Do you like sapphic historical romances, taxidermy museum animals, haunted manors and murder plots? You might like this! But I didn’t. 

I thought this was going to be a spooky sapphic romance and I guess technically it was that, but this just didn’t do it for me. I listened to the audiobook which was immediately a mistake since this is dual POV and the narrator did not differentiate the voices of the two main characters, so I was very confused throughout the entire book about who’s perspective we were on. 

The first SIX WHOLE HOURS was spent introducing the characters and their relationship dynamics and there wasn’t even a slither of gay until the 6 hour mark which, originally I thought “okay maybe this is just a slow burn”. But then within the span of about 5 minutes they thought homosexuality could be an option, decided they couldn’t live without each other, told each other they’ve been in love since they first saw each other, and then they had sex…. So like was this supposed to be a slow burn or an insta love?? I’m confused

I feel like the plot was just kind of all over the place. I mean the haunting part of the plot, was about Lucy’s nightmares and the manifestations of her childhood trauma. Which wasn’t terribly done but it definitely could have been a lot more interesting. I just feel like there was a lot of dull moments throughout. Also, at the end of the book, in the last hour, that was just so weirdly structured. 

They just chucked in a plot line about a secret pedophile ring involving Lord Lockwood and the head maid?? Like that was never even hinted to previously but it was just randomly slotted in at the end, I’m guessing to lead to Lord Lockwood’s death but it was just so random and weird.  I guess it had a happy ending since Lucy and Hetty end up living together and looking for queer community and being so in love and that but idk, the plot was just such a mess, I really did not care by the end of it. 

Also I can’t remember the precise location of this but at one point the author included an ableist slur which was completely unnecessary and should have been taken out during the edits. This one was definitely not for me, maybe someone else will enjoy it but this will definitely not be a reread for me. 

Rep - Anxiety (MC); Mental Illness (MC); OCD (MC); Queer (A); Sapphic (MCs)

TWs/CWs - Ableism; Animal Death; Blood; Car Crash; Child Abuse; Child Harm; Classism; Cussing; Death; Death Of A Loved One; Fatphobia; Fire/Fire Injury; Grief; Homophobia; Hunting; Internalised Homophobia; Manipulation; Miscarriage (mentioned); Murder; Misogyny; Neglect; Nightmares; Physical Abuse; Plantation House (mentioned); Paedophile; Sex (on page); Sexual Assault of a Child (past, detailed); War