I would give this a higher star rating if it wasn’t in the mystery and thriller section. The House is clearly a ghost / horror story. Enjoyable in the same way that American Horror Story is. The House isn’t going to win awards but if you want to sit down with an easy simple book then this is the story for you.

I read this book in two sittings, interrupted only by sleep. The first sit-down with this book, I thought it was pretty good and read until I was about 30% through. The next afternoon, I went from that point and read all the rest of it until I finished just before sunset. I mention this because I don't always read books like that. For that to happen, the writing has to grab me, shake me and not let go.

The House sure did that!

The pacing was pretty good for a debut novel, and believe me when I tell you that's not always easy.
As a writer myself, I can tell you that writing a story that will leave readers with chills, or even keep them up at night, is tough! I could see the pacing 'footprints' here, but that's not a bad thing. I could see the little clues left like breadcrumbs (Fin's Uncle is important, pay attention to him) and in retrospect, all of these things were just what the story needed.

I read this as a writer, so while it spooked me in a couple of places, I was left with a great deal of respect for Ms. Darry's skill and bravery.
As a reader, I'm not too proud to admit it left me with goosebumps.
Thanks to NetGalley and BSB for the ARC!

The House, the debut full-length novel by Eden Darry, is an exciting and polished paranormal thriller. I am very impressed with Ms. Darry’s writing.

This is a dual thriller. You have the psychopath who attacks one of the main characters (Sadie) at the beginning of the book and is obsessed with raping and killing her throughout the story. Then the paranormal, possible haunted house enters the plot when the family moves out of their London home into an old house in the countryside. Ms. Darry did an excellent job weaving these two different types of thrillers into one tale.

I am also impressed at the way the author created the tension and mood of the story. The very beginning starts with a normal family going through an ordinary day. Then the jolt of the attack on Sadie signals a beginning of the mood change. As you keep reading, you will notice how each act adds to that change both in the mood of the story and to the characters themselves.
This is not a romance, but you do have an established married couple with two children, and their relationship is an integral part of the plot. I loved how well the characters are developed in the book, and how the author shows the changes they go through as the story develops. I can’t give you more information here without revealing too much of the plot, but I feel that Ms. Darry did a brilliant job with the character development throughout the novel, both with the main characters and the secondary ones.
This is an excellent first novel by Ms. Darry, and I look forward to reading more from her.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Rainbow Reflections:
https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

eof, this would be a good horror story.
Liam has horrifying nightmares and Lucy has an imaginary friend who may not be all her imagination. And Fin is obsessed or possessed and undergoes a terrifying change in personality

I like that this book had paranormal element in this story.

Sadie and Fin have a loving relationship they have two children that they love more than anything.

Then one day all that change when Sadie is vicious attack by a former cilent who quickly turn into a stalker. In order to be safe they leave comfort of their home.

When they a find a place that seems perfect for them. Fin and their daughter Lucy instantly fall in love with the house while Sadie and Liam thinks something not right with the house. I like how the author use the house to drive the feel of an evil presence all while dealing with a real life evil that won't stop to finished what he started with Sadie.



I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

The House was the debut novel of Eden Barry. It had a paranormal tone to it and was a quick read.

Sadie and Fin were happily married with two children, Liam and Lucy. After Sadie was assaulted, she felt a change was needed. She wanted to feel safe again and thought moving to a different house and location was the solution. But the house was haunted, not in a Casper friendly way. It had its own agenda in mind for this family-one that involved pure evil. No member was left unscathed.

I think the author did a good job with this debut full length novel. I enjoyed the writing and the flow of the story. But by the story’s completion (without giving anything away) I was left with some unanswered questions and had trouble understanding the characters’ reaction to some drastic situations.

Overall, if you are a fan of the paranormal, I think you will enjoy this storyline.

Oh, man this was creepy. Between the atmosphere of the house, the spirit held within, and the stalker, I thought this was one of the scarier lesfic books that I have read. I give props to the author, as it is a debut, but there were just some bugs that almost took me out of the story.

Sadie and Fin have a solid, loving relationship. They love their two kids and each other. That all changes when Sadie is viciously attacked and stalked by a former defense client, forcing them to move from their London home into the suburbs. The house they picked seemed to resonate with Fin and their young daughter, Lucy, but Sadie and their son Liam felt something off with the house. As if it, or something in it was evil...

