I was initially drawn to Johanna van Veen's "My Darling Dreadful Thing" by the otherworldly eerie beauty of its cover art, and I was not disappointed by the richly atmospheric story within. Van Veen's creativity captivates us with every twist and turn, making "My Darling Dreadful Thing" a hauntingly memorable read. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of sordid backroom séances, drawing readers into a mysterious realm that becomes both enthralling and unsettling. Van Veen masterfully navigates the delicate balance of uncertainty, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat as Roos contends with accusations and the enigmatic allure of a crumbling estate. As a fervent admirer of unreliable narrators, I found Roos' perspective to be both intriguing and enigmatic, adding layers of complexity to the unfolding drama.

This book swallowed me whole. Van Veen has crafted a masterpiece of a debut, a story hauntingly beautiful and achingly sapphic.

In a post-WWII Netherlands, Roos Beckman has no shortage of clients for her Mama's seances. Unwillingly, and only to appease her abusive caregiver, Roos allows the dead to crawl down her throat and use her voice to speak. Except, there are no dead to possess her- only her spirit companion Ruth.

<b>I was never a happy child. I think that, if I had been, things would have gone very differently with me. For one, I don't think Ruth would have become my constant companion. Spirits like her are not drawn to the happy and carefree; they want salt, be it blood or be it tears.</b>

Roos' supposed ability to conjure the dead eventually draws the attention of the rich, young, recently widowed Agnes Knoop. Agnes is not only pleased by the session, but requests that Roos accompany her back to Rozentuin, the grand estate left empty and rotting after her husband's death. Roos, eager to escape the claws of her Mama, agrees. What awaits her there, even Ruth can't protect her from.

<b>To draw blood is just another kind of passion, isn't it?</b>

Following Roos was compelling from start to finish. Her desperation, her willpower, her desire to love and be loved, were written so beautifully that my copy of the book is marred with highlights. I could get inside her head as easily as Ruth could (ha), and her terrifying descent into the murky, boggy depths of Rozentuin dragged me right into the mud with her. Would recommend for fans of creeping, slow-burn horror, sapphic love stories, and the atmosphere and aesthetics of Crimson Peak.

I would like to introduce everyone to the first horror book of 2024 that I know for certain is in the running for my top of the year. This book was freaking amazing. I do not know how to describe it without saying that it is at its heart a love story, but it is so much more than that. This was a breathtaking and original story that I do not think I will ever be able to forget.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC. I cannot wait to have the physical copy in my hands this May.

3.5 STARS

My Darling Dreadful Thing hooked me almost immediately. I inhaled this book. I simply could not leave it unfinished. I had to know what happened.

I have mixed feelings on the ending, though, which is often the case for me in this genre of work. I found the premise entirely enthralling, and the author's take on how someone becomes a spirit and lingers in this world was especially intriguing to me. I absolutely love, love, loved that idea. I would love to see it explored further.

In general I found there were some minor continuity issues here and there, though nothing jumps out at me as totally distracting from the overall story.

It should be said, this is not an easy book to read if you are sensitive to any number of topics. This is a gothic horror book through and through, dealing with the tough topics of sexual assault, homophobia, child abuse, racism, murder, and more, and probably some stuff I just plain forgot. So be aware of that if you intend to pick it up and give it a go.

All-in-all, even with the less-than-satisfying ending, I'd still generally give a recommendation to gothic horror fans who can handle some rough subject matter.

