Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advance copy of this book to read.

The story follows Millie, a young woman who has spent 2 months in a mental institute as she starts new employment with Professor Callum Hughes at the atmospheric Willowfield Estate.

This is my first historical academic romance and it did not disappoint. It's a great autumn/Halloween read with ghosts, faes and forbidden lust.

It really reminded me of Verity by Colleen Hoover but a more sophisticated and grown up version. The language and descriptions made for a beautiful and enchanting read.

If you're looking for a suspenseful, dark and gothic historical read this is for you.

4.5 stars

The Cruel Dark is a 1920’s gothic story with excellent haunted house vibes which felt reminiscent of Rebecca. We follow our main character Millie after she leaves her job in Boston to be a research assistant to a reclusive widowed professor, Callum. Soon after arriving Millie has doubts about this new role as she starts seeing and hearing things she can’t explain while the staff and Callum seem to be acting strange. There also is a constant presence of Callum’s deceased wife throughout the home. A creepy tale ensues as Millie tries to figure out the secrets of her new residence while maintaining her sanity.

I really enjoyed this book with all of the gothic descriptions and overall creepy vibes. I did not see the twists coming, and was kept guessing all the way until the end. The writing was very atmospheric and immersive. This book was an overall creepy delight, perfect for fall!

I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley for an honest review.

For a debut novel, this left quite an impression and I cannot wait to see what more this author will come out with in the future.

I really enjoyed this book for the fall season. I was giving spooky and very spicy, I definitely had me creeped out from time to time which is impressive since I don't startle easily!

The plot was amazing and was paced very nicely.

The characters were beautifully written and I felt like I was walking alongside the protagonist turning every corner with Millie.

Although the ending was decently predictable I was still pleasantly surprised and thought it ended just the way it should, it was great.

I don't typically read historical fiction or romances but I really liked this one and would recommend it to others who are trying to get into the genre as well. This is also in part of how well-written the book was the imagery was insane and the connection to characters and detail was otherworldly. Because of the writing style Bea used I was able to read this book in one day.

Though it has creepy elements it really is a great story I think everyone should check it out! When this book is released I hope it gets a lot of traction on social media because it is well deserved.

Excellent job Bea!

There are very few books that leave me speechless at the end, this is one of them.

Dang. Just. . . WOW!

The last chapter of this book is EVERYTHING. I thought I knew what was coming. I thought I could vaguely guess. I was wrong on SOOOOOOOOOO many levels. That alone is refreshing. I love to be surprised.

This book truly is a Dark Romance and has some wonderfully creepy imagery to go along with it. Since I am a very busy working mom of two, most of my reading is done at night after the kids go to bed. . . I can honestly say there was one night I was torn between being ok with how scared I was and my need to keep reading. Reading won out, but I woke my husband up on the sly just to not me along for a moment. BAHAHA!

I said it once, but It needs to be said two or three times more. This story is beautiful, the imagery is stunning, the characters are demential. I could honestly go on and on just listing the reasons this book is so jaw droopingly good.

5 freaking stars all the way around.

Thank you NetGalley and Northwick Books for the ARC.

Gothic and atmospheric, The Cruel Dark edges up on horror at times- I don’t always go for scary reads, but this was deliciously creepy. Northwick gives us gorgeous, evocative descriptions of Willowfield. I could really see it in my head. In novels like these the setting needs to be its own character, and she definitely achieves that. The Cruel Dark has VIBES. But that’s not all it is— Northwick captures the undercurrents of fear and grief that permeate the house and its inhabitants.

Millie is a great character. With a supremely tragic backstory that reveals itself slowly, it’s clear she feels defined by her past and her trauma. But we see her strength and backbone before she recognizes it in herself. Northwick gives her narrative voice clarity and conviction, which contrasts well with the looming tension and uncertainty of the plot. And phew, the sexual tension with Callum is *chef’s kiss.* So hot.

There’s a twist that I guessed pretty quickly, but so much remained between point A and point B that I couldn’t figure out that I didn’t mind at all. The plot builds slowly, with more focus on creating the gothic ambience, which makes perfect sense for the genre. The ensuing climax and resolution did feel a bit rushed, but still mostly worked for me.

The Cruel Dark sucked me right in. It was especially perfect that I read it on an overcast night in a cottage in Maine. This is a great read for fall and Halloween. Fittingly, it comes out on October 31!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ahhh this book! The absolute perfect spooky season book, I couldn't get enough of it.

