Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book drew me in from the first page and did not let me go until the very end.
The characters were very impressive, especially our heroine, Katherine. At the same time tough, smart, and incredibly brave she is vulnerable and open. She faces prejudice at every turn which hurts her but also, at times, bolsters her. Emrys also found a place in my heart after very few pages. His dark brooding personality starkly contrasts his soft, caring nature, which helped me connect with his deeply hurt character on a deeper level.
The found family aspect of this novel warmed my heart, Will and Alma were a delight for side characters. how they care for both of our main characters and individually had compelling storylines and banter made for two great characters.
The house itself being a character was a delight.

I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to any romantasy or gothic romance lover like myself.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Gollancz for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: blood, death, violence, xenophobia, grief

Katherine Woodrow is a Fey in a world dominated and controlled by humans, and all she wants is to graduate from the Institute of Magic and have some freedom. However, when Katherine rescues a rich mortal from a demon he accidentally released from a book to distressing consequences, the bigoted mortal Council threaten to remove her from the Institute and to take her magic just as they have been threatening for years. She thinks that her chances are ruined but an unexpected partnership offer from a mysterious, long-assumed-dead Lord Blackthorn changes everything; if she agrees, Katherine will finish her education with him and gain a mentor. Emrys Blackthorn is not what Katherine expected when she meets him- a war hero, a recluse, a Master Mage and badly cursed- but she has little choice about accepting, the Institute wants her gone. Soon after arriving at Blackthorn Manor, Katherine is thrown into a world of dark magic, facing down monsters and illnesses that no one has ever seen. When a string of murders and the deaths of Fey seem likely to lead to another devastating war, Katherine and Emrys travel deep into the wilderness to try to solve them. Their secrets, and that of the curses and demons they find, might mean that they don’t make it back alive.

I really enjoyed this book, it's dark and Gothic and inspired by Jane Eyre which I thought worked well. Katherine Woodrow is a strong main character who desperately tries to keep out of trouble despite it nearly always following in her wake. She’s passionate and intelligent but used to flattening herself into an acceptable version, her experiences at Blackthorn Manor show her “true” self as she accepts who she is. I loved her relationship with her friend Alma who is a wild Fey with the ability to transform into animals (though not by choice) and the decisions she made to try and keep them safe from the realities of a mortal-dominated world. Emrys Blackthorn is such an enjoyable and mysterious figure, he’s been badly injured by the last war and wants nothing more than to help people so he doesn’t have to leave the house. That doesn’t mean he’s cruel, he’s kind-hearted and genuine to his apprentice, William, which Katherine finds fascinating; their gradual trust and partnership was my favourite part of this story, especially as they have to depend on each other more as things get worse. This was just the right amount of slow burn for me, I can’t wait to see where it might go between Katherine and Emrys in the second book. This book is like mixing Jane Eyre with Howl’s Moving Castle and adds in mystery and faeries, it’s an original idea with gorgeous pacing, and I’m looking forward to what comes next.

Unfortunately, after months of convincing myself I will come back to this, in part because everyone seems to love it, I'm conceding defeat and dnfing it. Disclaimer: I received a ARC copy so my review is of this specifically.

A gothic, Jane Eyre-inspired fantasy with Fey and a magical institute sounded absolutely incredible and I so wanted to love this. Unfortunately, I found it almost unreadable. There were so many typos, grammatical mistakes and awkward turn of phrases that took me completely out of the story. While I realise this was an ARC, it read like an early draft and I did not expect it to be so unedited.

Beyond this, the pacing was an issue. After an interesting start, the story slowed right down and I found myself disengaged and wondering where it was going to go, especially as I didn't find the characters very compelling. As I didn't finish the book, I can't really comment on much else but I'm very disappointed this one didn't work for me.

The first book in a trilogy Tales of a Monstrous Heart is a slow-burn gothic romantasy inspired by Jane Eyre and filled with female rage, fey, demons, dark academia, forbidden love, brooding and mysterious lords and so much more.

We follow Katherine Woodrow, a young woman who struggles against the prejudice of her heritage and desperately tries to hide her wild and often chaotic magic. Unfortunately for Kat she’s at risk of having her magic being ‘cleansed’ and being cast out of the Institute.

