The ghost house by C.J. Cooke
is a spine chilling, eerie read. A Gothic fairytale that definitely fits the spooky season vibes. Set in a home for unwed mothers, it focuses on two girls Pearl and Mabel. Sent there in shame and outcast during their pregnancies they discover that they are being watched. The only thing is they don’t know by who or by what. C.J. Cooke very easily envelops you into her story thereby making you question what is real and what is fiction! I will definitely be picking up her other novels after reading this one!
Thanks to Net Galley and HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC!

I was a bit disappointed in this book, not nearly as good as her previous novels, which I really enjoyed. I couldn’t take to the characters at all. Not for me at this moment in time.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The Ghost Woods || CJ Cooke

The Ghost Woods is a standalone feminist gothic novel by best-selling author, CJ Cooke. It is thematically the third book in a trio of books which focus on nature, motherhood, memory and trauma. The first two books being, The Lighthouse Witches and The Nesting. I have read the Lighthouse Witches and thoroughly loved it, which is what prompted me to pick up this book.

CJ Cooke has a wonderful ability to create atmospheric, gothic and thought-provoking stories. It was hard to put this one down. Told in alternating POV and multiple timelines, the story follows two expectant mothers, Mabel and Pearl who are accommodated at Lichen Hall, a place for unmarried women to have their babies and adopt them out. The book explores issues of motherhood during a time when pregnant women held limited choices or power. While not the main focus, the book also features LGBTIQ+ characters and explores experiences of queer women.

I love CJ Cooke’s writing style and the way in which she allows you to fully immerse in and experience these women’s journey, heartache, love and loss. This book was easy and effortless to read and the pages devoured themselves. I am keen to go back now and read The Nesting. I will be keeping an eye out for future releases by this author.

Thank you to CJ Cooke, HarperCollins and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel.

Thank you for this arc. Have read C J Cooke before, so couldn’t wait to read this book. A very touching story with gothic overtones. Would thoroughly recommend to others.

Another fantastic, haunting read by Cooke. I am in awe of the level of magic realism that is woven through her books, the things that happen never seem completely out of the realms of possibility. The background of this story is steeped in gaelic folklore as well, a thing in books which I am finding myself loving more and more.

This was a really great gothic thriller and I found myself having to put my kindle down a few times to mentally prepare myself for what was coming next!

I found parts of this story tragic, the fact that mother and baby homes were still a thing (and what lead some of them to end up there, how they were regarded and treated) as recently as the 60s is appalling, combined with the fact that it was still considered taboo to be openly gay.

I always struggle to right clear reviews out of a fear of spoiling something for someone or giving away plot details, especially with ARCs so I always feel my reviews are lacking but all I can say is if you love a good spooky read or a bit of magical realism then I can highly recommend this read, and even if you don't, give it a try anyway.... I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

This is a creepy, ghostly tale about a strange house in the woods where young girls were sent to have unwanted babies - or, where their families sent them. It's a house with a past and we follow the story via the experiences of Pearl in 1965 and Mabel in 1959. Both women / girls have a heartbreaking story and the setting is very atmospheric with some twists and turns along the way.

I enjoyed it. It's a well written, menacing mystery with strands of history around pregnant young women and how they are treated. It's clever the way the author entwines the social history with that of a ghostly tale and it's done really well.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to preview.

The Ghost Woods has all the elements of a gothic ghost story. Set in Lichen House, a haunted house in the middle of nowhere with a memorable legend attached. Peopled by some strange characters, including the house’s owners. At times it feels like an echo of Cold Comfort Farm.

This story presents as a ghost story and yet it is also a story rooted in the real world where young girls get pregnant and assumptions are made about them. After a compelling opening that introduces Mabel in 1959, the focus moves to Pearl in 1965, another pregnant girl in an age where unmarried mothers are not accepted by society.

