Damn. This was dark and twisty and man this blew my mind. I did NOT expect this story/journey to be as twisted as the summary made it seem. The history of these two families woven together really creates this place of questionable priorities and piques your curiosity that has you on the edge of your seat. As the history behind the manor slowly is unsheathed, you begin to understand the full picture alongside the families. I LOVED this novel and you would be hard pressed to find something as mind blowing or intriguing!

Where do I even begin?

To be honest, I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book but truly was not prepared for the emotional rollercoaster this book took me on. I thoroughly enjoyed the exploration of family dynamics, race and identity, challenges to the vision of a successful life, and the unraveling of a suspenseful mystery all told with beautiful prose. The buildup to the climactic point in the story was done effortlessly, and although I gathered bits and pieces of how the story would unfold I was not prepared for how everything truly came together in the end. I really enjoyed how naturally certain relationships developed and was devastated by how others unraveled. This book had me on the edge of my seat and left me with quite a few things to ponder. Would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in this genre!


Thank you so much to Avid Reader Press and Net Galley for this beautiful eARC. :)

The house sat empty and waiting for new victims....two families intertwined throughout history. This story keeps you reading as the story and tragedies of the families unfold. Very good story. The only complaint I had in my advance copy was that there are some Chinese characters in the copy that I can guess at the translation of but hope that there is a translation to in the final copy of.

This is the first ever book I’ve read from Christina and it won’t be my last, the depiction of a thriller version of seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo is 100% truthful in its own way, I usually hate when people use another book to compare and use as advertising or description for a book, but this book 100% didn’t disappoint I fell in love with the characters during the flashbacks, I went through a rollercoaster of emotions and had to re read chapters as shock displayed through me I just couldn’t believe what I was reading. I am so honoured to have read this book it is amazing, the thriller aspect vs the culture is chefs kiss. The growth of the characters and the layers of the characters really got me emotional at times but also smiling at the cute moments. I could write a million words about this book, it was incredible and the ending was the perfect conclusion I needed

as always christina li is a star and her writing transports me to a different world effortlessly. I could live forever in her pages.

This was such a rich, fresh gothic tale—the multiple POVs and timelines added depth and complexity to the themes as well as adding suspense to the storyline, and the exploration of Hollywood history was rich and captivating. Gorgeous, thoughtful, eerie—a wonderful adult debut from Li.

When Vivian Yin is dies the family gathers for the reading of the will. The first Chinese actress to win an Oscar, has a deteriorating mansion and it is given to the daughter of her housekeeper. Immediately there is a flight and all of the family members set up camp in the mansion. But the mansion is crumbling...there are flowers in the books and dirt in the walls. Are their ghosts? What stories is Vivian's house hiding? The beautifully wrought gothic story is peppered with Mandarin characters and Chinese culture. Following the flashbacks slowly but surely will get you to the answer but its the journey in this book that is the joy.
#avidpress #simonschuster #christinali #themanorofdreams

Okay, I’m going to start with something that’s maybe a little unfair.

I’m from Altadena. I was so excited when I realized that the book was set in my town. And then I was sooooo disappointed because Altadena wasn’t really in this. I didn’t recognize it and it could have been set literally anywhere.

That being said, it’s a nice gothic. I loved the Hollywood aspects – maybe more than the more modern bits – and loved that most of our characters were Chinese or Chinese-American.

The mystery of everything was a good one and I was so curious to find out what exactly was happening here!

Overall, a very good read.

• ARC via Publisher

5 stars

Two Chinese American families, three generations, two queer love stories, and a gothic mansion in the hills of southern California. This was a familiar story that I put on like a favorite cardigan and I enjoyed this very much. This is a gothic horror in the style of Rebecca with hints of She Is A Haunting. It is very light on the horror, so for those that want to dip their toes without going full on horror, this would be a great place to start.

The story centers on the women of two Chinese American families, one matriarch a successful, Oscar winning actress hiding a dark secret of domestic abuse, the other her friend and housekeeper. Both are raising their daughters in the gothic mansion that was the family home of the husband of Viviane Yin. After Viviane's death, the daughters and granddaughters of the two families arrive for the reading of the will and are thrown into chaos, suspicion, and mystery.

As secrets are revealed, the granddaughters of the two families find themselves helplessly attracted to each other. Is history repeating itself?

This story was told in multiple timelines which I found enjoyable and effective. This was definitely a slow burn, which I like, especially for gothic horror. The writing was lovely and I loved that the story was so female focused and the queer representation seemed very natural, in my opinion. There was nothing really shocking or groundbreaking here, but I appreciated the familiar themes and the way the story ended, leaving us with at least one secret to ponder.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good historical fiction, old Hollywood, gothic horror, female-centric narratives, and queer love stories.

Thank you to Avid Readers Press and NetGalley for the eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

deeply readable, properly gothic in many ways. it reads a touch young for an adult debut but i think that's to be expected. very much enjoyed

This generation-sweeping novel is an absolute masterpiece of contemporary Gothic literature. Each timeline is so captivating, and it really brings so much perspective to Hollywood during the 80s and 90s and how difficult it was for an Asian actress to find roles that weren't stereotypical or supporting roles. It has moments that are truly creepy, especially in the modern day sections of the book, and Vivian's story is such a sad and ultimately lonely tale. This is a front runner for one of the best books of 2025.

This was a good book. I really enjoyed the dual timelines, but I almost wish that there was a third timeline to get even more backstory.