i really enjoyed this! i’m a sucker for a haunted house story. esp ones involving angry spirits, and a reminder that you can never trust a man 😤 this was creepy and very entertaining. the writing and format was interesting, couldn’t put it down. thank you to the publishers for the ARC.

This was such a fun ride to be honest I’m not a sucker for Huaunted house vibe but this one did an amazing job with this premise! I read it in one sitting but the protagonist in this book was a bit annoying to me and the ending got me for real 🔥

this was a good book! It was a bit creepier and actually scarier than I thought it would be. I liked the thrilling moments and how it felt so eerie while reading it. Overall it was good!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

It Her House First was a really interesting read for me. I enjoyed how the author slowly gave me pieces of the story…..I just wanted to keep reading and I love that feeling when reading a book! I liked how the author flipped back and fourth from points of view of the ghost and the current resident of the house! I also enjoyed reading the diary entries. I will definitely read from this author again!

Ronnie buys a very old and decrepit house. She recently lost her brother and this massive project will give her focus and a purpose. Fix it up while respecting the grand house where Venita Rost, an actress once lived… and died. But not everyone is happy with her plan…
Bartholomew Sloane also died in this house. Once a good friend to Venita and her family. But when she feels that he is responsible for taking the one thing she loved most in the world… Well, hell have no fury. She may be dead, but she is not done with evil men who invade her house.
This was a book I really enjoyed! My partner, and I have DIYed two houses, and the endless problems and money needed was very well depicted. In addition, we learned what happened to Venita all those years ago, through her own words.
A very eerie atmosphere, and while it was too late to change Venita’s outcome, I kept my fingers crossed the whole time for Ronnie.

I really thought nothing would top the toll. But I’ll be damned priest has done it again. This book was such a thrilling, fun, and haunting haunted house read. A story I feel could only be pulled off by priest and her writing style. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

This book is a unique haunted house novel that I could NOT put down! Ronnie and Kate were great characters, I loved the setting, and the story was very well written.

This was such a unique haunted house story! I absolutely loved that we got the POV of the ghost, and him trying to talk but no one could hear him. I also loved that we got Venita’s POV told through her diary entries. So fun!

I found myself thinking about this book when I wasn’t reading it. Ronnie and Kate’s relationship was wonderful, I loved how they cared about each other. The house itself was what dreams are made of, if those dreams are dark and eerie. This was a great story! The only reason it’s not 5⭐️s is there were a few things I wish we had more clarity on.

This was a dark, chilling, impressive read. A terrific ghost story.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy.

It really seems like Cherie Priest can do it all -- this one is definitely a haunted house book, but we also see some of how the house got to be that way. I liked the Seattle setting as I'm somewhat familiar with the city, sadly I am also familiar with home renovation so all those parts rang true as well (and increased the horror, at least for me). Wraps up in a satisfying way too.

Wow wow wow. I’ve head so many good things about this book and it didn’t disappoint. It was the perfect haunted house book. I like how all of the stories intertwined and eventually came together.

Such a great book. Couldn't stop reading it. Thank you for my advance reader copy. Can't wait to look up other books from this author.

First I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy!

Cherie Priest’s It Was Her House First sets up an intriguing haunted house premise with a clever twist—three POV characters: Ronnie, the new homeowner, and two undead former tenants who aren’t exactly thrilled about their new living situation. Ronnie buys an old house in a small town, hoping for a fresh start after her brother Ben dies, only to find herself sharing space with lingering spirits who refuse to pack up and leave. The result is a tense, eerie story that blurs the line between the living and the dead, as all three characters lay claim to the house in their own way.

Priest is a master at mood, and she absolutely nails the claustrophobic dread of being trapped somewhere you really shouldn’t be. The ghosts aren’t just passive observers—they have thoughts, agendas, and plenty to say, which makes for an interesting dynamic but also means there’s a lot of dialogue. The back-and-forth between characters keeps things moving, but at times, I wanted a little less conversation and a little more terrifying manifestations of the afterlife.

That said, it’s still a fun, eerie read, and Priest knows how to land a chilling moment when it counts. If you like your horror with a lot of banter, a slow-burn mystery, and a fresh take on hauntings, this one’s worth picking up. Just be prepared to hear everyone’s side of the story—whether they’re alive or not.

What a fun read ! I love reads where houses have potential hauntings, secrets and stories behind it! I also liked different format of writing, multiple povs, dual timelines and journal entries! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for arc copy of this book!

I couldn’t stop reading It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest. The book grabbed me like a runaway freight train and wouldn’t let go until the end of the book. I was very lucky to get to read it early. Thank you Net Galley and the publisher!

What is It Was Her House First about?

Ronnie has just bought an old house to fix up. She needs something to distract her from the recent loss of her brother. This house is a major fixer-up though. Not only that, but its haunted by a few ghosts, including a silent movie star and a detective. And Ronnie isn’t the only living person that’s interested in the ghosty house. Perhaps Ronnie just bought more trouble than she bargained for…

Oh my god. It Was Her House First is a fantastic book. I love Ronnie’s perspective and her backstory. I love that the book is also told from the perspective of the detective ghost and we get to find out the silent movie star’s story too. The characters are all interesting and complex.

