The author makes her debut with The House of Brides where she keeps the reader interested until the very end. The story is a psychological suspense novel about Miranda whose life is a mess. As she heads home she hopes it's what she needs. Instead of comfort though she is faced with secrets and lies.

I'll admit, I went in this book totally blind. Never heard of anyone reading it, just liked the title and the cover. What a dark horse of a book!!! It was so hauntingly lovely!! Perfectly balanced family drama and mystery. It did not read like a debut novel and I can't wait to recommend it to other readers!!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers - Harper for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about a young woman going back to her mother's home to solve a mystery surrounding her dead mother's past. I enjoyed the writing style itself but really that was it. I found the story slow and not interesting to me. I put the book down for a bit thinking maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this type of mystery but after a while I gave it another try and still wasn't very interested.

I stuck with the book though because I did want to know how it was going to end but unfortunately, the ending was just as disappointing for me. I would still recommend to others if they like domestic mysteries and stuff. I'm still not sure why The House of Brides didn't click for me but I would still give the author another chance with her future works.

2/5

This was such a gripping debut by Jane Cockram! I typically skim a synopsis when it comes to thrillers, in an effort to avoid any spoilers for myself, but I actually caught a but more of this blurb and knew I needed to read it as soon as possible.

The House of Brides was so gripping and had all the family drama I love.

Highly recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper for the free book. All opinions are my own

Classic gothic suspense with a modern twist. House of Brides is perfect for fans of Carol Goodman and Kate Morton.

Gothic mystery writing at its best.Enjoyed the plot the characters will be recommending this book.#netgalley#harpercollins

This was a very well written story. It took me the entire book to wrap my head around the ending. The author did a superb job at including details that make the reader feel like they are a part of the pages.
Barnsley House was mysterious as was the history behind it. Through secrets, lies, and curiosity, the truth is uncovered and family drama is addressed. Bravo!!! 5/5 stars from me!!

This was a fun read, history, mystery, family. Mix them and you get trouble.
Miranda is a bit of a weird character. I am not sure if I liked her or not. I do feel she wanted to be good but she had a selfish streak too but I was not sure what her real self was.
The developments in the story were a bit wobbly. To many details that were influencing the story making it unclear what was important and what not. I got a big Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier) vibe from this book.
It is a good read for a stormy night, it kept me captivated and wanting to know what was actually going on.

Miranda in an effort to run from her recent troubles travels to England to connect with her mother's estranged family and troubled. She only knows what she's read of the family in a book written by her mother but arrives to find not all is as she thought she knew.

I absolutely loved this book. I did not want to finish it. I have already recommended it to three people, one has just started it. For fans of Kate Morton, this is a must.

Miranda had a very good job, but when some things went wrong that caught her up in a lie, she spiraled downward. After hiding in her father’s home with his second wife and two daughters, she has finally agreed to accept a job that he insists she take. However, at the last minute she decides to leave Australia and head to England to Barnsley House. It is an old estate that her mother had known well and had even written a book called “The House of Brides” which is about the place. From this, Miranda has always been fascinated with the place.

When Miranda arrives, it is immediately assumed by the odd housekeeper, Mrs. Mins, that she is the new nanny. Max and Daphne Summer now own the place. They have two daughters, Sophia and Agatha, and one son, Robbie. Max is actually Miranda’s uncle. She goes along with the nanny accumption because she had originally received a letter from Sophia, meant for Miranda’s dead mother, asking for her help.

Barnsley House has been a successful hotel with a wonderful restaurant run by Daphne, a renowned chef. However, a recent accident injured Daphne and Agatha, leaving the child wheelchair-bound. Since then, the hotel is not taking any guests and Daphne is not cooking as she continues to heal.

Miranda jumps right into her duties of caring for the children. The house is large and rather spooky especially now that there are no guests. However, she finds herself drawn into the mysteries in the house and who all the people are, some of whom are very strange.

The story continues as Miranda delves into the events that shaped the house. The family members all have some secrets they are keeping.

OK. This book is rather hard to follow and I just felt that while it provided the proper amount of spookiness, the story was just not that interesting.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

So disappointing. I thought I was going to love this book since it has so many great themes that I enjoy: creepy old house, creepy characters, family secrets, unreliable narrator, hidden identities, isolation, missing person, gothic vibe. But it did not live up to its potential. I almost didn't finish it, but since I received an e-ARC in return for a review, I felt obligated to read it and started skimming about 1/3 of the way in. Unfortunately, ALL of the characters are unlikable, and the main character Miranda is also downright stupid. The plot was unbelievable and just kind of fizzled out. Since this was an ARC, I’m hoping that an editor at the publishing house will go through this with a red pen and fix it this very rough draft into something better.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC in return for a review (and I’m sorry I couldn’t give it a better review).

