This book filled my gothic-loving heart. When I saw the comps--Janey Eyre meets The Secret Garden, there was no way I was not requesting. This book was a delight from start to finish and I flew through it, reading long into the night, sucked in with the Victorian details, the gloomy, atmospheric setting, and the sheer mystery of it all. Loaded with every gothic trope I adore--a rambling abbey, a brooding byronic hero, and dark secrets, this will definitely stay on my favorites list! Reminiscent of the Brontes and Du Maurier.

I really, really liked this novel. The characters are intriguing and the plot is just the right degree of twisty. The best description I can think of is that Harwood threw The Secret Garden and a melodramatic Gothic tale of the moors in a blender and had fun with the results. And for the reader, that results in a thoroughly enjoyable book.

A rather modern writing style considering the book is set in 1897, an era which was obviously very much governed by Victorian rules of behaviour. The language used in the book is sometimes jarring and I suspected the author was not British and was probably unfamiliar with the language and customs of the time. This seems to be borne out by the rest of the book.

There is a complete lack of propriety between all the men and women, no real distinction between servants and employers, no acknowledgement of the customs of the time, including dress. Where were Vaughan’s hat and gloves? I kept expecting something, anything, to root the tale in 1897, but there was nothing. To test this I highlighted a page of description and dialogue and handed it to someone to read without saying why. I then asked them when they thought the book was set. They replied “I don’t know, it could be any time really.” Exactly..

Despite these irritations the premise for the story kept me reading since I’m always drawn to English country house stories. I wanted to know what the mystery of the house was, about the child and what would become of the main character. However from 60% of the book it felt turgid and really dragged out. Then the ending and wrapping up of everything was so unbelievable that I wished I had not spent so many hours of my life on this book!

You win some, you lose some.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC.

The Curse of Morton Abbey by Clarissa Harwood. Thornfield Press, 2021.

Set in late Victorian Yorkshire, this gothic romance brings together a vivid cast of characters to solve a mystery. Of these, Vaughan is a young woman from London who wants to choose her own path so, against her mother’s wishes, secures paralegal-type work at spooky, locally-avoided Morton Abbey, while Nicholas is the sickly younger of two brothers claiming to have inherited the estate. The nearby village appears almost too perfect until we learn two young girls have died and there is something murky about young daughters in the area. Details gradually emerge about the gardener, the housekeeper, a former maid turned midwife, the older brother, an odd butler, and an estranged wife that complete the puzzle.

Well written with great dialogue between credible, consistent, strong characters that develop as the plot unfolds. I did not love any character particularly, but was totally engrossed in the story and warmly recommend it for any age reader who enjoys gothic tales.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of The Curse of Morton Abbey for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #TheCurseofMortonAbbey #NetGalley.

The cover honestly is why I requested this book and I was pleased by what the story told. I loved the paranormal vibes this book put out and the incidents taking place makes you question what in the world is going on?!

With the spooky season approaching, this book is perfect for a fall read!

I really loved The Curse of Morton Abbey, it has so many excellent elements that make it amazing. The cover is also gorgeous and I was sold at gothic romance.

This was a really interesting read and different than what I was initially expecting. I can definitely see it being a combination of Jane Eyre and The Secret Garden. It was a little slow at the beginning, but then it really picked up and sucked me in.

The atmosphere throughout the whole thing was dark and Gothic. Everything was held in suspense and I kept wondering what exactly was going on. There were so many questions and mysteries. It was thoroughly enjoyable and ended in a satisfying manner.

The characters were lovable, and the beginning may have been slower, but a lot of that was just learning about the characters and coming to care about them. I was invested in their stories. An exciting adventure that gave me the Gothic vibes I needed.

What a great read The Curse of Morton Abbey by Clarissa Harwood . My first gothic novel ,Miss Vaughan lost her father who died resently. He was a solicitor and she worked along side of him and was as good as his work, but this was 1890s where it wasn't heared of a woman working in that field. Determined not to rely on her family for support ,she seeks work . She gets a place working at Morton Abbey preparing paper work for the sale of the estate. Nothing is as it seems at the Abbey book full of suspense and romance too. Highly recommend the book to our readers . Clarissa Harwood is on my list for must reads!
Thank you Netgally for letting me preview this book

I relished reading The Curse of Morton Abbey. This gothic mystery was exactly the book that I hoped it would be when I read the description and saw the cover. Our heroine, Vaughan, is complex with some personal baggage that nicely plays into the story. She has just the right amount of tenacity and curiosity. Accepting a position at the remote Morton Abbey, Vaughan is determined to make it work, in spite of the less than friendly reception by her employer's brother and his servant. The book is nicely atmospheric and the strange goings-on are believably done. Unexplained noises, locked stairs, and a child that drowned years ago are all part of the secrets that someone is keeping. As Vaughan spends time with the affable Joe Dixon and the Quarrelsome Nick Spencer she learns that there is more going on than just brothers fighting over a will.

