This was such a unique story that I found myself needing to finish.

I'd say this book is a slow read but still engrossing. The writing is beautiful but it doesn't feel like your typical storytelling where you're experiencing things with the MC. It more felt like this was the narrator's recollection of her life, even though I don't think that's necessary said. Cassie is an interesting character and while she frustrated me, I also had great compassion for her. I found her decisions baffling, but didn't feel like I got to see every moment that lead up to her decision. However, I completely see how her OCD controls every decision she makes.

I found this example of OCD very refreshing. As someone who also has OCD that takes form in a similar way (but in no way as severe) I know that many people will read this that didn't even know that people suffer from OCD in this way. I enjoyed seeing glimpses of how others view her that have no idea she suffers from this. And then we meet Beth in a unique way and I found getting to know her kept me reading. I especially love the way Cassie and Beth's story intertwines.

I loved the setting of this story. It felt super gothic but also quaint small town. I wasn't sure if every character was suspect and there was a sinister twist coming or if everything was just mundane. I find it difficult to put labels or genres to this. But I can say (as a fan of haunted house stories) this is not a haunted house story. But it is a unique take on a haunting.

I recommend reading this but going into it without "haunted house" expectations and having an open mind of what hauntings can look like.

Thank you Simon & Schuster for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Cassie walks away from her career in New York after a painful breakup and a troubling incident at work. She goes back to her hometown in New Jersey where she reconnects with Eli, a widower raising two young children. Their friendship quickly deepens into marriage, and Cassie becomes a stepmother living in the shadow of Eli’s late wife Beth. The house still feels like it belongs to Beth, and Cassie is left trying to create a place for herself in a life that seems shaped by someone else’s absence.

At the same time, Cassie battles harm OCD and the graphic intrusive thoughts that come with it. Cullen captures this with unflinching honesty, showing how terrifying the mind can be when it will not quiet down. The novel turns eerie as Cassie begins to hear a voice that might hold secrets about Beth and the family she has stepped into.

The strength of the book lies in how it blends the everyday rhythms of domestic life with the creeping unease of grief, memory, and mental illness. Cullen’s writing makes the quiet moments heavy, and the tension builds not from jump scares but from the fear of never measuring up, of never fully belonging. Cassie’s struggle feels intimate and real, and that makes the haunting all the more powerful.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

House of Beth by Kerry Cullen surprised me in a good way. I went into this novel blind, which is my preferred way to enjoy a book. However, sensitive readers may want to check out the trigger warnings, because our main character battles with harm OCD.

I love a ghost story, especially one that feels like it could be rooted in reality. The two POVs of Cassie and Beth, had me turning the pages furiously, resulting in my finishing this book in just two days. For the first half of House of Beth, where Cassie was the predominant POV, I had no idea where the story was going. As Beth’s sections became more fleshed-out, I began to see where the author was trying to take me, and I was on board to see how that played out.

House of Beth is billed as horror, and while there are horror elements, especially body horror, which were quite gruesome and startling at times, it is not of the jump-scare type. Additionally, the ghost elements were fascinating, beautiful and evocative. There were some plot points that seemed a touch unbelievable, but since revealing them would be a spoiler, let’s just say, this is a ghost story after all, so suspending some disbelief goes along with the territory.

House of Beth would be a good book to try during spooky season, especially if you enjoy a literary ghost story, and themes exploring identity, sexuality and motherhood.

3.75 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of House of Beth by Kerry Cullen in exchange for my honest review.

This was the perfect Fall read for me. I went in blind, and the book took turns that I wasn’t expecting, but really enjoyed! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this eArc in exchange for my honest review.

House of Beth follows a woman who really seems to float through life always wondering what is the real her. She starts the book in a very different place than she is by even 10% of the way in. In some ways, I almost felt like I was watching her cosplay as a good wife and mother even though she actually was one. Yes, she has obsessive thoughts that feel very out of her control, but she still does right by the family she's found herself in.

However, I really fell in love with the story during the second half where the first wife's presence is fully felt in a way I was not at all expecting. I was worried when I read the premise that it would be too similar to books I had read before but this ended up being the version of those books that I always wanted.

I reviewed this book in a YouTube video (it was the last book I talked about in that one)

*Thank you to Simon&Schuster for the e-ARC! All opinions are my own.*

2.75/5

This one was really only good for the last 20%-ish, unfortunately. The rest of it was just boring, in my opinion. There wasn't enough tension built up to the ending and the characters, especially Cassie since we're spending most of our time with her, were not developed well enough for me to care about them. It was just good, not great. :/

I feel a bit ambivalent about this one. I liked how the author decided to use the form of "the ghost story," but never felt like I truly understood any of the characters' motivations -- especially Cassie and Eli. I also think the topics that are brought up (OCD, motherhood, queerness & identity, heteronormativity, etc) are never fully explored: in having so many things that the book is interested in, they never really go beyond the surface level explanation of how these things have affected the characters. I thought Beth was the most interesting character in this novel and had the most introspection and characterization that didn't feel repetitive.

I also agree with other reviewers that this reads as more of a domestic drama with elements of horror than a horror novel.

I enjoyed this one! Beautiful prose and engaging characters. Definitely a good book to pick up this autumn for all the paranormal and spooky vibes.

