Gnarled Hollow by Charlotte Greene is a wonderful and spooky lesbian romance, that's part horror part murder mystery, set in a haunted house, starring a cast of diverse academics working together to uncover the mystery of this Spooky House. This book feels exactly like watching a good horror movie and I love it, I need more books like this? It wasn't so scary I couldn't read it, yet the atmosphere and the occasional spooks were so much fun

Its more of a horror mystery than a classic romance, but the main character and her love interest have such a nice, warm relationship 👌 Also the group of academics find themselves in a found family situation by the end which is GREAT

Alas its still a horror story so TWs for death/murder, violence, abuse, ghost induced homophobia at one point and (past) incest

I quite enjoyed Gnarled Hollow. This reads like an old fashioned haunted house book - which may or may not be your cup of tea - and its plot and characters are probably more in line with that type of book rather than standard paranormal lesfic novels. The author is definitely using The Haunting of Hill House (the book, not the movie or the series) as her inspiration and I have a very soft spot in my heart for that book which may be why I enjoyed this one so much. There are similar themes and circumstances as in Hill House, but Greene takes the story and updates, expands and makes it her own. The basic story surrounds a group of five academics who are invited to spend a summer at Gnarled Hollows by the new owner, a distant relative of a reclusive American author who was a lesser known member of the post WWI "Lost Generation" of artists. What could possibly go wrong? Hmmm .... lots.

Greene captures the atmosphere necessary for a good haunting story - there's a nice eerie vibe throughout with odd things happening that the cast of characters spend an inordinate amount of time trying to rationalize as they gather for cocktails in the late afternoon. Add to that some unexpected thrills and chills as something in the house tries to kill off the guests and I was quite happy. Greene even includes a creepy as f*** housekeeper and her groundskeeper husband (omigod ... what is a haunted house story without a creepy housekeeper who keeps letting everyone know she doesn't stay past dark). As the book progresses, everyone but Emily is becoming slightly unhinged at the events but they press on (because, that's what academics do - publish or perish) to find out the House's secrets. The back story behind the house and the family who lived there is revealed in pieces with some red herrings and some rather horrible revelations. Greene doesn't fall into the trap of having to explain away everything odd happening - the damned house is haunted - and lose the creepiness of the story as a result. Nor does she let the backstory fall to pieces by going too overboard - you can match what happened in the past to what is happening in the present.

I'm iffy on the characters - at times they seemed inconsistent and not fleshed out. But if you read this like an ode to Haunting of Hill House, the focus on the atmosphere rather than the characters, and the main characters in that book were Nell and Hill House itself - with the House seducing Nell to stay. Emily is definitely a Nell character - beaten down, insecure and really a mouse - but unlike in The Haunting of Hill House, Greene gives Emily a more proactive role and she manages to grow in self assurance and escape the seductive grasp of the house. Gnarled Hollow also seems to play a rather prominent role - with the characters themselves starting to realize that the house doesn't want them to look too deeply into why things are so odd in the house.

There is a romance of sorts between Emily and Juniper which made me happy - in Hill House, Nell, the insecure and unsure heroine, becomes entranced and obsessed with Theo, the flamboyant flirt. There's so much subtext in that relationship - but in Gnarled Hollow, Emily is attracted to the Juniper, the flamboyant flirt, and they actually hook up. Yay! But the relationship is odd - Emily's insecurity and jealousy seems to be fed by Juniper's continued flirting with Chris and neither of them acknowledging to the others that they are sleeping together.

Overall an enjoyable read and quite different from the usual type of books that fall into the lesfic paranormal category.

Gnarled Hollow was an interesting read, in that I really liked the story, and thought the haunted setting was fantastic, but I didn't care for most of the characters. That's not to say there were badly written, just that their personalities rubbed me the wrong way. That did make it hard to remain engaged, but the mystery Charlotte Greene weaves kept me reading.

Gnarled Hollow itself is a creepy place, a sprawling but lonely estate, which Emily is warned to steer clear of before she even sets eyes on it. The story opens with a time slip, that weird warning, and an apparition in the upstairs window. The house is oddly constructed, with rooms smaller than they should be, and the grounds even stranger, with an elaborate pool house deep within the woods. That pool house is home to two of my three favorite scenes in the book, first with another time slip while locked inside the sauna, and the second with a drowning and a disappearing body. My other favorite is water-related as well, with Emily being repeatedly dragged under the waters of her bath but unseen hands.

