The Hollow and the Haunted was a wonderful and well-paced queer horror mystery filled with excellent twists and some incredibly imagined paranormal elements.

This was the perfect type of book to pick up this time of year. It is perfectly paced with excellent characterisation and a cracking mystery to unravel. Raines builds brilliantly on that incredible premise, just let the story sink its claws into you.

I really enjoyed our central characters of Miles and Gabriel, particuarly Miles at first. He has such an interesting power and one that definitely feels like it could be a curse. Raines weaves his premonitions into the narrative in a way that feels disruptive and different. The two of them have such a great dynamic, with that enemies to maybe something more gradually building up. Their feud is deep-seated with a mysterious family rivalry that involves a bit of death and destruction. I liked how Raines added a class element to this fraught dynamic as well. It grounded it in the midst of the fantasy atmosphere. They’re both fiercely loyal to their families, feeling the weight of their legacies on their shoulders.

The mystery is well-crafted, with plenty of red herrings and surprises in store. It is incredibly paced, with that ticking clock adding a sense of urgency to proceedings. In fact, the whole magic system is deeply fascinating and has a sense of darkness that casts an eerie atmosphere over it all. It is so rich and Raines gives us just enough to keep you craving more. Without giving anything away, the ending is spot on, but I do have a bone to pick with Raines over it. I am beyond excited to see where the story goes next and will be thinking about that ending until then.

The Hollow and the Haunted is a spine-tingling, sensational YA debut that I thoroughly recommend.

If Netflix’s Dead’s Boys Detectives had a baby with The Inheritance Games books by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, this book would be it. But like… bigger. And better. And more cliff hanger-y.

Miles Warren’s family chock full of people who possess otherworldly abilities. In between digging up graves in the middle of the night to dispell restless spirits and cleansing possessed items, Miles is also a regular teenager with regular problems, the least of which is trying to figure out how to come out as gay to his incredibly busy family. When Miles starts experiencing visions of a dark (and handsome!) mysterious stranger, it becomes necessary to form an uneasy alliance with the subject of those visions.

Gabriel Hawthorne never wanted to team up with anyone, especially not a Warren. After all, a decades long chasm of secrets and hostility holds the two families at either end of a bitter rivalry. But fate doesn’t care about feuds. When Miles warns Gabriel that he had seen danger in his future, the two must work together to put the past aside and puzzle out the meaning of Miles’ visions before it’s too late.

Camilla Raines does an amazing job sucking the reader into the supernatural world of Miles and Gabriel. Their chemistry is immediate and immaculate. This was a quick read that kept me turning the pages late into the night. My only tiny critique is that the sequel is not in my hands RIGHT NOW because I need to see how these two wrap up their story.

The Hollow and the Haunted by Camilla Raines is a thrilling and atmospheric debut that draws readers into a magical world filled with tension, family feuds, and budding romance. Set in Washington State, the story centers on Miles Warren, a closeted teenage psychic who foresees the death of Gabriel Hawthorne, the son of his family’s sworn enemies. Forced to work together to prevent Gabriel's impending murder, Miles and Gabriel uncover dark secrets, twisted magic, and even deeper feelings that neither of them expected.

Raines does a fantastic job of developing the dynamic between Miles and Gabriel. I loved the grumpy-sunshine trope in this book—Miles, the empathic and warm-hearted protagonist, and Gabriel, the aloof and guarded rival. As the two spend time together, their personalities clash, but gradually they begin to see past their families' feud. Gabriel, once cold and distant, starts to reveal his softer side, while Miles grows stronger, learning to stand up for himself.

One of the biggest strengths of the novel is its vivid writing. The atmosphere Raines creates is darkly magical, and the setting feels immersive, especially as the boys navigate eerie cemeteries and haunted places. I especially loved how the banter between Miles and Gabriel lightened the mood, and even Miles' old car, Blanche, felt like a character in its own right. Their slow-burn romance had me hooked, and watching their relationship evolve from reluctant allies to something deeper was a true pleasure.

While the supernatural elements and the family mystery are captivating, the romance does take a backseat, as this book focuses more on the unraveling of family secrets and the eerie visions haunting Miles. The novel ends on quite the cliffhanger, which left me eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.

Though some parts of the plot felt a bit predictable, the engaging character dynamics and fluid pacing kept me invested from start to finish. Miles, in particular, is a relatable and likable protagonist, struggling with his role in the family business while dealing with his own insecurities and desires. Gabriel's transformation is equally compelling, and I’m dying to see where Raines takes these two characters next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Titan Books, and Camilla Raines for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a fun and magical read, and I can’t wait for the sequel!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

I liked the premise and the characters, but this fell into "like" and not "love" categories for me. Still, a strong debut and I look forward to more from this author.

5 GRAVE DIGGIN' STARS

I loved this book from the first chapter until the last. Gay paranormal version of Romeo and Juliet with an eerie premonition?? Sold!!!

I love where the book took me. I love the subtle and obvious character growths from all the characters and I'm so excited to be read the second book because how dare you leave me hanging!!!!!!

I thought this was a standalone, but honestly, reading through it all made me realize that it's better as a series!

Very sweet & spooky queer YA romance. Loved the magical elements and the Enemies to Unwilling Allies, to possible more trope. The only downfall (for me) is the abrupt cliffhanger ending! I was hoping already that there will more in this series but wasn't expecting this story to drop off before any meaningful conclusion was reached. I'd still recommend this title, and am already anticipating the sequel!

It took some time to get started on reading this, as life happens but ugh I regret that because this book made me sit my butt down at my screen and not more for hours.

As somewhat still of a romance rookie, I gotta admit I wasn't sure this book would get me, I'm still trying to find my thing so thanks for being that book to help me figure it out a bit, cos the dynamics and tropes in this book? Incredible. I knew I had a thing for grumpy sunshine, but this book does it so well - if you love that too, this book, read it.

Its comparisons to The Raven Boys would have put me off so I'm glad I didn't notice that, as this book does actually I feel have a voice of its own, I couldn't think of anyone to really compare it too (but maybe I've just not read enough!) but I really liked the tone and the style here.

Plot wise, from page one I was intrigued and it kept me sat though I don't know some of the last pages seem a little a bit of a climb down, however I do feel this book is just prepping for book 2, and that is okay with me after how good this was.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Ok, I'm going to say some things and it is probably going to sound mean, but this is probably one of the most basic ya books I've read in a while. Let's start with the plot. Miles and Gabriel are able to learn a lot of information about the mystery very easily and very quickly. Also, none of the reveals were particularly shocking. Everything that I thought was going to happen, happened. Very predictable, very simple. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, I just didn't find it particularly engaging. Now, the characters. All the adults act like adults in stereotypical YA books. They are irrational, useless, immature, and cause more harm than good. Again, this isn't "bad." A lot of YA books have this setup. The teens in the story need to be heroes, which means the adults need to be out of the picture. This means that either the parents are dead or they are useless. Miles and Gabriel were also pretty simplistic characters. They start out as "rivals/enemies" and then grow to care for each other over the course of the book. To the book's credit, they do actually talk and get to know each other. However, all these conversations are very "meme-y." For example, they debate whether pineapple should be on pizza and dog-earring book pages vs using a book mark. It was just pretty shallow. If you are not a fan of YA books, then I wouldn't recommend giving this a read. If you enjoy YA books and don't mind "teens acting like teens," then you will likely enjoy this.

This LGBT+ Romeo and Juliet/ Pride and Prejudice romance is full of action. Miles and Gabriel come from two magical families embroiled in a feud that started generations before. Miles sees a premonition of Gabriel's' death and feels duty-bound to pass the information on despite their families' hatred of each other. This act develops into a bickering, uneasy relationship as they work together to try to prevent Gabriel's demise and work out what started their families rift long ago. There are plenty of 'will they, won't they' moments, dangerous situations in graveyards and lots of family secrets to be revealed. The plot is pacey, brilliantly complex and will keep you turning the pages until the night.

Comparisons to The Raven Boys and Cemetery Boys was what initially pulled me towards this book, but what kept me reading was the cozy spookiness of it all, along with the moodiness of Gabriel vs the shyness of Miles. I could tell from the start that this was going to be a 5-star read for me, and it didn't disappoint. I loved everything about it.

Imagine how it would feel like to have a premonition of someone’s death that you don’t know. Imagine what it would feel like to meet them knowing that one day the fate you saw would one day come to pass. Imagine getting to know them, befriending them, and ultimately loving them knowing their death is imminent.

That is the story of ‘The Hollow and The Haunted’. It is a desperate search to find a way to save someone that might not be able to be saved. While, getting closer and finding that an arrogant exterior is all there is and there’s something beautiful to love on the inside.

My favorite parts of this book were the humors. The moments where it felt like the universe was pushing two people who are meant for each other together. The soft moments of Miles and Gabriel discovering the sweet little things about each other that makes them unique, lovable, and amazing humans. Add in that their friendship wouldn’t even be allowed by their families due to a past rivalry let alone loving each other, you get a story that you can’t stop reading once you begin.

I somehow didn’t realize this book was going to be the first in a series of books and when it came to the end I was like What?!? No I need MORE! But, there will be more in the sequel and I cannot wait to read it when that comes out eventually.

Read this gay little paranormal romance story. It will make you laugh, it will make you anxious, and it will make you believe that love has no boundaries.

The Hollow and the Haunted tells the story of Miles Warren, a closeted teenage psychic, and his attempts to help a member of another local family avoid a terrible fate.
Miles never feels as if his skills as an empath are that well regarded. However, when he starts seeing visions of a boy in his mirror he is curious to know what it means. When his parents insist on him attending a party at the Hawthorne mansion he realises that the boy in his visions is one of the Hawthorne children, Gabriel. Somehow their fates end up intertwined.
Throughout the story we sense there is a dark secret behind the skills of the Hawthorne family. Gabriel and Miles draw closer as they attempt to avoid the visions coming true. But it was inherently frustrating that we never work out exactly what was happening or what Gabriel’s mother may have had to do with this.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this prior to publication.

Thanks to Titan and NetGalley for allowing me to arc read this book.
Such a cozy queer fantasy romance! Camilla’s writing is so beautiful and descriptive that I felt like I was in Washington, even though I have never been there. I loved the rivals to lovers element as well as the grumpy/sunshine aspect. Seeing Gabriel’s character unfold and open up to Miles was probably my favorite part. The romance between the boys is such a small piece of this story though. The decades long rivalry between the families, and the paranormal happenings take center stage. I actually could not believe the book ended when it did and I will be on the lookout for a release date for book two!
If you don’t enjoy cliffhangers, I would wait to read this one until you can also binge the next one. Overall, this is just the perfect October read!

The Hollow and the Haunted is a captivating debut fantasy romance that blends elements of mystery, magic, and queer love. Set in Washington State, the story follows Miles Warren, a closeted teenage psychic, who is forced to work with his sworn enemy, Gabriel Hawthorne, to prevent his untimely death.

What I Loved:

Atmospheric Setting: The author creates a richly detailed and atmospheric world, filled with haunted cemeteries, dark magic, and intriguing family secrets.
Compelling Characters: Miles and Gabriel are both complex and well-developed characters. Their initial animosity slowly evolves into a captivating and heartwarming relationship.
Unique Premise: The concept of a psychic and his sworn enemy working together to prevent a murder is a unique and intriguing premise that keeps the reader engaged.
Queer Representation: The novel features a well-represented queer relationship, which is a refreshing and important aspect of the story.
What Could Have Been Better:

Pacing: While the story is enjoyable, some parts might feel a bit slow-paced, particularly in the beginning.
Predictability: While the overall plot is intriguing, some elements of the mystery might be predictable for experienced readers of the genre.
Overall:

The Hollow and the Haunted is a captivating and atmospheric fantasy romance that will leave you wanting more. With its compelling characters, unique premise, and well-developed world, this book is a must-read for fans of queer fantasy and magical realism.

A great YA read, with magic, an eerie mansion, and a glowering teenage protagonist with a dark past.

Miles, on the other hand, has a happier family life, but holds a secret he's afraid to tell them.

When the two meet, a series of coincidences lead to a new friendship that could have deadly consequences.

This is a slow read, but no less enjoyable as we get to know the characters and the world of magic they live in. The ending will be controversial, but I for one can't wait to read the next book! Highly recommend.

👻🔮The Hollow and the Haunted is a great YA supernatural rivals to lovers story with magic, ghosts, visions, and family feuds🔮👻

Miles gets a vision of Gabriel dying, and reluctantly sets out to help him undo whatever led to his death. Miles' and Gabriel's families have been feuding for generations, and the boys consider each other enemies by extension, so their work together is initially filled with distrust and secrecy.

<b>"He was going to figure out what the premonitions meant and save Gabriel’s life, if solely for the chance to prove him wrong and rub his stupid smug face in it.
And, you know, because it was the right thing to do."</b>

The book does a great job with both the supernatural setting/plot, and with the characters. While Miles works for his family's business where they exorcise spirits and deal with the undead, he struggles to define his own life and future, like any teen would, and balancing all that is quite a feat. Having Gabriel thrown into the mix doesn't exactly make things easier since he's keeping it secret from his family, but not approaching Gabriel was never an option for Miles.

At the outset, Miles and Gabriel couldn't be more different. Miles is engaging and funny, as well as an empath, and he comes from a closeknit but financially struggling family. On the other hand, Gabriel is cold and solitary, born into a wealthy family that doesn't like to show affection or any emotion really, which makes it that much more thrilling once we get to see beneath Gabriel's exterior and get to know him better.

As the two spend time together, chasing ghosts, and working on solutions for how Miles' fatal vision of Gabriel can be undone, they realize they might not hate each other as much as their families do.

A heads up that this is NOT a standalone. I feel like that should've been made clearer because the book ends on an evil cliffhanger that made me wish I had the second one in my hands already 😆

Read this book if you like:
🔴Magic, visions, and ghosts
🟡Slowww burn
🟢Rivals to lovers
🔵Funny banter
🟣Grumpy/Sunshine

The Hollow and the Haunted by Camilla Raines // ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25

Thanks to Titan Books and Netgalley for the ARC. The Hollow and the Haunted is out October 22

4.5 stars

Thank you Titan Books and Netgalley for providing me with an a-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I REALLY enjoyed this book! The vibes are immaculate and the lore is interesting and the characters are loveable and intriguing.

I really liked Miles as a main character. As an empath, he feels so deeply and he has a lot of trouble not trying to meet everyone’s emotional needs, often at the expense of his own. It was great watching him grow over this book and learn to stand up for himself a little more.

I adored Gabriel. I couldn’t help but love him. That ice cold exterior and dry humour, his surprisingly warm heart underneath it all. Not to mention his absolutely bonkers evil family history. I’m sitting here writing this itching for more Gabriel.

Their slow burn romance had my whole heart. I just loved it all so much, the ways they orbited each other, changed each other just a little, just enough that it was so clear how well they compliment each other.

The plot was an absolute page turner and had me on the edge of my seat and THAT CLIFFHANGER. God. I’ll never recover. I need the next book immediately.

Another little spooky young adult book that really surprised me.

It's not a secret that I try to avoid reading books with teenage main characters, they usually annoy me with their behavior. But the description of this book sounded too good to not read it. And I can confirm that the story is also excellent.

Our two main characters couldn't be different. One is cold and seems to hate everyone, while the other is really kind and helpful. The only thing they have in common is the hatred their families have for each other. And their unnatural abilities. Both Gabriel and Miles come from families of mediums, empaths and seers. One day, Miles gets a vision that suggests to him that Gabriel will die soon, and he puts his prejudice towards the Hawthorns aside to try and help him.

That's the main plot of this book; two teenage boys with a very different upbringing trying to change the future, while figuring out why their families hate each other.

Both the romance and the main plot develop quite slowly, but I think it's quite fitting for this story. It made me really care about the characters and what was happening to them.
I loved the side characters and the world building. I was thinking that it would be an easy 5* rating but then the ending happened.
Without spoiling it, I will just say that it felt really anticlimatic. I was expecting a little more from this. Especially since just a few pages, the book
ends on a cliffhanger...
So there's an ending to this story, but actually there isn't. And while I wouldn't mind picking up the next part (actually I want it asap), I felt betrayed that there wasn't any information that I should expect such an ending.

this was so cute, i loved it. the perfect cozy read for spooky season 🤍 i wasn't aware this was a series when i picked it up, but i am now really excited for the sequel!

thank you netgalley for the e-arc :)

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

The Hollow and the Haunted, by Camilla Raines
★★★★★
384 Pages
3rd person, single character POV
Content Warning: mentions of anxiety, grief, loss, death of a parent (off-page), violence, implied homophobia, possession, family feud, panic attacks, visions, family curse, ghost attack, premonitions
Themes: rich boy x poor boy, privilege, enemies-to-lovers, psychic abilities, close knit community, hurt-comfort


The Hollow and the Haunted, by Camilla Raines is – for me – The Frighteners meets Sixteen Souls. It is everything that I wanted Cemetery Boys to be!

Full disclosure: I didn't know this was part of a series when I requested it or read it. It does end on a cliffhanger, but that didn't dampen my enjoyment of the book. In fact, this is one of my Best books of 2024.

~

The Hollow and the Haunted is a brilliant YA PNR story with an MM romance. It's got everything I could have asked for – romance, intrigue, ghosts, a haunting, feuding families and enemies to lovers, and cursed family heirlooms.

The book started with an incredible opening of a teen MC – Miles – grave digging! However, instead of having nefarious plans, Miles is there to return an item to the deceased woman, as his family have been hired to resolve a haunting. Things don't quite go to plan...and then Miles sees a strange boy in the mirror – bloody, dead and asking Miles to 'find me'.
Miles doesn't know what to do with the warning, until he meets the boy – alive and unaware of the threat. To his dismay, Gabriel Hawthorne is the son of the Hawthorne family, the arch-nemesis of Miles' family!

When it comes to characters, I LOVED Miles: the happy-go-lucky, well-meaning, hard-working teen who just wants to do his family proud, and use his gift for good; and Gabriel: the grumpy, rich boy with an ego and a habit of dismissing others, having learned to be cold from his distant mother. Between the two of them, their amazing chemistry and their witty banter, they make an incredible couple as well as great main characters.

The secondary characters are brilliant too: their mothers, Felicity and Sarah, have some of the best insults and banter in the book. I loved the relationship dynamics in the novel: Miles and Charlee's friendship, despite being cousins; Gabriel's protective instincts for his brothers; Bram and his clever cat; the chemistry between Miles and Gabriel. The relationships ranged from family to friendship to romance, and each one was completely unique and well-explored in a natural, organic way.

Miles is the only POV of the novel, but he's the perfect choice. He's a surprisingly level-headed and smart teenager; instead of screaming and throwing tantrums (like some teenagers in YA books lately), he's quietly disappointed in people, more frustrated with being hurt or getting mad rather than the person he's fighting with.

There are a wide range of psychic abilities explored throughout the book, in various ways. There's a wide network of witches/magical families in the community so there are a lot of ways to explore the magical gifts in this world. There's lots of teen life, anxiety and shenanigans throughout, family issues and in-the-closet drama.

The pacing was great, the plot clever and well-explored, with false leads and twists, so many suspects and problems to creep in.
Although I knew there would be a cliffhanger by around 60-70% – because there was so much story left to tell – this is a duology and it ends on a huge cliffhanger that sort-of resolves the plot of this book while leaving plenty more for the next to settle. This cliffhanger was a real surprise, leaving us with one heck of an ending.
I'm really looking forward to Book 2, and I hope it will be in Gabriel's POV, so that we can see more of his side of events.

~

Favourite Quotes

“Fate had made their families enemies, bound by death and tragedy. As surely as it had placed Gabriel in Miles's path, it would take him away. One way or another.”

“Gabriel hesitated. “It's...home. The only place I've ever lived.” He watched the flames. “It's also cold sometimes, empty. Hollow. I have all this space, but nothing to fill it with.” His eyes flicked over to Miles, there and gone. “Sometimes, I feel like a ghost living here. Invisible. Intangible.”