Bridgerton with zombies? Also reminded me of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

An atmospheric, haunting, romantasy inspired by Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. I adored the complex characters and the constant twists and turns that the plot took.
Overall a very satisfying book that I cannot wait to get a physical copy of!

I liked the overall idea of the plot. The mist that turns people into Phantoms who are driven by a hunger for human flesh was a cool idea and I liked the mystery surrounding the Darlings and who might want them gone.

I thought the Phantoms didn't get enough page time and also weren't well explained. I wanted a deeper dive into what was going on and more people turning. This could have been creepier and I would have loved to see it a bit darker.

The romance is more of a love triangle, though I think it's easy to see where things will end up and I think we could have done without it. It also made the story read younger and less interesting to me.

There were highlights for sure, including one twist I didn't expect and a fairly even pace. This is a fun book to read in autumn with a spooky setting.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the copy.

I couldnt get into this book. I'm really not in the bridgerton and zombie vibes. I really tried to get into this because I wanted to reread it for the sppky vibes for october but I had to DNF

This was just okay. I honestly don't remember a lot from it. The atmosphere was cool, but the characters were lacking in depth and emotion. Overall kind of disappointing, It wasn't bad, and i know lots of people who would love this. The gothic aspects of it were definitely its strongest feature.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher of this book for this eARC.

As a Jane Austen enthusiast, anything that claims to be in the same vein is an instant To-Read for me. And this was creepy! I only wish that we spent more time with the other sister.

This was not my cup of tea. From the beginning the prose put me off and there wasn't anything interesting enough to redeem it enough for me to continue reading. I wasn't a fan of the main character. This book was just not for me.

I started this book with high expectations but unfortunately it did not pull me in. The writing was flowery and descriptive but it was too slow paced for me. Soi I reluctantly had to not finish the book. Thank you for the opportunity and all the best to the author.

This book is a retelling of Austen’s *Sense and Sensibility*, but it takes a unique approach with several changes that make it feel quite different from the original. One of the standout features is the introduction of monstrous creatures that rise from the mist, avoiding torchlight and fire, with manor lords responsible for protecting the lands from these breaches. At the heart of the story are two sisters, grieving the loss of their father and trying to ensure they don’t lose their manor to other lords.

While the plot starts off a bit slow, it becomes clear that this is more of a character-driven story. I really enjoyed getting to know Merrick better as the story unfolded, and I appreciated her strength and growth as a character. Though the romance is present, it’s not the central focus, which I liked. Instead, the book delves into themes of sisterhood, mystery, and loss. The political intrigue was another highlight for me, adding layers to the story and deepening the sense of mystery about who was plotting with whom and for what reasons. I’m excited to see how these elements develop in the next book.

Merrick’s character was particularly well done. She’s strong, but also flawed, and I found her relatable. She’s self-aware enough to recognize when she’s being childish or overreacting, which made her feel more real. There were moments where I found myself thinking, “Why are you doing this alone?” but her combination of intelligence and youthful impulsiveness felt right for her character.

Although some are calling this book a gothic horror, I didn’t quite see it that way. There are definitely spooky elements and eerie vibes, but nothing that screamed horror or gothic to me. You’ll still be able to sleep at night—though you might stay up late because you can’t put the book down until you reach the end.

I’m eager to see if this debut author will write a second book and what other stories she’ll bring to the table in the future!

I loved Merrick as a character and the atmosphere was just so rich and off putting at the same time. There's so much to love about an austen retelling, especially a dark one and I think Lydia Gregovic really nailed it.

I really wanted to get into this but I just couldn't. I tried multiple time to pick this up and I just wasn't vibing with it. Most likely it is a me problem and not the book. Will try again in the future to give this a go!

I love, love, love The Monstrous Kind! A beautiful, atmospheric retelling of Sense & Sensibility?? Yes, please!

