When Vivian Yi dies, her daughters expect to inherit her estate. Imagine their surprise when the will is read, and Vivian’s house is left to her former housekeeper, Elaine. Lucille, Vivian’s elder daughter is certain that Elaine must have forced her mother to alter her will. The two families decide to spend a week in the house, mostly because Lucille believes she can uncover the truth and reclaim her inheritance.
The story is told in two timelines. Vivian when she was young and married, Richard, settling in this grand house and watching her hopes and dreams wither away.
In the present, Lucille fights to discover the truth. Madeline and Nora, daughters of Lucille and Elaine form an unbreakable bond. One that displeases their mothers. Many secrets about Vivian’s life are revealed, and I felt so bad for her (even though some of her choices wound up ending in catastrophe). When the history of the house is fully revealed, I was unsure if anyone would get out alive.

Two families gather for the reading of the will of Vivian Yin. The Yin family, consisting of her daughters, Lucille and Rennie, and grand-daughter Madeline. The Deng family, Elaine and her daughter Nora. The older women all grew up together in the Yin family manor. Elaine and her family working at the manor. As the families gather at the manor for the reading of the will, tensions are high but when the contents are revealed, tensions explode. The atmosphere reveals secrets and the past comes rushing into the present. Hallucinations, visions, ghosts, the smell of rotting dirt, is the manor alive or is this just anxiety? Why does everyone stay away from the garden? What happened in the past to cause such distrust between the families?

This story is told with different narratives which blend seamlessly together. As the secrets of the manor begin to unravel, the characters and the plot develop well together, building the story to the climax. The background of the characters was fascinating and I found the creepiness of the manor spot on! The history of the Chinese immigrant in the 1800s was informative and added another layer of depth to the story. This is a well-written, well thought-out story. Part gothic horror, part dysfunctional family drama and part rags to riches, don’t miss this epic tale.

I loved the use of Hollywood in this novel and how it had that mystery was used in this book. The characters worked well in this world and enjoyed how good Christina Li wrote them. Christina Li has a strong writing style and was able to get invested in what was happening and glad I got to read this. It was everything that I wanted and enjoyed how good everything was.

Oh this one was FUN! A spooky ooky old house, unreliable narrators, and long-buried family secrets. It was a bit slow to get started, but once the ball started rolling downhill with the plot, I was hooked. I loved the atmosphere in the house as well as the oppressive secrets suffocating the residents. highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good gothic horror - I found it in many ways reminiscent to Starling House, which is probably my favorite read of the last few years.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

A super compelling story of two connected multi-generational families. The main character Vivian Yin, is dead. But the story unfolds in two timelines -- now and back then. Back then, Vivian was a Chinese immigrant who won an Oscar and lived with her movie star husband in a big fancy house near LA. Sounds picture perfect, right? Then why did she basically disappear from her daughters' lives, leaving then stunned when the lawyer's reading of the will reveals that Vivian has left the house to someone else? In the now, Vivian's daughters and granddaughter are grappling with their family's history, while the daughter and granddaughter of Vivian's housekeeper and closest friend are waiting for them to get out of their house. But the damage to their family seems to have sinister roots within the house itself -- literally. The granddaughters are told to keep out of the garden, but of course they don't -- and some secrets do come to light.

I really loved this book -- something about the way the author wrote really brought these characters to life and when I wasn't reading, I was picturing the characters in this spooky old house, wondering what they were up to, and what would happen next. Big rec for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Angie Kim. Enjoy!!

The Manor of Dreams is an intriguing novel about two families as they come together to claim a large house that has been left to one of the families. The characters were revealed in their backstories from different points of view. I don't usually read gothic novels, but this one drew me in.

I picked this up because of the premise and a friends' recommendation. I am a sucker for gothic horror in any format I can get my hands on and so seeing this book compared to other gothic horror novels I was rather excited. And I wasn't let down. In fact The Manor of Dreams pulled me out of a reading slump that has kept me tangled up for an entire month. I was so riveted by the characters and the generational timelines, working together to solve the mystery of what was happening that I was compelled to read even though a nasty cold that sucked my energy.

Christina Li manages to write about three generations in one book without overloading the reader with character or ruining the three storylines that she threads together in order to tell the story. I found that the generational trauma in The Manor of Dreams was balanced very well in that you didn't feel as though Li was trying to force it into the story. Which, with a trope and genre as popular as "generational trauma" seems to be at the moment, was refreshing. Every reveal was powerful and meaningful, touching and mournful.

I can't wait to recommend this to my friends and look forward to the release of the novel!

The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li is a mesmerizing sapphic gothic fantasy set in a decaying mansion in Southern California. The story follows two Chinese American families brought together by a twist in the will of Vivian Yin, the first Chinese actress to win an Oscar. As they move into the mansion, they uncover dark secrets and are haunted by a sinister presence. Li's evocative writing vividly captures the mansion's eerie atmosphere and the haunting beauty of its gardens, while the tender sapphic romance adds depth to the narrative.

This novel is more than just a ghost story; it's a profound exploration of family, identity, and the cost of the American dream. The well-developed characters grapple with their own secrets and ambitions, making their journey both heartbreaking and compelling. Christina Li has crafted a modern gothic tale that is as haunting as it is beautiful, leaving readers with a lingering sense of unease and a deep appreciation for the power of storytelling. If you enjoy gothic fiction with a sapphic twist, this book is a must-read.