There is a minor thread of romance between Emily and Juniper, the beautiful art historian, but there is no chemistry between them, and Juniper is one of those characters I really didn't care for. She goes from warmly romantic one moment to coldly manipulative the next, and there really is no rhyme or reason to her reactions. She infuriated me, and the fact that she befriends Jim, the other character I really disliked, didn't help matters. Chris was the one character, other than Emily, who I really liked, but I had a different set of troubles with him and his nonchalant dismissal of things like nearly being drowned by a ghost!

The first half of this book was still a fantastic read, despite the characters and the inconsistent motivations. The second half was more of a struggle, with the mystery revealed to be something even darker than we could have anticipated, and yet none of the characters seem to recognize the fact. If you were to remove the other characters and make this a more intimate, more Gothic sort of horror story with Emily at the forefront, it would have been a far more engaging read, but there were still enough creepy, supernatural elements to satisfy me.

The language and descriptions are excellent, it is easy to visualise the house, grounds and specific rooms; the creepy bathroom, the 1920’s pool house, the claustrophobic steam room and the attic prison. Greene has done an outstanding job of weaving in all sorts of layers; mysterious patterns in the gardens, missing rooms, odd disappearances, blandly boring journals, unknown artwork, and each mystery is eventually revealed as part of the horrific whole.

Combined with intensely emotional descriptions of the fear the characters experience as they are targeted by the tortured spirit and this book is genuinely a page turner... not only could I not sleep after reading it, I didn’t want to put it down. And the resolution, the tying up of ends and completion of the story arc is excellent, a very satisfying read.

This was such an interesting book from a spooky standpoint and i really liked that aspect of it. The lesbian romance was really disappointing as it was severely underdeveloped and could have done with greater hinting or discussing it openly. I loved the description of the house and the way that the house came alive more as it progressed through the story. I would have rated it higher but the romance was super disappointing.

I'll admit I wasn't quite sure if I'd like this book. But I love it when the author proves me wrong. I loved it!

It just go's to show that we don't really know a person as well as we think we do.

Are ghost stories real? I'm reading this at Halloween so it's a perfectly good question. I personally like to think there are some truths. And this book has made me in to a kind of believer.

I was sitting in bed reading this and the electric went out. Do I have to explain my reaction? Lets just say it made me jump. It was only a brief power cut and I nearly jumped into the loft. Oh hell I'm not going there!!!!

This is definitely one to read. Just read during the day. Enjoy!

*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2501080077

https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R193FNQIEU3YDG/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Not a lot of chills or thrills to be found here, somewhat predictable in parts and not particularly suspenseful...and yet there is something about this story which held my attention. It’s a pleasant little ghostly story, featuring a malevolent house which needs the truth to be told.

I tried. I really did. I wanted to like this. There isn't many reviews for this one but the ones that are there are all incredibly positive. However, it isn't working for me. At All.

Emily, the main character, is beyond annoying. We have an insta-love situation that is just ridiculous and completely unnecessary to the story. They've met for only a couple of hours and already Emily is completely possessive and jealous if June talks to anyone else. Emily is one needy hot mess of a woman that I'd rather not spend time with anymore.

More haunted house. Less romance. Just my opinion.

DNF - will not be included in my 2018 reading challenge.

Normally, I'm not one to read books that'll scare me into staying awake, and for a little bit, that's what this one did. But I had a really hard time putting it down. I don't read horror, so I have no idea if the premise of this book is original, but it was sure new to me! I had to keep reading to find out what was so weird about the house. Doors that close on their own? Sure, I have those at my house. But that's where the similarity ends, thank goodness.

I enjoyed the way the past was brought forward, the spontaneity of the aggression of the house...and there is aggression and danger, believe me. The way each of the characters responds to the house, to each other and to their jobs is fascinating.

In the end, I stayed up far later than I should have to finish this, and even though I'm not one for things that go bump in the night, I really hope there's another book to follow this one. I'll just read it with the lights on.

Wow! What a great read! This supernatural thriller had a plot twist near the end I didn't anticipate. I highly recommend.

