A husband and wife with a baby on the way move into a "dream home"—but is it really a dream? Was it ever? This novel captures the essence of every parent's deepest fears. As a parent of a 2-year-old, I can honestly say that EV Knight has tapped into the darkest corners of my mind, pulling out the very nightmares that haunt every mother—the ones we keep locked away in the depths of our souls.

From the very first page, this novel had me completely hooked. I found myself stealing every spare moment to read—whether I was making lunch, on work breaks, walking somewhere, or even in the shower—I had to know what would happen next. It’s been a long time since a book has pulled me in like this one did. By the end, I was left picking my jaw up off the floor, staring into the abyss as I reflected on what I had just read.

Having experienced postpartum depression, I deeply appreciated how EV Knight weaved that aspect into a haunted house horror story. It was done tastefully, without being over the top, making it all too easy to step into the protagonist’s shoes. This novel will stick with me for a long time creeping in from the corner of my mind to remind me to check on my son, or give him a hug… or maybe avoid Alexa?!

Trigger warning: This can be a tough read if you have little ones or struggle with horror involving children. But I made it through—and I might just hold my son a little tighter and longer for the next while.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was creepy and unsettling. It was a tough read as it dealt with motherhood, birth trauma, and infant loss. Haunted houses and cursed houses are my favorite type of books and this one definitely had me on edge.

Rating rounded up from 2.5 stars.

I was initially drawn to this book by the concept and - you guessed it - the cover. And while there is plenty to enjoy here (the enigmatic Cooper Yancy, the exploration of motherhood, the subversion of the haunted house subgenre), there are some tonal disagreements and confounding decisions by the protagonists that made it difficult to fully hook me into the eerie world the author crafts.

When Emily is commissioned by horror legend Cooper Yancy to paint the cover of his forthcoming Southern Gothic Horror book (which, she learns, will also serve as the inspiration for his writing), she decamps to Savannah until inspiration strikes. Her husband Miles misconstrues her focus and ambition as an obsession with the home, so he buys it for her as a surprise. Terrible things ensue as this dream house turns their lives into a living nightmare.

As other readers have noted, Miles' chauvinism is almost comical, and most of the problems these characters face could have been avoided with a bare minimum level of communication. If the intention was to portray Miles as a gaslighting misogynist, the book doesn't really dive into that enough for it to factor into the broader development of the characters or story. There are moments where I read this as a domestic satire and others where it hemmed closer to a southern gothic horror. Personally, these varying aspects never quite congealed into a whole, making for an occasionally impenetrable, albeit enjoyable, read.

That said, the writing is compelling and the pages practically turn themselves.

Thank you to NetGalley and RDS Press for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this book! I couldn’t put it down. It is the perfect haunted house novel. I was drawn into the story right away and needed to know what was going to happen next. The author did a great job creating the eerie haunted house atmosphere. I was not a fan of the husband. I felt like he was such an oblivious doofus. And the famous author “Coop” seemed completely just self centered and concerned solely with getting his cover/story, nevermind what Emily was going through to get it for him. The end was so sad/tragic but it is a horror book, not a fluffy rom com

This book was a roller coaster! I always love a book with a haunted, creepy house, but this was on another level. The main male character, Miles, was honestly one of the most annoying characters I’ve ever read about. He was almost the real villain in the book without giving too much away. I loved the book though!

Too annoying characters and too much repetitiveness for me to enjoy, The premise had so much potential and the writing style is OK but it needs a lot of editing to be a book that captures the reader. Thanks for the chance to read it in an exchange for a honest review.

The House on the Cover of a Horror Novel by EV Knight offers an intriguing premise that draws you in with the promise of chills and psychological suspense. The story revolves around a classic haunted house setup, with a blend of eerie atmosphere and mysterious happenings that initially seem poised to deliver a memorable horror experience.

However, while the book has its moments of tension and some genuinely unsettling scenes, the overall execution feels somewhat underwhelming. The plot unfolds predictably, and the characters, though interesting at first, don’t quite develop in ways that feel impactful or fully realized. The scares are there, but they don’t always land with the intensity that you might expect from a horror novel.

That said, Knight’s writing is solid, and there are glimpses of creativity that show potential. For readers looking for a light, quick read with a few spooky elements, The House on the Cover of a Horror Novel might still be an enjoyable choice. But for those hoping for something more profound or terrifying, it might not fully satisfy.

Thank you to Raw Dog Screaming Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

2.5.. giving a generous round up to a 3⭐

A huge thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

I was so intrigued by the premise of this book. A famous author reaches out to an artist asking her to paint him something to inspire a Southern Gothic horror novel - if she succeeds in being his muse, he will split the money with her 50/50. After months of searching, Emily finds the perfect inspiration in an old Victorian home abutting a swamp. After seeing the paintings of the house Emily has created, her husband goes and buys said home as a surprise because he believes she's fallen in love with it (she hasn't). Strange things begin the moment she steps foot in the home, and continue until the end.

