SOPHIE LARK! 👏🏼 MAAM👏🏼 This book was so good! I’m not a gothic romance girly usually, but I know I can trust Soph to write a fun story and Grimstone was certainly one! We get some enemies to lovers, fast paced spice 😘, and some gothic vibes with a romantic thriller storyline (or is it ghosties?!) I was hooked to this book by the 25% mark and then binged it, which was great cause it’s helping pull me out of a book slump! I liked the relationship dynamic even if their paving was off at time - each of their individual stories kept me intrigued and so invested

“I love your work drive and your stubbornness. I love how you understand me and how hard you work to understand yourself. I love that you’re brave, and you’re bold, and you want the truth…”

🖤 Gothic Romance
💜 Age gap (41 MMC - 27 FMC)
💚 Romantic Thriller
💜 Insta Lust
⚠️Check out the CW! Some heavier topics included!

And the ending?! What?! I can’t wait to go read Monarch now!

Thank you NetGalley, Hambright PR and Sophie Lark for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unpaid review!

I definitely had my frustrations with this book. Occasionally a simile or adverb would catch me a particularly unpleasant way or something else along that vein. But that being said I genuinely enjoyed the story. Two misunderstood people taking solace in each other, saving each other AND THEMSELVES rather than the usual trope of him saving her, was a nice change of pace. And I can't lie; I did NOT expect that ending.

WOW!!! This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I didn’t figure it all out till it was too late! Holy smokes was this book a total Mind play!! I seriously felt like I was losing my mind right along with Remi and Dane, fans self, is so much more than a hot, broody man hiding in the forest!

This book starts off tense and as Remi and her brother Jude adjust to life in their new town you start to learn that the town has dark secrets and just might be the siblings undoing. The darkest secret lives just next door and is the night doctor. Dane isn’t impressed with Remi when they first meet but something keeps him wanting more time with the fiery woman and as they get to know each other both have to decide if more could ever be.

Lark’s writing is superb and this book serves as a reminder at how dynamic and thrilling she can be in her books. She is also so good at writing characters that are layered and you won’t get to know them and who they truly are until you uncover their truths as you read. So many surprises and some memorable steamy moments that will live with you long after the last word is read!

Remi + Dane

-neighbors to lovers
-gothic romance
-small spooky town
-age gap
-hypnosis 👀

dude ill tell you what! this book gave me a mindfuck there do a while & i was really scared about how i thought the revelations were going…but that plot twist?! i did NOTTTT freaking see that coming omg!!

Another amazing book by Sophie Lark! This book absolutely sucked me in and I couldn't put it down. The story was interesting and the illustrations were stunning. I definitely didn't expect the twist at the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloombooks for the ARC!

Alright…. I tried. I really tried. My second book by this author and neither have been for me. I think they will be for some people, but just not me. The MC in this was gross immediately. The similes were just too much. His thoughts were too much. Dnfing.

Grimstone
by Sophie Lark

Grimstone by Sophie Lark is the perfect blend of gothic romance and suspense, set in the eerie, atmospheric Blackleaf Manor. Remi’s journey, from dealing with her troubled past to uncovering the secrets of her new home, is gripping, and the creepy haunted house vibes make this a great fall read. While I loved the suspenseful plot and the chemistry between Remi and Dane, I wasn’t a fan of how their relationship began with blackmail, which felt off for me. Despite this, Lark’s writing shines, combining romance and mystery beautifully. Perfect for fans of spooky romance and thrilling mysteries!

Set against the backdrop of the foreboding Blackleaf Manor, the story follows Remi Hayes, a young woman grappling with a streak of bad luck that seems almost cursed: a cheating fiancé, a bothersome brother, and now the weight of an eerie inheritance that may or may not be haunted. With a premise that effortlessly combines gothic elements with contemporary romance, Lark pulls readers into a world where love and danger intertwine in the most tantalizing ways.
Remi is a relatable and well-drawn character, her flustered emotions grounding the story amidst its more outlandish elements. As she navigates the daunting task of renovating her uncle's dilapidated mansion, readers witness her growth from a woman beleaguered by her past to one who takes charge of her future. The depiction of Blackleaf Manor as a character in its own right adds an atmospheric layer to the narrative, filled with creaks, shadows, and a lingering sense of the supernatural.
The introduction of Dane Covett, the enigmatic doctor-next-door and local pariah, spices up the plot considerably. Lark crafts Dane with a delicious complexity; he’s not simply a romantic lead but a figure shrouded in scandal and intrigue. The chemistry between Remi and Dane crackles off the pages, especially highlighted during intimate moments that are as charged as they are tender. Their flirtation begins with a desperate act of first aid that quickly turns into something more personal, setting the stage for a romance that is both steamy and fraught with tension.
This is definitely a delightful read that skillfully merges the eerie and the romantic, making it a perfect pick for fans of contemporary paranormal romance. Lark invites readers into a world where love can be just as frightening as it is exhilarating, and where one's deepest fears may just lead to unexpected redemption. Whether you’re a fan of gothic romance or just looking for a thrilling escape Grimstone is a must-read!

If you ever want a book you can’t put down, pick up a Sophie Lark book! This was the perfect spooky book for the fall season. it gave you the creepy haunted house and town vibes. I love the fact that every character she writes has a battle they’ve faced or they just have a tragic past. Loved this perfect little romance and mystery story!

