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!

Thank you to Random House Children's - Delacorte for this e-ARC for The Monstrous Kind for an honest review! This book was pitched as gothic Bridgerton and I was so excited for something similar to Belladonna. I kind of got that vibe but I just couldn't bring myself to care about the characters. I felt like the atmosphere was trying to be a character of its own but that wasn't going very well either so there was just this weird oscillation of just not really caring about anything in this story. I think it had its moments were it picked up about halfway through, but just as things got interesting, it felt like it was tapering off again on all fronts. It's a gorgeous book overall and it has its good moments but I just don't really remember anything after the last page. Perfect for an easy spooky season book that FEELS like autumn, though.

It’s giving gothic bridgerton vibes. And I’m here for it.

This is a story about two sisters who have to protect their estate from monstrous creatures. I loved the twists and turns in the book. While it took me a little bit to get hooked once I did get hooked around the 40% mark I was glued to the page.

While there was romance it was definitely a subplot which I didn’t mind.

Thank you NetGalley and Randomhouse for this eARC.

Rating: 3.5 stars

The Monstrous Kind is a wonderfully moody, atmospheric, gothic, fantasy with a romantic subplot set in a Regency England world inspired by Austen's Sense and Sensibility. In this world, a mysterious mist has covered the land, and everywhere it spreads, people are turned into zombies. In the aftermath, the few who have resisted the mist become the power-holders in this world, always attempting to keep the eerie mist and its monsters at bay.

The story begins with the FMC Merrick, who's destined to have to marry judiciously or live at the kindness of her older sister Essie, must return home to their family manor in the countryside after their father unexpectedly dies. There, she finds Essie frightened of what has become of the countryside with the mist and the Phantoms (the zombie-like creatures infected by the mist), who've been getting more aggressive lately, kept away only by a constantly-burning fire. When Essie goes missing, Merrick must find answers, and must do so before the other Manor Lords circle in on her.

I thoroughly enjoyed the world and the writing in this book, with the different manor families and their politics. The class and societal structures were interestingly explored, weaving in subtle commentary on classism and elitism. There was a solid mystery plot that I was invested in, and the themes of classism and elitism.

The things that I felt could have been stronger were that I wanted even more of the gothic horror and monsters, I felt that the FMC Merrick's characterization could have been given a little more depth, and I think this wasn't the romantasy it was marketed to be - it's more of a gothic historical fantasy with romantic elements, as the romance doesn't really play into the story until halfway through, and it goes from slow-burn to a quick ramp-up that felt a little bit simplistic. I did really enjoy the romance, I just wish it had been introduced earlier so it had time to marinate and really earn the love that blossomed more. Overall, though, this was a really enjoyable read that's perfect for Austen fans and fans of Bridgerton and One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. And it's a great spooky season read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte, and Lydia Gregovic for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The Monstrous Kind while marketed as a romantasy this was not that. There is almost no romance (in my opinion) but there there phantoms which I think of more like zombies. So if you are into that by all means read this. It just wasn't for me, the main character was not that interesting and I was not really rooting for her. Others might enjoy this but it was not for me.

Regency vampires was a big draw for me and the premise is very interesting. Unfortunately, the pace was incredibly slow and the predictable plot meant that even the more exciting attempted revelations did little to keep me engaged. A great idea that didn’t pan out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

This was an absolutely stunning and beautifully written book. It was Jane Austen meets Gothic Horror. Lydia Gregovic is phenomenal and I need everything she will write again.

I thought that this was an interesting book! I loved that their was these monsters they had to protect themselves from and it involved different families who were in charge. Another great aspect of the story was the sister relationship. It started off rocky and I was curious how it would all play out from the beginning.

I wish that there was more from the romance because it didn't start going anywhere until halfway through the book and I just didn't feel anything towards it because of the length to get there.

Some of the mystery was predictable but it did keep me interested nonetheless.

No spice Dark Romantic Fantasy. Yes it’s Gothic, Haunting, and Atmospheric. Mysterious, Tense, and absolutely Captivating. This is the perfect book for spooky season.

# The Monstrous Kind
# 9/23/2024 ~ 9/26/2024
# 4.5 / 5.0

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

The Monstrous Kind is a delightfully gothic zombie novel with a subtle nod to Sense & Sensibility. Unlike many Austen retellings, the characters are not direct copies of their inspiration, neither is the plot exactly the same. The Monstrous Kind is wholly its own beast. At first, I wasn't sure about the pacing, and then I realized it was a bit like a horseback ride. We start out sedately, even a bit slowly, meandering through the lives of the Darling sisters. Suddenly, someone smacks the horse on the rump about halfway through and it turns into a pell-mell headlong pitch through a dangerous landscape. The twists were delightful and I'm desperately hoping for a sequel (something I don't often do).

The premise of this book was good but at the same time it seemed to not catch my interest. It was a really interesting world but also the last 20% was jam-packed with reveals which I feel could have been spaced out more. Overall I liked it though.

A promising debut!!

