Lee-Anne

This felt a little rushed, honestly.

I had some serious issues with Mila. On the one hand, didn't love the fact that the only prominent female character in this story was essentially reduced to the "villain". On the other hand, I found how easily and blatantly she disregarded Alexander's pretty reasonable requests and boundaries massively icky. I also, honestly, got the impression that at times she was possibly trying to have her cake and eat it with regards to Christian and Alexander, only to turn around and be a bitter surprised Pikachu when she realized that perhaps she wasn't the main draw to her brilliant idea, as she'd initially hoped.

The chemistry between Alexander and Christian was interesting. Again, would have liked a bit more build but overall felt organic for the most part. I think this story was more about how Alexander had to come to terms with the fact that he'd retreated internally after the stuff that happened to his parents and that in order to have a meaningful relationship he had to be willing to open himself up, but also be able to sit with the uncomfortable parts of relationships/emotions. Which, yeah. I'd say it did an okay job of portraying.

I did get the impression that this story was really more of a set-up for the next book, which is unfortunate. I'm enjoying the shared universe aspects, sure, but I still feel like there should be room for each couple to stand on their own merit. Hopefully we will see more of Alexander and Christian at some point.

I'll preface this by saying that these are not books you probably pick up for the nuanced plot. That being said, there were some seeds of potential there, actually. Surprising, I know.

It didn't seem to go anywhere — at least not in this book — but since it is part of a series, broadly speaking, who knows? Maybe it gets developed.

In any case, this was a quick and mostly fun read. I enjoyed the bickering back and forth. The chemistry was pretty solid for the most part. Love me some bisexual rep and conversations about the sexuality spectrum, honestly, worked in organically without seeming preachy.

The pacing was fairly abrupt at points. And while you don't seem to need to have read prior entries in the series, I think it doesn't hurt to have at least read Luke and Roman's book for some extra context. Which I'll definitely be doing because I was pretty intrigued.

Okay, so I did not love how Vlad's internalized homophobia was dealt with. An attempt was certainly made, but it feels like it could have been handled with a bit more care. Ditto the slurs, although that was possibly more understandable in context. I just found Vlad's repeated (and by this I mean it was pretty much identically phrased each time) assertions about his sexuality a bit tedious after a while. Yes, this is a big, significant moment. Yes, no experience is the same, but lord.

On a slightly more persnickety, personal note, I did also find that there were some weird quirks with Vlad's (who is Russian) internal dialogue. Could he feasibly be using the word "slag"? Sure. Do I buy it? Not really.

Still holds up on re-read after around a decade. Did find myself catching a lot more of the little nuances, particularly after finally reading 1984. The way language is manipulated and weaponized is, frankly, terrifying to me.

But also ...where the hell is the cat?

Imagine being stuck in a Gothic novel and knowing that you're stuck in a Gothic novel? That's basically the vibe for Zeb Wyckham, the protagonist.

This is another book that put me in mind of Jennifer Thorne's Diavola. Mostly because Zeb’s greedy, backstabbing family is the absolute worst. Instead of a sunny Italian villa, they are trapped together inside the heavily locked walls of a creepy Dartmoor estate. While the house serves up its fair share of eerie mists and slow-burning dread, the real horror is definitely in the family reunion from hell.

Fortunately, Zeb’s sharp, practical wits and a forced alliance with his grumpy but clever ex-lover keep this spooky ride thoroughly entertaining, delightfully chaotic, and surprisingly full of heart.

A re...listen?

Anyway, for anyone looking to scratch that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy itch. Daniel Steele is an absolute, obnoxious mess and I adore him. Poor Timothy, I think, needs a vacation somewhere lovely but would probably never dream of leaving his partner without supervision.

The only real quibble I have, which I think is due more to how this story is structured, is how many questions I have. Maybe the sequel will answer at least some of them???

This book reminded me a fair bit of Jennifer Thorne’s Diavola. The specific flavor of spookiness isn't identical, but it's close enough that if you liked this one, you’ll probably love that too. (It’s genuinely excellent, by the way—one of those rare horror novels that somehow manages to creep the absolute hell out of you despite spending a surprising amount of time in broad daylight.)

Beyond the comparison, this was just a great read. It’s a really clever spin on Frankenstein, albeit less about the novel itself and more about the strange little constellation of people and events that led to Mary Shelley writing it. Plenty of historical figures wander in and out, but the real stars are the Shelleys and Lord Byron. I only know the broad strokes of their actual history, but it didn't surprise me at all to learn that Percy Shelley and Byron were, to put it mildly, complete pricks.

The atmosphere was easily my favorite part. This is old-school Gothic horror: misty estates, crumbling houses, candlelit corridors, and a constant, creeping dread that something is fundamentally wrong beneath the surface. The book does a beautiful job balancing lush, gorgeous imagery with moments of quiet horror.

The atmosphere was easily my favourite part. This is old-school Gothic horror: misty estates, crumbling houses, candlelit corridors, and a constant, creeping dread that something is fundamentally wrong beneath the surface. The book does a beautiful job balancing lush, gorgeous imagery with moments of quiet horror.

I also really liked the protagonist, Mehr. She's a biracial Indian woman who travels to England under the guise of delivering her younger brother's inheritance. In reality, she's there to exact revenge on her estranged English father, although she hasn't quite admitted that to herself yet. Instead, almost immediately upon arrival, she takes a job as a housemaid in the Shelley household, where things quickly spiral in increasingly alarming directions.

To be fair, she isn't necessarily a "likable", but that's actually one of the things I appreciated most about her. She's messy, angry, and so wonderfully human. Given the sheer amount of bullshit she has to deal with over the course of the novel, both supernatural and otherwise, you can't really blame her for being sharp around the edges. Suffice it to say, things get very real, very fast.

What I appreciated most was that the story never just traded on its premise. A reimagining of Frankenstein's origins could easily devolve into a parade of historical Easter eggs and cheap "look, it's that famous person!" moments. Instead, this stands completely on its own feet. The Gothic horror is always front and centre, but beneath the ghosts and family secrets, it's a rich story about identity, colonialism, grief, and family trauma. None of it feels preachy or heavy-handed; it just gives the horror some real emotional weight.

Overall, I'd absolutely recommend this if you're in the mood for lush, literary Gothic horror with a healthy dose of historical fiction. Come for the Shelleys and Lord Byron behaving exactly as disastrously as history suggests they did. Stay for the haunted houses, family drama, and the growing certainty that absolutely nothing good is waiting behind the next closed door.