Keila (speedreadstagram)'s Reviews > My Darling Dreadful Thing

Thank you to Poised Pen Press and Netgalley @Netgalley for the e-arc. All thoughts are my own.

Unofficial Summary:
Roos has a spirit companion only she can see, that is until a wealthy young widow attends a séance and asks Roos to come live with her. Turns our Agness Knoop also has a spirit companion. The manor they live in is unsettling, but the attraction between Roos and Agness is palpable.

So how does someone end up dead? And is a spirit the culprit? Doctor Montague is determined to find out.

Review:
This is one of my favorite gothic books in a long time. Usually, gothic books tend to be so slow paced that I get a little bored in the process despite loving them, but that was not the case here. The pacing on this book was wonderful and carried on with a nice clip that held my interest throughout and propelled me through the pages nicely. Roos was a fascinating character and I love how we got to know her and really see her character grow over the course of the book. Though I do think that more could have happened with her, and she did do some things I found disappointing, I still really enjoyed her as a character. The side characters were also fun and really added depth to the story. Mrs. Knoop’s sister-in-law was quite the character and sure did like to stir the pot. The sapphic element was light, and left to the reader, but I enjoyed how it was done. It felt very true to the time. I also appreciated the inclusion of the doctor’s sessions with Roos. It was a fun way to unravel what had happened with Mrs. K.

This was a wonderfully written gothic tale and I couldn’t believe it was a debut. It was fantastic.