The plot was engaging once it picked up, I did find it a bit slow in the beginning. I got major AHS vibes with I loved as that is one of my favourite shows, and it only added to my experience with reading the book. Theres as enough mystery in the book that I had to keep reading to find out, and while some parts were a bit predictable, in no way did that take away from the book.

The FMC was spunky and had my chuckling at times, and her relationship with the MC was engaging and oh so good. The spice level here was perfect and suited the feel of their relationship, nothing felt forced.

Loved it, so happy I read this book!

The description of this book caught my eye while perusing NetGalley, looking for something to get me in the mood for Spooky Season. This book fit the bill nicely, and I was delighted to receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review. And, honestly, I liked it.

The book is drenched in atmosphere. Long, winding sentences that evoke everything...the weather, the desolation of the manor house, the gardens, and the foods. To my knowledge, this is the author's first published work, and they do an admirable job evoking the senses and capturing a feeling that blends reality and a dreamy, haunted, almost paranormal feel. You're never quite certain what is imagined. That being said, the writing style became quite static with repeated sentence structures and almost too many descriptions of the external world, while not having enough of the innerworkings of the heroine's mind.

As for the story, it certainly captures a gothic feeling and will appeal to fans of Jane Eyre or Rebecca. But, buckle in, you're going to soak in atmosphere before you get to the plot. The mystery and romance both start around the 50% mark and almost the entire plot happens after 80%. I understand why, but given the short length of the book, it felt like a slog to get through the first third of the book. Once I hit that 50-60% mark, I read it in one sitting. Fans of cozy mystery or romantic suspense, will not be terribly surprised by the twist at the end, and romance readers will be concerned about the chemistry between the two main characters.

But, if you're looking for a gothic-vibe, atmospheric read that teems with florid language and vivid descriptions, then give this one a go. You'll love it.

The dark is truly cruel.

Millie is just a young woman trying to get day by day. Callum is a professor and owner of a large estate mourning his passing wife.

But has she truly passed?

Millie finds herself at his estate on a job to help him with his work but soon a budding romance emerges.
Dark memories start to resurfaces and secrets spill from pages. Who we thought we knew isn’t who they truly are.

The Cruel Dark is a gothic romance, haunting, eerie, and steamy.

“I am a gentleman, Millie, but not always, and I certainly don’t intend to be one right now.”

The Cruel Dark by Bea Northwick
@beanorthwick

This Gothic Romance is set to release on Halloween, and the timing couldn’t be any more perfect. It has everything you want in a spooky and sexy Gothic Romance; ghosts, secrets, madness, creatures, folklore, lies, and love. I urge you to read it that night, because as it ramps up, it will have you on edge, and you can absolutely devour it in one evening. The plot was remarkable and the ending surprising. The book as a whole gave me the chills, and by the end, I was stunned. What a brilliant debut Romance Novel from Bea Northwick.

The characters were wonderful and captivating. Millie was intriguing with her mysterious memories and actions while Callum was intense and moody; I whole heartedly enjoyed their banter. You just want to keep reading to find out what their deal is and resolve all the unanswered questions running through your head as you read. The romance and spice were just enough and don’t take away from the brilliant plot line. Not only will this book give you chills it also brings the heat. The Professor is… 🥵

If you enjoy Hester B Fox books then you should absolutely check this one out. Or vice versa!

"You don't know the dangers of this game you're playing, Millie”

Thank you Bea Northwick, NetGalley and Northwick Books, for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

The story follows Millie - a smart and disarmingly romantic heroine, who gets a job offer she can't refuse. She's to become an assistant researcher/secretary to Pr. Callum Hughes, in the crumbling estate of Willowfield. He's a recent widower, and some even say, a dangerous man with mind full of secrets. The longer Millie stays in the Willowfield, the more unexplainable things start to happen. She can't help herself and her curiosity. Especially when no one wants to talk about late Mrs. Hughes.

The Cruel Dark is mysterious, suspenseful and deliciously creepy debut novel - perfect read for a cold and gloomy day. It's very atmospheric and has a good balance between romance as well as elements of folklore and academia. It has enough of twists and turns, than some reader may (or may not) guess. But either way, the dynamic between the distressed Millie and her sinister love interest Callum, the secretive nature of Willowfield staff and ghosts straight out of horror movies, will occupy your mind until the very last page!

Please check Tw's!

This was a spooky moody read that had me from the beginning. It is beautifully written and has just the right amount of spice. The author had me wanting to explore the mansion in hopes of bumping into the Professor myself.

