I really wanted to like this, but it unfortunately fell flat for me. I love a good gothic horror, and a little romance thrown in generally doesn't hurt. But the romance in this story really didn't gel, and the character development wasn't there in the way I hoped it would be. The twist was not much of a twist, as I figured it out early on, perhaps a symptom of having read and watched many other gothic stories with similar feels. I do think the writing is quite atmospheric in parts but the main character behaves in anachronistic ways that really pulled me out of the world at times, which was unfortunate.

Gothic horror. Spooky estates. Romance. What’s not to love! Theodora leaves her estate to travel to another as a governess. While there she starts to unravel the mystery surrounding the estate. Very well told and an enjoyable read!

This book was not what I expected, but neither was that ending!

This is a gothic period piece about Theodora Corvus who leaves her own spooky estate to work as a governess for the Thorne’s at their spooky estate. Theodora is used to her house, Woodrow, talking to her. But when she arrives at Broken Oak she cannot hear this house. There are happenings in the night that suggest the house is haunted with its own secrets and Theodora slowly unravels them.

The book reads very much like a classic Jane Eyre type romance with a gothic vibe. The book was a little slow moving at first, but the ending does tie together a lot of things I had questions about throughout my reading.

Overall I give it a 3.5 ⭐️. The ending really saved it. I think this would make a great movie if they adapted it to film for sure.

EARC received courtesy of NetGalley and Quill and Crow Publishing House.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars.

This Gothic tale of a young governess long-haunted by “watchers” was well written and satisfying, if a little strangely paced. It’s short, but portions of the narrative (mostly the dialogue) don’t flow as well as they could have.

I liked the characters, the premise, and the conclusion of the story, and am grateful to NetGalley for the advance copy. I’d recommend this to fans of The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Turn of the Key, and…somehow…The Sound of Music?

A great shorty read! This gothic novel has some twists and turns, but overall isn’t too challenging. A good option for those who are new to the genre, or wouldn’t like to read something “too heavy.”

“The sprawling house kept secrets and she kept secrets, and the lord of the house kept secrets – each folding them into their foundations, curling their bodies around the growing weight. The eaves creaked where the rest of the house stood silent like the bones in Theodora´s chest.”

“The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses” is a captivating gothic fiction novel.
Grab this book on a rainy day and feel transported to a world of mystery, darkness, and supernatural occurrences.
I enjoyed the reading, but I feel that the ending was a bit rushed.
Despite a few minor flaws, it is a haunting tale and I recommend it if you're looking for something with an eerie atmosphere.

I give this book 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This is an honest review, and all opinions are entirely mine.

4.5 rounded up to 5

When Theodora takes the job as governess to young Ottoline Thorne, she leaves behind her beloved grandmother and the decaying ruins of her childhood home to travel far north to Broken Oak Manor. There, she finds a house filled with secrets. Under the stern eye of the foreboding housekeeper, Theodora quickly navigates the dark and winding corridors of Broken Oak, only to find herself irrevocably drawn to the mysterious lord of the manor. But someone walks the hallways late after nightfall, their footsteps leading to the attic. The only place in the sprawling house that does not remain silent. As her scandalous feelings for Cassias Thorne grow, Theodora fights to unearth the secrets of Broken Oak. Who wanders the house at night? Where is the Lady of the manor? What lies behind the attic door high up under the eaves of the house?

Ooooohhh this was such a good read! Filled with gothic atmosphere, spooky mystery and forbidden romance this book ticked all the boxes for me. It gave me complete The Woman in Black/The Others vibes with its historical/ghostly setting.

I adored Russell’s characterisation of the obstinate, headstrong Theodora and the broody, sensitive Cassias Thorne and was enthralled watching their love for each other blossom. I was pleasantly surprised with this one and the big twist that I actually didn’t see coming, but when I did, I kicked myself at all the little nuggets of evidence I missed. I was just so caught up in the storyline and atmospheric writing and enjoying the book too much to look for them!

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy of this book. I can't believe it took me so long to get to it!

I quite enjoyed this book. I loved the aesthetics of the front cover and was excited for dark and gothic vibes.

I appreciated the elements of romance and to say this had me on the edge of my seat, is an understatement!

