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My Darling Dreadful Thing – Johanna Van Veen

jessicamapreviews

May 30

This cover is eerie and stunning and gives off the exact vibes you want for a gothic horror read

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review

MY DARLING DREADFUL THING - Johanna Van Veen (Released May 14th, 2024)

Book Description:

In a world where the dead can wake and walk among us, what is truly real?

Roos Beckman has a spirit companion only she can see. Ruth—strange, corpse-like, and dead for centuries—is the only good thing in Roos' life, which is filled with sordid backroom séances organized by her mother. That is, until wealthy young widow Agnes Knoop attends one of these séances and asks Roos to come live with her at the crumbling estate she inherited upon the death of her husband. The manor is unsettling, but the attraction between Roos and Agnes is palpable. So how does someone end up dead?

Roos is caught red-handed, but she claims a spirit is the culprit. Doctor Montague, a psychologist tasked with finding out whether Roos can be considered mentally fit to stand trial, suspects she's created an elaborate fantasy to protect her from what really happened. But Roos knows spirits are real; she's loved one of them. She'll have to prove her innocence and her sanity, or lose everything.

My Thoughts: 3/5 stars

The premise for this one was truly unique and had my curiosity piqued. Having a spirit companion sounds like it would be like having a ghost hanging around, but these ones appear as partially decomposed. Almost exactly as you'd imagine a dead body - and they can possess their bound host. Sounds scary and like a curse, right? Well, this is actually welcomed, and they're seen as friends and actual companions.

I wanted to love this more than I did. The beginning was really interesting and hooked me, and like a lot of gothic horror, the pacing slowed down. However, the pacing never seemed to pick up steam again, and it became hard to push through the lulls. I loved the writing, I loved the characters and Roos' journey. I just wish there was a little more excitement or something else to keep the pace a live. I will 100% pick up this author again because I want to see what unique story they have in store for us next!