In this debut novel by Lydia Gregovic we follow Merrick Darling. She is the daughter of the Manor Lord of Sussex and is spending her days in New London enjoying her high society life. Until her father dies. As daughter of the Manor Lord, Merrick has immunity to a toxic fog that has slowly been taking over England. The duty of the Manor Lord is to protect their people from the fog -- but upon Merrick's return, she discovers the preventive measures being taken are no longer enough to withhold the toxic fog and it is rapidly encroaching upon their province.

The haunting atmosphere was fabulous and the romance in this novel was spectacular. I will definitely be picking up this author's future works.

Merrick Darling is a lord’s daughter, called back home after her father’s death. The deceased Lord’s duty to his people was to protect them from a mist slowly creeping over the lands, filled with horrible monsters ready to kill. Estelle, Merrick’s sister, remained at home and expected to take over the Manor and the duties of their father. On the night of a ball to celebrate the life of the deceased Lord, the monsters come out from the mist and take Estelle. Merrick is forced to face the chilling realities of the mist and her family, while protecting the estate from neighboring lords and secrets disguised by love.

I fell in love with Merrick’s character. She is quick and smart but does acknowledge mistakes and learns from them. I wish the monsters played a larger role in the story, but it does show that the ones closest are the real monsters we should fear. This story is gothic, moody, and unbelievably atmospheric. Lydia Gregovic’s debut novel pulls you in and wraps around you, not letting go, just as the mist. I am very excited for what Lydia has to show us in the future!

I did not realize until nearing the end that this story was a retelling of Sense and Sensibility (I have not read that), so the experience I had with this story was completely new and refreshing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I absolutely loved the characters, plot, and world. I mean anytime I see regency era I am all in! Plus I loved the haunting vibes. This was my first book from the author and I definitely plan to read more from Lydia!

As someone who is a romance girly, I think this was a nice retelling but I wish there was more of a balance when it came to the mystery and romance elements. I think the pacing was a bit too slow for my taste but I can see the potential in this being a series.

I have been on a moody, gothic, and atmospheric kick lately and The Monstrous Kind did not disappoint!! I would've loved a bit more romance, but ultimately, the regency setting and mystery kept me hooked and locked in!!

Absolutely beautiful and heartwarming modern take on Jane Austen's Sense and Sensability.

This was gloomy, moody, atmospheric, with a touch of bridgerton, and an incredible world. Great story to read during Spooky Season!

Thanks to Lydia Gregovic, and NetGalley for the e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

This is a book that is a retelling of Austen’s work of Sense and Sensibility. However, it is told differently and with a few added changes to the point that I didn’t really feel like the plot was the same because of the way this author wrote it. I liked that there were monstrous creatures that rise out of the mist but hate torchlight/fire and there are manor lords that are in charge of protecting the lands in case of a breach. You will see two sisters that are grieving their late father and trying to make sure that they do not lose their manor to the other lords.

I found the plot to be a little slow at the start but the more and more you read the book you will see that it is more character driven. I loved that you really got to understand Merrick more throughout the book and start to see the strong character that she is. I liked that romance was in this book but it’s not the main point of the book, but you will see a romance will start to bloom. I can’t wait to see what else will happen in the next book. This book was more about sisters, mystery and loss. I loved the politics in the book because it took it to a level and added it to the mystery of the book and who was doing what with who and why. I can’t wait to see what book two will bring to the story and to see how this all works out.

I thought Merrick character was well done. She is strong, but you will see some flaws in her and I found myself being able to connect with her character. She can recognize when she is being childish or might be overreacting. I loved that, but there were times I was like OMG! Girl, why are you doing that alone? But I found her to be smart for her age but at the same time childish in the right way, for this character it worked in the right way.

I know a lot of people are calling this a gothic horror, and I can kinda see what they’re saying but not really. You will see spooky vibes but nothing that really reached out to me that said horror or gothic book in my eyes. You will still be able to sleep at night, well maybe because you will get stuck reading this book throughout the night and not put it down until you get to the end.