Katherine soon receives partnership papers from the mysterious Lord Emrys Blackthorn which provides her the opportunity she desperately needed, until she finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery as her fellow Fey continue to turn up dead with dark and sinister forces at play.

A bewitching and compelling story, I was hooked from the first page. Jennifer has written a haunting and eerie fantasy with a rich and beautifully written storyline that ensnares your senses.

There were a lot of different types of fey and magic which could be found complicated initially but the steady pacing gave plenty of time to explore the world and various characters and creatures within so I found myself fascinated by magic system and lore. Each twist and turn that followed only added to the action packed storyline.

Secondary characters William and Alma absolutely have my heart and paired with the sentient house the found family vibes were just perfection. Each character had a complexity and depth to them that made you root for them from the go.

The tension between Emrys and Katherine was just *chefs kiss*. This is the kind of Romantasy I just love - the brooding and yearning had me in a chokehold and the gothic fantasy vibes are just the icing on the cake.

This book was one of my most anticipated 2024 releases and it didn’t not disappoint! I cannot wait to see what comes next from Jennifer!

Huge thank you again to @gollancz for a @netgalley arc and @jenniferdelaney for the physical ARC and samplers

Really enjoyed this book, took a few chapters get into it but once I started it was great. I loved the supporting characters particularly and can't wait to read more if them. I loved the tension between the nain characters and the plot line kept me guessing all the way through!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I enjoyed this more than I was expecting to. At the beginning I was a bit jolted by some of the phrasing and prose, which was a little stilted, but then either it got better or I was drawn into the story. Another (sort-of) Beauty and the Beast reworking, I did like the fact that Delaney made the female character a Fey as we so often see the Fae-male/human-female dynamic in fantasy/romantasy. I could have done with a bit more character development of Emrys, but the world was unique and the narrative interesting enough to leave me wanting more from the next installment.

‘Out of all the punishments I’ve endured, why is being forbidden to have you the worst of them all?’

Tales of a Monstrous Heart is a stunning new romantasy full of pining and longing. I will always love a sentient, magical house filled with mystery and intrigue.

Jennifer Delaney is able to create the perfect balance with her gentle foreshadowing and does not fall into the trap of overexplaining. I truly appreciate an author who is able to properly sprinkle breadcrumbs throughout and even though the plot it predictable it’s still enjoyable.

Is it tropey? Yes. Did I absolutely devour this book regardless? Also, yes.

I was unable to put this book down and had so much fun with this! I would definitely recommend it to lovers of romantasy.

Tales of a Monstrous Heart is a gripping, Jane Eyre-inspired Gothic fantasy with a unique world, a captivating magic system, and a slow-burn forbidden romance that’ll keep you on edge. With flawed yet lovable characters and an explosive ending, Delaney’s writing is absolutely mesmerizing, making this a must-read for fans of dark academia and spice

I really, really want to like this but unfortunately I did not vibe with this at all. For a book marketed as gothic, it had not of the characteristic lush prose that the genre is known for. Instead, the writing was clunky and several times I found myself rereading sentences to understand what the author was meaning to convey.
This needed better editing and maybe more time perhaps before publication.
Definitely a big disappointment for me as I'm a HUGE fan of gothic books, but this fell very flat for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Katherine Woodrow is Fey, and all she wants is to graduate from the Institute of Magic. But when the prejudiced mortal council threaten her position at the institute, she is left with only one option: accept a Mage Partnership with the elusive Lord Blackthorn.

Emrys Blackthorn is a riddle Kat is fearful of solving. The mysterious, cursed war hero with his stormy eyes and unpredictable ways leaves Kat with more questions than answers. What she does know is that she is irresistibly drawn to him . . . no matter how forbidden it might be.

When a string of murders and fey disappearances herald the return of dark magic, Kat and Emrys are thrown into a world of ancient books that hide hideous monsters, dark fiends who play with nightmares and mortal men who wish nothing more than to see them both burn.

But what haunts them both are secrets even ghosts dare not whisper, while insidious shadows lick their teeth and sharpen their claws, waiting for the moment that all tales will come to light - even the monstrous ones.