To start, this book may have the best cover of any horror book in 2024. It is gothic, beautiful and in some ways darling? The book alternates between narrated sections and then moves to excerpts out of a case study. This makes it easy to read the story and constantly get that spark of, "ok just one more chapter!". The book is also split into 3 parts which are extremely distinguishable. Splitting the book into parts makes it easier to categorize the events and allows the reader to focus in on the specified setting and characters in that part. There also is so much imagery that plays into the gothic style, like "leaves choked the gutters on the house". I love haunted house books, ghosts and just generally gothic style stories. With spirits climbing like spiders to stare down on those below them and others staring into windows with glaring gazes, it is a fast paced book with many darling, yet dreadful components. Do you know how we always say we want to reread our favorite book and have it be for the first time again? This one is that for me! It has me loving the gothic style story, but also has me acknowledging the love for all things unusual, quirky and unconventional. Please read this book and savor it, you'll be so glad you did.

thanks to netgalley and poisoned pen press for the arc!

a solid book! i do feel it is at an unfair disadvantage for me because I am a huge fan of sarah water's books and it's very similar to one of my faves "Affinity" and it's hard to compete with the grand dame of historical lesbian fiction.

If you're looking for spooky, dark and grotesque romance, then i think you'll enjoy this.

[spoilers]

this book was structred in a fun way - I really like the way the the interview with the doctor broke up the book. i think it was a smart device to slowly reveal some aspects of the mystery and to emphasize how unreliable our narrator is.

really enjoyed the setting - classic gothic crumbling estate; loved the small details like the abandoned creepy statues and the little details of how harsh of an environment it is. also i really liked how the spirit companions were described - so grotesque and vivid.

but i did find the writing style itself a little lacking - the narrator was a bit emotionally stunted which worked in the beginning but as her world opens up, i found it a tad irritating. and I really was hoping for a bit more chemistry between roos and agnes.

I also think there was a lot left to be desired with the relationship between roos and ruth. their relationship teetered on romantic/sexual but was left undefined by quite a lot. ruth was obviously incredibly protective over roos but I did want a bit more concrete definition of what roos felt about her.

all in all, a fun sapphic horror novel with a very solid set up, but unfortunately I was left wanting a bit more substance from the writing itself.

My Darling Dreadful Thing is everything I didn’t know I needed from a gothic horror.

I thorough enjoyed the relationships and character building in the story, and the unreliable narrative being revealed throughout the book! Five stars, will look forward to more from Johanna van Veen and I look forward to purchasing a physical copy to keep on my shelves.

This was a heartbreaking but beautiful story that follows our FMC (Roos) and her spirit companion (Ruth). In the beginning, it says this takes place in the 1950s, yet there were multiple instances in the way the characters spoke throughout the novel that indicated a much earlier time period.

Roos was struggling with her romantic feelings toward the other FMC in the story.

It's a beautiful look at how women were treated in the 1950s, especially those with "madness".

I absolutely loved it.

Roos and her Mama perform seances. Mama forces Roos to perform these not knowing that Roos does see spirits, well one spirit, her friend Ruth who she met under the floorboards on the seance room. During one of these seances, a wealthy widow, Agnes, comes and is so impressed with Roos that she buys her from Mama and moves her into her dilapidated mansion in the country. Roos and Agnes bond over their mutual spirit friends and their past abuse.
A haunting ghost story where you never truly know what is true or what might be hallucinations. Loved it.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC!

For those who loved Wuthering Heights for its gothic, supernatural romance, for its exploration of the raw, flawed side of humanity and mental illness.
For those who wants more sapphic characters and diversity in horror.
For survivors of domestic horror.
This is for you.
(after you consult its trigger warnings)

We live in an era where gothic horror is aplenty, and you will never hear a complaint from me about it, but it is an absolute pleasure when one stands out like this one. The first person and epistolary hybrid narration works wonders in uncovering every juicy event and exploring every character in the lead up to the climactic event that we are constantly fed hints of.

I did feel like the last 30% before the climactic event dragged on a little, but I was hooked regardless and am so excited about this new author.

Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author for this advance review copy, I am leaving this review voluntarily.

"My Darling Dreadful Thing" by Johanna van Veen is a captivating mix of romance, mystery, and the supernatural. Roos Beckman's life gets a twist when she's invited to live with wealthy widow Agnes Knoop at her eerie estate. Alongside her spirit companion Ruth, Roos finds herself tangled in a mystery when a death occurs, leaving her under suspicion.

