Go into this book knowing at this is more suspense related to early 1900s treatment of women by husbands who had ulterior motives. More a study of the use of hysteria in women than the murder mystery I was expecting.
This is a very tense story. Millie, the FMC, makes some incredibly frustrating decisions. I found myself wanting to scream at her “what the heck are you doing” so many times. If you have ever been a victim of gaslighting, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and/or forced isolation consider this a warning that this book may not be for you!
I received an ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

In 1908, on Long Island’s North Shore, when the area was considered remote, Millie lives in a grand mansion called Rose Briar Hall. A house with over twenty servants, she wants for nothing. She and her new husband are planning a lavish party to celebrate the final touches on their mansion and Millie has it all in hand. Then, weeks later, she awakens to a cold, dark, house. The servants have all been let go, with the exception of three or four that were chosen for their loyalty to her husband Charles. At the tender age of twenty-four, Millie is faced with an impossible dilemma. She is told that she has murdered a woman who attended her party, a woman that had designs on Charles. With no memory of the party, Millie is told that she has been shunned by all of her society friends. Even her parents are not there for her in her time of need… Drugged, and misinformed, Millie struggles to escape Charles’ clutches. He is determined that she is ‘hysterical’ and that she must be institutionalized! Why? Millie strives to become independent of Charles. With doctors, police, and the very law in her husband’s favor, it is no easy task. Her eyes are opened to her own snobbery and pampered lifestyle as she finds herself outside her usual social circle. Will she be successful?

The novel has many twists and turns. I couldn’t stop reading it. I must admit I was glad to not being alive during that time as women didn’t have many rights. Divorce was frowned upon. The author leads us on a tortuous path to answer the answer and leaves us with an explosive ending.

Thanks to Net Galley and John Scognamiglio Books for the digital copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I requested this book so long ago that I wondered why I requested it. Then I started reading and it was apparent: an homage to one of my favorite films: Gaslight, an excellent portrayal of a man trying to mind-f*** his wife to get rid of her. The fact that gaslight is a now a popular culture reference just shows you how good the film was: it has lasting power. And Secrets of Rose Briar Hall does an admirable job of telegraphing that concept in this gothic fiction novel.

Despite the fact that this book is set during the Gilded Age in New York, there are issues mentioned that are being dealt with today, like women’s agency. Women were treated like property at the time, and Millie Turner is pushing back against society’s constraints with a devious, unbending husband. I really liked how Millie was portrayed: a smart, outspoken woman who is fighting back against discrimination just because she’s a female. I could have done without the romantic elements as I’d rather an intelligent woman stand on her own two feet without the aid of a man, but for the time period given, it is fitting.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars

Millie Turner is married to handsome stock broker Charles Turner, and seems to have the perfect marriage. The Turners throw a party one night with devastating consequences and Millie wakes up three weeks later with no memory of the nights events. I was on edge and nervous for Millie throughout the entire book but mostly due to way women were so terribly treated back then. Faced with gaslighting by her husband, no support from the ones she should trust most, and the threat of being put in an asylum, Millie has many obstacles to overcome. Although I felt this was a bit predictable, I still really enjoyed the read. I do wish there was more character development so there could be more connection with the MFC. And although the forbidden side romance wasn’t necessary for the plot, I thought it was okay.

I would like to thank Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of Secrets of Rose Briar Hall by Kelsey James.

I have not read a lot of gothic books in my life, so I was excited to read Secrets of Rose Briar Hall by Kelsey James, a gothic historical fiction set in the early 1900s in New York with a young women questioning everything around her.

Millie Turner wakes up three weeks after a party gone wrong and no one in her life is answering her questions after she has forgotten everything that happened that night. The rest of the book follows Millie's search to find the truth and ensure her safety.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. This is one of the few mystery books that made me anxious and scared as I went through it, which was mostly due to the misogyny that Millie faces throughout the book. With her husband and house staff thinking Millie has hysteria, she is being knocked out often and possibly being forced into an insane asylum, which I think is more scary than creepy monsters in the early 1900s. The overall mystery of the book I also thought was well paced and interesting, I saw certain elements coming, but I was surprised a few times with twists I did not see coming.

The only element that I was not a particular fan of in this book was a romance Millie eventually develops, as I thought it came out of nowhere and did not really add that much to the book and the story in the end.

I would give Secrets of Rose Briar Hall by Kelsey James a 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to a 4 on Goodreads, I really enjoyed the uneasy feeling the book gave me that was based in reality and how the story unfolded with that feeling being present.

Secrets of Rose Briar Hall gives readers a good look at the reality of living as a woman in the early 20th Century. Though Millie’s family is privileged and relatively close-knit, she’s still treated as a commodity more than a human.

