Thank you for providing me with this arc. This was my first ever book by this author and sadly, I am disappointed. It fell flat and if this wasn’t an arc sent to me I probably would’ve dnf’d. I didn’t find it scary at any point but I do feel this authors writing is not just for me. The idea of the book was excellent but I just didn’t find it was executed properly. So sorry for not enjoying!

If you’re looking for true horror, this isn’t what you think it is. The book was a slow go, but picked up pace towards the end. I still found it hard to be engaged. The characters are damaged and dark which draws in the horror. The is generational abuse and Judaism gives it an interesting take. It does have the slow, steady burn of you like that. I just like to be engaged from the start. But I do appreciate being able to read and review. The book was still interesting.

Bitter is the Heart is an okay read. It wasn’t the most scary, but it is in the horror genre for sure. The characters, such as Tamar, Ruth, and such were well though out. They had flaws, damage, and good things about them. I saw growth in the novel. This book was very dark. It is a possession novel, but more than the average possession novel because the typical methods you see in those classic movies didn’t work. I knew something was going on, especially with Tamar’s mother Ruth. The author did great at slowly pacing the book, while keeping me at the edge of my seat.

This deals much more with child abuse and neglect than I thought it would. Much less a thriller. For that reason, it was not for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC to review

2 stars!

I sadly didn't have a great time with this one. The opening was FANTASTIC! What a way to open the story and I have to agree with what I saw others post after reading this. The last 50 pages really were the best thing about this for me sadly
Obviously this book didn't hit it for me but it will definitely be a great read for someone else!

So I’ve seen some reviews complaining that this isn’t scary. No, it’s not. But horror doesn’t need to be scary. It can be disturbing and this one is all kinds of disturbing!

The characters in this book are dark and damaged. You won’t have anyone to truly root for – but the story is fascinating and creepy and kind of hopeless and it fits a certain kind of mood.

I loved the Judaism aspects of this one as well. It brought something different and intriguing.

I would read the author again in a heartbeat.

• ARC via Publisher

Wow is all I have to say!! I loved the Jewish aspect of this book. You don’t really see that a lot and it was really intriguing, and I learned A LOT from it! This book definitely is one to get. Well written, descriptive, and kept me guessing as to what the heck was going on! I loved the older character perspective, which is something you don’t see a lot. Overall great book, will have you question EVERYTHING, and keep you up at night to finish! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

OOOO I loved this book so much. I literally devoured it. There's something about mother/daughter relationships and horror that gets into my dreams and under my skin. I literally cannot get this book out of my head. I don't want to spoil too much but it will definitely have you creeped out. The atmosphere is excellent, heavy and full of dread. The dynamic between the MC and her mother is raw, and feels real. Anyone who has a toxic mother will relate, and will feel heavy emotions with this one. Read it, experience it, it's so worth it.

I went in on this blind. The cover, title and author were enough to make me interested.

From the very first chapter I knew I’d enjoy it. The whole book had a lingering sense of unease. It reminds me of movies like Hereditary. Lots of slow moments that end in big shocks.

Tamar was a complex character in some regard. I had a hard time really getting a sense of her true personality. But maybe that’s how we all are. She seemed to want two different lives. One where everything was in order and another where she burned it to the ground with her actions.

Overall I really liked the book and would read more from the author. I think horror fans will enjoy it. The author included a playlist at the end and I love that! Thanks to NetGalley, Mina Hardy, and Crooked Lane Books. I have written this review voluntarily.

After waking up to find her mother, Ruth, had somehow escaped her assisted living facility and is standing in her bedroom, Tamar's childhood traumas come back to threaten her. Tamar had left her childhood home when she was eighteen, following her mother physically attacking her after years of mental and emotional abuse, and without Lovey, the 'favorite' child around, Ruth is falling back into her old habits... but who would believe that an old dementia patient is harming her middle-aged daughter?

