Deeply atmospheric, this story lingered in my mind.

A woman arrives at a desolate piece of Scotland to marry a man she's never met. Fleeing a past and pain she can't bring herself to consider, she welcomes this chance to start again. To build something, but in the wildness of her new land, her new house, her new relationships, she finds nothing is as it seems or she expects.

There is a deliberate slowness to the build up, a skilled luxury that allows the tension to creep in, slowly but surely. Just like the fog that presses in on the house, the sense of 'wrongness' grows more and more intense. In less skilled hands, it would have been too easy to rush to the drama, to the moments that caught in the mind but thankfully the authors allow it to grow like the herbs that are scattered throughout the text.

What follows is a delicious gothic horror, and a tale that leaves you constantly doubting the motives and actions of everyone within.

~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for a honest review~

A great gothic horror! incredibly atmospheric and intirguing... definitely on the slower-paced side, but the characters and atmosphere were fantastic.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an e-ARC.

I loved the eerie gothic vibes, but overall this wasn’t my cup of tea unfortunately. I felt like the story dragged a lot and it was also very repetitive. I think people who enjoy very slow paced, gothic mysteries will enjoy this book. It was just too slow for my taste.

'The Needfire' is a fabulously gothic tale that reminded me strongly of 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier. I don't think I can give greater praise than that!
Set in the remote wilds of Scotland, the story follows Norah, a woman with a secret in her past who is desperate to escape from the confines of society. But marriage is a trap, her new home a crumbling cage, and her haunted heart is burning with a longing she can barely name.
It's always a dream to read a beautifully written and well-crafted novel, as it forces me to slow down and savour every word. This one is definitely worth taking the time over.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

The ultimate case of “it’s not you, it’s me”. I should have known from “for fans of Rebecca” in the quotes - it was a little heavy and slow to get a high rating from me.
However, the atmosphere and the general vibes were absolutely immaculate. Spooky, dark, beautiful. It has the potential to be utterly world shaking for the right person - I just really wish that person was me!

This was an absolutely phenomenal read - it belongs with the great classics of Gothic Horror. The atmosphere was chilling and tense, the mystery had me intrigued and eagerly reading to see what would happen next, the characters were complex and interesting, and the setting was hauntingly beautiful. I cannot praise this book enough. And on top of all that, we get a dynamic and gripping queer relationship! This was absolutely fantastic, if I could give it more than 5 stars I would.

Atmospheric and tense, this book follows Norah as she leaves Glasgow in the late 19th century for Corrain House in the far north east of Scotland. Her purpose is to marry Lord Barland - a man she has never met before, but who held the majority of her late father's debt. Used to the noise and gossip of the city, she knows it will take time to adjust to her remote and austere home, with superstitious villagers and desolate surroundings.

But her new husband is remote and vague, despite the friendship they had struck up over correspondence before the marriage was agreed. She can't make out if the housekeeper, Agnes, wants her there. The house is forbidding. And she starts having disturbing dreams...

Gothic horror isn't a genre I turn to often, but this book is very readable and once I'd started I'd often do 'one more chapter' when I should have been putting it down. The undercurrent of dread as Norah becomes more sure something is wrong gradually cranks up the tension, and her relationship with Agnes is well drawn. I could almost smell the misty landscape and dark, damp house as I read. The ending felt a little rushed, but it might just have been that I wanted to spend more time with the characters.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

It is the story of Norah who is to be married to the Baron Alexander Barland and starts living in his mansion that is deteriorating slowly. The odd atmosphere and her husband behaviours make you wonder what secrets the mansion and the husband are keeping…

The whole atmosphere remained odd and fuelled the suspense around the mystery of the husband and the house. The letters were a good addition, especially as it gave more information on Norah’s life. I found the writing to be good and I didn’t expect the end.

I would rate this one a 3 stars though. The book felt too long. I don’t know if it’s because it was slow paced or because I was not really in the mood for it, but my reading experience was a 3 stars.

3.5 🌟

Great opener, setting the scene nicely on this dark, isolated dismal location.
The house and its few occupants do a great job of creating a claustrophobic feeling.
There were a few spooky moments that kept me on my toes.
I felt it hit a bit of a lull mid way, but that was just a brief moment of relaxation before the gears were upped and we went forth into the final thrilling chapters.
Very enjoyable.