Thank you so much to RDS Press for the e-ARC of The House on the Cover of a Horror Novel!

I am so so SO sad that I didn’t love this one. Knight’s writing tends to be a hit for me, but unfortunately — this one felt a little too unpolished.

I loved the idea, I loved the supernatural elements & I loved that I had no idea what was going on.

I didn’t love the pacing or the side characters — primarily Miles, the husband. The House on the Cover of a Horror Novel took me way too long to read, because I had lost all interest in reading it.

The House on the Cover of a Horror Novel is a horror novel about Emily Lawrence, an artist who receives a commission by a famous horror author to create something that will inspire his next novel. Emily soon finds herself fascinated by an old Victorian house in their town that draws her in as much as it terrifies her. When a sudden medical emergency and an unexpected, high-risk pregnancy, however, Emily’s husband Miles learns about her interest in the house, and thinking that it’s her dream house, buys it for their growing family. Living in the house, though, proves to be just as tumultuous as Emily suspected from the beginning. As Emily is overtaken with postpartum depression, Miles must keep the family together and safe from a force that he doesn’t fully understand.

It is such a horror trope of characters being willfully oblivious to the horrors hiding in a haunted house, and I loved the idea of the main character ending up in a haunted house despite her own self awareness. I ended up feeling quite impressed with the thought put into this house as well – it’s clear that the author had a consistent vision for how and why the haunting works the way that it does, and I enjoyed having those details revealed one by one. There’s an interesting twist to this haunting that worked out quite well too.

That being said, I feel like there’s something missing with the character development. All of the characters in this book feel like the author did at least try to add dimension – they have their own personal struggles that are firmly grounded in their experiences, and it was interesting to see how the very different characters interacted with one another. However, I still just feel like something is missing. Perhaps it is the lack of growth in any of the characters. Perhaps their drive is consistent from start to finish, but none of them seemed to have any great moments of clarity. Instead, they continued to clash again and again without any of them showing any real change.

The general plot of this one felt a little disjointed, and it was sometimes hard to follow what of the action is and isn’t real, and I definitely think your enjoyment of the plot is going to depend on personal preference. It’s fast-paced, and easy to get invested early on, but about halfway through it becomes difficult to distinguish the main characters’ delusions from their reality. There were elements of this that certainly worked well – I enjoy an unreliable narrator from time to time, and there was a strong foundation for this unreliability. However, I personally am a reader who wants a better grasp on the world, and I sometimes lost track of the plot because of it. Again, I don’t think this is a fault of the writer. I think this has much more to do with me as a reader, and I think readers with a little more flexibility are unlikely to have the same issues.

In all, I’ll give The House on the Cover of a Horror Novel a 7 out of 10. This novel is a fast-paced horror that has a lot to like, even if I struggled a little with the characters and clarity in a few places, and I think it’s a decent choice for horror lovers looking for a new read.

Emily Lawrence was an artist that made the art on the cover of books. She goes in the hospital with her pregnancy. Emily's husband buys a home he thinks she loves. There is something strange about the home.
Thanks to RDS Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

I ate up this paranormal horror story that perfectly wove in threads of the difficulties of motherhood and womanhood.

Emily is an artist who is commissioned to find the perfect "muse" to create a cover of a horror novel that hasn't been written yet by Cooper Yancy. She finds the perfect house in her hometown of Savannah, GA. Her husband learns that she went to look at the home and thinks she fell in love with it so surprises her with buying it.

Once the couple moves into the home, Emily is in a high risk pregnancy and has a traumatic birth but things just get worse from there.

All of the characters are so real, raw and relatable. There are times I wanted to slap the husband up the head but he really was having just natural reactions to the situation before him.

This story gets gruesome, heartbreaking, palpable... I just really enjoyed every page.

I looooove haunted houses - they’re my favorite horror setting by far. Knight skillfully weaves haunted houses, motherhood’s many fears, failing relationships, and questionable sanity into one short and punch packing novel. I loved figuring out the house’s secrets alongside Emily and seeing each character's flaws build and build to the climax. Overall a great Halloween read!

I really enjoyed this book! It was a captivating read that held my attention from start to finish. The story was well-paced, and the characters felt real and engaging. I’m grateful to the publisher for providing an early copy—it was a pleasure to read!

**Book Review: *The House on the Cover of a Horror Novel* by EV Knight**

In *The House on the Cover of a Horror Novel*, EV Knight delivers a chilling, thought-provoking story that speaks to the heart of every parent's worst fears. Artist Emily Lawrence sees potential in an eerie house as inspiration for a horror book cover, but her husband, Miles, misinterprets her sketches as a vision of their dream home. When an unexpected, high-risk pregnancy forces her to step back, Miles makes a surprise purchase of the house—only for them to discover it's anything but a dream.

Knight expertly crafts a haunting blend of psychological horror and family drama that kept me glued from the first page. As a parent, I found this story especially resonant; it taps into those primal anxieties parents carry—the instinctive fear that something might threaten our children. Emily’s struggle with postpartum depression and her increasingly strained relationship with Miles felt painfully real, adding layers to the supernatural elements surrounding their new home. Her vivid experiences of a child’s voice and presence blur the line between supernatural threat and the toll of her fragile mental state.

