I really enjoyed this southern gothic but the MC was so unlikable and her decisions were so baffling, I found it hard to root for her. Narrator Casandra Campbell did an AMAZING job in bringing this story to life. Though the characters were questionable I enjoyed the plot.

Unfortunately, Gothictown didn’t work for me. While Carpenter’s writing is undeniably atmospheric—her descriptions of the town were eerie and immersive—the story itself fell flat. The main character was especially frustrating; at times, I wondered if we were meant to dislike her. She sees herself as a strong, protective mother, yet she repeatedly makes baffling decisions, essentially abandoning her daughter (and her job?) for days without much thought. It was hard to stay invested when her actions felt so inconsistent. The gothic vibes were there, but the narrative and character choices left me more irritated than intrigued.

GOTHICTOWN by Emily Carpenter

The narration by, Cassandra Campbell, was spot on. She is a favorite of mine and has won numerous awards for her audio reads.

When things seem too good to be true, they usually are

A southern gothic thriller filled with folk horror, set in the creepy small town of Juliana, Georgia. Post pandemic Billie receives, a too good to be true, incentive for purchasing a home in Juliana; along with her husband, Peter, and their daughter, Mere, they make the decision to move. Things quickly take a turn for the worst shortly thereafter when strange things occur in the home and with the townspeople. So, suspend your disbelief and escape into the strange town of Julianna with Billie Hope and her family. You’ll be glad you did.

This is my second read by the author and I enjoy her writing style along with her storytelling. I look forward to what this author will bring to us in the future

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the audiobook.

If something seems too good to be true … well you know.
Story was intriguing yet uneventful and slow. Was hoping for more from it but was still a decently fun concept.

I’m rating this audiobook 4 stars! You can depend on the narrator, Cassandra Campbell, to deliver everytime! I love her different voices for all the different characters in this story.

This creepy little audiobook would be a good story to listen to if you’re in a reading slump. Every chapter has you questioning what the heck going on in this creepy little town? The reveal at the end was everything!!!! Oh and btw…if you ever get an email from a ghost town offering you a mansion for $100…DELETE AND BLOCK!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio arc!

DNF @ 35%

I really was trying to give this a chance but I am so incredibly bored and I do not like the main character at all. I also was not sufficiently creeped out. It just felt like the story was kinda bragging along so far and I can't deal without knowing the direction any longer. Also, even though this isn't a romance book, I can't sympathize with a main character who cheats!! She's a married woman but kisses a man at the 35% mark and is basically having an emotional affair with him even early, like wth why?? You have a very nice man at home who decided to leave New York City and come to some no place small town and you can't even be faithful? Just disgraceful if you ask me

As I listened to this audiobook, I found myself thinking about Stephen King books I read. The style reminded me of some of his books. The story was a bit slow at times but overall it was a wonderful book to listen to while doing my daily activities.

2.5 rounded down.

Oh boy. I love a good Gothic horror read, and I wanted to like this one so much, but I struggled to even finish it. The MC ignores red flags left and right and seems to complete forget about her daughter for a good couple of days. Someone dies that should be a pretty big deal to the MC and it seemed like her response was "Well that's a downer. On with my day!" It was slow and I thought it was going to take an interesting twist about 80%, nope. She was dreaming. Didn't seem like a horror or really even like a thriller. I felt like I was listening to a cozy mystery with a MC that is kind of an air head. Such a bummer.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook for review.

What WAS THAT?

I honestly don't know if I can write a comprehensive review, I was left just starting at the wall after finishing this. It had everything I love in a horror novel, small town drama, a psychological aspect, etc. I loved the unreliable narrator as well.

Honestly, I need to reread this again because seriously. WHAT WAS THAT?

Oh I really loved this audiobook. I couldn’t put it down. Interesting idea and also a great setting. Some crazy small town characters and a totally unexpected last 1/4 of the book. So much I wasn’t expecting. Also great narration.

"A restaurateur lured by pandemic-era incentives moves her family to a seemingly idyllic town in Georgia."
This novel had a great premise, that since the Civil War era, if you make a sacrifice, the town will thrive. Fast forward to the present, Billie Hope and her husband and child move to the town after given the incentive that it only costs $100 for a house. given her restaurant in NYC had to close after the pandemic, she felt this would be the perfect place to settle down and try to open another restaurant. Weird things begin to happen, sleepless nights turned into nights ridden with nightmares and exhaustion. The is something not quite right with the town.
I have to say that with a beginning like that, I thought this book would be super creepy. In my opinion it was a slow burn that only suggested some paranormal activity. Most of the corruption was from the original families. I wish there had been a bit more of a lean toward the paranormal aspect, but the book was still good.

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.

I really wanted to love Gothic Town. The premise hooked me right away—I adore Southern Gothic vibes, and the eerie, atmospheric setting had so much potential. Unfortunately, the execution completely fell flat for me.

Billie, the main character, was insufferable. I found her frustratingly annoying, making it difficult to stay engaged in the story. The plot itself felt disjointed, lacking a clear direction, which made the book feel like a slog rather than an immersive experience.

To make matters worse, the audiobook narration didn’t help at all. The narrator’s subdued, almost whispery voice whenever Billie spoke to others was grating and made those moments feel forced and unnatural.

Overall, Gothic Town was a huge disappointment. If you’re drawn to it for the Southern Gothic atmosphere, you might want to look elsewhere because the frustrating protagonist and messy storytelling make it a tough read.

I love anything to do with cults, so this book seemed like a great read from the start. I was genuinely chilled when we found out what happened in the beginning of the book, which left me wondering what dark secrets were left for the reader to seek out in the rest of the book. However, the book fell flat in that regard. Everything that happened was told at the beginning, and there wasn’t an even darker secret that was omitted.

