There is nothing like a thriller to keep you glued to a book for an afternoon. The Devil and Mrs Davenport is a wonderful book about mental illness and marriage in 1950s America that will keep you hooked until the last page.

I loved the gothic vibes and the supernatural elements making it a very atmospheric read. It had a cast of likeable and unlikeable characters with Barbara and Dr. Hanson being my favorite. I loved how the treated Loretta and were there to help in any way necessary. I forgot how little rights women had during this time and I was frustrated multiple times throughout. I loved that it involved an investigation and how Loretta’s “visions” not only had to do with it, but how they also affected her home life. It was a slow burn building up to a ending that both shocked me while leaving me satisfied with the outcome. I love this author’s writing style as she really makes you feel for the main character.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Great historical setting that is very eye opening on the time period that it is set in.
Well written and interesting. This author is a great writer and put a lot into this book.

I love Paulette's writing style and the way she draws me in right from the start. Loretta's story is intriguing and I loved the Gothic elements of the story. I found the author's note fascinating as I had been thinking about life in the 1950's and what that looked like as I read the book. The characters are all really interesting in their own way and the setting is described so perfectly that I felt like I was there. Another fantastic read from this author.

I loved this book, a multilayered story about prejudice, misogyny and how it was being a woman in the 50s
A psy gift that becomes a tool for accusing a belittle a woman, her part to change.
Loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Paulette Kennedy is one of my favorite authors.

The reason that I loved this book so much is that it has an ominous thread running through it, but also has a very insightful look into life in 1955.

The book is set in 1955 and Loretta Davenport is our main character. After having the flu, Loretta gains a gift that some (like her controlling husband) may say came from the devil.

This book explores how this gift changes Loretta’s perception of herself and her life.

Paulette does begin the book with the content warnings which I appreciated.

I was also completed engaged in the fact that parapsychologist Dr. Curtis Hansen who works with Loretta (secretly) references Duke and its parapsychology institute. It’s a real place doing real research and I just loved that authenticity.

I couldn’t put this one down! I can’t wait to see what Paulette has in store for us next!

Multi-layered and nuanced, The Devil and Mrs. Davenport slowly strips away the façade of an “average” 1950s family to expose the rotten core beneath. As her demeaning, dismissive husband seeks to tighten control, Loretta discovers her submerged supernatural talents. While convening with an empathetic doctor, and the persistent spirits, Loretta grows in confidence as her powers surge. Yet the hard-won decision to change her life spins her in an even more dangerous direction. Paulette Kennedy builds gothic suspense to an unputdownable crescendo in this compelling, dramatic novel.

Loretta Davenport—a 1950s mother and housewife trapped in an abusive marriage and a deeply religious household—begins to experience supernatural knowing. A fascinating and horrific tale unfolds as Mrs. Davenport encounters one devil after another.

This gothic thriller slash murder mystery slash harrowing tale of women’s empowerment is EXACTLY the kind of book I want to read and share with others. I was already recommending it to anyone who would listen when I was only 20% into the story. I’m happy to report that, at 100%, I will be singing its praises even more loudly. It’s the best thing I’ve read in months, and I’ve added everything Paulette Kennedy has written to my TBR.

Full review posted to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6066936139

Hello lovely readers,

This novel is very close to my heart. I do hope that you’ll enjoy Loretta’s story, and that her resilience and light inspires you.

Thank you so much for reading.

The premise and summary of this book really got my attention. The topics of witchcraft and horror all in a gothic novel sounded like it would be my cup of tea but for the life of me I could not get into this book. I've tried to pick it up multiple times but I only made it to about 15% until I just couldn't get into it. Way too slow for me, unfortunately.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Wow! This was a great read! I must admit I was a bit freaked out while reading this which doesn't happen often. This story was so engaging I couldn't put it down. Highly recommend

It's a rare thing for me to experience real fear while reading a book. Most of the time there's a sense of distance between myself and the events I'm reading (it's not like a book is going to jumpscare me the way a movie might). It turns out all I need to be absolutely terrified while reading is a well-written, horrific man in the 50s. The visceral feelings of claustrophobia and entrapment that plagued me while reading was something I've never gotten form a book before. While there are , of course, some horror supernatural elements to this story, the misogyny and abuse and feelings of helplessness experienced by our protagonist were so real and so possible it made me almost ill (complimentary!).

I liked our characters and the relationships between them (and I loved to hate/fear the bad ones). I thought the plot was interesting and the execution was well-done. I also liked the ending, even if I feel it didn't really match with the rest of the story.

TLDR; keep an eye on Paulette Kennedy, because this was a real winner.

The Devil and Mrs. Davenport by Paulette Kennedy is a thriller about Loretta, who is married to Pete, a professor at a Bible college. When a local girl is murdered, Loretta starts seeing things that seem to be messages from girls who have already passed away. Pete thinks Loretta is crazy, but Loretta find s a parapsychologist that helps her understand what she's seeing. This book was fascinating. It was a mystery, thriller, and psychological study all in one. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Wow. What a book. I was first interested in this novel because it mentioned a woman in the 1950’s helping to solve a crime using her psychic abilities. Say less. I love this already.

This book was so much more than someone honing in her psychic abilities and helping a community solve a murder. So much more.

