The Hollow and the Haunted is a delightful mix of sweetness, suspense, and supernatural intrigue. Miles, a psychic from a ghost-hunting family, has a vision of Gabriel, the brooding heir to a rival family, meeting a tragic end. Despite years of animosity between their families, the two are forced to team up to unravel dark secrets and try to change Gabriel’s fate. Their dynamic, full of snarky banter and reluctant partnership, gradually evolves into a heartfelt connection that feels natural and deeply satisfying.

The story is filled with rich worldbuilding, eerie atmosphere, and a cast of intriguing side characters who add depth without overshadowing the main duo. From family feuds and forbidden romance to unexpected twists and chilling mysteries, it’s impossible to put this book down. The ending packs an emotional punch with a cliffhanger that will leave you eagerly awaiting the next installment. If you love a well-crafted paranormal rivals-to-lovers romance, this one is a must-read!

This is very sweet, with such great portrayals of family relationships! There's a cute grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Miles and Gabriel, and I really liked both of them a lot. They find themselves in the middle of a feud between their families, and I really enjoyed seeing them navigate that in the hopes of thwarting a premonition of Gabriel's death. This was well-written and well-paced, and enjoyable - I think I just didn't feel completely taken by the story.

If you like a magical enemies-to-lovers romance then you will love this sweet YA LGBTQIA coming-of-age story!

Much like Romeo and Juliet, Miles and Gabriel’s families hate each other, but when Miles starts seeing visions of Gabriel’s death the two are forced to work together to solve mysteries from the past to try to save his future.

Miles and Gabriel are both very likable and relatable characters and the tension/chemistry between them is plentiful and developed naturally and believably, making me root for them all the way through the book. I did guess who was behind the mystery of Gabriel’s impending death and why, but I didn’t care because this is enemies-to-lovers done really well and so I was hooked on their story anyway…

… To the point that I audibly shrieked, “Nooooooo!” when the book ended on a cliffhanger, and I had to immediately rush to check whether this was the whole novel or just a sample – fully ready to splash out for the rest of the story at any cost! – only to find out that this is the first book in a duology and I will just have to wait. Nooooooo!

An irresistibly eerie, yet heartfelt YA fantasy debut that blends the paranormal elements of Sixteen Souls with an emotionally complex and endearing MC, Miles, determined to solve a murder that has yet to happen.

Miles Warren is part of a very special family, one where those born into the family have psychic gifts. In fact, a few of the people in his town do, with various families using them to help others and build a stronger community. His family help people with supernatural problems, things such as hauntings, demonic possession, or cursed objects that need dealing with. There's one family in town however, the Hawthornes, who have used their gifts to make themselves rich, and the Warrens and Hawthornes do not get on; even if Miles isn't exactly sure why.

When Miles gets a death premonition, a vision that shows him how someone will die, about Gabriel Hawthorne he's put in a troubling situation. The families don't get on, so he's worried about going to his parents for help, but at the same time he can't just sit back and let something as terrible as murder happen to Gabriel, no matter how bad the family feud is. So, Miles sets out to find out who wants to kill Garbriel and stop it, something that's far from easy as most death premonitions cannot be altered. Thus begins a series of events that will bring Miles and Gabriel closer than he could have ever imagined.

The Hollow and the Haunted is a rather fun and easy to read rivals to lovers supernatural romance novel designed for younger readers. It's got a lot of tropes in it, almost to the point where you can tick them off a list, but manages to be so well crafted and delightful a read that you don't really care how familiar the book feels.

A lot of the enjoyment of the book comes from the two leads, Miles and Gabriel. Miles is a very likable protagonist, and you very quickly come to enjoy spending time with him. He's part of a life that he doesn't really enjoy (we meet him literally digging up a grave) yet does so to help his family out and to not rock the boat. He has psychic gifts that he doesn't particularly like, yet uses them to help others because he knows it's the right thing to do. He's also hiding a secret, that he's gay. Having seen a number of rivals to lovers books for teens before I realised whilst reading this that I don't think I've read any with queer characters, and as such this was a delightful twist on the trope.

Miles' relationship with Gabriel is a main focus of the book, and is a fun one too as they don't exactly get off on the best foot. Raines injects a ton of character and humour into these scenes, as the two of them argue and snark at each other in equal measure. Over time the two of them begin to work together better, and you can see that their very different personalities compliment each other well, with Gabriel being the one to keep Miles focused, for example.

The Hollow and the Haunted ends on a cliff-hanger, meaning that there will be more to come with these characters, and by the way things end you'll be wanting to read the next part straight away.

It was interesting but sadly it could not convice me. I wanted to love this one but it was no highlight for me.

well this was a cute and a creepy start to a duology that promises an exciting finish for sure! This was intriguing, had some emo angst, a cute troubled rich boy and an earnest hero MC from a rival family determined to keep said trouble away.

I really adored Miles. He was so steadfast and thoughtful towards Gabriel, and i really admired his character. Gabriel did do cool and aloof really well, and his brothers were pretty awesome and i hope we get to see more of them in book 2.

