Highly readable, exciting, and downright creepy at times. I absolutely loved my time with this book - it checked a lot of boxes for me.

✅️ Crumbling house full of secrets
✅️ Family drama & intergenerational trauma
✅️ Unexpected but sweet romance

I was absolutely entranced by this book and the way that secrets unfolded neatly with every passing chapter. The characters were not always very likable but I found that more realistic. There were a few things with the ending that I wish there was more closure for, but overall this was a fantastic read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

The whole time I was reading this book I was picturing the movie Monster House! Not too far off, really!

I enjoyed the dual timelines of this story as it felt like key elements of the plot and family dynamic were being divulged simultaneously - both in the past as well as in the present. Overall it was quite spooky and there are a lot of things to unpack - family dynamics, societal challenges, stereotypes and boundaries, the definition of love and what it can drive some people to do. Definitely one of those books where you find yourself re-reading certain passages and lines, especially toward the end, trying to suck out the full meaning of every nuanced message.

Unlike anything I’ve read before. Did feel a bit long and drawn out at times. Also, I’m not sure if it just went wayyyy over my head or what but I did not understand the ending at all. I felt like the author tried to create this shocking, big bang ending but it honestly just left me feeling confused.

HUGE thank you to Avid Reader Press, Simon and Schuster and the author, Christina Li, for an ARC of this book. Congrats to the author, Christina Li, on her adult literary debut!

"Mexican Gothic meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in Christina Li's haunting novel about the secrets that lie in wait in the crumbling mansion of a former Hollywood starlet, and the intertwined fates of the two Chinese American families fighting to inherit it.

Vivian Yin is dead. The first Chinese actress to win an Oscar, the trailblazing ingénue rose to fame in the eighties, only to disappear from the spotlight at the height of her career to live out the rest of her life as a recluse.

Now her remaining family members are gathered for the reading of her will, and her daughters expect to inherit their childhood home: Vivian's grand, sprawling, Southern California garden estate. But due to a last-minute change to the will, the house is passed on to another family instead - one that has suddenly returned after decades of estrangement.

In hopes of staking their claim, both families move into the mansion. As Vivian's daughters race to piece together what happened in the last weeks of their mother's life, disturbing visions and bizarre behaviors start to take hold of everyone in the house, forcing them to realize they are being haunted by something far more sinister and vengeful than their regrets. After so many years of silence, will the families finally confront the painful truth behind the house's origins and the last, tragic summer they spent there - or will they cling to their secrets until it's too late?

Told in dual timelines, spanning three generations, and brimming with romance, betrayal, ambition, and sacrifice, The Manor of Dreams is a thrilling family Gothic that examines the true cost of the American Dream - and what happens when the roots we set down in this country turn to rot."

I mean, making your estranged family live in a haunted house is a good way to get your revenge...

When Vivian Yin dies and leaves her house to someone outside her family, her daughters battle fiercely to get it back. But do they really want it and the memories it holds?

I was initially interested in this title because it was described as a gothic novel about buried secrets through three generations of one Chinese American family. The atmosphere of this book was excellent, and the author created a lot of psychological tension. It is just the right kind of creepy. The characters are interesting and relatable. Once I started reading, I couldn't put this one down!

The Manor of Dreams is one of those books that feels like wandering through a lush, haunted memory—beautiful, unsettling, and layered with generational heartbreak. The vibes were immaculate (think: crumbling glamour, ghostly secrets, and messy family tension), and while I didn’t fully click with the pacing or some of the timeline shifts, I was still totally pulled in by the atmosphere and emotional weight. Christina Li really knows how to write characters who linger in your brain, even when the plot felt a little foggy in places. It’s not a new fave for me, but if you love gothic drama with a side of inheritance-fueled chaos and quiet devastation, you’ll want to move into this mansion—ghosts and all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of The Manor of Dreams.
I really wanted to enjoy this book, however it was too slow and boring to catch my interest. I found myself not caring much for any of the characters in the story either. This is totally a me problem, and I hope that others will love this as much as I had hoped to.

Manor of Dreams follows two families drawn together after Vivian Yin, the first Chinese actress to win an Oscar, dies. Nora Deng has no idea why a famous actress would bequeath her mansion to her mother, Elaine, instead of her own two daughters. As far as Nora knows, Vivian Yin is a complete stranger. But as she spends more time in the house, and more time around the other family's daughter Madeline, she learns their families are far more interconnected... and hiding more than one secret about what happened in this house.

I am typically not a horror reader, but because Manor of Dreams is by Christina Li AKA one of my favorite authors of all time, I had to read it--and I am so glad I did. Manor is a sweeping, twisting story spanning three generations and two timelines, and I am in awe at how Li wove all the timelines and POVs together without confusing or repeating information. Each character felt like a well-rounded individual with clear motives, and the tension between their past actions against the present was just delicious. Without giving away too much, the way that the present mirrored the past was just... beautiful. And once the midpoint hit, and there was enough information to start piecing together why the house was the way it was, this book became un-put-down-able. I read the back-half of this book in one sitting, even though I had several school assignments to get to. I had no reason to worry about the horror elements, either--they were thankfully tame enough that I could read this and sleep soundly afterwards. Well, as soundly as I could with thoughts of this broken, complicated family refusing to leave my brain.

Thank you eternally to Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Two families are trying to claim the house belonging to former Oscar winner Vivian Yi. One family is made up of her daughters. The other family are a family that used to work for Vivian and claim she left them the house.

There are mysterious roses that bloom over night in the tangled, overgrown garden of weeds, mysterious noises and ghosts who antagonize the families.

I found myself caught in who's life I was following and where in time I was. It was a really good storyline, but I couldn't always keep up with the characters.

I did enjoy the book for a quick read, and plan to recommend it to friends, but didn't feel as close to some of some of the characters as others.