I can’t wait to see if this debut author will come out with a second book and to see what other books she will be writing as well.

I want to thank NetGalley & Random House for the opportunity to review this book

The Monstrous Kind absolutely blew me away and it's criminal that it's not getting more love. Billed as a horror romantasy loosely inspired by Sense and Sensibility -- which is a pretty tall order, not gonna lie -- Lydia Gregovic somehow nails that perfect blend of each of those elements for a truly original story.

Seventeen year old Merrick Darling is living the life of a debutante when she's summoned home by the death of her father, Manor Lord of Sussex. As Manor Lord, the deceased Mr. Darling's job was to protect his tenants against the monster-filled mist that surrounds Britain, by setting signal fires and sending sentries patrolling. But with Darling dead and fires going out left and right, the Sussex that Merrick returns to is deadlier than the one she left. Her sister, Estella, has managed the estate in her absence, but between courtly politics and Merrick's abrupt departure months earlier, their relationship is frosty at best. But when Estella goes missing and the monsters draw nearer, who can Merrick turn to -- could it be the mysterious guard Killian or the dashing gentleman Ames, or neither?

First off, I love, love, loved Merrick as a character. She never felt anachronistic -- my major beef with a lot of YA historical works -- but fits perfectly into the regency world. Tired of always being second to her sister and resigned to a life as a debutante in the hopes of having a somewhat-decent future, Merrick feels both historical and timely. I loved how well rounded she was and how Gregovic allowed Merrick to be prickly at times. I love me a prickly protagonist! I also adored the romances here. I feel like true romantasy lovers might complain about the fact that the romance often takes a backseat to the mystery of Estella's disappearance, but I felt it was a good blend. Killian and Ames are both solid love interests and I genuinely did not know who Merrick would end up with, if either of them. I enjoyed the twist at the end relating to one of the LIs (I won't spoil which one). It's very well done, as is the twist relating to Essie.

If I had one complaint, it's that the Phantoms -- monsters who lurk in the mist -- didn't show up enough. When they did, they stole the scene for me, being that perfect blend of haunting and genuinely terrifying. Still, that's a pretty minor critique, all things considered. Oh! And I would've loved for this to be a duology, if only so I could spend more time in Merrick's misty England.

Gregovic has such a stunning, evocative writing style that I cannot wait to read what she writes next -- whether it's set in the faux-Regency era of The Monstrous Kind or in another genre entirely. Many thanks to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Lydia Gregovic for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was a pretty fun romp. I think the title is a little too similar to other titles which is a bummer, because I feel like the story is unique. I hate that it will get lost in the other books with Monstrous in the title.

To start, Lydia Gregovic knows how to write an informative book. At first, it was a little hard to read because of the world and character building, but once you got into it, it flowed smoother.

She kept me on the edge with the love interests also. There was almost no romance in the first half of the book but honestly, I kind of liked that because you got to know the world and characters before putting in swooning characters. To be honest, I didn't really like either of the love interests throughout the whole book.

One thing I was expecting more of was character development and action. For the character development, it just felt like Merrick was the pretty princess throughout the whole book and didn't change one bit. I know in the olden days, it was like that but I feel like most books usually turn the MC into a badass by the end of it. And this wasn't really the case.

Also missing was action. I felt like it was just ride my horse here and ride my horse there. Then once some action seemed like it was going to start, some resolution would happen so that it didn't happen. Most of the time, Merrick would run away. Toward the end, there was more action but it skipped around a lot and was hard to follow. The book could've used a little bit more interesting scenes and that's where I think it fell short the most.

All in all, I thought it was kind of a boring read. I got through the whole thing and at first rated it four stars and then as I wrote this review, got it down to two stars. I realized that I don't really have anything positive to say about the book and I don't want to be misleading. As a side note, it's okay to change your rating! I always rate the book right after I'm done reading it, but more often than not, I change my rating after I've had a few days to really think on what I liked and disliked about the book.

As always, thanks for reading!