'Bitter Is The Heart' is a book with a strong premise, an incredible ending, a great exploration of Judaism and generational abuse... all marred by its abysmal pacing. The opening scene is a great hook, and the last fifty pages make it hard to put down, but there's a lot of dawdling in the middle. The abuse that Ruth inflicts on Tamar is horrific, particularly due to Ruth being manipulative and sneaky, but Tamar continuously not suspecting her mother's interference makes some revelations more frustrating than scary. For example, early on in the book, Ruth takes Tamar's phone and blocks her sister's number. Tamar finds this out and unblocks her. About halfway through the book, Tamar is frustrated that she's not getting any messages from her sister, her childhood boyfriend, or other assisted living facilities that she reached out to... but she doesn't check her phone's block list until her ex-boyfriend gets a new phone number and asks about it. It seems weird for this to happen twice, and for Tamar to not suspect anything, even with her substance abuse issues.

I'm not Jewish, so I can't speak for the depictions of Judaism here, but it's cool to have a possession story where Christianity is ineffective. While I was a little disappointed that the twist was supernatural, it never tried to erase or excuse Ruth's abuse, which I appreciated. Tamar's feelings for her are complicated, understandably so, and the themes of Jewish Forgiveness make the ending incredibly compelling. There aren't nearly enough books with middle-aged women as protagonists either, and I'm always happy to read one about a woman who doesn't want children.

My final rating is 3.5, so I'm going to split the difference on websites and give it a 4* on NetGalley and a 3* on GoodReads.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of Bitter is the Heart by Mina Hardy. This book is a slow and steady burn that is uncomfortable. It will resonate with anyone who has a complicated relationship with their mother. I liked how the author combined a ghost story with toxic parenting and family dynamics. I also liked how she incorporated her Jewish religion into the story and the characters.

Tamar’s mother is supposed to be in an assisted living facility when she shows up uninvited inside Tamar’s home. Tamar is estranged from her mother and her sister Lovey is the golden child. Since Lovey has moved away, Tamar is tasked with taking care of her mother. Strange things start to happen and Tamar also has to face her childhood and her relationship with her mother.

This story follows a chilling and disturbing relationship between a mother and daughter. Tamar left home at eighteen after suffering years of abuse from her mother. She has now returned and has found herself in a situation where she is left to care for her mother, now frail and elderly. However, creepy things start to happen...

This book was very slow begin with and took a long time to build. Personally I found it a little too slow and was left wanting a little more horror, as it was quite reserved. This book was more based around generational abuse and the relationship between mother and daughter, with a bit of horror thrown in at the end. Although I was left wanting a little more, I really enjoyed the storyline and the last 50 pages were brilliant and really kept me engaged! However, as for the rest of the book it was a little to slow paced for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

What a ride!! This book was creepy and unsettling - a tale of mother and daughters and possession, It made me uneasy in places but I had to keep reading! Great book Mina Hardy - I will definitely be reading your other books!.

Less scary, and more of a deeply sad look at child abuse and how it affects adults.

Just not my thing.

This was so disturbing and creepy. I wanted to look away and simultaneously didn’t want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This book was completely unsettling. I kept reading it hoping to understand what was going on. There is generational trauma, abuse and demons. Addiction and sleepwalking. I’m glad to be finished with this one.

“Bitter is the Heart” was horrific, disturbing, and hard to put down. Be warned, the sensitive subject of childhood abuse by a mother and the resulting trauma could be triggering for some readers. Proceed with caution.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review "Bitter is the Heart" before its publication date.

Phenomenal story. Excellent characters and the dynamics and complexities of their relationship felt genuine, dramatic, traumatic. This story weaved seamlessly through twists and turns, emotion and creepiness. Loved it!

The darkness surrounding the generational trauma and mother - daughter relationship came together to make a thrilling read.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this eARC of Bitter is the Heart by Mina Hardy.

This story evolves around main character Tamar Glass. Tamar left home as soon as she turned 18 in order to escape from her abusive, childhood home. As luck (or lack of luck) would have it, decades later, she’s back in her home state and thrust into taking in the very person she’d run away from - her mother. Her mother is elderly at this point, and her health is declining.

As Tamar grapples with her suppressed childhood trauma, strange things start to occur in both Tamar’s life and home.

I really, really enjoyed this read! this is the first book that I’ve ready by Mina Hardy, but I will definitely need to check out some more of her books after this wild ride!

As with any book, I think it would be a good idea for readers to check Trigger Warnings before diving in!