The book has a little lesbian spice, which, as a lesbian, I was totally rooting for! The spirit characters are intriguing, adding depth to the story. Van Veen does a great job with character building, pulling readers into a world where the paranormal mingles with everyday life.

While the story kept me engaged, I felt the ending could've been stronger. Nevertheless, "My Darling Dreadful Thing" is still a compelling read that I'd recommend.

Overall, I'd give it a solid 3.5/5 rating. It's a great choice for those who enjoy a blend of romance and mystery with a touch of the supernatural.

This is a whole new level of best friend! Add some seances? I’m in.

The split between POVs and media to tell the story really keeps the reader guessing throughout. Unreliable narrator or coocoo doctor?

The gothic genre is so beautifully depicted in this novel. From attention to detail in their surroundings to the back story of the characters. Would highly recommend this read.

Thank you to Netgalley for this opportunity! This book will be available 5/14/24!

Um so ok here I am in a swirling pit of co fusion because I have no idea what it is that I just read. The prose jerked you around in an almost staticky way the dumped you into a fever dream of ghostly love and weird stuff. Like what?!

—Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was actually scary. Like i couldn’t sleep type of scary. And i couldn’t end up but love it!
A unique story with a stunning cover.

I am in love with this book, no seriously I am.... I laughed with this and cried too, this book is journey, journey of girl and her companion. I could have imagined everything they went through and that pained me too (especially tha chapter 32 I was legit crying!!!) This story is about Roos and her companion Ruth and her lover, how they survived with hope and loved each other with so much passion. I loved every interaction that happened between them.The only thing that confused me was the setting, i wasn't able to grasp the setting first but with the story it became clear. Can't wait more from this author
Thank you Netgally, publishers a d author for this ARC
#Mydarlingdreadfulthing
#ARCreview

I really enjoyed the book and would highly recommend to anyone who likes gothic horror. It has ghosts, a creepy mansion, seances and feelings of suspense, terror, and vengeance. The characters were also intriguing. It has a nice, creepy cover too.

Roos' only friend is a centurys old spirit, until she holds a seance in her house. Agnes takes Roos' attention away and moves into a new home. A new home where the spirit is completely different the what Roos knows how to handle. This book will make your toes curl until the very end!

This was my first read from this Author and it will def not be my last. It was something completely new to me. And build me with mixed feelings but overall I enjoyed it! Highly recommend.

In a world where the dead can wake and walk among us, what is truly real?

Fantastic gothic horror! Great writing and great atmosphere! Highly recommended!

Usually I absolutely adore these types of books. A gothic horror based in a creepy mansion where the ghosts may or may not be real, sprinkled with a sapphic relationship. It really had everything great about these stories. I think the relationships between the characters--specifically Roos and and Ruth and Roos and Agnes--were really sweet, the lore of how the spirits worked was really interesting (whether or not you think they're real), and I really like the alternating between the main storyline and when Roos is talking to the doctor in the future. While these conversations with the doctor did help hint towards what was going to happen and help build tension. I think that's where this story kind of lacks--there really was not a lot of build-up of tension. For a book labeled as a horror and includes topics like possession, I was really expecting a scary book. However, I never really felt like I was reading that. Nothing ever really made me nervous or scared for the characters. I do think the author could have done it really well, because that one scene where we learn the truth of Agnes and her husband's pasts/relationship was really well-done. It was a great revelation that I didn't see coming and really added to the creepy vibes of the book.
However, there also needed to be more of a build-up to the relationship between Agnes and Roos. The reader can obviously tell that they're eventually going to get together, but I think it was more because that's what expected from that trope than a good foundation being built between the two characters. What we did get to see of them was very cute and endearing and had the potential to be a really amazing and heartbreaking relationship. Again, so much potential, I just wanted more.
Overall, I think if the author needed to focus more on the horror elements and building an emotional and profound relationship between the two FMCs. What was done, was done very well, but it was just missing some key things that could have made this book a favorite for me.