The Memory of Glass

by Brenna Lauren

Lovers of Mexican Gothic, Belladonna, and The Haunting of Brynn Wilder rejoice! The Memory of Glass is a gothic romantic suspense about a cursed Savannah glass heiress, her southern mansion haunted by vengeful ghosts, and her marriage of convenience to the broody, mysterious man who must help her unravel a web of deadly family secrets before it's too late. "Break the curse, Whitney Darling, before it breaks you."If I return to Savannah, to Darling House - I’ll die there. Either the curse I accidentally unleashed on my family will catch up with me, or I'll flatline at the sight of the man I left behind - Ephraim Callaghan.But when my grandfather's cryptic will leads to an arranged marriage, Ephraim and I are trapped together in Darling House, my ancestral haunted mansion by the sea. As our passion rekindles, we must overcome the past and decode a dark family secret surrounding the glass, a century-old murder mystery, and the restless ghosts that remain. To put their souls to rest will not only save our lives, but the Darling’s legacy – and grant me and Ephraim a second chance at the love we thought we’d lost forever

Genres: Gothic, Mystery

360 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2023

Reviews

[Mickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 outstanding stars!

This book was so captivating that I absolutely could not put it down. I truly felt engaged the entire time and enjoyed the dual timelines as well. This book gave me Practical Magic meets Midnight Bayou vibes and I was absolutely loving for it!!

This story follows Savannah’s finest family — The Darlings. They made their fortune in glassblowing and amassed a mansion on an island off of Savannah in the late 20s. Fast-forward to 2023 and Whitney Darling must return to a home she ran from. Her belief in a curse she awakened two years prior that stole her brothers life has her returning to bury her grandfather. His will sets her on a path back to her old flame and will force their futures to entwine.

An arranged marriage, second chance romance with forced proximity, southern aristocracy and true southern haunted mansions, this book will take you on a thrilling adventure! Mystery, romance, familial history, there’s something for everyone!

Read if you love:

•arranged marriage
•dual timelines
•forced proximity
•second chance romance
•southern society
•light spice
•mystery/suspense
•haunted/ghost vibes

[Michele G · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

This haunting debut had impressive and captivating writing. I was hooked on every second of it. Both the past and present story lines entranced me and made it hard for me to put this one down. It was so atmospheric and was the perfect October read.

The angst of the arranged marriage was everything!!! Ephraim was broody and lush with Southern appeal. I could picture that southern accent and cool demeanor perfectly and I couldn’t get enough of it. The only thing missing for me was the spice. This romance was mostly closed door. I’m not saying that I needed explicit spice; I don’t think that would have suited this particular romance. It’s just that the angst was so well written that it had to lead to something explosive, and the lack of insight into their intimacy left me feeling deprived of something that I was waiting for. Aside from that, I really did enjoy this story and I can’t wait for the next book!!

[Kahlee Shackelford · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5✨ What I enjoyed - the southern charm of Savannah, the gothic vibes, the cast of characters. The duel timeline. What wasn’t for me - the writing itself felt disjointed due to way too many sentence fragments. Felt more geared toward tropes/ social media edits making parts of the story feel one dimensional and under developed. The romance was fade to black (but if you want romance on the lighter side this is for sure for you). All in all it was a fun read that played out like a Southern soap opera. Will I jump back into this world? Yes.

[sav · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Some claimed the Lowcountry was a magical place. Earth so lovely and wild, that the ocean made love with the shore, and the marsh was born. Beauty from chaos.”

What a unique debut. This book was hauntingly beautiful. The writing really pulled you in to the beautiful setting of the lowcountry & the descriptions of the overall setting immersed me deep into the story.

This book has a bit of something for everyone— a murder mystery, romance, and gothic vibes.

“Our island and the whole wide marsh belonged to the wild things. And we belonged to them.”

