One of my favorite books I've read this year!! Such beautiful and haunting story-telling with characters that will give you chills and tug at your heart strings. I absolutely loved every second of this book!!!!!!

Thank you Netgalley for this amazing book!! This review is unbiased and my own.

Gothic and haunting, My Darling Dreadful Thing masterfully blends genres of horror, women's fiction, sapphic romance, paranormal, and even feminist literature. You can smell the musty earthiness of Ruth and Peter, the unalive spirit companions.. Real or imaginary, one can only guess what is verifiable in the physical realm or real in the thralls of psychosis. I enjoyed the 1950s Netherlands setting. There were just enough historical references to Indonesia to lend credence to Agnes as a main character and to send me Googling a period of history I was not familiar with.

This is a fantastic ready for spooky season. Deeply unsettling without being too gory, it is a good choice for both fans of horror and those just beginning to explore the genre. But it is also a very sad read with a pervasive melancholy throughout that leaves you feeling touched in a sort of creepy spiritual way..

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

The perfect Gothic Horror story with Sapphic Romance. My Darling Dreadful Thing was smartly written and oh so fun. It was creepy, eerie and beautiful.
Gothic Mansion ✔️
Spirits ✔️
Haunting ✔️
Revenge ✔️
Murder ✔️
Backstabbing ✔️
Fobidden Love ✔️
Can't wait to read more from Johanna van Veen!
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC!

TW: racism, SA (off-page), self-harm, abuse, gaslighting

this book is intense in a lot of ways, but I love a good obsession story, and throw in the, dare I say, immaculate, gothic vibes with writing that flows well, sprinkle in some exploration of trauma, & have a perfect ending? of course it's 5 stars.

I loved the way the author goes back and forth with the conversations with the doctor & then flashes back to how things progressed after you find out a new piece of information that's so crucial to the storyline but delivered in such a nonchalant way that contributed to the impact.

this author is brilliant and I can't wait to read her next release!

A spooky sapphic tale perfect for those who love Gothic elements and spirits. This book is perfect for fans of horror that isn't necessarily in your face. There is definitely gore and TWs should be checked, specifically for those who are sensitive to sexual assault and abuse. That said, this book has a creeping way of getting under your skin.

The cover for this book is absolutely beautiful! When I saw it I knew I had to read it right away. I'm happy to say this book didn't disappoint. It was a tun of fun and gave just enough spooky vibes without being too creepy. I don't want to give any spoilers so keeping this review short. Definitely go into this one blind you will not be disappointed.

This is a wonderful, Gothic love story full of atmosphere and mystery. A beautiful, haunting story that will stay with me for some time.

✨3.5/5 rounding down to 3 stars

✨very gothic in atmosphere and grotesque, this book is perfect for fans of crimson peak, haunting of bly manor, and the turn of the screw, of course.

✨beautiful writing and haunting descriptions, the book is technically gorgeous. I had a hard time connecting with the characters at times and the pacing realllly dragged in the middle.

✨i think this is a kind of book i don't read often because I get uncomfortable with MCs that are babied/sheltered/overly naive, and then sexualized. this book utilized that for Roos and while it seemed empowering to the character, she found out a lot about herself, it was a bit uncomfy.

✨thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me a free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen is a hauntingly beautiful tale that blends mystery, romance, and a touch of the supernatural. The writing is atmospheric, pulling you into a world filled with eerie secrets and deep emotions. The protagonist’s journey is both heart-wrenching and intriguing, keeping you invested in her fate throughout.

What a pleasent surprise this book was!
I started this book without high expectations, but was hooked from the first page. This is definitely the book you don't want to put down.
I loved the gothic atmosphere that was created in this book. Every page was filled with mystical/ horrory feeling.
And what a perfect representation of saphic love.
Well done, author!
Definitely recommend giving this book a try!

I'm not a huge horror reader, but I was touched by the deeper message of queerness in literature with a connection to classic lit. It was unsettling in an intriguing way, I'll definitely be picking up a physical copy!

🔮Haunting, gothic
🔮Ghosts, seances
🔮Murder, lies
🔮Crumbling manor
Perfect book for spooky season reads.

gothic horror in its best. corpses, ghosts, death, and slowly mentally slipping farther and farther away? sign me up

What a fantastic surprise!

I’d put off reading this one because the early reviews weren’t particularly positive. I should know better. This story surpassed all my expectations.

