Review on Goodreads and Amazon: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6972415942

This is a perfect gothic, spooky read, perfect for any season. I read it on Halloween and it really added to the end of my October! I am a big fan of Jane Eyre and Edgar Allan Poe, and this felt like it fit somewhere in between. The main character, Elegy Thorne, lives in a house full of spirits and must find herself within it, in more ways than one. When it was over, I felt like I was part of the house and vice versa, and I honestly felt it was bittersweet to leave.

"The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall" by J. Ann Thomas is an enchanting, gothic tale that skillfully blends mystery and the supernatural with richly developed characters. Set in the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of the ancestral estate of Thorne Hall, the story revolves around the current Thorne family, who is bound to 13 spirits within the home, each with their own unique and compelling story.

The protagonist is Elegy, a young woman whose father is dying, and her stepmother keeps herself hidden away in the attic. She has grown up with the spirits, some of whom are her closest friends, some nurturing, and others terrifying. Their ancestor, Jasper Thorne, brought the 13 spirits into the home through a series of seances in the 1890s.

The spirits are bound and obey whoever is the current master of the Thorne manor, and once Elegy's father dies, this responsibility will be passed on to her. A plumbing issue causes flooding and severe damage to an outdated mansion wing, requiring some modernization and restoration. The family's trusted helper enlists his adult son to travel to the estate to assist with the repairs, and Elegy falls hard, deeply in love, yet she knows she can never leave her home and these spirits behind.

The plot unfolds at a captivating pace, maintaining tension while allowing moments of reflection on grief, love, desire, and redemption. Each spirit’s backstory is interwoven seamlessly with Elegy's journey, adding layers to the narrative and engaging the reader's emotions. The themes of connection, loss, and the search for belonging resonate deeply.

Thomas's writing is vivid and immersive, vividly bringing Thorne Hall—and its ethereal inhabitants—to life. The description of the mansion, the spirits, and Elegy's clothing was incredible! This is not a book to read, put down, and pick up later at a leisurely pace. There are many characters and background stories, and when I skipped a day of reading, I found that I needed to go back a bit to connect some dots.

The strength of Thomas’s character development and atmospheric writing created an overall enriching, supernatural experience with an unexpected twist at the end. I enjoyed the love story within the book, not only between Elegy and Atticus but also between Elegy's friends Hugo and Sebastian. And while Elegy had her friends and Atticus to lean on for support, Thomas created a character who had to dig deep within herself to finally fight for the life she desperately wanted.

"The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall" has a captivating premise and a heartfelt exploration of the deep desire for human connections with a gothic, deadly, magic, and spirit-filled vibe.

Thank you, #NetGalley, #JAnnThomas, and #AlcovePress, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was pulled into selecting this book because of its cover. I was also excited to read something for spooky season/October. I loved the backstory and the Gothic-style writing even though the book is set in present day. There is also light romance in the book as well. The descriptions of the ghost make them very scary, and the book wrapped up satisfyingly. If you like gothic thrillers with an old house, I recommend this book.

The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall by J. Ann Thomas is an intriguing story about a young woman named Elegy who lives in a house haunted by ghosts. She is due to inherit the management of the collection of fourteen ghosts from her father once he dies as he is extremely ill. She has never had the luxury of picturing a different life for herself or modern amenities as they must live utilizing technology and clothing from the past to not upset the ghosts. However, many ghosts do not recognize Elegy’s authority, and she fears the future when she must take over. Enter Atticus, the builder’s son, in town to assist with repairs to the house. As Elegy starts to fall for him, she starts picturing a life away from Thorne Hall. But will she be brave enough to take that step?

I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought the characters were well developed. After a slow start, the plot grasped my attention, and I didn’t want to put it down. There were times I wish there would have been a bit more detail as I was confused and had to go back in the book for clarification. I would give this four out of five stars and definitely recommend to anyone who is looking for a spooky romance.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for access to an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Not for me. I requested this to read in October, as I always like to stock up on "spooky stories" to get me in the Halloween mood. This wasn't quite what I expected, and not my favorite.

