Thank yo unto NetGalley and Quill and Crow Publishing House for the ARC in exchange for a review.

Theodora’s father has passed and is sent to live with her grandmother in her dying house. She finds work as a governess but is let go after striking her young master. She ventures out on her own to a further away home to become a governess for another family. Cassias and his daughter Ottoline live in a dark, damp estate on a lily pond with their housekeeper Ms Rivers. Theodora falls in love with Ottoline, enjoying teaching her lessons but is plagued by bad dreams and the whispers of skirts in the halls.

This was a great gothic horror with just the right amount of romance. I ate this up in an afternoon and didn’t expect the twist.

This was a quick read with beautiful, flowing prose. I loved the juxtaposition of flowery prose and a Victorian gothic vibe. The story progression was a little slow, but I was invested in the characters and storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I almost gave up on this because it wasn't grabbing my interest. But I read a review that said to persevere, so I did and whoa. I was not expecting the twist at the end.
Theodora was very proper and outspoken for a woman of her time.
Ottoline seemed incredibly intelligent for such a young girl.
Cassius gave the impression of danger but also love for his daughter.
Mrs Reeves was a missed opportunity for some humor within the book.

Now that I've finished it, I find myself thinking about it and asking myself questions about Theodora's grandmother, who found the position for her.

I received a copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a spectacular gothic horror that I couldn't put down. I was intrigued from the get-go about the characters and even though the plot was a little slow at first and it took me a few chapters to warm up to Theodora, I was drawn in by the atmosphere and the writing.
I loved the plot twists so much, it was so original and didn't expect it at all.
Even though it is very short I think I would have preferred it if it was a couple of chapters shorter and had ended after the plot twist was revealed or if the chapter between the reveal and the ending was cut as I was a little bored at that part.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quill & Crow publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Atmospheric, light on the horror and heavy on the gothic romance. I was hesitant at first that I would be turned off by the flowery prose, but I settled into it.

I don’t want to spoil it, so I will simply say that I guessed at the twist - if you’ve seen some older films of this ilk, you’ll likely guess it, too. Still, I read on, intrigued enough to see if I was right.

If this type of story is new to you, then it may be a 4 or 5 star read. I enjoyed it but didn’t find it special enough to warrant more than a 3.5.

Russell's writing style is poetic and introspective, drawing the reader into the emotional landscape of the characters. The descriptions of the empty houses and the natural surroundings are vivid and evocative, creating a sense of stillness and melancholy that permeates the novel.

The characters are well-written and relatable, each grappling with their own grief and trying to find a way forward. The dynamics between the siblings are realistic and nuanced, reflecting the complexity of family relationships.

Overall, "The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses" is a poignant and moving novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. Russell's writing is both beautiful and insightful, and the story is a testament to the power of love and resilience in the face of loss. Highly recommended for fans of literary fiction and family dramas.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to receive an ARC (despite being published) in exchange for my honest thoughts. I am not being compensated for this review.

One of my favorite books is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, so when I saw this was a Regency era story with ghosts and a dash of romance, I was immediately intrigued.

Whew, I wish I could share with you guys what a wild ride I had with my highlights and notes without spoiling the story… Let me just say that I thought I had it all figured out early on. Little did I know that I was very, very wrong.

Let’s start breaking this down!

Characters « 9 »
••• Easily envisioned with great descriptions.
••• Each had their own, fleshed out personalities.

Atmosphere « 10 »
••• Hauntingly beautiful descriptions of locations and scenery alike.

Writing « 10 »
••• Easy to follow despite the older, more formal dialogue.

Plot « 9 »
••• A little slow at first, picks up quickly and evenly throughout the rest.
••• The misleads and ending were amazing.
••• One part at the end, I had to reread to make sure I understood.

Intrigue « 9 »
••• Again, a little slow at first but hooks you in quickly.

Logic « 10 »
••• A part at the end felt off, but made sense after a reread and some thinking.
••• Felt true to the time period.

Enjoyment « 10 »
••• A guy looked at me funny in the parking lot when the plot twist was revealed. I think that’s enough.

I’m starting to think the horror short stories might be my niche. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that 2 out of 4 of my 5-star books so far this year have been of this variety. I’m excited to read more and interested in trying out some of Russell's other works!

Let's take a moment to talk about the cover... STUNNING! One of the most beautiful covers I've seen. After looking at it, I HAD to read it and can't wait for it to end up on my shelf.

I love gothic, horror, romance reads, and the old manor is always a huge plus. Theodora was raised to be an old-fashioned proper lady, and she goes up north to be a nanny for a young girl. To her surprise, she ends up at an old Manor that is broken down, which creates the perfect gothic vibe! It's ghostly, creepy, and perfectly eerie with the lord who haunts the halls.