This book is quite a different type of book in lesbian genre. Which is why I wanted to read it. The premise for the book is unique, but it has a number of faults. There are numerous typos and missing words. If that doesn't bother you, you will be able to overlook this. The characters are not well fleshed out. When you think you know a character, the author takes them in a different direction that does not make sense to the story. The story in itself is interesting, but it seemed that the author had problems in bringing all aspects of the story together so it made some sense. Halfway through the book, it lagged, to the point I lost interest.
Despite the points mentioned, it is a good book if you like a good ghost story. However, if you are looking for romance and a plot that makes sense, I would look elsewhere.

A well paced and intriguing story with good characterisation.
An atmospheric ghost story that escalates nicely, building the tension at just the right pace to keep you gripped. All in all a really enjoyable read and I will certainly look for more by this author.

3.5 stars. This was a deliciously creepy gothic haunted house story, with a side of romance. The protagonist is Emily, an out-of-work English professor. She gets an invitation to do some research at Gnarled Hollow, the family home of late author Margot Lewis. Once she gets there, things get weird and creepy, and she also begins to fall for June, another researcher wishing at the house. I really enjoyed the eerie atmosphere of the book, and while I don't think it's a story that will necessarily stick with me, I had fun reading it.

‘Gnarled Hollow’ is a creepy mystery story that had me gripped from the start. First of all I really liked English Professor Emily and was intrigued by her opportunity to study at Gnarled Hollow, the home of an writer she admired. The author slowly teases out the story, as the other academics arrive there too and they begin to notice some very strange things happening. Some very dangerous occurrences make them wonder if they should stay. It was atmospheric and reminded me of an English country house mystery with some ‘jump out of your seat’ moments. The mixture of scholars made for some interesting alliances - and I learned not to make assumptions about people. There was layer upon layer of mystery and plenty that I didn’t see coming at all. It was a fantastic story with depth and I really enjoyed it. So much so that I plan to re-read it soon.

I was given this ARC by Bold Strokes and Netgalley for review.

Gnarled Hollow is an enthralling horror/thriller which kept me glued to the page.
Starting this book late at night while home alone was, perhaps, not my best choice, but it certainly ensured I read it in one sitting. I was desperate to discover what would become of the characters investigating this mysterious and disturbing estate.

The story-line was well-paced and intriguing. The fact that the disturbances begin so quickly after Emily's arrival at the house, and gradually escalated, felt natural; the relationships explored in the book were realistic - although the behaviour of some of the characters felt a little contradictory, at times - and the eventual revelation about the house and its occupants was an unexpected twist!

I also felt, the romance elements of the novel were well-placed and didn't detract from the overall plot; something which I often find to be lacking in cross-genre romance novels. I initially found Emily's attitude and internal monologue with regards to her love interest to be off-putting, but as the novel progressed the author was able to rectify this and I was no longer distracted by it.

I'm not usually a fan of horror novels - and I would definitely classify this as 'classic horror'; no jump scares, but a steadily building creep-factor - however I would thoroughly recommend Gnarled Hollow to anyone who is interested in the genre.

This book grabbed my interest right off the bat - very well written and a great story that pulls the reader in. Just the right amount of creepiness, tied in with mystery and a touch of romance. The author did a really fine job of creating this story and tying it up at the end with no loose ends and a bit of a surprise.

A few things that kept me from giving this five stars:

One, there were a handful or so errors in the book - missing words, words that didn't get deleted in editing. One or two mistakes I could forgive, but for a book published by a publishing company, I felt that these errors should have been caught.

The other was the ambiguity of some of the characters. Was Jim an awful human being or was all of his behavior from the very beginning of the book brought on by the house? The same was true for June. It was hard to tell if she was stringing Emily along or if she genuinely cared about her until towards the end of the book. Her flirtatious behavior toward the men in the house had me scratching my head.

Overall though, good story and good writing.

Creepy, haunting and sometimes, downright terrifying. Gharled Hollow is the kind of book I love picking up.

Emily Murray is an unemployed professor who is given the opportunity to study and work at Gnarled Hollow, the former home of one of her favorite authors. The house...isn't normal. Rooms go missing, doors close on their own and time....time just seems to disappear.

Emily, as well as others staying in the house, begin to research the history of the house, risking everything, even their own lives to find out the truth.