I'm so happy I picked up The Monstrous Kind because it was a perfect read for the start of autumn. It's deliciously spooky with its gothic atmosphere and the nightmarish Phantoms that haunt the Graylands outside of Norland House. I think Gregovic did a fantast job crafting this well-written story filled with mystery, secrets, and betrayals. It kept me up throughout the night because I kept trying to squeeze in another chapter. Even though The Monstrous Kind is marketed as a romantasy, the romance is more of a subplot-with Merrick's quest towards uncovering the truth about her sister's disappearance taking center stage. I was a bit thrown off at the ending because I didn't know that this was going to be a series, but I can't wait to read more of Merrick and Killian's story!

Also highkey recommend reading it during the spooky season because it was just *chef's kiss*

Read if you like:
- zombies
- bridgerton vibes
- scarred love interests

I am so torn on this book. It was very slow the first 50% and I had a hard time staying hooked. It also has very little romance even though I have seen it marketed as a romance. However the last part of the book was amazing and when everything comes to light I was shocked and I am really looking forward to see what happens in book two.

Zombie Bridgerton.

Yep, that's the only tag line they should be adding to this book. Ok, ok I get it, it's based on Sense and Sensibility but I think Zombie Bridgerton would be a much better attention-getter, don't you?

Spoilers below:

In a market absolutely swamped with both zombies and debutantes, Gregovic's debut novel manages to stand out. Here's what I loved:

1) Chilling atmosphere. The crumbling old Norland House. The suffocating nature of the Graylands. The descriptions of the fires alongside the road into New London. Chef's Kiss.
2) The hand under the door scene! LESS IS MORE.
3) The phantoms, whose four-limbed skittering is terrifying even for someone who watched a lot of The Walking Dead.

And here's my favorite part: The smart/pretty sister dichotomy got turned on its head. I loved that Merrick was the pretty sister who was raised up to be a "doll" and yet she's the one who somehow finds it in herself to be morally upright and clever (-ish, she missed some very big red flags after all) when her "smart" sister was incapable of doing so much right.

Looking forward to seeing more of Merrick & co. as much as Killian is in that epilogue.

P.S. to Ms. Gregovic: The note to Jane at the end of your acknowledgments made me cry. I hope somewhere, somehow she knows what she has done for so many of us.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really wanted to love this one. A romantasy inspired by Sense and Sensibility sounded so promising. It didn't really live up to that though. It is a fantasy and there is a romance, I guess. And I can kind of see how the story was loosely inspired (emphasis on the loosely) inspired by Jane Austen's tale.

The writing's decent and I did like Merrick, the main character. The ending made me think there's a sequel in the works. I'm curious to see where the story goes, but it wouldn't be an absolute must read for me.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

This story was a little too slow for me. I really liked the concept and storyline. It was just missing something for me to completely suck me into the story.

I recommend this for someone who likes Jane Austin retellings, gothic regency, and mystery. I would not consider this a romance or a romantasy even though there are romantic elements.

*I received a free ARC from the publisher; the review is my own.*

4.5 stars (see Notes)

First things first: There had better be a sequel, and I'm ready for it.

If that doesn't give you a fairly good idea of my thoughts after finishing this book, then I suppose you can keep reading to find out more.

I've noticed a trend in the books I've chosen lately: genre mashups. This one was described as Sense & Sensibility+House of Salt & Sorrows<+Anatomy: A Love Story, and I'm happy to say that I've enjoyed all three of those books. There's another book I would add in here, but I'm having difficulty recalling the title at the moment. Regardless, I could pick out the threads of inspiration or similarity from each of those books, but The Monstrous Kind was still very much its own book with characters and a plot unique to itself rather than borrowed from other works. I really enjoyed it and could have easily finished it more quickly, but I was out of town and busy last week.

The relationship between sisters Merrick (17) and Essie (no age given, but probably 18-19) is . . . hard to describe. Somehow, it's a relationship of loyalty and betrayal, love and resentment, and dependency and separation. They would do anything for each other, but they might hate themselves for it. That said, Merrick was my favorite of the two sisters, and the book was told through her perspective. I appreciated that she recognized her flaws and fialings along with her capabilities and strength of character. She was very real in that way, and it made it easy to relate to her.

I don't want to say too much about other characters and risk giving anything away, so I will leave it at this: Certain characters proved themselves to me when I believed they would not. And I liked Killian Brandon (probably 19-20).

This book was written in a way that it pulled me into the world and allowed me to very successfully visualize the setting, the events, and the people. I . . . felt the book, if that makes any sense. (I suppose that's why it's described as "atmospheric.") Descriptions were plentiful but not overbearing, adding richness and clarity rather than distracting from the characters and the plot. Although the use of similes and metaphors was particularly frequent, I couldn't pinpoint any that I would have removed. Honestly, they all fit exactly where they were placed and made me see, feel, or understand things in a way that justified their usage.

Returning to my first statement: This book does need a sequel. Although it does not end on a cliffhanger, it does leave a lot unfinished. If and when a second book is written, I will absolutely read it.

Note: Very little swearing but a handful of f words (would have been a solid 5 stars without those). Violence.