I am sucker for a sunny gothic tale, and this one was a quick, dark read. Billie and her family take a deal that seems too good to be true to move to a small town in Georgia - they get a nice old house with all the land they've always dreamed of, and a second chance for Billie to open her own restaurant after the pandemic killed the first one. But when it seems too good to be true, it is.

We know from the opening pages that Juliana, GA has a dark legacy. We know who the old families are and what they've done - once Billie, her husband Peter, and her 6yo daughter Meredith arrive, it's constantly asking yourself what the purpose of their arrival to the town is. Are they meant to sustain the town, or to be sacrifices for it? That question is what kept me reading because it worked it's way around to answering it.

This will feel familiar from any small town gothic story - the over-niceness, the suspicions, the gaslighting - and it will also make your skin crawl as you comprehend that Billie is a vulnerable woman acting from places of hurt, fear, and love. She's an interesting character to be with, and makes choices that you'll understand, and choices that'll have you thinking oh girl, what the heck?

If you want horror that's made for the summer, this is definitely it.

From the start, you knew the main character, Billy, and her husband, Peter, and daughter, Meredith, were in for some rough times. The suspense was amazing as they moved to Juliana, Georgia, and started meeting the locals, who had strange customs and somewhat diluted stories of the creepy history of the town. With time, Peter especially deteriorated under the strain of the strange dreams the whole family experienced, haunted by ghosts of the past. I found myself wondering when the shoe was going to drop for Billy and her family and eager to find out what horrors awaited them. Fans of spooky, gothic thrillers will love this book.

A restauranteur lured by pandemic-era incentives moves her family to a small town in Georgia. There she discovers a darknesses that is well hidden. Billie Hope is lured to this small town with the hope of escaping big cities and she is in for a surprise beyond her wildest dreams. This is well written and I loved it.

Honest Netgalley ARC Review: This hauntingly gothic story was full of mystery, suspicion, danger, and justice. Billie is dealing with the pandemic, her closed down restaurant, and her mothers sudden move away. She is ready to move forward and have a fresh start for her family. When an email comes to her with a too good to be true offer she and her husband look into it. Moving to Juliana, living on a large property with land, opening a new business, a fresh start are all things Billie wants so the family moves. It doesn’t take long for things to take a weird turn. The family is having weird symptoms, everyone in town is almost too friendly, the founding families seem to worship the towns namesake, and now her husband thinks they should move away from the strange small town. As the family integrates into the town a rift forms between Billie and her husband. The tension, strangeness, and weird information lead to a heart pounding realization. Something is not right in Juliana and Billie is suddenly found herself in a precarious situation. This story was definitely a slow burn that eventually found its stride then was off in a flash. It took some time getting to know all the families and how they were connected to the town but in the end it makes the story that much more impactful. I really loved the dark and alluring atmosphere of the book. I could imagine the town and all the strangeness through the writing. The buildup was good and the ending was very satisfying. I wasn’t sure how things were going to end up and that made it even more mysterious and fun to read. I thought it was really interesting that true history was mixed in with this tale and that made the story so much more real. Despite the fact this is a story there are a lot of relevant topics that can be examined and make you ponder. The main characters were very interesting and I loved the feeling that something paranormal could be happening but we really never know. The story was rich, easy to read, and had a southern gothic feel that I really enjoyed.

A more detailed review is coming along with links.

Readers of Southern gothic horror and mystery novels are in for a treat when they read Gothictown by Emily Carpenter. Near the beginning of the pandemic Billie Hope decided to close her successful restaurant in New York City. Post-pandemic, she gets an email that seems too good to be true. She and husband Peter can buy a home in Juliana, Georgia for one hundred dollars. On top of that, she can get a business grant to open a new restaurant in the riverside community in Bartow County.

Overall, this is a dark, disturbing, compelling, and thought-provoking story, full of tension and with characters that came to life and were often unique. The author’s note and the discussion questions at the end are worth reading as well. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author. Readers who like dark southern gothic mysteries will likely enjoy this novel.