Past and present are drawn together as the twists of the story draw you in. The woods are as alive as the people and humanity is not the only life here, though boundaries are blurred as you would expect in a gothic story. It is a mystery wrapped within a mystery. The ghosts are only where the extraordinary begins. As the back stories of the characters are revealed, the mysteries extend beyond the house. The motivation of the characters outside the house remains impenetrable. And it’s a very clever ending.

A remarkable novel that fully justifies the accolades. This is a story that will linger in the imagination.

This book is a social history as much as a gothic novel. It portrays the twentieth century’s appalling treatment of women who became pregnant out of wedlock.
The story focuses on Mabel and Pearl, who are sent to Lichen Hall, to have their babies. It’s a private institution, supposedly more humane that the state ones, that finds adoptive parents for their children. Mrs Whitlock is the terrifying matriarch who oversees the girls and all is not as it seems. The hall is miles from anywhere. Mrs Whitlock refuses to have doctors in the house under any circumstances and the locals swear she's a witch.
Ghost Wood shows the young women dealing with conflicting emotions towards their babies, who are simultaneously unwanted and loved. All whilst having to dea lwith Mrs Whitlock's increasingly bizarre behaviour.
It's difficult to write too much without giving away the mystery at the heart of the novel, but this is well worth reading.

Deliciously spooky, I was reading so fast i couldn't stop.

Lichen Hall in the middle of nowhere takes in young mothers who need to find homes for their unborn children. Set in a time where it was almost impossible to raise a child as a single parent the home provides a tidy solution, but there lurks something sinister within the walls and surrounding woods. The timeline is set slightly apart following two girls who arrive at the hall and culminates in their story joining together.

Fire, fungi, friendship and a murderous witch - what's not to love.

The Ghost Woods was a great read!
It had a really good creepy atmosphere and tge book is definitely perfect as a Halloween read.
If you are a fan of Gothic books you will definitely enjoy this one!
I highly recommend it!
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Ghost Woods start strong with its opening sentence. Honestly, it was a banger and it made me eager to start the book. It's such a great set-up to set the tone and I was hoping the rest of the book would be like it.

We follow two protagonists, Mabel in the past, and Pearl in the present. I feel like the author could have gone with another kind of pov narration with one of them. Sometimes, Mabel and Pearl just seemed to merge together into one voice and sometimes I had a hard time picking apart who was who, as there are many overlapping characters in both of their POVS. Also, speaking of the characters, many of the secondary characters felt flat and one-dimensional.

Another critique I have is that there are some inconsistencies in the narration. A character is mentioned to be dressed formally in the scene, but only a few sentences later in the same scene, he's described again as being lazily dressed. I'm guessing that since it's an advanced copy I'm reading it might just be a missed mistake that they will edit.

Plot-wise, it's a slow going book, and it takes time for things to happen. The way some twists appear make it interesting though, and the writing is quite compelling that it propelled me to keep turning the pages. I don't know what to feel about the climax though. It just felt very eh.

Overall, what I think stands out in this book is the writing. It's really good, but I feel like the author ended up muddling along, especially in the middle. There are aspects I wish they paid better attention to to make the book even better. Still, it was an interesting read and had a nice, spooky vibe.

My first ever Gothic historical novel and I am hooked. I devoured this in one day and now wish I had taken my time.

The setting was so descriptive, I felt really immersed into the stories of Mabel, Pearl, The Whitlocks and Lichen House.

I fell in love with Mabel and her son Sylvan and of course Pearl and it was easy to cheer them on and really hope for a happy ending for all of them.

It's truly a masterpiece of folklore and womens rights & unseen forces that are hidden in the woods. A perfect read for this time of year as summer ends and Autumn begins.

Honestly the thrill and suspense as the story unfolds with some serious dark scenes from destruction and lies to murder. This is a book for anyone who loves a grisly tale.

Thank you to @netgalley C J Cooke and Harper Collins for the advanced e-copy in exchange for my review.

