Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this E-ARC Audiobook.

This was a DNF at about 40% for me. I did not find myself engaged with the story or investing in the characters. After spacing out and having to skip the story back multiple times I finally just let myself DNF. I think if you're a fan of Mary by Nat Cassidy then this book will be right up your alley as the writing style feels very similar to me, but Mary was another book I DNF’d halfway through as I just didn’t enjoy the story and character’s. I think most people will enjoy this audiobook even though I did not. My reasons for not enjoying the book have nothing to do with the quality of the writing or narration but rather personal preferences. For that reason, I am not docking stars on my rating as I feel most people will like this book.

This was a spell-binding and very scary horror novel! Tamar has moved back home after running away at 18 years old. She has been estranged from her mother, and has worked hard over decades to come to grips with anger, bitterness and hurt inflicted upon her by her abusive mother. Tamar was an awesome character flawed and believable, careful yet strong. Her mother Ruth is THE WORST. Due to a "mishap" in Ruth's living situation, Tamar is forced to take her mother into her home until housing can be secured. As Ruth's true evil is slowly revealed, and Tamar keeps seeing things and feeling things, and begins to doubt her sanity, Hardy uses anxious and tense pacing that grips the reader. I was completely on edge listening to this story and the narrator, Hallie Bee Bard, did a great job expressing Tamar's desperation and terror.

I think if you enjoyed, Mary by Mat Cassidy, Nana by Brandon Massey, and or Dearest by Jacquie Walters you'd like this one as well. I love a unsettling, "mother shows up out of nowhere" type trope. With wtf is happening vibes.

Sooooo, I’m kind of obsessed with this book? I could NOT stop thinking about this the entire time I was reading it!

The story is definitely creepy! The graphic horror of some of it, such as the hair scene at the dinner table, made my skin crawl. The author did an amazing job putting you INTO the scene of this book. I will definitely be thinking about it for years to come!

I also really found the interwoven generational trauma an interesting addition within a horror novel. I didn’t know if it would be just for me, but ended up being absolutely taken away. I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends!

A very special thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC. Final rating: 4.5⭐️

Bitter Is The Heart is such a unique slow-burn. You get to know each character intimately. Many books in this genre gloss over the characters to get straight to the action which makes the book feel superficial or forgettable. Mina Hardy does a fantastic job of creating depth, emotion, and realism to her story.
The story is unique and often unpredictable, creating whiplash turns and drama where it is needed to advance the plot and keep readers on their toes. I enjoyed the uniqueness of the horror aspects. This is not your typical haunted house story. It is deeper and more plausible. It makes you question everything you know about your life.
Overall, Bitter Is The Heart is a fantastic addition to the horror genre. It is unique and different from other haunting novels. It keeps you on the edge of your seat while building connections with the characters to make you truly care about them and create a lasting impact that will keep you thinking about this book long after the last page.

It is now spooky season and this book really hits the spot! I felt a little paranoid the whole time I was reading it and I am here for it!!!! The dynamic of Tamar and her family is so interesting and realistic that it just added to how perfect this book is. If you are looking for a book that makes you feel like someone is in the room with you when no one is home give this book a try please!!

“Nobody believes children who say they’ve seen a monster. Nobody believed adults, either.”

Here we go with the dark and horror filled books for Fall. Yessss I am here for it!

I love when creepy books involve mothers and daughters and that whole dynamic. It goes against every natural instinct a mother has so that alone ups the ante in terms of wow and creep factor.

Love loved the audiobook! The narration is great and harnesses the angst these characters are feeling. While not scary enough that you can’t listen in the dark, there is surly a horror element that makes your skin crawl.

“Garrett had always shouted at horror movie characters who’d stayed in the place where scary things were going on. He’d never understood how terrible, even terrifying things can become . . . normal. How you can get so used to being scared all the time that you can become almost numbed to it.” 😨

Thank you to Netgalley, @Dreamscape_Media, Crooked Lane Books, and the author for the ALC and ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this ARC!!! There. Are. Not. Enough. Stars!!! This story is sooooo good! Creepy, wild and extremely entertaining. The novel description did not do it justice!