This novel stressed me out in a good way. It concludes semi-happily but Billie Hope, the main character, and her family are really put through the ring. Billie sees an email in her inbox one day from the Juliana, GA Initiative. In exchange for moving down south and opening a business, she and her family can purchase a huge Victorian mansion for$100 and receive another $30,000 toward her new business. Billy and her husband and young daughter jump at the chance. The offer seems too good to be true and in actuality, it really is.
From the first day, the family experiences insomnia and worry. Their family cat becomes feral and Billie's husband knows there's something rotten in Juliana. But Billie is thriving and even though she knows there are issues, she's content to work through any problems. However, when her husband up and leaves after another argument, Billie finally tries to piece together what is actually happening in Juliana.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this digital e-arc.*

How old were you when you learned....if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. But, the plot line certainly plays into an excellent horror/suspense/thriller story in Emily Carpenter's capable hands.
If you've ever lived in a small town in Georgia, or a small town anywhere, you know that everyone knows everyone else's business and the town has a history. The history is tied to the citizens and their plans to do good and live big. But then Billie Hope had only dealt with the mass anonymity that lives in a larger, more populous city. She's moved her family here to secure their future. When small things start happening, it's no biggie. But small things add up to the point where her family is in danger and she has to trust someone. Don't blink or you'll find yoruself against the wall with Billie.

Would you move to a small town in Georgia if you were given a historic mansion for only $100? I’ve read enough haunted house horror to say, “Hell NO,” but clearly, our MCs didn’t get the memo 😅

💀 What did you love the most?
Emily Carpenter masterfully crafts an eerie Southern Gothic atmosphere. The story weaves between past and present, revealing the town’s dark history in a way that keeps the tension high and the mystery gripping. This isn’t really a ghost story—it’s a slow-burning, psychological horror that seeps into your bones.

📖 Read if you like:
🏚️ Light Gothic Horror
🌿 Creepy Small Town Settings
⛪ Cult Fiction & Hidden Secrets

⏳ How was the pacing?
This is a slow-burn horror novel, but the eerie atmosphere and gradual unraveling of secrets make it work beautifully. The suspense builds, and just when you think you’ve figured things out… NOPE.

🔪 Do you recommend this book?
If you’re new to horror books, this is a perfect gateway novel. It’s atmospheric, unsettling, and full of WTF moments without being too graphic. Emily Carpenter delivers a hauntingly well-written Gothic horror novel that will leave you questioning what secrets lurk in this small town… 👀

*3.5 stars. This book starts off with a delicious gothic and atmospheric premise but doesn't quite carry that through the entire story. Peter and Billie Hope live in NYC with their young daughter Meredith as the pandemic ends. Peter is a therapist who works with his clients online and Billie has had to shut down her successful restaurant. She receives one of those 'too good to be true' emails from a small town in Georgia offering a chance to start over and the couple jump at the chance. The reader is privy to the horrific things that went on in that town during the Civil War and so the dread builds for the naive couple.

The Hope family moves into the beautiful vintage house of their dreams in Juliana, Georgia, but right from the start things are not quite right. They learn there's an old abandoned well on their property so Meredith cannot run free until they can find it and get it capped. Both Billie and Meredith have similar nightmares but Peter cannot sleep! Their gentle cat becomes almost feral. Is there something wrong with this house?

I felt the story lost its way in the middle but recouped for a clever ending. The horror genre is probably one of the hardest to carry through successfully from start to finish. When it's done well, it is unforgettable. Two of my favorites are Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin and Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon and of course Edgar Allen Poe is the master.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new novel via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Of course Mom fell for a cult; wait, are we falling for one too? Suspicious emails send our New Yorker main characters down a path of a perfect Victorian home too cheap to pass up in a small town of Georgia. Of course, there’s more to the house and town, with haunted children and dreams.