The Ghost Woods is a gripping but sad tale of how things used to be regarding unwed mothers with a pinch of the supernatural thrown in.
Told by two POVs, each story eventually meets in a horrifying conclusion!
I found the Lichen Hall setting claustrophobic and intense aswell as lonely, the characters were well written and easy to like, or dislike as some certainly tweaked that emotion.
The pace was medium, going off sometimes but returning quickly enough to pique my interest.
All in all a solid 4.

Creepy, atmospheric, this book has got it all. "The Ghost Woods" by CJ Cooke is great for a Hallowe'en read. When Pearl is sent to Lichen Hall to have her baby, she meets the other (long-term) residents. It takes a while to work out the connection between the present timeline and the one with Mabel (past), again who is there to have her baby. As the story progresses the sanity of Mrs Whitlock unravels and puts everyone else's lives in danger.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advance copy of this book. A solid 3.5. stars for this novel.

The story follows the journey of two women and their stay at the mysterious Lichen Hall. Each woman arrives at the Hall at a different period in time as they are unmarried and pregnant. Lichen Hall is supposed to be a better option for unwed mothers to have their baby and then give them up for adoption. From the beginning of the novel, the author sets the tone of this novel which is dark and mysterious leaving the reader with questions they must have answered.

The writer weaves folklore into the struggles women had during the 50s and 60s when unwed and pregnant. The story delves into the unfairness of being a woman during this time and the double standards that men and woman had. The novel focuses on the female experience and how hard life was when not married.

I enjoyed this book especially as it really picked up steam towards the end of the book. I love a good mystery and was excited to watch how it would unfold. I enjoyed the two main characters and the supporting characters. There was some suspension of belief on my part at times but otherwise a solid story that had me reading on to find the next clue as to what was going on at this spooky estate.

I loved everything written by C.J. Cooke and an email from Harper Collins with an early copy of “The Ghost Woods” made me really happy!

The creepy, gothic, mysterious atmosphere is real!!! When I was reading the book in the night (alone in the house, not the smartest idea I’ve had), I found myself hiding my feet under the covers as my subconscious mind was scared of the witch! Sounds ridiculous but that’s what happened!

Interestingly the topic of pregnancy and children is as far from my interests as it could be, yet despite of it being the main theme, I absolutely loved the book! It only shows how brilliant the world created, the writing and story causing real fear is!

Truly engaging, scary and so well-plotted! It’s simply a must-read for everyone who likes something darker to read.

Chilling, folkloric thriller meets ancient witchy evil. What do you do if you are a pregnant unwed mother in the 1950’s? Lichen Hall will take care of your problems. Doesn’t matter if an ancient witch lives in the ghost woods, searching………….people go missing. This was a story from nightmares. Very imaginative and creepy as a black cat crossing your path on a full moon on Oct 31st.

Fantastic read. Could not be put down. A different kind of read and had me hooked in the first chapter

This is a book that captured me right from the first few pages and continued to the end. Told in two timelines then and now and by two narrators Mabel and Pearl it’s a gothic tale of folklore mixed with the sad stories pregnant unwed girls going to the very creepy Lichen House to give birth and have their babies adopted. I particularly loved reading all about nature especially the mushrooms that featured heavily in this story it was fascinating and although the story can be sad at times it’s also full of friendships that grow as Mabel and Pearls lives begin to come together.
The book is very atmospheric and the characters all superb, the setting is written so well and the claustrophobic feel of the house and surrounding ghost woods left shivers running down my spine it was just so good.
So a sure fire winner for CJ Cook and I can’t wait for the next novel she just gets better and better and a massive thank you to her for a brilliant read.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Ghost Woods is an eerie, paranoid and chilling gothic novel. Set in a remote Scottish manor house where unwed mothers go to give birth before their child is adopted, the beguiling atmosphere and plot weaves Scottish folklore with themes of sacrifice, a mothers love, death and decay and rebirth.

Reminiscent of Mexican Gothic - both books make my dislike of mushrooms feel more than justified - another book I would recommend, this is heading to my list of best reads 2022

My thanks go to the publishers and NetGalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.