The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses by L. V. Russell is an amazing gothic romance.
It’s a great read if you are into historical fiction with supernatural elements.
It’s also perfect for fans of the mystery and suspense genres.
It reminded me just a bit of Jane Eyre, however it’s unique and beautiful in its own way and It already feels like an original classic.
The combination of romance with a gothic ghost story will keep you wanting more and you’ll keep turning the pages until you reach the conclusion!
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy for an honest review.

It was an excellent read. Theodore and Cassias make an excellent romantic match. This is a beautifully written and haunting story that left a huge impression on me. The world building and character descriptions are second to none, and that is really, in my opinion, the strength of the book. However, I found the plot to be somewhat predictable, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of this book. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

#thequietstilnessofemptyhouses, #L.V.Russell, #nergalley

I was pulled into this novel quite quickly as it reads like classic literature; however, for such a short book, it took a really long time to go anywhere with the storyline. There were a lot of unanswered questions and undeveloped storylines that made the ending anti-climactic. The novel has great potential, but it is not a book I would use.

Theodora Corvus can hear the whispers of her family home.she can hear whispers at her previous job. She hears whispers in Oak Manor. What do the whispers tell?

When Theodora takes the job as governess to young girl Ottoline Thorne, she leaves behind her beloved grandmother and the decaying ruins of her childhood home to travel far north to Broken Oak Manor. There, she finds a house filled with secrets. Under the eye of the housekeeper, Theodora navigates the halls of Broken Oaks Manor. She wonders about the lord of the manor as he keeps to his bedroom with headaches. She decides to try to discover who walks the halls late at night. . She wants to find out where the wife is. Theodora finds herself falling in love with Lord Cassias Thorne. What secrets does the manor keep?

The author has written a gothic romance. It is well written. I liked the intrigue and mystery of the missing wife. “ Is she locked in the attic or not?” There is an acceptance of the supernatural in this novel which also fascinated me. I don’t often see that type of acceptance of the supernatural. It’s a good gothic novel.

I really love a well written, atmospheric, gothic story and was immediately drawn into this book. I really enjoyed the way the author drew me into not only the atmosphere of this house, but also into the home that the governess lived in before coming to the new house to work. The missing part of this book for me was the character development. The only character that I really ended up caring anything about was the child. Theodora and Cassias were really flat and it made it hard to really grasp their dynamic that is supposed to propel the story along. I ended up very much liking the ending, however I really wish there would have been more suspense throughout the book and maybe some elements that tied into the ending to strengthen it. I really feel this is an author to watch though and definitely want to read more in the future, Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley,

I’m not usually a big fan of gothic fiction given that I find the pacing slow, but this flew by for me.

Other than not feeling the romance and the abrupt ending, I found this a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

WHAT!!

This book! I don't even have words.

Incredibly atmospheric, spooky, gothic romance that has me shook to my core! Theodora takes a job as a governess living with a man, his daughter, and their housekeeper. She quickly realizes that something in this house is not quite right. If you like historical fiction with a creepy, gothic feel, this is absolutely the book for you! I received a free copy of this ebook from Netgalley and Quill and Crow Publishing in exchange for an honest review, and I feel like I HAVE to have a physical copy for my shelf to reread during the spooky months.

The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses
by L.V. Russell
Pub Date: 17 May 2023

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh my goodness, this was really really good, I highly recommend this book


When Theodora takes the job as governess to young Ottoline Thorne, she leaves behind her beloved grandmother and the decaying ruins of her childhood home to travel far north to Broken Oak Manor. There, she finds a house filled with secrets. Under the stern eye of the foreboding housekeeper, Theodora quickly navigates the dark and winding corridors of Broken Oak, only to find herself irrevocably drawn to the mysterious lord of the manor. But someone walks the hallways late after nightfall, their footsteps leading to the attic. The only place in the sprawling house that does not remain silent.

As her scandalous feelings for Cassias Thorne grow, Theodora fights to unearth the secrets of Broken Oak. Who wanders the house at night? Where is the Lady of the manor? What lies behind the attic door high up under the eaves of the house?

#TheQuietStillnessofEmptyHouses #NetGalley

<i>***I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review*** </i>

This book. OMG.