I loved the hint of angst that came between the two characters & their arranged marriage. Ephraim was the perfect dark and broody southern man. As a romance lover, I couldn’t get enough of these two and their pent-up tension.

“He smelled like the ocean, and the cruel river, and the salty, spicy air I’d breathed in and out all my life.”

The dual timelines also flowed beautifully without becoming confusing. The mystery itself was intriguing and kept me engaged. Overall this was an impressive debut and cannot wait to read more of the author’s works in the future!

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

HAUNTING DEBUT.

BLOG || INSTAGRAM

When a book has less than 20 reviews on Goodreads (at the time of me writing this), I feel like it’s a big leap to the bookish world to give it a go, but lo and behold, this one absolutely held up. I will, without a doubt, be reading the next book (note: this is a standalone with more books in this world).

MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE. That’s probably the only line you need here.

I loved the dynamic between Ephraim and Whitney. It was intense and heated and had that all consuming, I’ve never forgotten you, kind of vibe. It really fit the atmosphere of the whole novel and I grew to love what they had going.

This book had that creepy factor that made it difficult for me to read in the dark (and this is a compliment, though also, I’m easily spooked). I loooved the intrigue and mystery and the whole whodunnit. I liked having the historical flashback chapters that added to the puzzle. I desperately wanted to put all the pieces together to see wrongs righted and the curse lifted. There’s just the right amount of paranormal aspects that just made this book sing.

I had some small balance issues in regards to the plot and where time was spent. And that was really my only main complaint. I thought this was an amazing debut and I look forward to reading more books in the future.

Overall audience notes:
- Romantic Suspense / Gothic Romance
- Language: a little strong
- Romance: vague open/fade to black
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, attempted murder, multiple murders, miscarriage

[downtown · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ghosts of Darling House are on the move. They’re trying to warn us. And you would be wise to listen.

Whitney left home to avoid a curse that causes the death of anyone the eldest in the family cares dearly for. She has returned after the death of her grandfather and in his will he leaves her the house and family legacy of glass making if she will marry Ephraim for one year. Ephraim who she fled to try and protect from the curse.

This was an enjoyable read with many of my favorite tropes. I do think the character development and some of the plot could have been flushed out more. The curse is not really well explained and there are a lot of interpersonal relationships that if developed more would have really made this story good. I also think the pacing of the romance was off. There was a resolution of the past hurt/animosity between these two without any conversation or explanation to the reader. So it felt sudden. But I did enjoy them together and they had good chemistry. I was rooting for them. I very much enjoyed the early timeline and the history of the family and the setting of the house but again I wanted more depth and explanation to build more suspense. Just in general there were some dropped threads and underdevelopment.

However, the idea was very good and unique kept me reading until the end. I really enjoyed the mystery that unfolds from the past. I would probably read more by this author as this was their debut and shows a lot of potential.

[Sarah Beth G. (a.neverending.tbr) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t picked up a book in awhile that kept me up too late because I couldn’t put it down. I was in a mild reading slump when I picked up this spooky debut and it grabbed my attention immediately. The mystery and pacing is so well done. The flashback chapters were great and even though I started to piece together what happened, it was a great read to get there.

This book is SPOOKY, which isn’t usually my thing but reading it in the spring probably helped. I’m a scaredy cat and probably would have been too afraid to read it in spooky season. I also thought the author did a great job with the southern imagery and making me hear those accents without cringy dialogue. As a southern US native, I really appreciate when this is done well.

The romance was chef’s kiss perfect! I loved the push and pull of Ephraim and Whitney with all of those great protective moments that come with an arranged marriage. This is really a second chance too and I was so happy when they gave into the emotions.

There were a couple of minor things that caught my attention as well as a couple of unanswered questions that could have been further explored but this was a fantastic debut and worth your time.

