First, I love this cover. It's gorgeous and really helped give me a visual of this mansion that the mc's are visiting. However, I did this one as an audiobook and I would not recommend it.

I'm not sure why, but I found the narrator really pulled me out of the story instead of in. I'm not sure if it was the pitch or the tone, but I found myself rolling my eyes, getting impatient and really disliking half of the storyline. I did like Blake's a bit better but I didn't love it either. I found the reasoning for putting her life on hold and just rushing out a bit shocking. Did she even know it was all true? Anything can be faked. I think I would have done a bit more due-diligence.

But I think this might work better as a book and/or ebook. If you like gothic, spooky stories with the weather and the house being just as much of a characters they themselves, then you might give this one a try! Just maybe get a sample of the audio before you buy if you want to go that route.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Blake arrives on Block Island to solve a mystery, but when things go terribly wrong and she ends up dead, her sister (who didn’t know she existed) revives a letter from Blake and goes back to Block Island to finish what Blake started.

I wish the that the prologue was not included. I actually think it detracted from the overall story and I would have preferred to be surprised by Thalia’s existence and Blake’s death. I think it would be better placed between the end of Blake’s perspective and the beginning of Thalia’s.

I also found Blake’s portion of the story much more compelling than Thalia’s, unfortunately.

While I enjoyed the overall mystery of the book, I was lightly disappointed in the culmination of the story. I just… wanted more. I loved the ghostly aspect and I wish that more of that had been involved throughout. I think the end of the story was slightly rushed.

Overall, I found this to be a good read, but not a fantastic read. I would like to read more from this author.

Great spooky read! I admit it was a little predictable, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Thank you for the ARC and I look forward to more from the author

Daughters of Block Island follows two sisters, unknown to each other. Blake wishes to know why she was given into care; Thalia just wants to know her.

Blake Bronson arrived on Block Island convinced that she was entering into a gothic novel. The rain, the creepy mansion with a restless ghost, and a mother with secrets, what else could it be? Before Blake can get the answers, she is seeking, she’s murdered in the creepy mansion’s claw-foot tub.

Thalia Mills returns to Block Island because Blake sent her a letter before she died. Determined to confront her mother about Blake’s existence, Thalia soon learns that Blake wasn’t the first suspicious death at White Hall. Now Thalia is determined to find out what her mother is hiding, what White Hall is hiding, and all the details of Blake’s murder, too.

This is a novel that I would have liked to have read in October. The atmosphere is just creepy enough. The torrential rain description reminds me of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Brandy’s character saying, “If anyone asks, let’s not tell them it rained the whole time.” Then there are the suspects, everyone being weird and keeping secrets.

I will admit that I knew who the killer was right off the bat, but I did not know why. The ending made so much sense and tied everything into a perfect bow. I wanted to know how the rest of Block Island handled the revelations, but that’s just the sign of a good novel.

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

This book combines two of my favorite elements in a thriller/horror novel: an island setting and a haunted house. Without leaning into tropes, this author does a great job of making you read on the edge of your seat. I loved how Thalia was written, she was a main character I could really get behind. I was frustrated with Blake at times, but she grew on me, and by part 2 I was looking at her very differently. I actually loved this book and will be recommending it to people. The only thing I will say is, skip the prologue until you get to part 2, then go back and read it. I feel like the "twist" in part one packs more of a punch that way.

Oh. My. God. The Daughters of Block Island has it all: mystery, isolation, tragedy, and everything else that makes a gothic novel so... gothic. The pacing is on point, the atmosphere is through the roof, and the characters just about leap off the page. I love this book and am recommending it to anyone who reads horror, mystery, historical fiction (trust me), gothic fiction, regular fiction, essentially everyone I know. There were times when I couldn't continue reading because things were getting intense but at the same time couldn't stop because I needed to know what happened. It's one of the best books of 2023. Thank you, NetGalley!