Jane Cockram’s debut was hauntingly atmospheric a perfect fall read. Her descriptive writing style will completely transport you too the creepy Barnsley House. I would not classify this as a thriller it was more of a slow burn suspenseful family drama a little reminiscent of a Kate Morton Book. The beauty of the story was not twists and turns but rather immersive incredible storytelling. Miranda’s life has hit a bit of a bump and she is looking to reinvent herself. When she receives a mysterious letter from a cousin she’s never met Miranda believes it is the perfect time to leave Australia and fly to the UK to find a piece of her pass. Miranda’s mother Tessa was a famous author who died when she was young. Tessa had fled the UK for reasons unknown to Miranda so she ensconces herself in the family as the new nanny. What follows is the unraveling of a web of family secrets and lies.

A creepy house full of creepy characters with a creepy past. The story really drew me in these characters were so vividly drawn, so real to me. I wanted nothing to happen to these children, I wanted to know where their mother Daphne had gone? I needed to know what was up with Max and scary Mrs. Mim. What was Elizabith really up to out on that island? Miranda was a great character and I was right there with her trying to piece all of this together. The ending to this story really surprise me, however there was an abruptness to it that didn’t flow with the rest of the book. All in all this was a captivating debut and I am looking forward to what’s next from Miss Cockram.

This book in emojis: 🌫 📖 🛥 ✍🏻 🏚

The House of Brides by Jane Cockram is a bit of psychological suspense entangled in a family drama. The setting in this one takes place in England in an old family estate known as The Barnsley House and is atmospheric and haunting with gothic undertones.

Our main character, Miranda, is just coming into adulthood while still being treated as a child by her family and let’s face it, still making many mistakes along the way. Miranda had become a successful influencer but her fame had gone spiraling downward when she was caught in some lies on her products.

Being at a crossroads in her life Miranda had always wanted to know about her mother’s background and family so when a letter shows up years after her passing Miranda sees it as a sign to head to England for answers. When arriving however she impulsively masquerades as a nanny while she looks to uncover the secrets of her mother’s past.

The House of Brides was a solid enough debut for this author although sometimes along the way it felt as if there were a tad bit of something missing. The setting was done rather well and along with the characters it had a wonderfully creepy vibe that pulled the story along. I’m not sure if I just longed for more depth or perhaps a bit more action to it along the way but it was enough that I’m glad I gave it a go and would pick up another by Jane Cockram.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The House of Brides is a good gothic mystery novel. It was a bit slow and lacking in spots,but overall it was still a good book.

This debut novel is a modern take on the old-fashioned gothic novel - An old mansion on a cliff by the sea, a sinister housekeeper, a standoffish groundskeeper, innocent children - one in a wheelchair, withdrawn father, disappearing mother, enter a long lost family member, a young women, who lies about her identity and gets hired as the nanny - family drama all around with many mysteries to solve. The novel flows well and keeps one interested. Mysteries are revealed. The last chapter seemed a bit of a brisk wrap up to me but, all in all, a quick fun read.

The House of Brides was a fun modern-day gothic novel in the tradition that I love: A young woman grows up with a mother who is estranged from her family, after her mother's death she goes to the family's creepy estate to try to meet her mother's family and figure out why she never spoke of them.

In this case, Miranda had a career as a social media star, but her career crashed and burned when she was sued for false health claims about the diet she invented. She sees a letter from her mother's family asking for help and decides to go and visit them. She takes a job with the family as a nanny, in a case of mistaken identity and doesn't reveal that she is one of the family. Her Aunt Daphne, by marriage, disappears and there may be a ghost in the house, which adds to the gothic feel of the novel.

I enjoyed reading this novel set on the coast in England with a creepy house and young woman who doesn't know who to trust in her quest for the truth about her aunt and her mother. The novel kept me reading, because I wanted to know, who is good and who is bad, and how will the plot be resolved. It wasn't my favorite book of the year, but it was very enjoyable. I do recommend it if you enjoy gothic novels and have been longing for a modern-day gothic novel. It is a good read for winter, or October, because it includes a ghost, Christmas, and cold seas.

I’m not sure why this book is getting such mediocre reviews. I thought it was pretty great! It kept up a creepy pace throughout that the reader is never quite sure what is happening, but not in a terrible way. It definitely kept me guessing and I found the ending satisfying. I also felt the writing was very good. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

For American readers...this book starts out in Australia, and the main character dreams of returning to a pivotal country house in her family's history that's located in England. Maybe it was me, but I needed a bit more context to figure that out from the first few chapters.

This book was well written and a good family drama. I found it a bit hard to get into, but it was a fine book.

When Miranda's life explodes and she is forced to move back home, she finds herself lost. She tries to please her father and step mother. She misses her mother, a world renowned author and decides to try to find out more about her past. She poses as a nanny to live in the ancestral home, hoping to find answers. She finds herself involved with a family - her family unbeknownst to them - who needs her more than she knows.

I liked this book just okay. I found it a bit unrealistic but the story like was good. For sure not one of my favorite books.