<i><b>”I can feel the echo of your hand upon mine, the warmth of your voice in my very soul, and I look for you in each shadowed corner of that damned house. Is that friendship?"</i></b>

L.V. Russel surprised me with <i>The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses</i> and actually got me out of my dreary reading slump. TYSM!

As one might find in many gothic fiction books, there is a small cast of characters. And I’m not gonna lie, I was really emotionally attached to them. I loved Cassias. I loved Theodora. I loved every part of this book, every scene, every detail.

I had been craving the taste of gothic books for so long and really missed it. And this book quenched that thirst. The writing is atmospheric and so exquisitely woven. The descriptions really put you inside the scene which is an absolute delight. Even better was the fact it rained the night I started reading it and that put me in the perfect mood. The writing style was similar to Victorians’, which was another win.

As a part-time (somewhat) editor, I usually find at least one or two mistakes in books, especially in ARCS. However, I did not happen to find any in this. It was really well edited and I must pay my regards to the writer as well as the editor.

Honestly, indie authors need more recognition in the book community. Underrated ASF. It still baffles me that an ARC made me this—how do I describe it—emotional? Feel good? I expected gothic smut and was actually very reluctant to start it. But the archive dates grew closer and so I decided to give it a read. In return, I was pleasantly surprised and proven wrong, and got a new favourite book <3

<i><b>”Then the thought came unbidden: if the quiet house with its hidden secrets would allow them to leave at all.”</i></b>

I want Guillermo del Toro to make a film on this.

The rating might go on to five stars later. 4.5 for now (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
★ ★ ★ ★/5
Perfect for fans of <i>Jane Eyre, Rebecca,</i> and <i>Crimson Peak. </i>

⊹ . ⋆ ☽ ⋆ . ➶

The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses is about Theodora Corvus, who, having grown up in a crumbling manor with her grandmother, leaves her family home to work as a governess. She arrives at Broken Oak Manor to a house filled with secrets and strange noises in the darkness. The child she’s supposed to teach, Ottoline, is more in need of a friend than a governess – and so is her father, Lord Cassias Thorne.

The first thing that intrigued me about this book was the mystery and the fact that it was described as a “gothic romance”. I absolutely Love gothic literature and it lived up to the expectations I had for it. The writing was beautiful and the plot was interesting. I actually read the whole book in a few days even though I had work to do, oops, but it was just good enough that I couldn’t just put it down.

The main character, Theodora, was probably my favourite character from the book. She was nice and caring, but also tough and strong enough to stand her ground when needed. Her and Cassias start out with a strange friendship, which they both really need, but it obviously evolves into something romantic (the book was tagged “Gothic Romance” on goodreads after all).

Grief as the main theme was written really well, especially with the ways the old broken mansions tied into the theme. Every character in the story is deeply affected by a loss in their lives, whether it’s a father, mother, or a wife, and the grief is what ends up bringing them closer together. I really enjoyed that, as grief is one of the only things everyone will have in common, even if we go through it and deal with it in different ways.

I’d recommend The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses to other lovers of gothic books with excellent romances.

Theodora leave her decrepit home after her father dies to become a governess for a young girl in a large manor. The Lord of the manor wife has left and he and his daughter are all alone in the massive creepy house. Creepy and unexplained things start happening and Theodora wonder if she made the right choice leaving her home and her frail grandmother behind.
I love Gothic historical fiction. I loved the atmosphere of this book. I can imagine the house in my mind. This is a short story being only 162 pages but I felt it was longer at times because it drags in some points.. It reminded me of Jane Eyre. I felt the romance was lacking though and I couldn't really see these two together. At times is was spooky but didn't really get good until the end. I loved the ending. It really made the book so much better for me. All in all I enjoyed it. I would describe it as a slow burn with an amazing ending. I did struggle to get through it at time.

A special Thanks to NetGalley and Quill & Crow publishing for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

heodore and Cassias make for an excellent romantic match in what is a beautifully written, haunting tale that left such an impression upon me. The world building and character description is second to none, and this really is, in my opinion, the strength of the book. I did, However, find the plot somewhat predictable, but this did not diminish my enjoyment of this book.