The author has created a wonderful world with lots of detailed characters who all seem to have been keeping secrets. The story is complex and the twists took me by surprise. This is my first Clarissa Harwood book but I will be picking up her others now.

Thank you Netgalley and author Clarissa Harwood for the e-arc. This is my honest review.

Morton Abbey is the central character in this story. A large, gloomy, damp estate is what greets Vaughan when she arrives to do a job that appears to be too good to be true. A lady solicitor in Victorian times can't afford to be choosey however, especially one like Vaughan who is determined to be independent of her family.
She meets two very different men. Joe, the gardener, who is thoughtful and kind and Nicolas, her employer's younger brother, who is rude and surly.
There are many layers and strands to this story. I had just come to grips with one element and something else turned up. The writing is wonderfully atmospheric. You can feel the chill when the author is describing the moldy, crumbling house.
The mystery was perfectly done. I thought I had guessed what was happening but then it went off on another tangent.
The romance was a slow burner but grew in depth over the course of the book but I thought the ending was a bit abrupt.
The book starts slowly but this was laying the ground work for what became an incredible story. There are definitely shades of Jane Eyre in it.
People who enjoy the books of Laura Purcell would certainly love this one.

Thanks to Thornfield Press and Netgalley for an early copy of this book to read.

The Curse of Morton Abbey by Clarissa Harwood tells the story of Vaughan Springthorpe a young woman who dreams of being a solicitor like her father. Her father as died and her family expects her to move to her sisters what they are unaware of is that she has taken a position at Morton Abbey. She is unaware of the curse of Morton Abbey or that there are many who do not want her there.
The Curse of Morton Abbey is the first work by Clarissa Harwood that I have read. I was hooked from the beginning. The clues were just enough to keep the reader guessing and the ending did not disappoint. Harwood provided answers to all the things that went bump in the night. The characters are easy to relate and the story moved at a good pace. There is just enough romance, mystery, history and twist to intrigue every type of reader.
Thank you to Clarissa Harwood, NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Thornfield Press for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Enjoyable gothic mystery and slight romance. Vaughan has been trained as a solicitor by her father and on his death finds work for Sir Peter at Moreton Abey.
When she arrives she finds it very odd with the sounds of a crying child coming through the walls. The Butler/Valet is helping Sir Peter's poorly brother Nick and the housekeeper she suspects has secrets; She gets on well with the gardener, Joe and gradually starts to understand the history of the house and it's occupants. Someone has trashed her work with the hope that she leaves but they have under estimated her drive.

Clarissa is a new author for me and I'll look out for more of her work.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Is the home haunted or just creepy? Is it’s occupant mad or misunderstood? And why does the local village have no female children? And there is so much more going on in the beautifully gothic story from Clarissa Harwood. She doesn’t shy away from difficult subject matter and she doesn’t apologize for making her readers uncomfortable. And that’s what make this book sooooo satisfying.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

"The Curse of Morton Abbey" by Clarissa Harwood was right up my street. Being a fan of "Jane Eyre" and other gothic fiction it was easy to categorise the characters into types, and even guess some of the plot outcomes, especially when it came to the romantic angle. The story itself is pure gothic - mysterious figures, noises, brooding males, innocent heroines and a romantic angle. This book though is pushing the feminism theme a little bit more than say period gothic novels and it was refreshing to see that Vaughan embark on her career as a solicitor.

The Curse of Morton Abbey by Clarissa Harwood
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Historical Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers
Publisher: Thornfield Press
Publish Date: 26 October 2021

Star Rating: 5/5

This book is amazing! Childhood me loved the classic novel “The Secret Garden” and now adult me has found the adult version of “The Secret Garden” but with a mix of “Jane Eyre” and then it transforms into its own story. With amazing characters who develop wonderfully and the dialogue between them all is on point.

