I can see how this might not be for everyone, but it was for me. This book had the kind of spooky gothic vibes with time sensitive mystery, is it a curse or something more malicious? I do not like high stakes mystery or too much suspense/thriller, because I have ✨anxiety✨, and this had enough to be engaging but not too much that I will have nightmares. This would be a great intro to mystery/gothic fiction. 4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

This was an excellent read it reminded me so much of a movie i love in gothic romance called crimson peaks.
this woman has to get married to this man but he is a captain of this creepy house that is covered in vines, problem is she finds out that he had two wives already one that died an another that is dying. I dont want to spoil it too much because I feel like it would spoil the plot of the story. But you do find out a lot on why the second wife died and why the third one is dying.

She hides a secret the main character as well and is nervous about telling the captain you are turning the pages and its like a lot is happening for a really big book with 45 something chapters. I read this it took me a few days because I was reading the book at night and i wanted to see what would happen in this mystery gothic book.

I was invested in on their maid of the house there was a lot of times i pointed my finger thinking it was someone else in the house and of course you do find out the truth at the end but the story was excellent. She in the beginning has to get married to captain graves while she's waiting for her main man frederick to arrive to take her away to marry her and she has to hold on to her secret. It was just so good. Thank you to netgalley for giving me this arc to read.

This really was a nice cozy gothic mystery. Although not at all the same book, I got the same vibes as when I read Northanger Abbey, with both books following a very naive but lovable FMC as she enters into a big, creepy house completely unknown to her. The similarities mostly stop there, but the vibe is a great one for fall especially. The writing was also very well done and I could picture the island and the manor perfectly. I love when an author is able to transport me to a place with their descriptions, even down to the taste of food. The plot is full of mystery and suspense, especially the last half of the book. Nothing to cause a jump scare, but just enough to give you the chills at times. There is also a large subplot of Emeline, the main character, coming into herself as her own person. Her character had a lot of growth and heart. The characters are kind of exaggerated, but in this genre I actually like that. The romance is very very little, and really not much develops until the end, but the few conversations and banter sessions between Emeline and Reverend Pellerine are adorable. There could have been more development there for sure, but my biggest complaint is probably that Emeline and Georgina needed more conversations to establish their bond. But overall I have very few complaints and this was a solid 4 star read. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Since her father's death, Emeline Fitzpatrick has been stuck in Halifax with her two guardians, Judge Shackleton and his wife. Though she's certain that marriage to her lover Frederick will be her escape, a scandal destroys any hopes of a happy ending. To save face, her guardians arrange for her to marry Captain Graves, whose last two wives were said to have died in childbirth. Upon her arrival to Faraday House, Emeline is shocked to find that Captain Graves' second wife, Georgina, is still alive. While Emeline remains hopeful that Frederick will rescue her, she must quickly figure out who she can trust if she wants to survive.

This regency mystery set in 1816 delivers on the Gothic elements, reminiscent of Jane Eyre, but falls short on romance and plot.

Emeline was hard to like; she is incredibly naive for a twenty year old, reminding me of Lydia Bennet in her pursuit of Mr. Wickham. I could have looked past this in a YA novel, but for adult fiction it was incredibly frustrating to see how foolish she acted. Even with the late revelation that added context to her desperation, I was constantly shaking my head at her naivety.

While I liked the reverend, based on Emeline's relationship with him I would not classify this novel as a romance. Their romance felt underdeveloped and there was little chemistry between them. He saves her several times and they banter a bit but there's not much more than that.

The plot itself felt predictable; there aren't a ton of characters so the situation felt fairly obvious from the beginning. The pace is fairly even but then suddenly picked up around Chapter Thirty. After that, everything felt rushed, with one reveal after another until the climax. Emeline summarizes the aftermath of the events in the final chapters, followed by the perfect happy ending.

I thought I would like this more but it felt middling to me based on the weak central mystery and the lukewarm romance.

The Third Wife of Faraday House is a suspenseful but fun gothic tale. Though it takes a bit to get going, the background information at the start does help provide insights into later character behavior. Once I was past the setup phase, I tore through this book. And yes, even though I guessed at the conclusion, I still very much enjoyed the journey and twists and turns. The setting and spooky descriptions were fantastic. I love that it's a "new world" location that isn't seen much in the genre. I did wish for some more character development between the various individuals, or just more in depth interactions/ connections. But overall I really enjoyed this story!

I thought this would be more mystery or more romance or just more. This book wasn’t my favorite, but I’m sure it is someone else’s cup of tea.