The dual perspectives of Emily and Miles provide a tense, multifaceted view of their unraveling reality, each doubting the other’s perceptions in ways that reflect the complexities of postpartum experiences. EV Knight’s portrayal of Emily’s journey, combined with the house’s dark aura, makes for a story that lingers, leaving you with lingering chills even after you’ve closed the book.

Though not a haunted house story in the traditional sense, *The House on the Cover of a Horror Novel* feels like an exploration of what haunts us as parents and partners. It’s a slower, unsettling horror that quietly builds toward a tragic, unforgettable conclusion. Warning: This book may be especially tough for those sensitive to themes of parenthood and mental health, but its poignant approach makes it worth the emotional investment. Fans of classic horror, like *We Have Always Lived in the Castle*, will find much to love in this haunting tale that combines atmospheric dread with psychological depth.

2.5 stars

I have to admit, the title had me expecting something a little more… fun, I suppose. I went into the book anticipating something a little like Grady Hendrix, playing with the haunted house genre with great affection. Instead I got a pretty run-of-the-mill haunted house with fighting parents and a postpartum depression subplot that felt a little overdone.

I think my big issue with the book is that none of the side characters felt like more than props to the story, and the non-supernatural plot points at times stretched my suspension of disbelief. There are good moments in this book; the reality-bending nature of the house’s manifestations is appropriately trippy, and there are moments that remind me of <i> Oculus </i> and <i> El Orfanato. </i>

The lack of engaging characters or a gripping plot kept me from connecting with this book, but other readers may find it interesting if they’re particularly interested in: missing children, maternal horror, and reality distortion.

This is a story of a young married couple moving into a house that the wife absolutely hates and she also happens to be pregnant.

Emily and Miles Lawrence have a solid, loving relationship and are excited to start their family since they have wanted to have a baby for a long time. Emily has a stressful pregnancy with complications and their new house is making it worse for her. She hears noises and a little girl's whispering voice and the room that will be their nursery has a bad feeling plus closet door open and close on their own but Miles thinks it's all in Emily's overactive imagination from her hormonal stress. Things continue to worsen for Emily and their solid marriage is showing cracks that are turning into craters as time goes on and she knows the house is haunted but why won't Miles believe her even when he's now witnessed strange events that he shouldn't be able to ignore.

Emily suffers postpartum depression after experiencing the most unbelievable, traumatic birth of their new baby. Their marriage is falling apart and the house is dangerous but Miles still thinks it's all in Emily's head and she will get over all these irrational thoughts as the baby gets older but he will soon find out that is not what the house has in store for this family but by the time he realizes everything is out of control it will finally be too late!

This was a terrific, disturbing, creepy and very spooky haunted house novel. The writing was atmospheric and captured the eerie essence of being haunted and being powerless against evil which one can't see yet is
everywhere although the people closest to you don't believe you and think everything you experience is all your imagination. I can't imagine what that would be like to be locked away with horror attacking you and your family but no-one believes you.

The author EV Knight captured a complicated pregnancy and postpartum depression wonderfully and It's important for women and men who have never experienced this horrible and misunderstood mental health issue to take a peek into what some women, sadly have to suffer through to have children of their own. This particular case was a horror novel in itself. Whoa, what an unexpected ending!!

I really enjoyed this book filled with subtle and also in your face graphic, horror! I highly recommend this novel to all horror lovers but maybe not to women who are currently or planning to get pregnant in the very near future because it will definitely give nightmares to those in a sensitive state!


I want to thank the publisher "RDS PUBLISHING/ Screaming Dog Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating of 4 DISTURBING AND SCREAMING 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

The House on the Cover of a Horror Novel Review! 🏚️

Thank you Netgalley and RDS Publishing for this e-copy!! The House on the Cover of a Horror Novel is out now!

This was definitely a cover read, I mean look, stunning! This one was a 2.75/5 stars for me!! This plot had everything going for it. After reading the synopsis, it literally sounded like American Horror Story: Murder House (my favorite season 💁🏼‍♀️). And while reading, it did remind me a lot of the show. Very creepy house with a terrible past, a family hard on their luck, and a pregnant wife who thinks she may be going crazy! After a while though, it felt like I was reading the same thing over and over and over again. And the ending fell extremely short for me! 🤷🏼‍♀️ A creepy haunted house book, but redundant and short ending! If you like AHS Murder House, give this one a try!

This southern gothic is well done. It ties motherhood and eerie happenings in the house. I think it lacked a bit of a scare factor for me. I need more sinister to feel captivated. Still well done and I would give this author a try again. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this earc
3/5 star

This was such a strange book. It was so creepy but took forever to get entertaining. I wish this was a series.

Wow. Really enjoyed this book by EV Knight. Enjoyed the characters, the plot/story, and the pacing. Wasn't an uplifting story, but was very well written and enjoyable. Will be reading more by EV Knight soon. #TheHouseontheCoverofaHorrorNovel #NetGalley

really had to sit with this book for awhile after I finished reading. A bleak story of a family and their descent into madness (reminiscent of Stephen King's Rose Red), this is a true Southern Gothic tale with a darkness and heaviness surrounding the narrative from the beginning.