Haunted by childhood abuse, Tamar is forced to care for her cruel elderly mother.
The story explores their tumultuous mother-daughter relationship.
The story starts off slow but eventually gets suspenseful and very disturbing. Overall it was creepy and super entertaining. The narrator did an excellent job with each character.
Many thanks to NetGally, Dreamscape Media, and Mina Hardy for sharing the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was way more horror heavy than I anticipated it being and I absolutely loved that. This creeped me the heck out. The imagery was so well done, at times I felt physically ill. As someone who hates vomit, there was one scene that really got me.

The constant questioning of what was going on is a ride we rode on alongside our main character and it translated perfectly for me. The ending felt a tad too abrupt for my personal tastes

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Mina Hardy’s “Bitter Is the Heart” is a haunting exploration of generational trauma, masterfully brought to life by the evocative narration of Hallie Bee Bard. This audiobook is a chilling journey into the dark recesses of family secrets and the lingering shadows of past abuse.

The story centers on Tamar Glass, a woman who has spent decades running from her abusive mother, Ruth. Just when Tamar believes she has escaped her traumatic past, Ruth reappears, disoriented and in need of care. The tension escalates as Tamar confronts her buried memories and the sinister presence that seems to accompany Ruth.

Hallie Bee Bard’s narration is mesmerizing. Her ability to convey Tamar’s internal struggle and the creeping dread that permeates the story is remarkable. Bard’s voice captures the essence of each character, making the listening experience immersive and emotionally charged. Her pacing and tone enhance the suspense, keeping listeners engaged from start to finish.

Hardy excels in creating complex, relatable characters. Tamar’s journey is one of resilience and confrontation, as she grapples with her mother’s manipulative nature and the supernatural elements that invade her life. Ruth, on the other hand, is a figure of pity and fear, embodying the unresolved horrors of Tamar’s past. The dynamic between mother and daughter is fraught with tension, adding depth to the narrative.

“Bitter Is the Heart” delves into themes of familial obligation, the scars of abuse, and the struggle for personal liberation. Hardy weaves these themes seamlessly into the horror elements, creating a story that is as thought-provoking as it is terrifying. 

“Bitter Is the Heart” is a standout in the realm of psychological horror.

Mina Hardy’s storytelling, combined with Hallie Bee Bard’s exceptional narration, makes this audiobook a must-listen for fans of the genre. It’s a tale that lingers long after the final chapter, leaving listeners to ponder the true nature of the horrors we inherit and the strength it takes to overcome them.

This was a great story of possession, and it had an awesome twist! The possession is dybbuk, which is basically a Jewish demon. I loved this take! This book comes perfectly for spooky season. Also, I enjoyed the family dynamic, where a woman in her 50s, Tamar, never felt loved by her mother, Ruth. Tamar comes back to the area she was raised and attempts to take care of her elderly mother. Again, between the diverse take on possession and the family trauma and drama, I loved this book!

🩸Book Review🩸
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Summary- Tamar Glass fled an abusive mother when she was eighteen, running away from home to find a better life elsewhere. She has lived in freedom from her mother, Ruth, for decades, until one night she wakes to find her now-elderly mother standing over her bed, disoriented and confused.

When Tamar reluctantly takes in her mother, strange events start happening inside her home: the house becomes oppressively hot, lights flicker, and cupboards open and shut on their own. Whispers filter beneath her bedroom door. Tamar learns that Ruth has been kicked out of her assisted living home, and other facilities refuse to house her and endanger their own residents. Tamar has spent years suppressing her childhood trauma, but it comes rushing back with each strange event in her home.