Looking to find her own happiness, Millie falls for the dashing and successful Charles Turner. Unbeknownst to her, Charles’s affection is just a means to an end as he uses her to shore up his failing investment company as well as to inflate his own ego. Even when Millie exposes his fraudulent lifestyle, no one moves to hold him accountable.

While the narrative does a good job of making the reader feel some of the frustration a woman of the time would feel, there are some reaches in plot as well as some lapses into cliche.

I admire Millie’s spirit, but she never really felt fully developed as a character. I wanted her to win but more because I cared about all the injustices she faced than I cared about her personally.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A really great read. Truly gripping as you wonder if Millie will escape and what will happen next. The writing really evoked the era and was a really interesting and informative read.. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book.

In 1908, Millie Turner, finds herself the wife of a powerful New York stockbroker, Charles Turner. His status and wealth bring with it a magnificent home known as Rose Briar Hall. To prove herself worthy of being his bride, she decides to throw a grand party for New York’s social elite, only to wake up after the event in a cold, eerily quiet house, with no memory. She is told that she has been in and out of consciousness for weeks but she recalls none of it. She finds that her friends shunned her and she is unsure of how her reputation will be affected. Soon the house that was meant to bring her happiness, feels like a prison as does her marriage.
This was quite the psychological tale of a woman who has been gaslit to feel self-doubt and confusion. Throughout the book, it is clear how women were treated at the time, and Millie struggles to see how her life has become under her husband’s control. Charles is cleverly told as the husband who Millie thought she loved but has quite a dark side. This is definitely a story that had me on edge the whole time, particularly being told in the first person.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Good old fashioned whodunnit! Mystery, suspense, romance, historical fiction, what more could you want?! It kept me wanting more the whole time and I would definitely recommend this book. Well done!!

A net galley arc that came out June 25. A historic mystery that involves poison and murder in London. I enjoyed it very much! Secrets of Rose Briar Hall by Kelsey James. 3.5 stars

I want to like thrillers, but often, they frustrate me because I concentrate too much on figuring out what is happening to enjoy the story. This was a crystal-clear thriller, and I was not left guessing. I was so convinced I knew what was happening that I thanked someone for not doing that.

So either I am highly perceptive (doubtful), or others will quickly catch on. However, I liked the storyline, and the historical details were fascinating. The period was not one I had encountered much in prior reading, so that was nice.

While there were thriller elements, the romance and historical fiction elements made this a nice story.

Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Historical Romance. A Grueling Mystery. Horror. Suspenseful. An Absolute Thrill.


Millie Turner is our beautiful main character, once a happy woman who thought well of her powerful husband. I do not like being anxious. Every second of reading this novel had me tense and biting my lip. My heart was racing and I was just praying that our main character would get out alive, with hopefully her sanity and heart, in tact.

There are so many parts of this book having me question everything, just to reveal another secret or truth I hadn't anticipated. This is good, it is no fun if the reader anticipates what's in store. Except, it is a jumble of confusion, and so much eerie suspense.

The patriarchy had me grinding my teeth. Millie's family are terrible people, although I do not agree with how she approached revealing a terrifying secret of her spouse to the parents that had raised her. Millie's father ought to jump off a cliff. And anyone, literally any friend or family could have taken her side, even tried to believe her.

That is what squeezed my heart so. Not the harrowing events that occur that are horrifying, but the fact that the people she loves and cares about sneer at her. The people that are meant to love her without restraint are looking down on her and judging her situation instead of just loving her.

This mystery was set in the gilded age of New York. I was delighted this book had so many elements, forming a delightful cozy thriller. I hated the fact that the reader could not depend on Millie's narrative. The entire story I only got her account of things, which proved to be intentionally misleading later on.

In conclusion, this book was horrifying and gripping and creepy. Absolutely fascinating! I am a girly who finds gothic novels endearing, and this one truly did not miss the mark. My final words: screw misogyny and screw the way women were treated back in the day! The only saving grace of this novel was the delightful childhood friend who came just in the nick of time to potentially steal Millie's heart away. Must read! 🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

I was intrigued by the premise of this book, and while I don't read a lot of historical fiction, the premise of it being a homage to "Gaslight" reeled me in. The book was well written, and I enjoyed how descriptive it was, but it was hard for me to connect with Ingrid. I found her daft and boring, and I struggled to get through the book because her character just fell flat for me.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC, but it just wasn't for me.

I was intrigued by the description of this book. I have loved gothic stories since my grandmother gave me her copy of "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier years and years ago. I feel this is the perfectly written form of a gothic. From there, I discovered her collection of Joyce Carol Oates and Mary Sterwart. This led to me reading The Yellow Wallpaper, Jane Eyre, Henry James, The Gormenghast Novels, Shirley Jackson and Elizabeth Gaskell. This is a genre that I absolutely love, but it has to be done well! Growth in the characters, innocence of the MFC, creepy and dark atmosphere, and most importantly- mystery!