I just felt like it was obvious from the beginning that Georgina was being poisoned by her caretakers and that they were going to try and do the same to Evangeline.

I did like that she fell for the reverend rather than the man she was set to marry. I thought it would be more the forced marriage trope but it wasn’t.

Evangeline did learn about her worth, value, and strengths and because of that wound up having a great life for herself, so the ending did make me happy!

Thank you for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.
This book has an interesting premise, however I did not find it as interesting as I initially thought I would. This gives the vibes of a subdued Crimson Peak. I’m sure there are people out there who will thoroughly enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t for me. I had a difficult time connecting with the main character as well as other characters within the book. I also had a little bit of difficulty following what was happening throughout the book as there were a lot of different things happening while at the same time it did not feel like anything had happened. For being categorized as a romance it felt lacking in this category for me. I am not sure how Emeline ended up with who she ended up with at the end of the book as it felt rushed and awkward and a way to tie up loose ends. Additionally, I felt that the epilogue did not help to round out the book as it seemed it was trying to sell a happily ever after that was already established at the end. However, the format of starting and ending the book with a letter was a nice touch.

“All the wives die young at Faraday House”

I expected more. Much more, in the sense of the story. The story felt…. Disjointed. Everything related to each other…. And yet it didn’t. I felt like the characters were very flat. One minute the Captain was described one way…. And then all of a sudden, he is the polar opposite and intimidating…. And no reason given. The supposed curse??? What curse? Because it didn’t really become an issue until the present story.
Was it the best- no, yet it also wasn’t the worse either. Just had higher expectations that were not met.

Nothing like showing up to your new fiancé's house only to find out that his previous wife isn't quite dead yet, amirite? Awkward.

The Third Wife of Faraday House is a suspenseful and entertaining Gothic mystery. It's also billed as a romance but there's really not a whole lot of the lovey-dovey stuff to be found, which is perfectly okay with me – I'm just here for the Gothic-y bits anyway.

I found this to be a mostly enjoyable and well-written novel. It's definitely suspenseful – I read the last 50% in one setting, even though I'd actually gone to bed early because I could barely keep my eyes open. Once the action really started, I couldn't put the book down and discovered that I maybe wasn't so tired after all. The plot is twisty-turny and there are definitely a few surprises that I didn't see coming. I also appreciated the supernatural bits – this is by no means a horror story, but there is a little creepy ghostly action.

Emeline is a delightful main character and I enjoyed following along as she unravels the mysteries of Faraday House and its inhabitants. I also found myself rooting for the second Mrs. Graves, although she really doesn't have much of a personality beyond “sick.” The villains of the story aren't really much of a surprise (I mean, there aren't really all that many characters to choose from to begin with), but at the same time I was surprised by how villainous they end up being.

And the setting? Fantastic. I've mentioned (probably many times) previously that I'm a sucker for anything that involves an English manor house, and apparently that extends to Canadian manor houses as well.

My one big quibble (is “big quibble” an oxymoron? almost certainly, but whatever.) is that certain parts of the story just feel … hollow? Underdeveloped? Mainly the relationships. Emeline and Georgina are near strangers and yet they're basically BFFs by the end. The “relationship” between Emeline and Reverend Pellerine doesn't seem very realistic either, probably because they only occasionally interact and there doesn't seem to be any real non-physical reason for their attraction to each other. And the ending? I don't want to spoil anything so I'll spare the details, but it's just more of the same … the characters involved all adore each other for, um, reasons? They barely know each other!

Quibbles notwithstanding, however, The Third Wife of Faraday House is an original and suspenseful read that kept me turning the pages. 3.75 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.

I liked “The 3rd Wife of Faraday House” very, very much. The main character has been raised to be pretty so as to land a good marriage and to not ruffle feathers. But upon being shipped off to Faraday House to marry Captain Graves, she finds herself digging deeper than before, not only to more strength and vulnerability but also to uncovering the mystery of the young wives and their untimely deaths at this spooky mansion by the sea. If you enjoyed B. R. Meyers' previous novel, you will absolutely like this one also- the gothic romance vibes are alive and well here!

First of thanks to B.R Myers and Netgally for this Arc. Second, this book was so good. I went in thinking I knew what it was in for and in fact did not. I also didn't expect it to give me a bit of the spooks...but it did haha, I had to turn a light on a couple of times because I was spooked. Some of the pacing was bit off but, It was the perfect mix of mystery, romance and spooky ookies. This doesn't come out till August 2024 but definitely throw this on your TBR now!

This book gives me many emotions—sorrow, happiness, and content. Secret lies within those you trust most, explaining why trust is the most important part of the relationship and kindness blends all around us.

