“The sprawling house kept secrets and she kept secrets, and the lord of the house kept secrets – each folding them into their foundations, curling their bodies around the growing weight. The eaves creaked where the rest of the house stood silent like the bones in Theodora´s chest.”

“The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses” is a captivating gothic fiction novel.
Grab this book on a rainy day and feel transported to a world of mystery, darkness, and supernatural occurrences.
I enjoyed the reading, but I feel that the ending was a bit rushed.
Despite a few minor flaws, it is a haunting tale and I recommend it if you're looking for something with an eerie atmosphere.

I give this book 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This is an honest review, and all opinions are entirely mine.

4.5 rounded up to 5

When Theodora takes the job as governess to young Ottoline Thorne, she leaves behind her beloved grandmother and the decaying ruins of her childhood home to travel far north to Broken Oak Manor. There, she finds a house filled with secrets. Under the stern eye of the foreboding housekeeper, Theodora quickly navigates the dark and winding corridors of Broken Oak, only to find herself irrevocably drawn to the mysterious lord of the manor. But someone walks the hallways late after nightfall, their footsteps leading to the attic. The only place in the sprawling house that does not remain silent. As her scandalous feelings for Cassias Thorne grow, Theodora fights to unearth the secrets of Broken Oak. Who wanders the house at night? Where is the Lady of the manor? What lies behind the attic door high up under the eaves of the house?

Ooooohhh this was such a good read! Filled with gothic atmosphere, spooky mystery and forbidden romance this book ticked all the boxes for me. It gave me complete The Woman in Black/The Others vibes with its historical/ghostly setting.

I adored Russell’s characterisation of the obstinate, headstrong Theodora and the broody, sensitive Cassias Thorne and was enthralled watching their love for each other blossom. I was pleasantly surprised with this one and the big twist that I actually didn’t see coming, but when I did, I kicked myself at all the little nuggets of evidence I missed. I was just so caught up in the storyline and atmospheric writing and enjoying the book too much to look for them!

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy of this book. I can't believe it took me so long to get to it!

I quite enjoyed this book. I loved the aesthetics of the front cover and was excited for dark and gothic vibes.

I appreciated the elements of romance and to say this had me on the edge of my seat, is an understatement!

The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses by L. V. Russell is an amazing gothic romance.
It’s a great read if you are into historical fiction with supernatural elements.
It’s also perfect for fans of the mystery and suspense genres.
It reminded me just a bit of Jane Eyre, however it’s unique and beautiful in its own way and It already feels like an original classic.
The combination of romance with a gothic ghost story will keep you wanting more and you’ll keep turning the pages until you reach the conclusion!
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy for an honest review.

It was an excellent read. Theodore and Cassias make an excellent romantic match. This is a beautifully written and haunting story that left a huge impression on me. The world building and character descriptions are second to none, and that is really, in my opinion, the strength of the book. However, I found the plot to be somewhat predictable, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of this book. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

#thequietstilnessofemptyhouses, #L.V.Russell, #nergalley

I was pulled into this novel quite quickly as it reads like classic literature; however, for such a short book, it took a really long time to go anywhere with the storyline. There were a lot of unanswered questions and undeveloped storylines that made the ending anti-climactic. The novel has great potential, but it is not a book I would use.

Theodora Corvus can hear the whispers of her family home.she can hear whispers at her previous job. She hears whispers in Oak Manor. What do the whispers tell?

When Theodora takes the job as governess to young girl Ottoline Thorne, she leaves behind her beloved grandmother and the decaying ruins of her childhood home to travel far north to Broken Oak Manor. There, she finds a house filled with secrets. Under the eye of the housekeeper, Theodora navigates the halls of Broken Oaks Manor. She wonders about the lord of the manor as he keeps to his bedroom with headaches. She decides to try to discover who walks the halls late at night. . She wants to find out where the wife is. Theodora finds herself falling in love with Lord Cassias Thorne. What secrets does the manor keep?

The author has written a gothic romance. It is well written. I liked the intrigue and mystery of the missing wife. “ Is she locked in the attic or not?” There is an acceptance of the supernatural in this novel which also fascinated me. I don’t often see that type of acceptance of the supernatural. It’s a good gothic novel.

I really love a well written, atmospheric, gothic story and was immediately drawn into this book. I really enjoyed the way the author drew me into not only the atmosphere of this house, but also into the home that the governess lived in before coming to the new house to work. The missing part of this book for me was the character development. The only character that I really ended up caring anything about was the child. Theodora and Cassias were really flat and it made it hard to really grasp their dynamic that is supposed to propel the story along. I ended up very much liking the ending, however I really wish there would have been more suspense throughout the book and maybe some elements that tied into the ending to strengthen it. I really feel this is an author to watch though and definitely want to read more in the future, Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley,

I’m not usually a big fan of gothic fiction given that I find the pacing slow, but this flew by for me.

Other than not feeling the romance and the abrupt ending, I found this a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

WHAT!!

This book! I don't even have words.

