice and Henry, the love of her life. To add insult to injury, Henry, married sister Gloria; but as it turns out, that wasn't the mother of all snubs. No, that happened when the girls' mother died, leaving the family home, dubbed Pipits, to Gloria and Henry. And now Betty - who believes in her heart of evil hearts that the house should be hers - sets out to set things right.

The entire book is narrated by Betty, thus exposing her ever-more-delusional plans and plots to first, get the property back, and later, to get revenge on everyone she's convinced has wronged her. Emphasis on everyone; in addition to Gloria, Henry and Alice, there's her art gallery owner husband Bert, cantankerous downstairs neighbors at her London apartment building, Gloria's elderly cleaning lady; the list goes on and on and on.

I'll stop here and say if you don't enjoy watching an already demented mind become more sinister by the day, this probably isn't your cup of tea. Plenty happens, but it's always shaded by Betty's twisted perspective, which is enhanced by copious amounts of gin and a few tranquilizers. As a student of psychology, I found the story riveting right up to the end; but that, alas, is where my enthusiasm ends. I rather felt as if I'd just been dashed in the face with a bucket of cold water - it's that abrupt. All I'll say further is that if it's closure you want, you'll be disappointed (I'll acknowledge, though, that in many ways, it's appropriate given the rest of the story).

All in all, its quite an interesting and different tale. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Perhaps just not my "cup of tea", so to speak. I enjoyed the "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane"-esque vibes.
Obsession, betrayal, psychosis, general madness. All things I should've loved.
Perhaps it was pacing, or lack of closure. Something about it I just didn't enjoy.

A dark and twisted story of a sociopath, who has hated her sister from childhood. She is filled with jealous rage and the story is creepy and horrific in parts. It was a little slow at times but still an intriguing thriller.

Oh I liked this book. It was a little odd and strange. And for once the narrator that seems unreliable was just out there and reliable. I felt bad for Betty at first but that didn’t last long. She’s a very troubled person to say the least.

The Beloveds is a contemporary drama with suspenseful undertones, with a vibe set in an era all of its own. I immediately felt that this story was relatable due to the sibling rivalry and conflicts that we all can experience when a death in the family may occur. While the plot was pretty standard, it was an enjoyable read that breaks the mold of other contemporary fiction works.

So here we have the unreliable terribly damaged woman protagonist, except we never learn exactly what is happening in real life around her and there is no ending. Lindley is a good writer; her descriptions of the world around Elizabeth put me right in the middle of the garden or on the gritty streets of London. But I am tired of unreliable damaged women in books - so the two star rating is probably more about my fatigue of this genre than the book itself. (And the fact that there is really no resolution to anything, in my opinion). Probably unfair, but there you go.

I was drawn into the description of this book and especially the comparison with ‘Rebecca’ but ended up disappointed. When Gloria unexpectedly inherits their family home Betty’s lifelong resentment and hatred of her younger sister escalates to an unbelievable level. There were well-written evocative scenes especially in regard to the house but they weren’t enough to sustain my interest. By the time it reached an unsatisfying conclusion I checked to see if I’d missed the final chapter to no avail.

I loved this author's writing. I was drawn in right away. This book is a nasty little tale and I like it. I would compare this author to Gillian Finn. Just my style! Thank you for the ARC!!!

This book... I am all one for a dark, twisted thriller. Betty is a character I thought I would really like. I will admit I had high hopes for this book. It was a premise I hadn't seen before and it seemed interesting. I was wrong.

This book is slow moving from the get-go and gets even slower in the second half. All of Betty's hatred for her sister, both past and present, are presented to the reader in the first half and primarily takes place in her thoughts and memories. As Betty drinks more and more,her thoughts get even more bizarre and evil. She goes from a selfish, scorned sister to a truly evil human being- all over a house she believes is alive and wants to have as her own.

There are very good parts to this novel that I really did enjoy. The way the author writes about Betty's time working in the art gallery had a melodic, magical element to it. Descriptions of the house and the grounds surrounding it were descriptive and enjoyable. The author does have some fine writing skills.