The story is so well written and as I mentioned before, I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what was going to happen to Ronnie and what happened in the past with the silent movie star, her family, and the detective. This story just wouldn’t let me go.

I was very pleased by the ending. Cherie Priest ends the book perfectly. I love that final line! Between this and The Drowned House, I’ve found a new favorite author. In fact, I have a non-review book, Grave Reservations, by her and will read that as soon as I can.

It Was Her House First is a fantastic ghost story. Its definitely going to be on my list of favorite books this year.

If you love ghost stories, you will not want to miss It Was Her House First!

It Was Her House First comes out on July 22nd, 2025 (hey that’s the day before my birthday!). Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing an early digital copy of the book for this review.

This is a good read.

While I'm not really the 'old Hollywood' type reader, this was done deftly - just enough of our actress and the people who surrounded her while still keeping the present story alive and moving.

I found that I really loved our main character and even some our no-longer-alive ones.

Very mysterious and, at times, heartrending.

I enjoyed this one!

This was a dark and chilling read that made me feel like I was right there amongst the action although I was glad I wasn't. I really enjoyed it

A decaying mansion. A vengeful ghost. A past that refuses to stay buried.

When Ronnie Mitchell inherits a long-abandoned cliffside estate, she sees nothing but potential. It’s a fresh start—a chance to channel her grief into something tangible, something hers. Armed with her background in renovation and an unexpected insurance payout, she buys the property sight unseen, ready to restore it to its former glory.

But Ronnie isn’t the only one who calls this house home.

Lurking in the shadows is Venita Rost, a silent film star whose presence still lingers long after her death. She was the house’s first true owner, and she has no intention of relinquishing her claim. Venita’s spirit is a web-weaving predator, her influence seeping through the walls, ensnaring those unlucky enough to step inside. Watching in helpless horror is Inspector Bartholomew Sloan, Venita’s eternal adversary, bound to the house by his own sins.

As Ronnie peels back the layers of the mansion’s history, she begins to suspect that some hauntings aren’t just about the dead—they’re about the living, too. When a stranger arrives at her door, full of jealousy and half-truths, the past and present collide in a deadly confrontation.

Trapped between the living and the dead, Ronnie must unravel the house’s secrets before she becomes another soul lost to its walls. But in a place where survival has always been a matter of power, the question remains: Who really owns this house?

A chilling, immersive blend of gothic horror and supernatural suspense, It Was Her House First is an eerie, atmospheric tale of obsession, betrayal, and the ghosts that never let go.

#ItWasHerHouseFirst #PoisonedPenPress #CheriePriest #GothicFiction #HauntedHouseHorror #SilentFilmSecrets #GhostsOfThePast

New homeowner Ronnie buys a fixer-upper with a haunting past, and it might not be the ghosts haunting the place she needs to fear the most.

It was her house first unfolds through dual timelines—the present day and the 1930s—gradually revealing the secrets of the house’s haunting via ghost Bartholomew Sloan and the diary of the homes main, vindictive ghost, Venita Rost. Ronnie, grappling with grief of her late brother and having gone off her meds, purchases the infamous starlet Venita Rost's house with Ben's life insurance money, undeterred by warnings of its “dangers" - whether it be the fact every homeowner has died in the house, the asbestos, or the friendly not-quite-neighbor, Coty.

The first 16 percent of the book outside of Sloans short chapters felt like watching one of those reality shows where people fix up ancient properties on HGTV. Not much goes on but repeatedly letting us know Ronnie's brother has died recently. I felt myself skimming bits because it felt like reading a transcript of Fixer Upper.

Sloans chapters were the better ones. It's not often we get insight into a ghosts head. When he was alive, he was rather a Hercule Poirot. Though as we delve into his pov and learn from Venitas diary, he was a great investigator. Not through merit, but because of some deal he made that inadvertently killed Venitas daughter, Priscilla, and ultimately lead to Venita orchestrating not only her death, but the death of her husband, Oscar, and Bart Sloan. Karma can be a vindictive bitch, but so can Venita.

I wanted to love this, I did. It feels like nothing really happens until 85 percent, and ghosts finally come out when real life danger does.

It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest is a thrilling horror novel that masterfully leans into unsettling moments and suspense. The story revolves around Venita Rost, a silent film star whose spirit still resides in her cliffside mansion. The newest owner, Ronnie Mitchell, is undertaking significant renovations thanks to an inheritance.

The narrative is told from three distinct POVs, each with its own unique voice, and it moves seamlessly between the past and present. There have been other deaths in the mansion, and Venita is not the only ghost haunting the place. One of the other ghosts is Venita's nemesis, Inspector Bartholomew Sloan.

In the present day, Ronnie is a fascinating character with OCD tendencies, which made me connect with her immediately. I enjoyed hearing about the house renovations she was working on. The story combines dark humor with a twisty tale that slowly unfolds, creating a good gothic feel. The wrap-up of the story built up the tension beautifully, and it worked well for me. This is another good one from author Cherie Priest.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.