The writing has a beautiful, lyrical quality, without being pretentious. It’s easy to read and fully immersive.

I loved how the eeriness crept under my skin, making me feel uneasy while keeping me fully engaged.

“Must love be about suffering?”
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My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen 🪦🥀
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I listened to the audiobook and I feel like the best way to really convince readers how vivid the imagery was for me while I was listening, is to just show you. So I made this collage.
🪦🥀💀🖤
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-Horror
-Gothic
-Romance
-Sapphic yearning & love
-Occultism
-Suspense
-Mystery
-Netherlands
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A dark, creepy, haunting tale of a young woman who is deeply connected to the spirit world. She lives with a woman she calls mother who exploits her natural gifts. A widow frees her from this bondage and the two women live together in the ancestral estate called Rozentuin—but they are never alone…🪦🥀🖤💀
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I LOVED THIS AUDIOBOOK, and this story, and Johanna van Veen is a new favorite. Highly recommend! It’s a perfectly balanced blend of scary, gruesome, romantic, and suspenseful.

Going into reading this book, I was expecting a primarily gothic atmosphere and some supernatural investigation. And while I did get the gothic atmosphere (the decaying manor with strange odors, haunted halls, etc) but I also was impressed by the psychological depth and coping mechanisms. I was expecting romance of some kind due to the tags that I stumbled across upon goodreads, and was pleasantly surprised by the development of romance incorporated with the sinister backgrounds. I do think the author did a good job utilizing the historical fiction part by connecting character's desires and history with World War II and that it added a great amount of depth.

I found this book to be quite interesting and found myself rather taken by it. Dark, gothic and Poe-ish if you will. Filled with note worthing quotes, I also found the book to be written beautifully. I am a sucker for a good debut and My Darling Dreadful Thing proves that there are great things to come of Ms. Johanna van Veen and I am happy to announce that I am along for the ride!

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the honor of letting me get my hands on this first!

Dark and mysterious, I blew through this book! The relationships created in the book were solid and I loved switching from her story and the doctor notes.it added a sinister layer to an already haunting tale. The imagery was magnificent and this would be interesting to see adapted. The bit of spice was 10/10 as well!

3.5 stars rounded up - arc provided by publisher

What a gothic atmosphere! Like others have noted very Edgar Allan Poe esc!
A possession/ ghost story with a twist and just a splash of gay - so obviously right up my ally!

I did find it a little long and I wished the last 10% had started a little earlier. But the atmosphere Van Veen creates is so lush you could just sit in it all day

4/4.25 ⭐️

I am a sucker for gothic vibes. This book gave me a similar feeling that I get when I watch, "Crimson Peak" and I actually had to watch the movie after finishing this book. The storylines are different and the time period, but ghosts, gross visuals, and a decaying creepy mansion all line up.

1950's European setting. Roos can see ghosts. She has been able to since she was child. Roos has freshly entered adulthood (21) and she has experienced a tough upbringing at the hands of "Mama," a woman who she was only supposed to be housed with temporarily. After the death of her father, Roos is kept on by Mama and forced to help her perform fake seances in their home for income. Mama neglects and abuses Roos. As Roos gets older, she begins to perform the seances herself with the assistance of a spirit named Ruth. Ruth is a long deceased woman who barely has flesh and would probably scare the absolute crap out of me if I saw her at the end of a dark hall. No one but Roos can hear or see Ruth. Ruth is both a loyal friend and protector to Roos. Ruth is able to possess Roos's body when permitted. Roos and Ruth have a special bond and companionship and Roos is often comforted and cared for by Ruth, replacing the love she does not receive from Mama. Roos suffers and continues doing her duties for Mama with no end in sight. Then suddenly, Mama sells Roos to a wealthy widow named Agnes (who had attended one seance), whose intentions with Roos are unclear. Roos' story continues as she relocates to a rotting estate in the country.

My opinions:

Pacing was a little low. Descriptions of the spirits and their actions were downright fricken nasty at times. I loved the eerie feeling I got while reading the book. It wasn't scary, but it was haunting, quite dark, and interesting. I felt like the storyline was unique so I applaud it for that. I did not particularly enjoy Agnes's conclusion and Peter and Roos' involvement with that. It just kind of grossed me out and it felt wrong to me. Those two points were really the only thing I didn't love about the book.

I plan to also listen to the audiobook soon and relive the story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for access to the arc copy. I greatly appreciate the opportunity!