I liked that the Billie main character was unreliable; I’m assuming she is meant to be unlikeable, due to her recklessness of others and selfishness but it made me like her. When the neediness kicked in though, I could have done without. With little tidbits and hints regarding her mother and current relationship, it didn't really add to the story even thought the mother was the best character. I would have enjoyed a little bit more development on Peter; he was written as an outcast of the family, paranoia but not really a reason why. Like something would have needed to build it up before even moving to the town for it to be believable. Maybe a couple of flashbacks of their marriage so the possible triangle felt more developed, even though his storyline played out exactly like I thought. Maybe because I’m not a big romance reader, the love triangle idea and insta love I could do without. I would have preferred more detail to the horror ideas and elements instead. Then the added random couple of racist comments, when I still wanted development on previously introduced items, felt forced and unnecessary. The main character would reach conclusions that weren’t set up to reach. And it couldn’t be paranoia, as that wasn’t set up as part of her personality.

There’s a lot of ideas but not as much follow through I would like. Would have liked this better if a little simplified and focused. Even though this book falls for some bad tropes/stereotypes- like not telling people everything over the phone, but waiting to tell you when I see you in an hour- but the last 30 % was fun and I did enjoy the ending.

Did Carpenter Steal My Life? (No, She Didn't.) Hmmm... a book set in the real-life Bartow County (if in a fictional town within it) along the real-life Etowah River and some real-life roads (and some fictional ones). Featuring a veteran of a war named Major. Where an old Confederate area mine plays a major role. With (fictional) long-time area families being a key component of the story.

And I, a reader who is a native of the real Bartow County, whose great-grandfather was a WWI POW named Major, who went to high school not far off one of the roads in question (which runs through the northern section of Bartow County in real life, fwiw), who knows exactly where the real-life Cooper's Furnace and several area mines (including several similar to the fictional one in the book, which aren't on many current maps) are located, who can readily identify where the scars of the real-life war criminal terrorist bastard William Tecumseh Sherman's troops left scars on the land that are still visible *to this day*, who went to both high school and college near the sites of famous actions during the Atlanta Campaign, whose families (including all relevant branches) have been in the area for over 200 years as I type this (though to be clear, my dad and his siblings were the first to call Bartow their home county), who knows well how well-connected families *continue* to control the real-life Bartow County via its (one of few remaining *nationally*, per my understanding) Sole Commissioner government system...

Yeah... the parallels between my real life and the fictional world Carpenter created here allow me a rare (not *quite* unique, as there *are* at least a few hundred others who have similar life experience and knowledge) view into this particular tale. :)

But to be 100% explicitly clear, while Carpenter and I have interacted via social media off and on for a few years now, and while several of my grandparents and older were from her own area of Georgia in the Roswell area she admits in the Author's Note she actually based much of the tale on, we've never actually met and she had no possible way to know *all* of that about me. Thus, it is 100% coincidental that the story bears so much resemblance to so much that I can readily identify. :)

With all of *that* noted... this truly was a tremendous book. The motivations of pretty well everyone are pretty clear and believable (if a bit twisted, in the case of the antagonists of the tale). The parallels to The Lottery are blatant (as that tale is referenced in-story), but actually work well here with the story as presented. As things begin to go towards the psychological/ horror, it is done in a very believable manner, with open questioning of reality. The emotions are raw and visceral, no matter whether it be the hope of a new move, the horror of... the horrible things that happen (to avoid spoilers ;) ), the disgust of some other things that happen... it all completely works.

And yes, I could absolutely see some parallel reality where the real-life Cassville - the County Seat of what was then called Cass County during the Civil War - actually plays out very similarly to how Juliana plays out here. The tale really is that close to being true to life, at least life as I experienced it as a former trailer park trash kid growing up alongside Bartow's elite.

Finally, as Billie's diner is a big part of this tale, I wanted to end the review in a unique manner for me, since this is a rather unique book for me. I'm going to leave you with a few recommendations for places to eat and things to do in and around Cartersville, should you ever find yourself on I-75 in Georgia north of Atlanta. (Unlike Carpenter noting that her Bartow County was *two* hours outside of Atlanta, in real life it is closer to 45 min from downtown Atlanta without traffic, and with traffic... who knows how long. During a snow storm one year, it literally took my dad over 12 hrs to get from his work on the perimeter of Atlanta (on I-285, basically) to his home in Cartersville.)