I was given the opportunity to read this novel by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This book was captivating right from the start. The author’s writing flows beautifully and she perfectly captured that creepy gothic house vibe.. Her descriptions of the house made me feel like I was in it, easily able to visualize and it absolutely felt sentient. There was just enough character development to help feel attached to the characters, especially Rennie. I loved the secrets spilling and the mystery to it all. Fabulous read!

Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance!

This is a book that I was very excited to read, however I struggled with it. I had a hard time with the book in the beginning, for some reason it just didn’t hook me and that made me really struggle with the book in general.

I have been yearning for a haunted setting story for a long while now and nothing has satisfied that itch until now. I love when a setting becomes a character, where it stands up against its human inhabitants. I especially loved that this house had a dark, twisted, layered history that, as time went on, grew with each death.

If you couldn’t tell, the house was my favorite part of the book. You felt the majestic possibilities when Vivian and her husband move in. You felt that deteriorating with each year until the house was a decaying, hurting thing. The juxtaposition between past and present flowed seamlessly and it added more layers of complexity to an already beautiful but complicated history of the house and the people residing within its walls. A fast and enjoyable story that I cannot recommend fast enough.

They say what you don’t know can’t hurt you. But silence can be deadly.
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Sapphic gothic horror is my jam.
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After the death of Chinese actress, Vivian Yin, her two daughters, Lucille and Renata, as well as Lucille’s daughter, Madeline, head over to her manor for the reading of her will. Unexpectedly they run into Elaine Deng (The daughter of Vivians beloved housekeeper) and her daughter, Nora, there as well. According to Vivian’s attorney, there was a last minute change to the will before Vivian died handing the manor over to Elaine Deng instead of her children. Lucille refuses to believe this is correct and as an attorney herself decides she’s going to prove that Elaine had something to do with manipulating her mother into changing the will and possibly, her death. Strange things start happening and the manor is showing everyone their nightmares and making them all doubt their own eyeballs.
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Told over three generations and multiple POVs this is a story that full immerses you into it. Secrets start being revealed and peeled back slowly, the two families fued starts making more sense to the youngest daughters, Madeline and Nora, as they work together to figure out what their mothers are keeping from them. Madeline and Nora also form a close and romantic connection.
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There manor of dreams is Christina Ali’s debut adult literary novel. Prior she has written mostly children’s book and YA. I will admit some parts of this book read YA but I don’t mind that too much knowing the authors background. I loved this story and it is so unique and fun, there does seem to be a lot going on and it can feel convoluted at times. The ending felt pretty rushed but does leave an impact. The multiple sapphic love stories make my heart happy. This doesn’t feel like horror to me, the haunted manor seemed very back burner to the story, I would say this is a story of familial secrecy, betrayal, greed, and a false sense of what is the American dream.

This was a did not finish for me. The pace was too close and I found the characters unlikable. Thank you for the ARC.

Gothic and old Hollywood? Yes please. A bit of this reminded me of the 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo which is one of my favorite books. I loved everything about this book. The plot, the setting, the characters, the pacing and the story. This book was full of emotions and just enough gothic elements to make it creepy as well. Highly recommend!

I enjoyed the majority of this book, however, there were some sections that just seemed like they didn’t fit very well with the story overall. They were either underdeveloped, or just didn’t make sense to be added to the story.
I did really enjoy the character development and how the story was told from multiple POVs and timelines. The ending was also really interesting and somewhat tied up all the loose ends.

Overall, this book was a decent read and entertaining.

I thought this book was so intense!!!! Omg but I loved every second of it!!! Flawlessly bleeding family issues and heritage and secrets with paranormal, and lgbtq vibes. This book will captivate you from the first page. Christina perfectly described the trauma from family secrets and such to a tee! Great relationship building with all the characters as well. I would say this was more a thriller book in my opinion but I would definitely recommend regardless!!!!

This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

When Vivian Yin, the first Asian-American actress to win a best actress Oscar dies, her family, and a close friend gather to hear the reading of her will. But of course, where money and possessions are involved, anger, and chaos will ensue. Soon, her daughters and the daughter of her former friends/employees are embroiled in a bitter battle over the ownership of her home. As the women fight to gain ownership of her palatial home, her granddaughter and the daughter of the family friend begin noticing extremely disturbing things occurring in the home. Not only that, but the girls begin uncovering deeply hidden family secrets that no one wants to talk about.

This book is told from multiple points of view and along multiple timelines as the story of what happened in the home in between the two families is revealed.

This book is an amazing blend of both the real and the supernatural in that as the story of what has occurred over the years between the families, and even between the different characters in the book, is revealed it also reveals what is haunting the house. Because make no mistake, this is as much a ghost story as it is a dysfunctional family story. And if you want to talk about dysfunction, these families have it in spades. And they absolutely don’t want to talk about it in the beginning of the book so there was a lot of suspense built up as we wait to see what is going on and what is going to happen.

And it was definitely worth the wait! There are plenty of twists throughout this book and each one was just as exciting and suspenseful as the last. The author reveals just enough throughout the book to add a layer of suspense and keep you wanting to read more, but leave you guessing and turning pages.

The ultimate ending is really good and definitely haunting. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time. It is very unique and definitely one that I highly recommend for anyone looking for something different and with a good mystery with a supernatural twist.

I’ll absolutely be looking forward to more from this author.

The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li is an gothic novel about the lives of two Chinese American families connected to the late Hollywood starlet, Vivian Yin. This was a 'meh' read for me, the premise gives 'Mexican Gothic' and 'Rebecca' vibes which are two of my favourite books but I feel like this story just didn't live up to the hype. There were too many threads to try to remember and ultimately I don't feel like it did the story justice; there were just too many holes! The premise was there but the execution did not see it through.