I thank Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this book.
I wanted to read it since a veery long time, and finally got around to it.
I was surprised by the story and truly enjoyed it. I loved the mysteries, the location and the protagonist helping ghosts to move on. I also liked the setting within the religious framework and moral codes with a feminist twist. I didn't like the enemy at all (I know duh!)
No but what I mean is that he was at times complacent and nice and other times truly horrific and this lack of consistency made him less believable. I also like the reflection on female abuse and especially sexual abuse causing trauma and going unpunished, as it made everything real and pressing. I really liked how the marriage was stopped and justice served and the final twist with Esme was a cool one I didn't see coming. The writing was nice and easy and overall I am happy I read this book and would recommend it.

An excellent and haunting gothic mystery, in the vein of Rebecca. The atmosphere was very well done, and I was intrigued to find out what was going on.

This is a good read. It is a gothic atmospheric read. It is filled with intrigue and suspense. The characterisation is well done. A good debut

I wanted to love this book more than I did. A very promising start that seemed to dip in the middle, but overall fun spooky vibes. I would definitely read more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I was attracted to this book by the description of paranormal elements in a gothic thriller. Lizzie sees ghosts and uses her contact with these to help solve the mystery of the previous wives who have died. I found the story to be well-written and the romance was described nicely as it developed but those are the only positives. I thought the 'mystery' was predictable and easily - solved, it was not thrilling but very slow-paced. I finished the book, waiting for something exciting to happen, but I thought this point was never reached and I was disappointed at the end.

Lizzie instantly became my favorite character. I think the author was purposeful in creating a bit of a monster for the reader to loathe in Lord Blountford. There were pieces of the story that were heartwarming, such as how the community came together when the need was there. A gothic mystery with romance involved. What more would you want in a book?

Very well done supernatural, historical fiction. Characters had lots of depth and the romance element is really enjoyable. 👌

It is a haunting and captivating historical thriller that weaves together secrets, lies, and the mysterious disappearances of four previous wives. Set in 1813, the story follows Lizzie as she navigates a treacherous marriage arrangement and uncovers a web of dark secrets at Ambletye Manor. With her unique gift to hear the voices of the past wives, Lizzie becomes determined to uncover the truth and save herself from a similar fate. This gripping tale of suspense and supernatural elements keeps readers engrossed until the very end. Fans of historical mysteries will be enthralled by the atmospheric setting and the secrets waiting to be unveiled.

Esme and Lizzy's father is deeply in debt. In order to pay off his debt he sells Esme into a marriage to an older gentleman. Esme turns up dead and Lizzy is tasked with taking her place. When Lizzy arrives at her new home, she soon discovers that she is the fifth wife. She is out to discover what has happened to her older sister and the other three woman. She is taken on a mysterious adventure and discovers all the secrets. A suspenseful historical fiction story with witty storytelling and a mysterious plot. The story is engaging, and it has interesting characters.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Headlines for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Headline for approving me for an ARC of this book. Special mention to my friend Wendy for buddy-reading this one with me, I got to it eventually!

👰🏻After learning of her sister’s death Lizzie is sent to be the next bride for Lord Blountford. Whilst preparing for her wedding she starts to dive into the deaths of the former wives, including her sister. Known as somewhat of a troublemaker for speaking her mind, Lizzie was compassionate but rightly feared for her life. It was hard not to like her and support her own investigation.

🕵🏻‍♀️The mystery surrounding the deaths of the four wives had me intrigued from the start. I had many different theories as to what I thought had happened and the author found a unique way to guide Lizzie to the answers. I’m still not entirely sure what I made of that aspect, but it gave the story a different edge.

🐎Some of my favourite parts were Lizzie’s horse riding lessons with Jordie. The friendship they had formed was heartening, I particularly liked how it ended for them. In fact, the whole village feel of the story was lovely to see. At a time when Lizzie needed them they supported and encouraged her, she had clearly shown she was deserving of their trust.

👻This story had an eeriness to it and I feared what would happen to Lizzie on several occasions. There was tension and moments of darkness without being too scary or horrific. This will certainly please those that love a ghost story with a little romance and murder!