I'm not quite sure what it says about me that I liked this book because it has some seriously messed up scenes.

A haunted house, a young girl's ghost, and some intense graphic scenes kept me up last night finishing this one. It's dark, gory, and not for everyone, but it's a great horror novel.

TW: domestic violence, pregnancy trauma, abuse to women and children

I love haunted houses, they’re my favorite horror setting by far and EV Knight’s “The House on the Cover of a Horror Novel” keeps that love strong. Emily and Miles have been wanting a baby for years and have given up trying by the time Emily finds the perfectly unsettling house for her next commission, painting the cover of a new horror novel. When Emily and Miles are equally surprised that they are pregnant and he buys the house she’s been painting for their growing family, terror comes quickly. Knight skillfully weaves haunted houses, motherhood’s many fears, failing relationships, and questionable sanity into one short and punch packing novel. I loved figuring out the house’s secrets alongside Emily and seeing each character's flaws build and build to the climax. Overall a great Halloween read! Thanks #netgalley for the #ARC

Wow, wow, wow, this book will be one of the contenders for best book I've read this month. Yes, some of the writing and characters phrasing was not so great but the body horror and spookiness of this book made me forget about that. Were there times I couldn't stand either of the main characters because of actions done or things said? Yes but that ending took me by complete surprise and I loved it. Fair warning, if you don't like pregnancy books or books that heavily feature babies and motherhood I would definitely skip this one. Me personally I loved probably 85% of this book. The gore was great, the craziness, the haunted house, THE ENDING, did I mention the ending because it was fantastic! This is one of those times I finish a book by an author that I've never heard of and immediately want to go buy everything they've written. Fantastic book!

Many thanks to RDS Publishing for the gifted copy for my honest review!

Horror is having it's own renaissance and EV Knight's novel is a great unique contribution to the genre. It is a bit meta, which I appreciate, and the characters are very interesting.

Overall, the plot and characters make for an enjoyable read. However, the last quarter of the book feels a bit rushed, despite an interesting climax and resolution. The author excels at building anxiety and resentment in the main character, but the actual paranormal aspect left me wishing for a tiny bit more "overt" horror. Nonetheless, it is a solid read that I found to be a lot of fun, and I am certain any fan of haunted houses will enjoy this book too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Raw Dog Screaming (RDS) Press as well as the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #RawDogScreamingPress #RDGPublishing #EVKnight #TheHouseOnTheCoverOfAHorrorNovel

Title: The House on the Cover of a Horror Novel
Author: EV Knight
Publisher: Raw Dog Screaming Press
Publication Date: September 12, 2024
Themes: pregnancy, childbirth, parenting, family, paranormal,
Trigger Warnings: child death, ghosts, pregnancy with complications, graphic childbirth postpartum depression, new motherhood, infant disappearing, marriage trouble, emotional abuse

This book was fun. I enjoyed it very much. The haunted house is my very favorite subgenre of horror. This book tells the story of Emily and her family and what happens to them after they move into a haunted house. Emily is an artist who just got the gig of her life. Cooper Yancy, a famous horror novelist, has contacted her about designing and painting a cover for his next book. He gives her creative license and tells her to an image that speaks to her and he will base his story around her painting. Emily begins to search for an image that is unsettling and frightening. She finally finds a strange old mansion that fits perfectly. She begins to paint it and her husband, whom she hasn’t told about this assignment, assumes she’s painting the house because she loves it. When they find out that Emily is pregnant, Miles decides to buy the house as a surprise to his wife. Unfortunately, Emily’s initial feeling of foreboding about the house proves to be rooted in truth. There’s something off about this house.

This story is an effectively creepy and atmospheric haunted house story. It’s also an compelling allegory about the difficulty of motherhood and postpartum depression told through characters that were relatable. This is a popular trope right now among horror novelists and for a good reason. It’s a very real thing and awareness in popular fiction in any genre or media is important. Many women fear that the awful thoughts they’re having are a sign that they’re awful mothers or psychopaths. Books like this help normalize it. Most of them aren’t also dealing with an angry house but I digress. Like Emily, many women do deal with partners who don’t understand though. Miles was a tough character. I went through several emotions with that character’s arc. Sometimes, I wanted to slap him and scream in his face and other times I just wanted to hug him and let him take a nap. Who surprises his partner with a house? That’s never going to be a good idea, ever! He did try though. I felt the same with Emily. I tended to feel like slapping her more than Miles though. She was kind of awful and unlikable. I’m not talking about the depression troubles either. Her secret-keeping, her condescending attitude toward her husband, and most everything else. Talk about a troubled relationship! It made the atmosphere in the story much heavier and more tense.

As enjoyable as the story was, it would have been nice if it had built a little more. I didn’t need it to be a slow burn, but I could have used some more backstory and some smaller incidents that would lead up to the big incidents.

All in all, I enjoyed this book a lot. This was my first book by this author and I intend to look into some more. I recommend this novel to anyone who’s looking for a creepy Halloween read, or just someone who loves haunted house stories. Happy reading!