As Tamar copes with their disturbing past, which her mother stubbornly refuses to admit to, she can’t shake the feeling that there’s something worse than her mother lurking in the shadows.
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Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My thoughts- I love a book with a toxic mom (sorry mom) and this one was no exception. I listened to an audio arc of this and it was just fantastically creepy in all the best ways. I could not get enough of Tamar and her creepy elderly mom. This one is really good and really creepy. It’s also pretty gory and descriptive in some sections so be warned. If you like spooky then this is the book for you !
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QOTD- what are you currently reading ? I’m reading a prequel to practical magic and loving it 😍

I really struggled this one, it was entirely too slow for me to get through. Not much really happens, yes it is creepy, but it is not a thriller like I thought it would be it is more just fiction. I honestly don't think she is the author for me. I unfortunately had to DNF this one as I could not get into it at all.

This was a very slow story, almost painfully slow at times. It’s also more of a contemporary fiction, than a horror. Honestly, it could have been a short story. I feel like similar books with problematic mother/daughter relationships and demons have been written before. It didn’t necessarily feel new or unique. I never really felt a connection to Tamar. I wanted so much more from her character.

The narration was great. I really enjoyed this narrator. If you decide to checkout this book, I recommend the audiobook. I think many readers will probably enjoy this book, but sadly it just wasn’t for me.

The way I felt this book in my soul. This book is truly creepy, but more than that, this book is an exploration of generational trauma, the horror of aging, and the immense the grief that comes along with not being close to your mother. The true horror of this book is simply real life.

Tamar left home at eighteen to escape her abusive mother. Now decades later, Tamar’s elderly mother is kicked out of her assisted living facility forcing Tamar to take her mother into her home. Strange events begin to happen after her mother moves in, and it’s very reminiscent of Tamar’s childhood. As she struggles to care for her mother and forgive the past abuse, Tamar wonders if there’s something darker lurking in her house or if it’s just been her mother all along.

This book was truly creepy in so many ways. The creepy imagery starts immediately with the first chapter opening to Tamar waking up to find her estranged mother standing over her bed in the middle of the night. Just that imagery alone had me freaked out. And there were so many other scary moments with some of the scenes making me audibly gasp at loud. Other moments were so emotional that I was in tears. I was not expecting this book to hit me that way that it did. I really related to Tamar as a character - from the difficult relationship with her mother to her decision not to have children. I also really loved the childfree/childless by choice representation in this book. The discussion around generational trauma and how it affects us as adults was really well done. When I was done reading, I had to sit and think about this one for a while. I know this is going to be a book that stays with me.

.Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrator(s): ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes, etc: Possession, Dysfunctional Family
POV: Single, 3rd Person
Cliffhanger?: No
Song Association: Ptolemaea by Ethel Cain

The Praise: I really enjoyed this! Tamar was a strong main character who stood her ground.
I also liked that Judaism was incorporated since a majority of possession stories in media lean largely catholic/christian. Very unique.

The Critique: I would’ve liked a bit more information about the dybbuk’s capabilities and what exactly the deal was with Sally.

Final Thoughts: The story itself was interesting, eerie, and heart-wrenching. Perfect for spooky season.

This was a very refreshing book in the world of horror through generational trauma. I appreciated the subversion of Christian tropes in demonic possessions. There were parts of this story that were truly unnerving and not blatant. The scenes in which Ruth was acting out could have been due to a few different factors, I found it to be clever. It reminded me of Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage. But for an elderly woman instead of a child. Looking forward to the author's other work. Thank you for the permission. Already recommended to my wife!

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Hallie Bee Bard does a wonderful job with the narration on this book! She seamlessly covers all the characters, and navigates the different accents and ages. I really liked how real and gritty this story felt. So many of us can relate to similar situations and it’s so hard to want to help and keep your mouth shut when you’ve been wronged in the past. If you like family thrillers with a supernatural element, be sure to check this book out!

This book had just the right amount of creepy. The mother daughter dynamic was so believable. I enjoyed the Jewish faith components mixed in. Even though I found myself intently listening to find out what would happen in the end, I struggled to connect with the story. I wasn't truly invested until a little more than halfway through. It was slightly a slow burn for me.

The narrator, Hallie Bee Bard, did a great job adding to the creepiness and suspense of the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.