I wasn't a fan of Miles' family ngl. I think it's because Gabriel's was frightening and hit the sinister terror mark like i expected. But Miles' just seemed overworked, snappish and secretive, but nothing really came from it. I dunno if book 2 is supposed to open them up or something, but it was weird not to auto choose them as foils to the "horrid" Hawthornes. To be fair, the creepy atmosphere and the ominous plot was mostly focused on Gabriel in this book so it makes sense why i found the Hawthornes so compelling.

And ok i know it's not a romance per se, but i really love how Miles and Gabriel are (my grammar is stuck in limbo until this duology releases me with a conclusion looools) feeling feelings, and i love the little things about their friendship like the kind of shows they bonded over, their table meets and snarky exchanges. I have hearteyes for this romeo and juliet forbidden-ish romance, and i thought their attraction for each other grew naturally and that Raines captured that really well.

So yes, I enjoyed this quick and intriguing read, and the cliffy at the end 100% has me hooked!!! Can't wait for the exciting conclusion to this duology, and ofc i'm hoping the HEA for these stunning boys will be everything that i wish Pynch was! ***Yes yes i know why TRC was the way it was, but more Adam and Ronan in love will always be the story i want to read forever and ever!***

The Hollow and the Haunted is a delightful blend of sweetness, hilarity, and intensity—a true gem of a read!

From the first page, the voice leaps off the page, drawing you into Miles' world with his humor and relatability. He’s not just funny; he’s authentic, making it impossible not to root for him. His dynamic with the sharp-edged recluse Gabriel is expertly crafted, and their rivals-to-lovers arc is as compelling as it is beautifully executed.

The supporting cast deserves its own spotlight. Both Miles and Gabriel come with richly drawn, intriguing siblings (and a cousin!) who bring added layers to the story without overshadowing the main characters. Honestly, I’d love to see more of them in future books—because there better be another book after that ending!

In short, The Hollow and the Haunted is an absolute must-read, offering humor, heart, and a dash of haunting intensity that lingers long after the final page.

My god I did not think I would enjoy this book as much as I did. I’m legit upset that it ends on a cliffhanger because I MUST KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! The tension, the mystery LOVE IT! More please!

I enjoyed this book but hope it’s a duology as it ends on a cliffhanger. It was a fun ghost story and I liked learning about the main characters abilities as they fall in love and save Gabriel. There were minor typos with “Miles’s” and I didn’t like how he named his car.

The Hollow and the Haunted is a great story for any season

I would certainly recommend this one for a spooky season read, but truly this is a great read for any season. Just be sure that you’re ready to enter a several book series and make sure you are comfortable not having a true conclusion at the end of the book. If not for that, I would likely have given The Hollow and the Haunted a perfect 10 out of 10. Still, Camilla Raines’ story is worth spending a few long nights with.

Full review at https://thecosmiccircus.com/book-review-the-hollow-and-the-haunted-by-camilla-raines/

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via the publishers.

The Hollow and the Haunted is the start of a new series/dulogy (I assume from the ending of this book) about two rival families and their sons who end up thrust in each others paths after one boy (Miles) has a vision of the other (Gabriel).
Miles is a Warren and comes from a gifted family - his gift is being an empath, but after seeing a vision of a boy in the mirror, dying, he is left reeling. When he attends a party at the Hawthornes (his family's rich rivals) and realises the boy he saw is there and is, in fact, Gabriel Hawthorne, he's left reeling even more. Gabriel is a sworn enemy of his family, but as an empath, he can't leave him to die.
When the pair begin to work together to solve and stop Gabriel's murder before it can occur, they fund themselves in the midst of darkness, secrets, lies, and evil.
There's so many threads in this book that have been left teasingly open, and I've no doubt there's going to be at least a second book with even more happening and unfolding and I can't wait to dive into it! I loved both main characters and found I could connect to Miles the most being an empath myself, but Gabriel has a moral grey likeability that grows on you through the book.

I am not sure if I feel betrayed or delighted to complete this book only to learn that this is a series opener. I hate waiting for new books. The dramatic cliffhanger ending is brutal, but the plot leaves plenty to explore in a sequel. I enjoy these characters, and the budding romance between Gabriel and Miles is just getting started. I look forward to continuing the series.

Ghosts, haunted houses, and deadly visions abound in this excellent, queer paranormal mystery for young adults. *The Hollow and the Haunted* follows the story of Miles and Gabriel—two sons of warring psychic families—as they are forced to work together after Miles has a premonition of Gabriel’s death. Their hunt to save Gabriel unearths deep secrets both of their families have kept buried, challenging what they thought they knew about themselves and each other.

❤️ What I loved: I truly enjoyed so much about this story—compelling characters, a mysterious family and haunted house, and lots of fun paranormal elements. The relationship development between Miles and Gabriel was very sweet, and definitely has you rooting for them to overcome their “Romeo and Juliet”-esque family situation. This is a really shining example of the young adult genre for me—the characters and storyline felt entirely believable and appropriate for their age.
💔 What I didn’t love: The pacing of this book was a little all over the place, whic detracted from the story for me. I know it’s going to be a series, but the end in particular was so abrupt that it felt unfinished more than suspenseful.

I would highly recommend this story to fans of young adult mystery and paranormal stories. There is a big cliffhanger at the end, and I like many others am now anxiously awaiting the next book.

**Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4-4.5)**

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Camilla Raines, and Titan Books, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

3.5 stars rounded up. This was an enjoyable fantasy story featuring likable characters and a cute relationship. There were times where the plot didn't really hold my attention, but I liked the characters enough that the book as a whole worked for me. It ended with a cliffhanger that left me wondering where the story will go next.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

DNF at 20%
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Hollow and the Haunted seems pretty cute, but unfortunately, it and I just didn't click.
The good: Miles seems like a fairly competent MC (if judgy) and actually reaches out for help, which is a nice choice! It's something that's fairly rare in this kind of book.
The author also does have some good hook moments, and a decent level of intrigue.

The bad: the writing in this book simply didn't click with me. It was a level of amateurish that is forgivable, but simply not for me: kind of like a mid-level fanfiction. Space and time are ill defined, and scenes go by faster than they should. Several metaphors left me scratching my head because they came out of left field, and didn't add anything to the story.

In the beginning of the book, a ball that the main characters are to go to is built up: Miles is to be on his best behavior, as this is an important thing, where if their family didn't go, it could be seen as an insult.

Despite this, as soon as they arrive, Miles' mother starts trading barbs with Mrs. Hawthorne - and not in the fun way that I had hoped, something with political intrigue and a veil over words that made them sound sweet, but truly poisonous.

Instead, their fight was... childish. Not only was it contradictory to how this scene was built up, but instead Miles' mom calls the other woman "heartless" to her face, with little reprecussion. They're just being nasty to one another, and it wasn't fun to read. Around here is where I started checking out, and the next chapter or two didn't change my mind about stopping reading.

Maybe I'm simply not the age demographic for this anymore, but I suspect that if I'd picked this book up when I was a teenager, I would be similarly frustrated.
I'm sure this book will do it for someone, but that someone isn't me.

Also, side note: The author uses the term "gay panic" in the beginning to describe Miles being panicked that he's gay. This is a bastardization of a term that is becoming unfortunately more popular as our community forgets its past. The term Gay Panic has historically been used to justify hatecrimes, especially killing of homosexuals, because a straight person was scared of their existence. The misusage of this term hasn't affected my rating because it's a minor thing, and more than that, is commonly becoming misused -- but I want to bring attention to this issue anyways, because it left me a little uncomfortable. I hope that if there's a reprint of this, the author chooses to replace this term with something more fitting of the scene.

Initially I felt like this was perhaps a bit too YA for my tastes and maybe I'd made an error in requesting it, but once I got into it, I really enjoyed myself!

It's a fun YA romantic mystery that was a little reminiscent of Beautiful Creatures in that the main character became entangled with a rich, secretive family that had serious beef with his family.

I especially loved the characters and the romance - the slow burn was delicious - and i'm very much looking forward to seeing more of them in book two.

Overall a fun read!

In The Hollow and the Haunted, Camilla Raines has created a darkly atmospheric LGBTQ supernatural story full of mysteries and secrets along with a queer romance. From the first pages, the story delves into the paranormal world of Miles, where psychics and magic are real but telling your parents you’re gay is still difficult.
I love the worldbuilding of this magical world of psychics and premonitions. The characters of Miles and Gabriel are complex and the dialogue between them rich and snappy. I love how the mystery of Mile’s premonition is developed, how the friendship and romance between the two grows but most of all how they fight and confront the spirits of Gabriel’s family. In particular, I love how Miles grows as a character throughout the story and eventually stands up for himself in crucial times. If I have one critique, it is that the story ends in a cliffhanger. While that is a terrific gothic element and this is meant to be a series, it is the one aspect that I as a reader dislike.
However, if you like gothic stories and magical romances with a darkly atmospheric feeling and a lgbtq romance, this is a fantastic novel. I love everything else about the writing and that ending does mean that I’ll be coming back to read more, because I have to know what happens next. If you don’t mind waiting for a conclusion to the story, this novel is worth the read.

All I have to say about this book, is that I love it. The summary said it was similar to the raven cycle & cemetery boys, but I feel like its more along the vibe of F.T. Lukens' book Spell Bound, which I also love. I feel like this book had every single trope I adore. It has rivals to lovers, lonely kids who just needs someone to be there for them, sunshine/grumpy duo etc. I was captivated the whole time and I am so sad that I have to wait for the second one to come out to read and find out what happens next. Miles was such a refreshing character to read the POV from, and usually he's not the type of character I end up liking, but I adore him. He's an empath (literally) and just genuinely wants to help no matter how tired he is. I was a little frustrated at first because he had a hard time just speaking his mind when something upsets him, but when he put his foot down and expressed himself to his mom, I was so proud of him. I also really love Gabriel, I'm hoping we can see more of his POV in the next book. Overall, the writing, the story, the plot and the characters are mwah 5/5. I would recommend this to anyone who love a little spooky mystery with a side of wholesome lgbt romance.

I forgot to give feedback for this one, but I bought a finished copy of the book and I can't wait to read it when my TBR gets less unwieldy!