I first want to thank Bea Northwick, Northwick Books, and NetGalley for this ARC ebook edition.

Millie has a past she can't remember. All she knows is one day she woke in a mental ward in a local clinic with nothing to show for the last four years of her life. What she does remember of her time before is a past riddled with abuse and nightmares.

When she gets a job offer she can't refuse, she finds herself in the crumbling estate of Willowfield as the assistant researcher / secretary to Professor Callum Hughes. He's dark and broody. A recent widower. What's darker than the man, however, is the house itself. Things go bump in the night with no explanation to what's causing them. The minimal staff are tight-lipped about the situation of the house and the late Mrs. Hughes.

As things escalate, Millie is forced to confront all the things haunting her. Her past as well as the house. And maybe Professor Hughes himself.

This book was everything I needed to get me into the spooky season. A creepy haunted house filled with ghosts and secrets that left me reading until the early hours of the morning.

I had my suspicions about the twists and turns of this book. Suspicions that turned out correct. But I absolutely LOVED watching them unfold. I loved the way Northwick caused me to doubt my suspicions without outright dissolving them. The haunting was creepy. The characters were well developed. The scenery and setting were vivid. I loved the 1920s time frame to really round out the idea of being stranded in this house with nowhere to go.

Mexican Gothic vibes mixed with a little Jane Eyre. This novel is perfect for the haunting season and should be on everyone's list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bea Northwick for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Wow. I had to keep double-checking to confirm that this was indeed a debut novel because it was GOOD. I think Bea Northwick will be my newest auto-buy author. I can't wait to see what she releases next.

"The Cruel Dark" is a *sexy* gothic historical romance and mystery all in one. It's what I wish "The Haunting of Hill House" was.

Millie Foxboro, haunted by a traumatic past, works at a bookshop following her release from an asylum, with no memories from the past few years. After befriending a doctor, she gets a job as an assistant to the peculiar Professor Callum Hughes at his remote estate, Willowfield. She hopes that this temporary assignment will provide her with more stability- and perhaps sanity.

When she arrives at the once-magnificent home, she realizes she may be in over her head. Plagued with despair and rumors of ghosts, the house has been all but abandoned after the tragic death of Mr. Hughes' wife.

Millie, Professor Hughes, and the three remaining staff are all keeping secrets of their own. As a passionate and lustful yet reluctant relationship begins to grow between Millie and Professor Hughes, the house and its inhabitants seem to close in around Millie, ending in a shocking crescendo that will leave readers captivated.

Bea is a talented writer who was able to effortlessly create a lush and haunting atmosphere. I felt a general sense of unease for most of this book, which I call a job well done. The pacing was perfect and was so gripping that I finished this in one sitting! The slow burn and passion between Millie and Professor Hughes was 🌶 and intense. The characters were all unique and very well developed.

If you like:
-Gothic literature
-Beautiful writing
-Historical romance
-Spice ("I've decided not to make this easy for you ... you're going to have to keep quiet on your own if you don't want everyone to know what we're up to.")
-Decrepit estates
-A headstrong and intelligent narrator
-Swoon-worthy lines ("I love every piece and part of you, then and now, and I know I've made so very many mistakes, but if you'll forgive me and my stupidity, then I swear I will love every part to come.")
-Mystery

.....then I would highly recommend reading "The Cruel Dark" on its release date, October 31, 2023.

Phenomenal. Truly. The story was riveting, characters mysterious, and the spice was written beautifully. Its an absolute page turner and just when you think you know what's going to happen, you don't. I can't wait to read more from this author!

For the historical romance fans, this one is for you! I was clutching my imaginary pearls the entire time. The imagery in this book is sublime and very well written. I took my sweet time soaking up every page. The dark gothic elements had me thrilled. The heat between Millie and Callum was lovely to watch unfold. I thought I had the ending figured out, and I was jaw-droppingly wrong. Bea Northwick has a way with words, and I look forward to reading more from her. Thank you, Netgalley and Bea Northwick, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

"The Cruel Dark" is a mesmerizing gothic, spooky, historical romance that weaves a spellbinding tale of mystery, spice and the supernatural. What a perfect fall read! The author masterfully crafts the atmosphere, enveloping readers in an eerie and suspenseful ambiance. I was going between being tense and spooked to kicking my feet giggling while reading bc i was excited to see what happens between Callum and Millie! Their chemistry is as palpable as the paranormal entities that surround them.