The cover of this book is gorgeous, and you won’t be disappointed in this beautiful gothic story. Thank you for the opportunity to discover this book and author.

Never heard of this author before but the title & book cover appealed to me and so I decided to give it a go. Truly glad that I did as it was brilliantly well written.

Highly entertaining, plenty of drama and suspense to keep the reader engaged throughout, not to mention the added element of the ghosts. The story really did pull me in and grabbed hold of me tightly. I loved the mystery and supernatural elements, was really well done I thought and not over the top, just right I thought. So well done to the author there.

I also enjoyed getting to know the characters, especially that of the main character Lizzie, who was well developed and portrayed.

I looking forward to seeing and reading more books in future from this author.

First I must say this cover is gorgeous! I enjoyed the story and loved Lizzie as the main character. It had a gothic historical feel to it throughout. Over all s fun quick read.

Despite the premise, with the previous dead wives and Lizzie about to become wife number 5, it was more of just a mystery and not creepy or scary (even if there were also ghosts).
Not that that wasn't enjoyable. It was and I am glad I got the chance to uncover the mysteries and lies and see Lizzie work to give those ghosts peace all the while trying to avoid wedding the horrible Lord Blountford. She was given a bad lot in life with her parents and then losing her sister plus the attack of Lord Darleston but somehow remains positive through it all and also gets the chance for a real love (though Charlie seems to be too good to be true, maybe he is a foil for Lord Blountford?). I admire her and this was a fun read.

Esme is married off to Lord Blountford to settle her father's gambling debts.
Within a year Esme is dead and her sister Lizzie is sent to take her place as Lord Blountford's next wife.
It doesn't take Lizzie long to realise that she is to be
Lord Blountford's fifth wife.
Lizzie is consumed with the four wives before her and with her unique ability of talking to the dead she is determined to find out what happened to these women.
I loved this story, it had everything I love. Historical romance with a bit of paranormal thrown in.
Lizzie is a great character, strong and fiercely independent and looking for a love match on her own terms.
I loved Lizzie's compassion for others and her friendships with Jodie and the village vet, they were genuine and warm.
The only thing that would have made it better is if the manor had more of a creepy vibe.
Overall this was a great read and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the oppportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

When I first read the blurb for this book, I thought it would be more of a gothic thriller, I really didnt find it suspenseful in the least. I actually found the story rather dated and bland. I found the characters hard to get to understand and only the main character, Lizzie kept me reading, she was likeable and interesting. It was a pretty quick read though and the storyline wasn't that bad, I just did not connect with this book.

The House of Lost Wives is a re-telling of Bluebeard set in Regency England. That description was all I needed to want to read this book as I'm a huge fan of retellings and historical fiction! The main character, Lizzie, agrees to marry an older member of nobility after his previous wife, her sister, dies unexpectedly. While at the manor, she learns that she will be the fifth wife after four sudden deaths. Also, Lizzie can see ghosts. The House of Lost Wives follows Lizzie as she tries to find out what happened to her sister and the other wives.

I quite enjoyed this book! The setting and premise is *chef's kiss* for me. This is the second Bluebeard retelling that I have read and definitely my favorite. I liked the characters and setting a lot. It did slow down for me about 2 thirds through and I had to remind myself how much I liked the first part before I did this rating.

This book deals with sexual assault in a historical time frame and the recovery experience. If that is not something that you would like to read, I recommend skipping this book.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a folklore retelling. 3.8 stars from me. Thank you to Headline Accent and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This wasn’t a usual pick for me, but I’d heard so many people giving it such good reviews. The writing is good, but the story just wasn’t for me, it was a bit too supernatural for my liking and because of that I struggled to engage.

This was a cute historical mystery/romance, it crosses a lot of genres in an atomospheric book.
I enjoyed the supernatural aspects, but with everything else I was just very bored.

I think that a good amount of people would enjoy the story and characters, but it really did nothing for me. I am sad to say I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.

Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is for you if you love well-written gothic ghost stories with interesting characters and lots of plot twists. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and can't wait to read more from this author.

It wrapped up pretty quickly in the end but I kind of liked that - happy endings are my jam (hope that's not a spoiler). And the romance element was understated but well done.