Content Notes: Vague open door/fade to black romance, some strong language

[Sallie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is rare for me to give 5 stars but this book is so good. FINALLY, someone writes true gothic mystery romance. There are no dragons, vampires, demons! This is "old school but still modern" with a Southern stately home in Savannah, Ga, on an island, four stories high with generations of one family passing it down along with the bumps in the night and all the stories that go along. Ms. Lauren writes with vivid detail of the wind swept beach, the howling thunder and lightening and the chemistry between characters we long for. A real mystery! One that kept me going until the end. Being from NC, I could visualize the house, the family around the table, the nights when we lost power at the beach. I could smell the hardwood floors, feel the sand on my feet, see the shore bird looking to the horizon. I could imagine getting up in the night and having that feeling in an old home where someone was watching from the shadows. This is a great mystery and the romance is written well. Which in my terms leaves some to the imagination. I adored this book and could not put it down.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ I really enjoyed this book! I thought the premise was unique and I enjoyed the dual timelines.

The book checks all the boxes to be labeled “gothic,” but it felt more like a thriller as the story progressed, which I didn’t mind.

There is romance, but it’s really a sub plot (IMO). Spice is like ‘cracked door’ — fade to black. Nothing explicit. I wish the tension between the two MCs had been drawn out more. It was dramatic and gripping at the start, but felt a bit too easily resolved. (I wish we’d gotten even more drama with Evangeline 😂 — and on a side note, I would have loved more dad drama… he certainly liked to stir the pot).

The mystery and the spooky vibes were excellent. I loved the addition of the ghosts and the strange happenings.

I felt like there wasn’t much character development overall as the plot focused mainly on unearthing secrets and breaking the family curse. But the story was engaging and I was captivated beginning to end.

All in all, the vibes were there. It’s a great read for spooky season. 👻

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very atmospheric book set in a haunted mansion in Savannah.

We got a dual timeline of The Darlings, one of Savannah's "it" families. They made their money in glassblowing, and later in sun spectacles.

When Whitney Darling's grandfather passes and, despite "the curse", she returns home for his funeral. There she learns his well contained some stipulations and she finds herself married to her childhood best friend.

The mystery and romance made this one captivating.

[Robin Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful debut

What a great story! I’m blessed to live four hours away from Savannah and have experienced a ghost tour led by the authors husband. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that his wife was writing a novel and even more thrilled when I found out the genre. I read the book without putting it down in fine hours time. Cannot wait for her next one!

[Lindi Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing novel. All the southern charm and gothic atmosphere that makes a novel hard to put down. Whitney and Ephraim's story is one to be remembered. We read this for our book club and everyone loved it. The writing is intricate, lyrical, and poetic. Would recommend to anyone.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly atmospheric and haunting- just how I like my gothic stories. I have a soft spot for this genre as I like to sit in the words and atmosphere just as much as the story itself.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book set in one of my favorite places on earth. We also enjoyed the genteel & Bard ghost tour in Savannah!

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Joanna Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hauntingly beautiful and captivating!

I'm obsessed with the Gothic vibes and southern charm. 🩷

[Molly Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book, it is a haunting and beautifully descriptive gothic romance set in Savannah. I devoured it and I don’t even have words but that’s ok because Brenna Lauren poured them all out on the page for us. Read it for a wonderfully original tale with dual timelines and plenty of brooding *swoon*

[London Romeo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5/5*

The Memory of Glass is dark, romantic and tragic. I wasn't immediately glued, but by the end, I procrastinated everything to find out how it would end.

Aside from the dreamy and romantic setting, the story was beautifully arranged, and the characters were compelling. I especially enjoyed the "historical" passages, and I hope to see more of those in future books from this series.

The enemies-to-lovers component did not come through as I thought it would, and the romance was a bit sudden, but it was still fun to read.

On the whole, The Memory of Glass is a perfect start to spooky season, and I can't wait to hopefully read the next book in the series around spooky season too.

[Jacci Prior · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now on audible! Narrated by me, Corvin King, & PJ Freeborn!

[Annalise Donze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminds me so much of growing up in South Carolina. Good story.