I wanted this to be something else.

Elegy is at a standstill. While she has friends, her life is isolated. It's her, her mean father, the servants who show up in the morning and leave before dark, her stepmother who lives in the attic and the spirits who live among the rooms of the house.

Thorne Hall has been haunted for hundreds of years. The Thorne family has been entrusted to keep the spirits alone and inside of the house, as well as maintain the 'old-fashioned' aura, including clothing, food, and electronics. Elegy is trapped at Thorne Hall. As her father's only child, the house will be passed along to her after his death.

One of the more mischievous spirits starts to reek havoc and the 'handyman' who has long worked with the Thornes bring his young and handsome son along for help. Elegy starts to experience feelings that she's never had before. Is this Elegy's chance to break free and live among living people?
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Is this a coming-of-age story? Yes - however, I felt like Elegy was too old to be so...passive. Is this a romance? Sure, but was it necessary? Yes, it added to the plot, but I wanted to have more from and for Elegy.

I think this is, overall, is a good book, but I just....wanted more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

ARC was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press.

La protagonista è Elegie Thorne, una giovane donna che ha vissuto tutta la sua esistenza nella maestosa Thorne Hall, l'antica magione di famiglia immersa nel Berkshires. Tuttavia, la villa nasconde un oscuro segreto: è infestata da quindici spiriti, e spetta a Elegie e alla sua famiglia mantenerli sotto controllo, a causa di una maledizione che perdura nel tempo. Elegia accetta malvolentieri il suo destino, fin quando la sua esistenza viene sconvolta dall’incontro con il brillante e carismatico Atticus. Man mano che i sentimenti verso di lui si intensificano, Elegie si trova a fronteggiare un conflitto interiore: da un lato il peso dell'eredità familiare, dall'altro il desiderio di fuggire per seguire le proprie aspirazioni. In questo tumulto, si troverà a combattere una battaglia che potrebbe cambiare irrevocabilmente le sorti della villa e della sua famiglia.

Le premesse affinché io fossi completamente catturata da questo libro c’erano davvero tutte: una magione infestata, quindici spiriti da scoprire, ciascuno con una propria storia da raccontare, che si intreccia con quella della protagonista e in aggiunta una storia d'amore che si pregustava di essere un buon slow burn.
Tuttavia, nonostante queste premesse affascinanti, l'esperienza di lettura si è rivelata purtroppo meno emozionante e appagante di quanto avessi sperato.

A mio parere il problema principale del libro sta nel ritmo della narrazione, la trama si sviluppa in modo troppo lento in alcune parti, trascinandosi su stessa quasi fino al 75% quando finalmente le cose prendono una svolta decisiva.
Se questo rallentamento fosse stato giustificato dalla volontà di approfondire le atmosfere inquietanti della villa infestata o di esplorare i retroscena delle storie degli spiriti, avrebbe potuto risultare perdonabile. Tuttavia, a mio parere, non è stato proprio del tutto così. Infatti le descrizioni dell'ambiente, pur evocative e godibili, sono meno riuscite di altri libri (vedi A study in drowning di Ava Reid o Mexican gothic di Silvia Moreno-Garcia). Allo stesso modo, i background degli spiriti, che avrebbero potuto arricchire la narrazione e darle maggiore spessore, sono rimasti in superficie, mancando di quella profondità necessaria per farli vivere davvero. Anche la storia d'amore, pur rendendo difficile non fare il tifo per Atticus—un personaggio empatico e affascinante—sembra un po' priva di brio. Le interazioni tra i protagonisti, invece di scintillare di passione, risultano più tranquille e non riescono a catturare appieno la chimica che ci si aspetterebbe.

Un elemento ben riuscito è sicuramente la crescita personale di Elegie. La protagonista esce progressivamente dall'ombra, iniziando a comprendere ciò che desidera veramente e come raggiungerlo. Questo percorso di auto-scoperta aggiunge una dimensione profonda al suo personaggio e rende la sua avventura più coinvolgente.