Incredibly atmospheric, spooky, gothic romance that has me shook to my core! Theodora takes a job as a governess living with a man, his daughter, and their housekeeper. She quickly realizes that something in this house is not quite right. If you like historical fiction with a creepy, gothic feel, this is absolutely the book for you! I received a free copy of this ebook from Netgalley and Quill and Crow Publishing in exchange for an honest review, and I feel like I HAVE to have a physical copy for my shelf to reread during the spooky months.

The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses
by L.V. Russell
Pub Date: 17 May 2023

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh my goodness, this was really really good, I highly recommend this book


When Theodora takes the job as governess to young Ottoline Thorne, she leaves behind her beloved grandmother and the decaying ruins of her childhood home to travel far north to Broken Oak Manor. There, she finds a house filled with secrets. Under the stern eye of the foreboding housekeeper, Theodora quickly navigates the dark and winding corridors of Broken Oak, only to find herself irrevocably drawn to the mysterious lord of the manor. But someone walks the hallways late after nightfall, their footsteps leading to the attic. The only place in the sprawling house that does not remain silent.

As her scandalous feelings for Cassias Thorne grow, Theodora fights to unearth the secrets of Broken Oak. Who wanders the house at night? Where is the Lady of the manor? What lies behind the attic door high up under the eaves of the house?

#TheQuietStillnessofEmptyHouses #NetGalley

<i>***I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review*** </i>

This book. OMG.

<i><b>”I can feel the echo of your hand upon mine, the warmth of your voice in my very soul, and I look for you in each shadowed corner of that damned house. Is that friendship?"</i></b>

L.V. Russel surprised me with <i>The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses</i> and actually got me out of my dreary reading slump. TYSM!

As one might find in many gothic fiction books, there is a small cast of characters. And I’m not gonna lie, I was really emotionally attached to them. I loved Cassias. I loved Theodora. I loved every part of this book, every scene, every detail.

I had been craving the taste of gothic books for so long and really missed it. And this book quenched that thirst. The writing is atmospheric and so exquisitely woven. The descriptions really put you inside the scene which is an absolute delight. Even better was the fact it rained the night I started reading it and that put me in the perfect mood. The writing style was similar to Victorians’, which was another win.

As a part-time (somewhat) editor, I usually find at least one or two mistakes in books, especially in ARCS. However, I did not happen to find any in this. It was really well edited and I must pay my regards to the writer as well as the editor.

Honestly, indie authors need more recognition in the book community. Underrated ASF. It still baffles me that an ARC made me this—how do I describe it—emotional? Feel good? I expected gothic smut and was actually very reluctant to start it. But the archive dates grew closer and so I decided to give it a read. In return, I was pleasantly surprised and proven wrong, and got a new favourite book <3

<i><b>”Then the thought came unbidden: if the quiet house with its hidden secrets would allow them to leave at all.”</i></b>

I want Guillermo del Toro to make a film on this.

The rating might go on to five stars later. 4.5 for now (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
★ ★ ★ ★/5
Perfect for fans of <i>Jane Eyre, Rebecca,</i> and <i>Crimson Peak. </i>

⊹ . ⋆ ☽ ⋆ . ➶

The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses is about Theodora Corvus, who, having grown up in a crumbling manor with her grandmother, leaves her family home to work as a governess. She arrives at Broken Oak Manor to a house filled with secrets and strange noises in the darkness. The child she’s supposed to teach, Ottoline, is more in need of a friend than a governess – and so is her father, Lord Cassias Thorne.

The first thing that intrigued me about this book was the mystery and the fact that it was described as a “gothic romance”. I absolutely Love gothic literature and it lived up to the expectations I had for it. The writing was beautiful and the plot was interesting. I actually read the whole book in a few days even though I had work to do, oops, but it was just good enough that I couldn’t just put it down.

The main character, Theodora, was probably my favourite character from the book. She was nice and caring, but also tough and strong enough to stand her ground when needed. Her and Cassias start out with a strange friendship, which they both really need, but it obviously evolves into something romantic (the book was tagged “Gothic Romance” on goodreads after all).

Grief as the main theme was written really well, especially with the ways the old broken mansions tied into the theme. Every character in the story is deeply affected by a loss in their lives, whether it’s a father, mother, or a wife, and the grief is what ends up bringing them closer together. I really enjoyed that, as grief is one of the only things everyone will have in common, even if we go through it and deal with it in different ways.

I’d recommend The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses to other lovers of gothic books with excellent romances.

Theodora leave her decrepit home after her father dies to become a governess for a young girl in a large manor. The Lord of the manor wife has left and he and his daughter are all alone in the massive creepy house. Creepy and unexplained things start happening and Theodora wonder if she made the right choice leaving her home and her frail grandmother behind.
I love Gothic historical fiction. I loved the atmosphere of this book. I can imagine the house in my mind. This is a short story being only 162 pages but I felt it was longer at times because it drags in some points.. It reminded me of Jane Eyre. I felt the romance was lacking though and I couldn't really see these two together. At times is was spooky but didn't really get good until the end. I loved the ending. It really made the book so much better for me. All in all I enjoyed it. I would describe it as a slow burn with an amazing ending. I did struggle to get through it at time.