Places To Eat:
4-Way Diner. Historic diner near downtown Cartersville, still retains its "black only" entrance from the days of Jim Crow (now for historic purposes only, to be clear).

Jefferson's. Restaurant in downtown Cartersville, inside the same building that houses the world's oldest outdoor Coca-Cola sign on its railroad-track facing side. Likely the closest thing Cartersville currently has to a real-life Billie's, as described in the text.

Moore's Gourmet Market. Small eatery near Roselawn (below) and the Bartow County Library, just outside of downtown Cartersville.

Restaurants Along Felton Rd. There are a lot of places here, none of which have any historic significance - but the road name does. The road is named for Rebecca Latimer Felton, who owned a plantation in this part of the County before and after the Civil War. She was the first female US Senator - and the last formerly slave owning one.

Things to See:
Roselawn: Sam Jones' mansion just outside of downtown Cartersville, one of few antebellum houses still existing in town. Across the street is a historic marker noting the former home of Lottie Moon, prominent Baptist missionary to China of the same era Sam Jones was preaching in and the person the Southern Baptist Convention's Christmas fundraising effort is named for.

Old County Courthouse/ Sam Jones Memorial Methodist Church: Side by side, these buildings represent much of Cartersville's history. I've personally seen KKK rallies at the Courthouse (and went the other way), and a cousin got married at Sam Jones, which was named after a preacher who was essentially the Billy Graham of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

World's Oldest Outdoor Coca-Cola Sign. Along the train tracks at downtown Cartersville.

Etowah Indian Mounds: Mounds made by a pre-Columbus native tribe. The site is now across from a cemetery where several of my family members are buried and from Cartersville's main recreation park, Dellinger Park.

Atco Village: Early 20th century mill village, its mill has now largely been destroyed, but the elements of the town are largely still intact to varying degrees. The mill was actually one of two that locked its doors on my dad when it shut down nearly 25 yrs ago, but the old Methodist Church still stands at the entrance to the village, along with its old post office (next to the railroad tracks) and the Baptist church (where my family attended for decades) still stands at the dead end of the street that you enter the village on. Many of the houses still retain their original looks, despite improvements over the century.

Cooper's Furnace: I mentioned this site above. Just outside of Cartersville and just below the Allatoona Dam on the Etowah River, as you leave US 41 to drive over to this site, if you look into the river you'll see the stone pillars that once held railroad tracks destroyed by Sherman's troops as he moved through the region.

New Echota: Technically in Gordon County just north of Bartow, this is the site of the Capital of the Cherokee Nation at the time of the Trail of Tears. There is a relatively small State Park here with several buildings that were moved to this site to show what life was like at the time.

And enough with the tourism board stuff - I'm not Juliana's Initiative by any stretch of the imagination, just a man proud of his hometown and constantly in awe of just how much history he grew up around, largely unknowingly.

Even as a Bartow County native - maybe *especially* as a Bartow County native - this book is absolutely...

Very much recommended.

3.5 Stars (rounded up to 4) – Intriguing Premise, But Loses Steam at the End

Gothictown pulled me in right away with its eerie atmosphere and unique premise—a strange, too-perfect town hiding a dark secret. It’s like The Stepford Wives meets Get Out, blending psychological horror with social commentary in a way that feels fresh and unsettling. The buildup was fantastic, with tension and suspense growing at just the right pace.

However, the ending dragged on much longer than necessary. What could’ve been a tight, impactful conclusion ended up feeling bloated, as if the story didn’t quite know when—or how—to stop. It took away some of the punch that the earlier chapters had built up. Still, it’s an engaging read with a lot of originality, and I’d recommend it to fans of weird fiction who don’t mind a slower finish.

A restauranteur receives an invitation to move to a Southern town and buy a house for $100, as part of their population initiative. She moves her family there and slowly uncovers the town's nefarious past. And present.

First of all the cover is absolutely gorgeous, one of my favorites with the colors and the simplicity. But the story itself was also pretty fantastic. I've never read anything by Emily Carpenter, that I can recall, so I wasn't sure what to expect going into it and I loved it. It was so unique and unsettling, it really surprised me. This was one of those books that I couldn't tear my eyes away from and some of the twists were so crazy that my jaw actually. dropped. The ending was brilliant and unexpected and I loved it.

