Not really a review because I didn't finish.
I requested this book because I found the blurb intriguing and falls under horror (Netgalley has given me the opportunity to read some really good horror books).

The beginning of this book was really good but then it felt like a drag. Too slow for this genre. Didn't feel like a horror story. Very disappointed. Thank you for the copy. Sorry it didn't work for me.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Mina Hardy, and NetGalley for the ARC.

It always bums me out when a book didn't resonate because I know how much time and effort goes into crafting a novel. Reviews and ratings are completely subjective so my experience with this book could be the polar opposite of your own.

The synopsis for this book sounded right up my alley, and admittedly it started off pretty strong... but my enjoyment fizzled out pretty quickly. The entire middle portion just felt like filler to me with no real plot advancement. So we know Ruth is possessed/haunted/mentally unwell... and she does some spooky stuff. And then we have about ten more chapters of her doing a random spooky thing, our protagonist being far too unbothered by it, and nothing changes. It felt like one chapter after another of random paranormal experience, nothing being done about it, nothing learned or developed, no raising stakes. And suddenly boom, we have a big flashy ending. The pacing was really off.

The explanation provided for why Tamar accepts her mother's behaviour is because Tamar endured far worse as a teen. Multiple characters allude to it MANY, MANY, MANY times in the first 2/3 of the book. I don't understand why that would make Tamar (now a 50 year old woman) accept horrible treatment... just because things were MORE awful when she was 18? Surely knowing how bad it got when she was younger would make her take swifter action now as an adult before things progress to that level again? Sure enough, an event that took place when she was 18 happens again when she is 50 and she is so upset about it. Shocking. Okay, whatever. I was waiting for the big reveal of what really happened when she was a teenager since it was literally alluded to dozens of times.... and that was it?

So I'm giving it 2 stars. The writing was fine, there was some fun moments at the beginning and the end, and I appreciated seeing this story through the lens of Judaism for once. However, I think this story didn't have enough meat to justify a full-length novel. A short story or novella would have served this much better and cut out literally a third of the book where I was waiting for anything to move the plot forward.

While this was a very slow-burn horror novel that not everyone would appreciate, I absolutely loved it. It wasn't solely horror but a story of the complicated relationship of a mother and her daughter attempting to reconcile their past while still holding grudges. This was eerie, with a lurking sense of dread felt throughout the entire read. I really admired that with a story like this, it didn't go with the usual catholicism, but with Judaism, educating the reader on their beliefs and practices. If you aren't exactly religious like myself, I promise that won't put you off in the least. This author took her time telling this story, letting the anticipation of what's to come slowly build, and for this particular read, that slow pace worked in its favor. Haunting, tragic, and downright creepy, this was a perfect read for horror fans. Four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books, for this ARC.

What a very strange book. It’s more of a disturbing horror than a thrilling one.
I received this as an arc so the numbers in the sentences were a bit off. For me.
I’m not even sure what to say about the book without giving away a great deal. I’m also torn between liking the book and not liking it. I was not a fan of the ending. It wrapped up so quickly I don’t like how it finished. It seemed way too much going on and not enough to tie it together. I am a huge horror fan so I think that’s the part I enjoyed the most. I liked the possession aspect of it. But it doesn’t really delve into the why of it all.
If you enjoy dark and disturbing horror I would definitely suggest trying this book out and see what you think.

this is tamer and lovey story. we follow tamer as she fin the truth about her mother and her family history. i felt like tamer was a complex character. the whole book has a sense of unease to it. really good thank you net galley

Mina Hardy's novel, 'Bitter Is the Heart,' is not your usual kind of horror, psychological or otherwise. This is a disturing book, no doubt about it, with high-quality writing, perfect for people who enjoy nasty twists, perhaps even appropriate for a thriller-loving audience as well. But there are several caveats before targeting non-horror audiences: the book is incredibly slow, it's repetitive, and requires extreme patience from the reader to arrive finally at the proper payoff. On the other hand, even when one reads the interminable monologues, it's easy to appreciate the chilling atmosphere, the mysterious plotlines, the suspenseful build-up. I enjoy slow burns and this kind of (literary, yet easy to read) writing. My single complaint would be that I'd preferred less ambiguity; it made me ambivalent about the ending. I expected something like "The Taking of Deborah Logan," and it wasn't that. Still, the theme of the "toxic mother" was handled skillfully and the ending did satisfy. So I'm a Mina Hardy fan for sure!