Sconsigliato a un pubblico più esperto, amante del brivido come anche ai più navigati lettori di romance, potrebbe risultare apprezzabile per chi desidera avvicinarsi al genere spooky o chi cerca qualcosa di simile a Darcy Coates. La narrazione, pur con le sue debolezze, offre un'opportunità per esplorare atmosfere misteriose senza un'eccessiva complessità.

I only have one complaint, I wish I had not found this till closer to Halloween, because yall, this needs to go on the Halloween reads list.
I don't think much is scary, but this has a nice spooky factor that makes it perfect for October.

This is a slow burn, but one that I couldn't put down, I honestly sat and read it in one day.

Nice ghost story if you are looking for one, and this gives me big Darcy Coates vibes and I mean that as a compliment

I think this had so much potential, and it got a lot right, but overall it ended up not being what I thought it would be. The gothic house vibes were there, and the character development was there.

This captured my attention from the first page. I really enjoyed the first few chapters. The atmosphere and characters were introduced really well. However, after the first few chapters it seemed to slow down in pace a lot. I felt that the romance aspect was a little flat as well.

This is a great read for spooky season and if you enjoy ghost stories.

First impressions 💭
It took me about 50 pages to really get into! The start was a little overwhelming with the introduction of ALOT of characters and ghosts. But once I hit about page 50 i felt it was perfectly paced from there!

What I Loved ❤️
- I loved the Eerie / Spooky / Creepy haunted house vibes! It was giving Thirteen ghosts (the movie) or the haunting of Bly Manor but less “horror”
- I loved Elergy as an FMC and really enjoyed her journey and self discovery. Even though is very sheltered and naive, I really empathised with her tragic life and circumstances.
- Our knight in shining armour atticus ♥️ He didn’t just come in and “save” Ellergy in the traditional sense. But more supported her in her journey and her choices, and encouraged her to come into her own and find her voice and her strength. And most importantly showed her that she wasn’t alone, KING!

What I didnt love 👎🏻
- the only thing that threw me was the slow start, but I’m so glad I stuck with it because it was worth it!

Favourite Quote 📝
“Her tears came fast, relentless in the face of so much loss, as she wondered how it was possible for someone to lose so much and yet live”

Final verdict ⭐️
I loved this as a spooky season read, the ghosts were so interesting and I loved Elergy’s connection with them, their personalities and their tragic backstories!
Throw in the twists that I didn’t see coming until the last minute and I will definitely be recommending Thorne Hall!

Such a fun read! The spirits are truly creepy and disgusting in equal measure. Well written gothic romance that I highly recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for the ARC.

If you’re looking for something to read this Halloween that hits the perfect tone of Gothic story with evil spirits then this is the story.

I found the writing to be so engaging, I was immediately drawn in. I love how the concept of these spiritual entities were different from their traditionally done. I think that kind of style gave the story an edge.

I think it balanced itself well between its heart warming moments and the more morbid moments.

I adored the love story between Elegy and Atticus. There was something so sweet and adorable about these two.

Overall, this story hit everything I love in a horror ghost story and I was beyond impressed with how well done this story was.

Elegy was raised in Thorne Hall, a sprawling, grand manor frozen in time, nothing new is permitted- clothing, technology, even the manner of speaking is proper & antiqued. J. Ann did a great job of making you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time within the house/story; I was initially confused, trying to figure out why Elegy spoke the way she did when the book was set in ‘present day,’ thinking that had been a mislabel. When I figured out exactly what was going on I found it rather clever. I enjoyed the descriptions of the clothing Elegy is forced to wear, passed down thru generations.
Along with Elegy, her father, Thaddeus, & her step-mother, Fletcher, the manor is home to The Collection, 14 spirits bound not only to the house, but to the Thorne bloodline. The spirits range in personality (shy, tragic, playful, terrifying) & their manner of death, evident on their spirit. Elegy’s world is brought into sharp relief when she meets Atticus, son of their repairman who leads her to question the expectation of where her life will lead &, for the 1st time, think about what she wants. Elegy is incredibly strong & I enjoyed her journey through the book. Atticus, *sigh* apparently green eyes are going to be my new obsession between this & the MMC in my previous read. He’s sassy, intelligent, & appreciates Elegy for who she is, without expecting her to change. Fletcher was a fascinating side character, for whom I had sympathy & can see why Elegy’s friends were enamored with her when young. Floss & Hugo are Elegy’s first & only friends, I’ll admit that I thought Floss & Hugo were going to end up being crappy friends, but they surprised me. There were a small number of other side characters who added another layer to the story. This story kept me on the edge of my seat, I kept waiting for the-big-bad-thing-that-I-absolutely-know-is-going-to-happen & only predicted one small part of the ending. 4.5 ⭐️