I quite enjoyed this book! The creepy paranormal aspect of it is my favorite. A ghost love story was not what I expected but I’m not disappointed by it. Cassie & Beth were a bit relatable, they both are so different but they make a great team. The ending is the only thing I wasn’t a fan of.
Thank you @simonbooks & Netgalley for this ARC

Following the aftermath of a breakup and discovery, the main character, Cassie, flees what she knows to seek familiar comforts, leading to marriage and life-transitions as Cassie steps into an unfamiliar role as a stepmother.

I enjoyed House of Beth and the writing style, character development, and mental health representation. The overall storyline felt similar to that of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. A ghost story that’s also a love story, unlike those more common on social media. I adored this book!

Marked as a horror, not really scary story sadly. Cassie flees New York after breaking up with her girlfriend and marries high school best friend Eli, and becomes step mother to his two small children. Eli is also grieving his wife who recently died. Cassie’s becomes enamored with learning more about his wife.

I enjoyed this book, I found the prose to be engaging and the characters to be complex, I think the ending was a bit abrupt.

This is listed as horror, but it's not scary or anxiety inducing. There's a mystery and someone ends up a little bit possessed, but nbd. I thought this was pretty good. It definitely kept me engaged. I would definitely read more books by this author.

3.75

This one was a little better than just OK. While the premise had promise, the character work really needed more development. The characters never felt real to me, so I didn’t care much about them or what happened. They seemed vague and unimportant, especially the husband, Eli, who felt more like a placeholder than an actual person. Additionally, I needed more from Joan. She was such an integral part of the story, but such a flat character at the same time.

That said, the book did keep me engaged enough to want to see how things played out, even if I wasn’t fully invested. There were so many different threads competing for attention—the OCD and intrusive thoughts, the exploration of bisexuality, the haunted ex-wife ghost story—and none of them really had the space to breathe. It almost felt like the book was trying to do too much at once, which made it hard for me to buy into any single element. Maybe if it had been a little longer or narrowed its focus, it would have landed more strongly.

The ending also left me feeling a bit flat. I saw the “twist” coming (which isn’t necessarily a problem), but the way it played out felt anticlimactic. And again, because Eli was underdeveloped, I couldn’t even muster up strong feelings toward him...he was just there to move the plot along.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad read, but it wasn’t memorable either. The premise had a lot of potential, but the execution didn’t quite come together for me.

This one was really strange. An unreliable narrator who suffers from harm OCD and has a weird sense of reality and outlook on life. I felt like this was a lot of narration, and while I understand that is how the author wanted us to learn about the characters and all their surroundings, I had a really hard time trying to stay engaged with the story the whole time. I felt like I was just reading an never-ending monologue rather than gaining anything of interest from the story. I didn't like our main character, Cassie, at all, and I felt like the writing was extremely dry and boring. It made me not care about the twist at the end. I didn't feel compelled to care. I hate to be harsh, but it is true. I can see the value in this story and how it can be a good book for some, but apparently it is not for me. I thought I would like this book since horror and thrillers are things I highly enjoy. It was just.... weird.

I think I definitely went into this one with the complete wrong expectations. Either way, I did not enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. The last third of the book was definitely the strongest, but it also felt rushed. And much of the beginning just felt unnecessary. I wish this pacing had been more even throughout. I liked where the story went, however, the relationships between all the characters never felt believable to me and could have benefited from some fleshing out. I did like the writing style though, and I would read from the author again. I believe this is a debut? It felt like it. But I'd love to see how the author's writing grows in the future because this one had a lot of potential it just didn't quite live up to.
2.5 ⭐ rounded up

After a painful breakup and a shocking discovery, Cassie retreats from her New York literary job to her small-town New Jersey roots. Marrying her childhood best friend, Eli, unexpectedly casts her as stepmother to his two young children—and into the lingering shadow of his late wife, Beth. Still grieving her ex-girlfriend and navigating harm OCD, Cassie becomes drawn into Beth’s life, her home, and her ghost.

At just 240 pages, House of Beth is taut, propulsive, and gorgeously melancholic. Think Rebecca meets queer literary fiction—blurring life and afterlife in a haunting tale of love, grief, and self-discovery. Not horror, but lush, gothic-tinged storytelling at its finest.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the early copy.

I read this around the time I was reading a bunch of other unhinged, female rage, type novels/short stories.

After her life takes some unexpected turns, Cassie returns to her hometown and reconnects with a young love.Eli. Cassie's mental health is effecting her severely with is interfering with the new life she is trying to start. As her mental state continues to decline, she begins to hear a voice telling her secrets of the house and life of her young love.

This read is short which makes it quick. Though there were moments of slowness, the pace picked up near the end. It did not go quite as expected ,but I will take that as a win!

I enjoyed this read a lot! The ending was phenomenal, the plot engaging and the romance element towards the end was brilliant.

I loved this story, and I wasn't at all sure where it was going when I started it. Which is perfect for me! The twists and turns we take to get back to Cassie's hometown and old friend help build a backstory for some of the unconventional choices she makes, and this story gave me some pseudo-Rebecca vibes. Absolutely love the ending and the way the women come together in the end!