As for the spice level, it's more of a slow burn with a dash of heat—think of it as a cozy fireplace in a haunted mansion rather than a blazing inferno. The romance is tender and poignant, with just enough sizzle to keep things interesting without overshadowing the gothic mystery.

Wow! What a read this one was!

I normally veer away from heavy family dramatics in books, it’s just not something that interests me. But when I read the blurb for this one I know I had to read it. Haunted house vibes? Yes please I love me a good horror!!

I love that this wasn’t too full on but kept that eerie, something is wrong with this place vibe throughout. We have two timelines going on, and as things are revealed in the present, disturbing things are also revealed in the past. There isn’t a wasted page between the two, and things that seem somewhat irrelevant for a while become glaringly relevant pretty soon after.

This was full of twists and turns, and while I guessed at one of the twists there was no way I could have fathomed the other half of the story. This was very full on, and heart shattering. I had so many emotions by the end of this, and felt for both sides of the coins in this story.

Things are definitely not always as they seem.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher Avid Reader Press for the opportunity to read this book early! Highly recommend if you love a bit of an eerie paranormal horror thriller.

“The Manor of Dreams” involves two Chinese-American families that resided in an estate in Altadena California where they raised their respective daughters. Richard Lowell, a famous actor and producer married to Vivian Yin, a once famous actress from the eighties, had the estate built for her on top of the ruins of a property that belonged to his family. Richard died in 1990, but Vivian lived in the house until her death in 2024, becoming a recluse in her last few years. When the two families gather together at the crumbling estate for the reading of the will, they discover that Vivian unexpectedly bequeathed the house to Elaine, her housekeeper’s and groundskeeper’s daughter, instead of her own children, Lucille and Rennie.

After bitter squabbling, the two families agree to reside in the house together for a week, while Lucille tries to gather evidence that Elaine coerced Vivian to change her will and then poisoned her. As the families stake out their separate floors and rooms in the house, Madeline and Nora, Lucille and Elaine’s daughters, respectively, form an unlikely bond despite their families animosity towards each other.

Based on the book’s description, I was expecting a lot of gothic elements surrounding the creepy house, and while there were some, it was infrequent until the ending. Instead, the book seemed to focus on the various relationships past and present among the family members, slowly revealing the basis for their mutual distrust and hatred, culminating in a dramatic denouement. While I enjoyed the first 25% of the book, which established the characters, I found myself losing interest until the last 10% of the book. The book had its good qualities, which included an atmospheric, crumbling mansion and well-drawn characters; however, I think it would have benefited from more gothic elements. (This might be my own particular bias, as I was expecting something more along the lines of my favorite cult drama, “Dark Shadows.”) Other readers might enjoy the slow build up to the shocking ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for providing me an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.

eArc from Avid Reader Press and netgalley... 'The manor of Dreams' by Christina Li is a modern, multi-generational gothic horror with a cast of Chinese American characters haunted by shame and guilt, and a desperate need to provide a comfortable life for their loved ones which ultimately leads to their ruination.

This was a slow start for me because the writing style seemed more YA and the characters needed more fleshing out early on. This is probably due to Li shifting from writing YA to writing adult fiction. However, the multiple perspectives and dual timelines built the story and characters in layers, creating complexity and suspense and by the middle of the book, I was engrossed in the story.

Overall, I enjoyed the mystery and revelation of family secrets; it was satisfying to find out what was being withheld as the mystery of Vivian's last days were solved, but there was also a sense of tragedy as it became clear that lack of open communication pushed family members away from each other and caused pain and mistrust. Patterns repeated themselves and characters were unable to heal as they buried secrets and feelings deep, in some cases taking their secrets to the grave. I thought the depiction of dysfunctional marriages; sapphic first loves; and the context of Chinese people's early migration to America and struggles within Hollywood were explored sensitively.

I liked the setting and time periods, but the gothic horror didn't immediately grip me. I would have liked more atmospheric tension and build up of dread; there was an overeliance on the visual imagery being grotesque to create a sense of horror and some of the visions didn't add anything to the story. The horror wasn't that gothic or atmospheric for me so it took a backseat to the family drama, but if you don't like your books too scary, then it's probably just right. I did apprecate the use of horror tropes to make the families confront the past and the description of the ways the house slowly tightens its grip on the inhabitants.

The things that really didn't work for me were inconsistencies which might be cleared up in proofreading.

'The Manor of Dreams' is similar to 'Mexican Gothic' by Silvia Moreno-Garcia as the cultivated natural world provides the horror and the estate becomes a prison, but the hidden pasts, repeated mistakes and mother-daughter relationships reminded me of Amy Tan's 'The Bonesetter's Daughter'. I would recommend this novel mostly based on Vivian's timeline and how her choices affect her family, as well as the themes.

TW: domestic abuse.

Thank you to Avid Reader Press and Netgalley for making this eArc available to read.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I loved the initial mystery, the mansion, and the families. The plot for most of the novel worked well. Had a good range of characters. Some I liked more than others, but because you have multiple pov switches you can find at least one or two you like. Occasionally, I wisished we followed less characters, but I do think they were relevant to the story. However, the ending was confusing and therefore unsatisfactory, especially as one character's fate was unclear to me. I also thought the resolutions for characters post-mansion could have been longer. Still, a fun read!

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