This book has too much to give a brief summary but what I will say is one sister goes to the island looking for answers and after her murder the sister she’s never met comes back to the island to find them. This is a great book a truly awesome read I think when reading any book and there is no eye rolling involved or suspending of belief it’s probably a pretty good book in this one had none of that it was truly awesome it is a Gothic current day ghost story but of course there’s ties to the past those that can’t be seen in those that can and it all makes for an awesome read.I loved it and can’t say enough about it what a great book! I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

The Daughters of Block Island is written in two parts. The first part tells the story of Blake, a woman who grew up in the foster system and is currently struggling with sobriety. After doing some digging about her birth mother, she finds herself on Block Island trying to uncover the entire truth of why she was given up for adoption and who her family is. She meets a handful of people, some willing to help since everyone knows everyone on block island. Blake discovers she has a sister and writes her a letter in hopes of connecting. The letter is post marked the day after Blake dies on Block Island. Parts two is from her sister Thalia's point of view. Thalia returns to Block Island, a place she left a decade ago and never looked back. Thalia attempts to uncover what actually happened to Blake while on Block Island and quickly figures out that there aren't many people she can trust.

I really enjoyed this book. It was definitely a gothic novel that kept me on my toes from the start. The atmosphere is great (pretty creepy at times). The description of White Hall and the island itself were well done. I liked the characters. It was an emotional roller coaster that depicted some pretty heavy themes. I was left constantly questioning who to trust, if the ghosts were real, if people were actually going crazy, if Blake would relapse, if Maureen was as selfish as Thalia thought, etc.

I would definitely recommend this book. It was the kind of book I did not want to put down because I just had to know what would happen next. I am hoping to read more by this author as it was great!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the chance to read this book for free. This was my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed how gothic and atmospheric this book was. It was so interesting to learn more about the history of this island and the trauma that was experienced here. Our main character goes through a lot and I felt compelled to keep reading her story. Definitely recommend.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I was allowed to read for free from NetGalley and give this review of my own opinion with no persuasion. You will need some tissues with this one. #NetGalley

I had never heard of Block Island before reading this book. It is well written and keeps you interested after getting past the first little bit.

Two sisters who didn't know each other exist. One in a mental hospital. I found this story to be very sad but also a bit edge of your seat in parts.

Block Island is another place where women and young girls could be sent, against their will, at the whim of men.

Thank you for this ARC.

Atmospheric, moody, gloomy, a classic gothic novel brought to new life in a contemporary setting. The beginning was a bit slow as Block Island and White Hall were introduced, along with all the major characters, but the second part of the book speed along nicely to a thrilling conclusion. There were several twists and turns and unexpected moments, and I was kept guessing for most of the book. A very satisfying contemporary gothic haunted house novel.

Myself being from Canada, I didn’t know that Block Island is an actual place in the States. It was really great to read about all these real references in this novel.

Christa Carmen does a good job of describing the surroundings and emotions of the island. The characters are well rounded as well.

Special thanks to Netgalley & Thomas & Merced for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this novel.

I love books integrate characters acknowledging when plot elements are typical for the genre. This thrilling book, full of classic gothic novel references and elements, goes so far as to have two characters laughing while discussing their rules for navigating a gothic novel - many of which the characters ultimately break during the story.

Blake Bronson grew up in foster homes with books as an escape from her difficult life. Struggling to maintain her sobriety, Blake decides to follow a handful of clues to find her birth mother, a quest that takes her to the classic gothic novel setting of Block Island and spooky White Hall manor. Thalia Mills left her childhood home on Block Island and never looked back, but she receives a shocking letter from a stranger named Blake Bronson claiming to be her sister. Even more shocking, Blake was murdered in White Hall manor the same day the letter was written. Thalia embarks on a dangerous journey to discover the truth about her family and, along the way, uncovers the dark history of Block Island and its residents.