So, Darry managed to pack a whole bunch of stuff in the book even with the shorter word count. There's some slight resentments from Fin (which feel legit) that get exacerbated when they move to the house - all the negative feelings just come to the fore, and the couple ends up fighting most of the time. Then there's the presence in the house the kids pick up on right away. And finally there's the stalker. I loved the way Darry used the house to help drive some of the plot - in many cases, it more than the spirit, felt more menacing. The house's overall effect on the family was played well, but I thought there was a little too much emphasis on that part of the horror. Mixing in the real life threat to the family's safety was a nice twist, too.

If anything, I wish we could have seen more paranormal stuff, and not just through the kids, which was a great touch. The house's affect on the kids was the most notable, especially since Liam seems to be a bit of a psychic, and Lucy got to be the creepy three year old for a minute. I just which we could get more stuff happening to Sadie or Fin. Also Fin playing the jerk skeptic partner was a nice touch, but man, she took way too long to get with the program. The side characters were fine, but they didn't play as much of a role in the proceedings of things as most side characters do.

Good debut by an author who, I hope, continues to write books like these. There should be more lesfic horror stories out there.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A good paranormal thriller. Very gripping and a nice easy read. Some tough parts to read but overall recommend for paranormal fans x

This is quite a difficult book to rate because, on the one hand, it’s tense and gripping but on the other, it really didn’t make me happy. An attack on Sadie one night shatters the previously peaceful existence of Fin, Sadie and their children. The suspect is at large and knows where they live. Sadie is too traumatised to return to the house but living with Sadie’s parents is torture for Fin. They find a house a little out of London and closer to the countryside which Fin loves, Sadie is ambivalent about and their son, Liam, hates. Liam is sensitive and has premonitions but his mom’s don’t put much credence in the paranormal.

I used to love reading this type of paranormal/thriller/horror when I was younger by I seemed to have lost my resilience for it, especially when children are a part of the story. Fin has a strong presence and she’s a great character if not always terribly likeable. Sadie is a much more empathetic character and stabilising influence even when she’s traumatised. Liam and Lucy, their children, have an integral role in sustaining the impending sense of terror.

I enjoyed the pace, the tension and the way it was written. I wouldn’t put it in the romance category, partly because Fin and Sadie are in an established relationship and partly because the focus of the story is more on the paranormal and thriller aspects. The combination of the real and the paranormal was a nice touch. I’d read more by Darry, but preferably without children involved.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

3.50 Stars. This is Darry’s full length debut. I could still see some room for growth but I thought this was pretty well written for a debut. I guess you could put this in the category of either paranormal or light horror. However, this book wasn’t scary; it was creepy and a little dark. While you might be slightly uncomfortable while reading at times, it’s not really a tough read. It’s definitely not too scary to read.

This is the kind of book that is not easy to review because you don’t want to give anything away. The book started off with a bang, slowed down a little, but for the most part kept up a good pace. It was very readable for me and I liked that it was not a long book so the story never really dragged. There is a paranormal element to this, but it’s almost more evil than what you think about a “normal” haunting with ghosts. And there is also a real life evil person the characters have to deal with so it’s a lot on their plates.

The main characters in this book are in an established relationship already with two kids. There are some nicer, sweet moments but there is also a lot of relationship drama/arguing because of the circumstances. I do have to admit the arguing was getting a little old, but given the storyline I get it so I can’t really complain.

The book had a few small twists and some excitement which was nice. I read it in one sitting so it absolutely entertained me. I was not in love with the storyline, but I’m still glad I gave this a try. If you are looking for something creepy this is a good choice. I wouldn’t hesitate to read Darry again.

3.75 stars

Although this is stated to be Eden Darry's 'debut novel', it is the third ‘story’ I’ve read by her. After giving 5 stars to both of her shorter books, I was excited to get my hands on a copy of The House.

For the most part, the story is told from both heroines point of view, but at times the reader is also privy to what’s going on in wee Liam’s head as well as the villains.

The driving force of this story is miscommunication between the leads, while I get what was causing their continuous arguing, and a rather rough sexual encounter, the bickering grew old after a while.

I guess I expected this to be a spookier story than it was, so for those of you weary of horror stories, this definitely doesn’t fall into that category. I’m not sure I’d even class it as particularly dark, but, of course, that’s subjective.

Overall this was a great read that kept me entertained.

Copy provided by the publisher, Bold Strokes Books, via NetGalley.