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the arc of this book.

oh grimstone. where do i begin with you?

this was one of my least favorite sophie lark books i've ever read. the premise? AMAZING
the execution? so SO dang weird

it was a lot of things but overall extremely weird.

Grimstone is a great fall read, perfect for spooky season because of the creepy haunted house vibes. Unfortunately I didn't really care for the male lead/love interest. I don't like stories where blackmail is the basis for beginning a relationship. He also doesn't believe in consent, apparently. I do think that this book should have trigger alerts at the front, and I hope the final, published version does.

major spooky vibes alert!!! this is a perfect book for sept and oct!! this is a dark spooky romance and i enjoyed it!

This is genuinely THE PERFECT book for fall/spooky season. My mans is delectable and the tension is UNREAL.

Absolutely love anything and everything Sophie writes and this is no exception!

This book was so good! Remi is just trying to make ends meet. When her parents die she must take care of her brother on her own. When flipping the house she inherited in the small town of Grimstone some strange occurrences happen. What she first thinks could be supernatural phenomenon turns out much worse. Her neighbor is dark and dangerous, at least the whole town thinks so. However, he might be the only one who can save her when the people closest to her betray her in every way. This book is full of suspense, thrill, and leaves you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you Bloom Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

This books is about Remi and Dane. Remi has had a hard life, stuck raising her little brother from a young age. They are left an old manor house, Blackleaf, in the small town of Grimstone. This is an odd town, full of odd characters, one being the Doctor next door.

I really enjoyed this book! Sophie Lark has a way of blending romance and suspense like few other authors. I loved the relationship between Dane and Remi. I would recommend this book to fans of dark romance as well as romantic suspense!

That was nothing for me

I was really in the mood for a book with a spooky vibe and a darker atmosphere and Sophie Lark's "Grimstone" jumped straight into my head.

Grimstone has so many great tropes and the atmosphere was really dark, but unfortunately the story of Remi and Dane didn't convince me.

For me, there were just so many parts that really cringed or even turned me off a bit. For example, "When she closes the door, she doesn't bother to run the water it the fan, so I hear the distinct sound of her hot piss hitting the bowl. My cocktail hardens". That is something I really won‘t to read.

I really didn't like Dane at all. He was super creepy, a bastard and just a walking big red flag.

I didn't really like Remi either. She was just far too naive for raising her brother and taking on the responsibility.
For me, the plot was unfortunately very predictable and a lot of things weren't resolved properly or there were simply far too easy solutions. Unfortunately, there were no real conflicts.

That's why "Grinstone" unfortunately only gets 2 out of 5 stars from me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Perfect autumn/halloween read!!
Definitely a spooky and spicy read! I had a fun time with these characters and unraveling the hero and his past. I was completely obsessed!! This is also the first book in a trilogy, I can't wait to get back to Grimstone!! I adored this book so much, I did not see any of that coming oh my gosh!!

Sophie Lark is an automatic buy or read!!

I don’t know. It was fun at times; there was a cool setting and some twists but overall, I was disappointed more than anything and if I were to recommend any of Lark’s books to a friend, this wouldn’t be the first one I reached for.

I am a chicken when it comes to anything intentionally dark, scary, a thriller or ghostly. I was definitely hesitant to read this book, kept reminding myself “it’s a romance, there’s love and stuff”. It was very low in the paranormal scale, nonetheless I did get to a point where I questioned myself if I should keep reading. The romance was good and the plot twist was unexpected but great overall.

3.5 ⭐️

First of all, thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Not gonna lie, I’m instantly hooked the moment I read the synopsis and got a whiff of it’s tropes - spooky mansion, horror / paranormal vibes, mystery doctor with troubled / dark past, trauma, small town mystery, gothic / gothic manor, etc.

The story truly has all of its elements to make it delightfully spooky to read, yet unfortunately the execution didn’t really met my expectations. I might put high expectations and apologize for that, but indeed I really want to like this story to the max, yet overall it lacking some oomph.

I do enjoy reading the whole plot, but there’s this feeling of needed more into it, you know. The darkness was like yup almost there, reaching, but then being cut off. The here and there in the plot also feels kinda choppy too. There are several part that repeated that cut off process for me, mainly the dialogue in some spicy scene. It often turns out a bit weird / cringe and it kinda doesn’t align with the doctor’s cool-mysterious personality, like effortlessly elegant - old money people vibes, unless he’s originally need to be a weird, & kinda out of place creep? One I can’t shake out is the scene where Remi’s taking a piss and listening to that pissing sound alone making him hard, like, um, no, bestie, doctor death should be cool, not um that? Then several others that feels like out of place with the character. Maybe that’s just me but yeah, I mean, I can really fall in love with the author’s other mmc in her other books, but this one, he literally got so much potential though. The other characters are okay, I think all of the characters are portrayed lightly actually. Not that it’s bad, it’s just, doesn’t appear to stick out to you much.

Despite that, I do love the reveals towards the end. The plot growth is kinda fine, good pacing too for me. In addition, there’s such a good turn indeed and then everything blends nicely for the ending as well. Overall, my reading experience was okay with this one, just feels like it definitely got so much more potential indeed. Feel free to read it yourself as you might have different take from me and ends up truly enjoying it. ❤️