As the layers of deception and hidden truths are peeled away, readers will find themselves on the edge of their seats, eagerly turning the pages. This novel is a must-read for fans of the American Horror Story!

Thank you NetGalley, Publisher and Author for this ARC!

For those of you who may not know me very well, I grew up reading all of the classics (being homeschooled all the way through high school probably had something to do with that). Among my favorite books of all time is Jane Eyre, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. Something about the gothic setting and the hidden passion between Jane and Mr. Rochester gets me every time, and that is probably why I find myself drawn to gothic romances and settings like that of The Cruel Dark.

To be honest, as I kept reading this book, all I could think of was that this book is what Jane Eyre would be with a little spice and a few more twists! The setting is everything - the secluded manor in disrepair, a skeleton staff trying to keep the house running, an aloof professor on sabbatical, and a troubled young woman that suffers from amnesia and believes herself to be mad. I was pleasantly surprised with the plot twist even though it had its inconsistencies but overall, I believe I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Millie and Callum (and there were definitely some spicy scenes that had me blushing). The Cruel Dark is the perfect blend of a gaslamp gothic romance and psychological suspense and is exactly the kind of book you want to read under a cozy blanket on a dark autumn day.

Themes/Tropes (as I see them): gothic romance, gaslamp romance, old mansion, mental health issues, historical fiction, ghosts, professor/assistant, dark romance

Thank you to NetGalley and Northwick Books for the pleasure of reading this ARC and for the opportunity to leave an honest review!

Hauntingly beautiful, that is how I would describe this magnificent piece of literature I just read just hours ago. This book was a page turner, full of mystery, romance, and thrilling turns in every damn chapter. I found this book both spooky and sexy and I am absolutely in love with this gothic novel. It evokes reading anything by the Bronte sisters and Edgar Allen Poe, its breathtaking. The author transports you into a world full of ghosts, mystery, secrets, and darkness and I loved reading every single page.

This story begins in the 1928 in Boston, where we read about Millie Foxboro a 26-year-old, an assistant to an antique book restorer who was recently offered a very lucrative job as a live in assistant to Professor Callum Hughes, master of a historic remote estate a day’s drive from Boston. Millie was to help Mr. Hughes organize his notes on Celtic folklore and psychology of myth. Although her employment situation was not ideal, as she would be working with a widow whose wife had become mad and had thrown herself into a river. However, Millie was desperate for employment as she had been a patient at a psychiatric hospital and three years missing from her memory. Once she arrives, she encounters the neglected estate with only a few workers due to rumors of ghosts. She also meets the enigmatic and handsome Professor Hughes, whom she finds herself attracted to despite his intensity and mercurial moods. As she becomes more familiar with her surroundings, the staff, and her employer, Millie realizes that everyone around her keeps secrets that could be her undoing.

In this book you will find forced proximity, dark secrets, amnesia, emotional scars, flashbacks of physical abuse as a child, paranormal elements as well as some creepy Irish folklore.

Overall, I found this book fantastic. I grew up reading Stephen King, Anne Rice, Poe, and a lot of Brit lit and this book had the best elements from all these genres and authors. I honestly wish I could erase this from my memory so I could read it again! You won’t regret picking this baby up. This is the perfect book for the spooky season. The Cruel Dark is out October 31, 2023.

I want to thank Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I enjoyed this book very much. If you like gothic romances, you have to give The Cruel Dark a read. It is the perfect book to read this autumn.

The Cruel Dark is not only great for a debut novel, it's just a brilliant and engaging story period. Very early on I found I could not put the book down because I just had to know what would happen next. I then went on to read it all in one night. It's really not a very long book, so it's perfect if anyone wants a good fall evening read to fit the spooky vibes of the season.

The haunting atmosphere of this romance was written beautifully. It's what truly impressed me while reading. Bea Northwick was able to write such a well-paced novel that had a great spooky ambiance and she did an incredible job setting up plot twists that had me hooked until the very end.

I enjoyed the characters very much as well. I appreciated how fleshed out they all were, especially the main character Millie. I think anyone looking for a historical, gothic romance with believable characters and intriguing twists and turns would really enjoy this book. I know I'm looking forward to any future books from Bea Northwick after reading what a great story she's written here with The Cruel Dark.

It started out slow, but ended great. A Gothic Horror with some Romance thrown in. A great fall read to get you in the mood for spooky season.

Millie has taken a job as an assistant to a professor and is living in his estate. When she starts seeing the ghost of the professor's wife, is her past or the past of the house coming to haunt her? And should she reject the professor's advances? Or go with it?