DNF’d at 51%
This started out so strong but the middle was such a slog, and was very repetitive. I love a slow-burn but this was felt more like a case of dragging the story out, and I just lost l motivation to finish it.

While this isn't horror in the traditional sense, it is certainly still disturbing and I appreciated to Judaism representation. A fascinating premise that fell a tad short in execution. The pacing seemed a little off which made it difficult to engage with the story. Even still, I enjoyed the writing and see strong potential within the author and would read future works of hers.

Mina Hardy compels the reader to ask the question was Mommie Dearest evil at her core OR was Mommie Dearest perhaps possessed?

Bitter is the Heart follows the life of Tamar and her sister Lovey. Both grew up in an abusive household with a mother who was an alcoholic. Lovey grew up to live up to her name - a wife, mother, and caregiver to their mother. Tamar left home and succumbed to a failed marriage and alcoholism. As life returns Tamar to her childhood town, Lovey is swept across the country as her husband begins a new job. Now Tamar must start life as the new caregiver to their mother - something she finds difficult as childhood memories resurface and strange things start happening in her home.

As the story unfolds, Tamar learns the truth about her mother and the heritage of her family. The question becomes - does she have the strength to do what needs to be done to protect herself?

Bitter Is The Heart:A Novel
by: Mina Hardy
Crooked Lane Books
due 9-17-24
3.5 stars

Tamar is awoken one morning by someone at her door.. Somehow, her mother, Ruth,who Tamar has not seen in years, has escaped her assisted living facility, and has landed on her doorstep. Tamar has not seen her mother in years, fleeing her childhood home after years of emotional and psychological abuse when her mother physically hits her. Tamar has lived on her own since.
Ruth begin her abusive behavior towards Tamar again, this time Tamar is an adult. But she finds it hard to defend herself, and has a substance abuse problem that doesn't help. As her mother gets more abusive.....but who is going to believe her?

A book of psychological terror, and chilling, disturbing mother/daughter relationships. The pacing is what sinks this book. It starts out really good and the ending is pretty good, but the middle is hard to get through. The representation of Judaism and generationalabuse are the best parts of this.

A good book, parts are great, but overall it is slow.
Thanks to #NetGalley for sending this ARC e-book for review
#NetGalley #BitterIsTheHeart

Thank you to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for sending this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Not all horror reads meet even the midpoint on a reader's fear scale, and when a book does, it's one whose author knows how to introduce chilling elements and when to shift from an ordinary, mundane scene to the uncanny. Mina Hardy's "Bitter Is The Heart" does that.

Foremost, this book is as slow-burn as slow-burn plots can get. Initially, there's no doubt that the plot calls for it to heighten the intensity of a lingering sense of dread. But as the story progressed, the waiting game got challenging. There were instances of repetitive thought processes, such as the protagonist's internal monologues that made me lose interest several times. As the tension ebbs and flows, so does my impatience, whether there's more to the story than the explanation for the eerie presence that has haunted Tamara's life.

On to the good parts; I love how Hardy puts her own spin on demonic possession - one whose sinister presence juxtaposes a mother-daughter relationship with the psychological effects of generational trauma. It also gave a glimpse into Jewish practices and religious customs and how they play out in the narrative in terms of authenticity.

Having the uncorrected copy kind of dulled the book's intensity. Inconsistent formatting, grammar errors, and navigation issues made it feel like I had skipped scenes, forcing me to re-read entire paragraphs to gain a foothold. I realized how important these considerations are when reading a book because these pet peeves could affect the narrative's impact on its readers.