Her husband, Miles, is a stereotypical chauvinist who as far as I can tell, doesn't even like his wife? He spends a lot of time insulting and gaslighting her and not in an "ooh this is interesting and tense" way. Their relationship felt very surface level. They seem to dislike each other but the story never really clues us in as to why that might be, other than Miles is obnoxious.

A lot of the internal monologue surrounding her pregnancy and post partum woes felt clunky. Miles POV of the situation was unbearable to read at times.

I did quite enjoy the spooky elements of the story. The "haunting" that makes us wonder if this is post partum psychosis or an actual haunting. The end absolutely was heart wrenching!

Overall, the book could benefit from a few additional heavy rounds of edits, bringing it from mediocre to fantastic - a really fun take on a haunted house novel.

Well, I just read the line, "His balls grew a little with that come-back." and I think that's about enough for me!

This author is addicted to the hyphen for reasons mysterious to me. Imagine a world where people paid editors.

This book was a perfect combination of haunted house and also wondering if the character is just crazy. I got literal chills on some chapters because they were just so well written. My only real complaint was the book was too short.

This book was not what I expected. The name makes it sound so unserious. But this book is so freaking good. I had such a good time reading it. I am so grateful to have received this ARC.

I could not put this book down! The characters had me frustrated in a good way that had me hooked. EV Knight, who lives in Savannah GA, built the southern atmosphere and tension up in this house and everything had me guessing. We follow Emily the artist and Miles the CEO on their journey through marriage and family in a new home via dual views of what they see in each other and themselves. Being in the minds of each character and how they think of each situation was so fun. And adding to the mix that Emily is painting a cover for a horror novel author who may have his own motives for her tragedies. I thoroughly enjoyed this read! Thank you for allowing me read this book, Netgalley!

This is a great introduction short novel for those wanting a haunted house and postpartum horror. It was easy to read and I really enjoyed how bold the ending was. I was unsure how this story was going to flow, because it did get choppy but then It was predictable at the climax. Defiantly great for Halloween or those who do prompt readathons.

I was sadly not a fan of this book, nor the two main characters. The witting style was very lackluster and gave much left to be desired. The two main characters were insufferable, in general and towards each other.

I was a sucker for the cover of this one. It started off well enough. I loved the premise of her painting Gothic houses for an author to write a book about, but it fell flat for me. The dialogue between Emily and Miles seemed juvenile. They clearly like to keep secrets from each other... The end: I'm so torn on it. I loved the part about the haunted house but the relationship between the MC's just made this story awkward.



Thank you Netgalley, and Raw Dog Screaming Press, for my copy.

This is chaotic.

I spent way too much time trying to figure out the intentions of the author. Is this tongue-in-cheek snark? Or this this a proper horror novel? Should I be amused? Or should I be creeped out?

I do not know.

The characters definitely seem to be tongue-in-cheek. There is no way the reader is supposed to take Miles seriously. The issue is that the plot itself is pretty much snark free. There’s a true dichotomy between the way the characters are portrayed and the way the plot plays out.

I had to decide how to read this.

Finally, I decided to just read it as a proper horror novel and it’s a pretty good one. The plot is eerie and, when I don’t want to throw Miles in the trash or beg Emily to get a spine, I worried for their little family.

I ended up liking it. Still confused, honestly. But liking it.

• ARC via Publisher

My only regret is that I didn't save this for Halloween. It would have been the perfect read! Such a spooky tale that really kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time!

I had issues reading this book at night! It was creepy and the life of the story oozed out over the edges when I tried to go to sleep. It grabbed me right from the beginning and refused to let me relax. I was concerned for every character, I connected with each of them and the twists left me feeling guilty for empathizing with one and then mad because I did the same for another. Miles, Emily, Rhett and Monica were neighbors that I will definitely miss. Pick up this book as soon as it is available!! 5/5 couldn't get enough!

Emily has been commissioned to paint a cover picture for a popular horror novel. She picks an old Victorian home she saw for sale. Miles her husband ends up surprising her with buying this house not knowing why she was painting it. Emily being pregnant in a difficult pregnancy is not thrilled.
She and Miles move in and immediately experience disturbing things like haunting music and objects moving on their own. Miles doesn't know if it's all in Emily's head or if the house is really haunted. Then the baby Rhett disappears.
I enjoyed this book until Rhett disappears and then it became to real.

EV Knight's latest is an entry in the illustrious tradition of Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hill House. In this permutation, a famous horror author commissions work from an obscure southern gothic artist who happens to be a big fan of his. It's an irresistible opportunity that she embraces, until, at the threshold of a new phase of her career, an unexplainable physical malady leaves her crumpled at the entrance to the house. The protagonist's marriage is less than harmonious, which seems to be the result of her husband's stereotypical insensitivity. Emotional aspects of the story, such as the artist's enthusiasm for her new project and her dread surrounding her struggling relationship, are heavy-handed and unpolished, resorting to using all caps to convey emphasis to the reader. While there's nothing wrong with coloring inside the lines in a traditional haunted house story, there's also nothing very original about this one. Readers seeking a book with the genetics of Jackson's Hill House should look to Richard Matheson, Elizabeth Hand and Scott Thomas.

Thanks to Raw Dog Screaming Press and NetGalley for the ARC.