It's only four stars because it took off a little slow for my liking, and with it being on the shorter side of a story, I felt we needed to get to the main storyline a little quicker.

"The house stood quiet, surrounding Theodora with its silence, its darkness, and its well-kept secrets."
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to enjoy reading this book 📖.

Theodora Corvus is a well- bred young woman who has been raised in a very big house"Woodrow". She lived most of her life with her grandmother who raised her after her father's death. Her mother died while she was very young, so death surrounded her taking all the ones she loved.Theodora accepted an offer to work as a governess for a little young girl who lives far away from Woodrow, in a big manor called Broken Oak. Theodora and the girl's father Cassius fell in love, though the haunted manor which is full of secrets and dark nights didn't accept this love story.

Mainly this book is about love, hate..Good, Evil..strength, weakness all are gathered together inside it's pages. But what I actually found in this book is the reality of houses. For me it's the first book I read that deal with houses so seriously that you feel as if they are actual living beings.
Their walls keep our secrets, our feelings and thoughts. Their furniture, as well as, their wooden floors possess our energy, carry the heat and coldness of our bodies. They even talk, yes they do speak to us. For me, in this book Houses are the main characters.

I did fall in love with this book as much as I fell in love with the characters. Enjoying the love story between Cassius and Theodora was enough for me to wish that the book never ends. Most of the chapters deal with the four main characters only, Theodora, Cassius, Ottoline and Ms.River.
But the four were rich in thoughts, feelings and personal traits enough to make the reader overwhelmed with the story.

This book is very very well-written, the figures of speech really blew my mind and captured my heart as well.
I guess this book is suitable for every one, those who like horror and haunted houses genre, or who like love stories, mysteries and dark secrets to solve, or even light sarcasm . Every reader will find something to like in this book.
As for me it will definitely be a reread and I'm waiting for the paperback edition to purchase and keep it with my precious books.

I really wanted to like this one, but just never connected to the characters in a way that engaged me the way I wanted to be engaged.. For an atmospheric story it had an oddly distanced sensibility, like the author was purposely keeping the reader from feeling too much for the characters or their lives. It made for a strangely disconnected read that felt somewhat at odds with the evocative atmosphere generated by the houses and their environs. The pacing also seemed pretty slow. While that is not necessarily the kiss of death for a story of this type, that combined with the distancing really made it a struggle for me to feel like I was falling into the story - almost from the opening pages. This one wasn't a good fit for me.

This was a story that just didn't quite reach its full potential for me. The story started just fine, but then it hit a lull of the same repeated tropes over and over. Theodora is a fine MC, just not fully developed enough to be likable. Cassius and Ottoline, similarly, are also sufficient, but could use a bit more depth. In the end, the lack of development left me with a cast of wholly forgettable characters.

For the story, it started as a bit of a dense read, with the prose more flowery than I typically prefer. There were also a few glaring plot holes that I wanted filled in, but didn't happen..so suspension of disbelief had to be employed. I missed having more of the grandma, and the "twist" seemed pretty obvious for me, which left the ending lack luster.

It is, however, a short read and one that would be a good introduction to horror for YA readers.

Overall: 3.5

I'll tell my students about: magic, death, mental health/trauma

**Thank you to NetGalley and Quill and Crow Publishing House for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses by L. V. Russell

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Pace: 4/5
Thriller/Mystery 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 5/5




Whew! I just finished this book and am still on the edge of my seat wanting more. This novel has it all. Spooky homes, intuitive people, gothic descriptions, and doors that won’t open where things can be heard at night. Theodora take a new job as a governess at Broken Oak Manor. With one housekeeper and a Lord she is prepared to do what it takes after realizing the home she will stay at has lots of scary noises and whispers in the night. Creaking sounds in the attic, voices, and her intuitive nature bring us on a journey that will certainly scare even the most fearless. Theodora quickly understands that it is sorrow that brought her there. Hers a well as the homes. The author does an amazing job at keeping the story detailed and written in such as way as to keep the reader excited about what the next page will hold. I absolutely want to end another of L.V. Russell’s books if he has some and if not, I hope that he will soon.

Coming May 17 2023

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

This book was good, but was a little slow. Made me think of a slow burn. It’s not very long, which isn’t bad but once the story all came together I was pretty shocked at the twist and ending for sure! That’s the part that really got me to give this a 4 star instead of a 3. It’s a good little book for sure.

I could not put this book down. It had a mix of everything I like in a book, spooky, mystery, and a good romance.