Amazing book and I would highly recommend this as your TBR list in 2024.

"The Third Wife of Faraday House" earns its 4-star rating as a captivating murder mystery with a Regency twist. B.R. Myers delivers an engaging love letter to Gothic fiction, inviting readers to unravel the ghostly secrets of Faraday House alongside a cast of compelling characters.

This book was such a fun ride! Cozy, whimsical and mysterious, I simply couldn’t put it down. The twists and turns kept the pages turning, and there were several jaw-dropping moments. This gothic mystery truly has a little bit of everything (including even a hint of romance.)

The setting was perfectly atmospheric and I found the pacing for the mystery itself to be extremely well done. While some parts were mildly predictable, there were still many moments that surprised me. I think this one will be published at the perfect time next year to make this such a great fall read for many.

That said, I do feel there were some elements that could have been a little stronger, one of those being the romance. The main romance woven throughout felt a bit out of place and forced. While it did have me smiling at times like any good romance should, it just wasn’t completely believable and their communication (or lack thereof) was a little off putting.

I also feel Emaline’s character development could have been a little stronger, or possibly just not so rushed at the end. I felt there wasn’t much progress, and then suddenly major revelations were happening in the last 5-10%. I also would have liked to have gotten to know some of the other characters a little better, as this would have given the plot more depth for me.

Overall, I will absolutely still recommend this one, and I can't wait to read more by this author!

Regency meets mystery in this puzzling romance novel. Perfect for cozy murder mystery fans!

Emeline Fitzpatrick is struck with scandal and must give up her beloved for a wealthy Captain Graves, marrying the lonely widower and becoming his third wife. As she moves into his seaside manor, she is horrified to find his second wife alive, but on the brink of death. With the help of a handsome reverend reluctant to wed the couple and the ill but strong-willed second wife Georgina, Emeline must solve the strange plight before she meets her untimely end.

As a regency romance lover with a taste for murder mystery, this was a great read. The writing is smooth, humorous, and suspenseful. The romance itself has red herrings, and adds to the puzzling plot. The ending is sweet and happy, and the mystery is simple yet satisfying. I did wish for more romance, but I understand the precedence that the mystery takes place in this story. Overall, a fun cozy read.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for this ARC.

"Thank you for saving me," I said.
"Bien sûr." He turned his face to me and smiled. "Of course."
"I was talking to Moses."

LOVE. Couldn't put this book down. I had another few novels that I'm also reading and I kept coming back to this one. The pacing is immaculate, the banter engaging, the imagery amazing. It's giving a gothic Bridgerton meets murder mystery and I loved it. It took some getting used to but I think it showed character growth from the FMC; how she was very naive and vapid in the beginning, to where Emeline was at the end of the novel. The side characters were so well developed and I felt like each could stand on their own. There were just a few grammatical errors, like in chapter 13 before "He let out a tired sigh" there shouldn't be a quotation mark. Other than that, keep as is. This is one of the novels where I want to have a physical copy and display it on my bookshelf.

The Edgar-award winning author B.R. Myers brings us The Third Wife of Faraday House, which is both a murder mystery and ghost story combined. This novel is published by Harper Collins and is planned to be released in August of 2024.

It is the early eighteen-hundreds when Emeline, a naive young woman, finds herself embroiled in scandal and is shipped off to Faraday House. She is to become the third bride of its owner, Captain Graves. But her arrival is a far from welcoming one (the second Mrs. Graves is not even dead!) and she finds herself lost inside the swirl of rumors and the people and practices of Faraday House.

Will no one save her from her fate?

What I enjoyed most about this book was the mystery of it all: the house, its history, and trying to piece together what was really going on as the story takes place.

The Third Wife of Faraday House was a fun read -
*gothic mystery
*low key tension that builds
*darkly atmospheric

I found this paranormal thriller gripping and exciting, to say the least. I was kept wondering right up til the end.

Enjoyable and recommended.


Thank you to William Morrow Paperbacks and NetGalley for the DRC

I am glad I finished this book, it was a little slow in the middle, but I think my crow brain was to blame, wanting to change gears to newer shinier books. The mystery was decent, the romance was sweat and gentle, and I was happy that it had ghosts and the Christmas season. With the long winter nights, ghosts feel like they belong more to Christmas than to Halloween.

I absolutely love this author. Her descriptions and attention to detail when it comes to a true gothic novel is beautiful. It’s all about setting the scene with these types of books and she does this wonderfully.

The mystery aspect was fun and entertaining. The characters are gripping and kept me interested. Highly recommend.