It was coated in historical fiction, the often times abused religious followers, the life of a woman in the 1950’s and how few rights they had.

It was captivating and heartbreaking and all too real. I loved this novel and I will be thinking about it for a long time.

The Devil and Mrs. Davenport left me feeling grateful for my freedom, for the awareness and accepting world of mental health, for the world of “feelers” to not be so foreign and taboo, and for a Christian church that doesn’t put the beliefs of a traveling evangelist over their own members.

This book was eye opening and so so good. Please check it out today, you might learn something.

Paulette Kennedy has written a book that is focusing on mental illness in an unusual way. I appreciated the struggle of Loretta in the 1950s. I do think that it is realistic of both the times and the situation. There have been many books that attempt to describe the surreality of hallucinations, and I though this one did it in a way that was easy for the reader to apprehend and also feel some empathy for Loretta. This is a quick, easy read and the premise is interesting. I recommend it to anyone that is interested in historical fiction and gothic types of stories. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was great, it felt fresh and not like anything else I've read lately. It kept me intrigued all the way through, I didn't want to put it down.

4.5 stars rounded up

It‘s fall of 1955 in Missouri, and Loretta Davenport has just had a bout of the flu when she starts hearing voices and seeing strange visions that seem to be connected to the disappearance of a young local girl. Her husband Peter, the perfect picture of a deeply religious, God-fearing man, is convinced something sinister is at work. But for Loretta, who met Peter when she was sixteen, dropped out of school, got married months later and had two children right away, these visions start to stir something in her - an awakening of a new purpose that her environment seems neither ready nor willing to accept.

For most of it, this spellbinding, haunting and beautiful book was a five-star read for me. It is well-written, and the author does a superb job of making Loretta‘s domestic confinement feel suffocating. While there were definitely gothic undertones and some tense moments, this is not a horror story, but a thoughtful meditation on a life overshadowed by a controlling, abusive spouse, as well as the restrictions placed upon women in general, and uneducated homemakers in particular, during that time.

Unfortunately, and in stark contrast to that, the last few chapters were too over the top for my liking, the final resolution coming on suddenly and being too neat and easy. Because of that ending, I probably would have rounded down to a four-star review; however, since the epilogue at least contained a nice little twist, I decided to stick to my earlier five-star rating (rounded up).

Trigger warning for sexual assault, domestic violence, self-harm, and abortion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Have you ever had a premonition that came true?⁣
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The first day of autumn brought the fever, and with the fever came the voices.⁣
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It’s the 1950s and the devil has gotten a hold of Loretta Davenport. ⁣
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When Loretta starts receiving messages from beyond, she realizes that she might be able to help people with her new “affliction”, but her controlling husband Pete thinks she’s just a hysterical female. He’ll have none of her nonsense - it’s distracting her from her wifely and motherly duties, of course.⁣
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This is my second book by Paulette Kennedy and I absolutely LOVE her stories and her flawed but strong heroines! There’s always a little touch of gothic mystery and mystical elements that unite real life with clever and atmospheric plots driving the imagination to the most dark and deliciously wonderful places. ⁣
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I really loved Loretta and how equally haunted and determined she is to take her new gifts and help others, while forging a path for herself in the world. The story intricately delves into so many themes including marriage, motherhood, religion, mediums and mental health - and the utterly insane way women were treated at that time. ⁣
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Because who really is the devil anyway? Is it the voices in your head or is it the husband in your bed?

The cover and title is what first caught my attention of this book and then I read the description and knew I had to request to read this immediately on NetGalley. Set in the 1950’s with some occult/supernatural elements? Yes please!

I really enjoyed Loretta as a lead female character. She was a well developed character which made reading about her journey all that more enjoyable. Her finding out about and learning how to use her clairvoyant abilities to help those that have passed was super interesting to read about. I wish we got to see more of that. Although I do feel like everything happened a little too conveniently for her. The ending was just a little too perfect and it just kind of fell flat for me. The start of the book had so much promise. I just feel like there was too much trying to happen in such a short amount of time. I think I wanted each plot point to be more fleshed out.

Also, what was the reason for the house crumbling and cracking around them day by the day? Was it a metaphor that Loretta and her husband Pete’s marriage was starting to show cracks and ended up eventually crumbling to the ground? (literally). I absolutely HATED Pete. Which is obviously a good thing because he was meant to be a horrible man. The things he did to her against her will and consent made me feel physically ill.

Without giving too much away, I did enjoy the other romance in this book. But as I said earlier, the ending was maybe a little too “happy-ending” for me?

Overall, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy gothic novels and are looking for a quick read. The authors note at the end is probably one of the best I’ve ever read.

*Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC. This is an honest review with my own thoughts and feelings*

This is a book of survival, love and family dynamics, in a time when women’s rights were limited.
The storyline will take you on a roller coaster of emotions, how to cope when there is little help and a mother protecting her children.
The characters were diverse and wore their own story, children had different stories to tell about how to survive.
I loved Loretta’s strength and courage under the toughest of times, the 1950’s gave very little to women. Pete believes it is his right to be demanding and difficult towards his family.
Loretta had a gift and Pete did not support his wife, but look out when Loretta stands up for herself and her children!
An inspirational story of finding happiness and belonging under the most difficult of circumstances,

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.