The book begins with Vaughan, an educated woman, devoted to her solicitor father who raised her to be his assistant. However, the idolized father has died and Vaughan and her mother must go to live with her eldest sister's family. Vaughan is desperate to escape the fate of a burdensome spinster with empty days and become a solicitor like her father. But she is a woman in a man's world in late Victorian England. With a masculine-sounding name and support from her father's law friends, Vaughan is able to secure a temporary live-in position at Morton Abbey to sort out the legal papers in preparation for the sale of the estate. However, the owner is traveling the continent, his sick brother is ill tampered and bedridden, the house is haunting, there is own three staff members on the estate and one is a handsome gardener and soon the cries of a child are heard at night… but there are no children on the estate. Could Vaughan be slowly going insane? Are there more dark secrets hiding just out of sight and what happens when the educated strong woman grounded in logic starts to have feelings…

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Set in 1890s Yorkshire, this splendid book contains the perfect amount of darkness and drips with Gothic atmosphere. You can't throw a brick without hitting it. Yet it's not scary in a horror/supernatural sort of way.

Female solicitors in this era are extremely rare. Not only is Vaughan Springthorpe intelligent, she is spirited and also has foibles...don't we all? She has a disability which you read about very early on so this isn't spoiling it. I like the inclusion of realistic touches. Lord Peter Spencer becomes her client and when she moves into Morton Abbey temporarily, she discovers more than a job. Much more. The house, though very dead, seems to have a personality of its own from eerie crying at night to an intrusion to pervasive melancholy to secrets galore.
Vaughan desires nothing more than to get her work done and get out.

Nicholas Spencer, the younger brother, is an invalid with shifty moods and a passion for the house. His character is extremely interesting. And then there is the young and handsome gardener, Joe Dixon. He is kind and gentle and adores working with plants. Vaughan finds herself pulled in, yet repulsed. Fascinating dynamic. The plots and subplots keep coming yet not over the top whatsoever. Romance is also in the air. We also see wrestling and reckoning with pasts, the present and future.

So much to love here. My favourite aspects are the beautifully described atmosphere and characters. I adore books about old houses, especially those with a touch of the gothic. The writing is gorgeous and in ways I felt like I was right there in the thick of things. Do not hesitate to read this book. Get lost in it.

My sincere thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the privilege of reading this highly-enjoyable book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A gothic romance that tells the story of a young woman with a minor deformity who is hired at Morton Manor to find papers needed to sell the estate. Complete with ghostly children crying in the night, surprise paternity and a rose garden, this one will hit the spot if you're looking for gothic. 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

If you are a fan of gothic romance, Morton Abbey makes you yearn for the days of dark brooding heroes and things that go bump in the night. Neither of the protagonists are perfect, which gives the book added kudos IMO. After the death of her father, which our heroine worked with on his business, something unheard of during that time, she sets out to do the impossible. Be considered as something other than a feather headed vessel for someones next generation. She has a brain and uses it wisely - for the most part - even when facing challenging decisions. Even our hero is not perfect. But that makes him no less engaging.

Several times I found myself on the edge of my seat, determined to find out if my hunches for the mysterious happenings were correct. The ending was much more than I imagined or hoped for.

They had me with #gothic, luring me back into the books I loved as a kid. Another gem I stumbled upon with #Netgalley, I absolutely adored The Curse of Morton Abbey. The characters were excellent, the dialogue was snappy, and I was sad when I finished. Vaughan is an anomaly in 1890s London, she has a lame foot, doesn't consider herself attractive, and isn't interested in "girly" things they way her sisters and mother are. Her father teaches her to read the law, and she becomes his clerk, which she loves. But then he passes, and she doesn't have the means to actually become a lawyer so she finds a position cleaning out a library and settling the estate of Morton Abbey, hoping she can earn enough cash to set herself to live independently. Sir Peter hires her sight unseen, believing her to be a man. Her arrival at Morton Abbey turns the decaying mansion upside down, and its inhabitants do everything they can to scare her away. But Vaughan is one tough cookie and brooks no nonsense! She matches wits with Sir Peter's invalid brother, Nick, and when she begins helping him catalog his gems and minerals, an unlikely friendship is born. Vaughan is fabulous, and I was rooting for her all the way. This one is no Jane Eyre, and I was pleased with the way Harwood ends her novel. One of my few 5-star reads in 2021!

My thanks to Clarissa Harwood, Thornfield Press and Net Galley for the ARC of THE CURSE OF MORTON ABBEY.
Oh, my, how I loved this. I knew I would when I saw the cover. It promised mystery, suspense and gothic shivers and they were there in buckets. The romantic interest was a complete surprise but very satisfying. Quite shocking in parts, not everyone will be comfortable perhaps, but it was not gratuitous. Can't wait for the next one! Recommended. 5 super stars.