I was thoroughly immersed in the plot from the very first page as we are immediately thrust into an action-packed first chapter. Readers are immediately thrown into the deep end, beginning Tales in a forbidden library of dark and dangerous texts, and ending Tales with their hearts wrenched from their chests, questioning everything, and yearning for more. I seriously cannot express how much I adored this book. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this wonderful book early, BUT I am nothing if not impatient and the wait for book two will truly be torturous. I am very excited to reread this book alongside everyone else when it releases in August.

I totally loved this! A brilliant mixture of gothic and mystery, splashed with fae and all the antics you need! The romance was brilliant and the world building was awesome. Also, omg the ending!!! Prepare to be desperate for more. I thought this was a really good take on Jane Eyre, fae and gothic fantasy and Jennifer can really write!

I could never imagine how someone could cross Jane Eyre with Howl's Moving Castle and make it work, but that exactly what Tales does. It's been a hot minute since I read Jane Eyre but I could see it's fingerprints all over Tales, from the setting to the characters and even the writing style. I was obsessed with Jane as a teen I can tell that Jennifer Delaney was too!

The characters were all such joys. I especially loved Kat and Alma's friendship. I think friendships are often ignored in romances, but these two had such a special bond. A lot of my highlighted quotes are from their scenes together.

The ending had me in absolute bits with all the foreshadowing coming together. I'm going to be thinking about Tales daily until the sequel graces us next year.

Thank you to Gollancz and Netgalley for the eARC!

A gothic fantasy romance inspired by Jane Eyre. It follows Katherine Woodroow, a few who wants nothing more than to graduate from the Institute of Magic. Yet with the prejudices from the mortal council she is left with only one option to graduate: accept a Mage Partnership with the brooding and mysterious Lord Emrys Blackthorn. Complete with horned manservant, sentient house, a dash of romance and so many secrets, Katherine has her work cut out for her. With a string of murders and disappearances occurring, darker forces are at play and the secrets that Kat and Emrys are hiding will haunt them. This is the first book in a series and absolutely ends on a cliffhanger. I am so curious to see how the second book picks up and what the story will be. The romance was a nice touch my only thing was that the pacing felt a little bit off for me and that while reading it you can find yourself disassociating a bit. It's by no means a bad book and its definitely one I'd recommend for fans of gothic fantasy!

Release Date: August 29,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group | Gollancz for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Summary

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

Spicy rating: 🌶️🌶️ 1.5/5

Fluff rating: 💖 1/5

This book is a Jane Eyre inspired, demonic dark academia, gothic fantasy and absolutely a book you need to read!
There’s an intricate and unique world and magic system to get lost in as well as a slow burn forbidden romance that will have you curling your toes in anticipation.

Considering she is magical and fey, I found Kat to be super relatable and endearing. She’s strong, tenacious and intellectual. And would NEVER belittle her self or her achievements for the sake of a man. I adored the feral female friendship she has with Alma and once again found this super relatable. She is 100% the ‘talk to me, I’ll talk back friend’

Emrys was dark and broody but full of swoon and satire. We love a man who will do anything to support the FMC without being threatened by her power! The side characters and found family were well written and engaging, you really felt like one of the team whilst the world was falling apart! 😅

Possibly my fave side character was the house though. Honestly the comedy value of a sentient house trying to force Kat & Emrys together had me howling. Think more gothic and cheeky Casita from Encanto and you’ll be halfway there!

I will say that cliff hanger was absolutely BRUTAL and I have still not forgiven Jen for that. I immediately popped up in her DMs to express my distraughtness. No word of a lie I believe the tag line for book 2 will say- “sent me to therapy”.

Honestly you should read this book! Especially this autumn as it is the PERFECT fit for it.

Katherine Woodrow is a talented fey who just wants to graduate from the Institute of Magic but the mortal council are a big bunch of whiny gasbags who won’t let her unless she accepts a mage partnership with the only mage who will take her; Lord Blackthorn. Emrys Blackthorn is last of a formidable family that holds a lot of power and respect meaning he is allowed to flout convention at will, he is mysterious and a war hero with a tragic past so obviously Kat just can’t help herself. She falls and then the bodies start piling up. This is a properly satisfying, darkish romantasy I enjoyed it very much. There’s a comparison to Jane Eyre but it’s pretty slight, we have brooding hero in a big old house but that’s about it. The Fey/Mortal conflict doesn’t entirely make sense but I was happy to go along with it and am looking forward to the next instalment.

ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛʀᴏᴜꜱ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴡ ɪ’ᴅ ꜱʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛʀᴏᴜꜱ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ.

I loved the vibes of this book, with a dark gothic setting, some mystery, and dark academia. One of the things I loved most about this book was the incredibly beautiful and poetic writing style. It was a heartbreaking story of perseverance. Kat is such a resilient character, I loved her spirit and will to go on despite constantly being beaten down through her life. Emrys is very dark and mysterious and commands power and respect, and I was trying to put together pieces about him throughout the book.

‘𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘯, 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘸𝘦’𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦.’

There’s a dark academia setting with a whole lot of mystery in this book, as Kat and Emrys try to work out what’s behind mysterious dark magic that is occurring. There are some interesting twists and turns as we learn more about the magic and the lore of the land, as well as both main characters’ backgrounds. The tension builds slowly in the best way - very much Victorian romance meets fantasy romance.

I think it’s important to note, I went into this thinking it was standalone because it wasn’t advertised as book 1 or anything, so I was raging at the ending… until I combed through Jennifer’s insta feed and found one reference to a book 2, so I put away my pitchfork 😅 So just know that there will be at least one more book after this one.

Overall thoughts:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️


‘You are a beauty without end, a fire that cannot be smothered by something as fickle as men.’

‘The dark calls all things back in the end. For to it’s master - all darkness must return.’

Tropes: gothic, spicy, magic, sentient house, curses, who did this to you, touch her you 💀, dark academia, slow burn, forbidden romance, politics

Kat an orphaned fey has been fighting all her life to survive and just when she thinks there’s no where safe, a letter arrives under her lodging door at the institute..
A placement offer.. (but none of them got accepted, no one wanted her.. a fey..)

Welcome to Blackthorn Manor 🖤

Oh wow. Where do I begin??
Firstly, congratulations to Jennifer on an incredible debut novel!

This book has so many things l love, slow burn ✔️, forbidden romance ✔️, unique magic ✔️, sentient house ✔️✔️, dark broody MMC ✔️✔️

This book just hits! It’s such a perfect initial entry to a series (which I can’t wait to read more of). I loved the characters, the pacing, the variety of settings/ locations. There was never a dull moment. The wit/ banter/ comic relief was perfect to balance the dark weight of the rest of the story.

I Also want to highlight Jennifer’s writing style. It was wonderful! A delight to read. The world was easy to understand & become absorbed in. As well as the writing being descriptive & whimsical.

And the ending?!…
I need the next book NOW!

Thank you to Jennifer Delaney, Net Galley & Orion for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I want to be upfront that I was struggling a lot with my dyslexia while reading this book and that may have tempered my view on the book a bit. That said I enjoyed it as much as I could. I’ve given it a four star because of this, but it’s very possible that without the dyslexia, it could have been higher. I really did enjoy it despite everything.

I really liked the dark academia vibes that this book had. My favourite parts were when Kat was researching stuff in the study or the library. I loved the nature of the house a lot. The idea of a house being alive and manipulating the rooms and hallways depending on what it wanted was just fantastic for me.

I got a little confused with the ending. I think because I struggled to remember a lot of the relationships between the different fey species and which were the bad ones and which weren’t. I do think there’s a good chance this might be because of the dyslexia but the different species were very complicated and lore heavy.

Overall, I think it was a good book and I’d definitely like to give it another go one day because I feel like I missed out on a lot.

This book is an absolute obsession for me now! Think A Fragile Enchantment but even better. I was hooked from start to finish and completely raced through it, devouring the tension between Kat and Emrys borne of their budding forbidden romance, full of chemistry and a little spice. Kat's a fantastic character, scorned by society for being fae, and used as a pawn in the dangerous and fragile peace agreement. It's impossible not to empathise with her for the way she is treated and her isolation. She's strong, clever, and determined which makes her incredibly easy to root for and her character is complex, with an intriguing backstory and difficult emotions. Just as great as Kat and Emrys are the side characters, Kat's shapeshifting best friend and Emrys' boyish and charming young apprentice especially. They add a lightness to what can be at times a dark and stormy novel, complete with a fair few villains, and lots of magic. This is a story that I can't wait to continue in the sequel - which can't come soon enough!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Gothic and beautiful. I read this in one sitting the slow burn is painfully delicious and I loved it!