A special Thanks to NetGalley and Quill & Crow publishing for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

heodore and Cassias make for an excellent romantic match in what is a beautifully written, haunting tale that left such an impression upon me. The world building and character description is second to none, and this really is, in my opinion, the strength of the book. I did, However, find the plot somewhat predictable, but this did not diminish my enjoyment of this book.

Thankyou to L.V.Russell and to the publisher Quill and Crow Publshing for one of my favourit books of the year .

Oh my gosh this book had me hooked like a bird of prey .gothic setting , romance mystery, suspense, spin tingling , what more could I ask for . I'm not sure if I was devouring or the book was devouring me ,I can't stop thinking about it .

Russell writing is fantastic , the plot is chilling I loved that , and was brilliant pacing .

Characters I loved the main character Theodore I thought she was very intriguing and always had some grit to her as you get more into the story ,

The story is not very long which is great for me , I definitely want to read more for Russell.

I'm giving this book a chilling 4.5 starts

LOVE!!! Wow, I had high hopes for this book (gothic, horror, romance, mystery) and it absolutely surpassed my expectations!

A gothic horror romance!!! 🖤

A short & quick read at 155 pages, my *only* wish is that it had been a little longer….I am not one for romance in my books, but I found myself wishing there had been more of a tension build up. Due to the book being short, there wasn’t enough time spent making the love interest feel natural. That being said, the true passion that developed between the characters was written beautifully.

Speaking of beautiful writing—THE PROSE HERE 😍🤌🏻🤌🏻 When I’m reading a haunting gothic tale, mixed with romance especially, the prose needs to deliver. I want chills on all accounts…L.V. Russell 👏🏼delivered👏🏼

“Silence was her only company, and it made her halt to rest her palm upon the wall. It remained still; she could not feel it breathe.

It was an odd thing, to have such an unmoving house with nothing to say.

"What secrets are you hiding?"
Theodora whispered, tracing a hand over the paneling. "I promise not to tell a soul."

The house did not whisper back; it did not creak or groan or rumble. But perhaps, Theodora thought with a glance back into the shadows, perhaps the house was listening.”

I cannot recommend this book enough if you lone a good gothic tale.

Eerie. Creepy. Haunting. & BEAUTIFULLY written!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!!! *My review is an honest opinion* 🖤

If all you read is one sentence from this review, let it be the next one: lyrical prose and stunning imagery is not quite enough to compensate for uneven plot development and static characters.

Let me start with the three things I love about L. V. Russell's The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses, which follows Theodora Corvid on her adventure as a governess at Broken Oak Manor—

(1) The author's writing style, which includes so many stunning descriptive passages, is gorgeously atmospheric without ever slipping into cliched.

(2) The novel presents a truly clever imagining of the found family trope.

(3) The plot twist (which in my head I keep calling The Big Reveal) is incredibly well executed and satisfying. The details leading up to it are subtle and meticulous, nearly invisible until The Big Reveal.

Honestly, those three *loves* brought my rating up from two stars to three.

Now for the rest—I don't think I've ever said this about a novel before, but it felt like this one should have been longer. At its current length, too much was either completely missing or frustratingly underdeveloped, occasionally referenced but never essential. For example, nearly all vital information regarding Theodora's background from the first three chapters would have been more powerful as well-placed flashbacks. As it stands, the first chapter reads as narratively anemic and the second as utterly superfluous.

There were also simply too many motifs that should have packed a thematic and atmospheric punch—most notably the crows, roses, and porcelain doll—but in the end just...didn't. Merely including these elements without developing adequate nuance and narrative connection effectively leaves it up to the reader to fill in the thematic blank.

Unfortunately, this is the author's job, not the reader's. I'm going to stop just shy of criticizing this novel for "lazy writing," but only because of the author's stunning sentence-level prose. But, if we're talking about plot-level, well...

One personal objection I have is that I straight-up object to the cheating trope. The mutual pining between Theodora and Cassias absolutely could have—and I would argue should have—been extended through The Big Reveal. They still would have earned their HEA, with no perceived cheating required.

This leads me to my final disappointment with this novel—the characters are incredibly flat from start to finish. Other than what we discover at the plot twist, nobody really seems to learn or change much throughout the course of the novel. I would have liked to have seen...more, I guess. Just more.

So, three stars: I liked it. And the things I loved about it made my overall disappointment that much sharper and more frustrating. This book had so much promise, and it’s unfortunate that it fell so far short. Still, I could see myself recommending it to fans of gothic fiction who are looking for a quick atmospheric fix.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I think this book took a lot of inspiration from Charlotte Bronte's 'Jane Eyre.' Which I read and enjoyed. But I guess I was kind of hoping for more. The characters felt very 2 dimensional to me though, which left them flat. And for some reason a lot of important scenes were rushed. And I wasn't sold on the romance. It just didn't work for me.

Thank you NetGalley, and author L.V. Russell for my copy of this eARC in exchange for my review.
I really enjoyed this gothic horror novel; from the descriptive atmosphere to the characters. I loved the way the book ended. The book itself is similar in style to other more famous gothic horror novels, but for me that did not take away from the story or bothered me much. I am interested in reading future works from this author.