The biggest problem I had with "The Beloveds" was the complete lack of closure at the end. I got no satisfaction for finishing this long, mostly boring read. The book just ends and left me wondering "what just happened", and I mean tthis literally. Nothing at all happens. It left me wondering if there a sequel. If there is a sequel do I really want to read it? I felt like I had wasted my time with a story that the author didn't finish writing.

This is a book I could have really liked, had the author, in my opinion, spent more time on story development and completion. It was a 2 star read for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books for allowing me the opportunity to read and give my honest review.

What is a Beloved? A Beloved is someone who has everything come to him/her easily, whether it be beauty, wealth, good fortune, or likability. In this story, Gloria, Elizabeth’s sister seems to be just this. Not only does Elizabeth’s lover (also a Beloved) fall for her, but she has the good graces of their shared mother, and with that, receives the inheritance of the house instead of Elizabeth, the eldest child.

Based in contemporary time, I wasn’t convinced it was today’s time. It felt older to me. Maybe with how the inheritance worked. Most people don’t live in the house that their parents lived in after they’re deceased. Also, since there wasn’t the mention of technology all that much, maybe that led me to this realization.

On to the good stuff…Elizabeth. Guys always talk about crazy ex-girlfriends. Well, this girl outshines them all. She is the epitome of crazy: breaking into houses, a phantom dog, and attempted (and some successful) murders. And all of this for a “talking” house. Is any house worth that much? Especially since we only “hear” two words at the very end. I think not! I found it extremely odd that this house was more important than her sister and even her husband. “House” was the only thing worth living for in Elizabeth’s eyes (and we see this by her trying to commit suicide and arson at the same time). If she couldn’t have this house, then no one can.

We see Elizabeth, this crazy woman, but I wish she was stronger. She lets everyone just walk all over her. We see this especially when Gloria and Henry move into Alice’s (and now Elizabeth’s house) and treat it as their own, how Bert so easily moves on with Helen and in their own apartment! She talks the big talk, but we see how her relationships completely take advantage of her obsession with the house. The one thing that was refreshing about her, though, was that she isn’t this overly optimistic protagonist that we see with most novels.

I was hoping for some kind of resolution. Because I didn’t feel fulfilled by the one given, so I didn’t really see the point of the plot. I’m not sure how her apartment neighbors had anything to do with her obsession with the house and why their were victims to her insanity. It just felt completely random to the rest of the story. There could have been so much more, but this novel just left me feeling “blah”.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book which means I will not be able to review it. I truly appreciate the opportunity and apologize for the inconvenience the lack of review may cause you.

A disturbing and rotten tale of two sisters


Betty Stash knows she isn’t a beloved, but honestly she doesn’t even care (doesn’t care about anything really) just the house. Her sister Gloria on the other hand is a charmer, a beloved. Betty lives a hard live, she has to fight for anything type of attention since the lovely Gloria came into the picture. Everything Gloria has Betty believes it should have been hers so the shock comes when Gloria is left the family mansion but Betty isnt letting this one go so easily. Betty talks to the "House" as if it is an actual person, which makes her believe the house chose her so therefore it should be hers. Then when Betty's marriage starts to crumble she can't fathom losing that too even though maybe she doesn’t love him anymore but that doesn’t matter. This starts to go dark makes you wonderis Betty is slowly coming undone?


Betty is always the victim and any form of goodness/happiness is just fairy tale make believe crap. LOL! So beware it gets twisted.

I really enjoyed this novel. The writing style was beautiful and elegant. The characters were a perfect balance of good vs. evil.

Thanks NetGalley!!

Twisted! That is the only word I feel describes the main character, Betty. From the very beginning of the book I was drawn in. I loved reading the story from Betty's perspective. Her desire to rid herself of her sister and take over as rightful heir to the family home just kept me engrossed in the book. I found it hard to put down and thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Quite an interesting story. The older sister’s feelings become very real and seem to overtake her. Who hasn’t felt a bit of that in their life? Not being the beloved one can be so hard on a person. The writing is very well done and the characters are very believable.. I will definitely be recommending this book!