I felt that a lot of these important elements were missing in this novel. The author describes the setting very effectively. However, the atmosphere of darkness and creepiness that are elemental to the gothic were lacking.
I could not connect at all to the FMC. Although I understood why she was the way she was, she simply seemed to float from situation to situation. There was no growth or depth to her.
The mystery was easy to figure out, and really not much of a mystery. There seemed to be more focus on romance- although even that seemed a bit forced, with little chemistry. The mystery and atmosphere are so important in this type of book. The mystery usually evolves from a characters past/history, and has a ghostly element in it. Simply setting a story in a house does not make it a gothic.

I am an outlier with this one. Please read others review of this story, as many have liked it. However, as an avid reader of this genre, this fell flat for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC. This is my voluntary, honest review.

Everything about the Secrets of Rose Briar Hall should be up my alley: Gilded Age mystery with allusions to Gaslight! However, it was a bit of a letdown. Very predictable with a MC who's a bit of a simpleton.

The year is 1908 and in Long Island Millie is set to host the dinner party of the season with her husband Charles.
But when Millie wakes she has no memory of what has happened and soon realises there was a tragedy at the dinner that she is being blamed for but she can't remember.
Kelsey James makes this book feel like an opulent, gothic thriller movie. the settings are decadent and atmospheric while the characters are intriguing.
Briggs in particular gave me definite Mrs
Danvers vibes!
Will definitely Be on the look out for more from Kelsey James

This was an interesting mystery in the respect of not being able to trust the narrator. She is a person who got everything right in life but with the occurrences of one party, it is all gone. The story is well paced and the characters are almost predictably unpredictable. I wish I rooted for her more but the only real grounding part of her character is that she is new money. There were times that I simply rolled my eyes and thought "poor little rich girl." All of that did balance out with the fact that women in the early 1900's didn't have a lot of say over their lives. I was astounded to see how some of the events in the story played out while having to remind myself that it did happen like that for a lot of women.

The story is a little slow paced and the audiobook narrator did not help matters so I was at a solid 1.5x for most of this. That being said, I did enjoy reading this and would definitely recommend it!

The premise of this book was very promising, but I feel like the writing didn't deliver. The main characters were not very likeable, and it just seemed like every cliche they could use was included.

There were parts that I liked, but overall it wasn't a favorite.

Kelsey James’ book, Secrets of Rose Briar Hall takes me back to my teenage years where I devoured Gothic mysteries..

Millie Turner is an heiress in 1908, married to the perfect man (or is he) living a perfect life in her perfect house on Long Island (or is it) She throws the perfect party for New York society but that is where everything goes terribly wrong. Millie wakes three weeks later with no memory of the party and everyone is treating her as a pariah. Millie’s husband Charles is blowing hot and cold, the servants have been pared down to the bare minimum, her once welcoming home has become sinister and cold. Millie must figure out what happened at her party and the three weeks she cannot remember. With the help of her childhood friend, journalist David Hannigan, Millie starts to piece together what happened to turn her perfect life upside down. With hateful servants and a gaslighting husband. Millie has a lot to learn about what happened, and the era she lives in is not conducive to independent women who have a mind of their own.

I enjoyed this Gothic mystery with a murder, amnesia and love found in unlikely places.

Thanks to Netgalley, Kensington books and the author for the chance to read and review this book’.

Millie Turner has been preparing for the party of the season and everything is just right. Her guests have started to arrive. Her attentive husband is pleased. Cut to Millie awakening in her cold bedroom. The house is eerily quiet. She learns that she has been semi-conscious at best for several weeks after an unfortunate incident at the party. As Millie begins to piece together what happened that fateful night, she finds that her friends will no longer speak to her, her husband has hired a doctor who has described her as hysterical, thus requiring heavy sedation, and even her parents seem to be taking her husband’s side about what happened. Something isn’t right and Mille is determined to get to the bottom of it before it’s too late.

In “Secrets of Rose Briar Hall” Kelsey James explores the powerlessness of even wealthy women in the early 20th century. Millie has few options to take control of her life and at every turn she is blocked by traditionalist views on women’s roles. Her husband is ready to exert his full legal authority over Millie, including insisting that she be treated by a doctor of his choosing.

This atmospheric story gets its mood primarily from the season and the cold, dark environment of Rose Briar Hall, where Millie and her husband reside. There are no paranormal elements to this gothic style mystery.

This story is great for those who enjoy gothic stories and historical mysteries.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and Kensington Books, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.