This book took me entirely by surprise. I could not put it down. Written in two parts, the first from Blake's POV and the second from Thalia's, you become so invested in a character that, from the novel's onset, you know is the victim. So many secrets are uncovered, and the house serves as a central character. It was great that the author referenced so many gothic novels, including my favorite - Rebecca, in the story as it pays tribute to its predecessors. It is also a mix of fact and fiction. Block Island and the house that inspired the White Hall, the Searles mansion, are real. The picture in the background of this review's first slide is of the house, now long gone.

The audiobook narration draws you even more completely into this tale. A huge thank you to @netgalley, @christinaqua, and Thomas & Mercer publishing for the opportunity to read and provide my honest book review.

What the heck did I just read? Wow! This book was so different, dark, mysterious and pull of twists and turns. 1 just loved it! 5 stars

Rating: 4.8⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley & Thomas & Mercer for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Evoking the elements of classic gothic horror/mystery novels, such as Rebecca and The Haunting of Hill, and the meta-ness of Scream, The Daughters of Block Island presents a mostly-modern, immersive take on the genre with queer protagonists at the helm.

I was totally hooked by the atmospheric & gorgeous writing. I loved how we got to see both of the sisters’ point of view! It made us more invested in figuring out who killed Blake, her desperation in connecting with her birth mother, as well as Thalia’s desperation to find the truth, not only about Blake’s death, but also about her birth & the secrets their mother kept from her. This book definitely takes you on an emotional roller coaster with a few twists thrown in; however, I do wish there was a bigger twist as to the murderer, as it was a bit too cliche.

A murder-mystery gothic novel, this book takes you toBlock Island, following two sisters (Blake, and then Thalia) individually to discover the gruesome events that happened at mansion/hotel White Hall.

This book is intentionally structured in a way that follows the formula of an atmospheric gothic novel: there's a heroine, victim, perpetrator, combined with supernatural elements and a tragic history in a mansion that resides in the form of a supposed specter, or perhaps hallucinations. And of course, an eventual plot twist that is not entirely unexpected, that has to do with the previous generations. And I personally really appreciate that, because themes related to (generational) trauma, women's so-called hysteria, along with feelings of loneliness are best conveyed in such isolated and claustrophobic settings. The aura is established early on and it's easy to submerge yourself in Blake and Thalia's world with the typical spooky descriptions the author uses.

I just have one main gripe with this that knocks this novel down to 3 stars and that is its use of a metanarrative. In theory, I'm a sucker for that because I love the insertion of other references/works I'm familiar with and adore. I can certainly see how this is inspired by the likes of Rebecca and The Haunting of Hill House the most, for example, and this book often refers to other works as well such as Wuthering Heights, The Castle of Ontranto and The Mysteries of Udolpho. However, this book suffers from its redundancy of being too self-aware, constantly reminding the audience that the characters feel like they're in a gothic novel. With that kind of repetition, it just makes you feel like you're floating back to the top of the world you were previously submerged in. It's too on-the-nose and also unnecessary, like the author doesn't trust her audience to understand the references.

I would still recommend this book however, it's a decent and thrilling read for gothic mystery lovers, just not my first pick in that specific genre. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the review copy!

Excellent gothic setting with enough horror to keep you on edge! Eerie and evocative, the descriptions of the island make you feel you are there.

I really loved part one of the story, when Blake has arrived to the island. Part two was good but just didn't hit all the marks for me. The pacing of part two was a little too slow for me but still kept me engaged and interested. I loved the gloomy gothic atmosphere, the mansion and all its secrets, I was trying to guess who did it the entire time and I was right on some things but a few still took me by surprise. At times though it did get a little too overly cliché, and some parts were comically villainous. I didn't love the reveal at the end but I did enjoy how the author went about the ending. Overall, a fun mysterious read, perfect for fall, or a rainy day.

read this book if you enjoy: mysteries, whodunits, family secrets, small islands settings, gothic atmosphere, creepy mansions, sister bonds.

Thanks to netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for sharing a digital copy for me to read, as always, opinions are my own 🤘🏻💀🤘🏻

Who doesn't love a gothic novel? Especially one with a great twist that just happens to take place near where I live! This one hooked me from page one and didn't let go until the end.