Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I don’t think I’ve met a gothic horror story that I didn’t like, and My Darling Dreadful Thing is no exception. I was immediately drawn in by the cover, the blurb is what sold me, and I was so surprised and excited when I found out my request was approved!!

My Darling Dreadful Thing is dark, unrelenting, mysterious, and heartbreaking. I absolutely loved van Veen’s prose and her characters. They are so tragic and deeply flawed, but I also wanted to sweep some of them up in a hug and give them some love, especially Roos, Ruth, and Agnes. I really enjoyed how the majority of the book was told in first person through Roos’s eyes, which is something I never thought I’d say. Roos’s internal monologue broke my heart and watching her learn and grow through her eyes as the story passed made it feel like I was an active participant in the story.

Stripped down to its core, My Darling Dreadful Thing is a love story and love (of all kinds!) is the throughline that connects all of the characters, for better or for worse.

There were some spots where the pacing could’ve been a bit tighter, but when there was action, it was page-turning and I couldn’t read fast enough! (There was a scene that reminded me a bit of the topiary animals scene in The Shining which made my heart RACE!!) 

My Darling Dreadful Thing was a fantastic read and I can’t recommend it enough if you’re a fan of queer gothic horror!!