Gauging my opinion of this book isn't straightforward. It genuinely impressed me and gave me feelings that ran the gamut of disgust and empathy. It's a tragedy about failed relationships intertwined with human weakness and vulnerability. Its fear factor hinges on these aspects, yet "Bitter Is The Heart" is one of the few horror books that combined palpable elements of religious themes and psychological horror. If I could have it my way, I would have wanted an epilogue if only to put the pieces together.

Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC! #BitterisTheHeart

This is not the scary book you may be thinking it is. The novel started out slowly but got up steam near the finish. It was still difficult for me to be involved. The terror is heightened by the characters' darkness and devastation. Judaism offers an intriguing perspective on the issue of generational abuse. It does burn you slowly and steadily in that way. All I want is to be involved right now. However, I am grateful for the ability to read and reflect. Even yet, the novel maintained its intrigue.

A really dark, disturbing but very well written story of a woman confronting her childhood trauma and demons. A very interesting read with still great elements of a psychological thriller 😀 xx

Tamar has no other option than to let her estranged mother move in with her after her mother is evicted from a senior care facility. As Tamar tries to unearth secrets from her past, her mother’s irritating antics increase, making Tamar suspect something supernatural is afoot.

The novel nicely touches on the horrors of aging, the need for parental love, and the isolation that comes when people do not believe another’s truth.

My favorite parts of the book were the way the elements of Tamar’s Jewish faith were incorporated and the relationship dynamics between Tamar and her favored sister Lovey. Lovey, who has moved with her family to the westcoast can only provide remote support, had quite a different upbringing than Tamar and enjoys a different relationship with their mother. The mother’s antics both when Tamar was a child and those shown in real-time are shocking and profoundly disturbing.

I liked how Tamar is an active protagonist, as she searches for a way of handing her situation despite being trapped since as continues to be unable to find a facility who will admit her mother. The ending, while working well with the intricacies of the plot, felt a bit abrupt to me as I would have liked an epilogue.

BITTER IS THE HEART makes a great addition to haunting/possession sub-genre of horror.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books, an imprint of The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC., for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.

This was too slow for me and I found myself getting antsy to know what was gonna happen, it took too long to get interesting. Creepy at points but not scary in a way that I liked. Not sure what I expected but it wasn’t this, I think I just didnt really click with the author’s writing.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

First of all, I have to say that the format was not “nice” to read. Either on the Kindle or through Netgalley itself. Paragraphs were made weird and words were separated strangely etc. It's a real shame because that made the reading experience a bit unpleasant.

But I really enjoyed the writing style of the author. It was good and easy to read.

It's been a long time since I've read another book that I found scary. And this one scared me so much.. So be careful; Don't read that Book alone in the dark :p

Great atmosphere and great story.I finished it in two sittings because it was so exciting!

Thoroughly enjoyed this medium paced read that focuses on a mother daughter relationship. If you think you know what this is…you don’t 😂. This is a horror read but not what you envision horror, the horror aspects in this book are good though. The way the author wrote the dark toxic heavy feel that was within this book was 🤌🏼.

I feel as though this is a book that readers either love and vibe with or can’t get on board with. I personally enjoyed the entirety of this book. Please read triggers before going into this book. I will always be a Mina fan!!! Nexxxxttt!

Thank you @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Whilst beautifully written and having potential to be an excellent read this book was not for me (at the present time anyway).

Score is based on eadability

I really enjoyed this! Did you have a crazy relationship with your mother? You’ll probably get a thrill out of this as well. Pretty fast paced and enjoyable. I totally ate it up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for this ARC! This will be out in September!

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was too slow for me and I found myself getting antsy to know what was gonna happen, it took too long to get interesting. Creepy at points but not scary in a way that I liked. Not sure what I expected but it wasn’t this, I think I just didnt really click with the author’s writing.