This book is really good!!!!!!!!!! It is exactly what we have to come to expect from Gothic author Emily Carpenter and I can't wait to read what she comes up with next.

Gothictown by Emily Carpenter, when the book starts it’s in Juliana Georgia 1864 and the founders are worried about General Sherman, plundering their beautiful southern town and so come up with a plan to hide their biggest asset but unfortunately it goes horribly wrong. Fast-forward to 2023 New Yorker and ex restaurant owner Billy Hope checks her email and finds one from the mayor’s assistant in Juliana Georgia. it explains how families and singles who are upwardly Moble can move to their fine city and buy a home for just $100 and those wanting to start a brick and mortar business in their dying community, will even get a $30,000 business grant to help start it.) after doing a little research and even visiting the town they believe it’s real and move there and couldn’t be happier. on the first night Billy and her six-year-old Meredith had the same nightmare but husband Peter isn’t sleeping well at all. As time goes on Billy finds the town folk will bend over backwards to help you out and is really fitting into the community her husband Peter however not so much. from their prayer to Juliana that they say before each meal, to their cat Ramsay‘s personality becoming unrecognizable to many other things found by her daughter and overheard by her in town is all making Billy Leary but it isn’t until husband Peter packs up and leaves that she really starts to think something isn’t right with Juliana Georgia. let me just say this Gothic story is nothing like any Gothic story I have ever read and I am saying that and an absolutely positive way. victorian home check, southern fried secret check, ghost… Kind of check, a horrific origin story absolutely check but it’s the rest of the story that is so original. there’s even attempts at arrange couples but not in the way you’re used to this book was so good so original I really love that anyone who wants to read a great haunted house story this isn’t that book wanna read a great haunted town story Gothic town is the book.#NetGalley, #KensingtonBooks, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #EmilyCarpenter, #GothicTown,

Billie and her family are offered the opportunity to live in small-town Georgia at nearly no cost. Although it seems quaint, the town of Juliana has a dark history.

I loved the themes in this--they tied in nicely with the post(?)-pandemic setting. In addition, Carpenter creates a great, creepy atmosphere. However, the rest of the story isn't as strong. Some plot elements seem to be abandoned, and some aren't resolved in a satisfying manner. Still, it's an engaging book and I will definitely read more by Carpenter.

Carpenter does a fantastic job of paining a very tense picture of what the town is like and the main characters are going through. The horror is situational and the reader can feel the tension. There were parts that were hard to get into mixed with some moments I couldn't put down. The first 20% is the hardest to push through- the prologue is good but gets boring for a bit after. The last 10% felt too predictable and convenient.

Thank you to the author and Kensinger Publishing via NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

7/10

While i see a lot of potential in Emily Carpenter as an author, and will keep an eye on her in future, I largely found this miscategorised in the horror section, and I don't think this will land with a horror-focused audience, especially with 'Gothic' being in the title, there is no Gothic in the style.

There was a significant tonal shift halfway through this book, the first half was written like a romance, there is nothing wrong with that, and then at 50% it immediately shifts to a mystery, also nothing wrong with this.

My biggest issue is this was entirely predictable if you've read Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic the ending will be obvious, and the trope of 'if it's too good to be true it probably is' didn't help that it was obvious where ti was going.

Also the story with the mother gets repeated twice, once told to the audience early on, then a second time repeated in a conversation, this was repetitive.

A little of an edit and tonal consistency would improve this a lot.

But I did enjoy Emily's Prose, she has talent, it just needs to be refined.

Great retelling- reimagining of The Lottery. It’s a short story we all wish was a full length novel and Gothictown delivers. I felt so creeped out while reading this. The horrific beginning just stays with you. Who can be trusted? What is causing these haunting dreams and maladies? Billie is incredibly flawed and I just didn’t like her. I was in a constant state of worry about her daughter! This is a must read for horror fans. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC