Trust Karina Halle to deliver on a dark psychological horror/romance story that keeps you guessing and trying to figure out what in the world is going on. The twists in this book just keep punching one after the other. Who knew you ever needed a twist on The Last of Us but make it from the view of scientists? The level of morals questioned in this book, the horror of animal testing and what a god complex can cause are shadows slowly closing in on you as you follow Sydney through what she thinks is an exciting opportunity to help the world.

The medical gaslighting, a creepy isolated fog ridden island. The ghosts and unnatural nature lurking just out the periphery of your view, stalking you. You can really feel Sydney (and yourself) questioning what is real and what is just your brain driving you insane from isolation.

I felt the pacing was a bit too slow originally, it felt like nothing was truly happening in the first half of the book, but you have to stick with it because as the reveals finally come, hitting you and hitting you till you're a mess on the floor, you find yourself going back over every encounter, every sight of supernatural, and realize it was all there before you all along. This is a book where you have to trust the process and really focus on the psychological. You can't get frustrated, which is probably what happened to me and made me think it was moving slow. I'm honestly still reeling from this book even as I'm writing this and fully struggling to put into words just how I feel.

This is such a fantastic book for spooky season and I only wish I had gotten to it before Halloween. This book is best going in blind and letting the plot lay itself before you as you go. Question everything, Sydney is the perfect unreliable narrator. The payoff of this book is completely worth the journey.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Metal Blonde Books for approving me to ARC read this book.

This book was AMAZING!
I didn’t know I would ever like a Dark Gothic Romance but man do I want more.
I am not one who likes mixing horror and romance but, this was hands down the book of the year for me!
I highly recommend this book and I cannot say enough good things about it! It’s eerie and dark but, leaves you wanting so much more!
Thank you netgalley for the arc!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I couldn't really get past the writing type of this book, and it didn't draw me in enough to keep digging in.

An excellent gothic horror that literally keeps you guessing til the very last page. This is an amazing novel and I definitely couldn't put it down. Always love reading Ms Halle!

I was hooked from the beginning! This book blends all of the things that I love reading about; horror, mystery and smutty romance. Like wow! And the ending was so good! I highly recommend this book!

at no point did i know where this was going but 10/10 especially for haunting, spooky, thriller, halloween-y romance vibes

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6987494993Now that was a first! I never expected much from it since it's my first psych thriller dark romance (which is a great mix of genres btw, might look into more of it soon 🤭) but I enjoyed reading this one! I really start reading it for the vibes, but stayed because the plot really makes it hard for me to put the book down!

With the right amount of thrill, horror, plot twists and turns, and of course spice 🤪 Grave Matter works well for me and really scratched this part of my bookish brain on reading something dark and different but still familiar with steam and romance, this book delivered at that ✨️

Thank you so much to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a digital copy of this book! ❤️

“Don’t try to change the lodge. Let the lodge change you.”


Sydney is a very ambitious stundent who just got accepted to be a part of the team for Madrona Fundation. After the 'accident' with her professor and losing a scholarship she thinks she just got a second chance in life - a second chance where she can prove that she is capable of something - that something being helping find a cure to Alzheimer.

But there is something wrong with Madrona - she doesn't know yet what, but there is definitely something going on, she just cannot grasp it yet.
Meeting her new professor and falling for him was not her plan but she can't help the feeling that she knows him - and that he knows what is wrong with this place.
She can't trust anyone there - but will she be able to find out what is so bothering about the lodge? Or will this place become her death?






I really like it when books (especially 'romance' books) have some plot to them. Like smut is good, but i want to get wrapped into a story where i won't be able to put the book down and it will stay in my head for a while after i finish it.
This is one of those books. I loved the relationship between Syd and her love interest but i was glad smut was not the main part of it. It was a whole, terrorizing story with a big plot twist which i didn't see coming. I've had my thoughts of what is going on there but i could't figure out how will it ends. And i love when book has me staying on my toes the whole time.

But the smut was soooooo good also. It would be a crime not to mention the smut. And kinky Doctor Sincaid? Well, having a psychologist like that would cure me from any disease. just saying.
and the whole student-teacher trope? one of my favs!

It was my first meeting with this author but i will definitely not be the last, now i am very tempted to check out all of their work!

Spicy, male female, professor x student (both are adults), dark-ish, sci-fi element, psychological thriller, contemporary romance. Check your trigger warnings - there are horror elements like gore among other things. Very suspenseful, steamy, and creepy with an original plot.

this book is such an intriguing read! the atmosphere is superb. it’s spooky and gothic and weird and i loved every bit of it.

karina halle excels at what she does. and for this being her first psychological thriller? insane. i need more please.

i loved the unease of never really knowing what’s going on and if things that were happening to the main character sydney were real. the neurodivergent rep with sydney’s character was also amazing to read.

and of course the spice was *chefs kiss* because it’s a karina halle book and it always hits.

I went into this story hoping to be grossed out and turned on and let me tell you, both were delivered in abundance. The atmosphere Karina Halle creates for us is so unsettling and immersive, there were multiple times where I had to stop and take a second because I was so creeped out.

Horror isn’t my usual genre, but seeing this book advertised with the micro-trope “fun with fungi” pulled me right in and while I am thankful, I am also afraid it has awoken something deep inside of me. (When you read this, we need to talk about the camping scene where the forest starts acting up because why was that kinda 😏)

ANYWAYS, if you believe you might enjoy an isolated lodge in a foggy, foreboding forest, a neurotypical FMC literally hanging on by a thread but willing to risk it all for her hot older professor, a boat named after a LOTR character, endless suspense, and of course, mushroom puns, this book is for you and I cannot recommend it enough.

I decided to dive into this book while visiting Vancouver Island and I’m so glad I did because the Island vibes are strong in this book. It was SO CREEPY and twisted that I found myself unable to read it once it got dark because it was so unsettling, and I’m not one who generally gets scared by books! It’s so atmospheric and dark and you really feel the difficult struggle that the main character experiences while trying to figure out what’s going on and whether she’s losing her mind. And the TWIST, holy moly, I love a book that makes my jaw drop and this one absolutely delivered. At first I couldn’t figure out what to rate it because I couldn’t wrap my mind around what I’d just read — but now we’re two weeks after I finished the book and I’m still thinking about it, which means it’s gotta be five stars.

As a big lover of Karina Halle’s The Dracula Duet, I already knew I enjoyed her writing, but I went into this completely blind, and wow—what a read!

This was definitely a "what the fuck did I just read" type of book. It left me wanting to continue reading after every chapter; I literally could not put it down. Every time I felt like I knew what was going on, it turned out I actually didn’t.

What to expect:
Professor x Student
Neurodivergent Rep
Forced Proximity
Degradation Kink
Women in Stem
BDSM elements
WTF did I just read
Haunted forest
Morally Grey characters

Thank you NetGalley, Metal Blonde Books and Karina Halle for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

this was an intensely interesting read! i was very confused a lot of the time, but i have to say i did not see the plot twist coming. i was a little iffy about the romance for nearly the entire book, but i think the ending really ties it all together. i’m actually very happy with the twist and the ending and how everything was concluded. this was such a creepy, unsettling, mysterious read and i actually really loved it. it has me wanting to go back and reread it again knowing the context i know now, so that i can make connections i couldn’t have made before! overall a very enjoyable, interesting, and thought-provoking read that really makes you question morality and the lengths you would be willing to go in the name of ambition.

3.5⭐️

* Thank you to NetGalley and Metal Blonde Books for this e-arc *

This was a really run read. Halle has created an atmosphere that’s equally enticing, thrilling, disgusting and scary. Delicious. Not only that, I love a book that makes me question everything and everyone on the page. The story was fast paced and kept me interested in every chapter. It takes a lot to keep me engaged like that.

Though the chemistry between the FMC and MMC fell a bit flatter for me than I would’ve liked, I can totally understand why everyone would go feral for their relationship.

I absolutely adored Sydney as an FMC. She got shit done. And absolute A star for the neurodivergent rep and mention of other NDs too. Love to see representation in book genres that I like.

5 ⭐️ 3 🌶
This is my 2nd ever Karina Halle book and it’s another 5 stars. I’m blown away. The way this place is set has such an atmosphere of mystery, anticipation and fear. Spooked me the fuck out. Like I’ve never been so creeped out/scared reading a book in my life 👏🏼 To be fair, horror is not my usual genre but I loved it nonetheless. This book makes you unsure as to who or what to believe/trust. I have never been so psychologically fucked around. I was constantly questioning what and who to believe. It was so damn cool. The characters and world was so fleshed out with a loveable comedic side character to break up the serious tones. The romance? Intriguing, full of tension but also mystery. Morally grey too 🥵. Spice? Pretty damn good, with a bit of bdsm and some degradation. THE PLOT TWIST I NEVER SAW COMING?! GAGGED ME! The road leading up to the reveal was long and worth the wait! I ignored what my plans for the day were just to see it through 🤭 What I didn’t expect out of it? To get me so emotional and cry. Like such genuine pain. I’m obsessed with this book. What a roller coaster of emotions.
🌲👻🐻🖤🧬

This was a mysterious spicy & thrilling experience that has unreliable characters & narratives. It was well written it had me dreading & second guessing at every trun.
The endeding was so fun when all the puzzle pieces were finally put together. It's a love story...it's a cautious tale. Of what one person will do for love for my admiration and with ambition.

I loved all the scientific studies, names and processes. This would make a great movie.
I enjoyed this very much and even might of learned somethings.

My head is still spinning from this absolute mindblowing book! Grave Matter has to be one of the most fantastically twisted books I have ever read and I am obsessed to say the least! | 100% recommend you all read this!
With morally grey characters, dark academia with professor x student trope, some BDSM, and a haunted forest... what's not to love! I seriously urge everyone to read this!

Ahhh this book is so good!! I really enjoyed the gothic dark academia vibes. It is the perfect mix of plot, romance and spice.

holy fuck holy fuck holy fuck, this was so insane in the best of ways, i honestly thought i was starting to go fucking nuts there for a little while??? it’s like everything made sense but absolutely nothing actually made sense until the twisties at the end 🫠🫠🫠🫠

i had my theories through out and i was right but not in the way i thought everything would go down, the way it went down was 1000000x crazier than i had theorized!!!!

this was my first book of karina’s and it damn sure would be my last because this is the wildest ride of a book i have read recently and i had the time of my life binge reading it and silently freaking the hell out bc i had no one to run and scream to about what was happening 🤣🤣🤣 i literally cannot wait to force my friends to read this just so i can get all of their raw & unhinged reactions to this masterpiece