I have read a few books like this recently, but this one does the premise better than the others. It's just...deliciously terrifying.

The book is categorzied as mystery and paranormal but I would describe it as a straight up horror novel which includes a mystery and a bit of romance. The creepiness builds slowly enough to let you think of a rather romantic driven plot only to get at you when you didn't expect the horror elements. There are some thrills and scares along the way, those that remind you of the old way of telling a horror story. No splatter or blood rites, just goog old ghosts doing their thing in a long forgotten manor. I think it's fair to say this book is in the same spot as "Crimson Peak" and "The Lodgers". You know these old school gothic horror novels and movies that just crawl under your skin because of the things you can't see, rather than the things you can see.
Character building was a little off for me as they all change their behaviour a bit to much to be believable for example. I wasn't able to connect with anyone of them, though I still kinda liked Emily - the protagonist - and the way her relationship with June is woven into the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC to review.

Normally thrillers/paranormal aren't my genre, but thought I would give this book (and new author for me) a try. I was not disappointed! I was actually reading it just before bedtime, thinking a half hour then lights out, oh I was so wrong-I got to the part of 'things' attacking the main character Emily and I couldn't put it down, nor did I want to turn the lights out <smile>.

The book centers around an old estate that Emily, June (the small but effective romance part of the story) and 3 others go to study the architecture and the late occupant, an author. What they find instead is well, 'creepy'. The story line moved along well, it expands about 2-3 month time frame and the characters were engaging. As I noted above, though the two main characters do get involved, it is not the main focus of the book, so romance readers (like myself, just a word of caution). I really felt the author did a great job of getting the reader into the details of the house and grounds, I could picture it all very well in my imagination-and I'll never look at a steam room the same. The book flowed well, and except for just a few typos (maybe 3 to 5) I never lost my concentration-and as I said in my first paragraph, I didn't want to put it down.

This book will be added to my 'watch for author' list for new books, just may not go with a thriller one to soon <smile>.

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, but would have written the same opinion if I had come across this book on my own.

To see my Amazon review, it will be under CC-Great read (once the book is released). I would rate this at 5 stars, even with my nitpick comment on very small typos <smile>

English professor Dr. Emily Murray recently lost her position due to university cutbacks. Depressed, she accepts a timely job offer to live in New England for the summer at a house called Gnarled Hollow, which was the home of the reclusive writer Margot Lewis, one of Emily's subjects of research. She shares the house with Jim, another English professor; Mark, an architect; June, an art historian; and Chris, a landscape historian (or something like that). But they soon realize not all is as it seems.

Unfortunately, I thought I would like this a lot more than I actually did. I'd seen good buzz and was excited for a creepy ghost story. I think my underwhelmed reaction comes down to not really connecting with the writing style and not getting a good sense of the characters. I found the writing to be relatively simple and unexciting.

I love literature, so I was excited to see an English professor protagonist who had to solve a mystery about a famous writer. But Emily kind of let me down. To a point, I understood her negative thoughts about herself because depression is a jerk. But so many of them revolve around June that I would've enjoyed it more had there been no relationship at all. I was also disappointed in the mystery. I wanted more from Emily and Jim's decoding of Margot's journals, and I definitely wasn't prepared for incest to pop up. I'm mentioning it so that other readers can be aware before they go in!

The relationship between Emily and June didn't have enough build-up. Emily latches onto June right away and gets weirdly possessive when it seems like June is flirting with some of the guys.I got the sense that Emily's attachment was because June is the only other woman in the house. They don't even talk that much before they get involved, and while their relationship is supposed to give readers a break from the darkness of the house mystery, it didn't really do that for me because it happened too fast. I would've liked to see a slower burn.

There was a moment in their relationship that made me uncomfortable, too, that wasn't resolved as well as I would've liked. One afternoon, Emily helps June photograph the paintings in the house. She has to hold up lights, and it's been established that she's short and thin. "June snapped at her a couple of times for moving the light, despite her visibly shaking arms." That seemed like an extreme reaction, especially since they're sort of in a relationship. June does apologize, but Emily brushes it off, and I got the sense the reader was supposed to, too.

This sounds pretty negative, but I just want to explain the reasons I didn't love it. Not every book is for every reader! It definitely kept me reading, though, because I wanted to figure out the mystery.