I was able to guess what was going to happen a few times, but that didn’t change how much I liked the story. There was something about the MC that made her very reliable. Her grief and trauma were written all over her story, but it didn’t hold her back. I liked how she was able to still move on with her life.

The last page did leave me surprised and I loved it! I love when the characters get a good and well deserved revenge!!

If you like Jane Eyre, crimson peak, haunted mansion vibes, I would check this out. Also a pretty quick read!

I've been into slow-burn, atmospheric, gothic-type stories lately and was looking forward to this one. I was underwhelmed. It felt repetitive and the romance was annoying. If it was a longer book I would have bailed, but since it was a shorter one I decided to see it through and I'm glad that I did. The twist at the very end saved this book for me. However, the twist came too late and dragged on for too long. That all being said, I really enjoyed the dark, atmospheric descriptions of the house, the grounds, etc. For me, that was the best part of the book.

Overall, it was just okay; I wouldn't not recommend it.

Recommend if you like gothic stories with eerie setting depictions. Theodora, the main character, is drawn into this mystery while also getting drawn into a love affair. I really liked putting the pieces together and I did not see the twist at the end, but when it came, everything made sense!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, L.V. Russell, and Quill and Crow Publishing House for providing this in exhchange for my honest review.

Theodora is no stranger to loss. She was left in the care of her ailing grandmother when she was young after losing both parents. She learned to listen to the whispers and sighs of her childhood home, in search of the secrets and memories it might hold. She took this skill with her as she traveled to become a governess at Broken Oak Manor, where she found a forbidden love for the mysterious Lord of the manor, and his daughter, Ottoline. Her story is heartbreaking, and her heart is shrouded in grief.

The plot was not as climactic as it could have been, and I don’t quite understand how Cassias responded to Theodora’s ad for a governess position. Theodora seemed fated for her journey to Broken Oak Manor, yet the post she sent was either never sent or responded to – so how then was she “summoned” for employment? These are the only issues I had.

The story, however, flowed beautifully and it kept you guessing until the end. I really enjoyed the relationship between the characters, and how they came to life, and I found the storyline to be unique, and the ending quite unexpected. My heart ached for the hardships Theodora continued to endure and wished for her nothing but a happy ending. Russell's prose is beautifully eloquent and poetic, and she weaves a story with vivid imagery. This story is haunting and contains elements of overcoming grief and hardships. Russell touches on the grief of loved ones but also on the loss of potentially the life Theodora could have had and what she ultimately yearned for. For the time period, Theodora was very outspoken and inquisitive for a lady of her stature, and for that I praise Russell. I’m not one for romance typically, but I rooted for this one to blossom – and you can’t help but fall in love with little Ottoline. I believe that Theodora found a likeness in Ottoline and wanted her to have more than she ever had. This little story is introspective and relatable and is truly a breath of fresh air. I look forward to discovering more from this author.

I read this in one sitting. The atmosphere was wonderfully gloomy and gothic. The prose was lush and descriptions decadent. So much was said with just a few words sometimes. I loved all of the characters, even the ones that didn't linger, and especially loved the inhabitants of Broken Oaks. The romance was perfectly heartbreaking at first and then they got the quiet ending that befitted them. I am in love with everything about this story.

I had guessed the big reveal around halfway and was really pleased that I was right because it just made perfect sense. I don't want to put what movie it reminded me of or I'd spoil it, but I thought it was so well done. All of the pieces clicked into place beautifully. I wanted more gothic horror and romance in my life and Russell delivered.

Arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 2.25 stars. I wish I could’ve rated this higher, but by the end I was very frustrated.

When I began, I really liked it. The atmosphere is written beautifully, and I love the writing style. As I kept on, my interest dwindled, because the plot was weak. The setup was there, but the execution was not so good. I really liked Ottoline, but otherwise no one else. Theodora was a decent mc, but I hatedddd the ship. It was so random, and the man still believed he was married. They fell fast and fell hard, and I just don’t understand it.

I wish the plot had measured up to the writing, because if it had I think it would’ve been at least a 4 star, but I’m very disappointed. That being said, I would read another book by this author if there were improvement in that area. It had a very spooky, gothic classic vibe to it.

A short but good gothic style story and one I quite enjoyed. I don't read many gothic novels so this is a newish experience for me. This was a good romantic, somewhat mysterious and ghostly and enchanting read. It pulled me along on a bit of a rollercoaster ride and I enjoyed it.

The writing is well done adn I loved the characters. it was in some ways poetic yet intriguing, with an historical atmosphere that you can feel. It really did draw me in and it didn't take me very long at all to devour it.

Thank you NetGalley and Quill and Crow Publishing House for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.