The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall by J. Ann Thomas is a spooky gothic romance about a young woman who lives in an old manor full of ghosts. Elegy Thorne is next in line to manage a group of 15 spirits who have been residing in Thorne Halls since the gilded age. Each spirit has a story and personality, some benevolent and some malicious. After meeting a vibrant man, Atticus, Elegy is torn between fulfilling her legacy or living her own free life.

This was a great read for spooky season! The beginning of the book was a little slow and took me a while to get into, eventually I was invested in the story and couldn't wait to see what happened next. If you like ghost stories or gothic romances, you might enjoy this book. It has similar vibes to Starling House (Alix E. Harrow) and The Cruel Dark (Bea Northwick).

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for granting me an advanced reader copy of the ebook. My review was not influenced by this. The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall is expected to be published on February 11, 2025.

J. Ann / Jamie Thomas' fantasy series Asperfell is one of my all-time favorites, and I was so excited to see that she was writing an adult paranormal novel. I love her writing so much, and this book was just as amazing as Asperfell and The Forest Kingdom. Elegy was such a cool main character, and her family lore was fascinating. The romance was so cute and I liked how it naturally developed over time. Things got extra spooky towards the end, which I loved. As much as I'm hoping that Thomas completes the Asperfell trilogy at some point, I'm very excited for her to continue to write gothic novels like this one.

Based on the title and cover, I was expecting more of a quirky ghost story, so I was a little surprised at the more gruesome descriptions of the ghosts, and there were some actually creepy interactions between Elegy and the spirits she lives alongside. I know this is a book about living in a haunted house, but it is labeled as more romance and fantasy, so I was not expecting the actual creepy scenes that took place throughout the book. That being said, I really enjoyed this book, I thought the characters were well developed, and the story was unique and interesting.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

On Samhain night in 1902 a man by the name of Jasper Thorne throws a Samhain party, promising his guests a trick that few of them will ever forget. After the meal is eaten and the dancing done, five women appear in the ballroom, one in particular kneels on the floor covered in ruins and covers the floor in her blood. And out of the floor, a man appears, long dead by hanging, and that's when all hell breaks loose at Thorne Hall.

Today, Elgey Thorne lives in the time capsule that is Thorne Hall. Her clothes are hand me downs from women dead for over a century, she has never used much less seen a computer or even a washer and dryer, she's never been to school, she's never been on a play date, and she only has two human friends in the whole world. At twenty five Elgey has never done anything for herself and as her father is dying she knows she never will, because upon his death Elgey will become the mistress of Thorne Hall and inherent everything that comes with it. Including the fourteen spirits her ancestor summoned after that fateful Samhain a century before she was born. Spirits who she knows she will have to control even though they terrify her, even though she loves them. One morning, though, Elgey prepares to direct a group of workmen come to fix another disaster caused by one of the child spirits Elgey meets Atticus and she doesn't know it then but this fateful encounter will lead to something Elgey never thought possible: she'll rebel against her fate and her family in ways she never thought possible. All for the chance to be free.

I choose to read this at random with rereading the synopsis, and I'm really glad I did as I'm pretty sure I would have chosen something else, and that would have been a shame. This was not what I was expecting at all, and I loved it all the more for it. While it is most definitely a ghost story, a damn good one at that, it is more of a coming of age story where Elgey, the main character figures out that the only person she's beholden to is herself. Thomas uses a truly unique cast of characters in a found family setting that makes this one of the most unique stories I've read period, while being one of a handful of modern stories I'd call modern Gothic horror without an issue.

