House of Shadows by Darcy Coates

 

Darcy Coates is a new-to-me authors that I'd heard of but hadn't actually read until my sister gave me a copy of this book, HOUSE OF SHADOWS. As soon as I realized it was a romantic horror novel with themes of marriage of convenience and a haunted house, I was so excited, because those are two of my favorite tropes. Also, I think we can all agree that romantic horror is a sorely under-represented genre.

Sophie Hemlock(!) is the daughter of a merchant (I think?) and when she meets the mysterious Joseph Argenton at an opera and hits it off with him, she's charmed and wary of his intensity. When a marriage proposal follows shortly after her father has a ruinous incident with a shipment, it seems too good to be true. He's provided her with the key to save her family's fortune, but that key might also be her demise.

Things get sus pretty much immediately. Her husband claims he has to race ahead of their coach and leaves her to continue the journey on her own. When she gets to the house, Northwood, her new in-laws are creepy and weird. There's a red door her husband tells her not to go into. She hears weird whispers and phantom music, and her husband's young cousin, Elise, is drawing pictures of a monster that she claims "whispers to her."

What the fuck is going on?

HOUSE OF SHADOWS was a really fun, quick read. The chapters are short, which makes it easy to stop and start. I thought the romance was actually kind of weak, and I think the story would have been a lot better if the author had played up the passion between the leads and maybe included a smutty scene or two. I also would have liked a little more creepiness, although the visceral horror elements in this book were done pretty well (what few there were). It has elements of Bluebeard, Rebecca, and Rose Red, with maybe a dash of The Haunting of Hill House. If you're looking for something creepy and a little romantic and not too scary, this is a great book for you.

I've already bought the sequel. :)

3 to 3.5 out of 5 stars