I liked the creepiness of how when people move to Julianna they can’t leave (always adds a spooky factor), but this book to me wasn’t so much a gothic horror book as it was cozy mystery. There weren’t any real jump scares or anything that left me wide-eyed and wondering.

The FMC also wasn’t the most sympathetic character. I did feel she was very naive and hard to empathize with (especially for accepting such a sketchy offer in the first place).

As for the narration, I very much enjoyed it. At fiet, I wasn’t sure about the narrator’s voice but as she continued it sounded like the voice of someone I would listen to as a little kid during storytime at school. The voice was calming, she created voices for the different characters (which made them easy to differentiate from one another), and it was engaging to listen to and put me into the story.

The narrator also embodied the FMC very well and I was grateful for that. Sometimes the narrator’s voice seemed to go in for a while without a change in tone which made the audiobook feel longer at times or made it easy to zone out. But overall, I thought the narrator did a great job (especially with the southern accents)

The perfect combination of spooky and suspense. I would love a sequel to know the continuation of Sweet Juliana.

Mexican Gothic comes to Georgia! I love the vibe! Cool historical background but I got a little lost in the details at times. Lots of "founding family" members to keep up with. I would definitely recommend to readers who enjoy their fiction with a small side of "weird!" Thanks to NetGalley for the audio ARC!

Wow, I enjoyed this thriller very much and would recommend it. This is a Southern Gothic Thriller of a family moving from New York to Juliana, Georgia. A home, a beautiful mansion for $100, 12 acres included? What’s the deal? Although skeptical they decide it’s a great opportunity to own their own house and have their daughter able to play outside safely without the fear of traffic hazards. She can attend great schools.

The people are welcoming and nice but after a time they notice something’s is not quite right. Is the house cursed or haunted?

4.5 stars
Publish date March 25, 2025

Thank you NetGalley and RBMedia for this audio ARC copy for an honest review.

This book ended up surprising me as I had a slightly rocky start with listening to the audiobook as I was getting a bit confused at times. I am not sure what it was but I needed to keep “rewinding” the audio trying to make heads or tails of some things. This isn’t typical for me. So I contacted the publisher and was fortunate to receive an eARC so I could do an immersion read.

So armed with both the audio and the ebook I started again having a much better experience! The first half is a bit slower but it is setting the scene for the action at the end. Could there be a bit more connection between the halves? Yes but that’s nitpicking.

I will say that the FMC wasn’t too likable to me. The choices she made and how she treated her daughter was concerning but I don’t have to like the characters to enjoy the book. They sparked emotion in me and I enjoy yelling at fictional people!

I loved the supernatural elements and the twists and turns that the story took. Having the southern gothic vibe set up at the beginning of the book did its job with creating the eerie vibes. It was a true “if something looks to be too good to be true, it is” lesson for the characters to learn.

I will say that the most freighting part of the book was the parallels to life in 2025 in the US . The concentration of power and wealth and how it shapes the town in the book and keeps its residents disgusted and ignorant speaks volumes.


I am thankful to have gotten the audio ALC for free from RB Media through NetGalley and the eARC from Kensington Publishing through Edelweiss to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

I really wanted to like this better than I did. For about 2/3rds, it was feeling like a strong 3.5, and I was looking forward to recommending it to a friend, but then it just. Kept. Going. Finally, it fizzled to an end, and I was left wondering what the point was.

This started off intriguingly. In most horror/mysteries I’ve read, the narrator is nervous about something, reasonably or unreasonably, and her partner dismisses her worries. Or, the narrator thinks something is perfectly fine while the reader is screaming at them to pick up on the signs. Here, everything seems fine and the narrator thinks everything is fine, while her husband spirals into paranoia for seemingly no reason. It was a fresh set up. Plus, the setting was vivid and the characters interesting enough for me to keep reading, and I was willing to wait for the slow burn of the mystery to heat up. I also enjoyed the audiobook narrator.

However, it wasn’t enough.

There were many scenes that were just info-dumps of past times and, and made me wonder why the story was based so strongly in one person’s viewpoint if the writer seemed to want a sprawling sense of the town and its history. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Billie’s tough, New Yorker attitude and love for her restaurant and her daughter (despite her more unlikable choices), but there seemed to be a mismatch between her outsider’s perspective and the holistic view of the town we were getting.

Speaking of the type of book Gothictown was, I’m so confused by the marketing. There’s no real sense of the gothic here, and it played so safely on the line between horror and grounded mystery that I don’t know if either audience would be happy. I’ll go into more detail in the spoiler section (because I need to rant, but want this part to be readable to all audiences), but if I were marketing this, I would have placed this firmly on the mystery/thriller side of things.

In addition, one of the main reasons I picked this up was “The Lottery meets Sharp Objects” pitch, which turned out to be completely wrong. This has NOTHING of Flynn’s darkness or level of screwed up main character, and while I can see bits of The Lottery in the plot points, it’s not at all what I was hoping for (in writing circles, people always say not to comp based too much on the plot - instead, look at the AUDIENCE. The audience for this is completely different than either of those two titles).

Between the info-dumps, the unwillingness to commit to the best part of any genre, and the dragged out ending, I wouldn’t recommend this. However, I did like over half of the reading experience, and maybe someone who is used to thrillers but wants to (just barely) dip their toe into something more speculative would enjoy this.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.</i>

4.5 Stars – Gripping & Unsettling!

I loved the premise and execution of this book! It hooked me from the start, even if the beginning was a bit slow. The eerie small-town atmosphere, creeping tension, and unraveling mystery made for an engrossing read. Juliana felt as much a character as Billie herself—charming yet insidiously menacing. The ending was satisfying, tying everything together in a way that felt earned.

As soon as I finished, I added the author’s entire backlist to my TBR! Thank you, NetGalley & RBmedia, for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.