Elgey is at the heart of this story, and if her character had been written any differently, this would have been truly awful. The way Elgey works through figuring out that she can make her own decisions was at times wonderful and others heartbreaking but always real. And I really loved the fact that while she twenty-five she goes through these very teenage rebellion situations because thanks to her ancestors and her emotionally abusive father she's never had the chance to do any rebelling at all. Sneaking out to meet her boyfriend, wresting controll of the spirits from her dad in just a tiny rebellion, hell just choosing to make any decisions on her own is something I most definitely went through when I was fifteen and sixteen so for Elgey to be doing these things at twenty five helped to really drive home how bad it really was for her. Elgey never even thought to think for herself, and while that sucks it also made the moments that she did that much more important. It also really shows how strong she is, thanks to her dad (and the fact that she's literally been hanging around dead people who could in fact kill her, her whole life) she has so many insecurities about how strong she is and it's these little moments of rebellion more than anything that help give her the courage to truly rebel. Which, quite frankly, she should have done a long time ago.

More than anything, though, what makes this such an amazing book is the very blunt conversation about carrying on toxic family traditions. And I think it seems extreme almost, comical even to have the toxic family tradition be the caretaking of a bunch of ghosts your ancestor summoned over a century ago but it's genuinely not, at least not the way this is written. Because it's not just about the tradition, it's about how her father uses it against Elgey to control her, and because of this, the very complicated relationship she has with the ghosts. While her father sees them as things to be controlled, because Elgey has been controlled her whole life she gives them more leeway, which probably isn't the greatest idea but at the same time it drives home how even subconsciously she's been rebelling against the tradition her whole life. By simply treating the ghosts as something more than objects, she's already started to break the hold of the tradition, which is far more realistic than her, just all of a sudden starting to rebel.

The only one not so tiny complaint I have here is that one of the running themes here is that the reason Elgey is trapped in this tradition is because "people of her station" are just like that. Elgey is rich, like at no point is it ever said how rich but her human besties spend their lives bouncing around continents so it is implied that they are very, very, very rich. I could have done without the very clear message that I should somehow feel sorry for rich kids because they feel pressured by their lineage to tow the line or end up broke. It doesn't come up often but it's often enough that it did drive me bonkers. When the wealth gap is larger than ever in most developed countries reading about "poor" rich kids, even if it is only a few pages was less than entertaining and completely 100% not needed. I think what made it worse was to have Hugo, one of her human friends be gay and then have his parents threaten to remove him from their will if he doesn't marry and produce an heir. Are there probably LGBTQ+ humans whose families have threatened to disinherit them? I'm sure there are. Are there probably middle class LGBTQ+ kids whose family literally kicked them out of the house? Most definitely. The whole like 1% thing was just completely unnecessary for the story and had it been brought up more often I probably wouldn't have finished the book no matter how well written the rest of it was.

Overall, this was really excellent regardless of the "poor rich kid" stuff. It's definitely a conversation I think a lot of millennials need to have with themselves about the family traditions they choose to carry on and why they are doing it. 100% recommend it, especially for anyone who enjoyed Saint Death's Daughter.

And as always thanks NetGalley and Alcove Press for the eArc!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Picture if you will, an old manor lost to time, a young woman who struggles under the weight of familiar responsibility and a collection of ghosts not ready and some not willing to move on. So is The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall, a deliciously gothic tale ripe with eerie atmosphere and a longing romance reminiscent of Jane Eyre.

The Spirit Collection of Thorne Hall was a haunting but beautiful story best enjoyed when the winds of Ocober are whistling outside your window, and a candle is your only source of light.

the gothic atmosphere and tender romance in this book is the perfect combo to both enchant you and chill you to your bones.

my only criticism is that it's not releasing in time for Halloween season, it's the PERFECT book to add to any spooky season lovers!